Harvesting Immortal Herbs, Everyone Learned I Had Inherited a God's Legacy

The Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well was a valley.

The valley entrance was narrow, with the cliffs on either side forming a sliver of sky. Even if ordinary people walked right up to it, they would never discover the entrance. Dugu Bo led the way, pushing aside the hanging vines. A gust of air mixed with scorching heat and icy chill rushed toward them. At the center of the valley lay a two-colored spring. One half was crimson, roiling with bubbles, while the other was azure like ice, radiating cold. Where the two springs met, they formed a perfect arc, clearly divided and never infringing upon each other.

All around the spring, every kind of immortal herb grew in lush abundance.

Dugu Bo strode into the herb garden and was about to speak, but swallowed his words.

Because the herbs moved.

An immortal ginseng with six golden leaves pulled half its roots from the soil and bent toward me like a person bowing. The cluster of purple-flowered vines beside it was even more outrageous. The entire vine descended from the cliff wall, its tip touching the ground as it curled into a formal posture of respect. Near the icy spring, a snow-white lotus slowly turned its bloom toward me. Its petals opened and closed as though it were too excited to speak.

Dugu Bo stood amid the herb field, looking to his left at the Ink Jade Lingzhi, which he had cultivated for twenty years without ever seeing it bloom. At that moment, its cap trembled as it desperately emitted golden light. Then he looked right at the Blazing Apricot, the most hot-tempered of them all. Normally, it would spit sparks in protest even when he watered it, but now it was as docile as a newly sprouted mimosa.

"I've spent thirty years in this herb garden, and I've never seen them act like this," Dugu Bo said, his voice drifting slightly.

He plucked a leaf from the Nine-Jointed Calamus. The immortal herb he had guarded for thirty years showed no reaction of protest whatsoever. It merely lazily shook its leaves before continuing to bow toward me. Dugu Bo stared at the leaf in his hand for several seconds, then stared at the immortal herb he cherished as dearly as his life for several more.

Dugu Bo turned to look at me. The shock in his vertical pupils had become an extremely complicated scrutiny. "What exactly did you encounter in that purple mist?"

"We'll talk about it together later."

Gathering the herbs went extraordinarily smoothly. The immortal herbs fought to jump into my hands, pulling their own roots from the soil as though terrified of being left behind.

Dugu Bo squatted beside me and watched the entire process, his face wearing an indescribably dumbfounded expression.

By the time we returned to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's residence, it was already evening three days later. Dugu Bo officially moved into Fourth Elder's courtyard, while I went straight to the back mountain to find Yu Yuanzhen.

"Uncle Yu, I have something important to report. Please gather all the elders."

Yu Yuanzhen set down his teacup and glanced at me. A powerhouse of his level could not fail to notice the changes in my aura, yet he did not ask on the spot. He nodded and gave an instruction toward the door. Before the time it took to burn an incense stick, all four chairs in the clan's Council Hall were occupied.

Yu Yuanzhen sat in the seat of honor. To his left was Yu Luomian, still wearing that cold, stern expression, though he gave me a slight nod when he saw me enter.

On the right sat an old man I had never seen before. He was powerfully built, with high cheekbones, broad palms, and thick calluses between his knuckles from gripping weapons year after year. The emblem of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan was embroidered on his robe, but the fabric was badly worn. One glance was enough to tell that he spent his life traveling outside.

Yu Jin. Third Elder, an eighty-second-level Soul Douluo, whose martial soul was the Thunder Hawk. His presence within the clan was very low-key. He had spent years outside handling the clan's external affairs and gathering intelligence. Growing up, I had only heard his name; this was my first time seeing him. When he saw me enter the Council Hall, his gaze paused on me for a moment. Then he raised the teacup on the table and took a sip, making no further gesture.

Second on the right was Dugu Bo. His snake-like eyes and the faint toxin fluctuations surrounding him made his identity obvious at a glance.

Yu Yuanzhen got straight to the point. "Tian Lin said he has something important to report, so I called all of you here."

Four pairs of eyes fell on me at once.

I stood in the center of the Council Hall and explained the entire matter as concisely as possible: the appearance of the purple mist domain, being forcibly separated from Dugu Bo, the White Deer's guidance, the Spirit of Vegetation beneath the giant tree, and the legacy of the God of Myriad Woods.

There was no exaggeration, no embellishment. Every word was the truth.

After I finished, the Council Hall fell silent for a full five breaths.

Yu Luomian was the first to speak. "The God of Myriad Woods?"

He turned to Dugu Bo, his gaze seeking confirmation. Dugu Bo leaned back in his chair and gave a bitter smile. "I don't know either. That purple mist dragged me several miles away, and I didn't see a thing. But one point can verify it: the herbs in my garden are all spiritual herbs that have lived for over a hundred years. Today, when he entered the herb garden, dozens of immortal herbs simultaneously bent down to salute him. I've cultivated herbs at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well for thirty years, and I've never seen anything like it."

Yu Jin set down his teacup, its base knocking softly against the table. He leaned forward slightly, his eyes, somewhat clouded from years of wind and sand, fixed upon me. His voice was rough. "A god's legacy? Then the rise of our clan is inevitable."

Yu Luomian picked up the thread. "The nature of this power must be kept strictly confidential. He can understand the whispers of plants, borrow their life force, and sense abnormalities in the forest. This means that anywhere covered in vegetation, he effectively has an intelligence network spanning an unknown radius. If Spirit Hall learns of this, they will stop at nothing to seize him."

Yu Yuanzhen slammed his palm against the table and rose to his feet. "They won't take him. This old man isn't dead yet. The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan hasn't fallen."

He turned his gaze toward Dugu Bo. "Elder Dugu, you understand herbs best. Tell us your judgment."

Dugu Bo straightened in his seat, a trace of solemnity flashing through his eyes. "The greatest effect this power has on a soul master's cultivation is not combat, but support. He can sense the condition of every plant. This means that as long as one cultivates beside him, the effects of any medicinal herb can be used to the fullest extent. For example, an ordinary soul herb can display ten-tenths of its potency if consumed at the right time, but only six-tenths if the timing is wrong. With him present, there is no such thing as bad timing. He can directly hear the herb say, 'I'm ripe. You can pick me now.'"

Yu Jin and Yu Luomian both drew sharp breaths. They were veteran Soul Douluos and knew perfectly well what this meant. For soul masters below the rank of Title Douluo, heavenly treasures were one of the most direct means of improving cultivation. With his ability and a suitable treasure land, even cultivating medicinal herbs for training in batches was not impossible.

Everyone understood the strategic significance of my ability.

Yu Yuanzhen rose and walked over to me, his voice leaving no room for hesitation. "From today onward, Tian Lin's security level will be raised to the highest level. An elder must accompany him whenever he leaves the clan. Third Elder, pay closer attention to Spirit Hall and the movements of other forces while you are outside. Report back immediately if anything unusual happens. Elder Dugu, you know herbs best. From now on, you will handle the allocation of medicinal herb resources Tian Lin needs for cultivation. Report whatever you need directly, and the clan will provide it in full."

All three rose at once and cupped their hands in acknowledgment. A subtle change appeared in Dugu Bo's gaze toward Yu Yuanzhen. When he had come to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, he had believed that I, a junior, had merely drawn him in through a deal. Yet now, Yu Yuanzhen had unhesitatingly included him in a discussion of such importance and treated him as an equal to the other two. That kind of recognition was not something a transaction could bring.

After the meeting ended, I walked out of the Council Hall, thinking that I needed to hurry and distribute the herbs, then write down the cultivation method to raise everyone's strength.