Star Luo Comes Seeking Herbs

Xu Jiawei stopped ten paces away, straightened his robes, and gave a slight bow:

"Xuan Zi, it's been a long time. You're still as dashing as ever."

Xuan Zi casually wiped his mouth with his sleeve and waved his hand:

"Your Majesty has come uninvited, and you seem quite agile."

The Imperial Family attendant following behind frowned slightly, his fingers instinctively reaching for his waist, but Xu Jiawei raised his hand to stop him.

Xu Jiawei suppressed his displeasure and maintained a smile on his face:

"Ten thousand years ago, Shrek and Star Luo Empire Academy had a deep friendship. Now that the situation on the continent has changed, they should interact more."

Yan Shaozhe was half a step behind, stopped and turned to look at Xu Jiawei, suddenly interjecting:

Does His Majesty's surname include Dai?

The air in the valley had cooled down a bit.

Ten thousand years ago, the Dai family was on good terms with Shrek Academy; now, the Xu family of Star Crown reigns supreme. Yan Shaozhe's words directly struck at the most sensitive nerve of the royal family.

Xu Jiawei's smile vanished instantly, and his hands, which had been behind his back, slowly closed.

Dai Hao, standing to his right, stepped forward half a step, the clinking of his armor making a soft sound. Meeting Yan Shaozhe's gaze, he spoke in a deep voice:

"The Dai Family has received the Emperor's favor for generations; they are among the Star Luo Empire trusted and capable ministers, and have absolutely no disloyalty to His Majesty. I hope Dean Yan."

Yan Shaozhe looked Dai Hao up and down, but didn't press him further. He just smiled slightly, turned around, and stood next to Xuan Zi.

A few words of reprimand are enough; pushing a nation's ruler and the commander-in-chief too far won't do Shrek any good.

Having already dropped the pleasantries, Xu Jiawei simply dropped his smile and got straight to the point:

"Since that's the case, I'll speak frankly."

"I seek two Immortal Herb on this journey; Star Luo Empire is willing to bear the costs in exchange."

Xuan Zi paused, his hand holding the wine gourd, and frowned. "Two plants?"

The Immortal-Grade Medicinal Herb are becoming increasingly scarce, and several portions had already been snatched up by that little bastard Gu Mingyuan. Xu Jiawei is now asking for two more; his appetite is truly enormous.

"One of them was something my younger sister had been asking for Jiujiu." Xu Jiawei said calmly.

"The Star Crown lineage's cultivation is limited by stellar power. Jiujiu Jiu has considerable talent, and I hope to find suitable Immortal Herb to improve her ability to absorb and accumulate stellar power."

"If we can further enhance our Martial Soul, that would be even better."

Yan Shaozhe raised an eyebrow, about to refuse, but Xu Jiawei didn't give him a chance to interrupt, and continued:

"Furthermore, I wish to discuss a marriage with the academy, so that Jiujiu may be betrothed to the next leader of the Shrek Seven Devils."

Yan Shaozhe swallowed back the words that were on the tip of his tongue.

Xuan Zi opened his half-closed eyes and re-examined the Star Luo Emperor.

Princess Jiujiu is a leading figure among the younger generation of the Star Luo Empire, and also Xu Jiawei's younger sister.

By marrying her off to the future core member of Shrek's Inner Court, we are essentially binding the future of the Star Luo Empire to that of Shrek.

"As for the other one, it was requested for the Dai Family." Xu Jiawei gestured to Dai Hao beside him.

"Dai Yueheng and Dai Huabin are both students trained by the academy. Using the medicine on them wouldn't be considered a benefit to outsiders."

Dai Hao clasped his hands in a gesture of respect, displaying a very humble attitude.

"The two children's cultivation will still rely on the academy. As for who should receive the medicine and how it should be administered, the Dai Family is willing to listen to the academy's opinion."

Yan Shaozhe and Xuan Zi exchanged a glance, and the initial repulsion in their eyes subsided considerably.

Two Immortal Herb in exchange for a political marriage with the Star Luo Imperial Family, and also to make the White Tiger Duke's Mansion, which holds a large army, owe a favor. No matter how you look at it, this deal is a win-win situation.

Especially after the Mingde Hall incident, the Sun Moon Empire's hostility towards Shrek Academy deepened. At this time, by completely dragging the Star Luo Empire onto the war chariot, the academy's future situation on the continent would be much more favorable.

Two pebbles suddenly rolled down from the shadows of the nearby mountain wall.

Huo Yuhao, who was sitting cross-legged refining the Ice-Cold Rain Dew, felt the previously steadily flowing white icy energy around him momentarily disrupted.

Huo Yuhao had already sensed it the moment Dai Hao followed Xu Jiawei into the valley.

The other person's blood flowed in this body, and even from dozens of steps away, that familiar yet strange scent still sent chills down his spine.

He kept his head down, forcing himself not to listen or look.

But now, he heard with his own ears that the man was standing in front of Elder Xuan Zi and Dean Yan, humbly begging for medicine for Dai Yueheng and Dai Huabin.

The pent-up Evil Fire in his chest that had been building up for years suddenly surged up, making his temples throb.

For this meager third of the Ice-Cold Rain Dew in his hand, he was almost burned to a crisp by the Flame Woman of Yang Spring, outshone by Gu Mingyuan in public, and even suffered humiliation in his Sea of Consciousness. In the end, it was only by Yan Shaozhe Yu Xiaogang his pride that he managed to get this little bit of scraps for him.

And what about Dai Yueheng and Dai Huabin?

Those two didn't even know which way the gate to Sunset Forest faced. They didn't even need to show their faces. A king and the White Tiger Duke personally came to the depths of this Poison Miasma and fed them the Immortal Herb!

"Yuhao, hold on!"

Within Sea of Consciousness, the plump body of the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm trembled, and its immense Spiritual Power instantly transformed into a barrier, firmly protecting Huo Yuhao's swaying Sea of Consciousness.

"The medicine is working its way into your meridians. If things get chaotic now, the cold energy will rush back into your Heart Meridian, and you'll be the one who suffers!"

A metallic taste rose in Huo Yuhao's throat, but he gritted his teeth and swallowed it back.

The icy medicinal power surged through my limbs and bones, causing a sharp pain in my meridians.

He closed his eyes, took deep breaths one after another, and forcefully circulated the Mysterious Heaven Skill to gradually suppress the surging and rampaging Soul Power back into his dantian.

The hands resting on her knees clenched tighter and tighter, her nails digging deep into her palms, her knuckles turning bluish-white.

A few steps away, by the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, Tang San also exhaled a breath of turbid air, ending his meditation.

The Calming Spirit Herb he had just taken had completely dissolved, and the tearing sensation deep between his brows caused by Gu Mingyuan's punch had lessened considerably.

However, the damage to the Origin Source of the Divine Soul cannot be repaired by Medicinal Herb; the remaining hidden injuries will require time to heal them.

He raised his hand and pressed his slightly swollen brow. The child's body with the Sea Dragon Martial Soul was ultimately limited and could not withstand the continued consumption of other soul-nourishing herbs in a short period of time.

Tang San opened his eyes and turned his head to look in the direction of the blue stone.

Xu Jiawei and Yan Shaozhe were still discussing the details of the marriage and the medication in hushed tones, while Dai Hao stood aside, occasionally chiming in with a few words.

Listening to the group discussing how to divide the Immortal Herb in the garden, Tang San's originally calm face showed a hint of impatience.

This Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well is clearly his backyard.

He had just had his Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum and Silver-Veined Purple Lingzhi stolen by that damned thief Gu Mingyuan, who also used Youyou's hand to set up a ridiculous rule; now, before his own injuries had even healed and before he had finished selecting his medicine, several outsiders came and asked to share the medicine.

Tang San propped himself up on his knees, dusted off his clothes, and strode toward Xuan Zi and Yan Shaozhe.

No matter how much Xuan Zi and Yan Shaozhe discussed, it was useless. Whether or not to give the medicine, and how to give it, was ultimately up to his ancestor to decide.