At dawn, Yin Ling woke up early and left her home.
After making her decision last night, she let go of the hatred and duty that had weighed on her heart, choosing instead to accompany Lin Ran in his final days—as a friend.
She knew that this choice was irrational, a betrayal of her mission, a contradiction to the very reason she came here.
But when she truly searched her heart, she found that she had already accepted Lin Ran as a friend.
Being with him, she no longer felt like a machine, tirelessly working for the continuation of her race.
Instead, she felt something she had lost long ago—the passion and excitement of youth.
Yet, she remained unaware that she had already fallen into the intricate web woven by Feng Qi and the Crimson Research Institute.
For the next few days, Yin Ling spent all her time with Lin Ran.
She no longer hid her emotions—instead, she let them flow freely.
Their footsteps filled Star City, leaving traces of their presence in every corner.
Because she had no way of knowing when the Domain Weak Tribe Alliance's next assassination attempt would occur, she treasured every moment she had left with him.
Half a month later, deep into the night.
Star City's western outskirts—Xingfeng Mountain Peak.
Lin Ran and Yin Ling sat on the edge of a cliff, gazing out into the distance.
The bright, dazzling lights of Star City stretched far and wide before them, illuminating the city's thriving nightlife.
The mountain breeze brushed against their faces, carrying the gentle rustling of tree leaves in the air.
As Lin Ran excitedly rambled about his latest cultivation technique concept, Yin Ling, bathed in soft moonlight, flipped through the photo album in her hands.
These were the photos they had taken over the past few weeks.
A goofy picture in front of the zoo's tiger exhibit, where they pretended to bare their fangs.
A snapshot in front of a milk tea shop, both holding up their drinks in a celebratory toast.
A duo photo in the arcade, Lin Ran aiming a toy gun at the camera while Yin Ling stood beside him, laughing.
Every picture captured a fragment of their time together, recording fleeting yet precious moments.
They would soon become nothing but memories—short-lived, yet undeniably important.
The wind lifted her long hair as she turned to look at Lin Ran. A smile, bright and warm, spread across her face.
At that exact moment, Lin Ran also turned to face her—his expression froze in place.
Without hesitation, she punched his chest playfully.
"You little brat, what are you staring at?"
"Looking at a beauty, of course," Lin Ran grinned.
"You better not be thinking anything weird, or else I'll beat you up." Yin Ling clenched her small fist, pretending to be fierce.
"You think too highly of yourself," Lin Ran scoffed. "Do you really think I'm interested in you? The higher-ups in Star City believe we're a good match—that's the only reason I'm humoring this. I'm making a noble sacrifice for humanity's future. You know, continuing the bloodline and all that."
"Bleh—" Yin Ling stuck out her tongue, making a face.
Looking at Lin Ran's carefree smile, a ripple of emotion stirred in Yin Ling's heart.
Even though the Domain Weak Tribe Alliance hadn't made a move on Lin Ran yet, she understood why.
After their first failed attempt, they would definitely take their time to prepare for the second one.
But it wouldn't take long now.
The assassination would happen sooner or later—Lin Ran's life was destined to end.
For some reason, her chest tightened at the thought.
She had no regrets about issuing the order to kill him.
Yet… she couldn't shake off a strange sense of reluctance.
Taking a deep breath, Yin Ling softly asked,
"Lin Ran, if you had a close friend who was about to go far away—maybe never coming back—what would you do?"
Lin Ran fell into deep thought upon hearing this question.
After a long silence, he grinned and replied,
"If saying goodbye is unavoidable, then the best thing to do is cherish the time you still have together, right up until the very end."
"Hmm…" Yin Ling murmured, nodding.
"Why? Is one of your friends leaving?" Lin Ran asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I just thought of the question suddenly. It's not happening to anyone I know," Yin Ling smiled faintly, shaking her head.
Lin Ran stared at her for a moment, and in that instant, he understood.
He knew why she was asking.
But the same question also applied to him.
What had started as a mission, something he had resisted at first, had gradually turned into something more complicated.
"People are not grass or trees; how could they remain unmoved?"
Despite everything, he had come to enjoy Yin Ling's presence.
When they spent time together, he felt completely at ease—like he could be himself without putting up a front.
Even when working on cultivation techniques, Yin Ling's insights had given him countless inspirations.
Their similar perspectives made him feel like he was truly in sync with someone for the first time.
Sometimes, he even had the illusion that they were actually… dating.
Now, hearing her question, he couldn't help but ask himself the same thing.
Staring down at Star City's bright skyline, Lin Ran smiled softly.
"Even if a farewell is inevitable, at the very least, we should leave behind some beautiful memories. That way, when we grow old and look back, we can still smile at the past."
Yin Ling's heart shuddered at his words.
Then, she rolled her eyes.
"Why are we talking about something so sentimental?"
"You're the one who brought it up," Lin Ran shot back.
"And you're the one who took it too seriously," she countered.
"Look at you, being all emotional. This is what happens when women stop thinking logically. So unreasonable. Now I'm starting to think you got your position as Director of the Energy Research Institute through connections."
"You got that completely wrong," Yin Ling bared her small fangs in mock anger. "I got where I am through talent. Real talent."
"Speaking of which," Lin Ran grinned, "how's the food in the Energy Research Institute? When are you taking me there for a meal?"
"Sure, you can eat, just make sure you pay for your share. I hate freeloaders, especially those who rely on connections to mooch off others."
"You're telling me that taking me out for a meal is mooching? In that case, you better cough up the lobster I treated you to last night!"
"You first—spit out the seafood feast you had two nights ago."
"Ugh."
"Ew, you're disgusting."
After their playful banter, Yin Ling stood up from the cliffside and gazed towards Star City, a gentle smile forming on her lips.
"Do you want to hear me sing?"
"Hm?" Lin Ran looked up at her, intrigued.
The night breeze lifted the hem of Yin Ling's white robe, her long hair flowing gently. Under the soft moonlight, she seemed to be glowing—a pure, ethereal beauty, as if she had stepped out of a dream.
Without waiting for his answer, Yin Ling parted her lips and began to hum.
Her voice was soft yet powerful, like a breeze brushing through the treetops. The melody was soothing, carrying a touch of melancholy, as if it were telling a story without words.
At that moment, Yin Ling looked like a spirit of the forest, her song both a farewell and a memory in the making.
Lin Ran found himself completely entranced.
When the song ended, Yin Ling looked down at Lin Ran and smiled.
"Did you like it?"
"It was beautiful… but why were there no lyrics?"
Yin Ling did not answer immediately.
The song she had just sung belonged to the Silver Moon Clan—its language was completely different from that of humans.
"Sometimes… imperfection is a form of beauty, don't you think?"
Lin Ran pondered for a moment before grinning.
"You're right. Mystery itself can be beautiful. Lyrics are too direct—without them, people can imagine their own meanings. Each person can fill the song with their own emotions."
"Hey, hey, you're just a little brat, why are you talking like some wise old scholar?" Yin Ling rolled her eyes.
"Haha, my bad, I was just speaking from the heart."
"I'm getting hungry. Want to go for some late-night snacks?"
"Sounds good. Let's settle the bill with a round of Spirit Chess." Lin Ran smirked provocatively.
"If you want to treat me, just say so. No need to go around in circles."
Yin Ling raised her hand and drew a Spirit Chess board in midair, glancing at Lin Ran with mocking confidence.
"Come on, amateur, you go first."
"Ladies first. And this time, I'm going to take this seriously—I don't want you whining later that I bullied you."
"Hah! Big talk."
"Less trash talk, more playing."
For the next few nights, Lin Ran continued going on dates with Yin Ling.
As they spent more time together, their bond deepened.
There were even moments when Lin Ran completely forgot that he was just playing a role—he had fully immersed himself in the character that Feng Qi had planned for him.
At the same time, he never neglected his mission.
Over the past few days, his dorm room had become flooded with blueprints.
In Star City's Spell Research Lab, he was often seen conducting tests, adjusting data, and refining his work.
The development of Spiritual Body was progressing rapidly.
While Lin Ran's own talent played a huge role, Yin Ling's assistance was also invaluable.
After all, her true strength far exceeded Lin Ran's, and her knowledge of spellcraft was immense.
Unlike martial arts techniques, spells were universal—they could be used by all races.
This was why the Night Shadow Clan had once manipulated human geniuses into developing spells for them—because spellcraft was not bound by bloodline restrictions.
As Spiritual Body neared completion, Lin Ran finally succeeded in creating its first functional prototype.
To celebrate, he invited Yin Ling out for drinks by the lake that night.
As they laughed and chatted, the second phase of Feng Qi's plan was quietly falling into place.
He began orchestrating a major public campaign through Tiger Soul Research Institute, promoting Lin Ran's achievements.
This was all part of the plan—to make Lin Ran's name known to the world.
Just as Feng Qi had expected, major media outlets quickly picked up the story.
Soon, news articles flooded the internet, all praising Lin Ran as a rising prodigy who had developed yet another groundbreaking spell.
Public interest soared—people began discussing Lin Ran's achievements, eagerly awaiting the first round of official testing results from Tiger Soul Research Institute.
For the first time, Lin Ran became a household name.
His newly developed spell, Spiritual Body, was now the center of attention.
Five days later.
Inside her office, Yin Ling sat by the window, gazing out into the distance.
The Domain Weak Tribe Alliance still hadn't taken action.
She found this strange—why were they delaying the assassination?
Yet, at the same time, she felt a strange sense of relief.
It was like a child holding onto a bubble—knowing it would burst at any moment, but still wanting to enjoy it while it lasted.
"Jiejie, what are you thinking about?"
A voice snapped Yin Ling out of her thoughts.
"Nothing."
"Why do you keep meeting up with that Lin Ran? Wasn't this supposed to be just a mission assigned by Star City's leadership? You've been in contact long enough—shouldn't you be able to reject him now?"
The silver-haired boy beside her tilted his head curiously.
"You don't need to worry about it. I have my own plans." Yin Ling's tone was firm.
"Oh." The boy nodded obediently, but his mind was filled with doubts.
Clearing her thoughts, Yin Ling took a deep breath and picked up the latest Energy Research Institute report from her desk, flipping through it carefully.
Several hours later, after putting down the report, she reached for her tablet.
As the screen lit up, she began browsing the latest news updates.
Lately, Lin Ran had become the center of attention in Star City—and even across all of human society.
Any news related to him dominated the headlines, with major media outlets scrambling to cover his latest developments.
His genius and potential had already been acknowledged by the majority.
This didn't surprise Yin Ling in the slightest.
From the moment she first met Lin Ran, she had known that he would rise to prominence—that he would one day become a pioneer in spellcraft, propelling the field forward.
In her eyes, Lin Ran was like an unpolished gem.
No matter how much dust covered him, there would come a day when his brilliance would shine through—he would become a radiant new star, carving his name into the annals of human history.
Opening her news app, the top headline was, once again, about Lin Ran.
But the moment she read the title, her expression stiffened.
[Tiger Soul Research Institute's First Evaluation: "Spiritual Body" Achieves S-Rank in Virtual Tests, But Three Evaluators Were Rushed to Crimson Affiliated Hospital During Live Testing—Suspected Serious Hidden Flaws!]
Clicking into the article, Yin Ling frowned deeply as she read through the details.
The evaluation report from Tiger Soul Research Institute was thorough.
In virtual testing, Spiritual Body had performed flawlessly.
However, during live testing with spell evaluators, something had gone terribly wrong—there had been a backlash, causing three spell testers to suffer severe internal injuries and begin bleeding from their seven orifices, leading to their emergency hospitalization.
This was, without a doubt, a catastrophic spell accident.
Below the article, a storm of online discussions had already erupted.
Yet, despite this setback, Lin Ran's supporters still outweighed his critics, drowning out most of the negative comments.
After all, issues arising in spell development were not uncommon.
However, what baffled Yin Ling was that she had personally reviewed Spiritual Body, and in her eyes, there was absolutely nothing wrong with it—so why had this happened?
Exiting that article, she continued browsing related news.
Just then, a breaking news notification popped up.
[Tiger Soul Research Institute Responds: A New Round of Testing Confirms "Spiritual Body" Has Severe Hidden Flaws—Lin Ran Suspected of Making a Fundamental Mistake in Spell Logic, Leading to Unstable Spell Trajectories and High Backlash Risk!]
She clicked into the article, where Tiger Soul Research Institute's latest evaluation report had been published.
The report included detailed images analyzing the flawed energy linkage trajectories of Spiritual Body.
The mistake was a fundamental one, something even a beginner should never overlook—a simple inconsistency in the spell's structural connections, which destabilized the entire framework.
Because this error formed the foundation of the spell, every subsequent connection was built on a faulty base.
In other words, Spiritual Body needed to be completely scrapped and reworked from scratch—it was entirely unviable for real-world application.
Despite the article only just being published, the comment section was already flooded.
This time, however, the criticism was overwhelming.
A fundamental logical error—something even a novice wouldn't make—had shattered the public's trust.
The same praise and admiration Lin Ran had received now worked against him, amplifying their disappointment.
Some outraged comments even claimed:
"Even a beginner wouldn't make this kind of mistake! If Lin Ran overlooked such a basic issue, that means he didn't even bother double-checking his own work. This is pure irresponsibility!"
Reading through these comments, Yin Ling's expression darkened with frustration.
She wanted Lin Ran to die—but she didn't want him to die with a ruined reputation.
Seeing the harsh criticism pouring in made her angry—so much so that she even considered jumping into the comment section herself to defend him…
The intensity of her emotions startled even her.
After a long moment of internal conflict, she decided to call Lin Ran.
As soon as the call connected, Lin Ran's calm voice came through:
"If you're calling to comfort me, don't bother. I'm not that fragile."
"I know you're not weak—I just wanted to invite you out for late-night snacks."
"Sounds good. And I have good news for you—I've already thought of a completely new spell concept. This failure will only make me stronger… I'll explain everything to you tonight."
"Alright."
Hanging up the call, Yin Ling let out a long breath.
She had no idea why she was feeling so anxious.
She wanted Lin Ran dead, yet she wanted him to live just a little longer.
She wanted him to die, but not while being humiliated.
This chaotic mix of emotions was driving her insane.
Nearby, the silver-haired boy had been watching Yin Ling's expressions shift constantly.
His mind was full of confusion.
The older sister he had always known—who was calm and composed in any situation—was suddenly acting completely different.
She seemed… distracted.
Even when working, she often drifted off into thought.
"Father was right… women are truly strange creatures."
Just as he muttered this under his breath, Yin Ling lifted her head and looked at him coldly.
The sheer chill in her gaze sent a shiver down his spine.
"Jiejie, I… I'm going to go read a book."
Without waiting for a response, the silver-haired boy vanished on the spot, fleeing at full speed.