Absorbing Immortal Herbs

"Of course I'm willing!" Lang Lei pretended to be pleasantly surprised. "Big Sister, are you willing to take us with you?"

"Of course." Qian Renxue flicked her hair. "Just call me Little Xue Sister."

"Mm, okay, Little Xue Sister."

"Little Xue Sister..." Griseo repeated after her expressionlessly.

"Such good children. I've already absorbed my soul ring, so let's leave together." Qian Renxue smiled. She felt as though she had not been this happy in a long time. "Oh, right, I don't have suitable shoes for Little Griseo right now. I'll buy her some later, okay?"

"Wearing shoes, don't like it, Kos--"

Before Griseo could finish, Lang Lei covered her mouth.

"Um... Griseo just isn't used to wearing shoes," Lang Lei explained.

Qian Renxue did not pursue the matter. She was in an excellent mood now.

No need to pretend, free to do as she pleased. What ill intentions could two children possibly have?

Along the way, Qian Renxue happily taught Lang Lei and Griseo about soul beasts, even thoughtfully using Soul Power to sketch out rough outlines of several kinds of soul beasts.

She even slowed their pace a little, considering Lang Lei and Griseo's apparent ages.

"Alright, this is as far as I go." Qian Renxue stopped in a small grove not far from the edge of the Star Dou Great Forest.

"What's wrong, Little Xue Sister?" Lang Lei asked.

"Lang Lei, Griseo, Big Sister can only accompany you this far." Qian Renxue crouched down and patted Lang Lei on the shoulder.

"Mm?" Griseo tilted her head in confusion.

"I'm not abandoning you." Qian Renxue explained, "It's just that Big Sister still has some tasks to complete. How about asking an older brother to take care of you from here on?"

"I'll listen to Little Xue Sister." Lang Lei felt a little awkward inside, but to keep up the act, he endured it!

"Grandpa Snake Spear." Qian Renxue stood and called out behind her.

"Young Master." An old man immediately appeared behind Qian Renxue.

"Please take good care of these two children for me over the next few days. I'm heading back overnight today," Qian Renxue said.

"This..." Snake Lance Douluo hesitated somewhat.

"It's fine. Isn't Grandpa Porcupine over there too?"

"Alright, then please be careful, Young Master." Porcupine Douluo gave her a concerned reminder.

"This isn't that older brother, though~" Qian Renxue crouched down again and handed Lang Lei an exceedingly luxurious-looking token. "This is the Heaven Dou Crown Prince Token. Once this grandpa takes you to Heaven Dou City, you can use it to find an older brother named Xue Qinghe at the palace. He'll take care of you for Big Sister."

"Okay, I understand, Little Xue Sister." Lang Lei knew everything perfectly well, but he obediently nodded along.

Qian Renxue nodded in satisfaction. Three pairs of wings emerged behind her, and she flew into the sky.

Once I've absorbed the Immortal Herbs today, I'll slip away... Lang Lei thought, taking Griseo's hand.

"Come on. I'll take you to find somewhere to stay." Snake Lance Douluo headed toward a nearby settlement.

Lang Lei and Griseo followed behind him.

"Phew~ I can finally relax a little." Lang Lei flopped onto the bed and rolled around for the first time in ages.

"Brother Lang Lei looks very happy." Griseo sat by the bedside, her bare little feet swinging back and forth.

"Of course! Who knows how long I stayed in that Star Dou Great Forest!" Lang Lei exclaimed.

After lying down for a while, Lang Lei sprang up and sat beside Griseo.

"Little Griseo, do you have a way to block the perception of that Snake Lance Douluo next door?" Lang Lei asked quietly.

"Master, there's no need to go through all that trouble!" Before Griseo could answer, Aetheria suddenly flew out of Lang Lei's body.

"Ahhh! Aetheria, remember to say something before you come out next time!" Lang Lei jumped in fright.

"Eh... Am I not cute~?" Aetheria poked her two little fingers together in front of her.

"Aetheria is very cute." Griseo agreed.

"You are cute, but having a face suddenly appear right in front of you is still scary." Lang Lei explained. "By the way, Aetheria, what did you mean when you said there was no need to go through all that trouble?"

"Just what it sounds like, Master." Aetheria said, "The area around Master has been shielded by the system. If anyone tries to spy on it with spiritual power, they can only see whatever the system has set up for them in advance. Of course, it doesn't work when they're face-to-face with you~"

"Phew~ Then I can rest easy." Lang Lei sighed in relief and jumped off the bed. "Little Griseo, rest for a while. I have something to do first."

"Okay, Brother Lang Lei." Griseo nodded obediently and lay down. What Lang Lei did not see was that Griseo's eyes remained fixed intently on him.

"I'll absorb the Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew first." Lang Lei took out the Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew, carefully drank the dew upon it, then sat cross-legged and began absorbing it.

While meditating, Lang Lei could clearly sense two warm currents flowing toward his eyes, while his spiritual power steadily increased.

Since the Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew's effect on raising Soul Power Level was not particularly obvious, Lang Lei actively poured all the medicinal power his body could not absorb at once into his Second Martial Soul, Heavenly Fire Sacred Judgment, making it easier to absorb other Immortal Herbs afterward.

This successfully added roughly two thousand years to the age of Heavenly Fire Sacred Judgment's First Soul Skill.

"Phew~" Lang Lei opened his eyes, looked around, and let out a breath.

As expected, it had no effect on Griseo. She truly was a Flame-Chaser.

However, Lang Lei could clearly sense the increase in his spiritual power and eyesight. His eyes could now see even tinier things.

And that was not the only benefit. Previously, when he used his First Soul Skill, the earthen weapons he controlled could not move too far away from him, or they would become difficult to control.

But now, with his increased spiritual power, he could achieve what was known as "controlling swords with the mind."

Spiritual power had always been Lang Lei's weakness. Although Aetheria protected him, so he did not need to worry about illusions, if it was too weak, it would become a burden on the advantages granted by his physical constitution when he absorbed soul rings and fought in the future.

Striking while the iron was hot, Lang Lei took out the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum and swallowed it in one gulp.

The Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum specialized in strengthening one's physical constitution, granting its consumer an indestructible body. That might have been a slight exaggeration, but it truly could significantly raise Lang Lei's defensive power.

Following the usual practice, Lang Lei poured the excess medicinal power that could not immediately raise his Soul Power Level into his Second Martial Soul, Heavenly Fire Sacred Judgment, adding another eighteen thousand-plus years to the age of its First Soul Skill.

Lang Lei's level also rose to Level 20.

When Lang Lei opened his eyes again, he felt that if they fought barehanded, he could take on five or six of his former selves.

"Aetheria..." Thinking Griseo had already fallen asleep, Lang Lei lowered his voice and called softly.

"What is it, dear Master?" Aetheria's voice appeared directly in Lang Lei's mind.

"Do you have any way to test physical constitution?" Lang Lei clenched his fist. Since he had not seen much of the world, he did not know exactly how strong his body had become, or how many ten-thousand-year soul rings he could absorb.

Of course, being able to absorb soul rings of a certain age did not mean he could defeat soul beasts of that same age. It still depended on the species and other special circumstances.

"Um... not for now..." Aetheria's voice sounded a little dejected.

"It's fine, I was just asking." Lang Lei comforted her. After all, physical constitution was not the sole factor that determined combat strength.

Most Battle Spirit Masters had soul skills that enhanced their combat ability, while his Soul Power Level was only 20, and he only had one First Soul Skill that was not a strengthening-type skill.

Still, he was not in any hurry. As a mere quasi-Soul Grandmaster, being able to contend with a Ten Thousand Year Soul Beast across ranks was already incredible, alright!