The worse you are, the stronger you become: My summoned beast is a photographer.

The spotlight shone on the center of the stage, where Ming Luochen held Aura's hand and stood in the most dazzling position.

"Please welcome the head judge of this competition, the leader of the University Alliance—Lady Benuna August, to present the award to the champion!" The host's voice was filled with barely suppressed excitement.

Benuna rose from the judges' panel, her red hair cascading like a waterfall, shimmering like satin under the lights. She wore a deep purple gown, its hem trailing on the ground, her steps elegant and composed, each one carrying the aura unique to a demigod-level powerhouse. In her hands she held an exquisite mithril box, its surface inlaid with tiny white crystals that refracted a rainbow of light under the illumination.

The entire room fell silent.

Everyone knows what's inside—an SSS-grade Life Restoration Jade Milk, a peerless divine medicine with only one bottle in the entire empire.

Benuna walked up to Ming Luochen and stopped. She was a full head taller than him, and looked down slightly at the short human. In her cold, beautiful phoenix eyes, there was no scrutiny or contempt, only a heartfelt affirmation.

"Ming Luochen." Her voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears, "Your performance has impressed me greatly."

She handed the mithril box to Ming Luochen, lightly pressing her fingertip on the lid. With a "click," the lid popped open. Inside lay a crystal bottle about the size of a thumb, its surface as clear as ice, filled with a pale golden liquid that flowed slowly under the light, like liquid sunlight.

"This is an SSS-grade Life Restoration Jade Milk." Benuna's lips curled up slightly, her tone carrying a gentleness she herself didn't realize. "Your body is too weak; this medicine might be of great help to you."

Ming Luochen took the box, and the moment his fingertips touched the bottle, he felt a warm energy spread from his fingertips to his wrist. He took a deep breath, turned to face Aura, and handed the box to her.

"Honey, this is for you."

Aura looked at the crystal bottle, and her eyes immediately welled up with tears.

She knew what it was. It was a peerless divine medicine that could transform an S-rank talent into an SSS-rank talent, a treasure that countless nobles would sell their entire fortunes for. From the very first day of participating in the Liberal Arts Competition, Ming Luochen had been striving for this goal—not for himself, but for her.

"Husband, drink it." Aura shook her head, her voice choked with emotion. "Lady Benuna is right, your body is too weak... You need to drink it to become stronger."

Ming Luochen frowned: "It's useless for me to drink it, I'm not a combat type. Only if you drink it can you protect me."

"I don't want it." Aura pushed the box back, her amber eyes filled with determination. "You're so tired every day, so weak, and so lustful... I'm afraid you won't live long. Drinking it might prolong your life."

Ming Luochen's lips twitched—what does being a womanizer have to do with this?

But he didn't respond to that; he just pushed the box over again, saying, "I can only feel at ease if you drink it."

"You drink it."

"You drink it."

The two pushed and shoved the crystal bottle back and forth in the box, the golden liquid swirling within, making everyone around them shudder—that was an SSS-level divine medicine; if it broke, there would be nowhere to turn for help.

Amos watched this scene from his seat, his eye twitching. The reward he had fought so hard for was being passed around between the two of them like a hot potato.

Morton turned his face away, unable to bear looking at him.

In the audience, someone couldn't help but whisper, "Stop pushing! If they fall, they're done for!"

Aura bit her lip, pulled Ming Luochen into her arms, held the back of his head with her left hand, took out a crystal bottle from the box with her right hand, bit off the stopper, and poured it directly into Ming Luochen's mouth.

"Ugh—" Caught off guard, Ming Luochen swallowed instinctively. The pale golden liquid slid down his throat into his stomach, and a warm sensation rose from his lower abdomen, quickly spreading to his limbs and bones.

Aura put the empty bottle back in the box, gently pushed him away, and stared nervously at his face.

Ming Luochen stood there, stunned for a moment.

Then, a wave of heat exploded from his stomach, as if someone had lit a fire inside him. The flames traveled along his blood vessels throughout his body, burning every inch of muscle, every bone, and every nerve.

"Hiss—" He gasped, veins bulging on his forehead.

"Husband!" Aura cried out anxiously, reaching out to help him, but the intense heat emanating from Ming Luochen made her pull her hand back. She quickly turned to Benuna, her voice trembling with tears, "What happened to him? Is he alright?"

Benuna shook her head gently, a wistful smile playing on her lips. "It's alright. His body is recovering and evolving into his complete form. It's normal for him to feel some pain." Her gaze fell on Ming Luochen, a hint of emotion flashing in her eyes—the pain she felt when she drank that medicine was still etched into her memory.

Ming Luochen's body began to turn red, from his face to his neck to the back of his hands, like a boiled shrimp. His clothes were stretched taut, the fabric hissing under the strain. His muscles were writhing, as if countless tiny snakes were crawling under his skin, every muscle fiber tearing, restructuring, and regenerating.

His bones were cracking, like bamboo shoots growing.

His height increased visibly—1.6 meters, 1.7 meters, 1.8 meters, 1.9 meters… until it finally stopped at around 2.2 meters.

"Ah—" Ming Luochen roared to the sky, his voice filled with heart-wrenching pain, but also with a sense of catharsis as he was reborn.

Above the auditorium, a beam of light descended from the sky, piercing through the stained glass of the dome and enveloping Ming Luochen. The light was neither golden nor white, but a transparent, flowing, water-like light, with a faint iridescent halo.

Principal Hollen abruptly stood up from the audience, his trunk stiff, his eyes wide: "Could it be another divine blessing?!"

Everyone in the room held their breath.

The light fell on Ming Luochen, penetrating his skin as if it were alive. The red glow on his body gradually faded, replaced by a healthy, fair, and delicate luster. His muscles stopped writhing and became full and symmetrical, like a meticulously sculpted sculpture.

In the audience, countless eyes were fixed on the figure undergoing transformation. Some covered their mouths, some clenched their fists, and some unconsciously stood up and craned their necks.

Amos's pen slipped from his hand and fell to the ground, but he didn't pick it up.

Morton's gaping teeth were half-open, and his amber eyes were filled with disbelief.

Lillian's nine fox tails involuntarily straightened, and she whispered, "What... is going on?"

The beam of light lasted for about half a minute before slowly dissipating.

Ming Luochen stood there, panting heavily, his whole body soaked in sweat. His clothes were stretched to a pulp—the sleeves of his shirt were torn at the shoulders, revealing his muscular arms; the legs of his pants were too short, exposing his ankles; and most embarrassingly, there was a rip at the back of his pants, revealing his white underwear underneath.

He clutched his buttocks, his expression a mixture of pain and embarrassment.

Aura cautiously stepped forward and reached out to support his arm. The sensation she felt made her pause—the arm was no longer soft, flabby flesh, but firm, elastic muscle.

She looked up at Ming Luochen's face and froze.

Is the person in front of me still my husband?

The short, stout man who used to only reach her waist has now grown to shoulder height. His face is no longer round and honest, but angular and sharp—sword-like eyebrows, bright eyes, a high nose, thin lips, and a chin with a clean, knife-like jawline.

He exuded a healthy and powerful aura, like a lion that had just awakened.

"Husband?" Aura called out tentatively, her voice tinged with uncertainty.

Ming Luochen looked up at her and blinked. He was now about a head shorter than her, and needed to tilt his head slightly to meet her gaze. His eyes were still the same color, but a faint golden halo had appeared deep within his pupils, like two illuminated stars.

"What's wrong?" His voice had changed, becoming deeper and more magnetic. "Honey, I think I've grown taller."

Aura's eyes instantly reddened, and she hugged him tightly, burying her face in his shoulder.

Ming Luochen subconsciously reached out and hugged her, his hand resting on her waist. He looked down at his hands—the knuckles were distinct, the fingers were long and slender, and the veins on the back of his hands were slightly protruding; they were no longer the short and chubby hands they used to be.

"You scared me to death..." Aura's voice was muffled, with a sob in it.

"It's alright, it's alright." Ming Luochen gently patted her back, his voice as gentle as the person who had just been yelling.

Benuna stepped forward and handed the testing crystal to Ming Luochen. It was a fist-sized transparent crystal, its surface engraved with intricate magical patterns.

"Have your innate skills evolved?" Her tone carried a hint of curiosity.

Ming Luochen loosened his grip on the crystal and placed his palm on it.

The crystal lit up, revealing lines of text:

"Talent Skill: Photography"

"Skill Description: Pick up the camera, shout 'One, two, three, cheese!' and keep the camera still to freeze everything in the camera lens for 1 second."

Note: Each level increases the freeze duration by one second.

no change.

But the changes in the four-dimensional attributes surprised even Ming Luochen himself:

"Strength: 53 (originally 8)"

Intelligence: 132 (originally 122)

Stamina: 63 (originally 13)

"Spirit: 110 (formerly 11)"

Aura stared at the numbers, her mouth agape in disbelief. Strength had skyrocketed from 8 to 53, and stamina from 13 to 63—far exceeding the initial attributes of an SSS-level summon.

At the very bottom of the panel, a line of smaller text has been added:

"Blessed by elemental affinity."

Six words, golden, faintly glowing.

Benuna's pupils contracted slightly upon seeing the words, then a satisfied smile curved her lips. Her experience surpassed that of everyone present—it was a blessing from a second-generation deity. Second-generation deities have no physical form; they are pure energy beings, so no one can witness the process of bestowing blessings. But those six words were the most direct proof.

"Very good." She nodded, her tone carrying a hint of satisfaction that she herself didn't realize.

His Majesty Leonhard, seated at the head of the table, slightly turned his head and whispered an instruction to the attendant beside him. The attendant nodded quickly and hurried away.

His Majesty stood up, his gaze falling on Ming Luochen, his voice steady and powerful: "Mr. Ming Luochen, I think you need to change your clothes now, and I have already ordered someone to prepare them."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Ming Luochen bowed, one hand covering the ripped seam of his trousers, the other holding Aura's hand, and followed the attendant to the lounge.

His steps were much more steady than before, each step exuding a confidence that came from his very bones.

Behind me, the applause in the auditorium continued.

---

The door to the lounge was closed, shutting out the noise from outside.

The attendant had already prepared a brand-new outfit—a dark blue tubular academic dress, made of fine fabric and tailored to fit perfectly, which hung quietly on the hanger.

Ming Luochen stood in front of the mirror, looking at himself in the mirror, without moving for a long time.

The person in the mirror was so unfamiliar that he could hardly recognize him.

He was about 2.2 meters tall, with broad shoulders and a slender waist. His arms were thick and strong, with bulging biceps and clearly visible veins on his forearms. His chest muscles were full, making the chest of his dress bulge. His eight-pack abs were neatly arranged on his lower abdomen, like pieces of chocolate.

His face was no longer round. His eyebrows slanted sharply towards his temples, his eyes were deep-set, his nose was high and straight, his lips were thin and well-defined, and his jawline was as sharp as if it had been carved by a knife. His skin was a healthy milky white, with a warm glow in the candlelight.

He raised his hand and clenched his fist. His knuckles were thick and well-defined, and the veins on the back of his hand bulged slightly, like winding streams.

"Is this me?" he asked in a low voice, his voice filled with a disbelief that even he himself could not believe.

Aura stood behind him, looking at the tall, handsome man in the mirror, her face slightly flushed.

"It's you." Her voice was as soft as the wind.

Ming Luochen turned around and looked up at her. He was now about a head shorter than her—he was 2.2 meters tall, and Aura was 2.5 meters tall; his head reached just to her shoulder. He reached out and squeezed his arm, then touched his face.

"Am I dreaming?" he murmured, the corners of his mouth slowly turning up, then higher and higher, until finally he broke into a bright smile.

"No," Aura replied gently, reaching out to straighten his collar.

"Honey, don't I look handsome now?"

Aura was amused by his smug look and slapped him on the chest. Her hand landed, feeling a firm yet springy texture; she paused for a moment, then couldn't resist touching it again.

"How does it feel?" Ming Luochen raised an eyebrow, his eyes full of smugness.

"It's alright." Aura turned her face away, the tips of her ears turning red.

Ming Luochen laughed heartily, his laughter echoing in the lounge.

He put on the tubular liberal arts gown, the dark blue fabric making him stand tall and straight like a pine tree. The silver embroidery on the collar shimmered slightly in the candlelight, and a dark silver belt cinched his waist, perfectly outlining his figure.

He stood in front of the mirror, turning left and right, becoming more and more satisfied with his reflection.

"How come I never realized I was so handsome before?" He touched his chin narcissistically.

Aura rolled her eyes but didn't argue.

There was a knock on the door of the lounge.

"Mr. Ming Luochen, Miss Aura." A gentle voice came from outside the door.

Ming Luochen opened the door, and standing outside was a middle-aged male swan-man with white wings on his back—the royal envoy, Fitz.

Fitz stared at Ming Luochen, momentarily stunned.

The person before me was tall, upright, and handsome, completely different from the short, chubby human I had seen in Herma. But his eyes hadn't changed—they still held a hint of cunning, a hint of unruliness, and a deep tenderness within them.

"Mr. Ming Luochen?" Fitz asked tentatively.

"It's me." Ming Luochen smiled slightly, a smile that added a touch of mature charm to his angular face.

Fitz took a deep breath, suppressing his shock, and bowed slightly: "His Majesty is waiting for you in the palace. Please follow me."

Ming Luochen took Aura's hand and walked out of the lounge.

In the corridor, sunlight streamed in from the high windows, casting golden beams of light onto the stone floor.

Ming Luochen walked between the pillars of light, his tall figure casting a long shadow on the ground. Aura walked beside him, looking down at his profile—now she was about a head taller than him, and her angle of view had changed from looking down to looking down slightly. A gentle smile played on her lips.

He felt his wife's gaze, turned his head to look at her, and squeezed her hand.

"What are you looking at?"

"Look at the handsome guy," Aura whispered.

Ming Luochen's lips curled up slightly, and he didn't say anything more, but simply held her hand tighter.