Chen Mo came straight out from behind the tree where Dugu Bo had been hiding, moved within five meters of Tang Hao, and unleashed his First Soul Skill.
"First Soul Skill, Life Drain!"
A pale purple Soul Ring rose beneath Chen Mo's feet.
A soft green light surged from the Martial Soul in Chen Mo's palm and enveloped Tang Hao.
Dugu Bo's pupils contracted at the sight of the purple Soul Ring beneath Chen Mo's feet, but he said nothing, as he still had to keep Tang Hao suppressed.
Chen Mo was not actively draining Tang Hao's Soul Power. Instead, he was absorbing the Soul Power and vitality spilling out through Tang Hao's ruptured meridians.
If he did not absorb this escaping Soul Power, it would simply dissipate for nothing.
Chen Mo was merely collecting it while he was at it.
But soon, Chen Mo discovered a problem.
The Soul Power and vitality spilling out of a Titled Douluo were far too immense!
He was only level thirty and had just one Soul Ring, so his body simply could not withstand such an enormous amount of energy.
After absorbing only a small portion, Chen Mo felt his meridians begin to swell painfully, his body on the verge of bursting.
No, my body is too fragile. I can't absorb this much!
Alarmed, Chen Mo hurriedly stopped absorbing and began thinking of a solution.
Just then, the Divine Tree of Creation Martial Soul in Chen Mo's dantian suddenly stirred.
The Divine Tree of Creation's roots grew wildly, surging toward the escaping Soul Power and vitality.
An idea struck Chen Mo.
That's right, I can store this energy in my Martial Soul!
Chen Mo immediately guided the escaping Soul Power and vitality into his Divine Tree of Creation Martial Soul.
As though it had been starving for a long time, the Divine Tree of Creation Martial Soul ravenously absorbed the energy.
The Divine Tree of Creation's roots grew increasingly extensive, its crown increasingly lush, and its trunk increasingly thick.
His Martial Soul's quality was steadily improving!
Chen Mo could clearly feel his Martial Soul growing stronger, even if only a little.
Its growth-accelerating ability became stronger, and Life Drain became more effective as well.
Good, good, good! A Titled Douluo's Soul Power and vitality can actually promote Martial Soul Evolution!
Chen Mo rejoiced inwardly.
Chen Mo continued guiding the energy into his Martial Soul, and the Divine Tree of Creation Martial Soul continued to evolve.
An hour later, the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor released its jaws.
Tang Hao collapsed to the ground, his breathing faint, his Soul Power reduced to less than level ten.
A Titled Douluo had been crippled.
Meanwhile, Chen Mo's Divine Tree of Creation Martial Soul had absorbed a tremendous amount of energy, its quality improving by a large margin.
Although he had not absorbed much Soul Power, the improvement in his Martial Soul's quality was more precious than a simple increase in Soul Power.
Tang Hao lay on the ground, his eyes vacant, as though all life had left him.
The cultivation he had painstakingly built over decades was gone.
His wife had yet to be revived.
His son was still waiting for him at Nuoding Academy.
And now, he had become a cripple.
Looking at Tang Hao, who resembled a dead dog, Chen Mo approached him and took away the box containing the Blue Silver Emperor.
He also removed all the Storage Soul Tools Tang Hao carried.
"Senior Dugu Bo, find somewhere to lock him up. Don't let him die. I still have a use for him."
"Oh, right, Senior, may I pick the herbs in this medicinal field?"
Looking at the Immortal Herbs beside the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, Chen Mo could no longer resist asking.
"No problem. Help yourself, but you'd best leave the poisonous ones alone."
"I'll lock Tang Hao up first. There happens to be a secret chamber behind the valley."
After speaking, Dugu Bo watched what Chen Mo was doing without comment, then picked up Tang Hao and headed straight into the depths of the valley.
Tang Hao was carried like a dead dog, without the slightest strength to resist.
Watching Tang Hao being dragged away, Chen Mo felt not a ripple in his heart.
Tang Hao, from today onward, you're my prisoner.
With Tang Hao dealt with, Chen Mo could finally collect the Immortal Herbs at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well with peace of mind.
Chen Mo walked up to the octagonal mysterious ice grass.
It was a large, white, eight-pointed flower growing beside the bitterly cold yin spring.
Within ten meters, the cold Qi was oppressive. Staying close for even a short while would allow cold poison to attack the heart, leaving no cure.
This was an extraordinarily cold flower that could chill the heart and freeze the central nervous system numb.
Taking it alone would cause cold poison to attack the heart. It had to be taken together with infernal delicate apricot to neutralize its toxicity.
Consuming it could forge a body immune to ice and greatly improve one's physique and aptitude.
Using his Soul Power, Chen Mo carefully uprooted the octagonal mysterious ice grass and placed it in his system space.
Next came the infernal delicate apricot.
A lethally poisonous immortal-grade herb possessing the highest grade of fire poison, it grew only in scorching places and could survive even in lava.
All its effects were the exact opposite of the octagonal mysterious ice grass.
Consuming it could forge a body immune to fire and greatly improve one's physique and aptitude.
Chen Mo picked the infernal delicate apricot as well and placed it in his system space.
Taking these two Immortal Herbs together could forge a body immune to both ice and fire while also greatly strengthening the physique.
Next was the Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew.
Chen Mo began examining it and found that it seemed exactly the same as the one the Check-in System had given him.
This Immortal Herb could greatly enhance eyesight, allowing one to see through illusions and perceive all things in the world.
It also increased soul strength and spiritual power.
Absorbing this Immortal Herb would place no additional burden on the body.
In the original story, after Tang San consumed it, his Purple Demon Eye directly reached the Mustard Seed Realm, even allowing him to see through Xiao Wu's identity as a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast in human form.
Chen Mo picked the Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew and placed it in his system space, specifically marking it and storing it separately from the one the system had given him.
Previously, Chen Mo had refrained from consuming Immortal Herbs because he feared Tang Hao, who had been following him all along.
Later, when Tang Hao returned to Holy Soul Village, Chen Mo was waiting for Dugu Bo.
He feared that he might be cultivating when Dugu Bo returned and be unable to explain the situation to him immediately.
Given Chen Mo's understanding of Dugu Bo's mental state, so frequently tormented by poison, Dugu Bo would very likely kill him outright then.
And so he had put it off until now.
Setting aside the wandering thoughts in his mind, Chen Mo looked toward the king of Immortal Herbs, the Lovesick Heartbreak Red.
It was a red Immortal Herb so vivid it seemed ready to drip, with what looked like teardrops rolling over its petals.
The finest of immortal-grade medicinal herbs, it could bring the dead back to life and regrow flesh upon bare bones.
Moreover, it could protect its master and help Soul Beasts conceal their own presence, so that even a Titled Douluo could not discern their true forms.
In the original story, Xiao Wu had relied on the Lovesick Heartbreak Red to conceal her presence as a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soft Bone Rabbit.
But harvesting this Immortal Herb required blood imbued with true love, so Chen Mo left it alone for the time being.
Next came the aromatic silk beauty.
It was a golden Immortal Herb that gave off a rich fragrance.
It could improve a Martial Soul's quality and increase one's Soul Power Level.
In the original story, after Ning Rongrong consumed it, her Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda directly evolved into the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda.
Chen Mo picked the aromatic silk beauty outright.
I can write about this when I write my diary. Just the thing to hook a little rich girl. How sweet!
With that thought, Chen Mo turned his gaze toward an Immortal Herb as white and flawless as jade, its petals seemingly carved from crystal.
The narcissus jade muscle bone could improve aptitude, increase one's Soul Power Level, and preserve youth.
In the original story, after Zhu Zhuqing consumed it, her speed and agility improved dramatically.
Chen Mo picked the narcissus jade muscle bone.
Next came the eight-petal immortal orchid, cockscomb phoenix sunflower, Snow-Colored Swan Kiss, singular velvet sky chrysanthemum, crystal blood dragon ginseng, and finally, the aromatic silk beauty. Every Immortal Herb was now in his hands!