Chapter 6 - Just you and me

-WINGED DRAGON?- Nie Li almost fell backward upon hearing this.

-Holy… That's what I call lucky… Okay, actually, I have a perfect technique for her, so memorize it carefully. I'll make sure to write it down for you later.- Nie Li said, and Xiangju paid extreme attention to not forget a single detail.

After this, the young man ran off to find his lady.

In the lands of the Sacred Family, there was a lot of commotion.

Shen Yue had run to lie to Shen Xiu about Nie Li cheating to beat him. The woman didn't even pay attention to that; she was nearly pulling her hair out when Shen Yue told her that Xiangju had defeated someone of Bronze Rank. Even if it was just physical strength, he had already surpassed the level he said he would reach at the beginning of the challenge. That was something she would never have expected and could not accept.

Shen Xiu gave permission for Shen Yue to take stronger bodyguards with him and preferably deal with Xiangju. The boy was annoyed since it wasn't the boy with the scarf who had infuriated him, but he understood it as an order from Shen Xiu.

Meanwhile, at the City Lord's residence, Ye Ziyun had called a master of inscriptions to correct and analyze the scrolls that Nie Li had given her. Upon analyzing them, it was confirmed that they carried a buried strength and knowledge that not even the master of inscriptions could fully understand. Ye Ziyun's curiosity about that group, especially about Nie Li, grew more and more.

At approximately 9:30 PM, in the Training Forest where the boys had been hunting a few days earlier, Xiao Ning'er stood waiting anxiously for the boy she knew little about but already considered very much.

Coming at great speed, leaping from a tree and kicking up dust where he landed, Xiangju made his presence known. His arrival was impressive enough to bring a smile to Ning'er's face.

-Hey there!- The boy said with a smile on his face. Looking directly at the girl, he lost his breath. The thin pink dress enhanced her beauty even more.

"I don't know if I died to come to this world, but I'm sure I'm in paradise…"

-Ah! You're here! It's so good to see you, Xiangju.- The girl said with a huge smile on her face.

Xiangju, not long ago, had been given this name. Even though the boy had been living so happily these past few days that he preferred to forget his entire past life and focus only on the new one. Here he had friends, a family, and in the near future, who knows, he might have Xiao Ning'er as his lady. It was everything he could want.

-I hope you didn't wait too long. I tried to come as quickly as possible.

-I didn't wait at all, don't worry!-

They both sat on the ground to begin the treatment.

-The color is much better already! If I didn't look closely, I wouldn't have noticed.-

-Yeah! And my nights of sleep have been great too, all thanks to you…- The girl said with excitement until she realized what she had just said and became a little embarrassed, looking to the side to avoid eye contact.

Xiangju gave a genuine smile at her words but quickly changed the subject:

-Ning'er, can I ask you something? I need some help with something.-

-Of course! I promised you, you can ask for anything!- The girl responded with determination.

-Hehe, thanks for the enthusiasm, but the task is simple. I have a total of 14,000 coins, and I wanted to know if you can mobilize some servants to buy as much purple grass as they can find from all the medicinal shops.-

-Purple grass? That's extremely cheap, sure, I'll ask them!-

-Oh, and 14,000 coins isn't a large amount for me, so I'll make sure to pay. You can keep the coins for any needs you might have.-

-No, no, I insist on paying.-

-No way, it's really not a large amount for me anyway, so I'll buy as much purple grass as I can for you!-

-Well… Okay then, but I'll make sure to pay you back every cent. I know it's not much money for you, but for some of us, it could be the savings of years.- Xiangju smiled calmly as he continued treating Ning'er's injury. The girl remained silent, watching him. She didn't know if she had offended him, so she just observed him.

The boy with the scarf was so focused that he seemed like a statue, and Ning'er took the opportunity to gaze at him. Since they became friends, she couldn't go a day without thinking about him. She knew his talent, she recognized how skilled he was… He had already told her he liked her, made it very clear, but… Was someone like her truly worthy of someone like him?

-I've finished this one, now only one more left.- Xiangju said, turning his face to the side, blushing, as the girl removed the top part of her clothing, leaving only bandages to cover her breasts. The boy then began to treat the wound on her ribs.

-You haven't been training at night, have you?-

-No way, you told me not to!-

-Great! And have you been taking the medicines properly?-

-Yeah! Every day! Besides that, I've been cultivating with the technique you taught me, and my vital force has already increased a lot!-

-Oh, that's great to hear! You're truly brilliant, so it's to be expected!-

-Actually, I think the real genius is you! Maybe the others haven't realized it yet, but I'm sure one day you'll shine like the sun on a sunny day!-

"She's so good at expressing what she thinks… She's such a transparent girl…"

Xiangju blushed at this, embarrassed, and the only thing he could do was lower his head, unable to even thank her.

-And I hope… to be part of that future of yours…- Xiao Ning'er whispered, not even realizing the words had left her mouth until they were already spoken. She hoped Xiangju hadn't heard her. But her hope was dashed when the boy looked at her, completely red, embarrassed, but with a smile from ear to ear.

Ning'er became even more embarrassed, almost steaming from her head. That smile made her weak, extremely weak!

Both remained silent, looking in opposite directions, unsure of what to do. Their feelings were the same, as if they shared the same heart, but who would take the first step? Who would break the barrier between them? Ning'er was promised to another man, while Xiangju, for now, was a nobody. A relationship between them would not only cause an uproar in their families but also create complicated situations.

"Shen Fei is still too strong for me…," Xiangju thought. It was a bitter thought, a certainty that he would lose even with all his strength, and it irritated him because all he wanted now was to kiss her and have her for himself.

Ning'er, on the other hand, didn't care about anything else. She didn't care that she was promised to someone else, didn't care about her family, didn't care about anything; she just wanted Xiangju for herself, in her arms.

They slowly brought their hands closer together until their fingers intertwined. They longed for each other, but there were still many barriers to being together.

Xiangju and Xiao Ning'er touched their foreheads together and closed their eyes. Despite having a world of problems around them, at that moment, there were only the two of them, and they wanted to enjoy it.

-I swear I will become strong enough to protect you…- Xiangju said, breaking the comfortable silence. Xiao Ning'er was surprised and, at the same time, very happy. So much so that tears streamed down her eyes, and she said:

-And I will do my best to be of all possible help to you.-

After spending some time like this, they finally separated but still kept their fingers intertwined. Until Xiangju remembered he had one more thing to do.

-Oh, I almost forgot, do you have a Soul Crystal with you?-

-Soul Crystals? I think I do…- She began to look inside her interspatial ring.

-Here, I have three!- She said, handing one to Xiangju.

-No, no, you keep it. They're new, right? Focus your energy on them.-

-Focus, okay…- The girl concentrated a little, and in the crystal, a bluish light dazzled Xiangju's vision, revealing the form of a winged being. The boy already knew the form she would take, knew her attribute perfectly, but still had to pretend to be surprised.

-Wow! No wonder you're so skilled. Your vital field has the wind-electric attribute, and your form is the Winged Dragon. This only appears in one out of every hundred thousand people!- The girl didn't understand a word.

-Attribute? Vital Field Form? What do these things mean?-

-Basically, by training with the proper technique, your cultivation speed will be exponentially higher!-

-Now let's see… I think I have the perfect technique for you…- The boy then began to chant to the girl the incantation that Nie Li had taught him a few hours earlier. Just by the girl mentally practicing that technique, she felt power overflowing from her body.

-This… This… I am so grateful! Not only are you treating me without expecting anything in return, but you also gave me an invaluable technique willingly! I… I… I don't even know how to repay you…-

-We are friends, promise we will remain close, and that's enough for me.- Xiangju said, winking at Ning'er.

The girl blushed from head to toe but then nodded excitedly, too embarrassed to say it out loud.

She soon began cultivating. Her cultivation level was already higher than it should be thanks to Xiangju having improved her technique days earlier than it should have been.

Then, at dawn that day, Xiao Ning'er managed to break through the barrier of Bronze 1-star, officially becoming a demon spiritualist. The girl jumped excitedly, but when she went to speak with Xiangju, he was already gone, but he had left a basket of fruits for the girl to eat for breakfast, along with a little note.

The note said:

"I know you will reach new heights today, so I'm leaving this as a gift for you." He truly believed in her, and that filled Ning'er's heart with joy.

That morning, instead of going to school, Xiao Ning'er decided to train all day at home. Her family was already starting to move and quickly prepare everything the girl had requested, due to her sudden increase in talent.