Leng Yaozhu glanced at him, the corner of her mouth twitching slightly.
Robbing the rich to aid the poor.
Was that really how you used the phrase?
But she said nothing.
Gu An had actually thought it through quite clearly.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect might as well join him.
Across the whole Douluo series, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect only got much screen time in the first installment, thanks to Ning Rongrong.
By Douluo II, all that remained was Ning Tian as a supporting character, with appearances few enough to count on one hand.
As for Douluo III...
Gu An searched his memories carefully. Had there even been anyone from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect in Douluo III?
He couldn't seem to recall a single person with a name.
Maybe there had been someone and he just hadn't remembered them, but what was the difference between that and there being no one at all?
They were nothing but background scenery.
If the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect chose to join the academy he established, they could at least secure a place among its founders.
That way, they wouldn't be completely absent from the tides of the era.
As for what would happen if they refused...
Whether he could successfully rob the rich to aid the poor...
Gu An hadn't given it much thought at all.
Was the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's strength during the Douluo II era even worth worrying about?
Honestly, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was weaker in Douluo II than it had been in Douluo I.
What kind of protagonist's faction got weaker and weaker as it grew?
Leng Yaozhu didn't take the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect seriously either.
A sect without even a Titled Douluo.
It wasn't worthy of her attention.
She nodded, her tone casual.
"Just head straight to Seven Treasures City. We'll find someone in charge."
Then she changed the subject.
"But there's no need to rush right now."
Leng Yaozhu looked Gu An up and down, her gaze serious.
"Xiao An, your foundation is far too weak. You need to shore it up properly."
She paused, as if she'd just thought of something.
"Try seeing whether you can bring an Immortal Herb from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well off Douluo Planet."
Gu An froze for a moment.
Leng Yaozhu's reminder brought it back to him.
Aside from Martial Soul Mutation and Soul Spirits, there were also Immortal Herbs—another way to defy fate in Douluo Continent.
He'd genuinely forgotten about them.
Ever since he awakened his Martial Soul, one thing had come after another. His mind had barely had a moment's rest.
Gu An nodded without another word and closed his eyes.
His consciousness sank into the ashen planet in his mind.
Douluo Planet still hung quietly in his sea of consciousness.
Most of its surface was gray and white, with only a few faint points of light flickering here and there.
As he looked at the planet, a thought surfaced.
Where are all the permissions Douluo Planet's consciousness said it gave me?
He tried using his consciousness to turn the planet.
Sure enough, Douluo Planet began to rotate slowly.
Gu An swept his gaze across its surface and quickly noticed something different.
Wherever his gaze fell, a name and a brief description appeared beside the location.
Mountains, rivers, forests, cities—everything was clearly marked.
So this is what the permissions do?
Gu An didn't waste time. He directed his gaze straight toward Sunset Forest.
The outline of Sunset Forest grew larger and clearer in his mind, as if he were diving toward it from the sky.
He quickly found the location of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
One side was blazing red as flame, the other icy blue as frost.
His familiar treasure!
The hidden formation left behind by the Tang Sect was there too.
But from the perspective of Douluo Planet itself, the formation was utterly useless. It couldn't obstruct his probing at all.
Gu An could even clearly see the direction of every line in the formation and the nodes where its energy flowed.
Unfortunately, his true body couldn't enter the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
He could only use Douluo Planet's permissions to bring things out from within.
Gu An swept his gaze over the well. The name of every Immortal Herb appeared beside it.
Infernal Delicate Apricot, Aromatic Silk Beauty, Ink Jade Divine Bamboo, Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew, and so on...
The names of the Immortal Herbs appeared one by one before his eyes.
Some were names he'd seen in the original story, while others were completely unfamiliar.
Gu An nodded.
"Good thing quite a few Immortal Herbs were still around during the Douluo III era. They hadn't all been picked clean."
But now wasn't the time to marvel at them.
First, he needed something to strengthen his foundation.
His gaze moved among the Immortal Herbs, examining them one by one.
At last, it stopped on an Immortal Herb that was deep brown all over.
Its leaves were thick, edged with faint golden patterns. Its stout roots sank deep into the soil at the edge of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, and the entire plant radiated a steady, weighty aura.
[Earth Vein Profound Root.] [Effect: Guards the source, strengthens the foundation, refines Soul Power, and widens meridians.]
This was the one.
Gu An was overjoyed. He sent his consciousness toward it and tried to bring the Earth Vein Profound Root out of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
He'd expected some kind of resistance.
But there was none.
Not the slightest restriction!
At his urging, the Earth Vein Profound Root slipped easily out of the soil.
It passed beyond the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well and through the Tang Sect formation without triggering any reaction.
A tremendous surge of delight welled up inside Gu An.
What did this mean?
It meant he could use any materials on Douluo Planet.
At least as far as things in the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well went, he could take whatever he wanted.
These permissions... weren't half bad, at least for now.
Gu An's eyes snapped open.
An Immortal Herb had appeared in his right hand.
It radiated a steady, weighty aura.
Leng Yaozhu's gaze fell on the Earth Vein Profound Root, and her eyes widened slightly.
She didn't recognize the Immortal Herb's exact name.
But from its aura alone, she could tell it was unquestionably a high-grade heavenly treasure.
"You can really bring it out?"
There was a hint of surprise in Leng Yaozhu's voice.
She really hadn't expected it. She'd thought that he would still need World Origin to bring something out.
She hadn't expected him to be able to do it already!
Gu An smiled.
"Honestly, I didn't expect it either. Looks like your world's will isn't that stingy."
Leng Yaozhu chuckled softly, then looked at the Immortal Herb and asked what it did.
Gu An explained the Earth Vein Profound Root's effects.
"An Immortal Herb made entirely for strengthening one's foundation."
At that, Leng Yaozhu urged him at once.
"Then hurry up and take it."
"The stronger your foundation, the less painful it will be to absorb your Soul Rings later."
Besides, the stronger Gu An became, the better it would be for her too.
After all, she was from the Legend of the Dragon King Douluo Planet. Naturally, she wanted her world to grow stronger and stronger. At the very least, it needed to recover to its original state.
After hearing Leng Yaozhu's words, Gu An didn't immediately take the Immortal Herb.
He looked at Leng Yaozhu and asked,
"Sister Yaozhu, have you ever taken an Immortal Herb?"
In Gu An's view, Leng Yaozhu was a Limit Douluo. If an Immortal Herb could help her advance further, then he absolutely had to give her a serious boost.
Strengthening her meant strengthening himself.
That was the only way to keep himself safer.
Leng Yaozhu had no idea what Gu An was thinking.
All she knew was that this little fellow in front of her really knew how to make someone happy.
To put it bluntly, she was practically his slave right now.
No matter what Gu An did to her, she couldn't resist.
And yet, after getting an Immortal Herb, his first reaction had been to ask whether she'd ever taken one.
How could that not make her heart swell with joy?
Leng Yaozhu's eyes reddened slightly, but the corners of her mouth curled upward.
She couldn't hold back the feelings surging inside her. She stepped forward and pushed Gu An's head straight into her embrace.
Gu An's face immediately sank into a soft expanse.
Her fragrance filled his nose.
The sensation was astonishing.
But breathing became difficult.
Was this a good thing?
His face was utterly despondent. The main problem was that he was no use in that department.
It smelled wonderful, but for him, it was pure torture.
He'd washed his face today. He didn't need another wash.
Gu An steeled himself.
I'm trying to talk business with you, and you go and ram your rack into me.
I can put up with this, but my big brother can't!