Taking by Force

Yan Jingzhe closed his eyes.

Then, he unleashed all his strength.

Nine Soul Rings bloomed beneath his feet in sequence—one yellow, two purple, three black, and three red.

The nine Soul Rings slowly revolved as the suffocating pressure of a level ninety-eight Peak Douluo spread outward. He showed no restraint, releasing his pressure without reservation.

Golden light erupted from his body, and the phantom of a Light Phoenix appeared behind him, blotting out the sky. The Phoenix spread its wings, and golden flames shot into the heavens, dyeing the sky above the entire valley gold. The flames were so hot that even the air ignited, crackling explosively.

Yet what truly terrified the Immortal Herbs was neither that dreadful pressure nor the flames of light, but the deeper power within Yan Jingzhe.

The life aura of Life Gold pulsed like a heart—thump, thump, thump. Every beat released vast life energy, so immense it was nearly tangible. To the Immortal Herbs, that energy was both temptation and threat—temptation because it was the purest source of life, and threat because someone capable of releasing life energy at such a level clearly possessed absolute control over life.

He could grant life, and he could also take it away.

And beneath that life aura was something even deeper, something more hidden.

Electrolux's remnant soul turned over in the Sea of Spirit and released a trace of icy spiritual fluctuation. It pierced through the Sea of Spirit and seeped into the outside world like a freezing wind from the abyss, sweeping across the entire valley.

The aura of death.

Pure, absolute, irresistible death.

Electrolux, the Calamity of the Undead, the Holy Necromancer. He had once ruled over the death of an entire world. Even though only a wisp of his remnant soul remained now, the deathly aura he released could still make all living things instinctively tremble in fear.

Life and death had appeared within the same person.

To the Immortal Herbs, this was an existence beyond comprehension, something that surpassed everything they knew.

Youyou's petals began to tremble.

It was not a slight tremor, but violent, uncontrollable shaking. The ball of light at the center of her flower flickered frantically, as though enduring a raging mental storm.

The other Immortal Herbs fared even worse. Qirong Tongtian Chrysanthemum's golden flower drooped, and the golden halo around its petals dimmed by more than half. Narcissus Jade Muscle Bone turned completely pale, frozen stiff and unable to move. The flames on Blazing Apricot Delicate's leaves shrank into a tiny ball and shivered. Large patches of frost fell from Star Anise Mysterious Ice Grass, exposing the grayish-white leaves beneath.

They were afraid.

That fear did not come from being overwhelmed by strength, but from suppression at the level of life itself.

Like ants looking up at a dragon, like mortals standing before a god.

This was not a battle. This was submission.

Yan Jingzhe opened his eyes.

His pupils had turned golden—not a faint gold, but a blazing, dazzling gold that seemed capable of piercing through everything. Behind him, the phantom of the Light Phoenix slowly beat its wings. With every beat, a ring of golden light spread outward, sweeping across the valley.

He looked at Beautiful Silk Tulip on the island in the center of the lake and spoke.

His voice was not loud, but every word seemed to explode within the hearts of the Immortal Herbs.

"I'll ask one more time."

"The essence. Will you give it to me, or not?"

The valley fell deathly silent.

There were no birdsong, no insect cries. Even the churning and freezing sounds of the Icefire Yin Yang Well seemed to have vanished. Only the phantom of the Light Phoenix behind Yan Jingzhe burned soundlessly, enveloping the entire valley in golden radiance.

The silence lasted a long time.

Then Youyou spoke, but this time, her voice no longer carried its former coldness and distance. All that remained was deep, helpless submission.

"...We'll give it to you."

Her flower drooped, and the ball of light in its center flickered violently several times. Then, a pale pink liquid seeped out from the flower's center, condensing into a crystalline droplet that floated in the air.

It was a drop of essence.

It was not some scrap squeezed out under duress, but the purest, most core essence of Beautiful Silk Tulip. She had handed it over—completely, without holding anything back.

Not because she wanted to, but because she did not dare refuse.

The pale pink droplet slowly drifted toward Yan Jingzhe, stopping before him and giving off a faint fragrance.

With the first came the second.

Qirong Tongtian Chrysanthemum raised its flower disk high, then abruptly bowed it down as though kowtowing. A drop of golden liquid flew from its center, richer and purer than before.

A milky-white droplet condensed on Narcissus Jade Muscle Bone's white petals. It was crystal clear and emitted a cold, secluded fragrance.

The dancing flames on Blazing Apricot Delicate's leaves suddenly contracted. Then, a scarlet droplet condensed out of the flames, scorching hot like fire and warping the surrounding air.

A drop of icy blue liquid slowly seeped from Star Anise Mysterious Ice Grass's ice-blue leaves. Carrying a bone-piercing chill, it condensed into a tiny ice flower in the air.

One plant after another, one drop after another.

Golden, milky-white, scarlet, icy blue, pale purple, emerald green, jet black... essences of every color condensed from different Immortal Herbs. Like countless colored stars, they drifted toward Yan Jingzhe from every direction.

What they handed over was not some perfunctory scrap, but their most core and purest essence.

Every drop contained the accumulation of centuries, perhaps even millennia, of these Immortal Herbs.

Now, they had all given it to Yan Jingzhe.

Yan Jingzhe took several jade bottles from his Soul Guidance Device and carefully placed the Immortal Herb Essence into them.

"At last, I've got them all."

Yan Jingzhe closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

Then he looked at the Immortal Herbs again.

Qirong Tongtian Chrysanthemum's flower disk hung low, Narcissus Jade Muscle Bone had closed its petals, Blazing Apricot Delicate's flames had dimmed considerably, and Star Anise Mysterious Ice Grass's frost had nearly vanished.

They had all weakened greatly, but their foundations remained unharmed. Given time, their essence would grow back.

Yan Jingzhe fell silent for a moment. Then he suddenly took several small bottles from his storage ring, removed their stoppers, and poured the liquid inside onto the soil around the Immortal Herbs.

"This is a nutrient solution catalyzed with my own soul power. It contains some life elements. Though it cannot compare to your Immortal Herb Essence, it is enough to help you recover your vitality in the short term."

"I hope I'll still see you the next time I come. I'm leaving."

Yan Jingzhe turned around and walked toward the valley entrance without looking back.

His steps were much lighter now. His silvery-white hair swayed gently behind him, gleaming with a faint golden halo beneath the alternating red and blue light of the Icefire Yin Yang Well.

Behind him, Qiluo Tulip watched his figure disappear and sighed softly.

"What a terrifying human."

The emerald-green toxic miasma closed in again, swallowing his figure.

The valley returned to tranquility.

But this tranquility was no longer the same as before.

God King Ren Tang could rack his brains until the end of time and still never imagine that someone could snatch his belongings right under his nose.