Distributing Immortal Herbs

Seeing Hu Liena like this, Lin Chuan immediately pressed down her raised fist, his expression speechless:

"First, I haven't been flirting with her, and second, there's been no intimate contact. To this day, I haven't even seen her a second time, so that doesn't count."

Hu Liena's expression turned dangerous:

"Are you saying you want to next time?"

Lin Chuan looked solemn: "I was joking."

"As if I'd believe that." Hu Liena eyed Lin Chuan and huffed.

Without waiting for a reply, she leaned in and bit his face—not hard, but enough to leave a tooth mark.

"I'll let you off for today!"

Remembering that Ling Yuan, Xie Yue, and the others were about to arrive, Hu Liena quickly scrambled out of Lin Chuan's arms.

Her peripheral vision subconsciously darted toward the courtyard gate, only to find Ling Yuan, Xie Yue, and the others wearing knowing, auntie-like smiles...

Realizing they had been spotted by Hu Liena, the group stopped pretending they hadn't arrived.

But seeing the girl's shy appearance, Ling Yuan couldn't help but tease:

"We only just got here; we didn't see what you two were doing just now."

That statement was a classic case of "the thief protesting his innocence."

Seeing them about to bicker and knowing Ling Yuan would surely keep teasing them, Lin Chuan took the initiative to change the subject:

"Is there a reason you all came?"

The normal plan was for the person secretly monitoring Meng Yiran to return to the Martial Soul Hall quarters to report once she broke through to Soul Elder.

This wasn't exactly a glorious event, and if anything, they had been discovered.

If there were people in the courtyard and the house, as an 89th-level Spirit Douluo, she could have avoided detection entirely.

Even if the person reporting had been spotted, she could have intercepted them outside the courtyard, yet she had brought them along.

Ling Yuan explained at the right moment:

"We happened to be discovered by the Pope on our way back. Yan, Xie Yue, and Nana have all broken through to Soul Ancestor but haven't obtained suitable Spirit Rings, so she sent me to bring them to hunt for their fourth ones."

Hearing that the three had just broken through to Soul Ancestor, Lin Chuan paused for a moment, probing them with a strange look before confirming they had indeed reached that level recently.

Yan had likely broken through earlier, as his soul power was more stable compared to Xie Yue and Hu Liena.

He must have waited for Hu Liena and Xie Yue to break through while Ling Yuan was waiting, so the three could come together to hunt for suitable Spirit Rings.

But thinking about it, that made sense; under normal circumstances, the higher one's soul power, the slower the progress.

In this past year or so, improving from the thirties to level forty was already quite good.

Take himself, for example: before entering the Capital of Slaughter, he was a 58th-level Spirit King, and he only broke through to Spirit Emperor a month before leaving.

It had taken a year and a half to gain a mere two levels.

Although he spent most of that time absorbing souls and tempering his mental power, it didn't change the fact that soul power growth becomes difficult in the later stages.

The rapid twenty-level surge he experienced after leaving was entirely due to the massive opportunity provided by the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger, as well as the 100,000-year Blue Silver Emperor Right Leg Bone, the Soft Bone Charm Rabbit, and the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.

That Hu Liena, Xie Yue, and Yan had only just reached Soul Ancestor was understandable.

He had been so focused on his own rapid growth that he hadn't even realized their soul power was still at the Soul Elder level.

Sighing, Lin Chuan waved his left hand.

The storage Soul Tool on his index finger released five uniquely shaped Immortal Herb specimens.

The Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower, Nine-Grade Purple Mushroom, Mystic Night Frost Grass, Cave Underworld Grass, and Lovesick Heartbreak Red were pushed by soul power toward the people in the courtyard.

Looking at the bright red flower blooming in full splendor before him, Yan asked in confusion:

"What is this?"

The others also looked at Lin Chuan, who had risen from his recliner, with puzzled and questioning expressions.

He explained:

"These are things I obtained by chance. They are Immortal Herb specimens, which rank above ordinary spirit herbs; they can consolidate one's foundation, nourish the origin, and invigorate the meridians and bones."

To elaborate on "consolidating the foundation and nourishing the origin," it meant they could replenish one's Innate Soul Power.

They could even improve upon the original Innate Soul Power, enhancing one's natural talent.

Invigorating the meridians and bones meant increasing physical strength and resilience.

For a spirit master, this was easy to understand; those eight short words spoke volumes of their value.

Even ordinary spirit herbs were incredibly precious on this continent, with only a handful kept in the private collections of major sects.

Immortal Herb specimens, which ranked even higher, were unheard of.

Replenishing Innate Soul Power meant that the herbs before them had the power to defy the heavens and change one's fate.

If someone like Yu Xiaogang, with an Innate Soul Power of only 0.5, could become a Titled Douluo after consuming the Nine-Grade Purple Mushroom—which was barely at the level of a semi-Immortal Herb—then the potential for those with already high Innate Soul Power was immeasurable.

Although the Mystic Night Frost Grass and Cave Underworld Grass did not reach the level of an Immortal Herb, they were comparable to the Nine-Grade Purple Mushroom.

They had both reached the half-step Immortal Herb level, also known as the quasi-Immortal Herb level.

The effects were not much different, only that the medicinal potency was not as vast as that of an Immortal Herb, being much more specialized.

"What, do you look down on such an opportunity?"

Lin Chuan's voice brought everyone back to their senses.

Ling Yuan was the first to react, joyfully taking the Mystic Night Frost Grass, her beautiful eyes fixed unblinkingly on this Immortal Herb capable of defying heaven and changing fate.

She also understood that this was the opportunity Lin Chuan had spoken of from the very beginning—the chance to become a Super Douluo!

The others were also observing the Immortal Herbs before them to varying degrees, their faces filled with irrepressible smiles.

Only Hu Liena, with her pair of charming eyes, kept them sparkling as she looked at Lin Chuan.

"Alright, stop staring, let's have this Immortal Herb acknowledge its master first."

While the others were examining their Immortal Herbs, Lin Chuan had already told them the method of refinement: it was simple and crude—swallow it into the belly and refine it.

However, Hu Liena's plant was different; the method for refining the King of Immortal Herbs, the Lovesick Heartbreak Red, required it to acknowledge its master first.

When picking it, one must think of their beloved, be sincere and devoted, and drip a drop of heart blood onto the petals.

Lin Chuan's attention was not focused on romance; his diluted view of love claimed to be single-minded and undistracted.

Therefore, when he dug up this Lovesick Heartbreak Red, he had not encountered any resistance.

Now, seeing that Hu Liena was not being rejected by the Lovesick Heartbreak Red, Lin Chuan felt a sense of relief in his heart.

"To be acknowledged as master, you need to drip heart blood onto the petals; you must be sincere and devoted, and cannot be half-hearted."

"Did you hear me?"

Seeing that Hu Liena still looked like she was daydreaming, Lin Chuan reached out to pinch her cheek, feigning a stern tone.

Although it was a reprimand, the air was filled with the sour stench of romance, leaving Xie Yue and the others utterly speechless.

Yan's gaze was filled with a sigh, mourning his own love that had ended before it even began; he had seen this a few times before, but this time it was even more unbearable!

But in the next moment, they all shifted their attention back to their respective Immortal Herbs, the previous emotions vanishing.

This time, with Lin Chuan's intervention, Yan's feelings for Hu Liena had long since faded, and now, they had dissipated entirely.

At the same time, Ling Yuan noticed Zhu Zhuqing still standing at the courtyard gate, looking hesitant about whether to accept the Immortal Herb before her, and her expression softened considerably as she comforted her:

"Don't be a stranger; when Lin Chuan brought you into Martial Soul Hall, he never treated you as an outsider."

"Now that you are my disciple, since he didn't leave you out of this opportunity, just accept it."