Questioning Tang San, Understanding Tang San

Lu Xuan replied, "I refined three Custom Pills from part of the essence of seven Immortal Herbs, combined with two whole Immortal Herbs. I tailored them specifically for Lingling and Yanyan. With these pills as a foundation, I'm confident they'll have a chance to reach level ninety-nine and become Ultimate Douluo someday."

"Besides those, I made seven Universal Pills. Anyone can take them, regardless of their martial soul."

As he spoke, Lu Xuan took out five pills and handed them to Ye Renxin.

He had already given the other two to Dugu Xin as soon as he finished refining them. Dugu Xin had taken one himself; the remaining one was for Dugu Bo.

Back when Lu Xuan read the novels, he had privately scoffed at Tang San's Heaven-Earth Fortune Pill. Using up the medicinal power of Immortal Herbs like that had seemed far too extravagant.

But faced with an abundance of resources and only a handful of people to share them with, he had been extravagant himself.

He had refined the seven Universal Pills using the Heaven-Earth Fortune Pill from The Unrivaled Tang Sect as his model. Given the choice between preserving every bit of medicinal power and giving the people close to him a real opportunity, Lu Xuan had chosen the latter without hesitation.

Rather than gamble precious Immortal Herbs on the prospects of strangers' descendants, he would first raise the strength of those closest to him.

Lu Xuan had no interest in calculating the best return on each resource. Apart from the Ye Family and Dugu households, he did not intend to let even half a leaf of an Immortal Herb go to an outsider.

"You really have surpassed your teacher!" Ye Renxin's eyes shone with pride. "Lingling is your future wife, so how much you give her is up to you. But you've given our family three pills as well. That's already far more than I could ever give you."

With that, Ye Renxin separated out two pills and held them back toward Lu Xuan. "Xiao Xuan, you've given us too much."

"Without you and Grandpa Dugu, I wouldn't even have had the chance to see these Immortal Herbs." Lu Xuan did not reach for the pills. He continued earnestly, "We're family. There's no need to keep score. Grandpa, just take your pill. You'll surely reach the Titled Douluo realm. Save the other two for future generations of the Ye Family."

Lu Xuan, Ye Lingling, and Dugu Yan had each received a superior Custom Pill. Those two Universal Pills were enough to give the Ye Family a chance to produce two more level ninety-nine Ultimate Douluo.

As for the Dugu household, they possessed the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. With Lu Xuan planning and intervening on their behalf, that treasure would remain firmly in their hands.

So long as the Dugu household held the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, they would not lack Immortal Herbs in the future.

Besides, the two families had lived together for two years and had long since grown as close as one family. If they looked out for and supported one another, their future would be boundless.

If there was one way to make that arrangement even more complete, it would be for each family to have another child—a younger brother or sister for each of the girls. The two children could marry and become the shared heirs of both families.

Lu Xuan knew the elders probably had much the same idea. Whether that vision would ever come true was a matter for later, and for them to decide.

Ye Renxin had come to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well chiefly to protect Lu Xuan while he absorbed his Third Soul Ring.

Now that the Soul Ring and Soul Bone were both settled, there was no reason for everyone to stay any longer.

The next day, the group set off together for Heaven Dou City.

Once they returned, Ye Renxin told the others everything about the pills Lu Xuan had refined.

Unlike the special Nine-Flower Jade Dew Pills made for Lu Xuan and the two girls, this batch of Universal Pills would not cause much physical resistance. Ye Renxin and the others also had strong Soul Power foundations, and over the past two years, they had absorbed much of the Immortal Herbs they had taken before.

After hearing where the pills had come from and what they could do, Ye Qingxian, Zhao Yan, and Dugu Bo took theirs at once.

Dugu Xin had taken his pill earlier and experienced its wonders firsthand. He knew better than anyone how effective it was.

His martial soul had not transformed or evolved, but both his reserves of Soul Power and his physical strength had improved substantially.

Dugu Xin felt that once he absorbed his seventh Soul Ring, he would need little time to consolidate his gains before attempting to obtain his eighth.

He had put off hunting a Soul Beast partly because he wanted to stay and protect Lu Xuan's group, and partly because he was waiting for a chance to obtain a seventh Soul Ring of a higher age.

He had already carefully gauged what his body could withstand. The upper limit for his seventh Soul Ring now exceeded even that of an ordinary soul master's eighth.

If he could find a seventh Soul Ring highly compatible with his martial soul, his strength would soar.

Watching the others take their pills, Dugu Xin said, "Uncle Ye may well take that final step and become a Healing Titled Douluo. After taking his pill, Brother Zhao should have a chance to reach the Quasi-Titled Douluo realm too."

Dugu Xin and Zhao Yan were about the same age, but Dugu Xin's talent fell somewhat short. The poison from his own martial soul had also plagued him for years, leaving his strength well behind Zhao Yan's.

Seeing Zhao Yan on the verge of becoming a Titled Douluo, he could hardly claim not to feel envious.

"Yes." Lu Xuan nodded slightly. "Aunt Ye's Martial Soul Regression should be resolved as well. I just don't know whether their martial souls can evolve any further."

The Nine Heart Begonia was already the pinnacle of Healing Martial Souls. However potent Lu Xuan's pills were, whether they could break through that limit remained unknown.

Nearby, Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling watched everyone take their pills with longing eyes. They, too, wanted pills that could make them stronger.

They were already exceptionally talented among their peers, but who would turn down a chance to grow stronger?

Dugu Xin caught the look in both girls' eyes. Seeing his daughter and Ye Lingling gaze so longingly at the pills, he chuckled.

"You two little ones think I can't tell what's on your minds?" He paused, then looked at Lu Xuan. "Xiao Xuan has already prepared pills for you. But you took Immortal Herbs before, and until you've fully absorbed them, you shouldn't take anything else."

"We still can't take them?" Disappointment showed on Dugu Yan's face.

She had experienced for herself how an Immortal Herb could transform a person's fate. The pills Lu Xuan had spent two years refining at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well could only be more astonishing.

Just hearing that the pills might bring about Martial Soul Evolution was enough to make Ye Lingling yearn for one.

She could not help wondering: if the pills truly worked as promised, might her mother's regressed martial soul be restored? Might her own Seven-Heart Begonia even evolve into a complete Nine Heart Begonia?

After turning those possibilities over in her mind, Ye Lingling looked up at Lu Xuan and asked softly, "Brother Lu Xuan, when can we take these Immortal Pills?"