Shang An lowered his already very close head, aiming for Dugu Yan's luscious red lips, and bit down. Dugu Yan's eyes immediately widened.
Mmph! H-he, he actually...
That deep kiss left Dugu Yan's mind in turmoil. Gradually, she became immersed in it as well and began responding awkwardly.
This was an essential skill from idol dramas—wall slam. Of course, before trying it, it was recommended that one first look at one's own face and figure out whether the girl was actually interested. Otherwise, getting in would be easy, but getting out would be hard.
This mutual exchange of breath lasted for more than ten minutes. Only when Dugu Yan was nearly out of breath did Shang An finally release her.
"And now? My little darling wife."
Dugu Yan's cheeks were crimson, like apples in October.
"I..."
"Brother Shang An, it's time for dinner... Huh, what are you doing?"
Xiao Wu suddenly stepped into the courtyard and looked at the two of them in surprise.
Seeing Xiao Wu arrive, Dugu Yan hurriedly ran off with a flushed face, not daring to look at Shang An even once.
Shang An watched Dugu Yan's graceful, alluring back and her willow-slim waist. He pursed his lips, but did not feel it was a pity. There was plenty of time ahead; she would not get away in the end.
He then looked at Xiao Wu, whose eyes gleamed mischievously, and smacked her little butt.
"Let's go, you little smartass."
"Hehe." Xiao Wu covered her butt and followed Shang An, without the slightest embarrassment on her face.
Although the food at Dugu Manor could not compare to Fengming Restaurant, Shang An was not the fussy sort. He could enjoy delicacies from land and sea, but he could also eat simple fare. Besides, the dishes at Dugu Manor were not bad at all.
After dinner, Shang An and the others stayed at Dugu Manor. He did not intend to spend too much time in Heaven Dou City. Tomorrow, they would set off for the Ice and Fire Mandarin Duck Pot. He was extremely curious about those Immortal Herbs.
Sunset Forest was a place where crouching tigers and hidden dragons abounded. Even Spirit Masters had to tread carefully when entering.
Yet to this group, it was no different from visiting their own backyard.
"Is this the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well?"
Before them lay a valley shrouded in poisonous miasma. Through the Golden Eyes of Truth, Shang An saw the immense fortune within. If an ordinary person came here and casually obtained even a single Immortal Herb, it might change the fate of their entire life.
Unfortunately, these Immortal Herbs now belonged to Shang An. Dugu Bo possessed a treasure mountain but could not enter it; the Immortal Herbs were right before him, yet he could not use them.
"That's right. This is where I once suppressed the toxins in my body. Herbs and plants can grow ten times faster here. Of course, this place now belongs to His Holiness the Holy Son."
Dugu Bo spoke with some emotion. Back then, the reason he had managed to survive despite the severe toxins in his body and even break through to become a Title Douluo was because of this treasured land.
Ordinary people who approached the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well would be struck by the world's spiritual energy of two extreme attributes. If they were not strong enough and failed to leave in time, without a powerful expert protecting them, they could even risk exploding to death.
But for someone like Dugu Bo, whose body was filled with deadly poison, it was perfect for suppressing his toxins. The extreme heat and cold here both restrained poisons. It was only by relying on the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well that Dugu Bo had survived for so many years.
Led by Dugu Bo, the group entered this treasured land.
The first thing they saw was a small wooden cabin, likely where Dugu Bo stayed whenever he came here. Behind the cabin was the medicinal garden Dugu Bo had cultivated. Further ahead was a pool where red and blue waters intertwined. Steam rose above it, while the waters remained distinctly separated in the shape of a taiji symbol.
"What a miraculous place. It's so beautiful." Xiao Wu was captivated by the scenery of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
"Don't get close. It's very dangerous there. Even my grandfather doesn't dare stay in front of that spring for too long."
Dugu Yan called out to stop Xiao Wu.
At that moment, Shang An sensed a faint disturbance from his Martial Soul, but he temporarily suppressed it. He should harvest the Immortal Herbs first. If he accidentally damaged one or two of them, he would be heartbroken.
"Wait here for now. I'll go pick some herbs first."
After saying this to the girls, Shang An prepared to harvest the medicinal herbs. There was no helping it—many Immortal Herbs had unique harvesting methods, and improper handling would damage their medicinal properties. He could only do it himself.
"Your Holiness, please be careful. Many of the herbs here may contain deadly poison."
Dugu Bo feared that if Shang An carelessly touched one of those poisonous herbs and died here, Spirit Hall would make him pay with his life.
"Mr. Dugu, rest assured. I know what I'm doing."
Shang An's confident appearance greatly surprised Dugu Bo. "Could it be that Your Holiness knows these herbs? Could you explain them to this old man?"
Dugu Bo had spent so many years at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, so it would be a lie to say he had not been curious about these herbs. But after one experiment nearly killed him, he became much more cautious. Later, his son and daughter-in-law died, leaving behind only a granddaughter. With a young granddaughter to care for, Dugu Bo had even less time to study these herbs.
"Hahaha, Mr. Dugu, don't regret hearing this. This place is called the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. It is a uniquely blessed spring, one spring with twin sources, where yin and yang counter each other. It is one of the three great treasure basins for medicinal herbs, a place where the finest essence of the world gathers and the spiritual energy of heaven and earth converges."
Dugu Bo's gaze was resolute. "Your Holiness has granted my Dugu family a second life. How could this old man possibly regret it?"
Shang An pointed at the extraordinary herbs surrounding the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. "Mr. Dugu, the Immortal Grade herbs growing here are the true convergence of fortune in this treasured land. They can improve one's talent and even cause Martial Soul Evolution."
"Cause Martial Soul Evolution? How could that be possible?"
Dugu Bo could not believe it. His own Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor Martial Soul had evolved from the Jade Phosphorous Serpent. Precisely because he knew so much, he understood even more clearly how difficult Martial Soul Evolution was. Every Spirit Ring he had acquired came from snake-type Spirit Beasts, and only after becoming a Title Douluo had he luckily managed to evolve his Martial Soul.
Dugu Yan and Xiao Wu, on the other hand, did not react much to this. As for Ni Huang, she believed whatever Shang An said now.
"There's nothing impossible about it. Nature is wondrous and magnificent; it will always nurture all kinds of miraculous things."
The Martial Soul theories of this era were still far too crude compared to those of later times. Even Dugu Bo, a dignified Title Douluo, was so shallow in his knowledge.
"This... it really is that miraculous?" Hearing Shang An's certainty, Dugu Bo could not help but believe him somewhat. For the first time, he began to dislike his own ignorance. Such a treasured land had once been nothing more than a medicinal garden in his eyes.
Yet he had no regrets. Dugu Bo's word carried great weight, and in his heart, the Poison Core method Shang An had given him was no less valuable than this Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
As he spoke, Shang An began collecting the Immortal Herbs one by one. Each Immortal Herb had a different harvesting method, and their methods of consumption were even more bizarre. He did not know what those who compiled the herb manuals had experienced back then.
The Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum, Aromatic Silk Beauty, Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower, Crystal Blood Dragon Ginseng, and the other Immortal Herbs mentioned in the original work were naturally among them. In addition, there were more than twenty Immortal Herbs in total, including the Earth Dragon Golden Melon and Star Luo Spirit Pearl.
Finally, Shang An stopped before a flower as red as blood.
"Brother Shang An, what's wrong?"
Seeing Shang An stop, Xiao Wu looked at him curiously. Although the harvesting methods for the previous herbs had varied, Shang An had handled them all smoothly. Only before this flower did he halt. "This flower is so strange. It's even growing on a rock."
"This flower is called Lovesick Heartbreak Red. It is the king of flowers, its quality far surpassing other Immortal Grade herbs. It is a divine treasure among Immortal Herbs.
"This flower is no ordinary item. It chooses its master to serve, and its harvesting method differs greatly from other Immortal Herbs. To pick it, one must drip a drop of blood onto its petals while thinking of one's beloved with complete sincerity and devotion. If one is half-hearted, then even coughing blood to death will not allow one to pluck it.
"The stone beneath the flower is called Wujue. If it is forcibly destroyed, this Lovesick Heartbreak Red will likewise lose all of its medicinal power. It is said that consuming this flower can grant one the power to endure alongside heaven and earth, and it can raise Soul Power by at least ten levels."
Shang An was confident that he could pick this flower. It was not because he was particularly devoted, but because he trusted Psychic Power. Just now, after wrapping himself in a layer of unwavering devotion with Psychic Power, he sensed a reaction from the Lovesick Heartbreak Red. It seemed to want to remain by the side of a devoted man like him. However, the flower was of little use to him, so after careful consideration, he decided to leave it for one of his women.
Suddenly, his eyes shifted, and he continued.
"This flower is also connected to a beautiful yet tragic love story. Do you want to hear it?"
"Yes, yes! What kind of legend is it?" Xiao Wu was very interested in stories of love and romance. Dugu Yan and Ni Huang beside her were also somewhat intrigued, while Dugu Bo looked utterly uninterested.
"Legend says that long ago, there was a young man of extraordinary beauty. He was gentle by nature and loved tending flowers and planting trees. His garden was filled with green lotuses, lotus roots, and blossoms in every shade of red and purple.
"He would compose poems for the flowers, raise a cup to invite the moon, and whenever fallen flowers and fading petals appeared, he would be overcome with endless sorrow. He would gather the petals, dig a hole to bury them, and shed tears again and again."
Shang An's voice was smooth and captivating as he told the tale, drawing everyone in. Xiao Wu and the other girls could not help but become immersed in it.
"As the saying goes, love can move heaven and earth. His fine character of cherishing flowers, coupled with his handsome appearance, moved a group of flower fairies in the heavens. Peony, Chinese Rose, and several other flower fairies secretly descended to the mortal world and became his wives. They lived happily together, sharing one great bed and enjoying the pleasures of love.
"But good times did not last. When the heavenly gods learned of it, they flew into a rage. Citing the rule that immortals and mortals could not be joined, they ordered all the flower fairies back to the God Realm. After losing all his beloved wives, the young man sighed and lamented all day, despondent and miserable. He abandoned his garden, and soon the walls crumbled, the fences collapsed, the flowers and trees withered, and the garden became utterly desolate.
"One day, a white-haired old man came and told him that the many flowers in the garden were the incarnations of his beloved wives. As long as he destroyed a flower, the corresponding flower fairy would be banished to the mortal world and reunite with him as husband and wife. But he could only destroy one flower and welcome back one flower fairy; the others would be separated from him forever and could never descend to the mortal world again. After saying this, the old man transformed into a gust of breeze and vanished.
(By the way, to address this: it's normal that comments cannot be posted right now. Things will be fine after this period passes.
Also, regarding why the bishop knew about innate Soul Power at level twenty, it's because the testing crystal in Spirit City is special and can measure higher levels of Soul Power.)
Before you continue