Lingling's Awakening, Nine-Heart Begonia

Dawn had only just begun to break.

The usually tranquil and elegant estate was now permeated with tension.

Servants moved lightly through the courtyard, delivering the awakening tools prepared in advance to the Martial Soul Awakening Hall specially established within the residence.

Inside the Awakening Hall, six pitch-black Martial Soul Awakening Stones had been arranged in the shape of a hexagram, while a complex Awakening Array was engraved into the floor at its center.

Ye Shengxin stood beside the array with his hands behind his back, the white at his temples seeming to have increased by a few more strands.

As the head of the Nine-Heart Begonia clan, he had weathered countless storms throughout his life. Yet now, his fingertips trembled slightly, and his eyes were filled with conflicting emotions—anticipation for his granddaughter's martial soul awakening, and fear for his daughter's life.

Nine-Heart Begonia was the most elite support-type martial soul on the Douluo Continent, possessing healing abilities unrivaled across the entire continent. Yet behind that glory lay a cruel curse etched into its bloodline:

Only one descendant could inherit the line. In every generation, only one person could awaken the martial soul, and the instant the new generation awakened, the previous wielder's Soul Power would begin to irreversibly drain away until they withered and died.

His wife had passed away in the year his daughter, Ye Qingyu, awakened her martial soul. And now, it was his daughter's turn.

"Father, everything is ready." Ye Qingyu's voice came from the doorway, carrying a trace of weakness she could not conceal.

She had deliberately changed into a dignified green gown today. Her carefully arranged long hair concealed most of her white strands, and light powder on her face barely covered her pallor.

Holding Ye Lingling's little hand, she walked in step by step. The little girl wore a black dress, her hair combed neatly. Her large black-and-white eyes quietly swept across the room, while her little hand tightly clutched her mother's hem. She neither cried nor showed any fear, obedient enough to make one's heart ache.

Luo Can followed behind the mother and daughter, dressed in a plain long robe with his aura perfectly restrained, looking like nothing more than an ordinary accompanying guard.

He could clearly sense that Ye Qingyu's Soul Power had already weakened to the extreme. Like a flickering candle in the wind, it might be completely extinguished by the slightest breeze.

"Little Luo, thank you for all your help these past few days." Ye Shengxin nodded to Luo Can, gratitude in his voice.

He knew well that if Luo Can had not stepped in to help several times, his daughter likely would never have lasted until the day of her granddaughter's awakening.

Luo Can nodded slightly without saying much, merely moving to a corner beside the array and leaving the stage to the Ye Clan.

"The time has come." Ye Shengxin took a deep breath, suppressing the countless thoughts in his heart. He raised a hand to signal Ye Lingling to enter the center of the array. "Lingling, relax. Put your hand on the Awakening Stone. Don't think about anything."

Ye Lingling looked up at her mother. Ye Qingyu gave her a gentle nod, and only then did the little girl release her mother's hem. Step by step, she entered the hexagram array and pressed her small palm against the cold Awakening Stone.

Ye Shengxin gave a low shout and poured his Soul Power into the array. All six Awakening Stones lit up with a gentle white glow at once. The light flowed along the array's patterns before finally converging upon Ye Lingling at its center.

The little girl's body trembled lightly as she closed her eyes.

The next instant, a soft pink radiance burst from her palm, and the phantom of an exquisite begonia flower slowly emerged above her head.

Its petals layered upon one another—nine in total. Each petal shimmered with a warm luster, while a faint aura of life spread outward. Everyone present felt some of the exhaustion leave their bodies, and even their breathing became smoother.

"It's Nine-Heart Begonia! It really is Nine-Heart Begonia!"

The observing Ye Clan elders instantly grew excited, and some could not help but redden their eyes.

The Nine-Heart Begonia inheritance had not been severed. The Ye Clan could continue on!

Ye Qingyu covered her mouth as tears fell uncontrollably from her eyes. There was relief, joy, and buried in the deepest part of her heart, fear of death.

Luo Can's gaze rested on the Nine-Heart Begonia, and his eyes flickered slightly. As expected of the Douluo Continent's most elite support-type martial soul. Even its newly awakened phantom contained such pure life energy. If it grew to maturity, its future achievements would surely be immeasurable.

"Innate Soul Power test!" Ye Shengxin suppressed the excitement in his voice as he handed a completely transparent crystal ball to Ye Lingling. "Lingling, put your hand on it."

Ye Lingling obediently placed her little hand on the crystal ball.

In an instant, dazzling blue light erupted from within the crystal ball, filling the entire Awakening Hall.

"Innate Soul Power... level ten! Innate Full Soul Power!"

The elder responsible for testing cried out, his voice trembling.

The entire hall instantly erupted.

Nine-Heart Begonia was already a top-tier support-type martial soul, and coupled with Innate Full Soul Power, this meant Ye Lingling's future achievements would absolutely surpass those of every previous Ye Clan ancestor. She might even break through to the realm of a Title Douluo!

Ye Shengxin stood frozen in place. Only after a full three seconds did he burst into laughter, and as he laughed, tears streamed down his face.

But just as the entire hall was celebrating, a sudden change occurred.

Ye Qingyu, standing beside the array, suddenly swayed. Without warning, she spat out a mouthful of blood that stained the green dress before her. Her Soul Power burst from her body like floodwaters after a dam collapse, frantically scattering in every direction. Her already weak aura declined at a visible rate. Her vision went black, and she fell straight backward.

"Mother!" Ye Lingling's eyes flew open, her little face turning deathly pale as she prepared to rush over.

"Don't panic!"

Luo Can's voice rang out. It was not loud, yet it instantly suppressed the chaos in the hall.

His figure flashed, and he caught Ye Qingyu before she hit the ground. His fingertips rested on her wrist as vast Soul Power surged into her meridians, firmly locking down the Soul Power that was wildly dissipating.

Only then did the Ye Clan elders react. Watching Luo Can's movements, they all held their breath, scarcely daring to breathe.

They could clearly feel that the pressure radiating from Luo Can had already far exceeded the limits of a Soul Douluo.

This young man whom they had always regarded as the Ye Clan's medicinal herb supplier was actually a Title Douluo?!

Luo Can ignored the shocked gazes around him, focusing all his attention on Ye Qingyu.

The curse of Nine-Heart Begonia was even more tyrannical than he had imagined. The instant Lingling awakened, it had already begun devouring Ye Qingyu's life essence. While using his Soul Power to stabilize her nearly shattered meridians, he took a bottle of Fate Reversal Water from his Storage Soul Tool and carefully fed the spring water into her mouth.

The clear spring water slid down her throat, and its warm life energy instantly spread through her body. Like spring rain nourishing withered wood, it finally forced the wildly dissipating Soul Power back into her body, and her fading life aura stabilized as well.

Ye Qingyu slowly opened her eyes. Looking at Luo Can so close to her, she said weakly, "Little Luo... thank you..."

"You're too polite, Sister." Luo Can withdrew his hand. Looking at her pale but now stabilized complexion, he quietly let out a breath of relief. "I've temporarily suppressed the curse. For ten days, your Soul Power will not drain any further, and your life is no longer in danger."

As soon as he finished speaking, Ye Shengxin bowed deeply to Luo Can with a grateful expression. "Thank you, Lord Luo, for saving my daughter! I, Ye Shengxin, will never forget this kindness!"

Luo Can raised a hand to stop him. His gaze fell upon Ye Lingling, who was tightly hugging her mother's arm nearby. Looking at the Nine-Heart Begonia in her palm, his eyes became incomparably resolute.

Fate Reversal Water could only delay the curse. To cure it completely, the only hope lay in the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well deep within Sunset Forest.

He had to obtain the Immortal Herbs there within ten days.