Volume 1, Chapter 5: I Will Take Care of You

These bodyguards were of low rank, likely only at the seventh or eighth level of the First Awakening.

"Spirit Eyes, activate."

The moment his Spirit Eyes opened, everything around Lu Jing seemed to slow down, as if viewed at 0.25x speed. He delivered a swift kick to the chest of the nearest bodyguard, sending the man flying backward. With a sudden spin, he performed a sweeping leg kick, knocking two more guards, one on his left and one on his right, to the ground.

His strength had indeed increased significantly.

Seeing that he was not easily dealt with, his opponents resorted to elemental powers. Lightning bolts, fireballs, and ice drills flew toward him in a chaotic barrage.

"Ah-Jing!" Su Qiqi cried out in alarm from behind him, unable to suppress her worry.

The use of supernatural abilities caused the surrounding students to gasp; they knew well that if things went wrong, people could die. Yet, to everyone's surprise, a smirk curled on Lu Jing's lips as he suddenly lifted off the ground.

"Wow! How is he doing that?"

The crowd stood dumbfounded, their jaws dropping in utter disbelief as they watched him hover in mid-air. Ignoring their reactions, Lu Jing swung his arms. Under their shocked gazes, eighteen cyan-colored wind blades, each over a foot wide, shot forth. He held nothing back, unleashing the full extent of his current ability.

Lu Jing’s face turned pale; this was his limit, and he had exhausted his energy.

"Go."

With a wave of his hand, the wind blades whistled toward the bodyguards. Clearly inexperienced in combat, the men panicked and scrambled to flee rather than attempting to counter the attack.

"Thud, thud."

Most of the blades missed their targets, slamming into the concrete ground and sending shards of cement flying. The scene turned comical as the men scurried about like frightened rats, drawing laughter from the onlookers.

Seeing that the situation had turned against him, Zhou Kang had no choice but to retreat in bitterness. Before leaving, he couldn't help but utter the classic villain line, pointing a finger at Lu Jing: "Just you wait! I will be back!"

Lu Jing was speechless. *Are these the only lines villains have? Can't you come up with something fresh?*

He drifted gracefully back to the ground.

"Wow, you're amazing, man! How did you do that, Lu Jing?"
"Yeah, yeah! Did you awaken? And did you master the wind element?"
"How did you manage to awaken?"

They were bursting with curiosity, swarming toward him. But Lu Jing had no time to answer them one by one.

He offered a faint, silent smile, turned, and took Su Qiqi’s small hand in his.

"Please, make way."

Lu Jing’s words carried weight, and the crowd parted to let them through.

"Damn, I’m so jealous. He’s got both skill and the campus beauty."
"Sigh... so envious!"

The other male students watched his retreating back, grinding their teeth in jealousy.

On the other side, Lu Jing led Su Qiqi into a quiet alley.

"Ah-Jing, you were so cool! How did you fly?"
"It was simple. I channeled the wind element within me into my feet and controlled its direction to achieve a brief hover. It wasn't really flying."
"Still, it was amazing."

Su Qiqi blushed, her heart filled with the conviction that her Brother Ah-Jing was the best.

Lu Jing gave her cheek a doting pinch. "Someday, Qiqi will be even more amazing."

He knew that Su Qiqi’s awakened Vermillion Bird Spirit Body allowed her to cultivate five times faster than the average person—a talent that left many in awe.

"Really?" Su Qiqi looked at him with sparkling eyes. After witnessing his strength, she had begun to feel unworthy of him. She hadn't awakened yet and feared she wouldn't possess such a rare spirit body. She worried that if she remained ordinary, Brother Ah-Jing would eventually look down on her.

"Of course, I promise you."
"Then if I become strong, I’ll protect you," she declared, patting her small chest.

Su Qiqi and Lu Jing locked eyes, her gaze curving into crescent moons.

"Deal. I guess I'll have to rely on you to provide for me then!"
"Okay, I’ll take care of you."

She lowered her head, a soft blush blooming on her cheeks. *Good heavens, that shy look of hers is enough to melt anyone’s heart!*

Lu Jing felt his throat go dry and his head spin. As her hair brushed against his cheek, he pulled her into a tight embrace, pinning her against the wall. Their chests heaved in sync, and sparks seemed to fly where their gazes met.

"Qiqi, I want to kiss you. May I?"

His hot breath against her ear set her body ablaze. She felt as if she had a fever, her heart hammering against her ribs, her body trembling slightly.

"Mm."

The girl’s soft voice was barely audible. Receiving her consent, Lu Jing impatiently covered her lips with his, his tongue gently exploring the sweet territory within.

Her scent was right there, and an electric, tingling sensation surged through her, making her heartstrings vibrate. She wrapped her slender arms around his waist, pulling him closer, and parted her lips to offer a shy, tentative response.

Encouraged by her reaction, Lu Jing kissed her with newfound fervor, skillfully parting her teeth and greedily savoring her essence.

After a long while, they broke apart, both gasping for air but remaining locked in a tight embrace.

"I'll see you home."
"Okay."

...

That night, Lu Jing sat on his bed, playing with a wind blade in his palm.

*Compress, compress, and compress again...*

He tried to pack as much energy as possible into a single blade, hoping to forge it into a lethal finishing move.

"Whoosh..."

The wind blade hummed, the sound growing louder and the cyan glow becoming increasingly brilliant.

"Ugh..." Lu Jing collapsed onto the bed, exhausted. "This cultivation speed is way too slow."

*Wait, let me try that.*

Lu Jing sprang up from the bed. He tapped into the residual bloodline power of the Wolf Demon within him, attempting to convert that energy into the wind blade.

To his surprise, the once-cyan blade turned a deep blue, and its power surged significantly.

*So that’s it.* He hadn't realized the demon bloodline could be utilized in such a way. If he could collect bloodlines from stronger demons, his wind blades would only become more formidable.

The more he thought about it, the more excited he became.

Lu Jing couldn't help but pound his mattress and shout, "Damn! I’m going to be rich! Demons, tremble in fear!"

"You little brat, are you daydreaming? Keep it down! You're waking me up!"

His impassioned declaration earned no applause, only a sharp scolding from his mother in the next room.

Lu Jing immediately slumped back onto the bed, acting perfectly obedient.

*Well, the revolution is not yet won; comrades must still work hard!*

*Sigh... maybe I should earn some money and move into a room with better soundproofing.*