Ye Wen slowly synchronized his spirit with the Nana martial soul, then began projecting an overwhelming sense of greed through his mental energy, as if he intended to devour the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum entirely.
The Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum was now trembling in sheer panic. Its entire flower shook uncontrollably.
But Ye Wen didn't eat it. Instead, he continued projecting waves of desire through his mental energy, making the chrysanthemum feel like it was about to be devoured.
Faced with this insatiable hunger, the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum felt certain it was going to die—but being a plant, it could do nothing but remain rooted in place.
The feeling was utterly frustrating.
If only it had reached the level of a 100,000-year soul beast, it might have been able to curse fluently in human language.
Unable to fight back or escape, the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum—possessing only the most basic instinctive awareness—succumbed to despair after its initial panic.
'Fine,' it seemed to think. 'If you want to pluck me, go ahead. If you want to kill me, do it. In a thousand years, I'll be back, stronger than ever.'
Seeing the flower wilt completely, Ye Wen judged that it was time and began altering the fluctuations of his mental energy.
If the original wave of mental energy conveyed pure greed and a desire to consume, the new wave expressed hesitation—a reluctance to let this life fade away, yet still a craving for the medicinal properties contained within the flower.
Plants were slow to react. It took quite some time before the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum finally understood Ye Wen's intent.
'Does this mean I won't die?'
This simple thought arose, and soon the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum, with its childlike intellect, began pondering.
Though it had earlier resigned itself to death, no living being truly wished to perish if given a choice.
Moreover, though its consciousness was weak, the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum carried fragmented memories from its previous incarnations, knowing that once it died, it might not be the same "self" when it regrew.
After another long while, the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum finally devised a plan. A rich, fragrant aroma began emanating from it, so potent that even the Nana martial soul couldn't mask it.
After waiting impatiently for what felt like ages, Dugu Bo's face lit up with joy the moment he caught a whiff of the scent.
"Is it done!?"
But Ye Wen frowned, using his mental energy to convey that the amount released wasn't sufficient.
The Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum paused briefly, but its limited intelligence quickly grasped that the method it had chosen was correct. It then began fervently manipulating its petals.
More and more fragrant yellowish liquid seeped out from its delicate petals, rising and coalescing under Ye Wen's control.
Finally, when the entire flower appeared on the verge of being drained dry, Ye Wen ceased his mental pressure and commanded the Nana martial soul to spit the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum back out.
At this point, Dugu Bo stepped forward, his eyes gleaming brightly with excitement. "It's done!" he exclaimed joyfully.
Ye Wen smiled and nodded, saying, "Mission accomplished."
He then retrieved a prepared jade vial from his storage-type soul tool and carefully placed the extracted juice of the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum inside. Turning to Dugu Bo, he said:
"Teacher, though this juice contains the medicinal properties of the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum, it's not the proper way to consume it. To prevent any unforeseen changes, we should hurry and take it back for Senior Sister to ingest."
Dugu Bo nodded in agreement. After all, even the pills he crafted had expiration dates, let alone this freshly extracted juice. If left too long, he feared it might spoil and lose its effectiveness, much like freshly squeezed fruit juice.
In the next instant, before Ye Wen could react, the vial vanished from his hand. When he looked up in surprise, he realized that his teacher—such a towering Title Douluo—had disappeared without a trace!
Ye Wen was momentarily speechless. He understood that Dugu Bo was in a hurry, but this was excessive.
'And what about me? Did you forget I'm still here!?'
After a brief internal rant, Ye Wen calmly stood up, stretched his stiff limbs from sitting for so long, and rubbed his hands together eagerly as he surveyed the unguarded medicinal garden.
"Hehehehe—!! Little treasures, here I come!"
As Dugu Bo's personal disciple, Ye Wen believed that what belonged to Dugu Bo was also indirectly his. With this mindset, he began looting the garden with abandon.
However, unlike Tang San, who would drain resources indiscriminately, Ye Wen ensured that the plants wouldn't be permanently harmed. He only harvested amounts that wouldn't damage the herbs themselves. As for the mythical herbs, though he desired them, he didn't want to displease Dugu Bo. Given his limited allies, Ye Wen decided to proceed cautiously.
By handling things this way, he reasoned that Dugu Bo wouldn't complain too much upon his return.
Of course, Ye Wen planned to inform Dugu Bo when he returned. After all, taking without permission was theft, and Ye Wen didn't want to emulate Tang San, who had wreaked havoc on Dugu Bo's garden while he was absent.
As he gathered resources, Ye Wen gradually approached the core of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
Looking at the massive yin-yang-like formation, Ye Wen could already sense the intense fluctuations of two elemental forces in the air without getting too close.
"It's terrifying," Ye Wen murmured. "People always say that even after a tiger dies, its presence remains. These two god-kings, even buried miles underground, still exude such overwhelming power. I can't imagine how terrifying it must have been to face them directly."
Though curious, Ye Wen didn't venture too close. After glancing at the Infernal Delicate Apricot and the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass, he turned his attention to other medicinal herbs.
---
Back at the Dugu residence—
Under Dugu Bo's expectant gaze, Dugu Yan downed the juice of the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum in one gulp.
Without needing Dugu Bo to explain anything, Dugu Yan immediately sat cross-legged to begin refining the medicinal properties she felt surging through her body.
Her face grew increasingly flushed, her muscles began bulging inch by inch, and fine white hairs started sprouting on her skin. Dugu Bo wasn't surprised—this was exactly the effect described in the book.
Such powerful effects of strengthening tendons and bones were indeed formidable, but for the user, the experience was excruciating, as if their body was being stretched apart piece by piece.
But aware of the burdens she and her grandfather bore, Dugu Yan gritted her teeth and endured the pain silently, her expression resolute as she focused on refining the medicinal energy.
Finally, the white hairs receded, and her figure returned to normal. Slowly, Dugu Yan exhaled a deep breath.
Dugu Bo, his emotions brimming with anticipation, asked, "How do you feel, Yan Yan?"
Dugu Yan's expression was somewhat wistful. Though a beast-type soul master, her physical strength as a control-type soul master had never been particularly impressive.
But after absorbing the medicinal properties of the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum, she felt that a single punch from her could now shatter a tree effortlessly.
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