Feeding, Immortal Herb Sacrifice?

"This... this..." Du Busi had already deactivated his Avatar of Martial Soul, returning to his human form.

He stood at the entrance of the valley, staring blankly at the scene before him. His rugged face was currently etched with extreme shock and ecstasy, his mouth hanging open wide enough to fit a fist, forgetting entirely that he was still clutching Zichuan.

"Ice... Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well! It really is the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well!"

His voice trembled as he muttered to himself, then he suddenly turned toward Zichuan, grabbing his shoulders with both hands and shaking him excitedly. "Good disciple! My good disciple! You are truly... truly a massive stroke of fortune for our Body Sect! A lucky star indeed!!!"

He released Zichuan and rushed toward a Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum like a child, crouching down to carefully touch the fiery red petals with his fingertips.

Feeling the masculine, scorching power contained within—which was immensely beneficial even to a powerhouse of his caliber—he ran over to the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass, taking a deep breath of its icy, pure aura.

"We're rich! We're rich! We've really hit the jackpot this time!" Du Busi was so excited he was incoherent, pacing around the valley. His eyes shone as he looked at the immortal herbs he had only ever heard of in legends.

"Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew! Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid! Narcissus Jade Muscle Bone! Aromatic Silk Beauty! My heavens... any one of these immortal herbs, if leaked to the outside world, could trigger a bloody storm in the soul master world! To think there are so many here! And, and I can feel that a few of them might even help my cultivation! They could help me push through that final step!"

He stopped abruptly and turned to look at Zichuan, who was still standing where he had been left, equally stunned by the sight. The excitement on his face gradually faded, replaced by an unprecedented solemnity.

He strode back to Zichuan, crouched down to look him in the eye, and said every word with ironclad certainty:

"Zichuan, my good disciple. Listen well."

"This place was discovered by you. This ancient map was obtained by your parents at the cost of their lives. Therefore, from today on, this Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well is yours! It is Zichuan's private cultivation treasure trove, Zichuan's private medicinal garden!"

"Without your permission, no one in the sect, including me, Du Busi, is allowed to step foot in this place, nor may they pluck a single blade of grass or tree from here!"

"In the future, if anyone in the sect needs these immortal herbs to assist in cultivation or healing, they must obtain your consent, and you must make them trade something of equal value! Even if I, your master, want some, it's the same rule!"

His words were resonant and brooked no argument. There was not a shred of intent to claim this immense opportunity for himself just because he was the Sect Master or the teacher, nor did he use the sect's righteousness to force Zichuan to share.

Zichuan was stunned. He had anticipated that Du Busi would be ecstatic upon seeing the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, perhaps even wanting to designate it as a forbidden zone for the sect.

But he had not expected Du Busi to be so decisive and clear in granting him full personal ownership.

"Teacher, this..." Zichuan instinctively wanted to say something.

"None of that 'this' or 'that'!" Du Busi waved his large hand, cutting him off, his expression incredibly earnest.

"I've lived for over a hundred years; what haven't I seen? This thing called destiny is mysterious and profound. You possess a Dual Heart Martial Soul, a thousand-year first ring, an External Soul Bone, and that miraculous domain... and now you've discovered this Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. All of this points to one thing--you, Zichuan, are very likely the child of destiny for this generation!"

He patted Zichuan's shoulder, his tone softening with a touch of emotion and expectation:

"The opportunities of a child of destiny cannot be forced or greedily snatched by others. Otherwise, one will surely suffer a backlash. This Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well has a connection with you; it belongs to you. All the sect can do is protect you and let you grow properly. When you truly stand at the pinnacle in the future, don't forget to give the sect a hand; that will be enough."

Seeing Zichuan's still-dazed face, he chuckled, reverting to his rugged self:

"Of course, if you feel bad for your teacher, once you've achieved success in your cultivation, feel free to toss a herb or two you don't need to me, and I'll shamelessly accept them!"

Zichuan looked at the green-haired man before him—at times overbearing and savage, at times rough but thoughtful, and now so transparent and magnanimous.

The guilt he had felt due to his deception, along with the long-standing sense of alienation as a "transmigrator" and "cheat-user," was washed away in this moment by a surging, warm current.

He opened his mouth, but found his throat tight, and in the end, he only nodded heavily, his voice slightly hoarse: "Teacher, I... I understand. Thank you."

Du Busi laughed heartily and ruffled Zichuan's hair vigorously:

"Silly boy, why are you being so polite with your teacher! Come, since we're here, let's take a good look at your 'family assets'! Tsk tsk, this is truly incredible..."

He pulled Zichuan along and began to wander through the valley with great interest, identifying the immortal herbs like a connoisseur, letting out exclamations of wonder from time to time.

Deep within Zichuan's Sea of Consciousness, the God of Destruction witnessed all of this and offered a faint evaluation:

"This green-haired turtle actually has a bit of discernment and self-awareness. It saved this Seat some breath. Kid, your teacher might be a bit reckless, but he's not a bad person."

Zichuan did not respond, merely watching the back of Du Busi, who was as excited as a child who had found a treasure, and looking at the dreamlike Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well before him. His heart was filled with tranquility and a sense of power.

This place was his now.

So, what exactly was this "total satisfaction" that the old man had promised?

Zichuan stood at the edge of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, feeling the bone-chilling cold of the Ice Spring and the scorching heat of the Yang Spring washing over his body in turns, his two hearts seemingly becoming even more active as a result.

He looked at the rare treasures filling the valley; while he was certainly excited, he felt a sense of unreality—had this immense wealth really just fallen into his lap?

"Teacher, what should we do next..." Zichuan turned to look at Du Busi, who was still drooling over a Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum, and asked tentatively, "Should we first find an immortal herb suitable for me to consume, break through the level 20 bottleneck, and obtain my second soul ring?"

He instinctively felt that this should be the process. After all, even though there were many immortal herbs here, one had to proceed step by step, choosing one with mild medicinal properties that could consolidate his foundation and help him break through—like the Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew that Huo Yuhao had consumed in the original story?

However, the moment he finished speaking, the God of Destruction in his mind scoffed, his tone filled with the disdain of someone thinking, "Why are you so unambitious?"

"Absolutely not!"

"Huh?" Zichuan was taken aback.

"Consume? Refine? That's for those unlucky wretches who have no background, no backing, and have to fight tooth and nail just to pick up some scraps!"

The voice of the God of Destruction carried an inherent arrogance. "My child, the child of the God of Destruction, needs to go through such trouble just to take what is his own?"

Before Zichuan could fathom what "what is his own" meant, an indescribable, obscure fluctuation—as if it were above all things, carrying an ancient, majestic, and destructive yet regenerative intent—quietly spread from the depths of Zichuan's Sea of Consciousness. Like a stone thrown into a calm lake, it rippled outward, instantly enveloping the entire Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well valley!

This fluctuation was extremely faint, far less earth-shattering than when Du Busi released his Avatar of Martial Soul, and Zichuan himself barely felt it.

But the "essence" it contained was unimaginably high; it was the dignity of a god, touching upon the rules of the world!

"Hum--!"

In an instant, the entire Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well seemed to come alive!

Within the valley, the countless immortal herbs and spiritual medicines that had been quietly absorbing spiritual energy and swaying in the breeze all shuddered in unison!

Immediately following, strands of aura—some strong, some weak, but all incomparably pure and ancient—began to rise from each and every immortal herb!

These auras were no longer peaceful; instead, they were filled with shock, horror, and a trace of irrepressible... excitement and awe?