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Under the setting sun, Dugu Bo landed in the courtyard with Ye Lan.
At this time, the faint sound of conversation could be heard from within the house.
Evidently, someone had come to visit Dugu Yan.
As soon as Ye Lan stepped inside, he saw that Zhu Zhuqing, Ning Rongrong, and Xiao Xue were all present.
When the group noticed Ye Lan's arrival, they quickly gathered around him.
"Ye Lan!!"
"Teacher!!"
Ye Lan asked with curiosity, "Where are Shimo and Shimo?"
Ning Rongrong explained, "They came to see Yanyan earlier, but it wasn't convenient for them to stay in the girls' dormitory, so they left after visiting her."
Ye Lan replied, "I see, no wonder I didn't see them!"
Not forgetting the purpose of Ye Lan's trip, Ye Lengling quickly asked, "Ye Lan, did you find the antidote for Yanyan?!"
Zhu Zhuqing also looked at Ye Lan with expectant eyes, saying, "Teacher, Sister Yanyan looks like she's in a lot of pain. Is there a way to help her?!"
Everyone else in the room also looked at Ye Lan with anticipation. In their hearts, Ye Lan was an omnipotent god!
Before Ye Lan could speak, Dugu Bo let out a hearty laugh, "Everyone, rest assured, Little Lan has already brought back the medicinal herbs! Yanyan's poison can be cured!"
Ye Lan, however, turned to Ye Lengling with a serious expression and said:
"Lengling, not only have I brought back Yanyan's antidote, but the martial soul defect of the 'Nine Heart Flowering Crabapple' can also be resolved!"
Ye Lengling looked up in astonishment, meeting Ye Lan's resolute gaze, and then a look of joyous surprise blossomed on her face:
"Ye Lan, is that really true?"
"Yes!" Ye Lan nodded affirmatively.
As Ye Lan and Ye Lengling exchanged this meaningful glance, the others finally realized something.
It turned out that the relationship between Ye Lengling and Ye Lan was far from ordinary!
Ye Lengling had always maintained a detached and tranquil demeanor, never posing a threat in anyone's mind.
But at this moment, they discovered that the matter between Ye Lengling and Ye Lan was likely much more complex than they had imagined.
Xiao Xue shot a jealous glare at Ye Lan. Seeing her expression, Ye Lan scratched his head in embarrassment.
Ning Rongrong, meanwhile, grabbed Zhu Zhuqing's hand, giving her a look that needed no words.
That gaze seemed to say, Zhuqing, if you don't secure Ye Lan soon, the two of us might as well say goodbye to our chances with him!
Ye Lengling said, "Let's distribute the herbs for Yanyan first. My martial soul isn't an urgent matter."
Ye Lan nodded, then led everyone to the bedside.
At this moment, Dugu Yan was lying weakly on the bed.
Upon seeing Ye Lan's arrival, Dugu Yan managed a faint smile. "Idol, it's so good to see you! I just hope I can keep seeing you in the future!"
Ye Lan gently caressed Dugu Yan's cheek and comforted her:
"Don't you worry, I'll always be here!"
A golden gleam of soul power flashed in Ye Lan's palm, and a super-sized 'mushroom' appeared in his hand.
Dugu Yan asked, "Idol, what is this?"
"This is the immortal herb, 'Ninth Grade Dragon Tallow.' It was nurtured on dragon's blood and will be very effective at resolving the martial soul poison within your body. As for its other effects, you'll find out after you've absorbed it! There will be a big surprise waiting for you!"
Dugu Yan took the 'Ninth Grade Dragon Tallow,' looking doubtfully at the ordinary-looking large mushroom.
After handing the 'Ninth Grade Dragon Tallow' to Dugu Yan, Ye Lan, under the amazed gazes of the others, pulled out another plant from his Wishful Hundred Treasures Pouch.
It was an enormous chrysanthemum of a magnificent purple hue. Every single petal of the chrysanthemum looked fluffy and exceptionally lovely. The entire flower was a perfect whole, yet it emitted no fragrance. The pistil in the center rose a good half a foot above the petals, and its tip shimmered with a faint golden luster.
"Zhuqing, this is for you! This immortal herb is called the 'Qirong Tongtian Chrysanthemum.' After consuming it, you can circulate the soul power in your body to clear the eight extraordinary meridians and cultivate an 'Indestructible Vajra Body'."
"With this, you will be able to go much further on the path of a speed-type Soul Master! In the future, Zhuqing, you'll be able to fight at your top speed without restraint, never again having to worry about your body being unable to withstand your own velocity!"
Zhu Zhuqing stammered, "T-Teacher, isn't this too valuable!?"
Ye Lan gently ruffled Zhu Zhuqing's hair and said, "What can I say? You're my student, after all!"
"Zhuqing, that's not all!"
"This immortal herb is called the 'Narcissus Jade Beauty Bone.' Its effects are wonderfully similar to the Qirong Tongtian Chrysanthemum, able to moisten the tendons, strengthen the bones, and clear the seven main and eight extraordinary meridians."
"With the effects of these two immortal herbs叠加, Zhuqing, your martial soul will absolutely have a huge surprise in store!"
"Zhuqing, your innate talent is the most lacking, which is why you can absorb two immortal herbs. Everyone else also has the most suitable immortal herb for them, so you don't need to feel embarrassed about me giving you an extra one."
The other girls were very supportive of Ye Lan's decision and didn't feel he was being partial.
Zhu Zhuqing had managed to keep up with them entirely through sheer effort, not innate talent.
If consuming the immortal herbs could improve her talent, then it was all worth it.
Just as Ye Lan finished speaking, Ning Rongrong sidled up to him:
"Teacher! Teacher, I'm your student too!"
"Does Rongrong also get a share of the immortal herbs?"
"Pfft!" Everyone chuckled at Ning Rongrong's playful antics.
"Of course! You are the big spender who paid several million gold soul coins to become my apprentice, after all!" Ye Lan joked.
"I'm not a big spender! Becoming your student is the luckiest thing that has ever happened in my life!" Ning Rongrong said with sincerity.
Ye Lan rubbed Ning Rongrong's head and once again pulled a white immortal herb from the Wishful Hundred Treasures Pouch, handing it to her.
The stem and leaves of this immortal herb were like a lush curtain of vines, intricately arranged, but at its top was a resplendent golden tulip. Its rich fragrance gave off a feeling of magnificent grandeur.
Everyone exclaimed in awe, "What a beautiful tulip!"
Dugu Yan glanced resentfully at the 'Ninth Grade Dragon Tallow' in her hand. Why is my immortal herb so ugly!
"This flower is named the 'Exquisite Scented Tulip.' To consume it, you only need to gently inhale from the bud and then circulate your soul power, spreading the medicinal energy throughout your limbs. Its enhancement to gemstone-type martial souls is incredibly potent. There will be a great surprise waiting for you in a while too!"
Cupping her hands, Ning Rongrong received the 'Exquisite Scented Tulip' and began to carefully examine each of its petals.
"Xiao Xue, this one is yours!" Ye Lan took out a red, cockscomb-shaped herb from the Wishful Hundred Treasures Pouch.
"Ye Lan, what is this?" Xiao Xue looked inquisitively at the 'cockscomb' that seemed neither grass nor flower.
"Xiao Xue, your innate talent is the best. At first, I couldn't decide what immortal herb to give you, because most would have very little effect on your martial soul."
"But I still managed to pick one from among the many immortal herbs that is the most suitable for you!"
"This herb is called the 'Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower,' and it has the miraculous effects of thoroughly remolding the body and enhancing the fire attribute!"
"I'm sure it will significantly boost the fire-attribute abilities of your 'Angel Sword'," Ye Lan said, giving Xiao Xue a wink.
Understanding his meaning, Xiao Xue took the 'Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower' and began to study it in her palm.
When Ye Lan came to Ye Lengling's side, she was already looking at him with great anticipation.
She wanted to know what kind of plant Ye Lan would produce that could remedy the defect of her martial soul.
With a flash of soul power in his palm, Ye Lan produced a white flower that resembled a peony.
The flower's roots were still attached to a large stone, which was entirely jet-black.
Ye Lan gently placed the 'peony' on the floor. Within its bud were several petals that looked as if they were stained with fresh blood.
Ye Lengling asked, "Ye Lan, what is this flower?"
Ye Lan began to recount the story of the 'Lovesick Heartbreak Red':
"This immortal herb is called the 'Lovesick Heartbreak Red,' and it is considered a sacred item among immortal herbs. Once, there was a young man of a gentle disposition who loved raising flowers, and his garden was a riot of color. He would mournfully bury the fallen blossoms and often shed tears for them. This love for flowers moved a flower fairy, who secretly descended to the mortal realm and married him. But their happiness was short-lived. The celestial gods, decreeing that immortals and mortals could not be together, recalled the flower fairy to the God Realm. Having lost his love, the young man was sorrowful all day long and no longer tended to his garden, which fell into a desolate state."
"One day, an old, white-haired man told him that the white peony in his garden was the incarnation of the flower fairy, and he only needed to destroy the flower for her to be returned to the mortal realm to be with him again. The young man looked at his desolate garden and the wilted 'peony flower,' and began to regret his neglect of the other flowers. So he began to meticulously care for all the plants again. Although he missed his wife dearly, he couldn't bear to destroy the peony, and instead cherished it even more."
"Due to his deep longing for his wife, he wept before the flower day and night. Eventually, his tears ran dry, his heart broke, and he died of a lovesick, broken heart."
"The blood he coughed onto the petals in his final moments are the crimson stains you see today."
After Ye Lan finished telling the origin of the Lovesick Heartbreak Red, everyone's hearts were stirred, unable to contain their emotions.
After a long moment, Ye Lan said:
"This flower is no ordinary item. To pick the 'Lovesick Heartbreak Red,' one must think of their beloved in their heart, with utmost sincerity and devotion, and then spit a mouthful of heart's blood upon its petals! Only the purest of feelings can move the 'Lovesick Heartbreak Red' and earn its acknowledgment! Otherwise, one could spit blood until death and never gain its recognition."
"And once you have gained the acknowledgment of the 'Lovesick Heartbreak Red,' it will never wilt again, lasting for all eternity."
Ye Lengling looked at the 'Lovesick Heartbreak Red' with a珍惜得 expression. She never imagined that the 'Lovesick Heartbreak Red' was so unique.
Ye Lengling circulated her soul power and struck herself on the chest.
A mouthful of heart's blood was coughed up into her palm. Just as Ye Lengling was about to drip the blood onto the 'Lovesick Heartbreak Red,'
Dugu Yan called out, "Lengling, wait!"
After speaking, Dugu Yan rose from her sickbed.
She struck her own chest and caught a mouthful of fresh blood in her right hand.
Seeing Dugu Yan's action, the other three girls understood her intention.
Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong also held fresh blood in their hands and walked to Ye Lengling's side.
At that moment, Xiao Xue stepped forward, holding a handful of golden blood.
Everyone looked at Xiao Xue in amazement. Her blood was actually golden!
Before they could finish marveling, Xiao Xue used her golden soul power to merge the blood of all five girls into a single golden-red drop.
The 'golden-red blood' slowly dripped from their five hands onto the 'Lovesick Heartbreak Red.'
At that instant, the 'Lovesick Heartbreak Red' flashed with a brilliant golden light, detached itself from the Ominous Despair Stone, and slowly floated into mid-air.
"It worked!" everyone exclaimed in surprise.
The fusion of their five hearts' blood had still managed to gain the acknowledgment of the 'Lovesick Heartbreak Red.'
This proved that each of them held the purest of feelings in their hearts, and the object of those feelings was...
The five of them glanced at each other, each knowing who the others loved.
But the acknowledgment of the 'Lovesick Heartbreak Red' proved that their feelings for Ye Lan were equally pure.
The five of them mutually acknowledged each other's love for Ye Lan.
Feeling the depth of their sentiments, although Ye Lan was somewhat prepared, his heart was profoundly shaken at this moment.
Dugu Yan said, "Lengling, hurry up and eat it. Such a precious 'Lovesick Heartbreak Red' will surely be able to cure the 'Nine Heart Flowering Crabapple'."
Ye Lengling shook her head and said, "I will not eat the 'Lovesick Heartbreak Red.' This is a testament to the feelings of all five of us."
"The 'Lovesick Heartbreak Red' can exist eternally. This way, it can forever bear witness to our shared feelings!"
"Sister Lengling, please eat it! Although the 'Lovesick Heartbreak Red' holds a special meaning for the five of us, resolving your martial soul's defect is far more important by comparison!" Zhu Zhuqing urged.
Xiao Xue and Ning Rongrong also nodded in agreement.
Hearing everyone's urging, Ye Lengling was deeply moved, but the significance of the 'Lovesick Heartbreak Red' to them was simply too great.
Just as Ye Lengling was torn with indecision, Ye Lan spoke up, "Lengling, since that's the case, let's not eat the 'Lovesick Heartbreak Red.' You can eat this immortal herb instead!"
Ye Lan took out a yellow twin-blossomed flower from his Wishful Hundred Treasures Pouch.
"This flower is called the 'Soul-Restoring Genesis Flower,' and it possesses the 'Ultimate Life' attribute. Furthermore, its twin-blossomed nature should be able to remedy the defect of the 'Nine Heart Flowering Crabapple'."
"As for this 'Lovesick Heartbreak Red,' let's plant it here in the courtyard."
"Alright!" The group was overjoyed!
Not only was the 'Lovesick Heartbreak Red' saved, but Ye Lengling's martial soul also had a cure!
After distributing the immortal herbs to the girls, Ye Lan said, "In that case, let's all find the most suitable spot for meditation and begin consuming the herbs!"
Dugu Bo stepped forward at this time and declared, "All of you can consume your immortal herbs in peace. I will stand guard for you!"
Subsequently, after everyone found a location best suited for their cultivation, they began to ingest their immortal herbs.
Ye Lan, meanwhile, sat cross-legged on the grass in the courtyard. He took out two immortal herbs from his Wishful Hundred Treasures Pouch: the 'Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass' and the 'Infernal Fire Apricot.'
According to the intrinsic information of the immortal herbs, fusing the 'Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass' and the 'Infernal Fire Apricot' also required water-attribute soul power.
And Ye Lan had water-attribute soul power within his body!
It just wasn't Ultimate Water, and Ye Lan had never used his water-attribute soul power in combat.
After completing all his preparations, Ye Lan consumed both the 'Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass' and the 'Infernal Fire Apricot.'
He then circulated his blue, water-attribute soul power, enveloping the two immortal herbs.
Although the two herbs contained the poisons of extreme cold and extreme heat, thanks to the resistance provided by 'Ultimate Life' and his fire immunity characteristic, Ye Lan only felt a slight chill, not a jarring sensation of alternating heat and cold.
As the 'Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass' and the 'Infernal Fire Apricot' gradually fused, the collision of Ultimate Ice and Ultimate Fire was mediated by the water-attribute soul power.
A rich surge of Ultimate Water-attribute soul power began to spread throughout all the meridians in Ye Lan's body.
Within Ye Lan's martial soul consciousness, between the clearly demarcated oceans of gold and green, a small blue stream began to appear.
Before long, the blue stream transformed into a blue ocean!
Countless stalks of 'Blue Silver Grass - Radiant Life' began to greedily absorb the 'Ultimate Water.'
The blue starlights on the bodies of the 'Blue Silver Grass - Radiant Life' grew increasingly brilliant.
At this moment, the entire Blue Silver Grass seemed to be draped in a blue galaxy.
And to Ye Lan's surprise, he felt no discomfort as the Blue Silver Grass underwent another evolution.
Ye Lan guessed that this was because when he absorbed the 'Ancient Beast's Touch' soul ring, he had already endured all the suffering in advance.
This was the terrifying aspect of 'Self-Selecting Soul Skills'; absorbing the second soul ring had already laid the foundation for the 'Blue Silver Grass' martial soul to reach its upper limit of three ultimate attributes.
A moment later, the water attribute of Ye Lan's Blue Silver Grass had completely transformed into Ultimate Water.
The final life bonus that the water attribute provided to the Blue Silver Grass increased from fifty percent to one hundred percent!
At this point, the total life bonus for Ye Lan's Blue Silver Grass reached a horrifying one thousand two hundred percent!
Suddenly, Ye Lan's clothes were torn apart by the 'Ancient Beast's Touch' as eight pitch-black tentacles, now even thicker and more robust, burst forth!
Seeing Ye Lan's 'octopus legs' appear, Dugu Bo clicked his tongue in amazement.
Ye Lan was actually holding back his strength when he fought me last time!?
If he had used this external soul bone, these 'octopus legs,' last time, he probably would have defeated me, who was only using the soul power of a Soul Elder, without much effort, right?!
At this moment, Ye Lan sensed countless streams of Ultimate Water attribute spreading throughout the 'Ancient Beast's Touch,' washing over it repeatedly.
It felt as if something had shattered.
Ye Lan knew: the 'Ancient Beast's Touch' had undergone its second awakening!
Before Ye Lan had a chance to inspect the newly awakened 'Ancient Beast's Touch,' a verdant green light instantly erupted from his body, expanding a hundred meters out!
Seeing the domain of green light emanating from Ye Lan, Dugu Bo exclaimed in shock:
"What kind of monster is Little Lan?! Awakening a domain this early?!!"
A dozen or so seconds after the domain appeared, Ye Lan slowly regained consciousness.
At that moment, Ye Lan realized he was the first person to awaken.
Perhaps it was because his foundation was too strong; the immortal herbs could no longer improve his 'Innate Level 20' physical aptitude.
Elevating his water attribute to Ultimate Water was already the absolute limit of what the immortal herbs could do!
Seeing Ye Lan wake up, Dugu Bo quickly asked:
"Little Lan, did the immortal herbs improve your martial soul that much? You can awaken a martial soul domain at only level twenty-five?!"
Ye Lan shook his head, "Grandpa Dugu, I'm already level thirty now! Although the 'Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass' and 'Infernal Fire Apricot' were crucial, the main reason is that the foundation of the Blue Silver Grass martial soul is just too good."
"Hehe, you truly are worthy of being my grandson-in-law. The more monstrous your potential, the better!" Dugu Bo nodded and smiled.
"Little Lan, what is your domain?" Dugu Bo asked curiously.
"My domain is called the 'Nature Domain.' The 'Nature Domain' has no suppressive effect on enemies, but it can increase the life force of my Blue Silver Grass by fifty percent!" Ye Lan explained.
"That will make those vines of yours even harder to deal with," Dugu Bo nodded.
Ye Lan nodded in agreement. The fifty percent life bonus from the Nature Domain was a separate multiplier.
After activating the domain, the life bonus for his Blue Silver Grass reached one thousand eight hundred percent!
An eighteen-fold life bonus!
Thinking of this value, Ye Lan exclaimed internally, No technique, just pure stats!
Moreover, Ye Lan hadn't fully explained the effects of the 'Nature Domain' to Grandpa Dugu, mainly because its other characteristics were simply too outrageous.
Besides the life force bonus for the Blue Silver Grass, the Nature Domain had two other terrifying characteristics.
First: The growth speed of all plants within the domain is increased tenfold!
One could say that from now on, Ye Lan would be a walking 'Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.'
If certain ferocious plant-type beasts learned of this characteristic, Ye Lan would likely have a hard time escaping them, so he did not inform Dugu Bo of this aspect of the 'Nature Domain.'
The third characteristic was 'Plant Sovereign'!
If Ye Lan were to die, he could slowly resurrect himself using any plant!
In addition to being able to resurrect through any plant, Ye Lan could also engage in simple communication with all plants.
Only after awakening the 'Nature Domain' did Ye Lan realize that all plants actually possessed a form of consciousness.
They could engage in simple communication with each other, although their 'minds' were extremely simplistic.
But Ye Lan could accomplish many things by relying on his ability to communicate with plants.
For example, searching for soul beasts, finding wild fruits, locating spirit medicines, scouting paths, and more.
This third characteristic was not only related to Ye Lan's life but also to his future plans.
Therefore, Ye Lan did not tell Grandpa Dugu, in case the walls had ears.
After sorting out all the characteristics of the Nature Domain, Ye Lan began to explore what abilities the second awakening of the 'Ancient Beast's Touch' had brought.
The eight thick tentacles of the 'Ancient Beast's Touch' once again emerged from his marble-sculpted back.
Dugu Bo looked at the 'Ancient Beast's Touch' with amazement and gave one of the 'octopus legs' a squeeze.
Dugu Bo said, "Little Lan, you didn't use this 'external soul bone' last time. Were you treating me like an outsider?"
Ye Lan gave an embarrassed smile, "At that time, I had only just met Grandpa Dugu, after all."
"Hahaha, it's fine. We're all family from now on. If you ever run into any high-level Soul Masters bullying you, just tell your grandpa, and I'll immediately take you to go poison them," Dugu Bo laughed heartily.
A warmth spread through Ye Lan's heart as he began to explore the "Ancient Beast's Touch."
The second awakening of the 'Ancient Beast's Touch' seemed to be related to Ultimate Water, so Ye Lan decisively circulated the Ultimate Water-attribute soul power in his body.
A deep blue Ultimate Water attribute instantly flowed into the 'Ancient Beast's Touch.'
At this moment, Ye Lan felt an immense sense of relief from the 'Ancient Beast's Touch,' as if it were being washed by countless oceans.
"Ah!"
Ye Lan let out a cry of pure comfort.
Whoosh!!
Ye Lan discovered with amazement that he was actually floating!
The 'Ancient Beast's Touch' behind him had transformed into eight shockwaves of Ultimate Water.
Using the repulsive force of the shockwaves, Ye Lan could actually fly!
At this moment, the eight blue shockwaves resembled the blue flames ejected from a mecha's thrusters!
Dugu Bo stared in shock at the slowly ascending Ye Lan, his mouth wide open.
"Isn't this just too monstrous?! Thank the heavens for granting me such a grandson-in-law!" Dugu Bo exclaimed.
Ye Lan, meanwhile, used the second form of the 'Ancient Beast's Touch' to begin flying slowly.
He went from clumsy to proficient. At this moment, Ye Lan felt as if he were piloting a mecha, constantly controlling the eight streams of Ultimate Water propulsion!
Once Ye Lan became skilled, his speed instantly reached another level, almost comparable to his running speed on land.
Furthermore, Ye Lan discovered that the 'Ancient Beast's Touch' on his back could not only propel his body but could also transform into tentacles made of water.
At first, Ye Lan didn't think much of it, feeling that in terms of pure attack power, they were inferior to the solid 'Ancient Beast's Touch.'
But after manipulating the water-attribute tentacles a few times, he instantly discovered their incredible plasticity!
Water could be transformed into any shape!
And Ye Lan's spiritual power ability, 'Formless Form,' could also be transformed into any shape!
(End of chapter)