At Your Command from Here On

Dugu Bo was basking in his granddaughter's praise when he suddenly felt a burning gaze. He swiftly turned and looked at Tang San behind him.

Tang San quickly withdrew his gaze, not letting anyone catch the sympathy in his eyes.

Dugu Bo looked at Tang San suspiciously, then called out to the two of them, "Are you two huddled together talking bad about me?"

"Of course not. Senior Sister and I were discussing medicinal herbs." Tang San poked Tang Ling as he spoke, then called back to Dugu Bo.

"Was I mistaken?" Dugu Bo pondered for a moment, then put the matter out of his mind.

They were allies. A few extra looks would not mean anything.

"Teacher, how are we supposed to absorb these herbs? Do we just eat them?" Xue Qingxi looked at the herb in his hand and asked Tang Ling.

Tang Ling nodded, then pulled Tang San over. "I've cleaned the dirt off the roots. Just put them in your mouths, chew them up, and swallow them.

Don't worry, they probably won't taste bad."

"Then should we take them now?" Xue Qingxi nodded excitedly and asked.

After hearing him, Tang Ling looked around, then pointed toward a wall not far away. "Sit over there and cultivate."

As she spoke, Tang Ling quickly walked over and took several meditation cushions from her storage space, placing them on the ground.

Ning Rongrong hurriedly pulled Zhu Zhuqing and Dugu Yan toward the cushions. Xue Qingxi followed as well. The four sat in a row, cross-legged on the cushions.

"Before taking them, there are some things you need to know." Tang Ling looked at them seriously and instructed in a deep voice:

"Qingxi, Rongrong, and Zhuqing, you are all currently level 27. Yan'er's Soul Power is level 38.

After taking the herbs, your constitutions will change, and your Soul Power will increase as well.

But the herbs' effects are potent. So when you feel that your bodies need a Spirit Ring, stop immediately. Don't be greedy.

After absorbing your next Spirit Ring, you can continue refining the herbs."

"Yes, Teacher. We will certainly follow your instructions." Xue Qingxi answered seriously. Ning Rongrong also put away her smile, and like Zhu Zhuqing, she nodded with a tense expression.

Dugu Yan nodded as well. Though Tang Ling looked very young, her presence was overwhelmingly powerful, and Dugu Yan could not help obeying her.

"Good. As long as you understand. Eat them now, then absorb them properly." Tang Ling smiled in satisfaction and gave the order.

The four swiftly stuffed the herbs into their mouths and began chewing with loud crunches.

Once the herbs had fully entered their stomachs, they quickly closed their eyes and felt the power rising within them.

"That simple?"

Dugu Bo looked at the four quietly cultivating, then turned to Tang Ling with an incredulous expression.

Tang Ling nodded. "Yes, the process is that simple. What comes next depends on their endurance.

Improving their constitutions will be painful. They just need to endure until the end."

After saying that, Tang Ling called to Tang Yiyin, "Yi Yin, you four come over and watch them. If anyone can't endure it and is about to faint, call me over."

"Understood!" Tang Yiyin answered loudly, and each of the four guards watched over one of the cross-legged cultivators.

Dugu Bo watched them, then turned to Tang Ling and asked, "You've got your guards watching Yan'er. What am I supposed to do?"

"Come with me and help A-Xuan absorb the herbs." Tang Ling spoke calmly, then pulled Tang San toward the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well. Dugu Bo nodded in understanding and followed them.

Before the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well.

Tang San looked at Tang Ling awkwardly, hesitating as if he wanted to say something.

"What is it?" Tang Ling noticed and asked softly, looking at him gently.

Tang San looked at her as she came closer, his ears reddening. He stammered, "S-Senior Sister, do I need to t-take off my clothes to soak in the spring?"

"Of course!" Tang Ling answered without hesitation. "It won't absorb well through clothes, so of course you need to take them off."

"Then... can only Senior Dugu watch over me?" Tang San's ears turned even redder as he asked quietly.

Tang Ling immediately understood and let out a hearty laugh. She raised her hand and patted his head. "What? Is A-Xuan shy?

Don't worry. You only need to take off your top and outer pants. Besides, you're still a child to Senior Sister. What are you embarrassed about?"

Seeing the smile at the corner of his senior sister's lips, Tang San's face flushed crimson, as if it were about to drip blood.

After hesitating for a moment, he nodded while suppressing his embarrassment and began removing his clothes. At that moment, Tang San suddenly felt that being a child in his senior sister's eyes was not necessarily a bad thing.

After taking forever to remove his clothes, Tang San stepped into the middle of the spring. The red and blue waters surged toward him from either side, yet strangely did not merge.

"Take the herbs and sit cross-legged. Don't worry, Senior Sister won't let you sink to the bottom." Tang Ling handed him two herbs and smiled at him.

The blush on Tang San's cheeks had faded, but his ears remained bright red. He accepted the herbs, swiftly swallowed them, then closed his eyes and sat cross-legged by the shore.

"Go!"

Tang Ling shouted softly. A colorless beam of light shot toward Tang San, gradually expanding to envelop him before carrying him to the center of the spring.

Tang Ling changed her hand seals, and the light surrounding him descended beneath him, steadily supporting him and suspending him in the water.

After a two-second pause, Tang San slowly sank until the spring water reached his neck, then stopped.

In an instant, there was no sound in the cave besides breathing.

Dugu Bo stood on the shore, looking curiously at Tang Ling. Then he asked in a low voice, "Is that space where you store things your second martial soul?"

Tang Ling smiled and shook her head. "No. It's a storage space I refined. A-Xuan and the others all have one."

"They all have one? How many of such incredible things did you make? Everyone gets one!" Dugu Bo exclaimed after hearing her answer.

Then he leaned closer mysteriously, trying his best to lower his voice. "Little Ling, tell this old man quietly. Are you... actually an old monster?"

Tang Ling raised a brow at him but did not answer. Dugu Bo froze for two seconds, then solemnly patted his lips and carefully straightened his posture.

Less than two minutes later, Dugu Bo leaned over again. This time, he was not curious. Instead, he wore a fawning smile. "Do you have any more storage spaces?

I want to buy one for Yan'er. Name the price. I have plenty of savings."

"No need for money. Ask her what style she wants later, and I'll give her one." Tang Ling laughed softly, then answered with a serious expression.

Dugu Bo stood there in a daze, then took a deep breath. He could not help sighing inwardly. As expected of a big shot. She truly does not care about such trivial things.

With that thought, Dugu Bo no longer hesitated. He moved closer and asked with a smile, "Then what styles do you have?"

"Qingxi has earrings, Rongrong has a necklace, and Zhuqing has a bracelet. I have all those styles." Tang Ling rummaged through her storage space and looked at Dugu Bo.

"Yan'er likes sparkling bracelets." Dugu Bo turned to look at Dugu Yan, his gaze softening.

"Then a bracelet it is." Tang Ling handed over a bracelet set with purple rhinestones. "Purple and sparkling. She should like it.

Don't worry, this is very secure. Once she recognizes it as her master with a drop of blood, even a Titled Douluo won't be able to take it away.

If anyone other than its owner tries to use it by force, the storage space will explode instantly. Everyone except the person who offered their blood will be injured, including Titled Douluo."

"It's that powerful? Calling you an old monster really wasn't wrong!" Dugu Bo swiftly accepted the bracelet, marveling at it.

Then, with a solemn expression, he gave Tang Ling a knight's salute. "Dugu Bo will be at your command from here on."

Tang Ling did not refuse and accepted his salute. Once he straightened up, she smiled at him. "Then live well, and cultivate the medicinal herbs well."