Ling Qinghe woke up to the sound of Ninebro chasing a spirit butterfly around the dorm room, knocking over a stack of cultivation manuals. Buzzbro and Snackbro were already gone for early training, leaving a note that said "Don't die today, pretty boy."
He stretched, long white hair pooling around him like fresh snow, and grinned at the ceiling. "Morning, world. Still undefeated in second life."
Ping!
System: Good morning, Host. Sleep well on your F-rank cloud? Time to raise the difficulty.
New Mission: "Prove You're Not Just a Pretty Face."
Objective: Enter the Sect's Beginner Trial Forest alone and retrieve one Lightning Orchid from the central grove. The flower is guarded by mid-stage spirit beasts (equivalent to Qi Condensation 5th layer). You may NOT use Ninebro's full combat power — he can only assist as a distraction for max 30 seconds. Complete before sunset.
Reward: Advanced Qi Gathering Technique Manual (permanently boosts your trash stats by two minor realms) + 1 Family-Sized Spicy Beef Ramen (finally).
Fail: All your hair falls out for 3 days and you owe the system 100 embarrassing compliments to Gu Xichen.
Difficulty: Actually hard this time, bro. No more baby mode.
Ling Qinghe sat up fast, blue eyes narrowing. "Yo, System, you turning evil now? Mid-stage beasts? I'm still basically a houseplant with good lighting!"
System: Exactly. Time to grind. Good luck, pretty boy. Don't become fox food.
Ninebro hopped onto his lap, tails swishing like he understood and was ready for trouble.
"Fine. Let's do it. But if I die, I'm haunting your code."
He slipped out of the outer disciple peak after grabbing a basic sword from the armory (which felt heavier than it should for his weak arms). The Beginner Trial Forest loomed at the edge of the mountain — misty, full of weird glowing plants, and occasional roars that made his stomach flip.
As he entered the treeline, a familiar cold presence appeared behind him.
Gu Xichen stood on a nearby boulder, arms crossed, dark robes pristine. "Outer disciples are not permitted in the forest without supervision."
Ling Qinghe turned, flashing a bright grin despite the nerves. "Big Shot Bro! Following me again? Or are you my surprise supervisor?"
Gu Xichen's steel eyes flicked over Ling Qinghe's delicate frame. "You will not last ten minutes. Return."
"Challenge accepted," Ling Qinghe said, saluting with two fingers. "Watch me, Ice Prince. I got this."
Ninebro, of course, immediately betrayed him by leaping toward Gu Xichen for morning cuddles. The fox nuzzled the genius's leg before reluctantly returning when Ling Qinghe whistled.
Gu Xichen's eyebrow twitched — the third time in two days. "Control your beast… and yourself."
But he didn't stop Ling Qinghe from venturing deeper. Instead, he watched silently from the shadows, a faint trace of curiosity breaking through his usual ice.
Comedy and chaos hit hard inside the forest.
Ling Qinghe sneaked through bushes, white hair unfortunately glowing and making him terrible at stealth. A low-stage wolf spirit beast spotted him immediately.
"Yo, nice doggo— wait, no!" He swung his sword wildly. The blade bounced off the wolf's hide like a pool noodle. The beast charged.
"Ninebro, distraction mode — go!"
The fox blurred forward for exactly 30 seconds, nipping tails and creating golden afterimages. The wolf got confused long enough for Ling Qinghe to scramble up a tree and drop a heavy branch on its head. It ran away yelping.
Ling Qinghe panted, covered in leaves. "Okay… that was 20% skill, 80% panic. Progress!"
Deeper in, the real trouble started. Two mid-stage boar beasts blocked the path to the Lightning Orchid grove. Thunder crackled around their tusks. Ling Qinghe's F-rank qi felt like a dying flashlight.
He tried reasoning first. "Bros, I just need one flower. We can be cool about this—"
They charged.
Ling Qinghe ran in circles, slipping on moss, white hair flying everywhere as he dodged. "System, this is harder than final exams during ramen withdrawal!"
He used the temporary boost from yesterday's Qi Condensing Pill to leap higher than expected, landing on one boar's back and stabbing downward awkwardly. The beast bucked him off. He rolled, grabbed a handful of dirt, and threw it like a true gamer with no honor.
Ninebro provided the exact 30-second window — yipping, glowing, and tripping one boar into the other. Ling Qinghe spotted the glowing Lightning Orchid, dove for it, and yanked the flower free just as the boars recovered.
The beasts roared. Lightning sparked.
Ling Qinghe sprinted toward the exit, flower clutched in one hand, sword in the other, screaming "Parkour!" as he jumped roots and streams. Ninebro ran beside him, tails on fire with excitement.
They burst out of the forest right as the sun touched the horizon.
Gu Xichen was still there, waiting. His eyes widened a fraction when he saw the Lightning Orchid and the disheveled, dirt-covered beauty panting in front of him.
Ling Qinghe collapsed dramatically onto the grass, holding the flower up like a trophy. "Got it… Bro. Tell me I looked cool at least."
Ninebro flopped across his chest, exhausted but proud.
Gu Xichen stepped closer. For a long moment, the cold genius said nothing. Then: "Reckless. But… not entirely useless." His voice carried the tiniest hint of reluctant approval.
Ping!
System: Mission Complete! Reward delivered.
Bonus: Gu Xichen's interest level upgraded to "Intrigued." Warning: Ice is starting to melt. Don't get crushed when it does.
Ling Qinghe laughed breathlessly, snow-white hair glowing under the sunset as he pulled out the promised ramen cup from his sleeve. The spicy smell wafted up immediately.
"Second life… still undefeated. Barely."
Gu Xichen turned to leave but paused. "Next time, do not go alone."
"Next time? You volunteering as my bodyguard, Big Shot Bro?"
The ice prince didn't answer, but his retreating back looked slightly less rigid than usual.
End of Chapter 6