A Flaw, or the Necessary Path to Nirvana?

The rear courtyard of the Ye Residence.

Steam billowed outward.

In the center of the courtyard stood a huge "iron pot," forged entirely from refined iron. When Ye Qingxian had gone to the Blacksmith Shop to have it custom-made, she had even been suspected of planning to eat people.

Eating people was going too far.

But boiling people was real.

Lin Xiao looked at the giant Bath Barrel forged from refined iron before him. It was like an Iron Cauldron, and he felt that the ancient Blue Star torture of "cooking people" might truly be carried out on him.

The northeast had a famous dish called "iron-pot stewed goose." In the future, Douluo would also have a famous dish. They might as well call it "Iron Cauldron Stewed Lin Xiao."

"What are you standing there for? Take off your clothes."

Ye Qingxian brought over the improved Medicinal Cuisine and set it on the Cutting Board to the side. Then she used an Iron Shovel to dump all the Medicinal Bath herbs into the Iron Cauldron, while also urging Lin Xiao on.

Honestly, why was this brat so shy?

He was taking forever just to take off his clothes. She almost wanted to do it herself.

What a hassle!

Lin Xiao helplessly removed his shirt. Wearing only a pair of loose shorts, he walked toward the Iron Cauldron.

Ye Lingling and Dugu Yan's faces were pale.

The two stood at the side, listless as eggplants beaten by frost, watching the scene before them with some fear and hesitation.

"Mom, is Lin Xiao really going in there to bathe?"

"The water's already boiling. Are you sure he won't die?"

In the midst of her busyness, Ye Qingxian spared a glance at Ye Lingling and sneered.

"Weren't you constantly thinking about Evil Fire Body Tempering?"

"If you like it, would your mother mistreat you? Name a time, and I'll arrange it for you immediately!"

Ye Lingling shuddered and muttered.

"Mom, I think I'll pass."

"Actually, I think the Extreme Training Method is already pretty good."

From now on, Ye Lingling would never complain about being tired again.

So what if she was a little tired?

Being tired was good!

Dugu Yan pointed at the red-hot bottom of the Iron Cauldron, her voice trembling.

"A-Aunt Ye, Lin Xiao won't be scalded to death, will he?"

"It's fine. Lin Xiao's evil fire is scarier than this."

Ye Qingxian was somewhat impatient.

These two little girls really hadn't seen the world. This was enough to make them fuss?

When Lin Xiao truly began Evil Fire Body Tempering later, and the two of them saw that utterly inhuman scene, she just hoped they wouldn't be frightened into wetting themselves.

Ye Qingxian truly did not want Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling watching.

They were troublesome and got in the way, and they kept making a fuss over everything.

But she was afraid Ye Lingling and Dugu Yan would court death and try it themselves another day. Wouldn't that be an unjust way to die?

If Yama asked, should they say they had burned to death, or died from pain?

Ye Qingxian felt they would have died from stupidity!

Besides, it was also to tell the two little girls that everything in the world had its give and take. If one wanted to receive rich returns, one inevitably had to bear severe risks or pay a painful price.

The result of becoming stronger was very tempting, but had you made full preparations?

At this moment.

Amid Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling's cries of alarm, Lin Xiao had already jumped in. After drinking the Medicinal Cuisine, he silently recited the Heart Cleansing Mantra inside the Iron Cauldron and began practicing the Five Animal Frolics.

As usual, the Medicinal Bath contained herbs that stimulated desire. Before long, Lin Xiao felt his whole body grow unbearably hot. The evil fire inside him surged out from the depths of his Meridians, and his Five Viscera and Six Bowels seemed to be burned by fierce flames. Agonizing pain swept through his entire body like floodwaters bursting through a dam!

This inhuman agony was actually far worse than last time!

"Towel! Bite down!"

Ye Qingxian threw the towel to Lin Xiao. Having learned from the last time, when the towel had been bitten to shreds, this towel was not only a thickened version, but had also been made from Century Ice Silkworm Silk. It was tougher, and it did not fear fire.

At the same time, she immediately summoned the Nine Hearted Begonia. A string of soul skills stacked onto Lin Xiao, continuously repairing his body even as it kept breaking down.

Lin Xiao's body was crimson red. Blue veins bulged on his forehead, and his face twisted ferociously, losing its original handsomeness. It seemed as if every muscle in his body was exerting force, swelling into large knots, while searing pain raged through him from head to toe.

Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling were bloodless.

Their legs trembled, and their entire bodies went weak.

"Yan Yan."

Ye Lingling cried out softly, then actually went limp and collapsed toward Dugu Yan.

Dugu Yan fumbled in panic.

She felt as if she had no strength anywhere in her body. After struggling for a long while, she barely managed to support Ye Lingling.

Ye Qingxian glanced over and sneered.

"You can't bear even this? You're not the ones suffering Evil Fire Burning Body!"

"Lingling, if you go limp just from watching, then if it were you, wouldn't Lin Xiao end up being killed by you?"

"Mom..."

Ye Lingling let out a grief-stricken cry, tears pattering down.

She really had been frightened by this scene.

At the same time, Ye Qingxian's words had struck her right in the heart.

Ye Qingxian was right. Earlier, Lin Xiao had come to her because he trusted her, but if she was as timid as she was today, wouldn't she be harming Lin Xiao instead?

Shame welled up in her heart.

Her little pearl-like tears fell nonstop.

Dugu Yan only thought Ye Lingling had been scared, and gently patted her back, comforting her.

"Lingling, don't be afraid. Lin Xiao will be fine."

"He made it through last time too, didn't he? Look how calm Aunt Ye is."

Ye Lingling wiped away her tears.

"Yan Yan, you don't need to support me. I'm fine."

Using both her hands and feet, exerting herself in a flustered mess, she finally managed to stand.

Then, somewhat unsteadily, she walked toward the side of the Iron Cauldron.

Ye Lingling silently summoned her Nine Hearted Begonia Martial Soul, throwing soul skills onto Lin Xiao as if they cost nothing, making Ye Qingxian at the side curl her lip.

With her, a Nine Hearted Begonia Soul Emperor, present, what use was Ye Lingling, a mere Soul Grandmaster?

Whether she was there or not made no difference!

Yet tenderness welled up in Ye Qingxian's heart.

Even a mature, steady woman like her, like an eagle, had only grown through countless pains. Ye Lingling was still a little girl. If she could grow through this incident, that would be the best improvement.

Ye Qingxian did not put too much attention on Ye Lingling.

She focused completely, staring at Lin Xiao's condition.

Her red lips parted slightly, and she murmured.

"To be honest, sometimes a sudden thought occurs to me. Is this evil fire of yours truly a flaw?"

"In legend, even after a phoenix has become a phoenix, it will still undergo Nirvana and be reborn again and again."

"And after every Nirvana, the phoenix will become stronger and nobler than before. In countless cycles of Nirvana, there is never an end, and never an ultimate limit."

"Precisely because there is no ultimate limit, it can grow stronger an infinite number of times, and become an even more powerful self."

So, was this evil fire truly a flaw in his Martial Soul, or was it an inevitable path of Phoenix Nirvana?

The phoenix soared above a thousand fathoms, and would perch on nothing but a Wutong Tree.

The noble and pure phoenix would not sully itself. It would perch on nothing but a Wutong Tree, eat nothing but bamboo fruit, and drink nothing but Sweet Spring. It was not something ordinary birds could understand.

When faced with a choice, only a phoenix would choose to torment itself, seeking new life through Nirvana, rather than willingly dwell in a filthy place. Perhaps that was why a phoenix was a phoenix?

"Ah!"

Ye Lingling cried out in alarm.

Ye Qingxian's thoughts were suddenly interrupted.

She saw flames surging up from Lin Xiao's body, and those flames were not that bewitching red, but incomparably dark and sunken, gradually shifting toward a mysterious jet black.

Faintly, it seemed as if the sound of Phoenix Cry could be heard.