Dugu Yan

No, she had to solve this problem.

Watching the old man hop out of the cave in just a few bounds, Qingxi shook her leaves.

She could tell the old man had some martial arts skill, but she didn't sense any spiritual power from him. It seemed his method of cultivation was somewhat different.

May this old man get beaten to death by someone while he's out.

Qingxi prayed silently in her heart.

She had to hurry up and cultivate, so she could take human form and leave this place as soon as possible.

Qingxi slowly closed her eyes and immersed herself in cultivation. She didn't notice that while she was cultivating, the little green snake was absorbing spiritual energy along with the surrounding Immortal Herbs.

As the sun and moon turned, it seemed she had returned to her days of old, when no one disturbed her quiet cultivation.

As the great circulation flowed, the regular circular solid liquid in her dantian gradually stabilized, transforming into a brown core. Then, little by little, its outer shell faded away, forming a golden core.

The golden core turned back into liquid, then condensed once more into an irregular solid golden core. Its shape changed from time to time...

This cycle repeated for who knew how long.

Qingxi could feel an aura above the sky locking onto her. She was just one step away from breaking her core and forming an infant.

But since she was now a plant, things were different from when she had been human. She could never quite grasp the key.

She had no idea that as she cultivated, spiritual liquid had even condensed in the air, visible to the naked eye. The entire space trembled faintly, and the Strange Flower bloomed in silence.

The Immortal Herbs around the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Pond swayed gracefully in the vortex of spiritual energy. Bathed in pure spiritual energy, the little green snake wore a blissful expression, and two small bumps had appeared on its forehead at some point.

"Grandpa, is this the nice place you told me about? Wow, there are so many Strange Flowers and rare plants! When did you find this place, Grandpa? You only just told me about it!"

"Silly girl, this place has always belonged to our Dugu Family. I'd planned to tell you in a few years, but recently Grandpa discovered something wonderful."

"What wonderful thing?"

"Come with Grandpa. Remember, don't go near the pool in the middle."

"Got it, Grandpa."

The voices of an old man and a young girl drew closer. One was the voice of the elderly man from before, while the other belonged to a little girl and sounded rather young.

Qingxi stopped cultivating. The spiritual liquid in the air fell and was absorbed by the flowers and plants carpeting the ground. The little green snake jolted awake from its dream and looked around, shaking its head in confusion.

She slowly opened her eyes and looked at the half-open Strange Flower. It was already half a meter tall, and golden patterns had appeared along its stem. The Strange Flower bloomed without color or scent, yet seemed to possess even more spiritual charm.

She seemed just one step away from the Nascent Soul stage, yet that step was as difficult as reaching the heavens.

Humans were favored by the Great Dao, while plants and animals faced greater difficulties in cultivation.

"What a beautiful flower!" Dugu Yan cried, gazing at the strange blossoms filling the cave, especially the one that seemed to shimmer with nine-colored light beneath the sun.

The flower was huge, much like a lotus, and bloomed in the sunlight. Its petals were pale red and translucent, with a golden heart at its center and nine leaves, each a different color.

The whole flower looked as though it were a bubble—sacred and ethereal.

Qingxi discreetly sized up the young girl before her. She looked about eight or nine, and wore a strange skirt that left her legs bare below the knees.

Her short hair was deep purple, lending her a somewhat valiant air. Her big green eyes held a childlike innocence, yet there was something strange about them, too.

Qingxi frowned slightly. She had never seen hair of that color before. But the poison in this girl seemed even worse than the old man's. If it wasn't removed, she probably wouldn't live to see twenty.

"What a beautiful flower, Grandpa! Can I pick it and take it home?" Dugu Yan asked, wearing a tender green dress and gazing up at her grandfather with her green eyes blinking.

"Of course. If you like it, Grandpa will pick it right now and make it into soup for you." Dugu Bo stroked his beard, his eyes full of affection as he looked at Dugu Yan.

"Then never mind. It's growing so well. It'd be such a shame to pick it. You're so beautiful—stay beautiful forever, okay?" Dugu Yan reached out and touched one of the Strange Flower's petals. It was soft, with a hint of coolness.

The little green snake slithered along the branches and leaves onto Dugu Yan's arm, then affectionately rubbed against her.

Dugu Yan's eyes lit up. She cupped the little green snake in her hands. "Xiao Jiu, why are you here? You look like you've gotten quite a bit fatter."

"Ah, what a waste. This is a rare Immortal Herb. In all my life, I've never seen one like it. If you ate it, your Soul Power might rise several levels." Dugu Bo sighed as he looked at his granddaughter, who was far too innocent for her own good.

A flicker of temptation crossed the little girl's eyes. She looked at the Strange Flower, then shook her head. "No. I'll cultivate with my own abilities. Besides, it's so beautiful. How about this, Grandpa—give Xiao Jiu to me instead. Don't you think it's gotten a lot fatter?"

Dugu Yan held up the little green snake and offered it to Dugu Bo.

The little green snake tilted its head and instantly played dead.

"This..." A flicker of surprise crossed Dugu Bo's eyes. Looking at the motionless little snake, he saw that it really was a whole size fatter than before.

He had raised the Nine-Section Jade for more than ten years, feeding it all kinds of poison and precious delicacies, yet he had never seen it grow. And now, in such a short time, it had gotten a whole size fatter.

"Let Grandpa have a look." Dugu Bo took the little green snake. It affectionately rubbed against him, then coiled around his wrist, only for Dugu Bo to pry it off.

He examined the little snake closely. It was a whole size fatter than before, and what surprised him even more was that two small bumps had appeared on top of its head. There were also little bumps like pimples beneath its belly.

The Nine-Section Jade snake was so small, though, that the changes were hard to notice.

Dugu Bo's gaze fell on the Strange Flower beside them, and a flicker of surprise crossed his eyes. The Nine-Section Jade had always refused to leave this Immortal Herb. Could it be...

"Sweet granddaughter, how do you feel standing beside this flower?"

"How do I feel?" Dugu Yan frowned slightly and closed her eyes to focus. "Well, I feel really comfortable, and my mind is clear. Does that count? My Soul Power is rising much faster, too..."

Dugu Bo looked at the Strange Flower. He had never seen such an unusual Immortal Herb.

"There's still some time before Heaven Dou Royal Academy starts its new term. How about you cultivate here in the meantime, sweet granddaughter?" Dugu Bo suggested, rubbing the little girl's head.

"No! You promised to take me to Spirit City for the next few months. Grandpa's a liar!" Dugu Yan turned her head away and muttered.

"This..." Dugu Bo couldn't bear to do it. He wanted to tell his granddaughter the secret of their clan, but she was still so young. Making her face such a harsh truth would be far too cruel.

He wanted his granddaughter to cultivate near this Immortal Herb for a while and see if it could remove the poison in her body, but he couldn't bring himself to tell her the truth.

"Don't you want to make a spectacular impression when school starts? I heard that Yu Tianheng from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan is already a Level 22 Soul Master. Don't you want to surpass him?" Dugu Bo coaxed and cajoled.

"I don't want to!"