"Good! Good! Good! You truly are the fine son-in-law I had my eye on!"
Dugu Bo's laughter echoed over the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, making the surrounding poisonous miasma tremble faintly.
He rubbed his chin, his eyes brimming with undisguised satisfaction as he looked at Yang Fan.
"If you can really make Yan'er's Martial Soul evolve, then I'll give you the entire Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well as Yan'er's dowry!"
Dugu Bo secretly calculated that after her Martial Soul evolved, all Yan'er would have to do was have a few children with Yang Fan, and surely they would inherit the evolved Martial Soul.
Wouldn't that allow the Dugu Family to rise again?
Besides, Yang Fan was steady and true to his word. Even if he obtained this treasured land, he would never keep it all to himself. He would surely share some of it with the Dugu Family.
However you looked at it, this deal couldn't lose!
"Tell me, how do we make Yan'er's Martial Soul evolve..."
Dugu Bo's sudden offer of a "dowry" had left Yang Fan a little dazed. He was just inwardly marveling at the Poison Douluo's generosity when Dugu Bo impatiently urged him on.
Yang Fan shook his head helplessly and gathered his thoughts. His vast spiritual power spread in all directions like rippling water.
His gaze swept over the Immortal Herbs glowing with strange light, finally settling on an extremely inconspicuous corner at the edge of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
Following Yang Fan's gaze, Dugu Bo looked at an Immortal Herb by the edge of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. It resembled a pumpkin and glowed with a warm, earthy yellow light.
"You mean this thing that looks like a pumpkin can help Yan'er complete her Martial Soul Evolution?"
Dugu Bo raised an eyebrow, his eyes full of doubt.
Yang Fan explained, "This is the Earth Dragon Golden Melon. It contains the essence of the earth and the breath of a true dragon. It can deepen dragon bloodlines, so it's very suitable for Sister Yan at this point."
"You really do know quite a lot. I've spent years studying medicinal herbs because of my Martial Soul, yet I don't recognize several of the herbs here. I've even tried feeding some of these strange things to nearby Soul Beasts to test their effects, but most of them were poisoned to death and turned into puddles of sludge."
Dugu Bo was growing more and more certain that his investment had been the right choice.
Rather than keep this treasure land without knowing what he had, giving the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well to Yang Fan, his future son-in-law, might prove to be the wisest decision he had ever made.
Yang Fan stood up, walked over to the Earth Dragon Golden Melon, and carefully plucked it.
The Immortal Herb felt warm in his hand. A faint earthy scent mixed with dragon might washed over him. He turned and returned to Dugu Yan, holding out the Earth Dragon Golden Melon to her.
Dugu Yan glanced at the blood still staining the corner of his lips and didn't hesitate. As the Earth Dragon Golden Melon went down, a tremendous yet gentle energy slowly spread through her body.
Seeing this, Dugu Bo finally let out a breath of relief. He immediately pressed both palms against Dugu Yan's back. The Soul Power of the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor formed an impenetrable barrier, protecting her as she cultivated.
Yang Fan stood to one side, watching Dugu Bo's focused expression. Then his gaze shifted and landed nearby.
Ye Lingling was quietly leaning against a blue-gray stone beside the spring. She had exhausted her Soul Power while treating Dugu Yan, and her face was now pale. She looked like a little cat abandoned in a corner, so lonely that it tugged at the heart.
After a moment's thought, Yang Fan spoke. "Miss Lingling, you exhausted your Soul Power for Yan'er. Your meridians are depleted now, making this the perfect time to strengthen your foundation."
Yang Fan then turned and walked toward the other side of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. His gaze moved among clusters of Immortal Herbs glowing with strange light, finally stopping at a quietly blooming orchid.
He carefully plucked it, cradled it in his palm, and walked back to Ye Lingling.
"This is called the Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid."
Yang Fan held it out to Ye Lingling and introduced it softly.
A heart-soothing fragrance instantly filled the air.
Ye Lingling looked at the snow-white orchid in Yang Fan's palm. It had eight petals, their edges shimmering with a faint moonlit glow, giving it an aloof, otherworldly air.
"Among Immortal Herbs, the Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid has the gentlest, most mellow medicinal properties."
Yang Fan looked into Ye Lingling's blue eyes and spoke warmly. "Its effects lie in strengthening your foundation and purging impurities from your body. For an auxiliary-type Soul Master, it can not only make up for slow cultivation, but might also solve the flaw in your clan's Martial Soul."
Ye Lingling was slightly taken aback. Her cool gaze fell on the snow-white, crystalline orchid in the jade box.
She was usually unsmiling, but at that moment, an unmistakable flicker of gratitude appeared in her eyes. To Yang Fan, she might have been no more than a chance acquaintance, yet he was willing to give her an Immortal Herb that could change her fate.
"Thank you, Yang Fan."
Ye Lingling spoke softly. Her voice was still cool, but there was a hint of warmth in it that was difficult to detect. Looking at Yang Fan's handsome face, she didn't know why an illicit thought had arisen in her heart.
But he was her best friend's fiancé. She couldn't—and with Poison Douluo standing nearby, she didn't dare.
All she could do was silently reach out her slender hand and accept the Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid, wordlessly accepting his kindness. The single-heir inheritance of her Martial Soul had been a constant source of worry for her since childhood.
"Take it now. Grandfather is protecting Yan'er. I'll protect you."
Yang Fan said with a smile.
Ye Lingling nodded gently and put the Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid into her mouth.
The Immortal Herb melted as soon as it touched her tongue, turning into an exceptionally gentle, mellow current of warmth that flowed down her throat and through her limbs and bones.
"Close your eyes and focus. Gather your Soul Power and guide the medicinal energy through your extraordinary meridians."
Yang Fan instructed her from the side.
Ye Lingling followed his instructions, sitting cross-legged and entering a state of meditation. As she refined the medicinal energy, wisps of pale white mist rose from her body.
Veiled in the white mist, she seemed to wear a hazy veil. Her naturally cool bearing had gained a touch of otherworldly grace.
Ye Lingling was Dugu Yan's best friend, and she had sacrificed a great deal to save her. Even if he didn't give the herb to Ye Lingling, Dugu Yan would probably bring it up once she woke. He might as well make a gift of it directly.
Dugu Bo didn't stop him, clearly having accepted Yang Fan's actions.
"Ahem..."
Dugu Bo cleared his throat and rubbed his chin as he asked, "My fine son-in-law, you've found a great fortune for both Yan'er and Lingling. Is there no Immortal Herb you want to take yourself?"
"Of course there is."
Yang Fan smiled openly, his gaze clear and sure.
With that, Yang Fan slowly turned around. His gaze passed over the distinct red and white waters of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well and landed squarely on a corner where the spiritual energy was richest.
There, a seemingly ordinary white flower grew in silence.
The flower was about the size of a palm and resembled a peony. It had no leaves, and its root was connected to a large stone. The stone was pitch-black and extraordinarily heavy. Several striking red markings adorned the white flower, blood-red and startling to behold.
Dugu Bo looked over curiously. "What's that?"
Yang Fan replied, "The Lovesick Heartbreak Red. This Immortal Herb has exceptionally strict conditions for choosing its master. To pluck it, you must think of the lover you cherish, be utterly sincere and devoted, and drip a drop of your heart's blood onto its petals. If you're of two minds, you could spit blood until you died and still wouldn't be able to pluck it."
According to legend, it could bring the dead back to life and restore flesh to bare bones. After being consumed, it could even make one endure alongside Heaven and Earth, transforming the body in every way.
"No wonder... I was wondering why I couldn't pull it off."
Dugu Bo muttered to himself. He had tried to pluck it too, but had never figured out the secret. So it had such strange and stringent conditions.
"A long time ago, there was a young man with a gentle, tranquil nature who loved tending flowers and trees. His garden was filled with green lotuses and water lilies, with blossoms of every hue. He often composed poetry for the flowers and raised a cup to the moon. Whenever he saw fallen petals scattered across the ground, he was overcome with sorrow..."
Yang Fan slowly recounted the story behind the Lovesick Heartbreak Red, drawing sigh after sigh from Dugu Bo.