Chapter 81

Du Gu Yan shook her head, gazing affectionately, and said: "No, Xiao Xuan. How could one bear to consume such a celestial herb? You said that once it acknowledges its master, it will never wither. I want it to stay with me forever, to love and cherish it."

Hearing this, Gu Xuan always felt as if he had experienced something like this before; then he recalled that in the original story, wasn't Xiao Wu also saying this to Tang San?

But Du Gu Yan and Xiao Wu now have no chance to meet, right? Could it be that this celestial herb possesses a special allure for the one who plucks it?

However, whenever he thought of this plot in the original, Gu Xuan couldn't help but sigh at Xiao Wu, that love‑brain rabbit.

Clearly she is a spirit beast in human form; the urgent priority should be to cultivate to rank sixty and enter maturity, yet she is sunk in love, unable to extricate herself.

It's no wonder she was later hunted and sacrificed; of course, this could also be the author's own pitfall, deliberately dumbing her down to give the protagonist a hundred‑thousand‑year spirit ring.

But none of that matters; Gu Xuan naturally wouldn't let Du Gu Yan keep this lovesick heart‑breaking red herb—such a treasure only becomes yours when consumed.

As for Xiao Wu that rabbit, after all she is destined to become a spirit ring—whose ring she becomes doesn't matter.

Gu Xuan looked at Du Gu Yan and explained: "Yanzi, this lovesick heart‑breaking red herb is indeed pitiable, but I want to tell you that in this world, only strength is the foundation of protecting everything; without strength, we may ultimately be unable to guard anything."

"So my suggestion is that you consume this lovesick heart‑breaking red herb to maximize its effect."

"As I said before, after consuming this lovesick heart‑breaking red herb, your fourth spirit ring is very likely able to absorb a ten‑thousand‑year spirit ring; the boost from a ten‑thousand‑year spirit ring is far greater than you can imagine."

Gu Xuan's tone was utterly sincere and earnest; hearing his words, Du Gu Yan's heart began to waver.

Seeing Du Gu Yan waver, Gu Xuan continued: "Besides, you know that I am now just over twelve years old, while you are almost eighteen, five years my senior."

"But my soul power has already broken through to rank thirty‑seven, only three ranks behind you; without the aid of this lovesick heart‑breaking red herb, you will fall further behind me in the future. I don't want you to be merely the woman behind me; I want you to stand beside me and face the future together."

Upon hearing this, Du Gu Yan's pupils trembled slightly: "Facing the future together?"

Gu Xuan took Du Gu Yan's right hand and said: "Do you really want to watch me go farther and farther while you can never catch up?"

Du Gu Yan shook her head: "No, I want to progress and grow together with you."

Having spoken, Du Gu Yan's eyes became firm, and she said to Gu Xuan: "Xiao Xuan, I understand; I will not be willful."

Gu Xuan released Du Gu Yan's right hand and whispered: "Go ahead, consume this lovesick heart‑breaking red herb, and then I will accompany you to find a suitable fourth spirit ring."

Du Gu Yan nodded firmly and headed toward the stone house on the cliff.

Du Gu Yan could not climb up by herself; only then did she see Gu Xuan's purple third spirit ring light up on his body, a row of vertebrae appearing in mid‑air and extending toward the cliff.

Du Gu Yan was no stranger to this method of reaching the stone house; sometimes when Dugu Bo entered seclusion, she would return to the stone house this way.

Gu Xuan then took out a letter, which was the one he had agreed upon with Ning Fengzhi when leaving the sect three months ago—to exchange news each month—and this letter was the one delivered today.

Outsiders would naturally find it hard to locate the Binghuo Liangyi Yan, and even if they found it they could not enter; but with the map and antidote pills Gu Xuan gave, delivering the letter posed no problem.

Opening the letter, inside were nearly ten pages of writing, all concerning the major events that had occurred in the Seven Treasure Glazed Sect over the past month.

Over the past three months, first Gu Rong consumed the Qirong Tongtian Ju and broke through to rank ninety‑seven; then Ning Rongrong consumed the Qiluo Yujin Xiang, broke through to rank thirty, and after obtaining her spirit ring her soul power directly reached rank thirty‑five.

This is not an exaggeration, because in the original story Ning Rongrong at rank thirty‑one consuming the Qiluo Yujin Xiang directly broke through to rank thirty‑seven; now she merely went from twenty‑seven to thirty‑five, and moreover she gained an extra rank of soul power from absorbing the spirit ring.

Notably, Ning Rongrong's third spirit ring reached twenty‑three hundred years, which is also an over‑level absorption of a spirit ring.

Next came Gu Xuan's second uncle, Sword Douluo Chenxin, who emerged from seclusion a month later, his soul power having officially broken through to rank ninety‑seven.

But when he learned that old Gu Rong had also broken through to rank ninety‑seven, he felt the whole world seemed unreal.

Damn it, I just closed my seclusion for two months, and you silently caught up to me?

Then Ning Fengzhi explained to Chenxin the effects of the celestial medicinal herbs; upon hearing it he found it hard to believe, but the living examples of Gu Rong and Ning Rongrong before his eyes left him no choice but to believe.

Then Ning Fengzhi, like a conjurer, gave Chenxin a brocade box containing the Ink‑Jade Sword Bamboo.

Although Chenxin originally despised taking such external objects, after personally witnessing the changes in Gu Rong and Ning Rongrong, it was no wonder he eagerly accepted the Ink‑Jade Sword Bamboo.

However, he did not take it immediately; having just broken through to rank ninety‑seven, he needed time to adapt.

The best way to adapt was naturally to spar with Gu Rong; but this time both were rank ninety‑seven, and Chenxin could no longer be as relaxed and carefree as before, their fight being evenly matched.

Yet in the process of mutual practice, each quickly became accustomed to their newfound strength.

One month passed, and then another piece of good news arrived: Yang Wudi successfully refined the pills from the celestial herbs and spirit‑grass formulas that Gu Xuan had given him.

Among them, two kinds of pills were primary; one is the Ascending Soul Pill made chiefly from the Hunyuan Celestial Herb, combined with dozens of ten‑thousand‑year medicinal ingredients and spirit grasses.

The function of the Ascending Soul Pill is solely to increase soul power; and the highest grade of this pill, refined with the Hunyuan Celestial Herb as the main ingredient, offers a notable boost even to a Titled Douluo.

However, there is only one stalk of Hunyuan Celestial Herb, so this grade of Ascending Soul Pill amounts to only twelve pills—enough at most for twelve Soul Douluo, or even for Titled Douluo to consume.

Such pills also carry a great limitation: only the first dose yields the best effect; subsequent doses diminish sharply, meaning a person can essentially take only one in a lifetime.

Of course, Ascending Soul Pills for Soul Sage and Soul Emperor levels also exist, and in considerable quantity, because Gu Xuan supplied Yang Wudi with ample medicinal ingredients; however, this tier of pill is useless for Soul Douluo and Titled Douluo.

Nevertheless, it is sufficient to enhance the strength of the mid‑tier members of the Seven Treasure Glazed Sect.

However, for now Ning Fengzhi has not made a big publicity; even Chenxin and Gu Rong's breakthroughs over Ning Fengzhi went uncelebrated, because he knows how to conceal his abilities.

The Seven Treasure Glazed Sect has informants among other major powers, and conversely other powers have informants within the sect; although the inner gate is tightly controlled, the outer gate does have them.

Therefore, to be absolutely safe, Ning Fengzhi simply kept these matters concealed, developing in secret, so as to give everyone a surprise later.

Naturally, this also reflects Gu Xuan's suggestion; otherwise, if the two Titled Douluo, Sword and Bone, broke through, they would surely have to hold a grand banquet to let the world know that the Seven Treasure Glazed Sect's strength had risen again.

But Gu Xuan knows that in a few years the Spirit Hall's spirit‑hunting campaign will begin; exposing themselves now would undoubtedly let the enemy prepare more thoroughly, so he chose to develop in a lowly, sneaky way.

Later he will give everyone a big surprise.

What the hell is called a surprise? When the time comes, the two Titled Douluo Sword and Bone will be rank ninety‑seven and ninety‑eight respectively, plus Ning Fengzhi's assistance—that's what the hell is called a surprise!

Exactly, rank ninety‑eight; although Chenxin has not yet taken the Ink‑Jade Sword Bamboo, Gu Xuan can also predict that Chenxin will definitely be able to break through to rank ninety‑eight in the future.

Because a single suitable celestial herb brings to a Soul Master an improvement that is hard to imagine.

ps: Typos will be corrected later.

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(End of chapter)