Jiang Nannan smoothly picked a Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower and returned to Zhu Ziyang's side.
"Oh my, you actually picked that one. How am I supposed to explain this to Kuku?" Laurel Immortal Tea cried out in surprise when she saw the fiery red flower in Jiang Nannan's hand.
"What's wrong? Is this one not allowed?" Jiang Nannan frowned slightly, displeased.
The flower in her hand was the largest among all the Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower offshoots—its size and height second only to the main body itself. Though Chacha had given her assurance earlier, Jiang Nannan was still worried that an ordinary offshoot might not fully resolve Ma Xiaotao's martial soul defect. That's why she chose the most vigorous one. After all, the bigger, the better—wasn't that the general rule for Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflowers?
"How could it not be?" Chacha panicked a little at Jiang Nannan's unhappy expression. She had finally come across a Lunar Jade Rabbit—there was no way she was going to lose her now. In a fawning tone, she quickly explained, "Although it's grown very well, it's still an offshoot. Kuku might be upset, but she won't take it too seriously. I'll explain it to her—you don't need to worry."
For these immortal herbs that had evolved into soul beasts, offshoots were dispensable. Although technically speaking, they were like siblings, unless they separated from the root, they remained just unconscious plant matter—nothing more.
"Good." Jiang Nannan relaxed her expression and smiled. She turned to Zhu Ziyang and said, "Brother, here, take it."
She handed him the Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower. Zhu Ziyang smiled and brought out a jade box, carefully placing the flower inside and then storing it in his Starflame Ring.
"Thank you for your hard work, Nannan."
"You two should get going. If you stay any longer, you'll be discovered!" Chacha urged them. "And remember, silver-haired girl—you must keep our promise!"
"I will," Jiang Nannan replied solemnly. She wouldn't dare break her promise to a hundred-thousand-year soul beast—not just for the soul ring, but also for the soul bone. Only a fool would go back on that deal.
"Goodbye, Laurel Immortal Tea," Zhu Ziyang said, his eyes sweeping once around the plants surrounding the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well before returning to Chacha. His lips curled into a faint smile.
"Bye-bye!" Chacha responded obliviously, unaware of the deeper meaning in Zhu Ziyang's gaze.
"Nannan, let's go!" Zhu Ziyang wrapped his arm around her waist. His left eye suddenly glowed with golden light, and the space around them warped. In a blink, the two disappeared before Chacha's eyes.
"Hehehe~ I, Chacha, can finally leave this cursed place!" she giggled, watching them vanish. "Hehehe~"
"Chacha, I saw it!" A cold voice echoed as a pale ice-white plant emerged from the Cold Yin Spring.
"Aah! Bingbing, when did you wake up?!" Chacha was startled, her branches trembling as she stared in panic at the plant in the spring.
"I woke up as soon as those two humans entered," the ice-white plant replied. "I heard everything you said."
"T-This..." Chacha truly panicked now, stumbling over her words. Everyone had complaints about her, but no one dared say them aloud. Now, if the Eight Petal Immortal Orchid told Youyou about her words, she might get her spirit wiped! So many immortal herbs had already met that fate at their hands—she didn't want to die!
"I saw it too!" Just as Chacha was panicking, another voice came from the Yang Spring. A blazing red plant rose—Infernal Delicate Apricot.
"Jiaojiao! I'm doomed, I'm doomed!" Chacha slumped in despair, her voice lifeless.
"Alright, stop scaring her!" another voice chimed in. It was the Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower, who had just lost one of her offshoots.
"Kuku, you... you're awake too?" Chacha's heart sank even deeper, but a thread of hope flickered when she heard her words.
"Mmhm. I woke up when that girl picked my flower," Kuku said. "Don't worry, we won't blame you. We understand your situation, and we'll help you keep it secret."
"That's right, we will too," added Eight Petal Immortal Orchid and Infernal Delicate Apricot in unison.
"Really? Thank you all!" Chacha was moved to tears, their words like heavenly music in her ears.
"Of course it's true. But you must agree to one condition!" said Eight Petal Immortal Orchid. Infernal Delicate Apricot nodded in agreement.
"No problem!" Riding high from despair to elation, Chacha didn't even think twice before agreeing.
—
Outside the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, golden light flickered as Zhu Ziyang and Jiang Nannan reappeared.
This was space transfer, a new ability granted by the power of fate from the Three-Eyed Golden Lion.
After the memory exchange with it, Zhu Ziyang had absorbed a portion of its fate power. His left eye underwent a special mutation, just like how his right eye had mutated when the Silver Dragon Wolf sacrificed itself for him. Over six months of nurturing, his left eye developed faint golden dragon wing patterns—similar to the right eye—and he named it the Golden Left Eye.
While the Silver Right Eye had the power of time freeze, the Golden Left Eye possessed the ability of space transfer. It allowed Zhu Ziyang to teleport instantly across spatial regions—a typical application of spatial laws.
Currently, he could only teleport up to five hundred meters, but the potential was tremendous. One day, moving thousands of meters in a blink would be entirely possible.
"Let's go, Nannan. Let's head back to the academy," Zhu Ziyang said.
"Mm!" Jiang Nannan hugged his waist, her eyes sparkling with joy. "Let's surprise Sister Xiaotao!"
"Heh, alright." Zhu Ziyang gave a bitter smile. How could he not understand her thoughts? But what could he do? Break things off completely with Ma Xiaotao? Sorry—that might've been possible two years ago. But now... he simply couldn't.
Maybe he really was just a big flirt. But his teacher Electrolux had once said: "It's normal for a young man to admire beauty." So be it—so long as he didn't become a scumbag who played with feelings, that was enough. Besides, they were all still young. Matters of love... let them unfold naturally.
Carrying Jiang Nannan, Zhu Ziyang soared low over the forest and quickly left Sunset Forest, heading toward Shrek Academy.
"Ziyang, you're just going to leave that Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well like this?" Electrolux's voice echoed in his mind, sounding doubtful. "Such a treasure trove... it's a shame to just walk away. I've never seen anything like it! Truly a land of fallen divinity!"
In the ancient legends of the Douluo Continent, the Nine Dragon Kings were all divine beings. So Electrolux calling it a divine grave was perfectly fitting.
"Teacher, don't worry," Zhu Ziyang replied with a reassuring smile. "This wasn't our last visit. Now that we know how to get in, there'll be plenty of chances to come again."
"Back in my day, I'd have summoned the undead army, wiped out all those immortal herbs, and hauled both springs into the Undead Demiplane," Electrolux sighed. "If only I still had my full strength... my disciple wouldn't need to tiptoe around like this!"
Of course, Electrolux knew what Zhu Ziyang was cautious of—the Sea God who guarded the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well from the shadows. Even he feared such a divine being. Gods, in any world, stood atop the food chain.
"Teacher, I never intended to destroy the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well!" Zhu Ziyang said with a wry smile. His teacher's style really was overbearing—no wonder he'd earned the title of Undead Calamity. "My real goal has always been the Ice Dragon King's bones at the bottom of the Cold Yin Spring. Now that I've confirmed they exist, I just need to prepare. My current strength isn't enough to dive that deep."
"Alright. As long as you know what you're doing, I'll stop nagging," Electrolux said, pleased.
"Mm-hmm!" Zhu Ziyang nodded firmly.
Before long, the two returned to Shrek Academy.
—
Star Luo Empire, Star Luo City.
Behind the Duke White Tiger's estate, a thin and frail boy slipped out quietly, heading north without a backward glance.
His eyes were bright, but clouded with deep shadows—hatred and grief filled his young face.
"Mother, I know you're watching from the heavens. No matter what it takes, I'll return one day and trample everything here beneath my feet. From this moment on, I'll take your surname—Huo. I am Huo Yuhao."
Huo Yuhao fled the Duke's manor, running toward Star Dou Forest—toward the gears of fate.
As his figure faded into the distance, a grand scheme slowly began to unfold. A pawn had entered the game, and with it, the board of destiny began to move. The match that would decide the future of the Douluo Continent had begun.
(End of Chapter)
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