Growing Like a Seed

Throwing the question directly back at the other party was not a strategy.

It was simply that she truly did not know what Fang Xuan wanted. As she was currently only the Crown Prince of the Empire and not yet the heir apparent, there were certain things she had no authority to mobilize.

Sourcing them from Spirit Hall would easily expose her identity, yet the offer to recruit a talent like Fang Xuan certainly could not be low.

It was better to let him speak for himself. If it fell within her capabilities, all the better; if not, she would follow the proper procedures. In any case, she was determined to have him.

"Let me choose? I'm afraid if I set the price too high, it might put Your Highness in a difficult position."

Being asked to choose made Fang Xuan want to laugh.

He was, after all, fully aware that the Xue Qinghe before him was a disguise worn by Qian Renxue.

As the successor to the Angel God, she was top-tier in every regard—talent, family background, and even her own strength and appearance.

If he really could choose, he would just pick her.

After all, the entire Heaven Dou Empire combined wasn't as valuable as she was.

Of course, Fang Xuan couldn't actually choose that; he was afraid things would spiral out of control if he played too loosely.

"A difficult position? Brother Fang Xuan, surely you don't mean you want this position of Crown Prince?"

Clearly, Xue Qinghe had no idea what was running through Fang Xuan's mind, and she joked in return.

However, she was indeed curious about what exactly he wanted.

"Your Highness, that's not a joke to make. If word of that got out, people would say I'm plotting a rebellion."

"I'm just an ordinary person with no grand ambitions; I'm only interested in some money and treasures."

"I've heard the Imperial Treasury houses some rare treasures. If possible, just let me go in and pick one."

If one is to play the part of a vulgar person, one must look the part. Greed for wealth and beauty was the standard hallmark of such a man.

Only, the "wealth" he craved was not ordinary; it was a God position.

If his memory served him correctly, the Heart of the Sea God—the inheritance item for the Sea God position—was currently kept in the Heaven Dou Imperial Treasury.

Even if he didn't use it himself, he couldn't let that brat Tang San get his hands on it.

He was now a man with a family to support, and he had to consider the people around him.

There was no harm in having a few extra God positions in his pocket, was there? After all, more positions meant more paths; if one didn't work out, he could just switch to the next. There would always be a suitable one.

Of course, if he had to pick his favorite, it would definitely be the Asura God position.

That was a God King, far stronger than a first-tier god like the Sea God, and it was the only God King-level position currently reachable on the Douluo Continent.

Goodness and Evil were not present here, and as for Destruction and Life, they had absolutely no intention of retiring. That left only this one within his reach.

"You want to enter the Imperial Treasury?"

Fang Xuan's choice once again exceeded Xue Qinghe's expectations, yet it seemed to make sense.

Just as Fang Xuan said, he was a vulgar man, so naturally, his eyes would be fixed on vulgar objects.

"I apologize, but I cannot make that decision alone. However, if you give me some time, I will give you a satisfactory answer."

Xue Qinghe did not refuse. After all, she was more than happy to use someone else's money to get things done for herself.

Who doesn't love a free ride?

After a bit more simple back-and-forth with Fang Xuan, the two reached a consensus.

One needed to recruit talent for her own use, while the other needed to use her hands to clear away obstacles.

Even though they might not have been on the same page, the intent was clear enough.

Watching Fang Xuan depart, a smile curled the corners of Xue Qinghe's lips.

Fang Xuan was even more interesting than she had imagined. It was just a pity she hadn't managed to pry out the secret of how he cultivated so quickly.

But since she had him in her grasp, there would be plenty of time to explore that later. After all, there was a long road ahead.

In the days that followed, Fang Xuan's life was quite leisurely.

Ye Qinru and her daughter had recovered their spirits; the mother went back to handling the pharmacy business as usual.

Ye Lingling had to attend classes at the Heaven Dou Royal Academy, as she had not yet graduated.

In the parlance of his past life, Ye Lingling was still in college.

Dugu Bo seemed to have other matters to attend to, as he hadn't come by to have his toxins treated in the last few days.

In short, he was left all to himself.

He was happy to be idle. Qian Renxue likely hadn't settled things on her end yet, and he had nothing else urgent to do.

He might as well use this spare time to cultivate properly.

He hadn't cultivated in earnest for a long time since he got together with Ye Lingling.

The special effects of the Hypno-shroom had long since worn off; Fang Xuan had calculated the duration to be about fifteen days.

Under the boost of those fifteen days, his Soul Power had jumped from level 52 to level 54—a rapid improvement indeed.

To be honest, Fang Xuan now regretted not absorbing that thing as a soul skill; it was practically an experience potion.

The most crucial point was that he wasn't the only one to benefit; Ye Lingling had gained just as much.

Originally at level thirty-five, her level had risen to thirty-seven thanks to the Hypno-shroom's boost, and after absorbing the enhanced Aromatic Silk Beauty, she had successfully broken through to level forty.

She hadn't obtained her soul ring yet, but it was estimated she would reach around level forty-three or forty-four.

This change made Dugu Yan incredibly envious, though she knew full well that some things simply couldn't be replicated.

Especially since the toxins in her own body hadn't been fully resolved; absorbing an immortal herb to raise her level would be no different from courting death.

Furthermore, the immortal herb Ye Lingling had absorbed was one enhanced by an Energy Bean, making it far more potent than a standard one. This was why Fang Xuan hadn't absorbed any immortal herbs himself yet, waiting for the next time he could farm another Energy Bean.

He toyed with the unremarkable stone in his hand; this was the seed of the Lovesick Heartbreak Red, the king of immortal herbs.

It was the immortal herb he had prepared for himself.

"Lovesick Heartbreak Red..."

Fang Xuan chose not to awaken the dormant seed because he was doubting himself.

He doubted whether his love for Ye Lingling was pure enough; perhaps he wasn't qualified just yet.

Love required time to settle, and it was still a bit too early.

He tucked the seed into his Hundred Treasure Pouch and let out a helpless sigh.

The process of cultivation was boring and dull, but fortunately, Fang Xuan's method was completely different from everyone else's.

He didn't need to meditate; like a seed, he needed watering, fertilizing, and sunlight.

Simply put, as long as he ate and drank well and soaked up the sun, his soul power would grow automatically, with no need for sitting in meditation.

Of course, that alone wouldn't be enough to raise his level so quickly.

This actually had to do with the unique traits of his own martial soul.

The magic of his Magic Seed martial soul wasn't just that it produced a random plant every seven days.

It was that the plants produced were his experience packs, though he couldn't absorb them directly; they required a medium.

For instance, sharing them with others to consume, much like how some seeds rely on birds for dispersal.

The plants produced by the seed had the same effect: as long as someone else consumed them, after a period of time, soul power would be fed back to him.

Naturally, plants produced by soul skills didn't count, otherwise, he wouldn't just be running a small teahouse; he would be expanding into a chain of stores.

If the situation allowed, he could become a Titled Douluo right now.

As for that level one Innate Soul Power, that was purely a misjudgment caused by his malnutrition at the time.

After all, Innate Soul Power was actually somewhat related to the state of the person at the time of awakening.

He had been on the verge of starving to death back then, and it was only fortunate that he had awakened his soul power and received financial aid from Spirit Hall; otherwise, it would have been a question of whether he could have survived at all.

"Hm? It's sprouted again."