Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
Ning Fengzhi held a strange flower in his palm, its entire body glowing with a lustrous purple sheen, petals layered like brocade. Fine motes of light flowed across the petals. It was precisely the Exquisite Silk Tulip that Ning Rongrong had excitedly brought back earlier.
Ning Fengzhi had been gently rubbing the flower's stem when his fingers suddenly froze. The Exquisite Silk Tulip in his hand nearly slipped free.
He abruptly raised his head, golden eyes filled with shock as he looked at Ning Rongrong in disbelief.
"You're saying… you picked this up while wandering around the academy? A senior personally gave it to you?"
"Yes!"
Ning Rongrong nodded, her expression completely matter-of-fact.
"The teacher even said this flower was fated with me and told me to keep it well. I never expected it to be the nineteenth-ranked ferocious beast on the Soul Beast Ranking, and even a two-hundred-and-ten-thousand-year one!"
As she spoke, she reached out and lightly touched the petals. The petals trembled faintly, as if responding to her touch.
Ning Fengzhi took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the storm surging in his heart.
He lowered his gaze to the Exquisite Silk Tulip in his hand, sensing the vast spiritual energy and the faint yet discernible spiritual fluctuations within the flower. The shock in his heart deepened further.
"What a Heavenly Path Academy. What an astonishing gift from a senior."
A trace of sudden understanding flashed through Ning Fengzhi's eyes, followed by profound relief.
Fortunately, Rongrong was fated with this Exquisite Silk Tulip. Not only had she obtained a priceless treasure, she had effectively forged goodwill with a ferocious beast of two hundred and ten thousand years.
...
Star Dou Great Forest.
The golden light of the Soul Beast Ranking cleaved through the sky above the Star Dou Great Forest like a sharp blade, sending ripples across the Lake of Life in the core region.
Di Tian stood by the lakeside in human form. His dark robes fluttered without wind, golden vertical pupils locked onto the radiant screen in the sky as the terrifying aura around him nearly spiraled out of control.
"Exquisite Silk Tulip? An immortal herb?"
His low voice was filled with shock, anger, and disbelief.
"There has never been such a species in the soul beast world. A mere 'plant' was able to cultivate to the level of a two-hundred-and-ten-thousand-year ferocious beast, and can even control dreams to kill?"
Not far away, Gu Yuena stood in white robes as pure as snow. Her slender hand brushed lightly across the surface of the lake, complex emotions surging within her eyes.
Shock, scrutiny, and a faint, barely perceptible vigilance.
"Di Tian, it seems our understanding of this continent is still far too narrow."
Her voice was gentle but heavy with gravity. "This 'immortal herb' can break free from the conventional laws of soul beast cultivation and is even controlled by Heavenly Path Academy. If allowed to continue developing, it may become a great calamity for the soul beast race."
"Is that so?"
The Imperial Auspicious Beast, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion, quietly activated the Eye of Destiny and then saw a completely different scene.
In that vision, Gu Yuena stood obediently beside a man.
"Hiss… What is this about, my liege…?"
...
At the same time, at Shrek Academy, Tang San was circulating soul power to temper his Blue Silver Grass when the sudden golden radiance in the sky made him instinctively look up.
When the words "Exquisite Silk Tulip" and "originally an immortal herb" entered his sight, his soul power abruptly stalled. The phantom of Blue Silver Grass instantly collapsed, his pupils shrinking to pinpoints.
"Immortal herbs… they truly exist in this world!"
Tang San cried out in disbelief, his voice filled with shock and wild joy.
In his previous life, he had only seen fragmentary mentions of "immortal herbs" in ancient texts and had always regarded them as legendary spiritual objects.
He never imagined that in this life he would witness one with his own eyes, much less that an immortal herb could transform into a soul beast and cultivate to the level of a two-hundred-and-ten-thousand-year ferocious beast.
"Seizing the creations of heaven and earth, forging the very foundation of a soul master."
...
Heavenly Path Academy.
The girl transformed from the Exquisite Silk Tulip wore a purple dress, its hem layered like blooming petals. Her pale fingers lightly twirled a strand of faint purple light as she quietly sensed the pull transmitted from the Soul Beast Ranking.
In the next instant, a golden pillar of light descended from the sky, precisely enveloping her figure.
Within the pillar, countless fine runes danced like fireflies, carrying ancient and vast energy as they slowly seeped into her limbs and bones.
A flicker of surprise passed through the girl's eyes before she closed them, allowing the power to wash over her soul.
Boom!
The energy exploded within her body. Purple mist surged around her as her already lively eyes took on a hint of enchantment. A miniature Exquisite Silk Tulip mark appeared on her brow, flickering with a dim glow.
She could clearly feel her illusion abilities becoming increasingly refined. With a single thought, she could weave dreams indistinguishable from reality. More importantly, a brand-new power awakened deep within her soul.
It was the authority to invade others' dreams, to manipulate scenes and emotions within the interwoven realm of illusion and reality, and even to condense soul power to deliver a fatal strike to enemies within a dream.
"So this is… the power to kill within dreams?"
The girl murmured softly, her voice like an orchid blooming in a secluded valley, tinged with awe.
The golden pillar gradually dissipated. The spiritual energy around her slowly converged inward, while the glow on her purple dress became even more gentle. Her cultivation age rose to two hundred and thirty thousand years.
She opened her eyes, starlight seeming to flow within them as a faint smile curved her lips.
Two hundred and ten thousand years of accumulation, combined with this heaven-defying reward, had elevated her strength yet another level.
"Headmaster, everyone, this reward truly lives up to expectations."
Before the Exquisite Silk Tulip could finish speaking, the next ranking updated once again.
[Soul Beast Ranking Eighteenth: Sky Chrysanthemum]
[Age: 230,000 years]
[Affiliated Force: Heavenly Path Academy]
[Evaluation: Originally the immortal herb Sky Chrysanthemum. After being nurtured by Heavenly Path Academy, its age increased, divine consciousness was born, and it successfully advanced into a ferocious beast-level soul beast powerhouse. It possesses an extremely powerful physical body, indestructible like vajra, with energy flowing through all eight meridians, capable of contending with an ordinary Rank 97 Titled Douluo without falling behind.]
[Reward: Age increased by thirty thousand years. Indestructible Vajra attribute enhanced by 15 percent.]
As the eighteenth rank appeared, Chrysanthemum Douluo, who had been reporting to Bibi Dong about the nature of immortal herbs, suddenly staggered.
He then turned his head and stared at the Sky Chrysanthemum on the ranking, his eyes filled with longing.
"Ju Hua Guan, isn't that your martial soul? How can there be such a soul beast? Didn't you say your martial soul was unique in the world?"
Chrysanthemum Douluo was overwhelmed with joy, tears streaming down as his fingers trembled uncontrollably.
"Yes. I also believed the Sky Chrysanthemum existed only in me. I never imagined, that such an immortal herb truly exists, and with cultivation surpassing two hundred thousand years."
Chrysanthemum Douluo stood frozen in place, tears rolling down his cheeks. The phantom of the Sky Chrysanthemum martial soul in his palm shook violently, nearly breaking free from his control.
"Unique… I always thought it was unique…"
He murmured to himself, his voice filled with the ecstatic joy of loss regained and utter disbelief.
"A Sky Chrysanthemum at the two-hundred-and-thirty-thousand-year level, and a ferocious beast-level soul beast! If I could obtain its soul ring or soul bone, my martial soul would surely break through its shackles and perhaps even touch the threshold of godhood!"
Ghost Douluo looked at his unrestrained state, a flicker of surprise passing through his eyes before turning to understanding.
He patted Chrysanthemum Douluo on the shoulder and said in a deep voice, "Calm down, Ju Hua Guan. This Sky Chrysanthemum belongs to Heavenly Path Academy. Being able to cultivate two ferocious beast-level immortal herbs means it is absolutely not simple."
"Have you forgotten? Heavenly Path Academy has a God King-level powerhouse. Are you trying to throw your life away?"
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