Gales howled past their ears as two figures streaked across the sky like meteors.
After successfully resolving Lu Xuan's Soul Ring problem, Qian Daoliu did not linger in the Star Dou Great Forest, flying straight back to Spirit City with him.
When the Worship Hall's brilliant golden roof, symbolizing the full might of Spirit Hall, came into view once more, Lu Xuan finally let out a long breath after three days of tension.
The two landed steadily on the raised platform before the Worship Hall.
Qian Daoliu stood with his hands behind his back, a barely perceptible hint of approval and expectation in his golden eyes.
He instructed in a deep voice, "Now, you need some time to consolidate your gains. Take tomorrow to rest properly, cultivate on your own, or do something you enjoy. The day after tomorrow, I will personally begin teaching you swordsmanship!"
"Yes, Teacher!" Lu Xuan nodded.
Qian Daoliu gave a slight nod, then vanished from the spot in a flash of golden light.
Dragging his somewhat heavy footsteps, Lu Xuan returned to his luxurious bedroom right beside Qian Renxue's.
He quickly washed away the grime and exhaustion clinging to him.
Then, as though his bones had vanished, he flung himself flat onto the enormous, soft velvet bed and sank into the mattress.
"Phew... finally alive again!" Lu Xuan rolled over and gazed at the ceiling.
"Now, let me take a look at how to make those Soul Tools!"
He closed his eyes and sank his consciousness deep into his mind.
An aqua-blue bubble floated there.
Lu Xuan touched it gently.
Boom!
The vast repository of knowledge that had been sealed away instantly flooded into his memory like a torrent.
Blueprints for all kinds of Soul Tools, Core Array engraving methods, metal selection... and much more.
They unfolded before his eyes, one after another, like a brilliant river of stars.
"This... this is far too comprehensive!" Lu Xuan murmured in astonishment.
He was practically a walking scripture pavilion of Soul Tool knowledge now.
He held the collective wisdom of countless astonishingly talented Soul Engineers from later generations.
Now, he possessed knowledge beyond this timeline.
As long as his Soul Power cultivation kept pace, he could even become a rank 10 Soul Engineer without encountering a single bottleneck!
"This feels amazing!" Lu Xuan opened his eyes and abruptly sat up, clenching his little fists in excitement and throwing several exhilarated punches forward.
No wonder the cultivators in those cultivation novels from his previous life had risked their lives burrowing into ancient ruins and secret realms to seek the legacies of their predecessors.
The thrill of standing directly on the shoulders of giants and "getting there in one step," without having to painstakingly feel his own way forward, was simply intoxicating.
"Knock, knock, knock-"
Just as Lu Xuan was immersed in his joy, a series of gentle knocks interrupted his thoughts.
"Young Master Lu, have you gone to bed? Second Worship sent me to bring your meal!" A gentle female voice came from outside the door.
"Second Worship?" Lu Xuan froze briefly, then understood.
He suddenly remembered that Qian Daoliu seemed to have entrusted Golden Crocodile with strengthening his body.
Presumably, dietary nourishment was part of that.
"Come in!" Lu Xuan called toward the door.
The door opened.
A young woman dressed in a Spirit Hall maid's uniform stood there holding an enormous silver tray and respectfully curtsied.
Then she walked lightly into the room and arranged the dishes one by one on the spacious dining table.
When the covers were lifted, a Soul Beast meat-and-bone soup releasing a rich, unusual fragrance sat on the left.
On the right, however, sat a dark earthenware bowl containing a strange, sticky paste that gave off a pungent, fishy odor and looked like sludge.
Lu Xuan: ...
The anticipation on his face instantly froze. Pointing at the bowl of unidentified substance, he asked with a slight twitch of his lips, "Do I have to eat this stuff?"
Suppressing her amusement, the maid nodded earnestly and said:
"Yes, Young Master Lu. Second Worship specifically instructed that you must finish all of it. After your meal, there is also a medicinal bath prepared especially for you."
Lu Xuan sighed. To get stronger, I'll go all out!
Pinching his nose, Lu Xuan scooped up a spoonful of the strange, sticky paste, closed his eyes, and shoved it into his mouth.
Immediately afterward, he picked up a dish of Soul Beast meat-and-bone soup and drank it down together with the paste.
"Mmm, it tastes strange, but together, they seem bearable."
And so Lu Xuan ate everything by combining them that way.
Soon, a scorching current abruptly burst in his stomach. The heat swiftly coursed through his limbs and bones, leaving his entire body warm and indescribably comfortable.
Seeing this, the maid smiled, gathered the dishes and cutlery, and withdrew.
Before long, the door opened again. This time, no fewer than four maids entered.
Their duties were clearly divided, and their movements were deft.
Two maids worked together to carry an enormous bathtub resembling a wooden crate, three feet square.
One maid brought piping-hot water and poured it inside.
Another carefully opened a jade box and dropped the medicinal herbs within into the water.
Soon, the previously clear hot water instantly turned a viscous dark red, and a medicinal fragrance so thick it seemed impossible to disperse filled the entire room.
"Young Master Lu, your medicinal bath is ready."
The maid responsible for preparing it turned around. As she looked at Lu Xuan, whose finely sculpted features were as exquisite as a porcelain doll's, her eyes sparkled, and her voice carried an affection she could not quite conceal.
"Please take off your clothes and prepare to bathe."
Although Lu Xuan's body was only six years old, his soul was that of an eighteen-year-old virgin.
With four young, beautiful maids staring straight at him and asking him to undress, his fair little face instantly flushed crimson.
"Um..." Lu Xuan scratched his head awkwardly and took a step back. "Could you go outside first? I can bathe on my own."
"I'm sorry, Young Master Lu." The lead maid bowed slightly, her voice gentle but brooking no refusal.
"The Great Enshrined instructed that we must attend to you personally. If anything were to happen to you, we would face severe punishment."
Lu Xuan sighed helplessly. He knew that in a place with such a rigid hierarchy, without strength, everything one did was wrong.
"Fine, fine."
Lu Xuan could only turn around and strip off his clothes as quickly as possible, then, like a slippery loach-
Splash!
He plunged into the scalding tub, sinking his body deep into the dark-red medicinal bath until only his round little head remained above the surface, his gaze wandering as he dared not look around.
Seeing his adorable, bashful appearance, the maids covered their mouths and chuckled.
They stepped forward and extended their fair hands, channeling gentle Soul Power through the medicinal water into Lu Xuan's body, helping guide the immense medicinal potency into his bones and muscles.
Under the combined effects of the medicine and massage, Lu Xuan felt every pore in his body relax and open.
The exhaustion and mental strain of the past several days were swept clean away, replaced by a lightness as though he had shed his old body and been reborn.
An hour later, the medicinal bath ended. With the smiling maids' meticulous support, Lu Xuan rose from the tub.
They dried the water from his body with soft towels and dressed him in a loose, comfortable silk nightrobe.
"Young Master Lu, please get some rest early."
The maids gathered their things and bowed to him, then quietly withdrew from the room, thoughtfully closing the door behind them.
Before you continue