Ye Family Clinic.
After running things half-heartedly for a while, the head of the Ye family had finally returned to keeping the clinic open on a proper schedule—much to the relief of the many regulars who'd been waiting and grumbling.
But today, a new notice hung at the clinic's entrance:
"Now purchasing all types of whale glue as medicinal primers. Higher quality means better price—we'll pay 10% above market rate. Optionally, we offer exchange for male-enhancement formulas (far more effective than whale glue and completely side-effect free)."
Customers who read the notice were stunned.
Wait… the great Physician Ye? The one who never treated male disorders?
Did she spend all this time off work developing an aphrodisiac?
If so, every man in Dou City is about to celebrate!
After all, Ye Qingxian's medical skill was widely acknowledged as one of the best in the realm.
Recently, she had already gathered quite a bit of whale glue from two main sources:
Purchase from major merchant guilds
Private trades with noble lords
Although she hadn't yet achieved true "whale glue freedom," she had enough stock to provide Lin Xiao, Dugu Yan, and Ye Lingling with ten-thousand-year refined whale glue on a daily basis.
—
Sunset.
Golden rays lit up the gate of the Ye clinic.
Ye Qingxian locked up for the day and turned to leave—only to spot a red-haired youth leaning against a tree with a carefree grin on his face.
Lin Xiao stepped forward.
"Thanks for your hard work, Aunt Ye."
She glanced at him but didn't bother asking whether he'd really been sleeping at the Dugu estate—she could guess he'd probably snuck off to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well again.
"How is Heaven Dou Royal Academy?"
Lin Xiao smiled.
"Not bad. The campus is relaxed, and the library's collection is actually very good."
Ye Qingxian caught the hidden meaning.
The school leaves students alone to do whatever they want. Everything else is useless—except the library.
She nodded faintly.
The reason she sent Lin Xiao to school wasn't because she expected the academy to help him grow, but because she wanted him to spend more time around people his age—so he wouldn't turn into another Dugu Bo: powerful, but cold and solitary.
She pulled a white porcelain bottle from her sleeve and handed it to him.
Lin Xiao accepted it curiously and opened the lid. Inside were capsule-like pills—similar to fish oil supplements from his past life.
Whale glue?
No—there was also a faint herbal aroma. These capsules clearly contained other medicinal essences too.
"You'll take three each day. Yanyan and Lingling get one each."
Not favoritism—Lin Xiao's body was simply far stronger than Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling's. His absorption ability was unmatched.
"Try one now. Let's see how your body reacts."
Lin Xiao nodded and swallowed a capsule.
Moments later, a warm wave surged through his gut, rapidly spreading throughout his limbs. His whole body flushed with heat.
He blinked in surprise.
"Such a small pill… yet the effect is this intense?"
Ye Qingxian rolled her eyes.
"Of course it is. I refined it myself—this is the purified version. Pay attention and test your tolerance. How many can you take at once without overloading?"
Lin Xiao focused inward.
Whale glue, known as an ultimate yang-type material, was incredibly potent. But Ye Qingxian's refined version went even further—he could feel a blazing sensation moving through his meridians, stretching and expanding them gently but powerfully.
It felt eerily similar to Evil Fire Tempering!
But there was a clear difference:
Evil Fire: Wild and destructive, a brutal cleanse followed by rebirth, aided by the Nine-Heart Begonia's healing.
Refined Whale Glue: Gentle and nourishing, strengthening bones and meridians gradually—slower, but much safer and pain-free.
At the same time, Lin Xiao noticed that the evil fire lying dormant in his body had been stirred by the whale glue—it began to twitch and rise, ready to awaken.
Before, that would've terrified him.
Now? He welcomed it.
With the support of a Soul Saint–level Nine-Heart Begonia healer and his experience with evil fire body tempering, he had nothing to fear.
"This stuff is amazing."
Lin Xiao didn't hold back his praise.
Ye Qingxian, meanwhile, had been watching him closely.
No flushed face.
No glazed eyes.
No obvious lust.
He was perfectly composed.
Ye Qingxian frowned.
Strange. I've tried this formula myself—I know it has strong aphrodisiac properties. The refinement process boosts that effect even more.
Even I could barely handle it…
And he's totally fine?!
She narrowed her eyes and asked suspiciously:
"Lin Xiao… do you feel hot? Flushed?"
"Yeah. My whole body's on fire."
"Any… urges? Random fantasies? Impulse to act?"
"…No."
Ye Qingxian couldn't hold back.
"What do you mean, no?! This refined whale glue is meant to boost yang and stir desire! You swallowed it like candy?!"
Only then did Lin Xiao understand what she was getting at. He flushed slightly but answered honestly:
"Whenever the evil fire inside me flares up, I do feel those kinds of thoughts creeping in. But thanks to the Heart of Ice Technique, I've trained myself to crush them instantly."
"From what I've observed, evil fire and desire are linked. The more intense the desire, the stronger the evil fire becomes—and vice versa."
"After taking the whale glue just now, my evil fire began to stir, but the actual lust? Not that strong."
"It feels like the two are… interchangeable in some way."
A sudden realization struck him.
If that was true…
Then he wasn't just immune to poison.
He might be immune to aphrodisiacs too?
In the world of fantasy cultivation, aphrodisiacs are usually just poisons in disguise. If they don't work on me anymore...
Is that a blessing… or a tragedy?
Ye Qingxian was equally stunned.
"So the evil fire stirs desire… and desire fuels evil fire?"
"Then if you can control your evil fire, doesn't that mean—"
"You can choose when to get aroused… and when to stay pure as snow?"
Lin Xiao's expression cracked.
What the hell kind of phrasing is that?!
Still, he tested her theory.
...Holy crap. It's true.
When the evil fire wasn't too intense, he could now manually control it.
Which meant—yes—he could turn it on or off at will.
Ye Qingxian realized how inappropriate her words had been and quickly changed the subject.
"Back to the capsules. How many do you think you could take at once?"
Lin Xiao's answer was shocking:
"Not sure. But at least… dozens."
Ye Qingxian's eyes widened in alarm.
D-Dozens?!
She'd barely survived one.
And Lin Xiao wanted to swallow dozens?
If he miscalculated and pushed the evil fire beyond its limits—
She'd have to find a whole harem to put out the flames!
He'd become a walking inferno.
A human pile driver!