Hesitating After Revealing His Identity

Once he had fully recovered, Mo An ate the remaining half of the Ten-Thousand-Year Evil Spirit Orca's Whale Rubber under the watchful eyes of Ning Fengzhi, Sword Douluo, and Bone Douluo, while Ning Rongrong gave him an encouraging thumbs-up. After enduring another round of inhuman mental torment, his physical strength rose considerably again.

"Xiao An, once you've recovered, we'll hunt a Soul Beast and get you a Soul Ring."

Seeing Mo An open his eyes, Ning Fengzhi brought up the matter of obtaining a Soul Ring. Despite his Innate Full Soul Power, Mo An had been stuck at the Soul Scholar stage for over a year.

"Sounds good, Uncle Ning. We'll set out in a couple of days and get that Soul Ring."

Mo An had long wanted a Soul Ring too. He wanted to wield the extraordinary power of Soul Skills.

The Martial Soul system of Douluo Continent was unusual. Whatever Martial Soul you possessed, you needed to add Soul Rings to use its abilities.

Take his Ink Jade Divine Bamboo Martial Soul. Without a Soul Ring, he could only summon it and use it as an ordinary staff. It could not lengthen or shorten; it had only its most basic function.

Likewise, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul possessed the power of lightning, but without a Soul Ring, its wielder could not use that power.

And Ma Hongjun's Evil Fire Phoenix Martial Soul could not spit flames at all without a Soul Ring.

Those were the rules of the world. No one could do anything about them.

"Good. We'll leave in two days. The Wishful Vine, over nine hundred years old, is in a mine in the Star Dou Great Forest. We can head straight there."

Anticipation filled Ning Fengzhi's voice. As a genuine master of Martial Soul Theory, he wanted to see this near-miracle as soon as possible.

"Uncle Ning, there's a secret I want to tell you. I'm actually the sole survivor of Azure Bamboo, a clan that once followed the Clear Sky Sect. I..."

Hearing that Ning Fengzhi had located the nine-hundred-year-old Wishful Vine for him, Mo An hurriedly interrupted and revealed his identity. He wanted to absorb an Immortal Herb and obtain a thousand-year First Soul Ring instead.

It was the best way to bring up the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, and the best way to explain how he knew the effects of various Immortal Herbs.

The Wishful Vine was like the university he had put down as his first choice before taking the entrance exam. After scoring better than expected, though, that original first choice was no longer his first choice.

As Mo An described his background, Ning Fengzhi, Sword Douluo, and Bone Douluo showed little surprise. Clearly, they had suspected as much.

Ning Rongrong, who had known nothing of Mo An's identity, clenched her fists in anger and silently cursed the Clear Sky Sect for being such cowards.

"I see. Then, Xiao An, in the future, will you...?"

Ning Fengzhi let the question trail off, but Mo An understood. He was asking whether Mo An intended to seek revenge against the Clear Sky Sect and Spirit Hall.

If Mo An said he did, Ning Fengzhi would have to think carefully about where the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect should stand.

"Don't worry, Uncle Ning. I know how powerful the Clear Sky Sect and Spirit Hall are. I won't make a move before I reach level ninety-nine."

Mo An was clever enough to know what worried Ning Fengzhi.

Hearing Mo An declare that he would not act before reaching level ninety-nine, Bone Douluo burst out laughing. "Hahaha! You really are a newborn calf unafraid of tigers. Do you have any idea how hard it is to reach level ninety-nine?"

More than two hundred years had passed since Qian Daoliu's generation, yet the entire Douluo Continent had produced only two level-ninety-nine Peerless Douluo. That alone showed how difficult it was.

Bone Douluo himself had once been a prodigy renowned across Douluo Continent, but now he was stuck at level ninety-five, unable to advance an inch.

After Bone Douluo spoke, Sword Douluo, who had always wanted to challenge Qian Daoliu, said, "If you reach level ninety-nine, this old man will accompany you to Spirit Hall."

"Xiao An, I'm glad you're thinking it through. If you reach level ninety-nine, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect will stand with you."

Ning Fengzhi had no objection. If Mo An truly reached level ninety-nine, what would it matter if he staked the entire Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect on him?

"Uncle Ning, Grandpa Jian, Grandpa Gu, I didn't reveal my identity today to ask for your help with revenge. There's something else I need the sect's help with."

Mo An filtered out Ning Fengzhi's promise. If he cultivated to level ninety-nine as planned, he could tear through Spirit Hall and the Clear Sky Sect on his own. He would not need the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's help.

"What is it?"

Ning Fengzhi was too shrewd to agree at once. Instead, he first asked what Mo An needed help with.

From his perspective, Mo An had suddenly revealed his identity and immediately asked for help. There was no way Ning Fengzhi could agree without learning what the request involved.

"Uncle Ning, I imagine you know that Azure Bamboo's Martial Soul can seek out treasures. You must also know that our clan joined the Breaking Clan and other families to search the entire continent for something, don't you?"

"That does ring a bell."

After a moment's thought, Ning Fengzhi recalled the search that had caused quite a stir across Douluo Continent. Everyone had assumed the Clear Sky Sect was preparing to make a move. Who would have thought they were hunting for treasure?

"I read the records my father left behind. They were searching for a rare treasure called an Immortal Herb, but unfortunately, they never found one. According to his records, though, they discovered a valley in the Sunset Forest that was very likely to contain Immortal Herbs. Unfortunately, they ran into Poison Douluo there."

"Ever since I read those records, I've wanted to know whether Immortal Herbs really grow there. I'd like to take the opportunity on this trip to go and see for myself."

Mo An wanted Ning Fengzhi, Sword Douluo, and Bone Douluo to take him in search of Immortal Herbs, not fight the Clear Sky Sect or Spirit Hall. There was no reason to hide that.

None of the three had heard of Immortal Herbs. After exchanging glances, Ning Fengzhi asked, "Xiao An, what exactly is an Immortal Herb?"

"Immortal Herbs are rare medicinal plants born from the essence of heaven and earth and blessed by all creation. They possess the miraculous power to defy heaven and change one's fate. Here's the name and effects of one Immortal Herb, copied from a herbal text belonging to the Breaking Clan."

If Mo An wanted them to act, he first had to catch their interest.

So he showed them the Aromatic Silk Beauty—the very Immortal Herb that could evolve the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda into the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda.

Ning Fengzhi took the sheet Mo An offered. He, Ning Rongrong, Sword Douluo, and Bone Douluo leaned in together to read about the Immortal Herb.

The Aromatic Silk Beauty could discern the properties of all spiritual things of heaven and earth and command them. It also possessed every ability related to scent. Its fragrance could even change a person's aura, and it could evolve gemstone-type Martial Souls. In its presence, the combat strength of all Plant-type Soul Beasts was halved.

"Seriously? This pretty little flower can do all that?"

Ning Rongrong was the first to object. She could not believe such a small flower had such remarkable powers.

"I don't know. My father copied all this from one of the Breaking Clan's herbal texts, so I suppose it should be true?"

Mo An spread his hands at Ning Rongrong's question and played dumb.

If he insisted that every word was true and that Immortal Herbs definitely grew there, Ning Fengzhi and the others would certainly doubt him.

"The Breaking Clan? I remember they've studied medicinal plants extensively. If this was copied from one of their herbal texts, it should be reasonably credible."

"If the record is accurate, these Immortal Herbs truly can defy heaven and change one's fate."

After some thought, Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo offered their opinions in turn.

"Can you tell me more about Poison Douluo's involvement?"

Strength determined status, and where one stood shaped how one thought. Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo had focused on the Immortal Herb's effects first because they thought little of Dugu Bo, the weakest Titled Douluo. Ning Fengzhi's own strength and position led him to ask a different question.

"According to my father's records, that place should be where Senior Poison Douluo cultivates in seclusion."

The Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well was Poison Douluo Dugu Bo's territory. If Mo An wanted the opportunities it held, he would inevitably have to deal with him. There was no need to deceive Ning Fengzhi and the others about that.

"Well..."

The moment he heard that it was Poison Douluo's place of secluded cultivation, Ning Fengzhi hesitated. Poison Douluo might not be particularly strong, but the devastation he could cause was undoubtedly the greatest among all Titled Douluo.

Needlessly offending a Titled Douluo, especially one backed by the Heaven Dou Imperial Family, looked like a losing bargain however one considered it.

"Uncle Ning, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth gathers there. Even if there are no Immortal Herbs, there must be rare treasures. My Martial Soul's treasure-seeking ability improved greatly after it mutated. I want to see what's so wondrous about the place my father wrote about all his life."

Seeing that Ning Fengzhi had no intention of forcing his way in, Mo An's mind raced to a new plan. Once they reached the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, he only needed to secure a chance to speak with Dugu Bo alone.

Douluo Continent described in detail how to cure Dugu Bo's poison. If Mo An followed those instructions and treated him, he could gain the right to use the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.

Mo An wanted access to the Immortal Herbs in the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. How he got it did not matter, as long as he got those herbs.

Hearing that Mo An only wanted to take a look, Ning Fengzhi no longer opposed the idea. He had already objected once; if he did so again, he would seem rather unfeeling.

"Fengzhi, he's only Dugu Bo. Either Old Sword or I could defeat him with ease."

Bone Douluo was somewhat dissatisfied with Ning Fengzhi's handling of the matter. As far as he was concerned, Dugu Bo was nothing to fear.

Sword Douluo nodded. He felt the same way. It was only Dugu Bo; if Sword Douluo got even a little serious, he could kill him.

"Uncle Jian, Uncle Gu, Poison Douluo is affiliated with Prince Xue Xing of the Heaven Dou Imperial Family. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect is also on good terms with the imperial family, and I'm Crown Prince Xue Qinghe's teacher. It would reflect badly on us if we attacked Dugu Bo."

At the mention of the Heaven Dou Imperial Family, surprise flickered across Mo An's face before he quickly composed himself. He truly had not expected them to be part of the equation.