"Referee! I surrender!"
Hu Liena's eyes grew wet, and she conceded outright. She could not bear to watch Lu Yuan hurt himself either.
"Huh?"
Both Lu Yuan and the referee froze for a moment.
Lu Yuan in particular had thought he would have to injure himself to a certain extent and continue fighting a battle of attrition against Hu Liena.
He had not expected Hu Liena to concede on her own. It reminded him of how, in the original timeline, she had repeatedly gone easy on Tang San after falling in love with him.
"I declare Lu Yuan the winner of Hu Liena versus Lu Yuan. He advances to the final."
The eagerly anticipated match ultimately ended in Hu Liena's defeat. The spectators left in disappointment; they had expected to witness a spectacular battle.
"Nana, are you all right?"
As Hu Liena and Lu Yuan stepped off the stage, the red-haired little simp immediately rushed over to check on her.
"Yan, I'm fine. You should ask how Lu Yuan is doing."
Hu Liena looked at Lu Yuan, but he rolled up his sleeve to show her his wounds.
With Meowmeow's passive Oxygen Cycle shared with him, the wounds Lu Yuan had inflicted on himself had already nearly healed.
That was also why Lu Yuan had made Meowmeow attack him with plants rather than claws: using the power of plants triggered the passive Oxygen Cycle more effectively.
"Lu Yuan, how did your wounds heal so quickly?! And why does your soul power increase so fast?"
The three members of the Golden Generation stared at Lu Yuan in shock, but he merely chuckled.
"That's a secret."
Lu Yuan had no intention of telling them about his passive ability to restore his vitality. Nor, of course, would he reveal that he possessed a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone, one of the two highest-ranked soul bones on the entire continent and something every soul master dreamed of obtaining.
"Lu Yuan, I need to speak with you!" Chrysanthemum Douluo's voice came from nearby.
"Greetings, Your Excellency Chrysanthemum Douluo." Seeing his sudden arrival, Lu Yuan and the three members of the Golden Generation hurriedly bowed.
"Lu Yuan, come here."
Chrysanthemum Douluo beckoned to Lu Yuan. He nodded, walked over, and followed him to a corner.
"Your Excellency Chrysanthemum Douluo, may I ask what you need me for?"
Seeing the confusion on Lu Yuan's face, Chrysanthemum Douluo shook his head.
"It isn't me. It's His Holiness the Pope."
"His Holiness the Pope? Bibi Dong." Confusion stirred in Lu Yuan's heart. What was that woman up to now?
"His Holiness the Pope asked me to inform you that, once this midterm tournament is over, you will head to Heaven Dou City on an Undercover Mission."
"What?!"
Lu Yuan's face filled with surprise as he thought:
Wasn't the most famous mission Spirit Hall carried out in the Heaven Dou Empire's capital Qian Renxue's Undercover Mission, in which she disguised herself as Crown Prince Xue Qinghe?
What the hell was Bibi Dong playing at?
Lu Yuan muttered inwardly. Hadn't he already given Bibi Dong the false impression that he had qualified for the Life God King's divine trials?
Why would Bibi Dong willingly send such a prized catch as him to Qian Renxue's side?
Could it be that Bibi Dong had begun to pity her lonely, helpless daughter?
"Hmm..." Lu Yuan shook his head.
Probably not. In the original timeline, Bibi Dong's first clear display of affection for Qian Renxue erupted only after the Heaven Dou Palace Coup, when Qian Renxue's twenty-year undercover plan failed and she returned miserably to Spirit Hall to report to Bibi Dong, sarcastically calling her "Sister."
Before that, although Bibi Dong had always harbored a trace of affection for Qian Renxue deep down, it was clouded by her hatred of Qian Xunji and the Six-Winged Angel family, and even by the Rakshasa God's resentment.
Lu Yuan recalled that Bibi Dong's love for Qian Renxue had truly erupted during the divine battle at Jialing Pass, near the end of Douluo Continent, when Qian Renxue shattered her divine seat to block Tang San's attack for Bibi Dong.
Could it be her?
Lu Yuan recalled that golden figure.
But why would Qian Renxue want me to keep her company in Heaven Dou City? Surely she isn't after my body? It couldn't possibly be because she wants to pet my adorable Meowmeow.
"What are you thinking about now, you crafty little fellow?"
Chrysanthemum Douluo snapped Lu Yuan out of his thoughts. Having delivered the message, he was about to turn and leave when Lu Yuan called him back.
"Um, Your Excellency Chrysanthemum Douluo."
"Hmm? Is there something else?"
Lu Yuan lowered his head, putting on a deeply aggrieved look.
"Well... Lord Chrysanthemum Douluo, I like all kinds of flowers and plants, and I've also heard of the legendary immortal herbs."
Since fate was sending Lu Yuan to Heaven Dou City, how could he possibly not set his sights on the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well?
Looking at the entirety of the first Douluo Continent story, aside from Tang San of the Tang Sect, who had come from another world and somehow happened to know about the immortal herbs at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well,
among the natives of Douluo Continent, only Spirit Hall's Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan and Yang Wudi, the herb-researching chief of the Breaking Clan, one of the Clear Sky Sect's former four subordinate clans, would have information about immortal herbs.
According to Chrysanthemum Douluo, Lu Yuan would be leaving Spirit Hall in a few days. This might well be his last opportunity to meet Chrysanthemum Douluo for the foreseeable future.
Since Chrysanthemum Douluo had come right to his doorstep, Lu Yuan simply plucked up his courage and asked him for the compendium containing information on immortal herbs.
"Once I leave Spirit Hall, I don't know when I'll get to see you again. I've heard that Your Excellency has an Immortal Herb Compendium documenting immortal herbs. Could you lend it to me so I can read it and study them?"
Chrysanthemum Douluo's eyes lit up at Lu Yuan's words.
"I never imagined you were interested in flowers and plants too, lad. To tell you the truth, my martial soul, the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum, is itself one of the immortal herbs."
Watching Chrysanthemum Douluo grow increasingly excited as he spoke, Lu Yuan revealed a faint smile.
Just as planned!
"However!..."
Chrysanthemum Douluo changed tack. "The Immortal Herb Compendium is a priceless family heirloom, after all. I can't give it to you."
At those words, Lu Yuan's face instantly fell.
Just as planned... or was it?
"But I have a transcribed copy. I can give you that outright!" Chrysanthemum Douluo changed tack again.
"What?!"
Lu Yuan nearly jumped with excitement.
"Really, Your Excellency Chrysanthemum Douluo?!"
Hearing the excitement in Lu Yuan's voice, Chrysanthemum Douluo immediately took a brand-new illustrated book out of his Storage Soul Tool. The title Immortal Herb Compendium was written on it in black lettering, and he handed it to Lu Yuan.
"Of course."
Chrysanthemum Douluo thought, This boy managed to enrage His Holiness the Pope and still be released safe and sound. Either his latent talent is extraordinary, or he has a background that reaches the heavens. Making friends with him certainly won't be a loss.
Chrysanthemum Douluo had no idea that, in Bibi Dong's eyes, Lu Yuan met both of those conditions.
"Thank you, Your Excellency Chrysanthemum Douluo."
Lu Yuan reached out and took the Immortal Herb Compendium from Chrysanthemum Douluo.
"All right, save your thanks for now. Go back and prepare properly for your Midterm Assessment final against Xie Yue in a few days."
Chrysanthemum Douluo turned to leave, but suddenly his whole body jolted as though he had remembered something. He turned his head and spoke to Lu Yuan again:
"Oh, right. I'm not sure what's going on, but I heard His Holiness the Pope will be bringing a mysterious, distinguished guest to watch the final. You'd better put on a good performance, lad. Don't disappoint the Pontiff."