While flying toward the high sky, Xu Zihuang caught a glimpse from the corner of his eye of a completely crystalline white immortal herb.
This immortal herb appeared pure and spotless, resembling a green lotus and white lotus root. Because it grew around that Acacia Heartbreak Red immortal herb king, its radiance was masked by the aura of the Acacia Heartbreak Red immortal herb king, causing him to miss it at first glance.
This was an extremely high-quality immortal herb whose age and efficacy were in no way inferior to the Strange Velvet Skyreach Chrysanthemum and the Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid. It was called the Narcissus Jade Bone. It could moisten the meridians, strengthen the bones, and open the eight extraordinary meridians.
It was perfectly suitable for Ning Tian, who was currently pregnant.
Xu Zihuang gently reminded Wang Qiu'er in a warm voice, "Wait a moment, I want to take one more immortal herb."
"Mm." Wang Qiu'er, filled with both joy and shyness, rested her head on Xu Zihuang's shoulder. Despite her outwardly cold personality and inwardly warm nature, she still habitually maintained an indifferent expression and faintly responded with one word.
The plant-type soul beasts in the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well had just begun to breathe sighs of relief when they saw Xu Zihuang return, and they all immediately lowered their heads again, not daring to make a sound. The scene looked particularly comical.
Wang Qiu'er had already prepared to get down from Xu Zihuang first, but he stopped her with his actions.
"No need to get down."
As he spoke, Xu Zihuang's gaze suddenly sharpened. His tangible purple-golden spiritual power spread out, directly causing the Narcissus Jade Bone to levitate into the air.
At this moment, he thought of his maternal grandfather once more. The Heavenly Dragon Sect had truly treated him with utmost benevolence and righteousness. Although their positions might diverge in the future, he must remember this kindness.
His gaze swept across the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well and quickly locked onto a pale purple immortal herb. At its top was a canopy-like structure; it was clearly a lingzhi. The entire lingzhi was deep purple, with a jade-green stem below and nine leaves.
Nine-Grade Purple Ganoderma. And this Nine-Grade Purple Ganoderma had reached an age of ninety thousand years; it was the Ganoderma King.
Nine is the utmost number. For a Nine-Grade Purple Ganoderma, reaching ninety thousand years was equivalent to a soul beast breaking through to the hundred-thousand-year level, undergoing a true transformation. An ordinary Nine-Grade Purple Ganoderma could not yet be considered an immortal-grade herb, but a Ninety-Thousand-Year Nine-Grade Purple Ganoderma King was genuinely a top-tier immortal herb. Its efficacy even surpassed that of the Strange Velvet Skyreach Chrysanthemum, the Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid, and the Narcissus Jade Bone. It was in no way inferior to that Ninety-Thousand-Year Earth Dragon Golden Melon.
Xu Zihuang also separated this Ninety-Thousand-Year Nine-Grade Purple Ganoderma King from the soil using his spiritual power, then sealed both it and the Narcissus Jade Bone in jade boxes and stored them in his Starlight Sapphire Storage Ring.
Only then did Xu Zihuang truly leave the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, still carrying Wang Qiu'er in his arms.
Most of the plant-type soul beasts in the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well finally breathed long sighs of relief, grateful that they had escaped this calamity. Of course, the true victims, the Ninety-Thousand-Year Nine-Grade Purple Ganoderma King and the Narcissus Jade Bone, were not feeling so fortunate. Having their main bodies taken meant that years of bitter cultivation had been reduced to nothing.
The only consolation was that Xu Zihuang had not uprooted them entirely. This gave them the chance to regrow. With the miraculous properties of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well and their previous cultivation experience, the time required for them to recover their former cultivation would be greatly reduced.
Unlike the somewhat green-tea-like Youxiang Qiluo Immortal Product, the Youxiang Qiluo Tulip and the Eight-Angled Mysterious Ice Grass, two plant-type soul beasts with extremely perceptive minds, were each harboring their own thoughts.
With a mutual understanding, they deliberately avoided the perception of the Youxiang Qiluo Immortal Product and briefly communicated through spiritual intent.
…
At the same time, Xu Zihuang had already carried Wang Qiu'er through the poisonous miasma above Sunset Forest and arrived at the outer region of Sunset Forest. The relatively weaker soul beasts living here sensed the terrifying aura emanating from Xu Zihuang and all fled in panic, desperate to get away.
Along the way, Wang Qiu'er had remained relatively silent. It wasn't because she and Xu Zihuang were unfamiliar with each other; on the contrary, they were too familiar. The pull of the Destiny's Eye allowed their hearts and minds to connect, creating a tacit understanding that felt as natural as if it had always existed.
Under this tacit understanding, Wang Qiu'er suddenly raised her head to gaze at Xu Zihuang, while Xu Zihuang simultaneously lowered his head, and their eyes met.
The surrounding scenery rushed backward at high speed, but at that moment, in their eyes, there was only each other.
Xu Zihuang smiled deeply, with a firm determination hidden in the depths of his eyes.
No matter how Tang San planned to scheme against them, he would accept the challenge. In the not-too-distant future, he would settle all these accounts together.
A trace of confusion appeared in Wang Qiu'er's eyes. In that instant, she found herself completely unable to see through Xu Zihuang's thoughts. Yet she could clearly sense his intention to protect and consider her.
"What were you thinking just now?"
"Nothing." Xu Zihuang smiled gently, then looked forward.
With his current flying speed, it wouldn't take long to leave Sunset Forest.
At that moment, Wang Qiu'er suddenly wrapped her arms around Xu Zihuang's neck in a somewhat domineering manner and pressed her red lips against his.
Her clumsy movements were filled with an intense passion that seemed capable of melting anyone. The warm, moist touch was blended with a rich, clear fragrance and sweetness.
Wang Qiu'er was indeed far too innocent when it came to matters between men and women; she had no idea how to express herself properly. She was completely fumbling and learning based on the fragments of memories she had of how Xu Zihuang interacted with Ye Guyi and Ning Tian.
Yet she actually found some enjoyment in it. This unprecedented experience and throbbing sensation were so intoxicating.
As time passed, Wang Qiu'er's body began to react, squirming restlessly. Her cheeks flushed completely red as she exhaled like an orchid and tried to steady her breathing. Still, she stubbornly maintained eye contact with Xu Zihuang, her pink-blue eyes rippling with water, desperately concealing her shyness.
The majestic Three-Eyed Golden Lion Emperor now looked entirely like a bashful young girl.
"About the Dragon Valley matter, are you not planning to tell Di Tian?" Xu Zihuang asked with a light smile, changing the subject.
Wang Qiu'er's expression seemed to regain its calm. Beneath her serene face, heavy emotions lay concealed, and her indifferent tone made it sound as though she were merely stating an already fact.
"If Di Tian and the others learn of the Dragon Valley's existence, the human world will cease to exist from that moment on."
"Because of the one slumbering deep beneath the core region of the Star Dou Great Forest, right?" Xu Zihuang's smile remained unchanged as he calmly countered with a question.
Wang Qiu'er's pupils suddenly contracted. Then she nodded.
Xu Zihuang had seen her memories and naturally knew of that existence's presence. It was only logical for him to make such an association and guess.
Moreover, she had never intended to hide these matters from Xu Zihuang anyway.
During their conversation, Xu Zihuang had already landed with Wang Qiu'er in a mountain valley outside Sunset Forest.
"Go wait for me near Shrek City. For the next period of time, I should mostly be there. With the Sun Moon Empire now launching a war, only that place is the safest. If anything unexpected happens, you can also return to the Star Dou Great Forest, which isn't far from Shrek City."
"Mm." Wang Qiu'er lowered her head and responded absentmindedly. Then, as if she had made up her mind, she suddenly grabbed Xu Zihuang's wrist, pressed his hand to the center of her chest, and with a completely flushed face emphasized, "Not inferior to theirs!"
After saying this, Wang Qiu'er tiptoed and transformed into a streak of golden afterimage, vanishing from Xu Zihuang's sight. Her long, wavy pink-blue hair rose and fell with her movement, creating an unusual sense of beauty.
Xu Zihuang stood there stunned, his right hand still frozen in its extended, bent position. He couldn't help but laugh wryly.
He recalled the sentence he had once privately said to Ye Guyi, Juzi, and Ning Tian: Sometimes, size is not the only standard for measuring quality.
Back when Xu Zihuang and Wang Qiu'er had sparred in Shrek Academy's Soul Dueling Area, Ning Tian had even compared herself with Wang Qiu'er.
When Xu Zihuang said that, it was natural to keep Ning Tian and the others from dwelling on it; it was mostly just playful teasing. He never expected Wang Qiu'er to take it to heart and today thoroughly prove herself.
Sometimes one had to admit that there truly existed individuals who combined every possible advantage.
Xu Zihuang shook his head with a wry smile. When Wang Qiu'er showed her truest self in front of him, she completely gave off the feeling of an innocent young girl.
A pair of black dragon wings spread open behind him, and his figure also disappeared into the distant horizon.
Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, first-floor conference hall in the central castle.
Ning Xingxu sat in the main seat, with Gu Lao to his right. Both gazed warmly at Ye Guyi as she supported Ning Tian into the room.
Though it was called "supporting," the two girls were simply holding hands, looking extremely intimate.
Ning Tian was only a little over three months pregnant at most, far from the stage where it would affect her daily activities. Moreover, although she was an auxiliary-system soul master, she was still at the Soul Emperor level. Even in the later seventh or eighth months, it wouldn't cause too much impact.
"Sister Guyi, are you sure Tianhuang will come over later?" Ning Tian looked at Ye Guyi, her eyes filled with eager anticipation.
"Don't worry, he'll be here soon. We left Shrek Academy together."
Ye Guyi gently combed Ning Tian's hair and teased, "What's this? It's only been half a month, and you're already longing for him so much you could gaze until autumn turns to winter?"
"Sister Guyi," Ning Tian pouted coquettishly.
At that moment, Gu Lao's gaze suddenly sharpened as if sensing something. In response, golden pupil light flickered, and Xu Zihuang stepped out from the void.
"Tianhuang?!" Ning Tian immediately stood up in delighted surprise.
But Xu Zihuang was already one step ahead, pulling her into his embrace with a gentle smile.
"I'm back."
He had previously used the Sky Dream Iceworm's shed skin to cleanse Wang Qiu'er's scent from himself, so there was no worry that Ning Tian or Ye Guyi would notice anything unusual.
He had no intention of hiding the matter of Wang Qiu'er from them, but revealing it to the two of them required finding the right moment.
Ning Tian's face bloomed like a flower. She habitually lifted her smooth, fair chin slightly, but then realized others were present and shyly buried her head in Xu Zihuang's chest.
Xu Zihuang and Ye Guyi exchanged a glance.
"Take Ning Tian to rest first. I have some matters to discuss with Uncle Ning and Gu Lao."
"Alright." Ye Guyi, understanding the situation, naturally would not refuse Xu Zihuang's request.
"Then I'll go back to the room with Sister Guyi first."
Ning Tian looked up at Xu Zihuang in surprise, but being intelligent and perceptive, she did not ask too many questions. Since Xu Zihuang had things he didn't want to say in front of her, he must have his reasons.
Ye Guyi and Ning Tian walked hand in hand toward the soul guide elevator inside the conference hall. The Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had always placed great importance on soul guidance technology; there were quite a few soul guide elevators throughout the central castle, but only the one in the conference hall could go directly to the top floor.
Through the transparent semicircular crystal surface, Xu Zihuang gave the two girls a slight nod.
After the two left, Ning Xingxu smiled and gestured to Xu Zihuang, "Tianhuang, sit first."
"Yes, Uncle Ning." Xu Zihuang sat opposite Gu Lao, Ning Xingxu's left-hand seat, as instructed.
Gu Lao observed Xu Zihuang's expression and couldn't help asking with concern, "I heard from Tian'er that you two went to the Star Luo Empire front lines. What exactly happened? You weren't injured, were you?"
Xu Zihuang took a deep breath and said seriously, "Uncle Ning, Gu Lao, the matter is somewhat complicated. I'll give a brief overview first. Behind the Sun Moon Empire stands the Holy Spirit Cult, and the true mastermind is actually the Death God Douluo Ye Xishui. The Dragon Emperor Douluo Long Xiaoyao has also been guarding her side. When we went to the Star Luo Empire front lines this time, we encountered them in the Mingdou Mountain Range."
"Long Xiaoyao and Ye Xishui, indeed!" Gu Lao's eyes widened, his expression grave. In terms of age, he was more than a decade older than Mu Lao, Long Xiaoyao, and Ye Xishui. When those three first rose to prominence on the continent, he was already a renowned powerhouse for many years.
He knew far more about the entanglements among the three than Xuan Lao did. As someone with a darkness-attribute dragon martial soul, he had even had some interactions with Long Xiaoyao in his youth.
"With Long Xiaoyao's character, for him to be willing to guard Ye Xishui for more than a hundred years, he must have his own difficulties," Gu Lao said meaningfully.
"It was probably him who let you go, right?"
"No, it was after I severely injured Ye Xishui that I used the innate ability of my Golden-Eyed Martial Soul's true body to forcibly escape." As Xu Zihuang spoke gravely, he directly projected the scene from that time into the conference hall using his spiritual power.
The spiritual power projection could only show images, so he simply did not edit out the parts where he angrily rebuked Ye Xishui and Long Xiaoyao, thereby revealing Yan Shaozhe's identity.
As the scenes flashed with brilliant golden light, the further it went, the more shocked Ning Xingxu and Gu Lao became. When Xu Zihuang used the secondary awakening ability of his Golden-Eyed Golden-Level Body Martial Soul to severely wound Ye Xishui, the two of them abruptly stood up, their gazes instantly fixed on Xu Zihuang.
Although Ye Xishui and Long Xiaoyao had been caught off guard, to severely injure a Limit Douluo while only at the Soul Saint realm, this terrifying talent truly gave them an enormous shock.
Xu Zihuang said solemnly, "Uncle Ning, Gu Lao, that's the situation. This time, I've thoroughly offended Long Xiaoyao and Ye Xishui. I'm worried that their retaliation might implicate Ning Tian and the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. Therefore, I hope to take Ning Tian to live at the academy for a while."
"With Long Xiaoyao's character, he probably wouldn't stoop so low as to disregard his reputation, but that madwoman Ye Xishui is unpredictable." Gu Lao frowned tightly.
"For Tian'er's safety, this is indeed better. Xingxu, what do you think?"
Ning Xingxu walked over to Xu Zihuang, then reached out and patted his shoulder with a calm smile.
"Tianhuang, you must understand, not everyone can retaliate against our Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. You don't need to worry too much. However, it is indeed more appropriate for Tian'er to live at Shrek Academy for a period. Later, you can take her there."
"I'll go with you two." Gu Lao immediately added.
Before Gu Lao's words even finished, a sharp phoenix cry suddenly rang out. A bird-type soul beast resembling a golden phoenix burst in from outside the conference hall and landed on Ning Xingxu's shoulder.
Although the bird was small, it truly possessed a trace of phoenix bloodline. Its brilliant golden tail feathers gave off a dazzling radiance. This soul beast was called the Golden Phoenix Bird. The Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had spent massive resources to specially breed a small clan of them, which the core members of the sect normally used to deliver extremely important messages.
Ning Xingxu removed a curled slip of paper from the Golden Phoenix Bird's slender, powerful leg. After reading its contents, his expression changed slightly. He quickly handed it to Xu Zihuang.
"Tianhuang, I'm not sure whether the Star Luo Empire failed to act or the news simply didn't reach them, but not long ago, the Sun Moon Empire's army surrounded Dragon City. It seems the Holy Spirit Cult has also mobilized quite a few powerhouses, including their cult leader. The current situation is very tense. The Heavenly Soul Empire side has already dispatched reinforcements, personally led by the Body Sect's sect master Du Busi, along with the Body Sect's powerhouses, heading to provide support."
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Here are the chapters for today (づ￣3￣)づ╭～
"Don't forget there are chapters available on Patreon."
"From Douluo to Godhood by Defy 30 Advance chapters."
"Douluo: Far North Invincibledo 30 Advance chapters."
"Douluo Peerless: Living as an Evil Soul Master 40 Advance chapters."
"Douluo Dalu 2:Peerless Tang Sect Dawn of Sun and Moon 40 Advance chapters."
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