As soon as the system’s voice faded, a dark brown medicinal pill appeared in Ji Lin’s palm.
It was no larger than a bean.
Without the slightest hesitation, he tossed it into his mouth and swallowed it.
The instant the pill dissolved within his body, a mysterious energy spread throughout his entire skeleton.
A rapid series of cracking sounds echoed from his bones, as though each one were being reforged from the inside out.
At the same time, a faint radiance enveloped his body, lingering for only a few seconds before gradually fading away.
Ji Lin immediately sensed the change.
His body had become lighter than ever before, yet at the same time incomparably sturdier.
He slowly clenched his fist.
From the sensation coursing through his bones, he could clearly tell that the difference between his current body and the one he possessed only moments ago was nothing short of extraordinary.
Letting out a long breath, he reached for the second pill.
It was the Energy Condensation Pill.
He studied it briefly before a satisfied smile appeared on his lips.
He had never once regretted spending Luck Points on the System’s products.
Every medicinal pill the system sold had been refined to absolute perfection, free of impurities and completely devoid of side effects.
Every single Luck Point spent on them was worth its price.
Without further delay, he swallowed the pill.
In the next instant, a surge of incomparably pure energy erupted within his Energy Sea.
Spiritual energy flooded through his meridians like a raging torrent, nourishing his muscles, bones, and internal organs alike as a pleasant warmth spread throughout every corner of his body.
Only moments later, his Energy Sea expanded once again, and the amount of spiritual energy contained within it increased dramatically.
Fourth Layer of the Energy Condensation Realm.
Ji Lin slowly opened his eyes.
A far more powerful aura burst forth from his body than the one he had possessed only minutes earlier.
He lowered his gaze toward his fist before slowly tightening it.
At this rate, it won’t be long before I reach the Absolute Peak of the Energy Condensation Realm.
The moment he reached that stage…
It would be time to claim Luo Yan’s Yin Lotus Physique.
Once that was accomplished, he would be able to shatter the bottleneck restraining him and break directly into the Spirit Companion Selection Realm.
Coincidentally, that was the very realm Ye Fang was on the verge of entering as well.
All Ye Fang lacked was reaching the Absolute Peak of the Energy Condensation Realm.
Yet the difference between the two of them was already becoming unmistakable.
Ji Lin had never intended merely to keep pace with Ye Fang.
From the very beginning, his goal had been to surpass him.
He understood perfectly well that the stronger he became, the higher his status within the Sacred Heaven Sect would rise.
And the higher his position became…
The easier it would be to reach every destined opportunity that originally belonged to Ye Fang and seize it before it could ever fall into his hands.
From the very moment he had resolved to change his fate…
His decision had already been made.
He would leave Ye Fang with nothing.
No opportunities.
No treasures.
No inheritances.
Nothing at all.
Everything that destiny had prepared for Ye Fang…
From this day forward…
Would belong to Ji Lin.
…
A short time later…
Within Azure Cloud City, inside one of its spacious courtyards, stood a woman of breathtaking beauty.
It was difficult for anyone to believe that she was merely an ordinary mortal, for she looked no older than sixteen or seventeen years of age as she gently wiped the beads of sweat from her forehead.
Although she was nothing more than an ordinary woman with no cultivation whatsoever, her youthful appearance made it nearly impossible to believe that her true age was far beyond sixteen or seventeen.
Her flowing violet dress gracefully traced the elegant curves of her mature and perfectly proportioned figure, lending her an irresistible charm that was impossible to ignore.
The moment her eyes fell upon the white robe she had just finished washing, her gaze trembled slightly.
A mixture of complicated emotions surfaced within her beautiful eyes.
It was the very robe Ji Lin had been wearing the last time they had met.
Simply looking at it was enough to tint her cheeks with a faint blush as the memories she had desperately tried to bury quietly resurfaced, causing a gentle warmth to spread across her face.
Several days had already passed.
Just as she had expected…
Ji Lin had never come to see her again.
It was as though he had completely disappeared from her life.
Or as though everything that had happened between them had been nothing more than a fleeting incident, unworthy of another thought.
A soft sigh escaped Xiao Yun’s lips.
From the very beginning, she had known that the relationship which had formed between them should never have existed in the first place.
To her, the two of them quietly keeping their distance from one another and never meeting again was the best possible ending for them both.
Even so…
Although a trace of disappointment still lingered in the depths of her heart, the relief she felt was greater.
She understood that if Ji Lin had continued visiting her, clinging to what had happened between them, she would never have known how to face him.
After all…
She was only an ordinary woman.
She simply did not possess the strength to confront the complicated emotions that had turned her peaceful life upside down within the span of only a few days.
She also knew that if things continued that way, it would only be a matter of time before the truth was discovered—whether by Fang’er or by someone else within the Ye Family.
When that happened…
The consequences would be far beyond what either of them could bear.
For that reason, even if she wished to confide in someone about the conflicting emotions weighing heavily upon her heart, she could never find the right words.
The entire matter was so unbearably embarrassing that merely thinking about it made her instinctively raise both hands to cover her flushed face.