Half an hour later.
"Brother... Mm?"
Tang Shan slowly opened her eyes. She was just about to call for Lan Yu out of habit when she suddenly noticed something in her mouth.
?!
Only then did Lan Yu realize what was happening. He quickly pulled his hand away and awkwardly turned his head.
Why did he feel so melancholy?
Tang Shan gazed at his profile, a trace of unease suddenly rising in her heart. She asked softly, "Brother, will you leave me?"
"How could I?"
Lan Yu didn't quite understand her sudden dejection. He chuckled, turned back, and lifted his other hand to ruffle her hair.
"Mmm~"
Like a kitten being stroked the right way, the girl contentedly narrowed her eyes. When he moved his hand away, she even unconsciously nuzzled the empty air.
Brother, I'll never let what happened in that dream come true.
When she'd fainted just now, she'd had a very long dream. First, she'd dreamed that Brother abandoned her, his eyes full of disgust. The next moment, the scene had flipped, and Brother was holding her protectively in his arms, tender and attentive.
One moment in hell, the next in heaven. The emotional whiplash had nearly broken Tang Shan.
Luckily... it had only been a dream.
"Xiao Shan, how are you feeling?"
Seeing her lost in thought, Lan Yu waved a hand in front of her eyes.
Tang Shan gently shook her head and instinctively touched her forehead.
The moment her hand touched the mark there, it vanished without a trace.
This...
"Brother, what happened...?"
Tang Shan felt her smooth forehead, her face full of confusion.
"It's nothing."
Lan Yu's tone was calm. He rose and reached out to pull her up, then glanced toward the spring. "Xiao Shan, look at that Dragon Blood Grass."
Tang Shan followed the direction of his finger. Beside the spring stood a Dragon Blood Grass, shaped like a dragon's spine and half a foot tall. Its stem was purplish-black, and the scale-shaped leaves at the top shimmered with a faint, ink-black glow.
"Pick a few of the newly grown tender leaves, the darkest ones, and eat them."
"Me?"
Tang Shan hesitated and tugged at his arm. "But I just ate the Earth Dragon Golden Melon... What will you eat, Brother?"
"Good girl. Listen to me."
Lan Yu pressed down on her little head, his voice firm. "Only if you become stronger can you stay by my side and help me. Understand?"
That's right. Only if I become stronger can I keep Brother by my side.
Tang Shan's heart stirred, and she nodded firmly. She channeled the Mysterious Jade Hand and gently plucked a few ink-black tender leaves. Then she returned to Lan Yu, sat cross-legged, tipped back her head, and swallowed them in one gulp, closing her eyes to focus on refining their medicinal power.
Meanwhile, Lan Yu's gaze swept over the two Immortal Herbs hanging above the Love-Hate Yin-Yang Well.
What a pity. If only they'd been Infernal Delicate Apricot and Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass. Then he could have tempered his body with ice and fire.
He quickly looked away, his eyes landing on a massive chrysanthemum not far off.
Its petals formed soft, golden filaments, and a gentle golden light glimmered at its heart.
It was the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum. It could channel energy into the limbs and open the blood flow through the eight meridians, forging an indestructible body of diamond. It was a perfect match for his Primordial Dragonman Martial Soul.
Less than half an hour later, Tang Shan opened her eyes first.
"Brother! I think my Martial Soul... evolved again!"
She hurried over, linked arms with Lan Yu, and gave his arm a shake. Her eyes sparkled. "And there's more! I think my Soul Power has broken through level thirty!"
"Not just level thirty."
Lan Yu smiled and pinched her soft cheek. "Once you obtain your third Soul Ring, you'll know exactly how much you've improved."
Then his tone turned serious. "Xiao Shan, keep watch for me. It's time I absorbed an Immortal Herb too."
With that, Lan Yu sat cross-legged, picked the entire Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum, and ate it piece by piece, from the pistil to the petals. At once, he settled his mind and focused on absorbing its medicinal power.
Keeping watch beside him, Tang Shan first darted her eyes around like a thief, then quietly knelt beside him.
Her gaze fell uncontrollably on Lan Yu's lips. Her heart beat strangely fast, and her throat bobbed.
This is so hard~
I really want to kiss him, just once, but Brother will find out~
She shook her head hard, forcing her gaze onto the sharply defined profile of his face.
Just a little... It should be fine, right? Brother won't notice.
Tang Shan pursed her lips and carefully bent down, planting a light kiss on Lan Yu's cheek.
Boom—
Tang Shan sprang upright and retreated to the side. Clutching her wildly beating heart, she crouched down, her legs trembling.
What on earth was I doing just now?!
It took quite a while for her heartbeat to settle.
She secretly glanced at Lan Yu. He was still sitting with his eyes closed, refining the herb, and a bolder thought rose in her heart.
Just... one more time? I won't get the chance once Brother wakes up.
She gritted her teeth and crept over again, this time a little bolder. The girl tentatively extended the tip of her tongue and lightly brushed it against his earlobe.
Lan Yu's body gave an almost imperceptible tremor.
That tiny movement nearly scared the soul right out of Tang Shan.
She scrambled back and knelt properly, head bowed, little rear sticking up, not daring to make a sound.
Meanwhile, Lan Yu had already entered the depths of his consciousness. He trusted Tang Shan completely to keep watch.
"The Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum really is compatible with the Primordial Dragonman Martial Soul!"
"For the body, it can stack the indestructible-diamond trait and complete the body's defenses.
"For the energy channels, it can open the eight extraordinary meridians, directly improving Soul Power efficiency and potential."
An hour later, Lan Yu slowly opened his eyes. Feeling the surging Soul Power within him, he smiled faintly.
As expected of an Immortal Herb. Even though the Martial Soul Origin had absorbed more than half its medicinal power, what remained had still raised his Soul Power by five levels.
He stood and looked around. When he didn't see Tang Shan, he called, "Xiao Shan?"
"Brother~"
A weary female voice came from behind him.
Lan Yu turned around and saw Tang Shan crouched not far away. She looked exhausted, and her lips were a little pale.
What happened to her?
"Brother, I'm so sleepy..." The girl rubbed her eyes, her voice hoarse.
"Then hurry and go to sleep."
The next morning.
"Grandpa, I'm not going! He might just be trying to trick you. He looks even younger than me. What could he possibly be capable of?"
"Don't be ridiculous!" Dugu Bo rarely looked stern as he scolded her sharply. "Yanyan, show some respect!"
At the sound of their voices, Lan Yu looked up from the medicinal herbs he was sorting with Tang Shan. He saw the grandfather and granddaughter striding toward them.
"Little Monster, I brought the person you asked for," Dugu Bo said without preamble.
Lan Yu nodded and rose, walking over to the patch of Dragon Pattern Grass that had been catalyzed by divine power the night before.
The Dragon Pattern Grass catalyzed by divine power had scattered its nourishing essence into the several secondary Dragon Pattern Grasses growing beside it. They were just right for Dugu Yan to consume—nothing would go to waste.
Dugu Bo accepted the tender leaf Lan Yu handed him.
I have herbs this color growing in my garden?
But he trusted Lan Yu, so he immediately turned to Dugu Yan. "Yanyan, eat it."
Though Dugu Yan was full of questions, she obediently took the leaf and swallowed it. Then she sat cross-legged on the spot and began absorbing its medicinal power.
Two hours later, while Dugu Bo anxiously paced back and forth, Dugu Yan finally opened her eyes.
"Someone, help me!"
Her voice trembled, her cheeks flushed, but she couldn't hide her excitement.
Lan Yu stepped forward, grabbed her by the back of her collar, and lifted her right up.
Dugu Yan's legs were wobbly. She staggered a few times before regaining her balance, then hurriedly summoned her Martial Soul.
"Grandpa, my Martial Soul evolved!"
As she spoke, Dugu Yan summoned her Martial Soul. A huge snake covered in dark stripes appeared behind her.
"My Martial Soul is called the Venom Shadow Corrosive Python now!" Dugu Yan exclaimed.
Lan Yu rubbed his chin and thought, Is the poison attribute still its main attribute?
Not far away, after Dugu Bo had gotten over his initial delight, he leaned toward Dugu Yan and began murmuring instructions to her.
As he spoke, Dugu Yan's gaze kept drifting toward Lan Yu. Several times, she hurriedly lowered her head.
"Did you hear me? From now on, stay away from that kid from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. Don't spend so much time with him," Dugu Bo said sternly.
"Who's dating him?!"
Dugu Yan retorted stubbornly. "He's the one who keeps clinging to me. We're on the same team, so of course we have to talk sometimes."
Seeing Lan Yu walking over, Dugu Yan suddenly raised her voice. "I've never even let him hold my hand!"
"Little Monster, if that kid dares bother Yanyan again, I'll break his legs myself!" Dugu Bo declared, thumping his chest.
"What are you two mumbling about?"
Lan Yu was completely baffled. Then he took note of it and turned to Dugu Yan, his expression growing serious.
"When you go back, don't deliberately avoid him. Just be a little cold and give him the brush-off. Keep him dangling if you have to."
"Why?" Dugu Yan blinked.
Lan Yu paused for a moment, then smiled faintly. "Just consider it my order."
"Did you hear that, Yanyan?" Dugu Bo urged.
"Grandpa, shut up!"
"An order...?"
Dugu Yan's throat tightened, and her cheeks seemed to catch fire. She suddenly thought of a similar line from the romance novels her friend Ye Lingling was always reading—
"Just consider it your master's order."