With the system's intervention, once Dugu Bo had absorbed those two drops of spring water, the toxins in his body seemed to have been refined. They moved at his will, truly becoming part of his body.
Not only would they no longer harm him, they could even help him cultivate his soul power.
To borrow a term from the fantasy novels of Liu Hao's previous life, he had essentially refined a tiny, tiny, tiny portion of the laws governing the Dao of poison.
Those laws simply worked only on his own toxins.
"I'm cured... I really am cured."
Tears streamed down Dugu Bo's aged face, his heart overflowing with emotion.
He thought of all those nights when the pain had left him wishing for death; of his son, whom the poison had tortured to death; and of his granddaughter Dugu Yan, who had likewise awakened the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Martial Soul.
Unfortunately, this world had no Li Bai, no one who had written such a breathtakingly evocative line as "My light boat has already passed ten thousand mountains."
Thus, Dugu Bo had no verse to recite at that moment. All he could do was weep.
Seeing how overwhelmed he was, Liu Hao left him alone and began using the system to search for the famous immortal herbs from the original story.
Bai He and his granddaughter Bai Chenxiang had been standing off to the side for so long they were practically growing mold, yet they dared not wander. Liu Hao had just explained how dangerous their surroundings were, leaving them with nothing to do but stand there and stare.
Octagonal mysterious ice grass, singular velvet sky chrysanthemum, infernal delicate apricot, the Lovesick Heartbreak Red...
One after another, Liu Hao discovered the immortal herbs famous in the original story.
Fortunately, the original story had described the special harvesting methods required for certain immortal herbs.
For instance, octagonal mysterious ice grass had to be harvested with a tool of gold or iron; infernal delicate apricot had to be harvested with jade; and the Lovesick Heartbreak Red could only be picked after someone, thinking solely of their beloved with utter sincerity and without a single stray thought, spat a mouthful of heart's blood onto its flower.
With his powerful system cheat, Liu Hao naturally had little interest in these so-called immortal herbs.
They were, however, excellent gifts for the women he needed to win over.
Coming to a snow-white, translucent orchid with eight petals, Liu Hao harvested it with the metal dagger he had prepared beforehand, then offered it to Bai Chenxiang.
"Xiangxiang, this is eight-petal immortal orchid. Swallow the entire plant, then sit cross-legged and focus, circulating your soul power to guide its medicinal potency into your meridians. It can strengthen your foundations, nourish your vitality, widen your meridians, improve your aptitude, and even raise your soul power level without any side effects."
"Isn't... isn't this too precious?"
Although she was sorely tempted, Bai Chenxiang still hesitated. After all, they had known each other for less than two days. Accepting such a precious gift felt a little inappropriate.
Bai Chenxiang's affection +1. Current affection: 43.
"You deserve something this precious." Liu Hao smiled gently.
"Th-thank you."
Bai Chenxiang's little face flushed as she accepted the eight-petal immortal orchid.
Bai Chenxiang's affection +2. Current affection: 45.
Watching her affection rise steadily, Liu Hao felt quite pleased.
As expected of someone from the main cast, her character is beyond reproach. Treat her well, and her affection really does rise.
"Xiangxiang, swallow it and refine it now. I'll stand guard for you."
"All right. Sorry for the trouble, B-Brother Hao."
Bai Chenxiang nodded obediently and pressed her lips together, stumbling over the unfamiliar address. Then she turned away and began swallowing and refining the eight-petal immortal orchid, no longer daring to look at Liu Hao.
Still, the crimson tips of her ears betrayed her embarrassment.
After all, this was the first time she had addressed a man outside her family with such intimacy. She could hardly help feeling shy.
Bai Chenxiang's affection +1. Current affection: 46.
Hearing a girl with such a soft, sweet voice address him that way sent a tingling sensation through Liu Hao's entire body. He wanted nothing more than to give her every immortal herb at once.
Fortunately, he retained enough reason to understand that the medicinal potency of immortal herbs was far too powerful for natives without cheats. Taking too many was not necessarily a good thing.
Besides, there were only so many immortal herbs. He still had to consider the other pretty younger and older ladies~
Then Liu Hao ignored Bai He, who was gazing at him longingly and struggling to speak, and lay down near Bai Chenxiang, cultivating while he kept watch.
Age had made Bai He shrewd. Seeing this, he naturally understood Liu Hao's intentions and stopped hoping for an immortal herb. He, too, sat cross-legged nearby to stand guard over his granddaughter.
He felt a little regretful, but what could he do? He was no pretty young lady. Besides, his granddaughter had obtained an immortal herb and caught the eye of someone so powerful. That was already an excellent outcome.
Still, he recalled the immortal treasure his clan had cherished for many years: crystal blood dragon ginseng.
It was a five-thousand-year-old medicinal treasure containing immense vitality, one of the clan's most precious reserves.
They had always intended to save it for a moment when the clan's survival hung in the balance, or for some other crucial turning point.
Now, it seemed that besides saving lives, that medicinal treasure might also be able to improve one's aptitude.
Once he returned to the clan, perhaps he should discuss with the others whether they ought to use that immortal treasure.
After all, the Speed Clan had now reached a crucial juncture.
Bai Chenxiang would surely become one of Liu Hao's many beauties in the future. If her clan was too weak to provide him with any help, she certainly would not hold a particularly high place in his heart.
Although Bai He had already reached the peak of level 79 and would soon break through the level 80 threshold to become a Soul Douluo, that was not enough.
A Soul Douluo was still far too weak compared with a Titled Douluo.
If he took the crystal blood dragon ginseng to improve his talent and used its medicinal potency to raise his cultivation further, he might have a chance of becoming a Titled Douluo.
As long as he became a Titled Douluo and could help Liu Hao, Bai Chenxiang's place in Liu Hao's heart would no longer depend solely on her looks.
It was just as well that Liu Hao could not read minds. Otherwise, learning what Bai He was thinking would certainly have made him laugh aloud.
He might even have made an exception and given him an immortal herb. After all, a grandfather-in-law this considerate was a rare find.
Before long, Dugu Bo finally regained his composure. Liu Hao asked him for his Wish-Fulfilling Hundred-Treasure Pouch to store the immortal herbs.
Then he sent him off to prepare a Soul Bone and resolve the danger of the poison backlash afflicting Dugu Yan.
As for why he did not have Dugu Bo bring her over so he could handle it himself, that was mainly because Liu Hao was a focused man.
By focused, he meant that while seriously pursuing one woman, he would not distract himself by pursuing another.
Of course, Bibi Dong was an exception. Her Holiness the Pope had a peculiar temperament; he could not rush things and could only proceed gradually. Thus, she did not count. Ahem.
Although the medicinal potency of eight-petal immortal orchid was extremely gentle, it was also extraordinarily rich. Bai Chenxiang spent a full twelve hours refining it before she finally finished absorbing it.
By then, it was late at night. Bai Chenxiang slowly opened her eyes, immediately wanting to find that familiar figure.
"Brother Hao? Are you there?"
Her soft, sweet voice sounded particularly clear in the quiet medicinal garden.
"Hmm? I'm right here, Xiangxiang. Have you finished absorbing it?"
Liu Hao's voice rang out from only three meters away.
Delighted, Bai Chenxiang rose and ran over, giving Liu Hao a great big hug.
Her light frame made Liu Hao feel as though he were holding a doll.
A faint fragrance refreshed his senses, making even his heart flutter.
"Brother Hao, I'm level 29!"
Her voice brimmed with excitement. Clearly, she was immensely pleased with her progress.
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