"Xiao Qing, from now on, whenever Dugu Yan asks you to spar, agree as long as it doesn't interfere with your cultivation."
Yu Yuanzhen walked in front of Yu Hengqing and gave him a quiet reminder.
"Also, go to the little house on the back hill first. I have something for you."
Hearing his father say this, Yu Hengqing immediately realized that Dugu Bo and his father had reached some kind of agreement through him.
And with the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well in Dugu Bo's hands, his father had probably obtained quite a few heavenly treasures from him.
"Sure, Dad!"
Yu Hengqing's excitement was plain to see. The medicinal herbs growing in the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well were all prized treasures.
In the little house on the back hill.
After finishing his cultivation, Yu Hengqing spotted a jade box on the table beside Yu Yuanzhen.
Yu Yuanzhen met Yu Hengqing's expectant gaze and couldn't help shaking his head with a quiet laugh.
"The medicinal herb in the box is a gift from Dugu Bo, given to you alone as compensation for sparring with Dugu Yan in the future."
Yu Hengqing opened the jade box, barely able to contain his excitement. Inside lay a pale purple fungus with nine leaves.
It's the Nine-Grade Purple Ganoderma!
But Yu Hengqing quickly understood. Dugu Bo could identify very few herbs in the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. He had probably given him the Nine-Grade Purple Ganoderma because, among all those Immortal Herbs, it was the easiest to identify.
"The sect's ancient records mention it. Eating Nine-Grade Purple Ganoderma strengthens the foundation and nourishes the body, making up for congenital deficiencies!"
Yu Yuanzhen explained, seeing that Yu Hengqing was nearly lost in the sight of the Nine-Grade Purple Ganoderma.
Coming back to himself, Yu Hengqing closed the jade box and said to Yu Yuanzhen, "Dad, thank you!"
After living in this world for so long, Yu Hengqing could naturally feel how much care Yu Yuanzhen took with him, helping him make up for his congenital deficiencies and looking after his daily needs.
At Yu Hengqing's thanks, Yu Yuanzhen first paused, then ruffled his hair and smiled with relief.
"A father taking care of his son is only natural. There's no need to thank me! Hurry and take the Nine-Grade Purple Ganoderma!"
"Okay!"
Yu Hengqing nodded firmly, sat on the bed, took the Nine-Grade Purple Ganoderma from the jade box, and wolfed it down in two or three bites.
The Nine-Grade Purple Ganoderma tasted slightly bitter at first, then sweet. Its flesh was springy. That was Yu Hengqing's verdict.
I can write that in an ancient text when I have time, so people in the future will know what the Nine-Grade Purple Ganoderma tastes like.
Before Yu Hengqing could finish thinking, the Nine-Grade Purple Ganoderma's effects kicked in!
Warm currents flowed from his lower abdomen through his whole body, nourishing every muscle and meridian.
Just as Yu Hengqing was refining the Nine-Grade Purple Ganoderma's medicinal power, the Seven-Pointed Star on the back of his hand suddenly lit up. Threads of Cangming Lightning flowed from it and enveloped him.
Refining the Nine-Grade Purple Ganoderma and Cangming Lightning at the same time threw Yu Hengqing's breathing into disarray.
"Calm yourself. Don't let them lead you by the nose. Keep your own rhythm—one breath in, one breath out!"
At Leiyi's voice, Yu Hengqing's agitation gradually eased, and he regained control of his breathing.
He's regained his rhythm so quickly. No wonder he was chosen by a god!
Seeing that Yu Hengqing had recovered his breathing rhythm without much effort, Yu Yuanzhen was filled with emotion. He had been about to remind him in a moment.
As the Nine-Grade Purple Ganoderma purged Yu Hengqing's body, impurities were gradually driven out. Meanwhile, the strong medicinal power's unstable effects on his cultivation were steadily tempered and consolidated by the Cangming Lightning.
Yu Hengqing's Soul Power, which had long shown no signs of progress, began to steadily grow again, and his aura gradually grew stronger.
When Yu Hengqing opened his eyes again, he had returned to his mental space.
But before he could call out to Leiyi, the sound of waves rose all around him.
"Crash! Crash!..."
Listening to the waves, Yu Hengqing relaxed completely. He felt as though he were floating on the sea.
"Splash!"
Yu Hengqing suddenly felt the ground vanish beneath his feet, and he plunged into the sea.
Choking on the water, Yu Hengqing struggled to swim toward the surface, trying to reach the air above.
But no matter how hard he tried, he kept sinking rapidly, watching the surface grow farther and farther away.
The last of the oxygen in his lungs was quickly used up. A powerful sense of suffocation crept over him, and the Grim Reaper's scythe had already brushed against his neck.
Yu Hengqing's consciousness began to blur, and his senses were fading.
"Don't let them lead you by the nose. Keep your own rhythm!"
Just as Yu Hengqing sank into darkness, the voices of Leiyi and Yu Yuanzhen suddenly rang out, snapping him back to his senses.
That's right. Keep my own rhythm!
Yu Hengqing stopped his descent, summoned the Cangming Lightning, and transformed it into deep-blue armor. Then he raised his hand and slashed forward.
"Break!"
With that shout, the seawater, the feeling of suffocation, and even the sound of the waves all vanished.
Yu Hengqing was still standing in his mental space, as if none of it had ever happened.
But the deep-blue Thunder Armor he wore reminded him that what he had just experienced was no illusion!
"What happened? After you came in, you just stood there without moving. Did something happen?"
Leiyi appeared in front of Yu Hengqing and asked with concern.
"It's nothing. I just think I had a really vivid dream."
"An illusion?"
"Probably. This Thunder God Trial really isn't simple."
After discussing the illusion with Leiyi, Yu Hengqing dispelled the Thunder Armor and left his mental space.
Opening his eyes, Yu Hengqing exhaled a breath of stale air and stood up to stretch.
"My Soul Power has broken through to level twenty!"
"Mm. What type of Soul Beast are you planning to choose for your Second Soul Ring? With your current physical strength, you could absorb a thousand-year Soul Ring."
Yu Yuanzhen's sudden voice startled Yu Hengqing so badly that his whole body jolted as he stretched. He nearly threw out his back.
"Dad, could you not suddenly start talking next time? You nearly scared me to death!"
Yu Hengqing patted his chest, calming his racing heart. He was still considering what to choose for his Second Soul Ring.
"I don't have any good ideas yet. I'm planning to look through the Encyclopedia of Lightning-Type Soul Beasts over the next few days and find some with special talents."
Hearing this, Yu Yuanzhen set down the files in his hand and approved of Yu Hengqing's idea.
"You do need to think it through carefully. But make sure you have some backup options. The stronger a Soul Beast is, the fewer of them there are. Don't waste too much time searching for just one kind."
"By the way, the Purple Vein Ginseng you gave me earlier has been prepared. Once a week, one packet each time. These ten packets should last you a while."
Yu Yuanzhen took out ten packets of medicine wrapped in oiled paper and set them in front of Yu Hengqing.
"Okay!"
Yu Hengqing smiled as he picked up the medicine and put it in his Soul Tool. He was already looking forward to seeing how much Soul Power this Century-Old Purple Vein Ginseng would give him!
"Now that you've finished refining the Nine-Grade Purple Ganoderma, go back and get some rest. I still have sect business to take care of."
Yu Yuanzhen gathered the files on the table and opened the door. They said no more, parting there and heading their separate ways.
Back in his room, Yu Hengqing eagerly summoned the Cangming Lightning.
He had just finished refining not only the Nine-Grade Purple Ganoderma, but the Cangming Lightning as well!
[It has been detected that the inheritor has met the requirements to unlock the Second God Trial. The contents of the Second God Trial will now be released.]
Hearing that the Second God Trial was about to be released, Yu Hengqing perked up. He was eagerly anticipating the rewards this trial would bring.
[Thunder God Trial · Second Trial]
[Task: Attract lightning and complete forty-nine rounds of Thunder Body Tempering.]
[Reward: Cinder Extinction Lightning and Skin of Thunder (An electric armor automatically forms on the surface of the skin, reducing physical damage by 10%. Can grow!)]
Before you continue