Gone Mad Twenty Years Ago

Damn it, I'd been set up!

Lu Xuan felt utterly stifled.

Master Lu had been diligently doing his job, only wanting to finish the mission and collect his reward. Yet when he opened the panel, someone had stolen his spot? What the hell was that?

"Damn system, explain this to me. What does it mean that Sword Douluo Chen Xin successfully became my disciple?"

Lu Xuan could figure out who was behind this with his toes!

"Ding. The system is reviewing past events. Please wait..."

"After detection, Sword Douluo Chen Xin was indirectly influenced by the host, deepening his comprehension of sword intent. He then performed the disciple's bow to the host."

"The host gave no response, so the system automatically treated it as preset approval."

Lu Xuan:?

Ever since receiving his title, it had been a long time since he had been angered into laughter.

Where had this artificially stupid system come from?

"What do you mean I gave no response? Did I even know this happened? System, I don't care—you have to compensate me!"

A long silence followed.

Lu Xuan: "..."

He hated systems that gave him the silent treatment the most.

Helplessly, he said,

"Then from now on, anyone can only become my disciple with my verbal consent. Can Chen Xin be kicked out?"

The system, which had seemingly crashed, immediately responded.

"Understood, Host. I will answer in the most straightforward, least roundabout manner: I understand."

"Chen Xin has already become the host's disciple. The host may choose to expel him from the sect, but an issue has occurred in the system program, and this command cannot be executed for the time being."

Lu Xuan: "..."

Stupid system. From now on, I'll call you Red Bean Bun.

He asked suspiciously,

"System, don't tell me you've been secretly skimming a cut?"

"Since Chen Xin gained enlightenment under my indirect influence, why didn't I get a reward?"

Red Bean Bun: "Haha, Host, your insight is truly sharp. The reward has already been issued. Please check it."

Lu Xuan: "..."

When people were speechless, they really wanted to laugh.

Red Bean Bun: "The system is conducting a review. Please wait... The registered disciple function has been unlocked for the host. Sword Douluo Chen Xin has been moved into the registered disciple category, which will not affect the true disciple slots."

Lu Xuan's disciple quota returned to (1/3).

An entry for a registered disciple had also appeared on the panel.

"Red Bean Bun, what is a registered disciple?"

"When a registered disciple makes significant progress under the host's influence, the host will likewise receive rewards. However, unlike true disciples, they will not unlock mission lines."

Lu Xuan nodded slightly.

Not bad. It was basically free profit.

Still, Lu Xuan was genuinely curious. During this period, he had only gone to Spirit Hall and had never even met Chen Xin. Just how had that guy been influenced by him and gained insight into sword intent?

What, had he discovered how ridiculously awesome I was and gotten stimulated as a fellow sword user?

Unable to figure it out, Lu Xuan simply stopped thinking about it.

"Let's look at the reward first."

When he opened the Hundred Flowers Medical Canon, a stream of pink spiritual light surged into Lu Xuan's sea of consciousness.

Cultivating spiritual plants, pruning flowers, the uses of medicinal herbs, preparing prescriptions, the body's meridians, acupuncture and massage, even all kinds of flower appreciation... a chaotic flood of knowledge poured into his mind.

The sheer volume of information was enough to turn any Soul Master below the Soul King rank into an idiot.

But for an ultimate powerhouse like Lu Xuan... it was nothing.

Lu Xuan spread out his vast spiritual power and quickly sorted through the information in the Hundred Flowers Canon:

The Hundred Flowers Canon was the inherited treasure of the Hundred Flowers Sect. It had been expanded and perfected generation after generation until it became a monumental work. Later, an extraordinary woman appeared. She loved and cherished flowers, eventually becoming a god through flowers and earning the title of Flower Fairy. This remarkable woman had been a member of the Hundred Flowers Sect, and through her own efforts, she raised the Hundred Flowers Canon to a whole new level.

Tang San's Xuantian Treasure Record stated that immortal herbs gathered the essence of heaven and earth, possessed gentle medicinal properties, and could be consumed directly. Yet according to the Hundred Flowers Canon, that was undoubtedly a waste of heaven's gifts. As long as one understood the medicinal properties and interactions of immortal herbs well enough, one could formulate immortal prescriptions and produce immortal medicine.

"Good stuff!"

Lu Xuan praised it highly.

He then looked at the reward for registered disciple Sword Douluo Chen Xin's enlightenment.

Chen Xin's Sword Dao Insights

Lu Xuan:?

Did he need this tiny bit of sword dao insight?

If it had not been free, Lu Xuan would really have given Red Bean Bun a piece of his mind.

Lu Xuan opened it, and Chen Xin's decades of sword dao insights flooded into his sea of consciousness.

He reflected on them for a moment and nodded slightly.

"Not bad either."

Although Sword Douluo's talent could not compare to his, the man had lived long enough. The accumulated foundation of sword dao within it still held considerable reference value for Lu Xuan.

"This old fellow really admires me. He even secretly performed the disciple's bow. The next time I visit the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, I can casually give him a few pointers."

"Should I give him a taste of the Nine Swords of Dugu?"

Original timeline—

Yue Guan and Gui Mei finally found the valley where the Icefire Yin Yang Well was located.

They could feel the change in temperature, the clash between intense cold and scorching heat unmistakable.

Obvious delight appeared on Yue Guan's face.

"Ah Gui, we finally found it!"

"Just wait. Once we get inside, we can find any spiritual herb and easily heal your injuries!"

Yue Guan was overjoyed as he rushed inside excitedly.

Soon, he saw billowing white mist, icy blue and fiery red pool water converging, immortal flowers and spiritual plants carpeting the ground, and... a person in green robes with long dark-green hair hanging loose???

Yue Guan was dumbfounded.

"Who the hell are you, buddy?"

The figure with his back to Yue Guan and Gui Mei slowly turned around.

"Little Poison?"

"Little Fairy!"

The two were clearly old acquaintances. The moment they opened their mouths, they found each other unpleasant.

Yue Guan sneered.

"Dugu Bo, I never expected you to be the boldest one. While Chen Xin and Gu Rong were still swaggering around outside, you had already stolen the place."

Dugu Bo let out a derisive laugh.

"This is this old man's herb garden. The real thieves and bandits are you two!"

Yue Guan spat, pinched his orchid fingers, and put his hands on his hips.

"Old poison, you really have no shame. This Icefire Yin Yang Well is an innate treasure land born from the blessings of heaven and earth. Since when did it become your herb garden?"

"Get lost while I'm still being nice!"

"Otherwise, I'll show you why flowers are so red!"

Yue Guan did not take Dugu Bo seriously at all.

This old poison had been stuck at Rank 90 for years and was known as the weakest Titled Douluo.

Forget Yue Guan—even the severely injured Gui Mei might be more than Dugu Bo could handle.

"HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!"

However.

Under Yue Guan's astonished gaze, Dugu Bo burst into wild laughter, carrying a hint of hysteria as madness welled up in his emerald eyes.

Dugu Bo spread his arms, and countless clouds of poisonous mist poured from his sleeves. Then he opened his mouth and spat out an emerald poison pill.

Dugu Bo gave a sinister sneer.

"Come on! Whoever chickens out is a son of a bitch!"

"This poison pill contains this old man's lifelong cultivation in poison arts. Once it detonates, this place will become ruins in an instant. There are countless highly toxic plants here, and once their poison is triggered, all of you will be buried with this old man!!!"

Yue Guan's expression changed drastically. Pointing an orchid finger at Dugu Bo, he shrieked in disbelief,

"Old poison, have you gone mad!!!"

Dugu Bo's sinister laughter carried a trace of sorrow.

"This old man went mad twenty years ago!"

Twenty years ago, beneath the cold gaze of his pregnant daughter-in-law, he had personally buried his son.