Leng Feiyan was startled by the sudden attack.
Just as Lin Jichen was about to kiss her, she raised her delicate hand to stop him, pressing it against his face.
While preventing him from getting any closer, she tried to maintain her composure, though her words came out stuttered.
"You... you insolent disciple... How dare you bully your master? Do you have no respect for your teacher?"
After speaking, Leng Feiyan's cool hand pinched Lin Jichen's ear, her expression a mix of shame and anger.
Lin Jichen snapped out of his impulsive state, his face immediately filled with anxiety and regret.
Oh no, oh no, what have I done? Even with an affection level of 65, which is quite high, it only allows for simple physical contact, not for him to 'bully' her.
Moreover, who is Leng Feiyan? She is the Sect Master of the Sword Sect, not just any ordinary female NPC.
Forcing a kiss on her?
How could I even think of that? It's practically asking for death...
Haven't I learned my lesson from last time?
Will my affection level drop again this time?
Lin Jichen mentally berated himself harshly.
Last time, he merely touched his master's undergarment and lost ten points of affection.
This time, he actually tried to force a kiss on her. Wouldn't that drop his affection level into the negatives?
Lin Jichen was already lamenting in his heart, anticipating the game's notification sound.
[Ding! Due to your lewd behavior, Leng Feiyan thinks you're a pervert. Affection level -70! Current affection level: -5 (Disgust)]
Thinking of this, Lin Jichen wished he could slap himself. Why couldn't he control himself?
To make amends, Lin Jichen quickly let go of Leng Feiyan and apologized obediently.
"Master, I was wrong. I was just too excited. Please don't be angry. I promise I won't make the same mistake again!"
Lin Jichen was certain that his affection level would drop even more this time, but he wanted to minimize the damage as much as possible.
To his surprise, no notification about a drop in affection level appeared.
Leng Feiyan just lowered her head, somewhat flustered, and tidied her clothes.
Although her head was down, Lin Jichen could still see the redness of her ears and her flushed face.
After a while, Leng Feiyan raised her head and looked at Lin Jichen again, her eyes filled with a mix of blame and embarrassment.
"Knowing your mistake is good. If you dare to act recklessly again, see if I don't teach you a proper lesson."
Lin Jichen felt a sense of relief, like narrowly escaping a disaster. He immediately raised his hand and swore, "I swear, I won't dare to do it again unless Master agrees to let me kiss you."
The blush that had faded from Leng Feiyan's face immediately returned. She bit her lip and raised her hand as if to hit him.
Lin Jichen dodged with a smile, and the two of them chased and played around like a young couple.
Back at Sword Palace Mountain, Leng Feiyan had Lin Jichen come to her bedchamber once again.
But this time, it wasn't to invite him in for a bath; it was to test his cultivation and strength over this period.
Clearly, Leng Feiyan wanted to give Lin Jichen a small lesson.
Using the excuse of testing his cultivation, she intended to punish her disciple.
Although he was unwilling, Lin Jichen had no choice but to comply.
Despite having reached the Golden Elixir stage and significantly increasing his strength, he was still as weak as an ant compared to Leng Feiyan.
The only difference was that last time, he was a small ant, and this time, he had grown just a tiny bit.
Even if he used all his strength, he still couldn't harm Leng Feiyan in the slightest.
Although this made Lin Jichen feel very frustrated, he still gave it his all.
To continuously improve his strength, he needed guidance from a master.
Lin Jichen's current strength made him unbeatable among players. Fighting them was like bullying the weak.
But fighting Leng Feiyan was entirely different.
It's like being a diamond player in another game but playing in bronze and silver ranks. No matter how skilled you are, you'll gradually adapt to their playstyle, relax your focus, and eventually lose your previous skills and awareness.
But if you spar with professional players every day, you'll bring out your utmost focus and strength.
Even if you get beaten every day, learning even a bit is a significant improvement.
Moreover, Leng Feiyan was his master. She taught him earnestly and meticulously, giving her all.
How could Lin Jichen miss such an opportunity?
So, despite being beaten badly, Lin Jichen would get up from the ground, dust himself off, and attack again.
In this way, Lin Jichen seemed to forget day and night, the new updates in the Secret Realm, and his promise to Jiang Luoyu.
He stayed at Sword Palace Mountain, day and night, accepting Leng Feiyan's tests, using all his skills on her.
When tired, he rested for a while. When low on health, he took medicine.
In short, he was like a stubborn bull that never gave up, falling and getting up again and again.
After two days and nights, Lin Jichen finally couldn't hold on mentally. After being knocked down one last time, he fell asleep on the ground.
When he woke up again, he found himself lying on Leng Feiyan's fragrant bed, covered with a thin, fragrant blanket.
After getting up, Lin Jichen realized this wasn't Leng Feiyan's bed but the white jade couch in the outer temple of the bedchamber, essentially a sofa.
Just as he wondered where his master had gone, he heard a sound from the inner temple.
Following the sound, Lin Jichen walked into the inner temple and saw a scene that made his nose tingle.
Inside the inner temple, behind a curtain embroidered with gold and silver threads, steam rose.
The steam, mixed with floral fragrance and warm, comforting water vapor, wafted into Lin Jichen's nose.
Through the thin curtain, Lin Jichen could see a graceful figure soaking in the water, occasionally scooping up petals and water to pour over herself.
This simple action, done by her, seemed like a work of art, making Lin Jichen reluctant to look away.
At that moment, she noticed Lin Jichen's presence, and her movements stopped instantly, her body retreating into the water.
"Disciple, you're awake?"
"Ahem... Master, I'm awake," Lin Jichen quickly responded.
He didn't expect to catch his master bathing right after waking up. Unfortunately, the damn curtain blocked his view.
"Did you gain anything from this sparring?"
"Disciple feels greatly benefited!" Lin Jichen replied, and he wasn't lying.
In these two days, although Lin Jichen was one-sidedly beaten, his combat experience had significantly improved.
Proofreader & Editor: Lotas