The next morning, Li Xuan squinted as the sunlight stabbed mercilessly into his eyes.
"Ow—ow ow ow—dammit, it hurts!" he groaned dramatically, lying flat on the ground like a broken marionette. At that moment, even twitching a finger felt like a punishment.
He lay there for a while, grimacing as the waves of pain gradually eased up.
"Phew... still alive. No wonder that 'Thirty Years East River, Thirty Years West River' guy ended up so powerful. Absorbing that flame nearly burned me inside out—hurts like hell, but I guess that's the price of strength." Leaning against the wall and panting, Li Xuan muttered to himself, his body aching in protest.
He carefully circulated his soul power, channeling it into his damaged muscles to help with recovery. The pain faded much faster once the soul power began soothing his battered body.
Only after he was no longer gritting his teeth in agony did he try to stand—only to make a shocking discovery.
He was completely naked. Stark. Absolutely. Naked.
"Wait, wait, wait... where the hell are my clothes?! I only had one set!" Li Xuan stared at his exposed body in horror, stammering incoherently.
Every flower servant only got one set of clothes upon entering the Flower Sea. That one set was supposed to last for years. YEARS. And now, with just one breakthrough, he'd somehow managed to incinerate it.
If he didn't find something to wear soon, he'd be delivering flower seedlings in the buff.
But then, his panic shifted—because he happened to really look at himself.
Not in a weird way, mind you. But… damn.
His skin was glowing. No, seriously—it was practically radiant, like it had been airbrushed by the heavens. Smooth, flawless, and translucent like the petals of a sacred flower. Honestly? It looked better than a porcelain doll's, or even a pampered noble girl's.
"The effect of the Heartfire?" Li Xuan blinked, puzzled but not exactly displeased. While he didn't care about having model-tier skin, he could feel something else—his skin was stronger. More durable. Reinforced from the inside out.
Curious, he closed his eyes and examined his internal state. Muscles, meridians, bones, even his organs—everything had been enhanced!
It had to be the result of the Heartflame Gold Chrysanthemum—a immortal-grade plant that not only granted a divine flame but also refined the user's body. A full-on cleanse and upgrade.
Apparently, all the impurities flushed out during the process had been burned to ash by the Heartfire itself. Otherwise, he'd be lying in a reeking pile of toxic sludge.
Just then, a breeze floated in. Li Xuan shivered.
"Okay, enough admiring myself," he muttered, scrambling to pull up his inventory. From his Void Pearl, he pulled out some clothes he'd taken from the three guys who'd tried to kill him earlier. After rifling through the selection, he chose the smallest outfit and threw it on.
Because he was not about to become the Flower Sea's first streaking delivery boy.
Now properly dressed, Li Xuan was ready to examine the biggest reward from the night before.
The Heartfire Divine Flame.
He slowly raised his hand and willed the fire to appear. From deep within his chest, a spark surged through his veins and into his palm.
Fwoosh!
A delicate flame burst to life in his hand—its glow a brilliant gold tinged with crimson, elegant and mesmerizing. It radiated a majestic aura that commanded attention, like a flame that had been invited to a royal banquet.
Though this was his first time summoning the Heartflame, he instinctively understood its nature—its capabilities, its temperament. As if it had imprinted directly onto his soul. He could wield it as easily as flexing a finger.
Heartfire Divine Flame: One of the rarest and most powerful flames in existence. Burns with soul-searing heat. Can incite chaotic emotions, disrupt mental focus, and torment the mind—or purify it, depending on intent. Immune to illusions, and capable of banishing spiritual confusion.
Li Xuan narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. Then, with only a thought, he directed the Heartfire to unleash its effect on… himself.
A second later, a searing heat exploded in his chest. The world around him warped like a funhouse mirror. His mind was assaulted by a kaleidoscope of emotions—anger, sorrow, euphoria, despair—twisting together into a chaotic storm.
Just as he teetered on the edge of mental collapse, the fire vanished.
In its place, a wave of soul power surged from his core, cooling his mind like a breeze on a summer night. Peace returned.
"That… was terrifyingly easy," Li Xuan muttered, breathing heavily, eyeing the flame in his hand with newfound respect.
It wasn't the ability that shocked him, but how effortlessly it had taken effect. A mere thought had almost unbalanced his own psyche!
Imagine using this in combat. While trading blows, he could stir his opponent's emotions—fear, confusion, rage—throwing off their rhythm entirely. With a flame like this, defeating stronger foes might actually be possible.
He played with the flame for a few more moments, then sent it back into his body.
"Yeah… definitely worth the suffering," he said, nodding in satisfaction. Though the memory of being roasted alive made him shudder a little.
Li Xuan rolled his shoulders and finally stepped outside his room. Sunlight greeted him like an old friend.
He glanced up. The sun was already high in the sky—late morning. Had he really slept that long?
Grrrrrgle…
His stomach let out a dramatic protest.
"Right, I never got to eat last night." Probably passed out before he even realized he was starving.
Yawning, he rubbed his belly and called out, "System, tally up today's survival points."
[Commencing daily point calculation…]
[Soul Power Level: 16 – Awarded 16 points.]
[…]
[No bonus conditions met. Total: 16 survival points.]
"…Huh?" Li Xuan blinked. "Did you say level sixteen?"
He stared at the screen again, eyes wide.
How? He hadn't even absorbed a soul ring yet! How did he jump to level 16? Was the system malfunctioning?
Frowning, he pulled up his status panel to check.
[Basic Status]
Name: Li Xuan
Age: 6
Spirit Essence: Heaven-Grasping Bottle, Nine-Heart Nine-Flame Lotus
Soul Power Level: 16
Soul Bones: None
Survival Points: 37
Sure enough, it showed he had already absorbed a soul ring. But… he had no memory of it.
Li Xuan pondered for a moment. If a soul ring had been absorbed, it could only have come from the Nine-Heart Nine-Flame Lotus.
He raised his right hand, channeling his soul power into the soul imprint.
A lotus bloomed in his palm, nine delicate petals unfolding in a gentle breeze. But one of the petals had changed—no longer green, but now a gleaming gold-red, the color of fire.
He had absorbed his first soul ring.
He just... didn't remember doing it.
Staring at the golden-red petal, a thought occurred to him.
"Wait a second… could it be… my first soul ring is the Heartflame Gold Chrysanthemum?"
But that shouldn't be possible, right? The Golden Chrysanthemum wasn't supposed to produce a soul ring. How did it become part of his spirit?
Li Xuan squinted at the lotus in his hand, thoughts swirling as he tried to piece together the events of the night before.