Chapter 125: Crested Phoenix Sunflower

One week later!

Inside Lan Ba Academy, by the small pond in the center of the forest.

A gentle breeze brushed by; Liu Erlong, like a tame kitten, nestled in Yu Tianyun's arms. The two lounged on the soft, carpet‑like grass, fully enjoying the moment's peace and beauty.

If anyone from the Blue Electric Tyrannosaur family saw Liu Erlong now, their jaw would probably drop to the ground in shock.

The once hot‑tempered, cold‑mannered Liu Erlong now wore a bright smile, eyes full of tenderness and affection, curling onto Yu Tianyun like a small bird seeking comfort. She extended her jade‑like slender hand and gently wiped the fine beads of sweat from Yu Tianyun's forehead.

Suddenly, Yu Tianyun tightened his hold on Liu Erlong's delicate body and sat up. Facing her puzzled gaze, he said solemnly:

"Erlong, I've prepared a gift for you."

Liu Erlong blushed instantly, her gaze involuntarily landing on the sharply defined, powerful muscles of Yu Tianyun. In her mind, provocative images that made her cheeks flush and heart race flashed, and she shyly patted Yu Tianyun's solid chest.

"Are you thinking about something unsuitable for children again?"

Yu Tianyun was momentarily stunned, then, seeming to understand her thoughts, lightly tapped her forehead and said, "Erlong, you really are a woman whose mind is full of lewd thoughts."

"I... I wasn't thinking about that."

Liu Erlong's face turned red, her voice rising a few notches with a hint of coquettish annoyance.

Yu Tianyun didn't argue further; instead, smiling, he retrieved a finely crafted jade box from his storage ring, handed it to her, and said, "Erlong, inside is a potent pure‑Yang celestial herb called Crested Phoenix Sunflower. It can purify your flames, improve their quality, and has a miraculous transformative effect."

"Moreover, it will greatly boost your soul power cultivation, likely enough to let you breakthrough to level 80."

"You must not chew it; swallow it whole. Then gather soul power to guide it—no matter how painful, you must endure, or all progress will be lost."

Just as he does for his other women, Yu Tianyun naturally prepared the celestial herb carefully for Liu Erlong.

Of course, for Xiao Yue and the other two, Yu Tianyun gave no celestial herb; they are ordinary people who couldn't digest its potency, so he gave them only some beauty‑enhancing, longevity herbs.

Liu Erlong's talent is impressive, even surpassing her parents'. After absorbing this herb, her future promotion to Title Douluo is virtually guaranteed.

Thinking of this, Yu Tianyun grew a bit worried—if he later has many women, all talented, what if the herb runs short? "Sigh, never mind, first‑come‑first‑served; they just didn't meet me earlier."

Yu Tianyun sighed inwardly, then cast his gentle gaze back at the Great Mother Dragon in his arms.

At this moment, the Great Mother Dragon's pretty face flushed deeper; she realized she had misread Yu Tianyun's meaning, and Yu's hand gently opened the jade box, directing her gaze toward it.

It was a trembling, soft, fluffy red flower, seemingly simple, composed of red grass leaves whose tips resembled a rooster's crest. Upon close inspection, its veins glowed gold‑red, and the moment it appeared, the temperature around the two rose sharply.

Liu Erlong gazed at the Crested Phoenix Sunflower, eyes full of affection, hesitated briefly, and pleaded,

"Master, this flower is so beautiful—may I not eat it?"

As a woman, Liu Erlong naturally loves beautiful things; her wooden hut is surrounded by all kinds of flowers, clearly marking her as a flower lover.

According to the original storyline, this herb would have been eaten by Ma Hongjun, but now it belongs to Liu Erlong.

"Eat it."

Yu Tianyun's expression hardened as he ordered.

At the same time, his large hand cradled her plump, fair moon, and he whispered by her ear,

"No matter how pretty it is, it's more practical to have my Erlong eat it; after you eat it, Erlong, your chance to breakthrough to Title Douluo will greatly increase."

"Master, do you think I will become Title Douluo?"

Liu Erlong's cheek pressed against Yu Tianyun's handsome face, asking in surprise.

"Of course, my Erlong is very strong; if my Erlong breaks through to Title Douluo, we can openly declare our relationship."

Yu Tianyun said firmly.

Liu Erlong gently nodded, hugged Yu Tianyun's head, and kissed him tenderly. The kiss was full of deep affection and resolve, as if voicing her inner conviction.

When Liu Erlong fully accepted Yu Tianyun, Yu Tianyun proposed making their relationship public, but Liu Erlong refused, fearing strange looks from the world and criticism from her clan.

She wouldn't even let Yu Tianyun tell Duguyan, Ning Rongrong, and the other women about their relationship.

In fact, the concerns Liu Erlong has are no issue to Yu Tianyun; even if he errs, the clan would be as lenient as possible, simply because his talent and strength are unparalleled in the Lan Dian Ba Wang Sect's upper echelons, and future successors are unlikely to surpass him, granting him many privileges.

If he makes his relationship with Liu Erlong public, his great‑grandfather Yu Luomian would say nothing openly, perhaps even concoct a moving tale for outsiders. It's like, as long as you're strong enough to seize a kingdom, no matter what you do, scholars will defend you! After a long pause, their lips part; Liu Erlong rose from Yu Tianyun's arms, no longer hesitating, found a clean spot nearby, sat cross‑legged, placed the Crested Phoenix Sunflower in her mouth, and swallowed it whole.

In an instant, an intensely hot energy erupted within her, Liu Erlong's complexion turning pained as fine beads of sweat quickly formed on her forehead.

Yu Tianyun sat nearby, tense and concerned, urging her, "Erlong, hold on, you must endure!"

Liu Erlong furrowed her dark brows, straining to gather soul power to guide the raging energy.

The herb's pain wasn't severe, but it clung like a maggot to bone, searing deep and making her unbearably hot.

Second by second, her body trembled slightly; all her clothing turned to ash, revealing her crimson form.

The Crested Phoenix Sunflower's effect was overwhelmingly domineering; layers of fine black fluid seeped from under her skin, and Liu Erlong's very being resembled a fire phoenix, even her hair turning flame‑red.

Strangely, each additional layer of black fluid made her skin appear tighter, and her already graceful figure grew even more statuesque and voluptuous.

Yu Tianyun, watching from the side, couldn't help but think Liu Erlong had taken some special beauty‑enhancing breast‑growth potion; her size was comparable to his family's large cat.

Liu Erlong's original scarlet flames had fully turned gold‑red, bursting forth, soaring skyward, sweeping all grass within five meters. Yu Tianyun, momentarily unaware, was also caught. He wasn't afraid of the flames, but having not released soul power to shield his clothes, he stood naked like Liu Erlong.

Liu Erlong's body stretched within the flames, her graceful form becoming ever more alluring.

Liu Erlong clenched her silver teeth, desperately resisting the domineering herb's pain. Sweat poured like rain; her body shivered more intensely, yet her gaze remained steadfast.

"Aaa~!" Suddenly, a soaring dragon roar burst from her jade‑colored mouth; crimson‑gold scales sprouted like spring bamboo shoots from her skin, two tiny horns appeared on her forehead, her body swelled to about 2.5 meters, gold‑red vertical pupils gleamed, fire rippled across her as she moved, and a faint fire‑dragon pattern emerged on her back.

Now Liu Erlong exuded great authority, like a lofty empress, with a presence that seemed to swallow the heavens; the pressure of a true dragon king made the air noticeably heavier.

"So hot," Liu Erlong cooed, inhaling greedily; the surrounding gold‑red flames instantly turned into tiny currents that rushed into her mouth and vanished within moments, her draconic form gradually returning to normal, though her eyes still sparkled.

The Crested Phoenix Sunflower Liu Erlong ate and the Blazing Apricot Essence Yu Tianyun once took are both pure‑fire celestial herbs; the difference is that the former is a nourishing treasure, while the latter is a deadly toxin, leading to different effects.

First, the external energy of Liu Erlong's herb is mild and can be taken directly, whereas Yu Tianyun's would likely incinerate a person before it could be swallowed; it requires the Octagonal Mystic Ice Herb to neutralize.

The two pure‑Yang herbs each hold distinct fire: one contains a continuous, flowing fire like a steady stream—deep and lasting; the other radiates explosive, fierce heat like unstoppable magma—wild and intense. Both have unique charms, but in terms of absorption difficulty, Liu Erlong's Crested Phoenix Sunflower clearly has the advantage.

"Master, I succeeded!" Liu Erlong shouted excitedly, her voice full of joy and pride. Before the words finished, she leapt into Yu Tianyun's arms.

"Master, I really broke through to level 80, and my martial soul seems to have evolved; the flames are stronger now," Liu Erlong said emotionally in Yu Tianyun's embrace.

"I knew it, my Erlong can do it. Your martial soul should have evolved, it should be called Blazing Holy Dragon. But…"

At this point, Yu Tianyun paused, revealing a playful smile.

"But, Liu Erlong, shouldn't you go take a bath?"

Ah!

Liu Erlong only then became aware of the slick sensation on her body; at that moment she was drenched in black liquid, and the two of them were both without a stitch of clothing.

Her face instantly flushed a deep red with shame, and she was about to let go, but Yu Tianyun tightly held her in their arms.

"We'll wash together," Yu Tianyun said with a mischievous grin.

Saying so, they lifted Liu Erlong's delicate body and headed toward the small pond.

In no time, the performance of the two dragons playing in the water began.

Snap—

Snap— snap—

The sounds from the water's surface kept echoing, like rapid drumbeats rippling through the air.

Each splash sent forth crystal‑clear droplets, like dazzling pearls scattering in all directions.

Layer upon layer of ripples rose on the water, expanding outward in concentric circles, as if a mysterious pattern painted by nature.

The continuous slapping sounds seemed to tell an unknown story, and also appeared to proclaim a strong emotion to the surrounding world.

……

(End of chapter)