"Mine, it's all mine..."
Seeing the valley full of Immortal Herbs, Tang San felt more excited than ever before.
Tang San was practically drooling.
Having read the Mystic Treasure Record, he recognized most of the Immortal Herbs growing here.
Infernal Delicate Apricot, Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass, Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower, Mixed-Origin Immortal Herb, Aromatic Silk Beauty.
And then there was...the Aromatic Silk Beauty, known as the king of Immortal Herbs.
Any one of these would cause a bloody storm if it appeared outside, yet here they were scattered about as casually as cabbages.
"Little Wu, this is the Beast Spirit King Blood Ginseng. After taking it, you'll gain the spirit of all beasts. It's also the Immortal Herb best suited to you."
"Quick, take it..."
Tang San immediately chose an Immortal Herb that was most suitable for Tang Wu.
Though it was called ginseng, the Beast Spirit King Blood Ginseng looked more like a translucent, blood-red gemstone.
It was a little larger than a soybean.
Tang San had never forgotten the path Tang Wu had envisioned: using Blue Silver Grass to inherit the strengths of all spirits.
And this Beast Spirit King Blood Ginseng was perfectly suited to Tang Wu. It would surely help him go even further down that path.
Faced with the "red gemstone" Tang San held out, Tang Wu didn't bother with formalities. He immediately began absorbing it.
He grasped the Beast Spirit King Blood Ginseng and refined it in an instant!
The absorption went even more smoothly than expected. In less than half a day, Tang Wu had finished refining it.
During that time, Tang San stood guard beside him, keeping watch the entire time.
When Tang Wu opened his eyes again, a flash of bright silver flickered deep within them.
His Soul Power Level leaped from level 39 to level 40.
He only needed one more Soul Ring to officially step into the Soul Ancestor realm.
But that wasn't all. Much of the Beast Spirit King Blood Ginseng's medicinal power still lay dormant within Tang Wu, not yet fully released.
"Brother, look! I broke through to level 40. I'm a Quasi-Soul Ancestor now."
Tang Wu put on an expression of delight and shared his joy with Tang San.
Tang San merely smiled, looking gratified.
Oh, my foolish little brother...
Immortal Herbs didn't just increase Soul Power. Their more important effects had yet to show themselves.
When the time came, you'd understand just how much the words "Immortal Herb" were worth.
"All right. Let's strike while the iron's hot and work together to pick the Infernal Delicate Apricot and Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass growing by the cold and blazing springs."
"No problem..."
Tang Wu nodded at once.
Once they had everything ready, the brothers sent out their Blue Silver Grass together and pulled the two Immortal Herbs from the soil.
However.
What happened next didn't follow the original story.
The moment Tang San obtained the Infernal Delicate Apricot and Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass, he didn't choose to take them himself.
Instead, he handed them to Tang Wu and solemnly instructed him:
"Little Wu, listen to your brother. After you take these two Immortal Herbs, take off your clothes and enter the Ice and Fire Spring Water immediately."
"But, Brother, you're clearly more suited to..."
"There's no such thing as who's more suited. You're my little brother. It's only right for your big brother to look after you."
Tang San cut him off before Tang Wu could finish, his tone firm.
Tang San held the Infernal Delicate Apricot in one hand and the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass in the other.
One was scorching hot, the other wreathed in frost. His face contorted with pain, and he couldn't help baring his teeth.
Seeing that Tang Wu wouldn't accept them, Tang San urged him again:
"Quick, Little Wu! Take these two Immortal Herbs! I can't hold on much longer..."
Unable to bear it, his voice trembled.
Seeing this.
Tang Wu knew he had no choice but to accept.
He replied, "All right," then swiftly took the Infernal Delicate Apricot and Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass from Tang San.
Following his instructions, Tang Wu swallowed them, took off his coat, and plunged into the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well with a splash.
The experience of forging an Ice and Fire Golden Body was anything but pleasant. It was nothing short of torture.
The instant he entered the spring, ice and fire surged through Tang Wu's body.
He alternated between freezing and burning. When the cold hit, it felt as though shards of ice were growing between his bones. When the heat came, his whole body seemed ready to melt.
But the reward was more than worth the agony.
Tang Wu's body was now at least as strong as that of a level 50 Soul King with a Beast Martial Soul.
At the same time.
The Beast Spirit King Blood Ginseng inside him was also refined considerably in the process of forging his Ice and Fire Golden Body.
However, due to the laws of the Douluo Continent, Tang Wu wouldn't know just how much he had improved until he obtained a Soul Ring.
Time passed, though no one knew how long.
When Tang Wu climbed out of the Ice and Fire Mandarin Duck Pot, the first thing he saw was Tang San facing off against Dugu Bo.
"Tang San, you've got some nerve! You dared to touch my medicine garden without my permission?"
Dugu Bo unleashed the Great Desolation Heaven-Imprisoning Finger, pointing it at Tang San with an imposing, kingly aura.
His expression shifted between dark and bright, as if he might strike at any moment.
However.
Even in the face of the notoriously ruthless Poison Douluo, Tang San's expression didn't change. He remained completely calm.
He simply said:
"Senior Poison Douluo, you wouldn't want your beloved granddaughter to die from her poison, would you..."
Good grief!
Seriously, good grief!
Tang San, who looked so honest, had finally been led astray by Tang Wu's subtle influence.
But never mind whether the move was underhanded. Tell me, did it work or not?
Sure enough...
Though Dugu Bo had immense power, once Tang San had found his weakness, he couldn't break free of the mountain of family ties.
Dugu Yan was the only anchor he had left in this world.
If his granddaughter suddenly died before his eyes one day, Dugu Bo would truly go mad.
"You brat, you dare threaten me? Do you think I won't..."
"Senior Dugu, killing me would be as easy as lifting a finger, of course. But are you sure you want to?"
"In this world, I'm the only one who can cure the snake poison afflicting you and your granddaughter."
With his trump card in hand, Tang San wasn't afraid in the least. He was as brazen as could be.
Even against a Titled Douluo, one of the tiny handful of people at the very pinnacle of the continent, he remained utterly composed and at ease.
By contrast, Dugu Bo was flustered and scrambling.
His expression shifted from dark to bright, then bright to dark again. His face changed again and again.
It was like someone had spilled a seasoning tray, every color taking its turn.
In the end, Dugu Bo squeezed out a smile at Tang San:
"Hahaha, why are you so tense? I was only joking just now."
"What's wrong? Wasn't that a funny joke?"
First arrogant, then obsequious—just thinking about it was enough to make one laugh.