Lovesick Heartbreak Red

The young man suddenly came to his senses and deeply regretted having neglected the flowers. He began tending to them with great care, but though he missed his many beloved wives, he could not make such a cruel choice. Every one of them was his wing.

So he cherished the countless flowers even more, weeping over them day and night until his tears ran dry and his heart shattered. He died of lovesickness. At the moment of his death, he dripped his blood onto a white peony, staining its petals red and turning it into a Lovesick Heartbreak Red.

Only someone recognized by it could pluck it. Once removed, as long as it remained beside its owner, it would never wither."

Shang An seemed moved by the love between the young man and his many wives as well, and a sorrowful expression appeared on his face.

When the story ended, the sentimental Xiao Wu immediately burst into tears. "What a heartless god. Why did he separate them?"

Dugu Yan's eyes had reddened as well.

"And that old man—why did he make the young man choose like that? It's too cruel."

Ni Huang controlled her emotions well, though ripples still stirred in her heart. She thought of herself and Shang An. Would she also be one of his flower fairies?

Only Dugu Bo felt that something was off, though he could not put his finger on it.

"Do you want to give it a try?"

Shang An asked the group.

"I'll go first."

Xiao Wu, who had been the most deeply affected by the story, immediately stepped forward. Looking at the blood-stained peony before her, the elegant and noble king of flowers, she reached out expectantly.

Soul Power circulated through her body, stirring her blood and qi. Xiao Wu parted her delicate lips and spat a mouthful of blood onto the petals.

As she spat blood, Shang An's figure appeared in her mind. The Lovesick Heartbreak Red began to tremble, as if it were about to fall. But then another figure suddenly surfaced in her mind—someone who had said he would be her brother and protect her. Although the image vanished quickly, it had appeared nonetheless.

It was just a sliver away from falling, but in the end, it fell short. The trembling Lovesick Heartbreak Red soon steadied once more.

A bitter smile appeared on Xiao Wu's face. "Brother Shang An, I'm sorry. I still haven't been able to completely let go."

She felt truly cheap. She still harbored a trace of longing for that scum who had constantly deceived her and wanted to seize her Spirit Ring and Spirit Bone.

"It's all right."

Shang An gently stroked Xiao Wu's smooth hair and pulled her into his embrace, displaying his "magnanimity."

Xiao Wu felt touched, but also uneasy. Would Shang An despise her because of this? She had clearly already become Shang An's pet, yet Tang San's shadow still remained in her heart.

The more uneasy she felt, the tighter she held Shang An. She pleaded softly into his ear, "Brother Shang An, Master, I'll definitely forget him completely. I'll definitely kill Tang San with my own hands and give my entire heart to you. Will you believe me?"

"I believe you."

Shang An said no more, but those four words were like a warm current flowing into Xiao Wu's body, rising from below into her heart and filling her completely, restoring her warmth.

"I'll try too." Dugu Yan stepped forward and curiously reached out to grasp the flower stem. She circulated her Soul Power and spat out a mouthful of blood, while her eyes glanced toward Shang An. His image surfaced in her mind—his face, his knowledge, his domineering nature.

But those memories were ultimately too shallow. They had known each other for too short a time. The flower merely trembled slightly before falling still again, leaving Dugu Yan somewhat disappointed.

Shang An had expected this result. Neither of their favorability ratings had exceeded seventy. Even Xiao Wu had still fallen a little short, not yet reaching the point of undying devotion. After all, they had spent too little time with him. Once they got to know each other more deeply in the future, it would surely rise quickly.

He then turned his gaze toward Ni Huang.

"I won't try." Ni Huang shook her head. In truth, she felt somewhat inferior—not because of her appearance or strength, but because of her age. The age gap between her and Shang An was so great. Would Shang An dislike her? What if...

Things were quite good as they were. She could remain by his side, quietly watch him, help him, and become a sharp blade and sturdy shield in his hands.

Shang An did not force her. He turned his gaze to Dugu Bo, who hurriedly waved his hands.

"There's no need for this old man. I know my own limits. I'm not someone who cares much for love and romance."

His former wife had merely been the result of a family marriage alliance, and she had already been dead for many years. There might have been some affection, but not much.

Seeing that they either did not wish to try or could not pluck it, Shang An could only remove the flower along with the Black Absolute Stone and place them in a specially made jade container. He already had someone in mind.

As for Xiao Wu, with the method Shang An had taught her for concealing her aura, this Immortal Herb was no longer essential.

After putting away the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and Infernal Delicate Apricot from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, Shang An had largely completed his purpose for coming here. With the Taiyi Immortal Origin Body, he did not need to jump into the spring like Tang San and undergo Ice-Fire Body Tempering.

As for the two Dragon King corpses beneath the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, they were not something he could covet at his current level.

Next, he needed to investigate the reason behind his Martial Soul's disturbance. But Shang An still decided to be cautious and said to the others:

"You should leave first. I still have something to deal with at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. I might accidentally hurt you."

Though puzzled, they still followed his instructions and headed outside.

After they left, Shang An stopped suppressing the disturbance in his Martial Soul. The Taiyi Bead emerged from his right hand, radiating an intense sense of desire. Shang An released his restraint, and a powerful suction force suddenly spread outward. His expression changed sharply.

"Motherf...!"

Outside the poisonous miasma, the others were waiting when Dugu Bo and Ni Huang's expressions suddenly changed drastically.

"This is bad, run!"

Ni Huang reacted first. She grabbed Xiao Wu and Dugu Yan and flew toward the outskirts of Sunset Forest, with Dugu Bo close behind. They had only just taken flight when a violent tremor erupted behind them.

Dust and smoke rose from where the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well had once been, blotting out the sky and sun. To the nearby Spirit Beasts, it was as though the end of the world had arrived. The entire Sunset Forest was affected, trembling slightly.

The many Spirit Beasts near the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well fled in panic. In an area struck by the aftershock, two Pig Beasts that had been mating were too slow to escape. Frightened senseless, they felt as though their hearts and livers were about to leap out.

The Pig Beast on top of the female Pig Beast felt as though something had snapped. It arched its body and howled in agony before being buried beneath the collapsed cave. Thus, the reason for the male Pig Beast's suffering was buried in the earth, becoming an eternal mystery of the Spirit Beast world.

Ni Huang and the others did not dare linger. They flew tens of thousands of meters away before stopping. Looking back, they saw nothing but devastation. Many towering ancient trees had been uprooted and snapped, while soil flew everywhere.

"What exactly did His Holiness the Holy Son do in there?"

Dugu Bo stared in shock at the dust-filled area. The commotion was simply too great. Even his strongest attack could not have produced such an effect.

Unfortunately, Ni Huang and the others could not answer him, because even Shang An did not know what would happen. He only felt that it would be beneficial to him.

After a long while, the shaking stopped and the dust settled. A bottomless pit had appeared in the original location. Even sunlight could not penetrate its pitch-black depths. Looking down from above was like gazing into a bottomless Abyss, stealing one's senses and making one's heart tremble.

Perhaps before long, Sunset Forest would gain another bottomless lake.

Once the disturbance ceased, Ni Huang and the others hurried back, only to be met with this sight.

"Brother Shang An!" "Xiao An!"

"His Holiness the Holy Son."

Their cries rang out, but no one answered. Their unease only deepened.

"Could something have happened to His Holiness the Holy Son?"

Dugu Bo spoke worriedly, his old face filled with concern. If Shang An had met with an accident in what had once been his herb garden, forget the second half of the Poison Scripture—he might have to stake his own life on it.

"Don't talk nonsense. I can feel that Xiao An is still alive." Ni Huang rebuked Dugu Bo unhappily. With her favorability toward Shang An and the connection of the Seed of Heart, they could be said to share a bond of hearts and minds. Thus, she could vaguely sense Shang An's condition.

Though she did not know what had happened here, she could be certain that Shang An was still alive and well. Yet for some reason, in Ni Huang's perception, his distance kept shifting—sometimes he seemed to be at the edge of the heavens, other times right before her eyes. It was full of contradiction.

Xiao Wu and Dugu Yan, the two younger women, were even more anxious. Dugu Yan did not want such an outstanding man, one who had just made her heart stir, to vanish so quickly.

Xiao Wu silently prayed for Shang An in her heart. If Shang An had noticed, he would have discovered that her favorability toward him had already surpassed seventy, reaching the level of undying devotion.

Meanwhile, Shang An was in a wondrous place.

"Who would have thought!"