"Yu Yan, what do you think that unknown god's purpose was in glancing at you before leaving?"
Once Zhu Zhuqing had walked far enough away, Xiao Wu came to sit beside Yu Yan and began to discuss this matter with him.
"I don't know. There was no omen at all. After Zhu Zhuqing finished her oath, the god suddenly wandered around me for a bit and then vanished completely."
While answering the question offhandedly, Yu Yan was still thinking. From the perspectives of the Douluo World's God Realm and its divinities, he wondered which god would do such a thing.
After thinking for a long while, Yu Yan could not reach a definitive conclusion. His knowledge of the Douluo Continent's divinities came entirely from the novel, and the novel did not mention all of them.
"Could it be... because Zhu Zhuqing is special?"
While Yu Yan was thinking, Xiao Wu was also reflecting. From her perspective as a bystander, she offered a conjecture.
"Zhu Zhuqing is special?"
Yu Yan, who had found no answer from his own line of reasoning, began to think about the problem from the perspective of Zhu Zhuqing herself after hearing Xiao Wu's guess.
Zhu Zhuqing—if there was anything special about her, it was that without him, she would have become one of the Shrek Seven Devils and subsequently become a Second-tier Divinity, the Speed God, in this era.
Terms like Shrek Seven Devils, Tang San, the novel's protagonist, the Child of Luck, and the Three-Eyed Golden Lion entered Yu Yan's mind. After reviewing everything, a plausible conjecture formed in his heart.
Perhaps Zhu Zhuqing also possesses a certain amount of Luck?
If he wanted to verify this conjecture, perhaps when he visited the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School in the future, he could have Ning Rongrong swear a Divine Oath to test its accuracy.
Yu Yan, who now had a highly probable conjecture, did not speak it aloud. He and Xiao Wu chatted about it for a while longer before pausing the discussion since there was no definitive answer... As Zhu Zhuqing Cultivated while sitting cross-legged in the wooden tub for her medicinal bath, she could clearly feel her Physique rapidly strengthening along with her meditation. This sensation of rapid strengthening was somewhat similar to the feeling of rapid growth when absorbing a spirit ring.
"As I thought, I made the right choice."
Zhu Zhuqing calmed her joyful heart slightly and focused on her meditation.
Wisps of energy, drawn by Zhu Zhuqing along with the Spiritual Qi of heaven and earth, flowed into her body, bringing about significant changes.
During these twenty-one days of using the medicinal bath, Zhu Zhuqing experienced what it meant to move at lightning speed. While her Physique more than doubled, her Spirit Power Level also successfully broke through from rank 28 to rank 30. As long as she absorbed one more spirit ring, she could become a Spirit Elder.
On the night the medicinal bath ended, Zhu Zhuqing clenched her fists, and her uncertainty about the future completely vanished... The day after the medicinal bath concluded, Zhu Zhuqing arrived punctually. She prepared to consume two Immortal Herbs as Yu Yan had previously instructed to further improve herself. She was very interested in the Immortal Herbs that Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling claimed could transform one's very being.
The moment she pushed the door open and entered, Zhu Zhuqing saw Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling in Yu Yan and Xiao Wu's residence.
"Zhuqing, the two of us are just here to watch the excitement."
Noticing Zhu Zhuqing looking at them, the relatively more extroverted Dugu Yan spoke up to explain why they were there.
Ye Lingling nodded, indicating that this was indeed the case. Daily cultivation was too boring, so they were simply there to watch.
"It's fine, watch as you please."
Since Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling were able to appear here, it meant they had already received Yu Yan's authorization. Since Yu Yan, the provider of the Immortal Herbs, had no objection, she naturally had none either.
This was a misunderstanding. Zhu Zhuqing thought the two were there because they had Yu Yan's permission, but in reality, Yu Yan's original words were that they could watch if Zhu Zhuqing didn't mind.
Yu Yan had intended to remind her before she agreed, but just as he was about to speak, Zhu Zhuqing had already given her consent.
Since Zhu Zhuqing had agreed, he naturally saw no need to mention it.
"Hehehe, thanks."
After expressing her thanks to Zhu Zhuqing, Dugu Yan led Ye Lingling to sit nearby, preparing to observe the details of Zhu Zhuqing consuming the Immortal Herbs from the front row.
"This is the marvelous-thick heaven-reaching chrysanthemum, a neutral-grade Immortal Herb. Consuming it sends Qi to the limbs and blood through the eight Meridians, allowing one to Cultivate a Vajra Invincible Body."
"This is the water fairy jade bone, also a Neutral Immortal Herb. This herb has the core effect of lubricating the tendons and nourishing the bones, while allowing Qi to flow through the Eight Extraordinary Meridians, significantly increasing a Spirit Master's spirit power cultivation speed."
"I have already pre-processed these two Immortal Herbs. Eat them as quickly as possible and then use your Meditation Technique to digest them. It might be a bit uncomfortable during the process, so try your best not to stop circulating your spirit power."
As Zhu Zhuqing walked over, Yu Yan raised his hand and took out the two pre-processed Immortal Herbs from his Wishful Hundred Treasure Purse, placing them before Zhu Zhuqing and explaining how she should consume them.
The medicinal properties of the two Neutral Immortal Herbs did not conflict. Furthermore, by soaking the two Immortal Herbs in a pre-prepared medicinal liquid, the auras of the two herbs gradually intertwined, allowing them to be consumed together.
"Thank you very much."
Looking at the two Immortal Herbs before her, Zhu Zhuqing, not knowing how else to thank Yu Yan, rose and performed a noble salute. She then picked up the two Immortal Herbs, consumed them as quickly as possible, and began using her Meditation Technique to digest them.
The marvelous-thick heaven-reaching chrysanthemum took effect first, as a yellow light enveloped Zhu Zhuqing's body. In a state of internal meditation, she saw the petals of the marvelous-thick heaven-reaching chrysanthemum detach one by one, spreading through the Eight Extraordinary Meridians in her body. While opening her Meridians, the medicinal power diffused, strengthening her Physical Body in the process. A faint golden light emanated from her, a precursor to achieving a Vajra Invincible Body.
The water fairy jade bone followed right after the marvelous-thick heaven-reaching chrysanthemum. A white light began to manifest, floating within Zhu Zhuqing's body to spread its medicinal power. Wherever the medicinal fluctuations passed, the Meridians opened by the marvelous-thick heaven-reaching chrysanthemum were all nourished and became even more resilient.
The two Immortal Herbs brought not only benefits but also the pain of a World-shaking transformation within her body.
The process was like a thousand-pound hammer forging steel. The two Immortal Herbs were the hammer, and Zhu Zhuqing herself was the iron being struck. The improvement was obvious, but so was the pain.
In her past cultivation, Zhu Zhuqing had certainly endured hardships, but the pain she was suffering now was the most intense she had ever experienced, even giving her a slight urge to give up.
That thought came and went quickly. Upon remembering her goal, Zhu Zhuqing's resolve became firm once more.
Time passed slowly. Over an hour later, the mingled yellow and white light on Zhu Zhuqing's body dissipated. A sense of strength and grace, of sturdiness and agility—entirely different sensations—appeared upon her. A faint fragrance wafted out, and an aura of confidence emanated from her.