"Don't attack! I'm fine!"
Everyone froze in surprise. A young man stepped forward, his eyes clear. It was Chu Qing.
"Senior Dugu didn't hurt me. On the contrary, he's helping me cultivate!" Chu Qing hurriedly explained.
Ning Fengzhi's expression softened. He quickly said, "Please forgive me, Douluo Dugu. I meant no offense. I was just worried because I hadn't seen Brother Qing for two days."
Dugu Bo lowered his guard as well and looked at the young man before him.
Ning Rongrong's eyes lit up, and she cried in delight, "Brother Qing! I'm so glad you're all right!"
Chu Qing came over and swept Rongrong into his arms with a laugh. "I'm fine. Don't worry, Rongrong. I've got another present for you in a couple of days!"
He set Rongrong down, then cupped his hands in greeting. "Uncle Ning, Grandpa Sword, Grandpa Bone, I still have a few things to take care of with Senior Dugu. I'll need to stay a while longer before I can return. Don't worry about me!"
Seeing Chu Qing say this, Ning Fengzhi assumed he was unharmed. After exchanging a few pleasantries with Dugu Bo, he led the others away.
Dugu Bo looked astonished. He hadn't expected Chu Qing to speak up for him. The boy could easily have told Ning Fengzhi that Dugu Bo had abducted him. With Ning Fengzhi, Sword Douluo, and Bone Douluo there, Dugu Bo might not have been killed, but he would certainly have been injured.
The two returned to the herb garden, and Dugu Bo asked, "Are you a disciple of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect?"
"No, I'm just acquainted with Sect Master Ning." Chu Qing gave a vague answer and didn't elaborate.
Dugu Bo didn't press him. Instead, he asked urgently, "What were you doing just now? Why did you cause such a massive disturbance in heaven and earth?"
"I just swallowed an Immortal Herb. It's nothing." Chu Qing didn't say more. Instead, he asked, "Senior Dugu, how did it go? I didn't lie to you, did I? Judging by the color of your hair, I'd say it worked."
Dugu Bo stroked his beard and said with satisfaction, "I didn't expect you to know what you were talking about. You were right—I've truly rid myself of the poison. Now tell me, what other Immortal Herb can cure my granddaughter's poison and help her undergo Martial Soul Evolution?"
Chu Qing pointed to an Immortal Herb on the ground. "This one. But Senior Dugu, do you remember what you promised me?"
Dugu Bo watched Chu Qing grin mischievously. For some reason, a sudden sense of foreboding came over him.
"Of course. My word is my bond. Take it." They were only a few Immortal Herbs. So what if the boy took them? Their medicinal power was so potent that even eating two had been no easy feat. Surely he couldn't take them all?
Two hours later...
"Senior, thank you for your hospitality! I'll tell you about the other two conditions another time. Thanks again for everything! I'm off!"
Dugu Bo stared at the garden, now riddled with holes, and nearly burst into tears. You call this a few?!
The bastard had dug up every last one!
Still, he was a man of his word. Chu Qing had indeed cured his poison. "I, Dugu Bo, am no oathbreaker! If he took them, then he took them!"
"And besides..." Dugu Bo watched Chu Qing disappear on the horizon, lost in thought.
He was so young, yet already so powerful—brave, clever, and possessed of remarkable character.
After falling into danger, he'd even had Ning Fengzhi, the dignified Sect Master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, come in person to demand his return. And yet Chu Qing wasn't even one of their disciples.
The boy was annoying, but he was also quite handsome. Perhaps in a few years, Dugu Bo could arrange for him to marry Dugu Yan. It might make a fine match.
At that thought, Dugu Bo shook his head. He would have to ask Dugu Yan what she thought first. Then, carrying the Immortal Herb, he returned to Heaven Dou City to treat his granddaughter.
At the foot of an unnamed mountain outside Heaven Dou City.
Chu Qing stood perfectly still, focusing on his body.
After swallowing the Infernal Delicate Apricot, his Soul Power hadn't increased, but the Void Devouring Flame had evolved once again!
Chu Qing circulated his Soul Power. The enormous phantom of the Void Devouring Flame appeared behind him. Ancient runes were hidden in its rising flames, and strangest of all, the surrounding space seemed to be devoured and sliced apart wherever the Void Devouring Flame spread!
The Void Devouring Flame had evolved the ability to devour space!
Chu Qing was ecstatic. The ability to devour space might not sound useful, but it could be put to countless uses!
Chu Qing urged his Soul Power. The void before him was swallowed up, leaving a pitch-black entrance. He stepped inside, and the rift vanished in an instant.
Then, on the mountaintop, another rift appeared out of nowhere, and Chu Qing stepped out of it.
"Space Teleportation!" Chu Qing was overjoyed. His Soul Power wasn't enough yet to sustain long-distance travel for long, but even so, this ability's sheer power was obvious!
Just imagine: if enemies ambushed him, Chu Qing could vanish in an instant, then silently teleport behind them. How terrifying would that be?
And devouring space could be developed into many other techniques, such as spatial cutting.
"I'm only at level twenty-eight, and I'm already this powerful. Just how strong will I be when the Void Devouring Flame evolves into its complete form?" Chu Qing murmured.
By then, he'd probably be able to swallow even a god in one bite!
"What a load of nonsense this Sea God is. He wouldn't last a single blow against me!"
That thought only strengthened Chu Qing's resolve to become stronger!
Three days later, in the main hall of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Ning Fengzhi told Chu Qing about his plan to go to Shrek Academy. Chu Qing thought it over and agreed. He was too conspicuous here. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's large-scale operation a few days earlier had already drawn the attention of the nobles and influential figures in Heaven Dou City. Staying here would hinder his cultivation, so he might as well leave. Shrek would be a fine place to go!
"Still, Uncle Ning, before we set out, I have a few things to settle. I'll need to make a trip home." Chu Qing cupped his hands and spoke.
"Of course, of course! There's no rush." Seeing Chu Qing agree so readily, Ning Fengzhi was delighted.
After saying goodbye, Chu Qing headed straight to Ning Rongrong's room.
"Rongrong!"
"Brother Qing!" Rongrong was overjoyed to see Chu Qing. Still in her pajamas, she leaped off the bed and threw her arms around him, clinging to him like an octopus.
"You were gone for two whole days. I was worried sick! Where did you go?" Rongrong looked at him with a pout, her complaints tumbling out one after another.
Chu Qing smiled, lifted Rongrong off him, and set her on the bed. Then he took an Immortal Herb from his Storage Ring. "I was getting a surprise ready for you, wasn't I? Look, what do you think this is?"
Rongrong stared at the golden plant before her, fascinated. "Brother Qing, what is it?"
"Aromatic Silk Beauty! It's an incredibly rare Immortal Herb. It can have a crucial effect on your Martial Soul!"
Then Chu Qing told Rongrong how to take it. She trusted him, of course, and immediately absorbed it.