Immortal Herb Treatment and Qiluo Foreshadowing

Li Hao collapsed limply into Zhu Zhuqing's soft embrace, gasping for breath.

An overwhelming weakness rose from the depths of his soul, leaving him unwilling to move even a finger.

Yet in his hands, he held tightly to that peerless Immortal Herb, which was slowly dying.

Aromatic Silk Beauty.

Its rich, delicate fragrance was no longer as overbearing as before. Instead, it had grown faint, like a candle guttering in the wind, ready to go out at any moment.

"Dad, it... it's going to die!"

Xiao Wu's voice was choked with tears. She circled Li Hao anxiously, so worried she was about to jump out of her skin.

Her big, watery eyes were filled with worry and heartache.

"Master, its life source is collapsing!"

Medusa's assessment was more precise. Her usual haughty bearing had vanished, and her emerald snake eyes were full of solemnity.

"We have to stabilize its source immediately with the purest life energy!"

Zhu Zhuqing said nothing. She simply supported Li Hao more securely.

Her other hand rested lightly on his shoulder, sending her own faint but steadfast Nether Soul Power into him in an attempt to help him recover his strength.

Save it!

It had to be saved immediately!

That was the only thought left in Li Hao's mind.

This wasn't just for the hopeful looks in Xiao Wu and the others' eyes. It was for his own sake, too.

The price of this Karma Fishing had been enormous. If all his effort came to nothing in the end, he would have taken a crushing loss.

Struggling, he rose with Zhu Zhuqing's support.

"Go... go to the Illusion Dream Tree Demon!"

His steps wavered. He could barely drag himself forward, inch by inch, toward the towering tree at the center of the valley.

That was the Life Core of the entire Soul Beast Paradise.

The Illusion Dream Tree Demon.

As Li Hao carried the dimmed Immortal Herb toward its trunk,

the giant tree seemed to sense the dying life within it. Though no wind blew, it stirred, and countless soft green ribbons of light descended from its branches and leaves.

Like the gentlest of hands, the ribbons tenderly wrapped around the Aromatic Silk Beauty in Li Hao's hands.

Vast, pure life essence poured ceaselessly into the Immortal Herb's withering roots and stems.

Its decline was temporarily halted.

But the stubborn aura of death that had spread through it still clung to its core, endlessly devouring the life force sent by the Illusion Dream Tree Demon.

Treating the symptoms, not the cause.

[Host, don't just stand there.]

The system's gloating prompt sounded once more.

[If you want to save it, external transfusions won't be enough. You must act as a bridge, using your own power to guide the Paradise's life energy and fuse it with the Immortal Herb's own source.]

[Use your Soul Ancestor-level Soul Power, the little bit of spiritual power you've just recovered, and... that ability you've hardly ever used.]

[Near-Death Lock and Heal!]

Li Hao's mind snapped to attention.

He took a deep breath and didn't hesitate any longer.

He carefully set the Immortal Herb beneath the roots of the Illusion Dream Tree Demon, then sat cross-legged and pressed both hands into the damp earth.

"Please."

He spoke softly to the three members of his family beside him.

Xiao Wu, Medusa, and Zhu Zhuqing understood at once.

Without a word, they formed a triangle around Li Hao and the Immortal Herb, guarding them closely as they kept watch over their surroundings.

Li Hao closed his eyes. He extended the little Soul Power and spiritual power he had just recovered without holding anything back, carefully linking them to the Immortal Herb.

Buzz!

His consciousness instantly entered a wondrous world.

On one side was the Illusion Dream Tree Demon's boundless vitality, like a vast ocean.

On the other was the Aromatic Silk Beauty's faint golden glimmer of life essence, so weak it seemed ready to go out at any moment.

And he himself was the only bridge linking the two.

"Near-Death Lock... Heal!"

Li Hao growled inwardly.

A strange power surged from deep within his Martial Soul, precisely locking onto that golden glimmer of life essence and forming a protective barrier around it to keep it from collapsing any further.

Then, with the utmost care, he began guiding the Illusion Dream Tree Demon's life energy into the golden light, a thread at a time.

It was an extremely delicate process, and one that demanded an immense amount of concentration.

Time passed, second by second.

Fine beads of sweat soon appeared on Li Hao's brow. His face, which had only just regained a hint of color, turned pale once more.

The combined strain on his Soul Power and spiritual power made his brain feel as if countless needles were stabbing into it.

But he didn't stop.

He could clearly sense the Immortal Herb's desperate yearning for life.

He could also feel the three gazes filled with worry and hope behind him.

He couldn't fail.

Xiao Wu watched anxiously, her little fists clenched tight as she whispered prayers again and again. "You have to get better. You have to get better..."

Medusa stood with her hands behind her back, her snake eyes shimmering.

She was considering the earth-shaking changes that saving the Immortal Herb might bring to the Paradise's ecosystem—and to each of their evolutions.

Zhu Zhuqing stood motionless, like an ice sculpture, but her taut body betrayed the extreme tension within her.

This Immortal Herb carried all their hopes.

No one knew how much time passed.

Maybe several hours, maybe an entire day.

Just as Li Hao felt he was about to be utterly drained, his consciousness growing hazy,

the tiny golden glimmer of life essence he had linked to suddenly trembled!

It was no longer passively accepting the energy. Instead, it began greedily absorbing the Illusion Dream Tree Demon's life force of its own accord!

A faint yet supremely pure pulse of life came back from within the Immortal Herb!

It worked!

Li Hao's spirits lifted!

He immediately increased the flow of energy he was guiding into it.

Before their eyes, the once-dim Aromatic Silk Beauty began to undergo an astonishing transformation.

Its nine slightly curled petals slowly unfurled, blossoming once more with radiant color.

Its withered roots and stems grew plump and vigorous with life.

The delicate fragrance that lingered throughout the valley was no longer the intense scent of something near death. It had become gentler and more far-reaching, carrying a life-giving freshness that cleared the mind.

It had come back to life!

[ Ding! ]

[Congratulations, host! You have successfully treated the rare Immortal Herb—Aromatic Silk Beauty.]

[The Immortal Herb's vital signs are stable, and it has formed a profound life resonance with the host and the Soul Beast Paradise...]

The system paused, then posed a question in a voice full of temptation—one that made Li Hao's heart race.

[Would you like to undergo... Bond Evolution?]

Bond Evolution?

Li Hao's breath caught in his throat.

Turn this Immortal Herb into a Soul Beast Girl, too? Make her the Paradise's fourth family member?

His first reaction was resistance.

His social anxiety alarm blared in his mind once more.

The three of them were already almost more than he could handle. Now he was supposed to add another?

And a plant, at that?

Would the family meetings now need a dedicated photosynthesis session?

But the thought passed in a flash.

He immediately realized there was something more important to consider.

The Soul Beast Paradise was growing larger, and its ecosystem was becoming more complex.

A lazy landlord like him couldn't manage all of it alone.

Xiao Wu was lively and energetic, Zhu Zhuqing quiet and reserved, and Medusa proud and forceful. None of them were suited to careful management or logistical support.

But Plant-type Soul Beasts naturally possessed powerful abilities to regulate ecosystems, nurture spiritual plants, and gather energy.

If...

If this Aromatic Silk Beauty evolved into a Soul Beast Girl, could she become the Paradise's administrator? A perfect support specialist?

Wasn't that exactly what a lazy landlord like him had dreamed of?

"Master, accept!"

Medusa's voice suddenly rang in his ear.

She had clearly thought of it, too. Her emerald snake eyes burned with unprecedented anticipation and ambition.

"A Plant-type Soul Beast Girl with an Immortal Herb's foundation could raise the energy level of the entire Paradise by leaps and bounds! This would bring immense benefits to every one of us!"

Li Hao looked at the exquisite Immortal Herb, glowing softly beneath the Illusion Dream Tree Demon's light. He felt the pure, intimate life energy emanating from it.

His lingering social anxiety was instantly replaced by a grand vision of the future.

Family...

A new family member who could help him manage their home.

Looking at the Immortal Herb brimming with limitless potential, Li Hao no longer hesitated.

"Yes!"

With all the strength he had left, he answered in his heart.

"Bond Evolution!"