Stepping on the Demoness to become the strongest

If Su Yunjin was nowhere to be seen, one could surely find her at the library.

Lin Ning was another story. Yan Yu had to send a message to inquire and only then did he learn that she was practicing spellcasting at the Five Spells training ground.

The Five Spells training ground was located inside a mountain because the Impact Curse, Flame Curse, and Curved Curse were all hazardous, so they had to be practiced in a training ground under 24-hour surveillance.

In the Curved Curse practice area, Yan Yu saw an exhausted Lin Ning who seemed to have been practicing her punches and kicks at a target just moments before, and now she was bent over, hands on her thighs catching her breath in big gulps.

Her black hair was tied up at the back of her head in a bun that didn't hinder her movements, revealing a fair and charming neck. She wore a sports vest and shorts, already soaked with copious amounts of sweat, revealing her graceful and exquisite curves—it was obvious that this girl had been training here for more than an hour.

Yan Yu recalled a phrase from his past life used to describe Chen Lingyun as "boasting both cats and dogs." What did that mean?

It meant Su Yunjin was like an elegant cat, who would accompany Chen Lingyun quietly and gently; Lin Ning was the loyal dog, who would carry out Chen Lingyun's orders without fail...

Damn, such two fine girls, both ruined by that damned woman!

"Lin Ning, have you mastered all Five Spells?" Yan Yu greeted and asked her.

"I've learned them all, just not very proficient yet," Lin Ning replied.

"When you're done practicing, I have something to discuss with you," Yan Yu sat down on the nearby resting bench.

"What is it?" Lin Ning asked directly, stopping her training.

"I'm forming a battle team and short of hands," Yan Yu invited bluntly, "are you interested?"

"Is it official or private?" Lin Ning asked.

"Of course, it's official," Yan Yu replied surprised, "What could a private team do? Help you climb walls to skip classes and hit internet cafes?"

Lin Ning gave a slight smile, then explained,

"I thought it's something like a private club, you know, like those popular second element themes nowadays… um, like running a harem club at the university? Where there's one male lead and all other members are pretty girls."

"First of all, I believe that theme is usually about high school clubs," Yan Yu corrected her helplessly, "Secondly, it's not a harem club, I'm not just picking pretty girls to join."

"So how many girls are there in your team now?" Lin Ning raised an eyebrow and asked.

"You, Chen Lingyun, Su Yunjin, Zhao Jiuzhen, that makes four girls..." Yan Yu paused momentarily, then defended, "That's not the point, I value your abilities and potential, it's just that you all happen to be pretty girls."

Hmm, why does it feel like I'm digging myself deeper into a hole?

Lin Ning, however, struggled to contain her laughter, turning her head to say,

"Fine, I'll accept that reason. Tell me more about this team and what exactly I would have to do after joining?"

"The main responsibility of the team is to complete tasks assigned by superiors," Yan Yu said seriously, "The reason we operate as a squad is because the tasks are quite challenging, and the chances of success are not high if tackled alone."

"I am the team leader, with Chen Lingyun as the deputy, so you members don't have much to worry about. The tasks from the superiors will be dissected and detailed by us, assigning specific duties to everyone before distributing them among you."

"So my understanding is," Lin Ning pondered and summarized, "that the team system is still in a trial phase, hence there isn't a clear procedure and responsibility definition yet."

"Pretty much," Yan Yu appreciated her comprehension, "On this path towards the unknown, we are the pioneers cutting through the thorns. Should troubles arise from all sides, while other cultivators obey their superiors, our team will definitely be at the forefront of danger, that much is certain."

"I need to discuss it with my family," Lin Ning pondered, "When do you need my answer by?"

"If you're asking me," Yan Yu joked, "you better call them now and then tell me if you're in or not."

"Alright then." Lin Ning took his words seriously, directly picked up her phone beside her, and dialed a number, "Hello, dad?"

What followed was a series of encrypted local dialect: all sorts of "good, good," "can do, can do," "don't rely on demons!"... Yan Yu was utterly confused by what he heard, only seeing Lin Ning's expression go from serious to somewhat embarrassed, and finally, extremely impatient as she hung up the phone.

Then she looked up, her face void of emotion, and declared,

"All right, I'm in."

"...Although I don't understand your local dialect," Yan Yu went silent for a while before speaking up, "Did your dad object to you joining the team?"

"No," Lin Ning replied tightly, "He's totally supportive."

"But from the tone of your conversation, he didn't seem supportive," Yan Yu expressed his serious doubts.

"You understand Minnan?" Lin Ning asked him.

"I don't..."

"Then what are you suspicious about?" Lin Ning immediately widened her eyes, resembling a growling, baring tigeress, with a fierce expression, "Or do you want me to call again, so you can confirm with him yourself?"

"Forget it, I won't meddle in your family affairs," Yan Yu raised his hands to surrender, "I'll look for you again once the team formation procedures are approved."

"Hmm." Lin Ning leaned back against the wall, standing on one foot and looking down without speaking, displaying a "I'm still angry" demeanor.

"Well, Lin Ning," Yan Yu saw her sullen expression and suddenly felt an impulse, smiling as he said, "This weekend, I went to Shengjing with Chen Lingyun for an exchange meeting and met a female cultivator from the Annan Army named 'Li Minghu'."

"Hmm, what about her?" Lin Ning asked, frowning.

"You should be careful around her," Yan Yu said seriously, "I'll go first, not to disturb your practice."

Lin Ning: ???

She wanted to ask something more, but Yan Yu had already disappeared in no time.

So who is "Li Minghu"? And why should I be careful of her?

The more Lin Ning thought about it, the less she understood, and the more puzzled she became, the more she wanted to figure it out, so she directly picked up her phone and messaged Yan Yu to ask him.

No reply. So she messaged Chen Lingyun, and this time she got a quick response:

"Oh, Li Minghu is a cultivator from the Annan Army, what's up?"

"Yan Yu told me to be careful of her," Lin Ning typed with a furrowed brow, "Why?"

"Hmm," Chen Lingyun sent a smiling face emoji, "Maybe he's warning you to be careful not to be eaten by her."

Lin Ning's frown deepened:

"A lesbian?"

"Hahahaha." Chen Lingyun sent a row of laughing emojis, "No, just kidding with you, don't mind it."

How could I possibly not mind it! Lin Ning quickly displayed her typing speed, sending more probing messages to Chen Lingyun.

However, Chen Lingyun's telling her "not to mind" was precisely because she knew that Lin Ning would mind, given her character, so why would she explain anything at this point? She deliberately left her messages on read without replying.

Lin Ning had no other choice but to message Su Yunjin.

"I don't know~" Su Yunjin replied.

"You definitely know!" Lin Ning became annoyed and indignant, "Yun Jin, every time you want to hide something, you like to end with interjections like 'ya', 'ah', 'la' and the like!"

"Haha." Su Yunjin replied with a smiley face emoji, "I know this is just Yan Yu teasing you, but if I explain it clearly, you will definitely get angry, so isn't it better to not delve into it?"

"I won't get angry," Lin Ning replied.

"That's not certain." Su Yunjin typed slowly, "Lin Ning, do you still remember why you went to get a certificate for standard Mandarin?"

Of course Lin Ning remembered. Previously, when Su Yunjin visited her dorm, she found a Grade A, Level One certificate for standard Mandarin on her shelf and had asked her why she wanted the certificate.

"Because during my first year of high school, I went to Pingjing for a summer camp, and they mocked my Mandarin for not being standard," Lin Ning replied gloomily, "So I had to get the Mandarin certificate to prove them wrong."

"Actually, it's because they said, 'People from Minhai can't differentiate between the sounds of 'fu' and 'hu', right?" Su Yunjin typed back, "Lin Ning, you're a bit sensitive about regional jokes, but I'm sure Yan Yu meant no harm with his joke, so how about not taking it to heart?"

"Don't call me Little Lin Ning!" Lin Ning typed angrily, paused for a moment, then quickly deleted the line, and continued to type:

"So Yan Yu is making regional digs at me?"

"Uh." Su Yunjin realized she might have made things worse, "No, why would you think that?"

"I'm going to find him!"