"What? Senior Brother, you actually ate the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and the Infernal Delicate Apricot! Those are two immortal-grade poisonous herbs! How did you dare? Whew... thank goodness nothing happened." Amid his shock, Tang San could not help letting out a long breath.
"Then, Tang San, according to what you said, if I want to take this immortal herb, I have to make it acknowledge me as its master first?" Xiao Wu said blankly.
"Yes. If the Lovesick Heartbreak Red hasn't acknowledged you as its master, you won't be able to refine it," Tang San said with a nod.
Perhaps because everyone present was still young, Tang San did not tell the story of the Lovesick Heartbreak Red. He merely said that refining it required thinking of the person one loved.
Besides, Tang San never thought Xiao Wu could refine the Lovesick Heartbreak Red in the first place. Wouldn't telling that story be a waste of breath?
Seeing the look on Tang San's face, as though he thought she could not do it, Xiao Wu's temper immediately flared. Without another word, she struck her chest with her palm, forcing out her heart's blood and dripping it onto the Lovesick Heartbreak Red.
At this, Li Ye could not help growing expectant as well.
On the way back to Nuoding City, he had actually tried too, but different people kept coming to mind, so he had failed.
Yet Xiao Wu, who was currently refining the Lovesick Heartbreak Red, showed none of the pain Tang San and Li Ye had imagined. Instead, she looked perfectly comfortable, as though she were soaking in a bath.
"She's... going to succeed!" Tang San watched everything unfolding before him in disbelief.
He truly could not understand when Xiao Wu had found someone she liked, and it was clearly no ordinary affection.
But when he recalled the relationship between Xiao Wu and Li Ye, everything made sense.
At that thought, Tang San accepted it.
Next came the time to consume and refine the immortal herbs.
Thanks to Tang San's earlier explanation, Xiao Wu immediately consumed the Lovesick Heartbreak Red and sat down to begin refining this Immortal Among Immortals, the legendary Immortal Flower Queen.
As for Tang San, he needed no reminder from anyone. No one understood better than him how to refine the Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid.
"Logically speaking, the Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid should suit Support System Soul Masters with weaker physiques. Still, although my physique is strong, there's no Immortal-Grade Medicinal Herbs better suited to me right now, so I must do my best to make full use of this Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid Senior Brother gave me."
With that thought, Tang San grew even more careful, afraid that overlooking any detail would cause some of the Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid's medicinal potency to escape.
Seeing the stark contrast between Tang San's and Xiao Wu's actions, Li Ye could not help giving a wry smile.
What Li Ye did not know was that this entire series of actions had been watched by that obsessive peeping Tom, Tang Hao.
"This boy treats Xiao San so well. I'll have to make sure Xiao San repays him properly in the future. But his strength and talent far surpass Xiao San's. If this continues, Xiao San is bound to lose confidence."
Considering this, Tang Hao immediately made up his mind.
After losing Ah Yin completely, he had wanted nothing more than to end his life, but for Tang San's sake, he had to strengthen his resolve to keep living.
Yet it was precisely because Ah Yin had been dug up and taken away that Tang San gained a long-term bodyguard in the days to come. After all, Tang Hao had nowhere else to go.
"This is wonderful! I never expected refining this Lovesick Heartbreak Red to bring my Soul Power straight to rank 30!"
"I really never expected the Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid to take me straight from rank 21 to rank 29. I even feel like I could break through another rank in a few days."
Hearing Xiao Wu's and Tang San's excited words, Li Ye wanted only to beg the two of them to stop talking. Seriously, stop talking.
When he had refined those two immortal herbs, he had gained only one rank. Even now, he was only a little over halfway through rank 34.
Yet of Xiao Wu and Tang San, one had gained ten ranks outright, and the other had gained eight.
Although he had expected this, when the moment of being overtaken truly approached, Li Ye still could not help feeling miserable.
"How could this be? Why has the aura of a hundred-thousand-year soul beast disappeared from that girl named Xiao Wu?"
Though Tang Hao could not puzzle it out no matter how hard he tried, it was not a bad thing for him, so he gave it no further thought.
After all, why wouldn't he welcome one less problem? He certainly did not want to fight other Titled Douluo over Xiao Wu in the future.
"Since you two have finished refining them, let's go eat at the dining hall."
"Senior Brother, you two go ahead. I'll come in a little while."
"Xiao San, what's wrong? Do you have something else to do?" Li Ye looked at Tang San in confusion.
"My dad has come to see me. I need to go meet him first," Tang San said excitedly.
Since Li Ye and Xiao Wu both knew about Tang San's background, he naturally had nothing to hide.
It had simply been so long since he had last seen Tang Hao. Now that Tang Hao had come to see him, he was naturally beside himself with excitement.
"All right, then. You and your father have a good catch-up. Xiao Wu and I will head off first." With that, Li Ye took Xiao Wu's hand and headed toward the dining hall.
"Xiao Ye, what do you think Tang San's dad wants with him?"
Hearing that Tang Hao had arrived, Xiao Wu naturally panicked. After all, he was a Titled Douluo and could naturally see through her identity.
Although she knew Tang San's mother was also a hundred-thousand-year soul beast and that Tang Hao probably meant her no harm, she was still very afraid that Tang Hao would discuss with Tang San how to take her Soul Ring and Soul Bone.
After all, the human heart was unfathomable. Who knew whether today's companion might become tomorrow's enemy?
"Probably something about cultivation. Oh, let's leave it alone. I still have to see Teacher after dinner."
After dinner, Li Ye went to Yu Xiaogang's residence.
Seeing Li Ye come to visit, Yu Xiaogang immediately stood up, walked over to him, and said with concern:
"Xiao Ye, you had me worried sick. If you hadn't come back soon, your senior martial uncle and I would have gone looking for you."
"Haha, Teacher, I'm back now, aren't I? Don't worry anymore."
Seeing how worried Yu Xiaogang was about him, Li Ye felt a little too embarrassed to look at him. He could only laugh to cover his inner awkwardness.
After briefly explaining matters to Yu Xiaogang, Li Ye practically fled back to the dormitory.
Only after burrowing under the covers and holding Xiao Wu did Li Ye's nerves finally settle.
"Xiao Ye, what's wrong? Why is your heart beating so fast?" Xiao Wu asked quietly.
"Nothing. I just saw a ghostly shadow and got a bit scared." Li Ye casually made up an excuse.
"Heh... you're actually afraid of ghosts?" Hearing Li Ye's words, Xiao Wu nearly burst out laughing.
"All right, go to sleep, or a ghost will drag you away in a moment!"
The next day, after finishing his morning classes, Li Ye went to Yu Xiaogang's residence.
But who would have thought that Flender would happen to be in Yu Xiaogang's room?
"Senior Martial Uncle, what brings you here?" Li Ye looked at Flender in puzzlement.
"Xiao Ye, step outside for a moment. Your senior martial uncle and I have some things to discuss," Yu Xiaogang said in a slightly sorrowful tone.
Seeing Yu Xiaogang visibly struggling to hold back his pain, Li Ye tactfully left the room.
But leaving the room did not mean he could no longer hear their conversation.
"Xiaogang, why do you think Erlong suddenly said she'd found her true love? Could there be something behind this?"
Before you continue