Watching Su Ming leave so easily, Dugu Bo clenched his fists. He really wanted to pin him down right there and make him stay forever.
He'd taken so many of my medicinal herbs, and all it took was one sentence to send me packing?
But he didn't dare.
All he could do was watch Su Ming leave.
He spat out viciously, "If it doesn't work, you brat, even if you hide in Spirit Hall, I'll drag you out!"
A week later.
Su Ming returned to Spirit Hall.
When he returned to the Golden Hall, he took out an Immortal Herb and offered it to Gui Mei. "Elder Ghost, this Nine-Grade Purple Mushroom has the effect of strengthening your foundations and replenishing your vitality. It can bring out a Soul Master's potential to the fullest, so I'm giving it to you. Thank you for looking after me on the journey."
Gui Mei froze when he heard Su Ming was giving him an Immortal Herb.
He didn't know what an Immortal Herb was, but he knew Yue Guan was utterly obsessed with them.
Judging by how obsessed Yue Guan was, he knew these things had to be incredibly precious!
He hurriedly refused. "I appreciate your kindness, Young Master Su, but I absolutely cannot accept this Immortal Herb. I didn't do anything on this journey. It was all thanks to your own abilities."
Su Ming smiled. "Without your help, even if I'd had a silver tongue, I wouldn't have gotten a single Immortal Herb. Just take it. Elder Chrysanthemum got one too, didn't he?"
Chrysanthemum Douluo also urged him repeatedly from the side. "Old Ghost, if Young Master Su tells you to take it, then take it. This thing will do you a world of good. Hurry up and thank him!"
As he spoke, Chrysanthemum Douluo pulled Gui Mei into a deep bow before Su Ming. "Young Master Su, we have no way to repay you for the precious Immortal Herb. But if you ever need anything in the future, you can call on us at any time. We won't hesitate to give our lives for you!"
Seeing this, Gui Mei stopped being polite and bowed. "We won't hesitate to give our lives!"
Su Ming hurriedly helped them up. "You're too kind. It's just a small gesture. It's nothing worth mentioning."
Afterward, the two men left.
The reason Su Ming had given the Immortal Herbs to the two of them was simple.
They were trustworthy, and he would need people to look out for him as he made his way around Spirit Hall in the future.
"What about mine?" After the two left, Hu Liena held out her fair hand in front of Su Ming.
"What?" Su Ming didn't understand at first.
"An Immortal Herb, of course. I went along too, so I deserve a share. Even if I didn't contribute, I still put in the effort, right?" Hu Liena pouted, her alluring eyes roaming over Su Ming.
She didn't really know what Immortal Herbs did, so she had no idea just how precious they were.
She wasn't seriously asking Su Ming for one, either. She just wanted to tease him and see if he would give her one.
That was how girls thought: everyone else got one. We're so close—will you give me one too?
Su Ming didn't mind. Hu Liena had indeed looked after him over the past three years.
He thought it over, then took out a pale green flower. "This is an Aromatic Silk Beauty. Its medicinal properties are mild, and it can absorb the essence of heaven and earth to help improve your Martial Soul. Find somewhere safe to take it."
Hu Liena had already expected Su Ming to give her one.
But when he actually did, she still couldn't help feeling a little excited.
She took the flower and brought it to her nose, inhaling its fragrance with delight. Then she gazed at Su Ming with boundless affection. "As expected of my most, most, most beloved junior. You're always so good to your big sister. At a glance, I can tell this Immortal Herb is better than Elder Chrysanthemum's and Elder Ghost's."
Su Ming was puzzled. "How can you tell?"
"It's simple! This Immortal Herb is so pretty and smells so nice. It must be a higher grade than theirs."
Su Ming was speechless. So you think it's a higher grade just because it's pretty?
Women were truly impossible to understand.
Hu Liena found the expression on Su Ming's face so cute that she couldn't help reaching out to tap him on the forehead. "Haha, I knew you were the best to me, junior. All the care I've given you these past three years wasn't for nothing."
"Alright, it's getting late. Your big sister should head back. If you need help again, remember to come to me anytime."
"Mwah~~"
As she spoke, she blew Su Ming a kiss.
Then she swayed away with a seductive gait.
Su Ming remained completely calm.
He was already used to Hu Liena's self-absorbed ways.
Then he returned to his room.
After entering, he gave the maids a simple instruction not to disturb him.
Then Su Ming headed to the secret chamber, impatiently ready to absorb the Immortal Herb!
After thinking it over, he ultimately chose the Narcissus Jade Bone.
In the original story, Ma Hongjun absorbed the Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower. But the Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower was a fire-type Immortal Herb, and eating it purified his evil aura.
Su Ming was now pursuing the path of ultimate evil. If he ate that Immortal Herb, it would almost certainly have a negative effect.
The Narcissus Jade Bone, on the other hand, was water-attributed. Although that conflicted with his own fire attribute, that was exactly what Su Ming needed. Water and fire countered each other, which would make the purification more effective.
Besides, the Narcissus Jade Bone could nourish the sinews and strengthen the bones, circulate energy through the heart meridians, and comprehensively improve his constitution. That matched his needs perfectly.
Once he had made his decision, Su Ming swallowed the Immortal Herb without hesitation.
As soon as it entered his throat, it turned into an intensely cool yet powerful medicinal force that surged through all four limbs and the hundred bones of his body.
His body had undergone tempering in the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well just a few days earlier, so it was extremely receptive now. It began greedily absorbing the medicinal effects of the Narcissus Jade Bone.
Su Ming sank his consciousness into his body, guiding the evil attribute's power to merge with the Immortal Herb's medicinal force before surging toward the deepest part of his Martial Soul core.
There, the last stubborn trace of fire attribute had shrunk into a crimson dot of light, resisting with all its might.
But this time, under the overwhelming external pressure of the Narcissus Jade Bone nourishing his sinews and cleansing his marrow, that final trace of fire attribute lost all power to resist.
The cool medicinal force spread over it like a tide, enveloping the crimson dot. It began to dissolve and purify without the slightest surprise.
Sss, sss.
An extremely faint dissolving sound came from within Su Ming's body.
As the fire attribute's defenses completely collapsed, the last wisp of crimson light finally vanished without a trace.
Boom!
A low phoenix cry rang out.
The space behind Su Ming twisted violently as his Phoenix Martial Soul appeared!
At that moment, the Phoenix, once interwoven with red and black, lost all its red. Its wings became pure black, gleaming with a cold, metallic sheen!
Flames still burned upon its feathers, but their scorching heat had vanished completely, replaced by a bone-deep chill!
It was fire, yet not fire!
It was a condensation of evil aura!
The Phoenix's appearance transformed as well, and its body grew much larger.
Its feathers grew sharper, its talons more ferocious!
Its eyes were the only red on its body, blood-red and radiating an eerie, oppressive aura and an absolute pressure that seemed to devour everything.
Evil Phoenix!
Its transformation was complete!