Chapter 22: Bonds of Trust and the Growing Flame
Ji Lin had no sense of how much time had passed; he simply felt an inexhaustible energy and didn't stop until he had completely expended all his strength!
Ning Tian and Wu Feng also felt an overwhelming happiness, as if their entire world had been condensed into this single moment.
"Ji Lin, you're amazing!"
Wu Feng smiled broadly, her radiant face glowing with unhidden joy.
Ji Lin responded with a gentle, slightly melancholic smile: "Sister Wu… what are you saying? You're the best!"
Wu Feng let out a light laugh, then suddenly remembered something and said, "By the way… I have to admire my young master. I didn't expect—"
Before Wu Feng could finish, Ning Tian glared sharply at her. Wu Feng stuck out her tongue and quickly closed her mouth, as if sensing an imminent punishment.
"Hmph, don't babble!"
Ning Tian scowled, a tiny curse forming in her heart toward Wu Feng: "If you dare tell anyone about this, I'll punish you!"
Ning Tian was now in her teenage years, roughly the same age as Wu Feng.
Although Wu Feng appeared calm, in reality, she was extremely sensitive, precociously intelligent, and always ready to anticipate what would happen next.
Ever since the first time she saw Ning Tian, she had felt a strange sensation toward her young master.
Wu Feng had never been surrounded by many men since childhood, yet she had never harbored any genuine feelings for any of them.
Except for Ning Tian… she had never shown real interest in anyone else.
So when Wu Feng heard Ji Lin's offer to help, an overwhelming sense of happiness swept over her.
After all, her feelings for Ning Tian had always been buried deep within, never once expressed.
Wu Feng decided to suppress these emotions, keeping them to herself without telling anyone.
But after all this time, the gap between them had to be bridged…
And Ji Lin had done just that!
Wu Feng could never have imagined that Ning Tian would be so bold after having completely abandoned him in the past, which made her now view him in an entirely new light.
Ji Lin gazed at the two women, his eyes filled with curiosity and a desire to understand more. He had to admit: their emotions were nothing like he had expected. They were unlike any feelings he had ever experienced before—feelings that could not be expressed in words, only understood through sincere, profound perception.
After Ji Lin had finished everything, he released Ning Tian and Wu Feng's spiritual energy from his spiritual sea, returning it to their original bodies.
"Ji Lin… even though I thanked you before, it doesn't feel enough, so…"
Ning Tian suddenly jumped off the bed and bowed deeply to Ji Lin.
Seeing her young master's gesture, Wu Feng didn't hesitate either. She quickly leapt off the bed and joined Ning Tian in bowing to Ji Lin.
"Ladies, what are you doing?! I can't take this!"
Ji Lin felt a bit embarrassed by the women's politeness and hurried to help them stand.
Once they rose, Ning Tian gave Ji Lin a rare smile—playful, gentle, and enchanting.
"Alright, you've made it into the top 32. The next match… the hardest one, awaits you. Wu Feng and I won't waste your time!"
Ning Tian's smile made Ji Lin's heart race, bringing back memories of everything that had happened between him and the two women during those intimate moments.
"Goodbye!"
Ning Tian nodded to Ji Lin once more, then turned and took Wu Feng's hand, who was still in awe of everything that had just happened.
"Let's go!"
Ning Tian gently patted Wu Feng's shoulder and led her away from Ji Lin.
"Hmm?"
Wu Feng regained her composure and looked at Ning Tian with a hint of hesitation.
"Young master… shouldn't we wait for Ji Lin?"
Ning Tian replied calmly, "He's worked hard for a long time. Let's not tire him out further. Let's go!"
Ning Tian gave Ji Lin a sharp, discerning glance before leaving the room with Wu Feng.
In the battles that followed, Ji Lin's team displayed incredible coordination and a perfectly synchronized shared spirit, allowing them to overcome every obstacle and confidently advance from the top 32 to the top 16.
The top 16 arena was much larger than before, and the audience was even more numerous and excited.
Ultimately, only a few great spirit masters—or even ordinary spirit masters—could hope to face the Spirit Venerable and win.
What made it even more challenging was that Ji Lin and his team were about to face a formidable Spirit Master!
"Alright… Ji Lin truly shone today, and we deserve to celebrate! Tomorrow, I'll give you a day off!"
Zhou Yi appeared behind the front row and spoke calmly.
Upon hearing the news of the day off, everyone erupted with excitement, cheering and praising their teacher.
Amid the crowd, a striking figure appeared: Ma Xiaotao.
Without uttering a word, Ma Xiaotao approached Ho Yuhao and said, "Ji Lin, come with me!"
Her words immediately drew the attention of those around her, and the sharp-eyed onlookers recognized her.
"Oh my God! Isn't that Ma Xiaotao from the Inner Court?"
"What? Impossible! Could it be that Ma Xiaotao is interested in Ji Lin?"
"She's a master at the Spirit Emperor level. I've heard she's even stronger than our teacher Zhou—a rare talent in the Inner Court!"
Ma Xiaotao glanced at the crowd and ignored them entirely.
Ji Lin felt a bit embarrassed as all eyes turned toward him.
"Dong'er, Xiao Xiao, I'll step out for a moment. You two should head back first!"
Ji Lin said to the two ladies.
"All right, Ji Lin, be careful!"
To be honest, Wang Dong'er wasn't entirely sure about Ma Xiaotao. She had heard that Ma Xiaotao was quick-tempered and could easily cause trouble!
"Ji Lin, thank you for helping me."
"That's my duty. It's an honor for me, as your junior brother, to serve the elder sister, Xiaotao!"
Ji Lin let out a muffled laugh. At that moment, he suddenly remembered that Ma Xiaotao had just mentioned some bad news!
He asked directly, "Elder Xiaotao, what is this bad news you mentioned?"
Ma Xiaotao looked slightly embarrassed upon hearing Ji Lin's question. "Ji Lin, after you helped me extinguish the Evil Flame last time, I haven't faced any attacks for a long while. But for some reason, the Evil Flame has grown stronger than before, and I can no longer suppress it. So, as you can see…"
"I see!"
Ji Lin finally understood why Ma Xiaotao had come to him. It turned out she had come seeking his help to subdue her Evil Flame.
This wasn't bad news at all! Shouldn't it be considered good news?
Though Ji Lin was pondering this, he remained outwardly calm, though a look of surprise flashed in his eyes. "Miss Xiaotao, what would you like me to do?"
"Don't worry about that. I've booked a luxurious presidential suite and prepared excellent food and drinks. We can discuss the matter there. Besides, you helped me so much last time—I must thank you properly!"
Ma Xiaotao smiled brightly and gestured toward Ji Lin. Then she leapt forward and walked ahead.
Ji Lin hesitated for a moment, then followed closely.
Soon, they were about two kilometers away from the school gate.
Ma Xiaotao stopped, turned around, and pointed her index finger at Ji Lin. "Come on, follow me."