"These two are indispensable!"
Long Aoyu walked at the very front, his gaze sweeping over the medicinal herbs carpeting the valley.
The octagonal mysterious ice grass and infernal delicate apricot grew at the boundary between the Extreme Cold Yin Spring and the Blazing Yang Spring, separated by the pool's waters. One was lustrous white as ice and snow, the other crimson as fire.
Long Aoyu stared at the two immortal herbs for a moment without reaching out to touch them-
He knew very well that these two immortal herbs had to be consumed immediately after picking. They could not be stored or touched directly; doing so would be courting death.
"Now to find an immortal herb that enhances spiritual power."
Long Aoyu walked over to a rock at the edge of the Extreme Cold Yin Spring, where a small flower grew.
The flowering plant had already matured and borne fruit, its entire body crystalline as though condensed from stars, containing the mysteries of starlight.
"Starry heavenly origin fruit!"
Long Aoyu recognized the immortal herb.
The Record of a Hundred Herbs and Heavenly Treasures recorded that starry heavenly origin fruit absorbed starlight and moonlight. Consuming it could expand the sea of consciousness and stabilize the mind.
This one could be picked and stored.
After harvesting the starry heavenly origin fruit, Long Aoyu did not rush to consume it, but continued searching.
"Found them!"
Long Aoyu's gaze swept over the crevices beneath the cliff and the medicinal herbs along the pool's edge before he finally found two plants in a secluded corner behind a low hill-
One was a nine-grade dragon ganoderma, dark green all over and giving off a rich medicinal fragrance.
The other was a small ginseng covered in a purple glow, with plump roots and flowing purple light. It was called purple radiance immortal ginseng!
Nine-grade dragon ganoderma had powerful healing effects and repaired hidden injuries.
Purple radiance immortal ginseng was covered in a layer of purple radiance. It could reshape one's bones and constitution, repair both congenital and acquired damage, and also increase soul power.
Long Aoyu crouched down, carefully harvested the two immortal herbs, and placed them in jade boxes.
These were for his master, Du Busi.
After putting them away, Long Aoyu returned to Du Busi's side and handed over the jade boxes with a smile.
"Master, these are for you. Nine-grade dragon ganoderma and purple radiance immortal ginseng. One repairs hidden injuries, and the other reshapes your bones and constitution and increases soul power."
"If you consume these two immortal herbs, you'll definitely be able to reach rank ninety-nine!"
Du Busi froze for a moment as he looked at what Long Aoyu offered him.
He did not take them immediately, instead looking at Long Aoyu for a moment, his gaze showing some gratification and emotion.
Du Busi reached out and took the jade boxes, opening them to look inside. His voice was a little deeper than usual. "Good lad. Your master's care hasn't been wasted on you."
"What about you?"
"Starry heavenly origin fruit, along with infernal delicate apricot and octagonal mysterious ice grass."
Long Aoyu answered truthfully.
Du Busi mused, "Infernal delicate apricot and octagonal mysterious ice grass strengthen the body, while starry heavenly origin fruit enhances spiritual power..."
Du Busi raised his hand and drew over an immortal herb whose leaves shimmered with a faint gilded light.
"This is azure radiance dragon saliva grass. It nourishes the martial soul origin and improves the body's ability to recover. It offers great benefits to both beast martial souls and body martial souls."
Du Busi placed it in Long Aoyu's hand. "Take this too and consume it with the others."
"Uh... thank you, Master!"
Seeing his master's expression, which brooked no refusal, Long Aoyu accepted the immortal herb.
By now, he had four immortal herbs for himself: azure radiance dragon saliva grass, starry heavenly origin fruit, infernal delicate apricot, and octagonal mysterious ice grass.
"Mm, this will definitely be enough!"
Beside them, Elder Wei and Elder Zhao spoke with cheerful smiles at the sight.
Had they not known that consuming too many immortal herbs was useless and would greatly dilute their effects, they would have wanted Long Aoyu to choose another two.
As the young sect master,
Long Aoyu had the greatest talent in the Body Sect's history!
Du Busi and the elders had long regarded him as the hope of the Body Sect's future.
Meanwhile.
Long Aotian and Vina had also decided on their immortal herbs and ventured into the medicinal plants themselves.
Long Aotian found the singular velvet sky chrysanthemum.
The singular velvet sky chrysanthemum could strengthen the body in every aspect, powerfully tempering the physique, circulating qi through the four limbs and blood through the eight meridians to forge an indestructible body of diamond.
Vina chose the eight-petal immortal orchid, which likewise suited her martial souls-Snow Lotus and Brain-very well.
Aside from that,
While on the shaded side of the low hill, the two found an immortal herb-a twin-stemmed thousand-illusion jialan, a single plant with two flowers, one purple and one blue. They could each take half and absorb them simultaneously.
They exchanged a glance and each picked a flower in tacit understanding.
This twin-stemmed thousand-illusion jialan could strengthen spiritual power and the soul. With the two of them absorbing it together, its effects would be no weaker than those of other spiritually oriented immortal herbs.
The two returned to Du Busi's side and listed the immortal herbs they had chosen.
Du Busi nodded after hearing them out.
"Not bad."
"Xiao Yu, Aotian, Na'er, the three of you can consume your immortal herbs now. Absorb them right here. I'll stand guard over you."
As soon as Du Busi finished speaking, Elder Wei and Elder Zhao nodded with smiles as well.
"Focus on absorbing them without worry. We'll keep watch nearby. No one will disturb you."
"With my poison formation here, even ordinary ten-thousand-year soul beasts can't get in."
Dugu Bo added a remark as well.
There was another half-sentence he left unsaid-this was the first time anyone had found this place!
"All right!"
Long Aoyu and the other two exchanged glances. Without further hesitation, they each found a level patch of ground and sat cross-legged.
Long Aotian and Vina sat together, no more than three feet apart. They consumed the singular velvet sky chrysanthemum and eight-petal immortal orchid respectively, preparing to begin.
Long Aoyu sat a little farther away and first took out the starry heavenly origin fruit.
The fruit, crystalline all over as though condensed from stars, lay in his palm, emitting a cool, gentle glow that was extremely enticing.
Long Aoyu drew a deep breath and placed the starry heavenly origin fruit in his mouth.
"It actually tastes pretty good."
The fruit melted as soon as it entered his mouth, becoming an intensely cool current of power that surged straight to the crown of his head.
Its medicinal power flooded into his Sea of Consciousness!
Long Aoyu could clearly feel his sea of consciousness expanding. His awareness grew clearer and sharper, allowing him to detect even the slightest movements within several dozen meters.
After he closed his eyes and digested it for roughly the time it took to drink a cup of tea, his spiritual power had risen by a substantial margin!
Once he finished refining the starry heavenly origin fruit, Long Aoyu opened his eyes and looked toward the boundary between the Extreme Cold Yin Spring and the Blazing Yang Spring.
He raised his hand,
Using soul power to draw them over from a distance-
The octagonal mysterious ice grass and infernal delicate apricot pulled free of the soil and landed in his palm.
"Such powerful ice and fire energy!"
With that exclamation, Long Aoyu swallowed the two immortal herbs at the same time.
Then he leaped.
He plunged into the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, using the waters of these two extremes to guide the violent medicinal power through his entire body for a deeper tempering!
Ice and fire clashed within his meridians.
His meridians cracked from the cold and were scorched by the heat, only to be instantly repaired by the medicinal power, over and over again.
Yet in the very center of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, Long Aoyu's expression remained as composed as ever. He did not even frown, let alone let out a muffled groan.
Long Aoyu's body was far too strong!
It was more than dozens of times stronger than Tang San's-
His body martial soul encompassed his entire body. Since its awakening at age six, Du Busi had tempered him using the harshest methods, leaving his meridians far tougher than those of his peers.
Moreover,
He had only recently fused with the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger's Life Orb, further transforming his body!
To him, the ice and fire assault of the octagonal mysterious ice grass and infernal delicate apricot was merely normal tempering, nowhere near pushing him to the brink of death.
"Hmm?"
"Xiao Yu is using the immortal herbs and the ice and fire pool water to carry out the first step of his martial soul second awakening!"
Before you continue