In Martial Universe, Signed in at the Start with Yao Lao's Ring

Being held in Lin Yan's embrace, feeling his strong arms around her, and seeing his handsome face up close, Qing Tan's cheeks grew hotter and hotter.

She had always been easily flustered, and now, being in such an intimate position made it even harder for her to endure.

Within seconds, her ears turned completely red. As she continued looking into Lin Yan's eyes, her gaze became dazed.

She stammered, trying to look away.

"Brother Lin Yan… d-don't…"

But Lin Yan had no intention of letting her go so easily. Instead, he moved even closer, flashing a mischievous smile.

"But your body… doesn't seem to agree with you."

With a slight smirk, he gently poked Qing Tan's side.

The sudden ticklish sensation made Qing Tan let out a startled yelp. Her eyes glistened with tears, looking both embarrassed and pitiful, as if she was about to cry.

"Mmm… this is… too embarrassing…"

Seeing this, Lin Yan decided to stop teasing her.

Qing Tan exhaled deeply, as if she had just survived a great ordeal, her forehead slightly damp from the heat of the moment.

The two continued walking, and after a while, they passed by a small pavilion.

Qing Tan, feeling a bit tired, especially after the emotional rollercoaster she had just gone through, suddenly stopped.

"Brother Lin Yan, can we rest there for a bit?"

Lin Yan smiled and nodded.

As soon as they sat down on the stone bench, he noticed that Qing Tan had subtly scooted closer to him. Bit by bit, she inched toward him, until she was leaning right against his side.

Lin Yan let out a helpless sigh.

This girl…

She wants to play, but the moment I tease her, she gets shy and runs away. Just as he was about to ignore her, he suddenly felt her small hand quietly slip into his own.

"Now that I think about it, Brother Lin Yan… the first time we had any intimate contact was also in a pavilion."

"It was in the Lin Family's pavilion. I remember… I had gone to gather herbs, but then it started raining, and I ended up running into you there."

Qing Tan gently played with his hand, speaking as if it were a casual conversation, but her tone was filled with nostalgia.

Lin Yan didn't expose her intentions and simply replied, "Yeah, I remember someone got completely drenched, looking like a soaked little kitten. On top of that, her Cold Energy flared up, and in the end, it was thanks to me that she got through it."

Qing Tan's expression softened as she thought back on that day.

'Yeah… it's all thanks to Brother Lin Yan…'

But before she could dwell too much in sentiment, Lin Yan's next words made her face instantly turn red.

"But honestly, I didn't lose out on that deal either."

"I got to enjoy a lap pillow, and I must say, those legs were really soft… and you smelled really nice."

Hearing this, Qing Tan's mind blanked out for a second.

Then, her face burned with embarrassment.

Not willing to back down this time, she acted on impulse—without warning, she sealed Lin Yan's lips with a kiss, silencing his laughter in an instant.

Seeing Lin Yan's momentarily shocked expression, Qing Tan's eyes twinkled with victory.

Her delicate brows arched slightly, her entire face glowing with satisfaction.

However, before she could enjoy her small triumph, Lin Yan quickly counterattacked.

With just a little teasing, Qing Tan's entire body softened, as if her strength had been completely drained.

Her face was flushed, her breaths shallow, as she gazed at Lin Yan with dazed eyes.

Suddenly, the sound of approaching footsteps echoed in the air. Qing Tan snapped out of her daze, quickly pushing Lin Yan away.

Her face burned even hotter, her eyes darting toward the source of the sound.

"Uh… it's Lin Yan and Qing Tan. What are you two doing here?"

The ones who had stumbled upon them were Lin Shan and Lin Hong.

"Why are you asking so many questions?! Hurry up and leave!"

Unlike Lin Shan, Lin Hong was quick to read the situation. Just by looking at Qing Tan's flustered expression, he could guess exactly what had happened.

Not wanting to be a third wheel, he glared at Lin Shan before quickly dragging him away.

Lin Yan burst into laughter.

Meanwhile, Qing Tan was completely mortified. She had finally mustered the courage to be affectionate, yet she had been caught red-handed.

Right now, she wished she could dig a hole and crawl inside.

"Let's go! Let's go!"

Qing Tan hurriedly grabbed Lin Yan, worried that someone else might catch them.

Lin Yan, however, just smiled playfully.

"Oh? You're done already?"

Hearing this, Qing Tan's face turned even redder. She bit her lip, clearly reluctant, but the embarrassment from earlier still lingered.

"N-No… I'm done… I'm done!"

With that, the two quickly headed back home.

However, the atmosphere on the way back became somewhat peculiar. After all, this was technically their first kiss.

Because of that, Qing Tan's face remained flushed the entire way, replaying the moment over and over in her mind.

------

When they arrived at the entrance, they happened to run into Liu Yan.

Liu Yan paused for a moment upon seeing Qing Tan's blushing face.

Then, a knowing smile spread across her lips. With a teasing tone, she said, "You two… make sure to be careful."

Lin Yan's expression turned odd.

Meanwhile, Qing Tan immediately understood, and her face turned even redder as she panicked.

"Mother! What are you thinking?! Brother Lin Yan and I didn't do that!"

Liu Yan chuckled mischievously.

"I never said anything specific. I was just telling you to be careful."

Qing Tan yelled in embarrassment and fled the scene.

Not long after, Lin Xiao and Lin Dong finished preparing dinner.

Surprisingly, Lin Xiao's cooking skills were quite good.

The atmosphere at the dinner table was warm and lively, giving Lin Yan—a traveler from another world—a rare sense of home. As a result, Lin Yan ate his meal with great satisfaction.

However, while Lin Yan was enjoying his peaceful evening, things were far from pleasant for Lei Bao of the Lei Family.

----

After receiving news of Xie Qian's death, Lei Bao's expression turned completely grim.

"Lin Zhentian… what ruthless methods! To wipe them out completely…!"

"It seems… he has no intention of sparing my Lei Family either!"

Since Lei Bao hadn't been present at the scene, and Lin Yan had left no survivors, he had no way of knowing what actually happened.

All he knew was that Xie Qian and multiple Heavenly Yuan experts had been annihilated. Naturally, he assumed everything was Lin Zhentian's doing.

With a furious roar, he summoned his right-hand man, Lei Pi.

The moment he heard Lei Bao's call, Lei Pi immediately rushed over.

"Father, what are your orders?"

Lei Bao's expression remained dark and serious as he said, "There are three matters to take care of. First, take some gifts and go visit Grandmaster Gu."

"With Black Dragon Stockade destroyed and the Xie Family wiped out, our Lei Family is now at a disadvantage against the Lin Family and Raging Blade Dojo."

"Now more than ever, we must strengthen our ties with Grandmaster Gu. If the Lin Family makes a move against us, we'll need his support."

Lei Pi nodded in acknowledgment.

"Second, starting today, I will break through to the Yuan Dan Stage."

"I've been stuck at the Late Heavenly Yuan Stage for many years, but recently, I have begun to sense the opportunity to advance."

"Neither Lin Zhentian nor Luo Cheng have surpassed the Late Heavenly Yuan Stage yet."

"If I can break through to the Yuan Dan Stage, then killing them will be as easy as slaughtering chickens."

Lei Bao fell into brief silence, then continued.

"Third, from now on, send more men to lay in ambush outside."

"If you find Lin Xiao, Lin Ken, Lin Mang, Lin Dong, or Lin Yan traveling alone…"

"Don't hesitate—kill them immediately."

"At this point, our two families have completely fallen out. If we get the chance to eliminate their strongest warriors, it will be beneficial to us in the future."

"Especially Lin Yan. That boy is far too dangerous."

"If the opportunity arises, we must eliminate him before he grows any further—at any cost!"

As he spoke, Lei Bao's eyes gleamed with killing intent.