Hua Xiangyun didn't know how long she had been unconscious; she only felt a chill run through her body and was abruptly woken up by the cold.

When I opened my eyes, it was pitch black, and the courtyard was completely silent; it was already late at night.

Before she could even recall what had happened, she covered her nose with her hand; the smell was truly indescribable.

Stimulated by the smell, Hua Xiangyun's mind cleared up considerably.

All the pain I had suffered before came back to me. I tried to sit up and check my body, but I felt sticky all over. Moving anything felt like pulling on mud.

Hua Xiangyun quickly pulled down the lamp cord by the kang (a heated brick bed), looked down at her hands, and saw that they were covered with a layer of gray mud.

After checking the clothes, I found it even more unacceptable. If I weren't in my own room, I would have thought it was someone's prank.

Thinking of the torment she endured before fainting, Hua Xiangyun instantly understood that the spiritual energy absorbed by the Nine-Linked Cauldron during this time had transformed into water droplets that possessed the function of cleansing the marrow.

But now is not the time to get to the bottom of things. She needs to figure out a way to get herself ready quickly. This smell is just too intoxicating; she can't stand it for a second longer.

But it was late at night and everyone was quiet outside, so if I went into the yard to use water, it would definitely disturb my family.

Quietly opening the door and confirming everyone was asleep, he vaulted over and jumped directly onto his own wall.

Now that the entire courtyard is closed, Hua Xiangyun has no choice but to take an unconventional route, leaping back and forth on the courtyard wall, following the memories in her mind to reach the river in the county town.

If it weren't for her current mastery of cultivation techniques, she definitely wouldn't dare to come here with her naturally delicate body.

Who doesn't enjoy a gentle, warm bath? But that would disturb the entire Hua family, and then we'd have to explain.

As soon as Hua Xiangyun saw the water, she looked around to make sure no one was nearby, and without even thinking twice, she jumped into the water.

The river water in winter wasn't as cold as she had imagined. Hua Xiangyun used her spiritual energy to protect herself, and it only took her a short while to accept it.

With plenty of water, Hua Xiangyun felt exceptionally refreshed while washing herself. The grime that had accumulated on her body was gradually diluted in the flowing river, leaving her feeling clean and refreshed.

Hua Xiangyun didn't forget to wash her muddy clothes before she climbed ashore.

The heavy cotton-padded coat almost bent her body, and Hua Xiangyun then realized with embarrassment that she had forgotten to bring a change of clothes in her haste to leave.

She had forgotten about the Qiankun bag that she used to carry with her, leaving it on the kang cabinet.

Hua Xiangyun could only wring out her cotton-padded coat quickly before practicing her exercises to get home.

Hua Xiangyun was somewhat relieved that it was winter. In the sweltering summer, the courtyard would not be so quiet, and many men would be sleeping on the ground, taking advantage of the breeze.

He quietly returned to his room, changed out of his wet clothes, opened the window to let in some fresh air, and then sat cross-legged on the kang (a heated brick bed).

Spreading out my ten fingers, my originally fair and delicate hands have even finer pores, and I can't even find a single flaw.

Picking up the small mirror on the table, I noticed that the baby fat I had gained over the past few days had disappeared, and there wasn't a single blemish on my face. Even the small scars from before had vanished.

The changes that happened overnight left Hua Xiangyun both delighted and troubled. No girl doesn't love beauty, and her originally dignified and beautiful features were now even more exquisite. If Hua Xiangyun was just a girl from a modest family before, she now had the beginnings of an unparalleled beauty, only still a little immature.

Looking at her delicate features in the mirror, Hua Xiangyun seemed to see a trace of her past life; it seemed it was truly destined.

After looking in the mirror for a while, I became increasingly satisfied with my current situation.

All of this stemmed from the Nine Lotus Cauldron. Hua Xiangyun was both grateful and helpless. With its help, her cultivation would definitely be much easier in the future.

But with it giving her these occasional shocks, Hua Xiangyun feared that one day she wouldn't be able to handle it.

He practiced his cultivation technique for a while, replenishing the Nine Lotus Cauldron with spiritual energy before summoning it.

"Stop making any more moves, let's have a proper chat," Hua Xiangyun said, looking at the Nine Lotus Cauldron floating in the air.

"I'll call you Little Cauldron then," Hua Xiangyun said, giving the other party a name directly. The Nine Lotus Cauldron seemed very happy and kept swaying in the air.

"If you like it, give it a shake," Hua Xiangyun tried to communicate. If she could find a way, today's blunder would not happen again.

The Nine Lotus Cauldron shook slightly, and Hua Xiangyun's face lit up with joy. It was good that it understood. "Was the water droplet that you gave me before also converted from spiritual energy? If so, shake it."

The Nine Lotus Cauldron shook once, and then shook several more times.

Hua Xiangyun had a guess in her mind, "Besides spiritual energy, it's also related to my last enlightenment."

The Nine Lotus Cauldron shook slightly. "..." This master isn't too stupid; he can grasp the key point.

Hua Xiangyun was somewhat disappointed. This kind of enlightenment was a once-in-a-lifetime event, which also meant that there would definitely be no more marrow cleansing liquid in the future.

"I've always wanted to ask, did I come here because of you? Can I ever go back?"

Seeing that the Nine Lotus Cauldron remained motionless, Hua Xiangyun had no choice but to compromise. It seemed that the cauldron couldn't handle too many questions at once. "Did I come here because of you?"

The Nine Lotus Cauldron shook repeatedly...

"Okay, then I won't ask that question. I'll just ask if you can still take me back?"

The Nine Lotus Cauldron continued to shake a few more times...

Hua Xiangyun: "So, does that mean we have a contract?"

The Nine Lotus Cauldron circled her twice, its body constantly touching her hand.

"Is this another riddle?" Hua Xiangyun felt she hadn't asked her question clearly enough. "Didn't we make a contract? If so, then give me a shake."

The Nine Lotus Cauldron shook several times. Hua Xiangyun took a deep breath and asked, "How could you be inside my spiritual platform without a contract?"

The Nine Lotus Cauldron thumped in her palm a few more times, and Hua Xiangyun reached out and placed the cauldron in her hand.

Just as she was trying to figure out what the Nine Lotus Cauldron was trying to express, the Nine Lotus Cauldron somehow managed to cut a gash in its palm. Hua Xiangyun didn't even feel any pain; she only saw a line of blood circling around the body of the Nine Lotus Cauldron several times before disappearing into the mouth of the cauldron.

Before Hua Xiangyun could speak, a cold light flashed, and the wound that had just appeared on her palm began to heal slowly.

Hua Xiangyun was stunned by this turn of events. "How did you manage to do that?"

"Master," a clear voice suddenly appeared in Hua Xiangyun's mind, its gender indistinguishable for a moment.

"The Nine Lotus Cauldron, the small cauldron?" Hua Xiangyun asked in a low voice, "Can you speak?"

“Yes, Master,” the Nine Lotus Cauldron said happily, spinning around in front of her. “Finally, I can communicate with you.”

Hua Xiangyun found it incredibly amazing, "You were able to talk to me after you sucked my blood?"

"And then what? Is this how we're going to talk? Do I have to bleed every time?"

Hua Xiangyun clenched her fists. She didn't want to go through this procedure every time.