Heaven Dou City, the capital of the Heaven Dou Empire, was the first stop on Qian Renxue, Ling Yan, and Lin Feng's journey.
Aside from sightseeing, they also had a mission to complete.
"Long time no see, Wanqing."
In Ye Wanqing's stunned gaze, Ling Yan and Qian Renxue walked into the Nine-Heart Begonia family's estate, each holding one of Lin Feng's hands.
"You... you... her, and him..."
Ling Yan stepped forward and pinched Ye Wanqing's cheeks:
"It's pretty much what you're thinking."
Ye Wanqing's eyes widened, and she pushed Ling Yan's hand away, scolding:
"How can this be? You were the one who came first."
Qian Renxue smirked and winked at Ling Yan.
"Actually, I'm the one who came later."
What the...
Ye Wanqing covered her mouth, unable to speak.
She clicked her tongue and shook her head:
"Fine, as long as you're happy. You're really something."
Ling Yan linked arms with Ye Wanqing and smiled:
"Where's your sister? We're here to see her."
"She's in the backyard with Lingling. Is something important going on?"
Lin Feng nodded:
"We're here to fulfill the promise we made last time."
Ye Wanqing's eyes lit up with realization:
"Does that mean your research has made progress?
I've been practicing the paths you shared. Is this something beyond that?"
"Something like that."
"Then come in quickly."
As they entered the backyard, Ye Wanqing's mother and Ye Lingling were sitting at a stone table, chatting softly. Ye Lingling nodded occasionally, looking adorably clueless.
When they saw Lin Feng, Ling Yan, Qian Renxue, and Ye Wanqing approaching, Ye Wanqing's mother was momentarily surprised but quickly composed herself.
"Xiao Feng, Xiao Yan, and this is...?"
Qian Renxue held up her hand, intertwined with Lin Feng's:
"Just call me Xiao Xue. As for our relationship, I think it's pretty obvious."
Ye Wanqing's mother was taken aback. She glanced at Ling Yan, who was standing slightly behind and chatting with Ye Wanqing, and nodded slightly.
She found it strange. Ling Yan, whom she had helped strategize, had somehow let the "main wife" position slip away. The plan had been to secure her position firmly.
But as she observed Lin Feng and Qian Renxue, who were close in age, she began to understand.
The group sat down, and Ling Yan walked over to Ye Lingling, giving her a gentle hug.
"Lingling, it's been so long. Do you still remember me?"
Ye Lingling nodded: "Of course, you're Sister Ling Yan. And that brother, I've met him before too."
Ye Wanqing's mother chuckled:
"Lingling, you've only met Xiao Feng once, and it was so long ago. How can you still remember him?"
Ye Lingling nodded seriously:
"Of course I remember. That brother gave me a flower to eat.
It was really delicious, but after that day, I tried to find similar flowers, but none of them tasted the same."
Ye Wanqing's mother was shocked:
"Lingling, when did you sneak off to eat flowers? What if you got sick? The flower Xiao Feng gave you was special. Don't do that again!"
"Oh—"
Ye Wanqing's mother shook her head helplessly and turned to Qian Renxue and the others, who were trying not to laugh:
"Sorry about that. What brings you here today?"
Lin Feng took out the Innate Treasure Pearl:
"We're here to fulfill the promise we made a year ago."
Ye Wanqing's mother's eyes widened. The Spirit Hall had already made two of the paths public, and in her opinion, one person's energy was limited.
To create such techniques while also focusing on his own research was impressive. The fact that Lin Feng had kept the Nine-Heart Begonia family in mind and worked on a solution for them showed how important they were to him.
Given Lin Feng's current status in the Spirit Hall, this also implied that the Nine-Heart Begonia family held significant weight within the Spirit Hall.
With their family already secretly aligned with the Spirit Hall, this hinted at strong future support from the Spirit Hall, paving a smooth path ahead.
Thinking this, Ye Wanqing's mother's thoughts spiraled, and she looked at Lin Feng with even more warmth.
Her earlier pity for Ling Yan faded significantly.
She smiled warmly:
"What do I need to do?"
"Last time, you experienced my soul skill. My martial soul's ability to repair meridians is evident.
Beyond that, it can also nourish the meridians and adjust the flow of soul power in your body.
Before we begin, I'll need to place the Innate Treasure Pearl inside you for a day to nourish your body."
"When we start, your first soul ring will be absorbed into your body and shaped into a soul vein."
Ye Wanqing's mother took a deep breath, suppressing her shock:
"If I'm not mistaken, the soul vein is the core of your research. The paths you shared were just byproducts.
To absorb a soul ring into the body and turn it into a meridian... How did you even come up with this? It's incredible."
Lin Feng smiled:
"Actually, it's all thanks to my martial soul. Without it, even if I had the idea, I wouldn't be able to make it happen."
Ye Wanqing's mother nodded:
"There are countless types of martial souls in the world, and some have extraordinary abilities.
Take our Nine-Heart Begonia, for example. It's unparalleled in healing.
Your martial soul is the same. You've used it in the right way."
"Shall we begin?"
Ye Wanqing's mother nodded.
Lin Feng gently pushed the Innate Treasure Pearl toward her. As it entered her body, a warm glow spread, beginning to nourish her meridians and body.
Ye Wanqing and Ye Lingling watched curiously, while Qian Renxue and Ling Yan stood guard, ensuring the process went smoothly.
"Brother Xiao Feng, will this take long?" Ye Lingling asked softly.
Lin Feng smiled gently: "It'll take about a day. We'll stay here to watch over things. Don't worry."
Ye Wanqing nodded: "That's good. We can catch up on what's happened over the years."
Qian Renxue chimed in: "We can use this time to get to know each other better."
The group sat together, sharing stories and experiences. The atmosphere grew relaxed and friendly. From combat techniques to cultivation insights, and even funny anecdotes from daily life, the conversation flowed effortlessly.
A day passed in the blink of an eye, and the Innate Treasure Pearl inside Ye Wanqing's mother began to glow brightly.
Lin Feng focused, guiding the flow of her soul power through specific pathways, gradually absorbing her first soul ring into her body and shaping it into a soul vein.
The process was complex, but under Lin Feng's guidance, it proceeded smoothly.
Ye Wanqing's mother summoned her Nine-Heart Begonia. The yellow soul ring at the bottom was gone, and she could feel the changes within her body. She looked at Lin Feng with gratitude:
"Xiao Feng, my first soul vein has made my soul power flow more smoothly. It's a strange but wonderful feeling. I feel like I'm starting to understand the essence of the Nine-Heart Begonia."
As she pondered further, her amazement grew. The soul vein's enhancement of her soul power flow and its nourishing effect on her body far surpassed the benefits of the paths Lin Feng had shared.
The symbiotic relationship between the soul vein and her body, growing and improving together, felt like a way to increase the years of the soul vein itself.
Lin Feng noticed the shifting expressions on Ye Wanqing's mother's face and asked the question he was most curious about:
"The paths I shared can increase cultivation speed by 5%. How much of a boost do you feel from the soul vein?"
Ye Wanqing's mother thought for a moment: "About... 10%?"
Lin Feng, Qian Renxue, and Ling Yan exchanged glances and nodded slightly.
It seemed the issue indeed lay with Lin Feng's martial soul. The Innate Treasure Pearl still held secrets waiting to be uncovered.
Ye Lingling tugged at Lin Feng's sleeve:
"Brother Xiao Feng, do you have any more of those flowers?"
Lin Feng's mouth twitched. He remembered how reluctant she had been to eat the flower back then. Had she been searching through the garden ever since, trying to find that taste again?
He patted her head gently:
"Lingling, that flower is one of a kind. Once it's eaten, it's gone. Other flowers don't taste good, so don't eat them anymore, okay?"
"...Okay—"
Ye Lingling turned to Ye Wanqing: "Then can Brother Xiao Feng help me get my candy back?"
Ling Yan gave Ye Wanqing a look:
"Are you stealing candy from Lingling again?"
Ye Wanqing blushed and stammered:
"I just thought her reaction was funny. I always give it back later..."
She pulled out a handful of colorful candies from her storage device and handed them to Ye Lingling.
"See? I gave it back."
No one believed she would have returned them without being reminded. Was this really a day's worth of candy?
"Since everything's settled, we'll take our leave now. When I'm ready to shape the next soul vein, I'll return."
Ye Wanqing's mother nodded deeply:
"Don't worry. I won't reveal a word about the soul vein."
The soul vein's influence on her was already profound. Ye Wanqing's mother understood the implications and even considered withdrawing from public life.
Moreover, since soul veins could only be shaped with Lin Feng's Innate Treasure Pearl, her family was now firmly tied to the Spirit Hall.
It was likely that their allegiance to the Spirit Hall would soon be made public, though the Spirit Hall might prefer they remain hidden for a while.
With Ye Lingling's awakening approaching, her disappearance from the public eye wouldn't raise suspicions. In fact, it would be seen as normal.