The dawn is rising.
It doesn't fiercely ignite a sky full of fiery clouds, but unfurls like a white wave of morning light, pushing the night sky further away.
At this moment when light and darkness are about to alternate, a flame suddenly flickered at You Su's fingertip.
But before he could even get excited, the sudden heat caused him to fling his hand, ending his successful Ignition Skill's short and unremarkable debut.
You Su felt a bit defeated, thinking this Skill was really useless. How could you summon something that would burn you?
However, upon further reflection, he felt it made sense. This flame was borrowed from the Heavenly Dao through incantations, and naturally, the Heavenly Dao treats all things equally, doubtless favoring no one.
The "Five Elements Magic Selection" lists many prohibitions, one of which states: "Sternly forbid members of the Sect from privately learning advanced Skills."
Below it, a detailed explanation roughly states that when using a Skill, one must also have the ability to wield and endure the borrowed powers.
For instance, You Su getting burned by the Ignition Skill indicates his body's current heat resistance is insufficient to perform this Skill. With more practice to adapt to the temperature, or by supplementing with some Fire Attribute treasures, he could use it freely.
Disregarding the inherent Dao seeds of those naturally attuned to the Heavenly Dao, the higher the level of the Skill, the harder it is to control. This double-edged sword of a Skill might take one's life even before injuring someone else, possibly bringing unwarranted disaster.
Therefore, Skills with any power are strictly controlled by various Sects, and proving the matching talents is necessary to learn them.
You Su continued attempting several times, each time the flame would appear at his fingertips; the success rate of this Ignition Skill is as good as one hundred percent, though the duration was short due to You Su's feeling of burning.
Even though it's just an entry-level Fire Attribute Skill, mastering it to this extent overnight is enough to shock the old Immortal Masters studying Skills in the Immortal Sect.
Ultimately, whether in Swordsmanship or Skills, precise control of Profound Qi is needed. You Su's Swordsmanship is perfect to the finest detail, so his Qi control is naturally not lacking. As long as he doesn't have a physique completely averse to Skills, learning them should come more easily.
However, Ji Lingruo might find it difficult to learn, as You Su felt a headache thinking of his junior sister's terrible Qi control.
Coincidentally, Ji Lingruo walked out of You Su's room at this moment.
She was rubbing her sleepy eyes and shaking her small head, looking not quite awake.
Even without makeup, she was already extremely beautiful. She hadn't even bothered to comb her hair, letting it fall loosely. Her clothes were somewhat loose, revealing her pink satin undergarment and plenty of soft, smooth, shimmering skin.
Anyway, since You Su couldn't see, Ji Lingruo didn't care about being occasionally unkempt.
"You Su, who let you put me on your bed to sleep?" The girl hurriedly questioned upon finding You Su sitting in the courtyard.
"I was afraid you wouldn't be comfortable sleeping on the table and didn't dare enter your room, so I had to do this. I had already slept for two days and a night, so I was quite energetic."
"Don't you know your bed smells terrible? Wash it quickly!" The girl said with a face full of disdain, then asked suspiciously, "You didn't touch me while I was asleep, did you?"
You Su naturally knew he was a tidy person and realized his junior sister was just finding fault on purpose, so he couldn't be bothered to argue. Standing tall and righteous, he answered:
"When holding you, I felt like a butcher carrying a pig to the market, just wishing to quickly unload the cargo, not daring to have any improper thoughts."
Ji Lingruo was unexpectedly not angry upon hearing this, only turned up the corners of her mouth in a pleased curve, saying, "Hah, young miss is hungry. Since you can even carry a pig, hurry up and make breakfast."
Inwardly, she thought proudly: Obviously, he held me so tightly in secret and even petted my head, yet he pretends to be a gentleman in front of me. Truly, he says one thing and means another.
You Su had this intention anyway, like a child who had just gotten a new toy, eager to display his newly learned Skill, as long as he wasn't discovered by his junior sister.
With Ji Lingruo going to wash up, You Su sat by the stove, chanting incantations, conjuring a spark to ignite the dry grass used for kindling.
Feeling the fire grow, You Su's interest in the way of Skills became even stronger.
Focusing only on Sword Dao, hard training yields little result. You Su realized improvement required other opportunities. The path of Skills was just beginning for him, holding much room for growth, evidently the best path to quickly become stronger.
Today's breakfast was quite formal, with two light stir-fries and a portion of millet porridge almost resembling a regular meal. Yet, it was no choice, as after a battle and sleeping for two days, You Su's body was empty and urgently needed replenishment.
Ji Lingruo was a foodie by nature, so finding both salty and sweet flavors early in the morning, she enjoyed it immensely. Seeing You Su devouring the food, she reluctantly shared most of her portion with him, sneeringly naming it a "reward."
After breakfast, Ji Lingruo ordered You Su to go rest, while she offered to do the dishes. But her thin skin wouldn't allow showing unwarranted kindness, so she demanded exorbitantly for her hard work.
You Su, seemingly regretful, paid the money, feeling his junior sister was truly the best in the world.
Sitting on the bed, You Su rubbed his aching chest.
He knew, as his eccentric junior sister said, that he was indeed good at acting, interacting with Ji Lingruo naturally as always. But behind all the playful banter lay You Su's deeply hidden sorrow. He quietly vowed to make his junior sister happy every waking moment, until the day she fully recovered.
Suddenly recalling his junior sister saying his bed smelled bad, he removed the pillowcase and bedsheets, replacing them with new ones, sneezing at the hair she had left behind.
Hugging the old bedding, he took a deep breath, not finding it smelly at all; rather, it had the special fragrance of a young girl. But since his junior sister said it smelled, he might as well wash it to please her.
Ji Lingruo was still by the cistern washing bowls, when she suddenly saw You Su carrying a heap of cloth out, appearing to go wash them.
"Hey, You Su, why aren't you resting properly? Where are you going?"
"To wash the sheets. Didn't you say they smell? Or do you want to wash them for me? This time, you should charge me less," You Su replied with a light smile, expecting his junior sister to praise him with something like "Good boy."
"You!"
Ji Lingruo's pretty face twisted with mixed emotions, unsure whether to be happy or angry.
You Su's sheets didn't smell, even having a woody fragrance. She asked him to wash them because the shame of having him sleep on the fabric she had slept on was too much. But seeing him now readily washing them as if they were loathsome, she felt inexplicably angry.
"What about me?"
You Su prided himself on being perceptive, yet at times couldn't decipher the intricate thoughts of a young girl.
Ji Lingruo, biting her lip, couldn't speak. Inwardly, she cursed You Su as a big dumb beast, thinking she would surely get mad at him someday.
"Bang!"
The main gate was suddenly kicked open, interrupting their pleasant moment as a group burst in with a mighty force. Two arrogant youths walked at the end, loudly proclaiming:
"Shouxi Sect, investigation!"