"Take your clothes off."
Lin Xiao had just finished putting them back on, only to be told to take them off again. He was clearly a bit frustrated.
"Hurry up, Lin Xiao! Why are you just standing there?" Ye Lingling urged.
"My mom needs to check your physical strength. It's not like she's trying to take advantage of you. Besides, who would even want to look at a little kid like you?"
Lin Xiao: "…"
He clenched his fists and silently swore:
One day, no one will dare call me little again!
Without further complaint, Lin Xiao stripped efficiently.
Ye Qingxian immediately got to work. "Hmm, your physical strength already surpasses the average Soul Grandmaster? That's about what I expected—but the benefits shouldn't stop there."
She pinched his calf bone with expert hands.
"Bone age still reads as six. Looks like the Evil Fire Body Tempering doesn't stunt physical development like intense training can. You'll still grow normally."
Lin Xiao's face darkened.
What was Ye Qingxian even saying?
Of course he was going to grow up!
"I want to touch too!" Ye Lingling giggled, then reached out.
But after just a couple of pokes, Lin Xiao swatted her hand away.
"Lin Xiao! What's your problem?!"
"I was helping you with a bone check!"
Lin Xiao folded his arms across his chest, expression flat.
Ye Lingling pouted.
"You don't appreciate kindness at all. Why is it okay for my mom, but not me?"
Lin Xiao sneered. "Auntie Ye can. You can't."
"You—!" Ye Lingling stomped her foot. "You think I even want to?!"
But even she didn't fully believe her own words.
Lin Xiao's young body was already lean and well-toned from years of self-training. With the added effects of Evil Fire Tempering, he'd grown taller too. Though still a child in age, his physique was practically perfect—each muscle honed just right, his bones refined and elegant.
As the old phrase said:
"Graceful bones, divine air, beauty not of this world."
Dugu Yan didn't speak. Her face was tinged pink.
Thanks to Ye Lingling's chatter, she'd already seen everything worth seeing.
A soft sigh formed in her heart.
"Still… too young."
"What did you say, Yanyan?" Ye Lingling asked curiously.
Dugu Yan turned red and quickly replied, "I said—he's too young. There's nothing worth seeing!"
Lin Xiao rolled his eyes.
Clenching his fists again, he shouted,
"Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west—don't look down on a poor youth!"
"In just a few years, I'll be taller than all of you!"
At last, he'd found the perfect moment to yell that line.
He felt fired up!
Ye Lingling smirked like a sniper landing a direct hit.
"So you do admit you're little right now?"
Lin Xiao didn't respond.
He would grow up in silence—then shock the world.
"All done!" Ye Qingxian gave his leg one last pinch and nodded with satisfaction.
"Perfect."
"Lin Xiao's potential hasn't been affected at all—in fact, it's been enhanced. His physical strength is now slightly above the average Soul Grandmaster."
"Try stretching, Lin Xiao. Or try some complex movements to see how well you can control your body."
With his clothes back on, Lin Xiao finally felt secure.
He thought for a moment, then made a fist and bent over—easily touching the ground. He could even stretch far beyond that.
He casually dropped into a split. No problem.
He was impressed.
Back on Blue Star, this kind of body would make him a natural-born athlete. With just a bit of training, he'd leave others in the dust in any sport!
He grabbed a steel ball and balanced on one foot with ease. Walking a tightrope? Child's play. One-finger handstand? Not a challenge.
Ye Lingling and Dugu Yan were stunned.
Ye Qingxian finally waved him to stop.
"That's enough. Clearly, the Evil Fire Tempering method is viable. It enhances both physical strength and latent potential. So far, no side effects."
No side effects?
Hardly.
The flaws were obvious.
It required the Nine-Heart Begonia, Lin Xiao's Ice Heart Technique, and the Five Animal Play cultivation method—not to mention enduring torment that felt worse than death.
But since Lin Xiao had all those bases covered, they didn't count as flaws.
Off to the side, both Ye Lingling and Dugu Yan looked a little tempted.
"Mom! Can Yanyan and I try Evil Fire Tempering too? Or something similar?" Ye Lingling begged.
Lin Xiao had it too good!
Stronger, better potential, even more handsome?
Oh my god!
Ye Lingling wasn't greedy—she just wanted to be more beautiful!
Dugu Yan also turned to Ye Qingxian with hopeful eyes.
"No."
Ye Qingxian's reply was firm, dashing their hopes instantly.
Her tone turned icy.
"Lingling, I'm warning you—if you even think of trying this on your own, don't bother calling me your mother ever again."
"Do you know why I did this for Lin Xiao before you got back? Because I didn't want you two to see how miserable it was!"
"You're only seeing how shiny and perfect he is now. You have no idea what kind of suffering he went through."
"This isn't something you can just grit your teeth and bear. You can't even pass out—if the evil fire inside loses control, not even the Nine-Heart Begonia will save you."
Ye Qingxian's words—and her expression—were deadly serious.
Both Ye Lingling and Dugu Yan turned pale.
They hadn't seen it firsthand…
But just from her words, they could imagine the ordeal Lin Xiao must've endured. It wasn't some miracle—it was earned through agony.
But then… why?
Why didn't Lin Xiao mention any of it when they saw him?
He just smiled and chatted like nothing happened.
They were both older than Lin Xiao… yet a deep admiration bloomed in their hearts.
And the way they looked at him… changed.
Ye Qingxian, seeing that the girls had taken her words to heart, gradually softened her tone.
"Don't be jealous of Lin Xiao. He's acting calm now, sure, but earlier he was in so much pain he almost cried for his mom. He was this close to rolling around in the bath like a dying fish!"
"Honestly, if I hadn't given him a towel to bite down on, he would've shattered his own teeth!"
Lin Xiao couldn't take it anymore.
Yes, the pain was beyond words—but when had he ever cried for his mother?
Auntie Ye was ruining his reputation!
Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling glanced at the towel by the bath—chewed to shreds. The tub itself was covered in deep claw marks.
Ye Qingxian noticed too and nodded thoughtfully.
"We'll need to upgrade the bath next time. Iron, preferably."
Lin Xiao: "…"
But he understood.
Ye Qingxian had put her heart into this for him.
He smiled faintly.
"Evil Fire Tempering… maybe not. It's way too dangerous."
"But you two can try tempering your bodies after extreme training instead."
"If you can't even endure exhaustion, pain is out of the question."