Gold Douluo, Plotting for Immortal Herbs

"Xiao Yan, your strength is way too monstrous."

Dugu Yan was the first to rush forward, her face filled with disbelief.

She had still been praying that Lu Yan would not be too badly injured, yet she had never imagined that Yu Tianheng would be the one to fall in the end.

And it had been a crushing defeat without a shred of suspense.

"Don't forget, I'm the Dream Master." Lu Yan smiled.

"Now you're getting cocky." Dugu Yan irritably smacked his shoulder, though excitement gleamed in her eyes.

This battle had made her truly understand:

Even geniuses were merely ordinary people before Lu Yan.

"You won this time." Yu Tianheng also walked over. Seeing the two chatting and laughing, he clenched his fists so tightly that his fingertips turned white. "But there won't be a next time."

He would absolutely not... lose so miserably again.

"Then work hard." Lu Yan replied lightly, his calm gaze sweeping over him.

Yu Tianheng's face instantly reddened.

This utterly dismissive attitude was how he had always treated those he defeated. Yet now, it had fallen upon him.

"Pfft—" Dugu Yan could not help laughing from the side.

She felt that Lu Yan's "arrogant" appearance was instead especially genuine and adorable.

A genius being a little arrogant—so what?

"Lu Yan," Qin Ming, who had been watching from the side, spoke at the right moment, his tone solemn. "Have you considered joining Heaven Dou Royal Academy?"

Lu Yan was slightly taken aback.

Dugu Yan's beautiful eyes lit up. She immediately grabbed Lu Yan's arm and shook it excitedly.

"Right, Xiao Yan.

"If you come, we can train together. Later, we can even form a team and compete in the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament.

"With your talent, we can definitely win the championship."

Faced with this sudden invitation, Lu Yan fell silent for a moment.

He was not particularly interested in competitions between academies.

"Sorry," he finally shook his head. "I don't have any plans to do that for now."

Compared to being bound by countless rules in an academy, he preferred his current free and easy life.

Besides, he did not think an academy could bring him any substantial improvement.

"Huh? Xiao Yan, think about it some more." Dugu Yan pouted, unwilling to give up as she continued persuading him.

She genuinely hoped that Lu Yan would join.

Lu Yan still shook his head firmly. "Sister Dugu, academy life doesn't suit me.

"I'm very satisfied with things as they are now."

Seeing that he had made up his mind, Dugu Yan could only give up reluctantly and say no more.

After that minor battle incident, life returned to peace.

Making money, Soul Fighting, cultivating, and occasionally visiting Moonlight Pavilion—this was Lu Yan's entire life.

Perhaps because that enchanting Dream had been too real, Tang Yuehua had not dared to meet Lu Yan's eyes for several days.

Even while teaching him the harp and etiquette, she always deliberately avoided eye contact.

Noticing her avoidance, Lu Yan took the opportunity to reduce the number of times he visited Moonlight Pavilion.

He was in no hurry.

Some things were like a stew simmering over low heat. They could not be rushed.

One month later.

Lu Yan stood on the Soul Fighting Stage. His opponent lay fallen before him, while the audience's crazed cheers rang in his ears.

"Gold Douluo, Gold Douluo..."

"Dream Master, invincible! Dream Master, invincible!"

The audience had gone mad.

They had witnessed the birth of a miracle—the Dream Master had taken only two months to rise all the way from the lowest Iron Douluo rank to Gold Douluo.

With unstoppable momentum, he had swept aside every opponent. Even strong experts at the Soul Elder level found it difficult to halt his advance.

That day, Snake Lance Douluo appeared once more and tossed Lu Yan an exquisite wristguard inlaid with a deep blue gemstone.

"This is what you wanted."

He was quite generous. Apart from the promised resources, he had even included a Storage Soul Tool.

"What do you need me to do?" Lu Yan took the wristguard and asked directly.

After accepting the benefits, he naturally had to pay the corresponding price.

"Kid, you may be a genius," Snake Lance Douluo laughed upon hearing this, "but you're only a Soul Grandmaster. Spirit Hall doesn't lack one Soul Grandmaster like you." Even if he could rival a Soul Elder.

Lu Yan understood.

This was an investment in the future. Spirit Hall was betting on his potential for growth.

Naturally, he was happy to receive resources for free.

After Snake Lance Douluo departed, Lu Yan sank his consciousness into the storage space. Inside, neatly arranged, were:

Two hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins.

Six Spirit Nurturing Fruits.

Twenty pieces of rare ore.

A major power truly was a major power. If he had to earn these himself, who knew how long it would take? The latter two in particular were things one could only stumble upon by chance, often priceless and unavailable.

Lu Yan took out a Spirit Nurturing Fruit.

This spiritual fruit could nourish Spiritual Power. Though its effects were far inferior to those of an Immortal Herb, it was still a rare supplement for him at his current stage.

The fruit was sweet as it entered his mouth.

Its juice instantly transformed into a cool stream that rushed straight into his Sea of Consciousness. The sensation resembled the clarity he felt while cultivating Purple Demon Eyes, but the effect was more enduring and gentle.

Lu Yan immediately sat cross-legged and circulated the Mysterious Heaven Skill.

His Soul Power slowly increased within his body, steadily advancing toward level twenty-three. Nourished by the Spirit Nurturing Fruit, his Spiritual Power quietly grew stronger like a young sapling watered by spring rain.

One shichen later.

Lu Yan opened his eyes. A sharp light was hidden within them, and he looked full of vigor.

"The effect is actually more pronounced than Purple Demon Eyes and drawing on Dream power." A satisfied expression appeared on Lu Yan's face.

No wonder cultivation emphasized "wealth, companions, methods, and land." The fact that "wealth" came first was truly crucial.

If he refined all six Spirit Nurturing Fruits, his Spiritual Power would certainly rise to another level.

However, these were not his ultimate goal.

What Lu Yan truly desired were the immortal-grade medicinal herbs within the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eye.

Only they could bring about a transformation as profound as shedding one's mortal body, giving him the foundation to truly stand at the continent's peak.

Though Spirit Nurturing Fruits were good, they were ultimately only exceptional among ordinary items.

The Next Day, Dugu Yan once again brought Ye Lingling to "Heaven."

"Little Brother Xiao Yan, Older Sister is here to support your business again." Dugu Yan smiled brightly, her tone familiar and affectionate.

A gentle smile also appeared on Lu Yan's face. "Sister Dugu, Sister Lingling, welcome."

Dugu Yan stepped forward and habitually hooked an arm around his neck, gesturing as she spoke. "Oh? You've grown taller again. You're almost taller than Older Sister now."

Lu Yan's head inevitably sank into a soft, fragrant embrace.

His body stiffened slightly, and he did not dare move.

"Yanyan." Ye Lingling could not bear to watch any longer. She stepped forward and "rescued" Lu Yan, shooting Dugu Yan a reproachful glare. "Xiao Yan isn't your toy doll."

As usual, the two underwent a Deep Dream. Both carried regrets in their hearts that could only find solace within Dreams.

After the Dream ended, Lu Yan looked at Dugu Yan and spoke seriously.

"Sister Dugu, there's something I'd like to ask you to help me with."

"What is it? Just say it." Dugu Yan patted her chest, readily taking it upon herself. "As long as Older Sister can do it, I'll definitely get it done properly for you."

This was the first time Lu Yan had actively asked her for help. She had to handle it well.

"I need a special medicinal herb for my cultivation.

"I heard that Senior Poison Douluo is deeply versed in medicine. Could I ask him to help search for one or two?"

Lu Yan phrased it tactfully.

"That's all? Leave it to me." The moment Dugu Yan heard this, she agreed Without Hesitation.

"My Grandpa has a precious medicine garden. It has every kind of strange and rare herb inside.

"Don't worry. I'll definitely help you."

"Then I'll thank you in advance, Sister Dugu."

"Why be so polite with Older Sister?" Dugu Yan reached out and ruffled his hair again, her tone carrying a trace of affection. "Why thank me? You helped me fulfill a long-cherished wish. This is nothing at all.

"If you thank me, that means you don't consider Older Sister a friend."

Lu Yan escorted the two to the entrance. The three chatted and laughed, and before leaving, Dugu Yan gave him a hug and said lightly into his ear, "Wait for Older Sister's good news."

After they left, Tang Yuehua walked over from the street.

She had seen everything.