Dugu Bo and Sword Douluo brought Ning Chuan back to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well as fast as they could.
On the way, when Dugu Bo learned that Ning Chuan was worried Tang San would plunder every herb, he immediately thumped his chest and declared, "Impossible, absolutely impossible! That boy isn't that sort of person!"
But when the three arrived at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well and saw the ravaged herb garden, Dugu Bo burst into curses on the spot.
Sword Douluo had never imagined that the once-flourishing herb garden would end up like this after only a few days.
The entire garden looked as though a plow had been dragged through it, leaving not a trace of life.
"Ah... that damned brat! How dare he... how dare he... he's going to be the death of me! The death of me!" Dugu Bo was nearly beside himself.
"Old Poison, that wager of yours really squandered the family fortune!" Sword Douluo couldn't help remarking.
"I... I'll go settle accounts with that little bastard right now!" Furious, Dugu Bo was about to leave, but when he saw the Soul-Chasing Mother-and-Child Balls in his hand, he remembered that his wager hadn't specified how many herbs Tang San could pick.
"Bastard, what a bastard! I knew perfectly well Tang San was goading me, so how did I fall into his trap?" Dugu Bo instantly deflated. That was the sort of man he was: he wouldn't lightly break a promise.
Sword Douluo shook his head. "A disciple taught by Yu Xiaogang really is no good!"
Sword Douluo didn't know that this actually had little to do with Yu Xiaogang, because stealing was simply in Tang San's nature.
It was like visiting someone's home and being told by the host, as you left, that you could take a few gifts as keepsakes. Tang San, however, had emptied their entire house.
Friendship between gentlemen rested on both sides knowing their bounds. Dugu Bo had trusted Tang San to pick herbs freely, yet Tang San had been selfish to the extreme, giving Dugu Bo no consideration whatsoever.
Hearing Sword Douluo disparage Yu Xiaogang, Dugu Bo asked curiously, "Chen Xin, judging by your tone, this Grandmaster doesn't seem to have very good character!"
"Drop the 'seem'!" Sword Douluo said, then recounted how Yu Xiaogang had secretly spread word of the malignant mutation of Ning Chuan's Martial Soul.
"What? Yu Xiaogang is that sort of man? Then why did you still send that girl Rongrong to Shrek Academy?" Dugu Bo asked in surprise and confusion.
Sword Douluo shook his head helplessly. "The circumstances were something of a coincidence, but fortunately, Rongrong hasn't been influenced by Yu Xiaogang. Once the next Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament is over, she'll leave!"
"Why not leave now?" Dugu Bo asked.
Seeing their conversation stray off topic, Ning Chuan immediately spoke up. "Senior Dugu, let's set that aside for now. What's most important is that you find Tang San as soon as possible and get one of those Immortal Herbs back!"
"Which Immortal Herb?" Dugu Bo asked.
"The Snow Swan Kiss!" Ning Chuan said.
He knew perfectly well that Tang San must have already distributed the other herbs to Dai Mubai and the others to consume.
The only ones left now would be the Lovesick Heartbreak Red on Xiao Wu, the poison-repelling aromatic silk beauty, and the Snow Swan Kiss that would bring Slaughter City crashing down.
The Lovesick Heartbreak Red must have already recognized Xiao Wu as its master. Given Dugu Bo's standing, he certainly couldn't seize it by force.
The aromatic silk beauty was a protective Immortal Herb. Carrying it could ward off all poisons. Ning Chuan had already asked the system: refining it into a pill would grant whoever took it a poison-repelling attribute, but wouldn't increase their Soul Power, so it was relatively unimportant.
But the Blood Swan Kiss could amplify toxins. For Dugu Bo, who had comprehended the Poison Scripture, it would undoubtedly be an enormous boon. They could forgo the other two, but they had to get the Blood Swan Kiss back.
Although Dugu Bo didn't know the Snow Swan Kiss's precise use, Ning Chuan's serious tone immediately told him that this Immortal Herb might be extremely useful. He nodded. "All right, I'll go get the Snow Swan Kiss back right away."
To Dugu Bo, taking back just one Immortal Herb didn't count as breaking his promise.
After all, Tang San had already plundered so many herbs. If he refused to return even one, Dugu Bo would truly have to have a proper word with him.
Only after Dugu Bo left did Sword Douluo speak. "Little Chuan, are we really giving up all those Immortal Herbs?"
Sword Douluo knew the value of Immortal Herbs, and naturally, his heart ached terribly at the loss. But he also knew they were Dugu Bo's private property, so he wouldn't interfere. He simply felt it was such a waste.
Ning Chuan said helplessly, "I'm reluctant to give them up too, actually. But most of those Immortal Herbs can be consumed directly. Since Tang San sneaked them away, he must have anticipated that Senior Dugu would come after him, so his best option was to use them immediately. I doubt Tang San has more than a few left by now. There's no point putting Senior Dugu in a difficult position!"
At this point, Ning Chuan looked down at the herb garden beneath his feet and continued, "Fortunately, their roots and rhizomes are still here. I should be able to use the Creation Exquisite Pagoda to make these herbs grow back quickly!"
"What? You can even do that?" Sword Douluo asked in surprise.
"I'm not sure either. Let's give it a try!" As he spoke, Ning Chuan released the Creation Exquisite Pagoda.
"Elemental Flow, wood element: Life Proliferation; earth element: Earth Energy Circulation!"
With Ning Chuan's low cry, a dense swarm of green motes immediately poured out of the Creation Exquisite Pagoda and settled on the herbs' roots and rhizomes.
At the same time, earth energy from deep beneath the ground rapidly gathered toward those roots and rhizomes.
"Not enough yet. Water element: Life Nourishment!"
Ning Chuan used three natural elements essential to plant growth in succession, and soon, subtle changes appeared in the roots and rhizomes throughout the garden.
As the three elements continued flowing in, the aura of vitality in the garden grew increasingly rich. After about twenty minutes, numerous new shoots had sprouted.
Watching this, Sword Douluo couldn't help marveling inwardly, This Creation Exquisite Pagoda really can do anything!
Using three elements at once was quite draining for Ning Chuan.
Fortunately, his Origin Restoration skill could continuously replenish him, allowing him to keep channeling elemental power to accelerate the herbs' growth.
"System, at this rate, how long will it take to bring these herbs to maturity?" Ning Chuan asked.
System: "At the host's current rate, one day of accelerated growth is roughly equivalent to one year of normal herb growth."
That rate of acceleration was already considerable. However, nearly all those Immortal Herbs were at the ten-thousand-year level. Even with the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well's unique terrain boosting the efficiency another tenfold, restoring them to their former state would still take over three years without sleep or rest.
"Looks like I was getting ahead of myself!" Ning Chuan shook his head helplessly and withdrew the Creation Exquisite Pagoda.
Forcing the herbs to grow took both time and effort. Ning Chuan couldn't possibly waste all his time here.
At Blue Tyrant Academy, Tang San, Dai Mubai, and the others had already consumed the herbs, greatly increasing their Soul Power Levels.
Just as they were celebrating, Dugu Bo suddenly appeared.
Flender, Yu Xiaogang, and Liu Erlong immediately moved to shield Tang San and the others behind them.
"You little bastard, you've really outdone yourself!" Dugu Bo said in a low voice, his gaze fixed firmly on Tang San behind the three.
Before you continue