175: Old man, practice with me!

On the Peak of Bitter Winter, the cold wind howled, whipping up thousands of piles of snow.

However, inside this cavern deep within the mountain that had been frozen for ten thousand years, it was currently as hot as an Artifact Refining Room about to explode.

Su Lin was woken up by the heat.

That feeling... he struggled to open his eyes. What met his gaze was a vast expanse of white mist—it was water vapor steaming off the cold jade ice rock beneath him after being forcibly melted by the high temperature.

And the center of the heat source was wrapped tightly around him like an octopus.

Su Hongling was still asleep.

Her sleeping posture was terrible; her whole person presented an extremely domineering posture.

That red head was buried in Su Lin's neck, and with every breath, warm air currents sprayed onto his skin, carrying the dry heat unique to a Body Cultivator's blood.

The most fatal part was her legs.

That thigh, containing the terrifying power of the Mahayana Stage, was brazenly draped across Su Lin's waist.

Su Lin even suspected that if it weren't for the passive protection of his [Immovable Wisdom King Body], his old waist would have broken last night.

"...Let go."

Su Lin pushed her rock-hard arms, but they didn't budge.

"Hong Ling, it's dawn."

He shouted again, this time increasing his volume.

The person in his arms moved, but that was all. She hummed in dissatisfaction, her brows furrowed, as if someone had snatched a bone from her in a dream.

The next second, she performed an action that made Su Lin's scalp tingle.

With her eyes closed and mouth open, she instinctively took another bite at the tooth mark from last night that hadn't healed yet.

"Hiss!"

Su Lin gasped in hot air, his muscles tensing up instantly.

This dead girl!

Although she didn't use force this time, just gnawing gently like a puppy, that moist, warm sensation felt exceptionally clear and dangerous in this enclosed, sweltering space.

"Get up now that you're awake!"

Unable to bear it any longer, Su Lin channeled the bit of spatial spiritual energy he had just recovered, attempting to teleport out of her confinement.

But this clearly underestimated the locking ability of a Mahayana Stage Body Cultivator against "prey."

As soon as the spatial fluctuation began, Su Hongling's body reacted instinctively.

"Trying to run?"

She opened her eyes abruptly. There was no confusion of just waking up in those crimson pupils, only the fierce glare of protecting her food.

"Bang!"

She didn't use any Move at all, just simply tightened her arms and legs.

The absolute power directly shattered the spatial ripples Su Lin had just condensed.

Su Lin only felt a tightness in his chest.

"Old Man, you're not being honest."

Su Hongling lifted her head, her messy red hair covering half her face, revealing only a pair of frighteningly bright eyes and two small, sharp fangs.

"I kindly warmed the bed for you, afraid you'd freeze to death, and you want to sneak off first thing in the morning?"

"Warming the bed?"

Su Lin pointed to the surroundings, "This stone is almost melted by you. Are you trying to stew me and eat me?"

"Stewing you wouldn't be bad either."

Su Hongling chuckled, stuck out her tongue to lick her lips, and scanned Su Lin's body without any avoidance.

"It would definitely be more fragrant cooked than raw."

She pressed her hands on either side of Su Lin's ears, lifted her body slightly, and looked down at him.

That loose white bathrobe, after a night of tossing and turning, was already loose and sloppy, with the collar wide open.

That was the imprint of the Law of Force left behind when she achieved her Breakthrough to the Mahayana Stage, wild and sacred.

"Old Man, I'm hungry."

She changed the subject extremely quickly; one second she was discussing stewing meat, the next her stomach rumbled like thunder in coordination.

"I want to eat meat. The kind that comes in big chunks, with blood streaks, that oozes oil when you take a bite."

Su Lin sighed helplessly: "Revered Master still has some dry rations in the storage ring..."

"No!"

Su Hongling looked disgusted, "That's for feeding rabbits! I want to eat meat! Freshly killed!"

After saying that, she didn't wait for Su Lin to agree and stood up abruptly from the puddle.

"I'm going hunting! You wait here, don't go anywhere! If I come back and find you've run away..."

She turned her head and threw a casual punch at a giant piece of hard ice nearby.

"Boom!!"

Without any spiritual energy fluctuations, the pure fist wind directly pulverized the ten-zhang-high hard ice into powder, and ice crystals fell down in a rustle.

"I'll tie you to my waistband and take you wherever I go!"

After threatening him, she kicked off the ground.

"Bang!"

The ground collapsed, and that red figure shot out of the cave entrance like a cannonball, disappearing into the vast sea of snow.

...

Half an hour later.

A sound of earth-shaking footsteps came from the cave entrance.

"Thump! Thump! Thump!"

Immediately after, a huge shadow blocked the light at the entrance.

Su Hongling dragged in a Snow Region Savage Bear that was dozens of times larger than her.

That Savage Bear had the cultivation of the Early Stage of Body Integration and was one of the overlords of this snowy mountain, but at this moment, it was like a ragdoll, being dragged along the ground by one bear paw by this girl with one hand.

"Old Man! Look at how fat this bear paw is!"

She threw the mountain-like Savage Bear onto the ground, shaking the rocks from the cave ceiling.

Su Hongling looked even wilder now.

The bathrobe she was wearing was gone; now she was only wearing that tight red and white short outfit, exposing her arms and legs. Her skin was still stained with spots of scarlet beast blood, and her whole person exuded a heart-palpitating Evil Qi.

But the way she looked at Su Lin was like a puppy showing off a treasure.

"Hurry, hurry, hurry! Roast it! I want all four!"

Su Lin looked at the dead-eyed Savage Bear, then at his expectant Second Disciple, and stood up resignedly.

Starting the fire, setting up the grill, preparing the ingredients.

For Su Lin, who possessed Divine-Grade culinary skills, this was just a simple task.

Soon, the enticing aroma of meat began to permeate the cave.

Su Hongling crouched by the fire, eyes fixed on the sizzling bear paw, drool almost falling out.

"Is it cooked? Is it cooked?"

She asked every three breaths, using her great sword [no edge] as a dining knife, grinding it against the ground with a clattering sound.

"Wait a little longer, it's not ready yet."

Su Lin flipped the giant bear paw while sprinkling special spices.

"Hong Ling."

"Hmm?" She didn't even look up, her gaze entirely on the meat.

"Is your power a bit out of control right now?"

Su Lin looked at the great sword in her hand.

Just now, she had unconsciously ground it against the ground, and the ground had been cut into a bottomless crack.

Su Hongling's movements paused, and she finally looked up, her eyes flickering a bit.

"No... no. I'm very strong, I control it very well."

"Tell the truth."

Su Lin's voice deepened.

Su Hongling pouted, stuck the great sword into the ground, and scratched her hair in irritation.

"It is a tiny bit..."

She held up her thumb and index finger, making a "tiny bit" gesture.

"But it's not my fault! It's this world that's too fragile!"

She defended herself with some grievance:

"Whenever I use a little force, the space shatters; when I run a little fast, the mountain collapses. Just now I wanted to catch a rabbit to play with you, but as soon as I pinched its ear, it... poof, it was gone."

She lowered her head, looking at her own palms, a trace of imperceptible panic flashing in her eyes.

"Old Man... have I become a monster?"

"Sometimes I don't even dare to touch you... I'm afraid that if I get excited, I'll crush you."

This was the reason she had been acting so boisterous and violently barbaric.

She was covering it up.

Covering up her fear of her own power, covering up her carefulness in fearing she might hurt Su Lin.

That was why, even though she said she wanted to leave a mark last night, she only broke the skin.

That was why, even though she said she wanted to "tie him to her waistband," she never dared to actually use force to grab Su Lin's wrist.

Su Lin looked at her.

The little girl who used to only know how to hide behind him and practice sword skills had now grown into a powerhouse he needed to look up to, yet she was still terrified because she was afraid of hurting him.

Su Lin put down the seasoning jar in his hand.

He walked up to Su Hongling.

"Stand up."

Su Hongling stood up obediently. Being a head shorter than Su Lin, she looked exceptionally constrained at this moment, her hands behind her back, like a child who had done something wrong.

"Extend your hand."

Su Hongling hesitated for a moment, then slowly extended the hand that was still stained with beast blood.

Su Lin did not use spiritual energy to probe her, nor did he give her any Magic Treasure to suppress it, as she had expected.

He just extended his own hand, interlaced his fingers, and held her hand tightly.

"Use force."

Su Lin looked into her eyes and said calmly.

"Grip my hand tightly."

"No! I can't!"

Su Hongling wanted to pull her hand back as if she had been scalded, "I will crush your bones! I don't even know how much strength I have!"

"I told you to use force!"

Su Lin did not let go; instead, he gripped tighter.

"What? Do you think that because Revered Master's cultivation has fallen, I've really become a useless person? Can't even hold his own disciple's hand?"

"No! I..."

"Hong Ling."

Su Lin interrupted her, his gaze carrying a determination she could not refuse.

"I am your Revered Master."

"If the sky falls, I will hold it up for you; if the earth sinks, I will fill it in for you."

"If your power is out of control, then I will accompany you to practice, practice until you can control it."

"Now, grip tightly."

Su Hongling looked at Su Lin, her eyes suddenly turning a bit red.

She gritted her teeth.

"Then... then if you say it hurts, I will let go!"

She carefully, tentatively, closed her five fingers.

A trace of power conducted through her fingertips.

Su Lin's palm deformed slightly, and his joints made a slight sound.

But he didn't Move, and there was even a faint smile on his face.

"Harder."

Su Hongling steeled her heart and added another bit of force.

This power was enough to crush a Golden Core Stage Cultivator's Flying Sword.

But the moment it touched Su Lin's palm, a layer of faint golden light appeared.

[Immovable Wisdom King Body].

That power, enough to shatter steel, was extremely flexibly resolved and dispersed by this layer of golden light, eventually turning into a simple, tight handshake feeling.

"Eh?"

Su Hongling's eyes brightened.

"Old Man, has your skin... gotten thicker?"

"..." Su Lin's mouth twitched, "This is called a Divine Ability."

"Then should I use more force?"

"Come."

Three percent force... five percent force... seven percent force...

Until the end, Su Hongling used almost eighty percent of her pure Physical Body strength.

The two palms were tightly locked together, and the surrounding air twisted and exploded because of this terrifying pressure, and the rocks under their feet cracked inch by inch.

But Su Lin's hand still held her firmly.

It didn't shatter, it didn't break.

The temperature of their palms touching passed through the skin and went straight into Su Hongling's heart.

"Look."

Su Lin looked at her surprised and happy face and said softly.

"I didn't shatter."

"You are not a monster."

"You are just a little girl who is a bit stronger."

"Waaa—!!!"

Su Hongling couldn't hold it anymore.

She threw herself into Su Lin's arms, this time not carefully, but hugging him with all her might.

"Old Man, you're the best! You're the hardest Old Man in the whole world!"

Su Lin's ribs hurt from being squeezed, and the golden light of the [Immovable Wisdom King Body] flickered wildly, but he didn't push her away, just smiled and patted her back.

"This compliment... why does it sound so awkward..."

...

A full bear feast was eaten to everyone's satisfaction.

Su Hongling's knot in her heart was untied, and her appetite was even greater; she finished two-thirds of the whole bear by herself, her stomach bulging round.

After eating and drinking, it was natural to "digest."

"Old Man, spar with me!"

Su Hongling carried the great sword and looked at Su Lin with excitement.

"Since you are so hard now, can I... hit you a few times?"

Su Lin raised an eyebrow.

"Do you want to rebel against your Revered Master?"

"This is called sparring! An exchange between Body Cultivators!"

Su Hongling said righteously, "And didn't you just say you wanted to help me practice control? I'll just stand here, you come and hit me! I won't fight back, I'll just take it with my Physical Body! Let's see if your hits hurt, or if my skin is thicker!"

Su Hongling planted that door-panel-sized great sword named [no edge] into the ground with a "boom," and half of the sword blade sank into the hard permafrost, shaking the ice icicles on the cave ceiling down in a rustle.

She stood there like a boss, hands on her hips, the red and white short outfit she was wearing appearing slightly tight due to the recent binge eating, outlining lines full of explosive power. That messy red hair danced wildly in the wind like a burning flame.

She lifted her chin at Su Lin, her ruby-like eyes filled with arrogance and provocation.

"Come on, Old Man! Don't be polite!"

"Didn't you want to give me special training just now? Now it's my turn to stand still and let you hit me. If you can make me take half a step back, or frown even a little, then this meal counts as your treat! From now on, I'll listen to everything you say!"

Su Lin looked at his Second Disciple, who could collapse space just by her presence, even without releasing her pressure. His eye twitched slightly.

Listen to that, is that human language?

A Mahayana Stage Body Cultivator, the extreme of power.

And him, a Revered Master who had just broken through to the Middle Stage of Void Refining and had to rely on the [Immovable Wisdom King Body] given by the System to save his life.

This wasn't sparring; this was clearly wanting to see him make a fool of himself.

"Are you sure you won't fight back?"

Su Lin tidied his cuffs unhurriedly, trying to maintain the last bit of dignity as a Revered Master.

"And you want to withdraw your Protective Aura?"

"Withdraw! Withdraw it all!"

Su Hongling waved her hand heroically, and the layer of faint red blood Qi on her body instantly retracted into her body.

She patted her flat yet hard-as-divine-iron abdomen, making a "thump-thump" muffled sound.

"I'll just take it with this skin and flesh! If you can break even a little oil skin, then I lose!"

"Fine."

Su Lin nodded, a gentle smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

"Since you are so filial and want to help your Revered Master polish his Dao techniques, then Revered Master won't be polite."