I Might Not Be Able to Do It

Li Pu and the others didn't disturb him. Everyone had things they didn't want to remember.

No one knew that Chrysanthemum Douluo had awakened only an undeveloped Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum as his Martial Soul. It was just like Tang San's Blue Silver Grass, which was actually an undeveloped Blue Silver Emperor. They both merely possessed the bloodline.

The reason he had been able to awaken the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum was his older sister.

His sister was his only family and the one he loved most. She had supported him by growing flowers, but under the pressure of a noble's predatory loans, she was eventually murdered by the noble who had lent her the money.

That was also what allowed Yue Guan to fully awaken the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum.

His sister's death made him realize how perilous and cold the world was. In the face of absolute power, kindness and compromise were utterly useless.

With nothing left, he gave up every kind thought and lived on.

Though the legendary Immortal Herb might have been able to bring his sister back to life, finding it now would be pointless.

But he had still held on to hope.

Until now.

The white flower before him resembled a peony, yet its petals were thinner. It had no fragrance, no adornments, not even a single leaf.

All it had was that faint trace of blood-red, a color steeped in sorrow.

Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan raised his hand and struck his chest with his palm. A mouthful of blood burst from him and landed squarely on the petals of the Lovesick Heartbreak Red.

The Lovesick Heartbreak Red slipped from the Black Jade Stone and fell into a slender, delicate hand.

"Oh-ho! Who would've thought Chrysanthemum Douluo was such a devoted lover?" Li Pu couldn't help applauding.

"What do you mean? Isn't it just an Immortal Herb?" Guangling Douluo asked.

Li Pu smiled. "It's different."

"Chrysanthemum Douluo's books described an Immortal Herb called the Lovesick Heartbreak Red. It lived only for true love, and it left only for true love."

"This flower is no ordinary plant. It chooses its master. To pick it, you must think of the person you love, with absolute sincerity, then spit out a mouthful of heart's blood onto its petals. If your mind wavers even slightly, you could bleed to death and still never pluck it."

Guangling Douluo exclaimed, "It's that miraculous?"

Li Pu continued, "Once picked, as long as it stays by its master's side, it will never wither. The stone beneath it is called Black Jade. If it's destroyed by force, the Lovesick Heartbreak Red will lose all its medicinal power as well. Eating this herb grants a life as enduring as heaven and earth. It can extend one's lifespan by at least ten years and greatly increase Soul Power."

"Oh, no! Isn't that a waste on this kid?" Guangling Douluo couldn't help feeling distressed. If he'd known the thing was so valuable, he should've stopped Chrysanthemum Douluo.

"Haha, I already told you that only someone devoted to true love can use it. Even if you had it, you wouldn't be able to use it. The Grand Protector probably couldn't manage it either," Li Pu teased.

Guangling Douluo waved his hand. "Forget it. Since it was fated to be his, let him have it."

Bibi Dong looked on with longing, but she knew her own circumstances. Her former lover had found someone new, her teacher had corrupted her, and she had begun a new relationship. She felt she probably didn't meet the requirements either.

She shook her head in self-mockery and glanced at Li Pu.

It took Chrysanthemum Douluo a good while to come back to his senses.

Holding the Lovesick Heartbreak Red, he came before Li Pu and the others, then dropped to one knee to confess his wrongdoing.

"Elder Guang Ling, Your Highness the Saintess, Elder Li, this subordinate is guilty."

"Enough. We're not interested in your past. The fact that you were able to pluck it proves you were fated to have it. We won't blame you," Li Pu said dismissively. It didn't matter who got these things. They should go to whoever suited them.

Chrysanthemum Douluo was deeply moved and immediately made a decision.

"I, Yue Guan, owe you a great debt. If your life is ever in danger, I'll use the Lovesick Heartbreak Red to save you."

Though it was the Immortal Herb he had dreamed of, and the one most useful to him—a chance to rise to another level—it meant nothing if the person he cherished wasn't there.

His current level of cultivation was enough.

"As you wish."

Li Pu didn't care in the slightest.

Though he said that, he didn't mean it. He had no idea when Qian Xunji might make a move against him. Perhaps he really would have to rely on the Lovesick Heartbreak Red Chrysanthemum Douluo had plucked to bring him back to life.

One reason he'd sought out Chrysanthemum Douluo was precisely this. He wasn't worried that the man would refuse.

As for Bibi Dong, he was afraid the Secret Chamber's inner demons would prevent her from plucking it.

This was the best possible outcome.

Just then, a greenish figure gradually emerged from the pool of the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well.

"Who would've thought there'd be other people here? Someone actually dared to enter that terrifying pool," Bibi Dong said.

"From the figure, it looks like Dugu Bo of the Dugu Family," Li Pu said.

For generations, the Dugu Family had wielded Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor poison, only to be plagued by its backlash. To stay alive, they had to keep cultivating and use poison to counteract poison, hoping to extend their lives.

Yet none of them had lived to fifty. Anyone who made it past fifty was an exceptional talent.

Only by reaching the Titled Douluo level could they keep living—and perhaps find a way to remove the backlash.

Spirit Hall naturally had information on the Dugu Family.

"Who would've thought this generation of the Dugu Family hadn't died so easily from the poison backlash? So he found the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well, which helped him eliminate some of the toxins."

The Cold Extreme Yin Spring and Blazing Yang Spring counteracted all kinds of poison. Their waters were completely immune to toxins. Ordinary people couldn't endure the environment here, and neither could even powerful Soul Beasts.

But for Dugu Bo, this place did him nothing but good. The aura of the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well suppressed the deadly poison in his body, allowing him to live and cultivate in peace up to this day.

"The reason he was fine going down is that you didn't see him come up between the two springs at opposite extremes. That spot is relatively safe. Add his own poison and strength, and he's naturally safer here than anyone else," Li Pu explained.

Then Chrysanthemum Douluo said, "This place belongs to whoever has the ability to claim it. And from the looks of things, this fellow doesn't know what these Immortal Herbs do. There are a few that could solve his family's poison-backlash problem."

"Since he doesn't know, we'll help him out and get him to willingly hand over the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well. After all, we're not acting like bandits."

Li Pu could also do what Tang San had done: keep the Immortal Herbs from Dugu Bo, claim the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well at the lowest possible cost, and even make the entire Dugu Family follow him loyally.

One could say that most people would want to spend as little as possible for the greatest benefit, never considering what became of the other party.

Guangling Douluo disagreed. "It's a treasure land. Just take it by force! No need to make things so complicated!"

Li Pu said, "He's a powerful fighter, after all. Why waste a talent who can use the City-Slaughtering Poison? We might need him in the future."

Before long, Dugu Bo noticed Li Pu and the others.

He flew into a rage.

"You've got some nerve! You dare trespass in my Herb Garden? You're courting death—you've chosen the Way of Seeking Death!"