She.
Ning Li could more or less understand now why the people of the Sentinel world revered Yin Que so deeply.
Because even she was about to drown in his gentleness.
He was as vast and profound as the galaxy, but his embrace was as warm and tender as the spring waters.
That warmth wrapped around her, enfolding her, melting her away.
They were both owners of the Rose of the Universe, yet he and Lu Yijian were worlds apart.
Ning Li buried her head in Yin Que’s shoulder, speaking inside the private space shaped by the Storm Lord.
“I just summoned Lu Yijian.”
As the sixth bearer of the Rose of the Universe, Yin Que obviously knew a lot about Lu Yijian.
He had studied Lu Yijian’s combat style, and understood his character inside out.
Yin Que’s right hand gently stroked the top of her head.
“Commander Lu is rigid and restrained by nature. Did he say something to you?”
Ning Li didn’t wish to mention Lu Yijian much.
What he had said—“Experiment Subject is just an Experiment Subject”—was an outright denial of her existence as an experiment subject, proud and arrogant, passing judgment from on high.
As if to say experiment subjects were worthless, blind to the bigger picture.
“His Rose of the Universe is so cold.”
Back at the Research Institute, she could not mistake the Rose of the Universe’s resistance and hostility toward her.
So this was how arrogant the Rose of the Universe could be—so proud it wouldn’t even spare her a glance.
When the petals brushed past her cheek, they left behind a cold scratch.
K.
That was Lu Yijian and his Rose of the Universe’s killing intent toward her.
Yin Que was silent for a moment, then released kismet.
That was the name of his spirit form—meaning destiny.
Normally he just called him Little K.
“Even if they’re the same kind of spirit form, each spirit form is still different from the next.”
Little K descended into Ning Li’s palm, a tiny blossom, surely not its true size.
Its appearance now was quite similar to Lu Yijian’s spirit form, but it felt completely different to her.
Little K’s petals quivered gently, as if expressing joy and affection toward her.
Compared to Lu Yijian’s Rose of the Universe, Little K was like a little sun—warm and radiant.
Ning Li, on a whim she couldn’t explain, leaned down slightly and kissed the Rose of the Universe.
She kissed each petal in turn.
The petals were cool to the touch, but not cold—rather, a gentle, jade-like coolness.
And as she kissed them, the temperature of the petals gradually warmed.
Both the Rose of the Universe and Yin Que were a little startled.
A tingling sensation passed from the spirit form to Yin Que himself.
Her lips were so soft…
He was frozen in place, unable to move.
Ning Li didn’t notice at all.
She straightened, not wanting to bring up Lu Yijian again; there was only one thing on her mind now.
“Will blowing up the Research Institute… affect you?”
The Rose of the Universe had already returned to Yin Que’s spiritual sea.
Little K was embarrassed.
It was the first time someone had ever kissed it—and not just once.
Even Yin Que had never been so close to it.
Yin Que wanted to ask if Ning Li understood the relationship between spirit forms and their hosts, but he was afraid it would remind her of being an experiment subject.
Judging from her reaction, she didn’t seem to know these things.
A breeze brushed across Yin Que’s cheek, carrying away some of the heat.
“There will be some effect.”
Ning Li frowned.
“Then…”
Yin Que once again gave thanks to the Storm Lord.
The storm formed around him, wild winds sweeping past his face.
“The exposure of illegal experiments could force the Judgement Hall to disband.”
“As for me and K blowing up the Research Institute…”
“It has nothing to do with you—it was Klüguang’s Grandson who did it.”
Ning Li:!!!
Yin Que had even taken care of the aftermath for her!
Yin Que precisely manipulated the gale, though it could not sweep away the restlessness in his heart.
Klüguang’s Grandson is a low-ranking Sentinel.
Over the years, he abused his status as Klüguang’s descendant to persecute quite a few intermediate Sentinels.
He’s spent these years trying to raise his own rank, even considered snatching others’ spirit forms, but he never succeeded.
“But recently, someone did manage to advance their rank.”
“He acted out of jealousy and blew up the Research Institute. If he couldn’t have it, he didn’t want anyone else to.”
This was Ning Li’s first time seeing this side of Yin Que.
He even came up with reasons and excuses for Klüguang’s Grandson.
He wasn’t some inflexible saint—he just protected those worth protecting.
Only fourteen researchers died in today’s explosion.
Those fourteen were all deserving of it.
Today, not a single innocent person died by her hands.
But regardless, the Research Institute was destroyed in an instant.
The dark clouds that had always weighed on Ning Li’s heart seemed to have dispersed quite a bit.
Lu Yijian said such actions only addressed symptoms, not the root, but how could he understand—she, the perfect experiment subject, was born two hundred years later, from this very Research Institute.
If it was built, she would blow it up.
This was the answer she gave herself.
Yin Que cupped Ning Li’s face and told her some good news.
“Yuan Yuan, Lu Shuangshuang, and Lu Xiao have all transferred to the First Guide Academy.”
Ning Li was a little surprised, but quickly understood.
“Was this your doing?”
“I just sent someone to ask if they were willing. They all wanted to come here and keep being your classmates.”
This was indeed wonderful news for Ning Li.
She hadn’t seen Yuan Yuan in months, and she missed her first friend dearly.
But—
“Yin Que, I don’t want to go to school anymore.”
Yin Que gazed at her with deep eyes.
“Can you tell me why?”
“Because I want to look for God-given Artifacts.”
Right now, all she had with her was the Reincarnation Orb.
But she had once possessed four God-given Artifacts.
The Reincarnation Orb, the Retrograde Prism, the Miracle Cube, the Secret Ellipse…
The functions of the Reincarnation Orb and Retrograde Prism were already clear.
The latter two, since she acquired them, had never been used successfully.
Whether or not she could find the Miracle Cube and Secret Ellipse, at the very least, she had to find the Retrograde Prism and confirm its condition.
“I’ll go with you.”
Ning Li had not been back long with Yin Que before she met up with her old classmates.
After a few months apart, Yuan Yuan, Lu Xiao, and the others hadn’t changed much.
Yuan Yuan greeted Ning Li with a big hug.
“Lizi, this time we really owe it all to you!”
Ning Li knew Yuan Yuan’s feelings for No. 191 District ran deep.
“Sorry for making you leave your home.”
Yuan Yuan snorted, looking utterly unconcerned.
“People go where there’s opportunity. If there’d been a way before, would I have stayed at the Guide Academy of the Borderlands? Who wouldn’t want to come to the First Guide Academy? It was just out of reach before!”
Lu Shuangshuang teased from the side, “Lizi, you have no idea how jealous the other students are of us! Too bad the Flower Class Guides can’t all transfer. The leaders at the Guide Academy of the Borderlands can’t bear to let them go. Otherwise, we’d all be reunited.”
Lu Xiao adjusted his glasses.
“We get to be classmates again, Ning Li.”
Ning Li had previously discussed school with Yin Que, and the final decision was to keep her student status at the First Guide Academy, but she was free to choose whether to attend classes or not.
After talking about school, Yuan Yuan lowered her voice mysteriously.
“So you and White Moonlight have known each other all along. Lizi, how could you hide this from me! And you’re dating White Moonlight! The two of you! Oh my god, this is enough to shock me for a lifetime, do you know that!”
Compared to the excited Yuan Yuan, Lu Xiao was much calmer.
“Thank you for giving me the chance to talk with him face to face.”
Lu Shuangshuang couldn’t help but squeal, “Seeing White Moonlight up close—he gets more and more attractive! I always knew he was charming, but the more I’m around him, the more I feel it!”
Some people are stunning at first sight, but after repeated encounters, their charm fades.
What lies beneath that first impression might just be mediocrity, plainness, and unbearable ordinariness.
But Yin Que was different.
Stunning at first sight, and even more so with each encounter.
And he was endlessly captivating—the more you looked, the more fascinating he became.
Yin Que was simply unlike anyone else.