Devil transformation

Lin Yuan opened his eyes.

He wasn't in the mansion.

Strange, glowing flowers bloomed around him, suspended in silver mist. He lay within the center of a formation—floating stones circled above him, pulsing with soul energy.

Lady Mingyan sat nearby, her usually calm face drawn with worry.

> "You're awake."

Lin Yuan touched his forehead. His soul felt strange—vast, echoing, unnaturally alive.

> "Where am I?" he murmured.

Lady Mingyan hesitated, then said softly,

> "In a secret realm. You collapsed after touching that soul tree. We brought you here to heal your soul."

He tried to sit up, but the weight in his chest was heavy.

> "Why does my soul feel so… different?"

Lady Mingyan gave him a long look.

> "Because it evolved. Though whether that's good or not… I don't know."

Lin Yuan blinked.

> "My soul… evolved? That sounds good."

She shook her head.

> "It evolved in a way *similar* to a **Devil Soul**."

Lin Yuan's breath caught.

> "A devil?"

> "Yes," she said. "When you were little, a devil tried to take over your soul. He failed… but the battle destroyed everything. We never told you. We wanted you to live without that shadow."

> "But now it's back?"

Lady Mingyan nodded slowly.

> "That devil was a soul immortal. Though his main body is dead, fragments of his imprint may have remained… buried in you. And now—your soul is blooming again. That means *his* shadow might awaken too."

Lin Yuan's voice dropped.

> "Then what do I do?"

> "Right now? You observe," she said. "Your soul has entered a rare blooming cycle. Each stage grants power, but it may draw other devil toward you."

She lifted her hand some symbol show up. Soul Path: Devil Bloom Cycle

1. **Soul Sense

Gain awareness of emotions, spiritual energy, and hidden killing intent.

2. **Soul Weaving

Weave memories, emotions, or communication threads into others or talismans.

3. **Mirror Soul

Reflect emotional truths, lies, and illusions. Useful in interrogation or defense.

4. **Phantom Step

Let your soul momentarily separate from your body to phase or dodge attacks.

5. **Soul Echo

Glimpse past lives. One memory, one skill, or one bloodline ability may emerge.

6. **Soul Bloom

Emit an aura of Calm (heals), Fear (weakens foes), or Will (boosts allies).

7. **Dual Soul Stage

Split your soul to perform multiple tasks—cultivate, spy, or dreamwalk.

8. **Soul Armament

Forge a weapon from your soul's deepest emotion—grief, rage, hope, love.

9. **Soul Domain

Create an inner world to trap enemies or shelter loved ones.

10. **Soul Ascension

Become soul-immortal. Immune to illusions, memory wipes, and possession.

---

Lady Mingyan lowered her hand.

> "It make you powerful. But it's also dangerous."

Lin Yuan looked at his hands. They trembled slightly.

> "Why… do I have to go through this? Why me?"

Behind him, **Lady Fanguan** stepped forward.

> "What if you were just a village boy—and someone came to kill your entire village? Would you sit and cry, or fight?"

He stayed silent.

> "This is the same. You're not a devil. But devils may come. So we'll help you get strong enough to fight back."

Lady An stepped beside her.

> "I sealed your Taiyin Sacred Maiden root. I thought it would protect you. But now…" She shook her head. "Maybe that was a mistake."

> "If we hadn't sealed it," said **Lady Baihua**, "his life could've been worse. A boy with a Taiyin body might've needed Yang energy just to stay alive. His body would've changed… but not completely. He wouldn't be male or female—just broken."

Lin Yuan clenched his fists.

> "Then what do we do now?"

Lady An smiled faintly.

> "We do *good deeds*. Good karma brings protection. For now… your mission is to make the prince slim. That's your path forward."

Lin Yuan groaned.

> "You're talking about devils, death, and destruction—and then assign me a royal piglet to train."

Lady Mingyan smirked.

> "You're fighting for your life either way."

> "Besides," said Lady Fanguan, "the devils can't step onto the **Taiyin Holy Grounds**. Get into the Inner Sect. That's your first shield."

Lady Mingyan looked into the sky.

> "We just hope… your grandfather finds you before the devils do."

---

Before leaving, Lin Yuan paused.

> "Should I go find my grandfather?"

Lady Mingyan sighed.

> "He disappeared long ago. We don't know where."

> "Your great-grandfather," added Lady An, "is sleeping in the **Sky Dragon Domain**. But… they don't like fairies. If they learn your true bloodline…"

She trailed off.

> "They might kill me," Lin Yuan finished.

Lady Baihua rested a hand on his shoulder.

> "Focus on what you can control. The future hasn't arrived yet."

> "Not yet," Lin Yuan muttered. Then added, "Yeah… I'm fighting myself every day. One mistake, and I die. No point worrying about devils I haven't met."

Lady Mingyan's tone turned sharp:

> "There *is* some good news."

He turned.

> "Your **Soul Pursuit Art** has awakened fully. It now lets you absorb soul fragments from food, spirit beasts… even devils. When a being dies, their soul shatters. That residue? If left untouched, it lingers in meat, in bones. But you—you can devour it."

Lin Yuan's eyes flickered.

> "So I *do* have a chance to fight back…"

He stepped forward—and **hugged each of them** one by one.

> "Thank you," he whispered.

The mist swirled, the glowing flowers slowly faded, and Lin Yuan—reborn again—prepared to return to the world.

Lin Yuan stepped out from secret realms and immediately noticed something was wrong.

The prince lay sprawled across the jade mat, face flushed, breathing shallow but steady. A strange black mist clung to his body—and the smell was… horrifying.

"He's unconscious," Lin Yuan muttered, pinching his nose.

Lady Mingyan appeared beside him, arms crossed.

"That's the impurity leaving his body. It means the poison worked."

"And now what?" Lin Yuan asked, backing up. "Should we pour water on him?"

Lady Mingyan gave him a sidelong glance.

"Use your soul energy. Massage him. It will help circulate his Qi—and give you practice. You're already on the Soul Weaving stage, aren't you?"

"I guess…" Lin Yuan sighed, kneeling beside the prince. "I never thought my first massage client would be a sweaty sun-bodied glutton."

He infused his fingertips with gentle threads of soul energy and pressed along the prince's meridians.

To his surprise, the Qi inside Xuanyuan Cheng's body flowed smoother, clearer than before. The once-muddied spiritual energy now shimmered faintly with gold.

A few minutes later, the prince groaned and opened his eyes.

"Urgh… did I die? Is this heaven? It smells like rotten yak…"

"That's you," Lin Yuan said flatly. "You stink like a spirit cow's toilet."

The prince sat up and immediately blushed, noticing the fumes rising off him.

"T-That's impurity! Don't judge me!"

"Get a bath," Lin Yuan said, already rising. "I need one too. And food. I'm starving."

They exited the formation. Outside, a swarm of maids had been waiting for two day. When they saw the two emerging, they swarmed in like fans around a returning hero.

"Your Highness!"

"Master Lin, are you well?"

"Do you want sweet-lotus buns? I made them myself—"

"No food," Lin Yuan interrupted firmly. "If you want a healthy life, only water. Spiritual water, not soup. No more dumplings or buns."

The maids froze in mid-motion, trays trembling in their hands.

"Y-Yes, Master Lin…"

The prince was dragged off for cleansing by a group of younger maids, embarrassed but not resisting.

Lin Yuan, meanwhile, was gently escorted by a group of older maids, who bowed respectfully.

"Please don't misunderstand, young lady," one said softly. "Our prince may be gluttonous, but he's a good man. He doesn't touch the maids."

"Some of us came from noble families," another added. "But after falling from grace, he took us in. He tried to send some of us home, but…"

She trailed off.

"But you didn't go," Lin Yuan said.

The oldest maid nodded.

"Home is not always safe. Sometimes, it's the beginning of misery."

Lin Yuan gave a small smile.

"I know. I rescued girls too—slaves.Runaways, orphans,Some have no homes left. Some don't want to return."

They reached a quiet courtyard behind the prince's mansion. Steam rose from marble bathing pools filled with spiritual spring water. Lin Yuan stretched his arms.

"So… what can I eat today?"

One of the old maids smiled kindly.

"What does the young lady desire?"

Lin Yuan didn't hesitate.

"Meat."

The maids chuckled.

"Red-furred spiritual ox or wind-boar? Roasted or steamed?"

"Yes," Lin Yuan said with a grin. "I love ox very much. "

Would you like to continue into a comedic dinner scene where Lin Yuan explains his "meat philosophy" to the prince, or shift to the sect where rumors start spreading about Lin Yuan and the ppri