"This Immortal Herb is..." Ye Qingzhou noticed the holy radiance emanating from the plant.
He walked lightly up to it and reached out to touch its blossom.
The moment Ye Qingzhou's hand touched the Immortal Herb, golden waves burst outward from it.
In an instant, the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well was bathed in a sacred golden-white light.
Ye Shuyuan, who had been explaining the Purple-Spotted Snake Star to Dugu Bo, felt the powerful force surging through the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. The two of them felt it at the same time.
Ye Shuyuan stopped speaking, and he and Dugu Bo turned to look at Ye Qingzhou, who was crouching in front of the Immortal Herb.
"Did it resonate?" Watching the changes in the surroundings, Ye Qingzhou felt his spirits lift.
His Prayer Angel Martial Soul had resonated with the Immortal Herb before him.
He looked at Ye Shuyuan and asked, "Grandpa, what is this Immortal Herb?"
Seeing the Immortal Herb resonating with Ye Qingzhou, Ye Shuyuan gave a slight nod. "Feather-Garment Holy Orchid. I specifically chose it for you. It has the strongest light and holy attributes, making it an excellent match for your Martial Soul."
"Dugu Bo, you can absorb the Purple-Spotted Snake Star now, using the method I taught you."
"Right. Wish me luck."
At that, Dugu Bo didn't linger. He took the Purple-Spotted Snake Star and went to an open patch of ground far away from Ye Qingzhou and Ye Shuyuan.
He sat down on the grass, set the Purple-Spotted Snake Star in front of him, and took the fruit from inside it.
Dugu Bo popped the fruit of the Purple-Spotted Snake Star into his mouth. The instant his teeth sank into it, his features twisted into a grimace.
The taste was indescribable. At first, an intensely bitter, grassy flavor filled his mouth, like chewing an entire Arisaema, roots and dirt and all.
Then a scorching, fiery pungency exploded across his tongue and burned all the way down his throat into his stomach, like a red-hot dagger slicing through his esophagus.
Dugu Bo's old face contorted until it was nearly unrecognizable. Veins bulged on his forehead, and beads of sweat rolled down his cheeks.
But he couldn't spit it out.
Not only could he not spit it out, he had to fight the urge to retch and swallow every last bit of the crushed fruit, juice and pulp alike.
In the distance, Ye Shuyuan turned to Ye Qingzhou and said:
"Qingzhou, summon your Martial Soul and circulate your Soul Power..."
Ye Qingzhou nodded and sat cross-legged. A magnolia floated above his palms, while behind him the phantom of his Prayer Angel Martial Soul continued to grow.
Two streams of white Soul Power spread from Ye Qingzhou's two Martial Souls like threads, flowing into the Feather-Garment Holy Orchid.
As Soul Power poured into it, the Feather-Garment Holy Orchid stirred. Its stem swayed rhythmically as it released golden waves that carried sacred light, washing over the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
As Ye Shuyuan and Ye Qingzhou watched, the Feather-Garment Holy Orchid's seven petals drifted down on the breeze and floated to Ye Qingzhou's lips.
Ye Qingzhou opened his mouth, leaned forward, and swallowed the flower.
The moment it went down his throat, it gave off no floral fragrance. Instead, a crystalline chill swept through him, like a stream flowing across his soul after the first snow melted.
That chill traveled down his meridians and gathered in his dantian, forming a sphere of pure white light.
Seven blossoms, seven spheres of light, arranged themselves into the seven-pointed star formation of the Holy Bell and began to turn slowly.
Then all seven spheres of light exploded at once.
Ye Qingzhou felt a gentle yet irresistible force lift his soul from the restraints of his body and carry it upward.
His consciousness drifted through a boundless white space, surrounded by endless holy light.
He closed his eyes and focused, feeling and absorbing with all his heart.
Half an hour later, Ye Qingzhou slowly opened his eyes.
Deep within his amber pupils, seven golden points of light were gradually settling, like seven stars sinking beneath the surface of a deep pool.
The Prayer Angel behind him, which had originally possessed only one pair of wings, had now evolved into a six-winged Prayer Angel with three pairs.
The six wings opened slightly in a fan. The edge of every feather glimmered with a pale golden halo.
He flapped the Prayer Angel's wings. Each beat felt as though his heartbeat had been magnified several times over—steady, powerful, and filled with a vitality he had never felt before.
A faint layer of holy light fell across the ground, like moonlight crushed to pieces and scattered over the world. Between the wings, the faint sound of tinkling bells could be heard, ethereal and distant.
He lowered his head and looked at his hands.
A very faint glow flowed beneath his skin—not a bold, brilliant white, but a restrained jade white.
When he curled his fists slightly, seven golden lines spread from his fingertips to his wrists, then slowly faded away.
Ye Shuyuan stood quietly to one side, watching his grandson. Deep in his eyes lay a trace of pride that others would have struggled to notice.
Only after the light around Ye Qingzhou gradually faded did Ye Shuyuan step forward. He stroked his beard and examined him for a moment, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.
"Qingzhou, you did very well." He spoke slowly, his tone calm as he gazed at the three pairs of wings behind Ye Qingzhou. "How do you feel now? Is anything wrong with your body?"
"Nothing's wrong, Grandpa." Ye Qingzhou shook his head, then added, "Not only is everything fine, but my Soul Power has reached level 30."
"Forget reaching level 40 and becoming a Soul Ancestor before I turn twelve. Reaching that level before I'm nine won't be a problem."
He shared the good news with Ye Shuyuan.
Ye Shuyuan jerked his head up and stared at Ye Qingzhou in disbelief. How had it only been a few days?!
It had only been a few days.
He hadn't even awakened his Martial Soul three months ago, and now he was already at level 30!
"Good, good, good..."
There was no other emotion left in Ye Shuyuan's voice—only shock at Ye Qingzhou's level 30 Soul Power.
"Once Dugu Bo finishes absorbing this Immortal Herb, I'll have him take you. The three of us will head to the Star Dou Great Forest and obtain your third Soul Ring."
Ye Qingzhou nodded. His rapid breakthrough to level 30 was all thanks to the Immortal Herb.
Wait—the Immortal Herb. He remembered that his grandfather still hadn't absorbed one.
Realizing that Ye Shuyuan had no plans to absorb an Immortal Herb, Ye Qingzhou asked with concern:
"Grandpa, we've both absorbed Immortal Herbs. What about you?"
"Me? Even if an old man like me absorbed an Immortal Herb, it'd just go to waste." Ye Shuyuan replied indifferently. He had given up on the idea from the bottom of his heart.
Ye Qingzhou hesitated for a moment, then said, "How about I try choosing an Immortal Herb for you, Grandpa?"
At that, Ye Shuyuan looked at him with interest. That didn't sound like a bad idea.
"All right."
He wanted to see what kind of Immortal Herb his grandson would choose for him.
"Great! Then, Grandpa, go over to Dugu Bo. I'll look for an Immortal Herb."
Ye Qingzhou replied, then set off with light steps to search the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well for an Immortal Herb suited to Ye Shuyuan.
Ye Shuyuan said nothing as he watched Ye Qingzhou leave, and strode toward Dugu Bo.
By then, Dugu Bo had reached the most critical step.
A ring of dark-green shockwaves suddenly erupted around him.
The shockwaves spread outward from him, instantly corroding the surrounding plants until they withered and turned yellow.
Before you continue