Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum, Ink Jade Divine Bamboo

"Immortal Herbs!" Yue Guan cried excitedly, his voice so shrill it nearly cracked. "There are actually so many Immortal Herbs!"

He swept his gaze across the entire sea of flowers with ravenous hunger.

Suddenly, his eyes locked firmly onto one Immortal Herb.

It was a purple chrysanthemum, its petals soft and velvety. The flower's central stamen stood over half a foot tall, shimmering with a faint golden glow.

Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum!!

Yue Guan's pupils suddenly contracted, and his breath stopped for an instant.

Like a parched man who had suddenly found a spring, he instinctively moved to pounce toward it.

However, Golden Crocodile Douluo abruptly raised a hand, his fingers clamping down on Yue Guan's shoulder like iron pincers and forcibly holding him in place.

Yue Guan realized he had lost his composure and steadied himself, but his gaze remained fixed on the flower.

"Bishop Yue Guan, what are Immortal Herbs? Why are you so excited?" Falling Devil Douluo asked in confusion.

He frowned slightly, muttering to himself, Aren't they just some pretty flowers and plants? Is there any need to get this worked up?

Yue Guan took a deep breath and tried to calm his surging emotions.

"Elder, you do not understand. A single Immortal Herb is enough to turn someone with mediocre talent into a genius. If it falls into the hands of a suitable Spirit Master, it may even help evolve his Martial Soul."

Falling Devil Douluo's pupils constricted sharply. Only then did he realize what those flowers and plants truly represented.

He abruptly turned his head and looked again at the sea of flowers, his eyes now filled with gravity and shock.

No wonder Golden Crocodile Douluo had been in such a hurry to send word back to Spirit Hall and had even requested powerful experts to guard this place.

If outsiders learned of such a treasure ground, the entire continent would probably go mad over it.

At that moment, two figures approached from afar.

They were Su Mo and Bibi Dong.

They had been focused on their cultivation when Yue Guan's shrill cry interrupted them.

"Elder Golden Crocodile, Elder Falling Devil." Su Mo was the first to cup his hands in greeting, his demeanor calm.

Bibi Dong also dipped slightly and offered a brief salute.

Golden Crocodile Douluo nodded faintly, while Falling Devil Douluo returned the greeting with a nod as well.

Su Mo then looked at Yue Guan with a smile. "Bishop Yue Guan, do you still remember me?"

Yue Guan studied the youth before him, his heart stirring slightly.

More than two years had passed. Su Mo had grown much taller, and his face had shed its childishness, becoming more sharply defined. There was also a greater steadiness between his brows.

Yet Yue Guan recognized him at once. This was the boy who had once used the Pope Token to borrow a handbook on flowers and plants from him.

"Of course I remember."

Yue Guan pondered silently, After two years apart, this child's temperament has changed completely. Standing before Elder Golden Crocodile and Elder Falling Devil, he is not the least bit restrained. Instead, he is entirely composed.

And how had he come to be here?

At present, only those at the elder level knew about Su Mo and Bibi Dong, along with a few Spirit Masters who had trained with them.

Su Mo smiled. "Bishop Yue Guan, since you recognize Immortal Herbs, you naturally understand the importance of this place. My teacher sent you here this time to have you take charge of tending it."

Teacher? Yue Guan's heart jolted, and his pupils shrank.

He was actually His Holiness the Pope's disciple!

No wonder he had been able to use the Pope Token back then.

Everything suddenly became clear to Yue Guan, and his awe deepened.

For someone to be accepted as His Holiness the Pope's disciple, his future prospects were immeasurable.

"Yes! Yue Guan will certainly not fail Your Highness's trust!" Yue Guan said excitedly.

He had never expected that His Holiness the Pope's assignment this time would turn out to be such an enormous opportunity!

For someone like him, who loved flowers, this place was an unparalleled treasure ground.

Even if he never had the chance to receive an Immortal Herb as a reward, merely being able to see them with his own eyes—especially that Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum—would leave him with no regrets in this life.

Su Mo turned to Golden Crocodile Douluo. "Grandpa Golden Crocodile, can I decide what to do with the remaining Immortal Herbs?"

Golden Crocodile Douluo nodded slightly. "Of course. Without you, this place would never have been discovered."

Su Mo was someone even the Grand Elder valued. Not to mention that these Immortal Herbs had been discovered because of Su Mo, even if they had not been, his status and potential gave him every right to decide how they would be distributed.

Su Mo nodded and looked back at Yue Guan.

"Bishop Yue Guan, I was only able to recognize these Immortal Herbs because of the Immortal Herb Illustrated Handbook you lent me back then.

If not for that book, even if I had stumbled upon this place by chance, I would have treated these as ordinary flowers and plants and missed them for nothing."

He paused, his gaze falling upon the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum as the corners of his lips lifted slightly.

"There is a Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum here. In all of Spirit Hall, no one is more suited to it than you. Therefore, that Immortal Herb is yours."

Yue Guan's entire body shook as he stared in disbelief.

"Th-this..."

His lips trembled violently, as though something had lodged in his throat. For a long while, he could not speak.

The Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum was the supreme treasure he had dreamed of obtaining!

He had thought that being able to see it with his own eyes here would already be the greatest fortune imaginable. He had never expected...

"Your Highness..." Yue Guan's voice trembled. "How could I possibly deserve this...?"

"Bishop Yue Guan, there is no need to refuse." Su Mo interrupted him.

Yue Guan took a deep breath, then dropped to one knee and said respectfully,

"Thank you for Your Highness's reward. From this day onward, Yue Guan will devote everything to Your Highness and serve until death. I will never betray the grace Your Highness has shown me today!"

Su Mo reached out and helped him up. "Bishop Yue Guan, there is no need to be so formal. This place contains not only Immortal Herbs, but also many other rare medicinal plants. It will require your careful tending in the future. You have earned this."

Yue Guan nodded forcefully. "Yes, I will certainly tend this place with all my heart!"

Su Mo smiled faintly and turned to look at Falling Devil Douluo nearby.

Falling Devil Douluo had been standing quietly to the side, his gaze occasionally sweeping over the Immortal Herbs, with a trace of expectation hidden in his eyes.

He had known Su Mo for some time, though they had not interacted much. Now that Su Mo was looking at him, his expectations grew even stronger.

Could it be... there is something for me too?

"Elder Falling Devil." Su Mo raised his hand and pointed into the distance, where two dark green Immortal Herbs stood. They resembled bamboo shoots, their entire bodies as smooth and lustrous as black jade.

"Those are Ink Jade Divine Bamboo. There are exactly two of them. One for you and one for Elder Qian Jun. They should help you break through your final bottleneck."

Following Su Mo's finger, Falling Devil Douluo looked over, and his pupils narrowed slightly.

Both he and his older brother would have one?

His heart leaped. He and his older brother had been stuck at the peak of rank ninety-five for many years.

If this Ink Jade Divine Bamboo could truly help them break through their bottleneck, did that not mean they were about to join the ranks of the enshrined elders?

He took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed the turmoil in his heart. "Thank you, Your Highness."

"There is no need for thanks, Elder Falling Devil. I will pick it for you."

Su Mo walked over to the Ink Jade Divine Bamboo, bent down, plucked one of them, and handed it to Falling Devil Douluo. He then carefully explained how to consume it and the precautions he needed to take.

Falling Devil Douluo accepted it with both hands, found a quiet spot, sat down cross-legged, and began refining it.

Su Mo watched him leave before turning back to Yue Guan.

"Bishop Yue Guan, the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum is yours. Go on."

Yue Guan's whole body trembled. "Yes, Your Highness!"

He turned and ran toward the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum. His steps were urgent, yet as he approached, they abruptly slowed, as if he feared disturbing something sacred.

He slowly crouched before the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum, his hands hovering in the air as they trembled faintly.

He took a deep breath, carefully extended his hands, and plucked it with utmost gentleness.

Then he cradled the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum in his palms, lowered his head to gaze at it, and lightly brushed its velvety petals. His movements were as tender as though he were caressing the most precious treasure in the world.

"Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum..." he murmured. "I finally... finally have you..."