"No?" Xu Ling asked.

"Killing him would indeed provide a profound sense of satisfaction," Lin Yi acknowledged, his tone surprisingly casual, as if discussing a trivial matter, yet a deep undercurrent of cold resolve pulsed beneath his words.

"Especially after everything he subjected me to, after the calculated cruelty and the sheer disrespect he showed." The memory of those past events, though he spoke of them lightly, was evidently sharp and unyielding within him. It was a cold, hard ember that still glowed in the depths of his being.

He recalled it all with perfect clarity: the forced kneeling, a posture of utter subservience he had been made to adopt, the searing pain and indelible mark of the slave brand etched onto his very skin, a symbol of his humiliation. He remembered the long, agonizing month of being treated as nothing more than livestock, a mere tool to be exploited for experience gain, his very existence reduced to a means for another’s advancement.

And then, the ultimate insult, the attempted execution afterward, a final, cold-blooded act to discard him once he had outlived his perceived usefulness. Even now, the mere recollection of those moments stirred something dark and profound within him, a quiet, simmering rage that was carefully contained. Yet, despite the turmoil of these searing memories, his outward expression never faltered, never betrayed the slightest hint of the storm raging within. He simply continued, his logic as unyielding as iron.

"However," he added, his gaze returning to the distant, blue planet, "killing him would be utterly wasteful."

Xu Ling blinked once, a rare flicker of genuine astonishment in her ancient eyes. "Wasteful?" she questioned, her voice soft, the word itself sounding alien in the context of revenge.

Lin Yi gave a slow, deliberate nod. "Precisely. There’s an old saying, one that carries a simple, practical wisdom." He paused, allowing the weight of the proverb to hang in the air, his eyes once again fixed on the distant planet as if drawing insight from its very existence.

"When a stubborn ox can still diligently plow fields, performing valuable work, only a true fool would choose to slaughter it simply for the fleeting satisfaction of a single meal."

Then, his gaze, when it returned to Xu Ling, was piercing, imbued with a clarity of purpose that brooked no argument.

Xu Ling remained silent, absorbing his words, her own vast experience likely recalling countless instances where similar cold logic had prevailed over hotheaded vengeance.

Lin Yi’s faint smile widened then, a subtle, almost chilling transformation that revealed the depth of his calculating mind. "Cang Yutian is Level 250, a formidable cultivator by any measure. He is undoubtedly talented, ruthlessly efficient, and boasts an experience that few can match. Crucially, he is also arrogant enough to be reliably predictable in his actions, and despite his flaws, strong enough to be incredibly useful to my goals."

He tapped a finger lightly against his forearm, a small, almost unconscious gesture that drew attention to the tattoo that had brought Xu Ling forth. "Given all these attributes, why, I ask, would I choose to simply extinguish such a valuable, perfectly usable resource?" His question was rhetorical, a statement of his unwavering conviction.

Xu Ling stared at him, her silver eyes wide with a dawning comprehension, the implications of his words finally clicking into place. Then, realization bloomed in her gaze, swift and undeniable.

"The Seven Star Immortal Conversion Halo," she breathed, the name of the immortal artifact a quiet whisper in the void.

Lin Yi nodded, a decisive, confident motion. "Exactly."

That particular immortal artifact, a relic of immense power and chilling capability, still rested in his possession, a secret weapon carefully tucked away. Its core ability was, in a word, absurd in its scope and implications. It granted its wielder the power to seize another sentient being, forcibly strip away their freedom, severing all bonds of personal will, and then convert them into an Immortal Guardian, eternally loyal to the one who commanded them. It was a process that transmuted a defeated foe into an unbreakable servant, a mere slave refined into an asset, an enemy remade into an unwavering tool.

Lin Yi’s voice remained unnervingly calm, a cool current flowing beneath the surface of his words, yet each phrase carried the sharp edge of remembered pain and cold intent.

"He made me kneel before him," he recounted. "He forced me to serve his purpose, to act against my own will. He branded me, reducing me to an object beneath his very feet." His eyes narrowed, reflecting a sliver of the cold, dark stir from earlier, but still utterly controlled.

"So, I believe," he concluded, a faint, almost predatory gleam entering his gaze, "that it is only fair that I reciprocate the favor in kind." The implication hung heavy, a promise of a fate far more insidious than mere death.

Xu Ling remained utterly speechless for several long breaths, her usual composure momentarily shattered by the sheer audacity and calculated cruelty of his plan.

Then, quite unexpectedly, a soft, clear sound escaped her, a sound he had rarely, if ever, heard from her before—she laughed. It wasn’t a boisterous or loud laugh, but clear and bright, carrying with it a rare warmth and genuine amusement that surprised Lin Yi. It was the sound of an ancient spirit encountering something truly novel, something that transcended her vast experience. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

Lin Yi glanced sideways at her, a hint of curiosity in his eyes. "What?" he asked, a slight smirk playing on his lips, accustomed to her usual stoicism.

Xu Ling gracefully covered the faint, amused curve of her lips with one sleeve, though the sparkle of amusement still danced brightly in her silver eyes. "You truly are a strange one, Lin Yi," she remarked, the words laced with a profound, almost admiring irony.

Lin Yi’s smirk deepened. "Because I don’t rush headlong into blind revenge, perhaps?" he offered, a challenge in his tone.

"Because most men, after suffering such profound humiliation, instinctively seek blood, a swift, brutal retribution that aims to erase the stain of dishonor through violent means," Xu Ling explained, her gaze deepening, reflecting the countless lives and countless cycles of vengeance she had witnessed. "But you, Lin Yi, you do not seek mere blood. You seek something far more intricate, far more enduring. You seek efficiency, you seek ultimate leverage, and you seek a form of retribution that transforms your oppressor into your greatest asset."