The scheme of Qin Feng had succeeded—the Master of the Spirit Gate had been completely dazed, staggering off to his room to rest. Based on the amount of wine he had consumed, he would surely sleep until tomorrow, yet it was still afternoon. The three young women returned from the stream. Ling'er, seeing her master gone, asked, "Where is my master?" "He's off to sleep," Qin Feng said with a cheerful smile. "Why are you so happy?" asked her younger sister. "Really?" Qin Shao gave a sly smile. "Very well. I'll go practice now. See you later." The younger sister gracefully turned and walked toward her room. Only after she had gone far did Qin Shao ask the two women, "What's going on?" Lin Caivai smiled and said, "What else could it be—your scheme has been uncovered!" "Wait a minute," he exclaimed, surprised, "Did you just realize that Ling'er has regained her sharp intelligence?" "He did, just now!" replied He Muqing. "Maybe she's experiencing a personality split," Qin Shao murmured, stroking his chin. Honestly, he was quite doubtful—even if it wasn't a full personality split, it had to be a case of a highly changeable temperament. Lin, the beautiful woman, raised an eyebrow with a thoughtful expression. "Perhaps that's true. But why are you hesitating now? Admitting difficulty and stepping back isn't really in Qin Shao's style, is it? Let's go have dinner, Qingqing!" Indeed, Ling'er was seated cross-legged on the lotus platform, her eyes closed, having entered a state of clear awareness. Clear fluctuations of spiritual energy surrounded her body, mostly emanating from the platform beneath. Qin Dashi's gaze was sharp—he immediately noticed that the platform's transparency had diminished since it was first discovered underground, indicating that after separating from the lotus, its ability to regenerate spiritual energy had significantly weakened. He was certain that Dong Qunxian had been busy these past days. Though the platform had been raised slowly and visibly from the base of the stage before everyone's eyes, who could guarantee that Dong hadn't used it in secret? Qin Feng even believed that the platform's spiritual energy would eventually dwindle and fade. He gave a slight shake of his head, thinking that having gone to such lengths to obtain this platform, it now seemed like a mere afterthought—a dish that's neither tasty nor useful. As the saying goes, "It's not enough to fear thieves stealing; one must also fear those who keep an eye on it." How many people, he mused, harbored ill intentions and might wish to take it over? Most importantly, Ling'er lacks the ability to protect the Lotus Platform. Even with the supposed master of the Tonglin Sect providing protection, there are many powerful practitioners in the immortal realm who surpass him—so it's far from secure. Well, thinking about this now might be premature. After all, the Platform was won in front of everyone's eyes, and although many may be dissatisfied, they won't be able to act swiftly. At least, in the near term, Ling'er is safe. While meditating, Ling'er sensed someone had arrived at the door. Without opening her eyes, she immediately knew who it was. She remained calm and composed, focusing on her meditation and striving to avoid any external disturbances. Yet she had overestimated her own capabilities. Within just a few minutes, the flowing qi began to behave erratically, quickly losing control and darting unpredictably through her meridians. For an immortal cultivator, such a disturbance during meditation is highly dangerous. If the disordered qi cannot be stabilized promptly, it may lead to a condition known as "fire entering the body and invading the spirit"—ranging from minor damage to the meridians to life-threatening consequences. Fine sweat quickly covered her forehead as Ling'er tried several times, all of which failed. As the most beloved disciple of her master in the Spirit-Channeling sect, she had never been disturbed during her cultivation since becoming a cultivator—so she had grown accustomed to practicing in quiet, serene environments. Much like someone who is used to sleeping in silence, even the slightest change in surroundings, such as a soft sound, can disrupt their sleep. Qin Feng's mere presence at the door had a profound impact on her. "Unfavorable," he realized, seeing that his younger sister was nearing the brink of a fire-and-magic crisis. Without hesitation, he kicked open the door and hurried inside. The sound of the door being kicked sent Ling'er's heart into even greater turmoil; after finally finding a moment of clarity, she once again failed. Besides controlling the erratically flowing spiritual energy, another solution was to channel and guide it—once the energy was smoothly directed outward, the problem would naturally resolve itself. Qin Feng knew the method of疏导, yet had never actually tried it—thus, he was a rather fresh, inexperienced practitioner. But the situation had become so urgent that he couldn't afford even a moment's hesitation, as every passing second brought the danger closer to Ling'er. Without pausing to think, he extended his right hand and placed it gently on the top of Ling'er's head. After a quick assessment, he found that the spiritual energy was wildly fluctuating within her chest and abdomen, and thus, placing his hand on her head proved ineffective. This time, he reached out with both hands, placing one on her front chest and the other on her back. The hand on her back remained steady, but the one on her front pressed directly between the two small hills of her chest, causing Ling'er's body to tremble involuntarily. "Stay calm and composed," he said firmly, "I'm not here to take advantage of you. If you can't achieve stillness within yourself, then you'll truly be in danger!" Ling'er did not open her eyes, but gently nodded, then slowed her breathing to calm her rapidly beating heart. Qin Da took a deep breath and drew a stream of spiritual energy from the palm in front of him, gently "guiding" and "drawing" it toward the one that was wildly swirling. The energy indeed responded, beginning to chase the sudden, unexpected visitor. When he judged the moment ripe, he withdrew the energy and waited for the "enemy" to willingly fall into his grasp. The "enemy" proved quite cunning—though it seemed poised to enter Qin Feng's palm meridians, it suddenly retreated at the crucial moment and chose to escape with remarkable alertness. Man, this energy truly lives up to its reputation as the spiritual force within Ling Er—it carries the same ancient, spirited charm as its host. It seems clear that mastering it won't be an easy task. He tried a second time, and then a third, fourth, and so on—each attempt ended in failure. The only positive point was that Ling Er remained calm and composed. Though each effort failed, having someone to assist her made all the difference. Qin Dashi frowned, never expecting the process of channeling the subtle spiritual energy to be so intricate. If only he had summoned Lin Caiwei earlier—she, a seasoned cultivator, would surely have more experience. But now it's too late to discuss these details. For safety's sake, it's better to remain silent, lest both of them experience a simultaneous collapse of their inner energies.