Light Devil Fruit in Tales of Demons and Gods

The air was filled with the enticing aromas of various spices as Ye Xinghan experimented with different ways to cook the demonized beast meat. He meticulously adjusted cooking temperatures and tried combinations of herbs and spices, recalling recipes he had learned during his time on Earth and in the One Piece world.

Cooking demonized beast meat was no simple task. It was tougher and more complicated to prepare than regular meat because of the spiritual energy it contained. Proper preparation required more time, higher heat, and specific techniques to ensure that the energy was retained.

If he were to directly roast the meat over an open flame, almost all the spiritual energy would dissipate. According to information he had gathered from his family's chef, special ironware was required to properly cook such meat. Even then, only about 10% of the spiritual energy would remain—and the materials used to craft this ironware were, unsurprisingly, rare.

(As expected from the smallest town in the smallest region, in the smallest world, in the smallest realm of a xianxia novel.)

Even so, cultivators sought out demonized beast meat despite its impurities. Once consumed, the impurities would be filtered out by the human body, leaving a nearly negligible amount of spiritual energy. Still, no one was discouraged—after all, even a mosquito's leg has some meat.

As a result, dishes made from demonized beast meat were in high demand and sold for far higher prices than regular food.

While Ye Xinghan was deep in his culinary experiments, he suddenly heard growls behind him.

"Eh? I didn't expect more of them to come for me, especially with a sheep corpse lying right here," he muttered as he stood up, extinguishing the flame.

He turned to see two more horned sheep preparing to charge at him. Without waiting for them to make the first move, he grabbed his sword and dashed forward.

"Solar FLARE!"

———

Ye Xinghan spent the entire night inside the training ground, hunting. By dawn, he had slain 15 horned sheep. He stored his spoils in a space ring, a convenient artifact that would make him an peerless thief if used on Earth.

As he walked through the streets of Glory City, he noticed a large crowd gathered along the main road. Curious, he approached one of the bystanders.

"Excuse me, can you tell me what's going on here?" Ye Xinghan asked.

The startled commoner turned to see who had spoken, his gaze landing on the boy's distinctive purple hair—a trademark of the Snow Wind Family, the city's strongest clan. Realizing he was speaking to a young master, the commoner quickly responded with respect.

"Greetings, young master. The City Lord has returned from subjugating high-ranked beasts and exploring an ancient tomb."

Ye Xinghan thanked the man and squeezed his way through the crowd. Using a few underhanded tricks, he managed to make his way to the front.

Standing there, he saw a group of people walking down the main street. Leading them was a burly man with an aura of absolute authority.

"That must be Ye Zong," Ye Xinghan thought.

Ye Zong, the City Lord of Glory City, was the patriarch of the Snow Wind Family and, most importantly to Ye Xinghan, the father of the story's main female lead.

The man radiated confidence, the kind unique to an accomplished leader. His gaze held a subtle, restrained intensity, like a sheathed sword waiting for the right moment to strike.

The individuals accompanying Ye Zong exuded powerful auras, causing the crowd to tremble with unease.

"Their killing intent is still lingering—must have been some intense battles before returning to the city," Ye Xinghan speculated silently.

Ye Zong, who was momentarily lost in thought, sensed an intense gaze fixed on him. Turning his head, he spotted a purple-haired boy staring intently.

"Ye Xinghan?" Ye Zong mused, raising an eyebrow. He recognized the boy—not only because of his reputation for talent but also because he was the son of his beloved younger brother.

"Xinghan, come join us," Ye Zong called out, his voice echoed above the murmurs of the crowd.

Ye Xinghan twitched slightly, annoyed. He had planned to sneak back to his room unnoticed, but now he had no choice. He trotted over to join the group and walked alongside Ye Zong.

"Hi, Uncle! How was your day? Did you get any satisfying results yesterday?" Ye Xinghan asked curiously.

Ye Zong laughed heartily, his booming voice ringing out and making Ye Xinghan's ears ache.

"Hahaha! We managed to slay several Black Gold-ranked beasts. One of them even dropped a demon spirit!"

Ye Xinghan's eyes widened in astonishment. "A Black Gold-ranked demon spirit!"

Demon spirits, located in the brain area of demon beasts, were exceedingly rare. Only one or two in tens of thousands of beasts would possess one. These spirits were highly valuable as they were absorbed into a spiritualist's soul realm to merge with the beast's power. Even a Silver-ranked demon spirit could be worth hundreds of thousands of demon spirit coins (DSC).

A Black Gold-ranked demon spirit, however, was a treasure beyond measure. Whoever absorbed it would undoubtedly rise to prominence.

"Congratulations, Uncle! With this, we'll surely see another Black Gold-ranked demon spiritualist soon." Ye Xinghan cupped his hands in respect. Strengthening the Snow Wind Family also strengthened his own future, as his fate was tied to theirs.

Ye Zong grinned, clapping his nephew on the shoulder. "Don't slack off, though. If you manage to reach Gold rank as a spiritualist, I'll personally grant you a Black Gold demon spirit."

"Of course! That's a given."

The uncle and nephew continued their journey to the family estate, chatting casually.

When they arrived at the courtyard of the family's main residence, Ye Zong dismissed the group, leaving only himself, Ye Xinghan, and a young boy.

Ye Xinghan finally noticed the boy, who had been inconspicuously following them. He was skinny, dressed in plain clothes that were covered in dirt and mud. His dark hair and brown eyes gave him an unremarkable appearance, yet something about him stood out. He seemed about the same height as Ye Xinghan.

"Uncle, who is he?" Ye Xinghan asked, pointing to the boy. At first, he had assumed the child was just another orphan rescued by the group.

Ye Zong looked at him and smiled faintly. "He'll be your adopted cousin from now on."

Before Ye Xinghan could ask more, Ye Zong continued. "Alright, get back to your house. I'll explain everything at the family meeting later." Grabbing the boy's hand, Ye Zong led him into the main family courtyard.

"Cousin? Adopted?" Ye Xinghan muttered to himself. He began mulling over the situation, searching his memory of the original novel for clues.

It didn't take long for him to realize the truth. "This boy… he's most likely the love rival of the main character!"

Ye Han.

—-

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