Huo Yuhao's days in the Axis Cult were fulfilling yet a bit dizzying.
Every day before dawn, he had to wake up for the unwavering Soul Power Cultivation—the profound water pill and foundation establishment spirit liquid given by Sister Furina had surprisingly good effects; he felt his Soul Power steadily growing every day, and his body felt much lighter, already reaching Rank ten.
Sister Furina told him to continue to Cultivate and accumulate strength, for after Soul Power reaches the corresponding Rank, although it seems not to increase further, it actually keeps piling up, waiting to burst forth at the moment of Breakthrough.
At the same time, he was to strengthen his exercise to nourish and train his body, as he was currently far too weak, and then wait for a time when the Axis Cult was less busy for her to take him to hunt for a spirit ring.
In the afternoons, he basically spent his time in the kitchen, either researching new dishes or instructing Aunt Zhang, Aunt Li, Chef Wang, and the other masters on some cooking tips.
Sister Furina said that he shouldn't just bury his head in work but should train more helpers and focus his energy on Cultivation. He took it to heart and indeed did so.
But several consecutive days of high-intensity learning and Cultivation still made his head feel a bit swollen, like it was stuffed with a clump of soggy cotton.
This afternoon, after guiding several aunts on how to control the heat to make the stews more flavorful, Huo Yuhao looked at the warm sunlight outside the window and decided to go out for some air. He greeted Aunt Zhang, wiped his hands, and strolled out from the back door of the kitchen.
The territory of the Axis Cult was now much larger than when he first arrived. The backyard was connected to that newly allocated wasteland; although large-scale construction hadn't begun yet, several small paths had already been leveled, and some hardy trees and flowers had been planted, looking like a fledgling garden. Compared to the hustle and bustle of people coming and going in the front yard, it was much quieter here.
Huo Yuhao walked aimlessly along a gravel path, taking several deep breaths of the fresh air smelling of earth and grass, feeling his tense nerves relax quite a bit. He was wondering whether to find a place to sit and meditate for a while when his gaze was drawn to the scene by the nearby pond.
The pond was newly dug, the water not yet deep and crystal clear. And right by the pond, there were three... uh, how should he put it? Three very peculiar creatures were staying there.
A seahorse-shaped creature, entirely azure and seemingly composed of water, was elegantly floating above the water's surface, surrounded by fine bubbles that reflected a rainbow-colored halo under the sunlight.
A large crab-shaped creature, covered in a heavy shell and holding a pair of very powerful-looking pincers, was slowly picking up debris from the bottom of the pond with its pincers, seemingly... cleaning the pond?
There was also a round, ball-shaped octopus creature wearing a funny little formal suit, using several flexible tentacles... to adjust its bowtie against the water's surface? Although that bowtie also seemed to be made of water.
Huo Yuhao froze on the spot. He seemed to have seen these three creatures before and felt somewhat familiar with them, though they didn't look like normal Soul Beasts.
They emitted a soft but non-negligible fluctuation of water elements, and they didn't seem... to have any ill intent, even carrying a strange sense of familiarity?
While he was dazed, an old believer who was watering newly planted saplings nearby noticed him and walked over with a smile: "Little Yuhao, out for some air too? What are you looking at so intently?"
Huo Yuhao pointed at the three by the pond and asked in a low voice: "Grandpa Liu, what... what are those? Are they Soul Beasts newly subdued by the Lord Pope?"
He could only think of this possibility.
The old believer followed his finger, realized, and laughed: "Oh, you mean those three! They aren't Soul Beasts, they aren't Soul Beasts. They are Mademoiselle Crabaletta, Surintendante Chevalmarin, and Gentilhomme Usher, members of the Lord Pope's Second Martial Soul, the 'Salon Solitaire'! They are the veteran contributors of our Axis Cult!"
"Second Martial Soul? Salon Solitaire?" Huo Yuhao was even more puzzled. Could a Martial Soul look like this? And even have several members?
"Yes!" The old believer was clearly talkative; seeing Huo Yuhao's interest, he opened up: "The Lord Pope is a genius of heavenly talent and possesses twin spirits! These three lords don't often appear together, but they've helped the cult a lot. Back when the cult didn't have such a large presence, they were the ones helping the Lord Pope distribute sacred object cakes to everyone and maintain order!"
As the old believer spoke, a look of recollection appeared on his face, and he lowered his voice: "Speaking of which, about half a year ago, when the cult was still very small and simple. I heard the Lord Pope sent the three of them out on a secret mission, seemingly to help a mother and son in distress... I'm not entirely sure of the details, but anyway, after they returned, the Lord Pope was in a good mood for a long time."
Huo Yuhao could no longer hear the old believer's subsequent words clearly.
"About half a year ago... secret mission... helping a mother and son in distress..."
These few words were like a key, suddenly unlocking a corner deep in his memory that had been sealed by confusion and gratitude!
He remembered that desperate night in the servants' quarters of the White Tiger Dukes Mansion! He remembered when his mother was critically ill, those three peculiar-looking Soul Beasts that suddenly burst in, dropped a pouch of money and a letter, and then hurried away!
A floating creature glowing with bubbles... a creature holding large pincers... and a round creature wearing a small formal suit!
It was an emergency back then, and he was both shocked and afraid, his memory somewhat blurred, only thinking those three Soul Beasts were strange and frightening.
But now, looking at the three leisurely members of the "Salon Solitaire" by the pond, the images in his memory instantly became crystal clear and overlapped perfectly!
It was them! It was really them!
That pouch containing gold coin! That letter that said 'A righteous act, a bit of travel money, run towards the south...'!
So... so the person who had provided help in their hour of need, saved his mother's life, and given their mother and son a glimmer of hope... was actually Sister Furina! It was the Axis Cult!
Immense shock and a surge of gratitude like an ocean tide instantly overwhelmed Huo Yuhao. He stood there blankly, staring unblinkingly at Mademoiselle Crabaletta, Surintendante Chevalmarin, and Gentilhomme Usher by the pond; his chest felt as if it were blocked by something, aching intensely, and his eyes quickly turned red uncontrollably.
He had always thought it was just a mysterious person acting out of justice who had perhaps long since disappeared into the vast crowd. He had desperately remembered that kindness, thinking that if he could ever make a name for himself, he must repay it. But he never expected that his benefactor had been by his side all along! Moreover, she was so good to him! Giving him a job, advancing his wages, sending precious Medicinal Pills, caring about his Cultivation, and even letting him call her "Sister"...
It turned out that all this kindness and care didn't come out of nowhere. Long ago, during those darkest and most helpless times, Sister Furina and her Axis Cult had already been like a glimmer of light in the dark night, illuminating and saving him and his mother.
"Little Yuhao? What's wrong? Why are your eyes red?" The old believer noticed Huo Yuhao's abnormality and asked with concern.
Huo Yuhao snapped back to his senses and quickly wiped his eyes hard with the back of his hand, forcing a somewhat stiff smile: "No... it's nothing, Grandpa Liu, some sand got in my eyes. I... I'll head back first!"
He turned around almost as if he were running away, walking quickly toward the kitchen. He needed some time to digest this startling fact.
His heart thrummed in his chest, an indescribable mix of complex emotions churning within—the shock of learning the truth, deep gratitude for past kindness, and even more... a sense of peace and warmth as if he had found his true home.
So, he wasn't struggling all alone. It turned out that long before they met, the threads of fate had already tied them closely together.
Returning to the kitchen, Huo Yuhao looked at everything familiar before him, looking at those aunts who were friendly to him, and felt the whole world had become different. He picked up the kitchen knife and began to handle the ingredients with more focus and care, as if every cut were infused with some kind of oath.
Sister Furina... no, she was his benefactor, and even more, the sister who gave him new life and hope. This kindness was too heavy. He didn't know if he could ever repay it in his lifetime.
But he knew that from now on, the Axis Cult was his home, and Sister Furina was the person he would protect and repay with his life. He had to become stronger, strong enough to become her aid rather than a burden.
And at this moment, Furina, who was happily studying the Water God Art in her room and planning how to popularize the Mysterious Heaven Skill tomorrow, was completely unaware that a casual move she had made back then (well, driven by a System mission) had already stirred such a massive storm in the young boy's heart and was about to harvest a level of unwavering loyalty far beyond expectations.