Nine Hearted Begonia, Ye Qingxian

Dugu Bo had been gone for a short while and would not be returning anytime soon.

Lin Xiao temporarily stayed at Dugu Estate.

The days that followed passed by.

Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling continued attending school as usual, while Lin Xiao stayed alone at Dugu Estate to cultivate. Once Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling returned from school, the three of them would spend some time together.

Evening.

A sudden rainstorm had fallen in the early morning, leaving the courtyard drenched.

Lin Xiao practiced his punches beneath the corridor.

His steps were steady, and his movements alternated between speed and slowness in an orderly fashion. Every motion carried an indescribable charm. At times, he resembled a monkey climbing a tree; at times, a white crane spreading its wings; at times, a tiger roaring in the forest; and at times, a deer drinking from a stream...

Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling had already returned.

But neither of them made a sound.

Instead, they stood in the distance and quietly watched Lin Xiao practice his punches.

Perhaps it was because Lin Xiao was handsome, or perhaps because his movements were precise and he had grasped the essence of the boxing style. In any case, to outsiders, his imitation of the Five Animal Frolics was not only far from ugly but also possessed an indescribable air and charm.

"Yanyan, what kind of boxing style is Lin Xiao practicing?"

"I don't know. It looks pretty impressive."

"By the way, when is Poison Douluo coming back?"

"I don't know either. But every time Grandpa goes out, he's gone for several months. I've asked him what he does, but he's never told me in detail."

Dugu Yan felt vaguely worried.

Every time Dugu Bo left, he put on a relaxed expression, but Dugu Yan had still noticed that her grandfather would sometimes furrow his brows tightly, as though he were enduring pain.

Fortunately, this was not the first or second time Dugu Bo had been like this.

He always returned safely.

Ye Lingling was somewhat curious.

"Lin Xiao said that his Martial Soul had a defect, but he never said what the defect was. What if he suddenly died one day? Should we take him to my house and have a look?"

"My mother might have a way."

Ye Lingling's mother, Ye Qingxian, was the previous inheritor of the Nine Hearted Begonia Martial Soul. She was a Soul Emperor-level powerhouse, possessing not only powerful soul skills capable of bringing the dead back to life and restoring flesh to bones, but also great expertise in medicine.

Although a Martial Soul defect involved Congenital Deficiency and could not be solved through medicine, suppressing the negative effects caused by the defect would still be possible.

Dugu Yan nodded upon hearing this.

"That sounds good, Ling Ling."

"When should we go take a look?"

Ye Lingling thought for a moment, then said with a smile:

"Why wait for another day when we can do it today? Let's go tonight."

"There are plenty of rooms at my house. Yanyan, you should come too and let my mother check your body as well."

Previously, Ye Lingling had not known that Dugu Yan's Martial Soul had a defect. Even Dugu Yan herself had not known, so Ye Lingling had never asked Ye Qingxian to examine her.

But now that they knew, it was still good to go and take a look, whether it proved useful or not.

At that moment, Lin Xiao had just finished practicing his punches.

He felt all the Meridians throughout his body burning hot. A Warm Current seemed to be continuously strengthening his physique. The effect was slight, but its greatest advantage was that it never stopped.

Compared to the period right after he had awakened his Martial Soul,

Lin Xiao's physique had already grown much stronger.

Lin Xiao clenched his fist and thought to himself:

I can't stop practicing my punches. I have to strengthen my physique. Only then can I suppress the even fiercer onslaught when the Evil Fire returns.

After calculating the time, Lin Xiao figured that Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling had probably already finished school.

He turned his head and happened to see the two girls waiting there.

"Yanyan, Sister Ling Ling."

Lin Xiao walked over and greeted them.

Ye Lingling said:

"Lin Xiao, come to my house today. I'll have my mother examine you and Yanyan. It would be best if there's a way to solve the problem, but don't get your hopes up too high."

Lin Xiao nodded.

The Nine Hearted Begonia Martial Soul had been hailed as the "Continent's Number One Healing Martial Soul." It had even incurred Heaven's Jealousy, with no more than two holders of the Nine Hearted Begonia Martial Soul able to exist at the same time. Naturally, it possessed a Heaven-Defying Aspect.

"All right. I'll come over after I take a bath."

Practicing punches was a physically demanding task.

After Lin Xiao went through several sets of the Five Animal Frolics and Eight Section Brocade, he was covered in sweat, and his clothes were soaked through.

After bathing, Lin Xiao followed Ye Lingling to the Ye Family.

The Ye Family was situated in an extremely prosperous area of Heaven Dou City.

It was even close to the Imperial Palace.

But considering the terrifying nature of the Nine Hearted Begonia, that was not surprising.

Lin Xiao entered the Ye Family residence.

There, he met Ye Lingling's mother, Ye Qingxian.

She wore a Palace Dress and a White Veil Masked over her face, giving her an otherworldly air. Although her features could not be seen, it somehow felt as though she must be a Great Beauty.

"Mom, these are my two friends."

"This is Lin Xiao, and this is Yanyan. Their Martial Souls both have defects, and they seem rather serious. Please examine them."

Ye Qingxian looked over.

She had known Dugu Yan for a long time, so her gaze lingered on Lin Xiao a little longer before she nodded.

"Come in with me."

The voices of the Mother and Daughter were virtually identical. Ye Lingling was exactly what Ye Lingling would become after growing up, except that her voice was colder and more mature.

They entered a Simple Room.

Everyone sat down separately.

Ye Qingxian asked:

"Tell me first. What defects do each of your Martial Souls have?"

Lin Xiao and Dugu Yan told Ye Qingxian everything honestly.

Ye Qingxian's expression remained unchanged, but she sighed inwardly.

Although the Nine Hearted Begonia Martial Soul was the strongest Healing System Martial Soul, it was helpless against Martial Soul defects as well. Otherwise, the Dugu Family would have come knocking long ago.

At this point, she could only give it a try.

"Nine Hearted Begonia, appear."

Lin Xiao caught a faint fragrance. Immediately afterward, he saw a Pink Begonia Flower appear between Ye Qingxian's hands. Its petals consisted of Pink and White, its color was gorgeous, and its posture was beautiful.

As Ye Qingxian infused it with Soul Power, two beams of White Light shone onto Lin Xiao and Dugu Yan respectively. The moment the light fell upon them, it transformed into Pink and White Flowers and entered their bodies.

Lin Xiao felt warmth spread throughout his body.

It was as comfortable as practicing the Five Animal Frolics. A Warm Current flowed through his entire body, seemingly searching for every injured area and Healing it.

Suddenly, Lin Xiao's pupils contracted.

The Meridians in his body that had been injured during the last Evil Fire Outbreak had mostly recovered through the effects of the Five Animal Frolics, but some minute areas were still awaiting Rest and Recuperation.

Yet under the healing effects of the Nine Hearted Begonia, they rapidly recovered.

Lin Xiao's head exploded with a roar!

His mind suddenly opened!

He seemed to know what he had to do next!

He had his own method of cultivation!

The light of the Nine Hearted Begonia gradually faded.

Ye Qingxian sighed in disappointment, though she felt it was within expectations. In a soft voice, she said:

"I have no way to resolve either of your Martial Soul defects."

"A Martial Soul defect is an innate defect, not an injury. Unless you stop cultivating—or even refrain from awakening your Martial Soul—the problem will eventually erupt."

Dugu Yan pressed her lips together in disappointment.

"It's all right, Aunt Ye. You've already done your best."