Of course, Qian Juechen had not taken Dugu Bo for a fool. As a Titled Douluo and one of the continent's strongest, Dugu Bo was no fool.
Qian Juechen truly knew about the toxins in Dugu Bo's body, the flaw in his Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor Martial Soul, and roughly how to resolve it.
That was why he had never expected a few vague remarks to earn Dugu Bo's complete trust.
As they talked, Qian Juechen gradually revealed what he knew.
He spoke of where the toxins accumulated and how they affected Dugu Bo's meridians, Soul Power, and entire body.
Bit by bit, he explained how Dugu Bo should circulate his Soul Power each day and suppress the toxins.
To be honest, some of these were things Dugu Bo himself had never noticed.
Still half skeptical, Dugu Bo tried the methods Qian Juechen had described.
When they proved effective, he gradually lowered his guard.
Then the real feast began for a man with memories of another world. Now that Qian Juechen had entered the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, he had no intention of holding back.
Drawing on his memories of the original story, he began identifying the Immortal Herbs growing there.
Aromatic Silk Beauty, Lovesick Heartbreak Red, Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid, and more...
Whenever he could confirm an herb's effects and knew it would be useful to him, he picked it on the spot without much hesitation.
As for the equally precious Immortal Herbs he had no immediate use for, he carefully stored them all in the jade-like treasure pouch Dugu Bo had given him.
Treasures of this caliber would only sit here otherwise. Now that he had found them, he saw no reason to leave them for someone else.
After his sweep, the once-empty pouch soon held a trove of priceless, top-tier Immortal Herbs.
Still, Qian Juechen knew that the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well contained far more valuable Immortal Herbs than the ones he recognized.
His memories let him identify quite a few, but there was no way he could recognize every herb here.
Since he did not recognize the rest, there was no point picking them blindly. Better to leave them here than destroy them. Once he returned and got the illustrated herb catalog from Yue Guan, he could decide what to do.
Before leaving, then, he made an agreement with Dugu Bo.
He told Dugu Bo to bring his granddaughter to him once he heard news of Qian Juechen again.
When that time came, Qian Juechen would not only resolve the flaw in her Martial Soul but also grant her an extraordinary opportunity.
Until then, he wanted Dugu Bo to stay and guard the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well for him.
No one besides the two of them was to set foot in this place.
Dugu Bo took Qian Juechen's words to heart. He could tell this young man was no ordinary person.
Besides, this was already Dugu Bo's secluded retreat. Keeping others out was something he would have done anyway, so he readily agreed.
After spending several more days cultivating there, Qian Juechen bid Dugu Bo farewell and left. He still had to follow the gods' guidance to Divine Trial sites scattered across the continent. He could not linger.
Yet after gaining such a tremendous opportunity, Qian Juechen faced a practical question.
Who, exactly, could use all the Immortal Herbs he had gathered?
He had already taken the ones suited to him, but plenty remained. Given his current circumstances, there seemed to be few people he could give them to.
After thinking it over, Qian Juechen settled on Uncle Fu, who had been by his side for many years.
Uncle Fu was already old, and his strength had never been great. He was even among those who had watched Qian Juechen's mother grow up.
In truth, he had been nearing the end of his life for some time.
Years of following Qian Juechen from place to place had taken their toll. They both knew that, by their earlier reckoning, Uncle Fu might have only a few years left before he passed away.
So Qian Juechen chose an Immortal Herb from his collection that was especially suited to strengthening Uncle Fu's foundation and vitality, then had him take it.
The herb did not disappoint. After taking it, Uncle Fu, who had been nearly at the end of his life, saw a marked improvement in his health and gained nearly twenty more years.
Unfortunately, even an Immortal Herb could not truly overturn the cycle of aging and death.
Uncle Fu accompanied Qian Juechen for years afterward. In that final stretch of his life, he witnessed miracles he had never imagined seeing. His life had not been lived in vain.
In the end, his body could hold on no longer, and he died of old age.
As for the remaining Immortal Herbs, Qian Juechen was in no hurry to deal with them.
If he had no use for them yet, he would keep them for now.
Once all Seven Sword Attendants had gathered, he could distribute the herbs according to their Martial Souls, constitutions, and paths of cultivation.
After all, he would rather keep such treasures within his own circle. His Sword Attendants would be among the people closest to him, and he certainly would not shortchange them.
Speaking of Sword Attendants, the first—the Fire Sword Attendant—would soon take her place.
The Papal Palace.
Today was the first elders' meeting Qian Juechen had called since becoming Pope of Spirit Hall.
The matter for discussion was simple: his upcoming enthronement ceremony.
Most of it concerned the reception of guests, security, and defense.
Those were matters for the elders to handle.
Once the discussion ended and everyone was about to leave, Qian Juechen spoke up and asked one of them to stay.
"Ling Yuan, stay a moment."
His sudden words stopped the elders in their tracks.
Ling Yuan in particular turned back, a trace of puzzlement crossing her beautiful eyes.
"Me?"
"Yes." Qian Juechen gave a slight nod.
"There are some things I need to discuss with you alone."
The other elders' gazes lingered on the two of them for a moment, though none asked questions. Seeing that Qian Juechen had nothing else for them, they filed out.
As the doors of the Papal Palace slowly closed, only the two of them remained in the solemn hall.
Ling Yuan stood where she was, respectfully waiting for Qian Juechen to speak.
Today she wore a fitted dark-red dress that fell to her ankles, tracing her mature, elegant figure. She looked as luscious as a ripe peach, tempting anyone who saw her to take a bite.
She was no longer a young girl, yet time seemed to have left no trace of decline on her. Instead, it had given her the distinctive allure of a mature woman.
Most striking were her eyes. Their long, slightly upturned shape lent her an aloof air whenever she looked at someone, as though she kept the whole world at a distance.
But those seemingly cool eyes were full of tenderness, a sharp contrast to the icy manner she deliberately maintained.
Now, as she watched Qian Juechen handle official business at his desk, his young, intense face reminded her at once of Qian Xunji. Compared with Qian Xunji, though, Qian Juechen had more vitality and a more heroic bearing.
Unlike Qian Xunji, Qian Juechen was not only young but formidable. He had slain the former Pope, Bibi Dong, single-handedly. Now he held all of Spirit Hall's power and sat upon the papal throne.
A man so young, powerful, and highly placed held a devastating appeal for a mature woman like Ling Yuan.
And for all these years, she had been alone. She might have seemed cold, but the truth was quite the opposite.
No one would have guessed that beneath her frosty exterior lay such a passionate heart.
When Qian Juechen kept working without saying a word, Ling Yuan could no longer hold back.
Her red lips parted. Her voice was mature and cool, pleasant to the ear.
"Your Holiness, may I ask if you kept me here for a special assignment?"
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