Chapter 57 Bloom

"I’m coming, Master," Emery responded through her spiritual sense, her voice steady despite the storm of thoughts raging within her.

She began walking toward Lin Feng’s room, her footsteps heavy, dragging as if each step carried unbearable weight.

The corridor felt longer than ever before, each pace echoing in her ears.

When she finally reached his door, she stopped, her hand hovering in the air.

"After more than ten thousand years of guarding my purity," Emery murmured to herself, her lips curving into a bitter smile, "I suppose I’ll finally lose it tonight."

She shook her head slowly.

Of course, she could fight Lin Feng if she wanted to but she knew it would be pointless.

The gap between their strength was too vast.

Resistance would only bring humiliation and pain, nothing more.

Taking a deep breath, Emery steeled herself, pushed aside her emotions, and opened the door.

What greeted her, however, was nothing like what she had imagined.

"Come sit down beside me, Emery," Lin Feng said casually, gesturing toward a seat.

"The game queue takes forever. If we party up, it’ll go much faster. This game’s easy to learn too... just point and shoot."

Emery blinked.

Once.

Twice.

Her mind froze.

"...Game?" she repeated faintly.

Before her was not a bed or any suggestive arrangement, but a floating screen filled with flashing lights, moving figures, and what appeared to be an unfamiliar battlefield.

Lin Feng sat comfortably in front of it, controller in hand, completely relaxed, as if he had just invited her to share a cup of tea rather than... whatever she had been bracing herself for.

For the first time in a very long time, Emery felt utterly speechless.

What happened next was nothing short of absolute slaughter.

"Back me up, Emery! I’m going in!"

"Throw a grenade now! Right there!"

"Wow! Good job, Emery! That was a perfect headshot!"

Lin Feng was completely immersed in the game, shouting excitedly, laughing freely, and leaning forward in his seat like a seasoned gamer fully in his element.

His fingers moved with lightning speed, reflexes sharper than most cultivators, translating effortlessly into in-game dominance.

Meanwhile, Emery still couldn’t quite believe what was happening.

She was playing a shooter game... inside Lin Feng’s room.

This was the first time she had ever been inside his private quarters, and the first time she had truly seen what lay within.

Ever since the day she arrived in this courtyard, she had deliberately avoided using her spiritual sense around Lin Feng.

Out of respect. Out of caution. And out of instinct.

Yet now, sitting here, controller in hand, she was discovering that her unfathomable master... someone she thought stood at the absolute pinnacle of cultivation, a being capable of overturning heavens and worlds... spent his free time playing video games.

The contrast was so absurd that her mind struggled to process it.

"To think... someone who has already reached the peak of the peak in cultivation and strength..." Emery thought, eyes glued to the screen as she fired another shot, "...and yet his mind is still so impossible to fathom."

At first, she had been stiff, awkward, and unsure what to do. But under Lin Feng’s constant guidance...

"Reload now!"

"Don’t rush... peek first!"

"Nice! You’re getting the hang of it!"

Emery slowly improved.

Her reactions sharpened, her aim steadied, and soon enough, she was moving naturally, covering his blind spots, and even taking down enemies before he could.

"Huh... this is... surprisingly fun," Emery muttered, barely realizing she had spoken aloud.

Lin Feng laughed. "See? Told you it’s easy. You’re a natural."

Time passed without either of them noticing.

The sky outside darkened even further. Night fell. Then grew deeper. Then silently gave way to dawn.

For Emery, it was the first night in over ten thousand years that she had spent not cultivating, not guarding, not worrying about survival or duty... just... playing.

And for Lin Feng, it was simply another enjoyable night, shared unexpectedly with someone he trusted.

By the time the first rays of sunlight slipped through the window, both of them were still there... side by side, controllers in hand, surrounded by the quiet hum of a world that, for once, felt strangely peaceful.

"Well, that was fun and really good," Lin Feng said with a broad, satisfied grin, leaning back in his chair.

His eyes sparkled with the kind of joy that only came from mastering something completely, and Emery, still a bit stunned, allowed herself a small smile as well.

They had been utterly unstoppable in every match they played. Not once did they lose.

Not once did they even die.

Their movements were precise, their coordination flawless, and their reactions faster than anyone else could keep up with.

Even the most skilled players in the game were left dumbfounded.

Across the digital battlefield, chaos reigned among their opponents.

Voices rose in rage and disbelief over the in-game chat.

"Fucking cheaters!"

"They’re definitely using cheat engines or map hacks!"

"Who are these two? They’re impossible!"

"Let’s mass report them before they ruin the game for everyone else!"

"What are their names again?"

The answers came quickly, fingers flying across keyboards with furious determination.

"That male avatar is JuniorYouSeekDeath, and the female one is FrogInAWell," someone typed.

"Post their IGN on the forums too! I want them banned from the game!" another demanded.

Players scrambled to share clips, screenshots, and match recordings, trying to prove the impossibility of what they had just witnessed.

Rumors started spreading through the community like wildfire... two players so skilled that no one could beat them, invincible legends in the virtual world.

Meanwhile, in Lin Feng’s room, none of it mattered.

He laughed freely, leaning back and stretching, the tension and excitement of the matches giving way to a warm sense of satisfaction.

"Let’s call it a night, Emery. Thank you for everything today," Lin Feng said, his tone calm but warm. "Oh, and I almost forgot... weekends are yours. You don’t have to cook for me this morning. Go enjoy your life a little. I’ll see you back Monday morning."

Emery could only nod, her voice quiet but sincere.

"Thank you, Master Lin Feng," she replied, gratitude evident in her tone.

Lin Feng gave a simple nod in return, then shifted his gaze toward one section of the academy.

A small, sharp smile tugged at his lips.

Without another word, he turned and walked with purpose toward a platform in the distance.

Today, there were balls that needed to be crushed completely.