Fox-Tail Flower (Part Two)

Lin Chen remained calm, utterly unmoved by the stall owner's exaggerated claims.

He crouched down and quieted his mind, carefully sensing the fluctuations of intent from his martial soul. He distinctly caught its overwhelming yearning and affinity.

He was already certain that this seemingly unremarkable flower was an extraordinary treasure perfectly suited to fox martial souls. Its effects had nothing to do with what the owner claimed.

"Where did this flower come from?"

Lin Chen asked in an even tone.

Seeing this, the owner thought he had found a serious buyer and hurriedly boasted:

"You've asked the right person, young man! This flower is a treasure our Mercenary Group risked our lives to get! A while ago, we ventured deep into the outer region and stumbled upon a gathering place for fox soul beasts. Every fox soul beast in the area circled this flower, guarding it like a priceless treasure!

"We went to enormous trouble to lure those soul beasts away and risked being hunted down just to pick it. Several fox soul beasts chased us the whole way out, and we barely escaped! It's an absolutely rare treasure!"

His extravagant tale was riddled with holes, nothing but wild exaggeration.

Lin Chen saw right through it and did not believe a word. Unwilling to listen to any more fabricated stories, he cut him off:

"How much?"

The owner's eyes lit up. He immediately held up all ten fingers and declared grandly:

"It's not every day I meet someone who knows his stuff. I won't cheat you. Fixed price: ten Gold Soul Coins!"

At that, Lin Chen stood up, gave the strange flower not another glance, and turned to leave. His movements were crisp and decisive, without a moment's hesitation.

"Hey, hey! Don't go, young man!"

The owner panicked at once and hurriedly stood to stop him, unsure whether to laugh or cry.

"Who shops like that? I name a price and you just leave? At least make a counteroffer!"

Lin Chen paused briefly and turned back, saying evenly:

"Ten Silver Soul Coins. I just thought it looked unusual and wanted to buy it for fun. It's not worth a high price."

The owner stamped his foot in agitation, his face full of helplessness.

"Ten Silver Soul Coins? That's far too steep a cut, young man! I risked my life to get this treasure! Five Gold Soul Coins at the very least. I can't go any lower!"

Lin Chen's expression did not change. As composed as ever, he neither raised his offer nor argued, merely made to leave again.

Seeing his firm resolve, the owner suddenly found himself uncertain.

He knew perfectly well that this unusual-looking plant would probably attract no buyers. Keeping it would only mean letting it rot in his hands.

After a moment of indecision, he gritted his teeth and gave in. "Fine, fine! You win! You really know how to haggle! One Gold Soul Coin, no less. I'm selling it at a loss! Let's call it making a friend!"

Only then did Lin Chen turn back. He took a gleaming Gold Soul Coin from his Storage Soul Tool and handed it to the owner.

He picked up the strange white flower with its foxlike face and held it casually, acting as though he had merely bought an ordinary trinket, then continued strolling through the streets.

Only after he had completely left the stall owner's sight and moved away from the noisy crowds did he stop.

Lin Chen moved swiftly. With a slight flick of his fingers, he tucked the strange flower safely into his Storage Soul Tool. Only then did he feel truly at ease.

Behind him, the stall owner smugly tossed the Gold Soul Coin he had received.

Watching Lin Chen's retreating figure, he snickered to himself:

What a sucker! Some worthless flower picked up in the mountains, and I actually sold it for a Gold Soul Coin. What a killing!

Lin Chen cared nothing about that. All his thoughts were now on the strange flower inside his soul tool.

No longer in the mood to wander, he hurried through the streets and headed straight back to the hotel where he was staying.

Once inside his room, he locked the door behind him, shutting out all outside disturbances to ensure complete silence.

After confirming that the room was secure and empty, Lin Chen took out his Storage Soul Tool, gently removed the fox-faced white flower, and laid it flat on the table.

The next instant, with a slight shift of his intent and a faint release of soul power, he summoned his Two-Tailed Fox martial soul.

The moment its translucent, lustrous white form materialized, the strange flower on the table seized its attention.

Its amber eyes suddenly brightened, and the spiritual energy around it stirred faintly. It circled the desk impatiently, letting out soft, urgent whimpers.

Affectionate and yearning, it stared fixedly at the strange flower on the table, unwilling to look away for even a moment.

Through their mental link, Lin Chen clearly sensed the overwhelming longing his martial soul conveyed and instantly understood why.

This seemingly unremarkable flower was actually an exceedingly rare Immortal Herb meant exclusively for foxes.

It could purify and nourish the original bloodline of fox martial souls, gradually tempering their bloodline foundation and helping them build toward evolution. Its benefits to Liuli were beyond imagination.

"Eat it."

Lin Chen spoke calmly, picked up the strange flower from the table, and held it before his martial soul.

Without the slightest hesitation, the Two-Tailed Fox eagerly opened its mouth and swallowed the entire flower in one gentle bite.

The instant the flower entered its stomach, a warm, vast surge of extraordinarily pure, unique energy erupted within Liuli.

Then it flowed back into Lin Chen without end, pouring through his limbs, meridians, and dantian.

The energy was exceedingly gentle, without a trace of violence or ferocity, yet rich and unceasing. Thread by thread, it nourished his meridians and tempered his soul power.

The instant the energy coursed through his body, Lin Chen entered a state of cultivation.

He did not even have time to lie down on the bed. He sat cross-legged on the cold floor right where he stood, calmed his mind, and devoted himself entirely to refining this sudden influx of pure energy.

He carefully guided the energy through full cycles, honing his soul power bit by bit, widening his meridians, and strengthening his foundation, wasting none of the pure medicinal potency.

Time slipped quietly by. As the light outside shifted, an entire afternoon passed before he knew it.

Knock, knock, knock—

A steady knocking suddenly sounded, interrupting Lin Chen's cultivation.

Mo Yuan's voice came from outside the door. "Lin Chen, come out and eat."

Hearing him, Lin Chen slowly brought his cultivation to a close and opened his eyes. A sharp gleam flashed through them, and all the restless energy around him withdrew into his body.

He rose slowly and stretched his limbs, clearly sensing the changes within himself.

Fully refining the energy had brought tremendous gains.

His already solid and substantial rank-thirty soul power had become even denser and more refined, with far greater substance. His spiritual energy was much purer than before, and all his meridians had been thoroughly widened and nourished, greatly increasing their resilience.

Beyond that, a large reserve of pure energy had steadily accumulated deep within the soul sea in his dantian. It settled there, sealed away as a powerful foundation, laying firm groundwork for future breakthroughs.

Liuli's transformation was even more astonishing.

The increased concentration of its Nine-Tailed Fox bloodline had granted Liuli a skill of its own.

Not wanting to keep Mo Yuan waiting, Lin Chen suppressed his joy, straightened his clothes, and walked over to open the door.

Outside, Mo Yuan had already finished regulating his breathing. His aura was steady and full, and he had completely recovered the soul power spent on yesterday's flight.

Seeing Lin Chen open the door, he asked no questions and simply said, "Let's go."

The two went downstairs together to the dining area in the hotel lobby and chose a clean, quiet table.

Lin Chen waved a server over, deftly ordered a few simple, filling dishes, and quietly waited for the food to arrive.