The golden sun rose gently over the eastern peaks, painting the rooftops of Taiyin Sect in amber light.
Lin Yuan woke with a groan. His body ached, and his head spun. Fire still burned inside his veins—a side effect of absorbing the Dominic flame and undergoing soul poisoning.
He instinctively reached into his storage bag and devoured **forty soul fruits** in one sitting.
From the hidden pocket dimension, **Lady Mingyan** whispered in his mind:
> "When you recover, your soul will be even stronger than Xiao Hu's."
Still dazed, Lin Yuan stumbled to **Sect Leader Yuexian's house**, curling up silently in bed. The familiar scent calmed him. He let sleep take him again.
While Lin Yuan rested, **Xiao Hu** and **Qingxue** went to the market and returned with **milk, seeds, and fresh meat**.
Xiao Hu, ever enthusiastic, lit a fire and started cooking. Oil sizzled, meat dropped in—and then came **salt, chili, and garlic**.
**BOOM!**
A **cloud of smoke** burst from the kitchen like an explosion.
Startled, Lin Yuan and Sect Leader Yuexian rushed in, only to find Xiao Hu standing proudly in a cloud of aromatic disaster.
> "Everything is fine! Nothing's burnt! Go back to bed!" he declared, blackened from head to toe.
Lin Yuan sighed. "Don't cook with spiritual herbs without checking their reaction…"
Back in bed, he munched more soul fruit .
Later, Xiao Hu proudly served the meal. Burnt edges had been cut off and replaced with tomato sauce.
Surprisingly, the meat was **crispy and spicy**.
> "If it's too hot, drink milk," he added confidently.
And it was—**delicious.**
Meanwhile, **Qingxue** had been quietly baking. She pulled out a soft, frosted **cream cake**.
> "This is a proper dessert," she said, arching a brow.
Xiao Hu opened his mouth to insult it—
> "DIS—"
—only to pause mid-sentence and chew.
> "...Fine. It's good."
The group went to the city clinic for Yuexian's check-up. They stood in line like ordinary folks.
While waiting, Lin Yuan and Xiao Hu went to buy milkshakes.Nearby, a noblewoman was ranting:
> "Children are so loud. Messy. Always crying...!Which child of your is sick?
Yuexian, graceful and calm, replied,
> "I'm the one who's sick. My children brought me here."
The woman blinked. "You have such... capable children?"
Lin Yuan returned with shakes—two for Xiao Hu, one each for Qingxue, Yuexian, and himself.
He gave his to a nearby child. Yuexian gave hers to the noblewoman. Xiao Hu gave one of his to Yuexian too.
Qingxue started massaging Yuexian's head. The noblewoman watched in awe.
> "Your children are nice "
Xiao Hu showed his teeth playfully to the noblewoman's child. The kid burst into tears.
Embarrassed, Yuexian apologized and offered a necklace high-grade spirit stone carved with floral runes.
> "Take this... but please don't show it around.If you need help you can go to tai yin sect to ask for help."
The noblewoman refused at first, but Yuexian insisted.
Inside the Doctor's Chamber ,The doctor **bowed** the moment he saw Yuexian.
> "Sect Leader..."
> "Treat me like a normal patient," she said.
He hesitated. "If I touch your wrist, I might get hunted by your admirers…"
Yuexian explained calmly. "Spiritual backlash from a killing formation."
> "Then I recommend spiritual fruits… I can't do more than that," he admitted.
Sect leader ask the doctor to chake Lin yuan.
Lin Yuan stepped forward.
> "You… have soul poison?"
> "Rare and dangerous," the doctor confirmed. "Eat as many soul fruits as you can."
Lin Yuan then spent massive amounts of spirit stones —Lady Mingyan had gifted him plenty. He had run out of ordinary spirit stones, so he used low, mid, and even high-grade ones.
They bought out the entire market:
* 1320 soul fruits
* 20,000 strawberries
* 20,000 blackberries
* 20,000 peaches
* Exotic fruits from multiple stalls
So many fruits that carriages couldn't carry them . They switched to a flying boat.
Back home, Sect leader used ice-element formations to keep the fruits cool and fresh.
Yuexian smiled.
> "Can I use your fruits in the upcoming beauty competition ?"
> "Sure. Wait... beauty competition?"
> "Yes. All female disciples in the Body Refining Realm participate.It's not that popular.Some nobles and wandering cultivators join to watch the competition.This year, a princess will compete.So many people from other sect will join"
> "A princess?" Lin Yuan asked. "From which kingdom?"
Yuexian smirked. "Why? Are you interested in princesses now?"
> "Back in my village… everyone said princesses are very beautiful."
She chuckled. "You'll find out soon. I've prepared a surprise for you."
Yuexian went to the Array Hall and returned with a glowing disk.
She activated a miniature Moonlight Formation with a moon stone in a quiet room.
> "Here. You can cultivate safely. It's not as strong as the main one, but enough for you."
Lin Yuan stepped into the glowing chamber, sat cross-legged, and closed his eyes.
The cool lunar energy settled over his skin like snowfall.
> "Let's grow stronger…