Lovesick Heartbreak Red, Golden Crocodile's Strength Soars

"Junior Brother, hurry! Let's go look at the other Immortal Herbs!" Bibi Dong grabbed Su Mo's hand, her skirt fluttering as she excitedly ran toward the other herbs.

"Senior Sister, slow down." Dragged along by her, Su Mo smiled helplessly.

The two weaved through the Immortal Herb Garden, where dazzling rare flowers and exotic plants filled their eyes.

Suddenly, Bibi Dong stopped, her gaze firmly drawn to a particular Immortal Herb.

It was a rather ordinary-looking white flower. Its palm-sized petals resembled a peony's, yet it had no leaves beside it.

Several streaks of blood-red marked the white flower, giving it a mournfully beautiful air.

Beneath its stem was a pitch-black stone called Wu Jue.

This Immortal Herb was the king of flowers, the Lovesick Heartbreak Red.

Bibi Dong stared at the traces of red on its petals and recalled the legend Su Mo had told her. Her heart felt as though it had been fiercely clenched.

Two people clearly loved each other, yet were ruthlessly torn apart and never ended up together even in death. The despair of loving someone one could not have was the most agonizing of all.

Seeing her lost in thought as she stared at the flower, Su Mo softly reminded her, "Senior Sister, you should know that the Lovesick Heartbreak Red is no ordinary item.

"When picking it, you must think of the one you love and spit out a mouthful of your heart's blood onto its petals.

"If your heart is divided, then even if you cough blood until you die, you will not be able to pluck it."

Bibi Dong did not answer. She merely gently released the hand holding his.

She walked before the Lovesick Heartbreak Red, crouched down, and picked up the Wu Jue Stone.

Taking a deep breath, she circulated her Soul Power and stirred her blood and qi, spitting a mouthful of crimson blood onto the petals.

In an instant, memories surged through her mind like a tide.

When she was young, at the Orphanage, she had taken the initiative to befriend the unusual Su Mo.

Su Mo knew many things, and sometimes he even told her stories she had never heard before.

Gradually, she emerged from the shadows in her heart, and the two became each other's only friend.

Su Mo was like a beam of light, illuminating her bleak childhood.

When they were six, their teacher Qian Xunji took them both in as disciples.

When they first began studying theory, she would always get sleepy, while Su Mo silently organized the key points for her.

Day after day, they read, cultivated, wandered the markets, released floating lanterns, and watched the sunrise and sunset from the peak of Martial Soul Sacred Mountain together...

Spirit Hall was filled with geniuses, but Su Mo was the most dazzling person she had ever seen. Whether in cultivation or theory, he was unmatched.

And not long ago, when someone had harbored ill intentions toward her, Su Mo had stepped in front of her without hesitation. His back was not particularly broad, yet it gave her an unprecedented sense of security.

As she grew older, she gradually came to understand what it meant to like someone.

And Su Mo was the person she liked, having long occupied her entire heart.

At that moment, the Lovesick Heartbreak Red atop the Wu Jue Stone began to tremble gently. Then it silently fell away and floated quietly before Bibi Dong.

Bibi Dong came back to herself, cradled the Lovesick Heartbreak Red in both hands, turned toward Su Mo, and smiled brilliantly.

"Junior Brother, look, I succeeded!"

Su Mo had been watching her all along. Though he had expected it, witnessing the scene with his own eyes still sent a warmth rising in his heart.

His careful efforts over the past few years had not been in vain. He had finally won this little girl's heart.

He stepped forward and gently wiped the blood from the corner of her lips. His fingertips brushed against her soft, warm lips, his movements exceptionally tender.

Then, a teasing smile appeared in his eyes. He leaned closer and lowered his voice as he joked:

"Senior Sister, who were you thinking about just now? Who could make the Lovesick Heartbreak Red acknowledge you as its master?"

The joy on Bibi Dong's face instantly turned scarlet, the blush swiftly spreading to her ears.

She lowered her head, looked at the Lovesick Heartbreak Red in her hands, and softly said, "You know perfectly well..."

"Oh?" Su Mo leaned closer again, feigning confusion. "What do I know? Which outstanding young man has managed to capture my Senior Sister's heart?"

Bibi Dong raised her head in embarrassment and annoyance, glaring at him with her beautiful eyes. Yet there was not the slightest bit of intimidation in it; instead, it seemed more like she was acting spoiled.

"Su Mo! You... if you keep spouting nonsense, I'm going to ignore you!"

She made to turn away, but Su Mo laughingly caught hold of her.

"All right, all right, I won't tease you anymore. Hurry and refine it."

Bibi Dong looked at the flower in her hands. After hesitating for a moment, she softly said, "But... I'm a little reluctant to."

The Lovesick Heartbreak Red was not merely an Immortal Herb; it was also a testament to the feelings in her heart.

Hearing this, Su Mo sighed faintly inwardly.

As expected of Romance Continent. Whenever love was involved, everyone became this sentimental.

"Senior Sister, I understand how you feel. But only by consuming it and turning it into your strength will you truly live up to this Immortal Herb.

"Haven't you always wanted to catch up to me? Once you consume this flower, your Soul Power will rise by at least ten levels, and your cultivation speed will greatly increase as well.

"That way, the distance between us will grow smaller and smaller."

Bibi Dong's expression gradually became resolute.

That was right. She had to catch up to Su Mo, to stand shoulder to shoulder with him rather than always hide behind him.

"Okay, I'll refine it now," Bibi Dong said with a nod.

"Go on. I'll stand guard for you."

Holding the Lovesick Heartbreak Red, Bibi Dong walked to an open area nearby and sat down cross-legged.

She had read the relevant records and knew how to consume it. Before long, she swallowed the Immortal Herb and entered a cultivation state.

Su Mo quietly stood guard at her side, not rushing to harvest the remaining Immortal Herbs.

Because he did not have a Soul Tool capable of storing living things.

Still, he was in no hurry.

Time passed, and before they knew it, the night had grown deep.

Just as the aura around Bibi Dong became increasingly vast and powerful, an astonishing wave of Soul Power suddenly erupted from the other side.

"Ha ha! Excellent! Before long, this old man will reach the Limit Realm as well!"

Golden Crocodile Douluo was surrounded by golden light, his momentum soaring like a rainbow.

At this moment, he was only one step away from becoming a Limit Douluo.

He had not directly broken through to Level 99. Instead, he had reached the peak of Level 98, which had also been his peak in the original work.

For Super Douluo above Level 95, the difficulty of every additional level increased exponentially.

Therefore, breaking through to Level 99 was far from easy.

However, with the nourishment of the Earth Dragon Golden Melon, Golden Crocodile Douluo reaching Level 99 was merely a matter of time.

Su Mo immediately stepped forward and congratulated him. "Congratulations, Grandpa Golden Crocodile. Your strength has increased greatly."

Golden Crocodile Douluo beamed with delight. "It is all thanks to you, Xiao Mo. If you had not wanted to come in and investigate, we would never have discovered such a treasure land. This old man might never have touched the Limit Realm in his entire life."

"You flatter me, Grandpa Golden Crocodile." Su Mo shook his head with a smile. "Without you, let alone entering this deadly place filled with poisonous miasma, even if I reached the entrance, the ten-thousand-year Soul Beasts inside would likely tear me to pieces."

"All right, you brat." Golden Crocodile Douluo smiled and waved his hand. "This old man will go catch a few Soul Beasts for your dinner."