Lu Furong didn't notice the changes happening to his own body, nor was he able to notice them.
The two companions behind him were the same.
When exactly did they start being affected by that almost imperceptible influence?
Was it from the moment things ignited at the slightest spark, or from when they unconsciously followed Nero into the courtyard?
These questions were hard to answer, because even if you asked Nero, he probably couldn't give a precise answer.
Come to think of it, whether he even knew he had influenced these three planters of the Medicine King's secret lineage was still an unknown...
In short, as you can see, Lu Furong, and his two companions of the Medicine King's secret lineage had already entered a very subtle state.
Commonly known as, "I think I'm perfectly normal."
On Nero's side, he didn't have time to deal with these three for now. He needed to make sure Aha wouldn't suddenly get the urge to come up with some way to bring the Medicine King over.
Everyone knew that when Lan fights, he only looks at what he wants to hit, never caring how many enemies or allies are present.
After a brief but anxious wait, Aha finally replied again.
[Aha: I know you're in a hurry, but calm down first!]
[Aha: Bro, you know me. I just like having fun.]
[Aha: But there's so much fun out there, I'm not like Destruction, fixating on just one thing.]
[Aha: Besides, if everyone's gone, where would I even find fun?]
[Aha: Don't worry, I have a sense of proportion!]
Nero fell silent for a moment.
[Nero: Are you sure your sense of proportion is based on mortal standards?]
[Aha: ...]
[Aha: Thanks for the reminder. I really did forget.]
[Nero: Aha, you did that on purpose, didn't you?]
[Aha: How could that be? Don't wrong me.]
[Aha: A bit of a pity. Although the Medicine King is very generous, he can't come over here.]
[Aha: But it's fine, we're bros. I definitely won't disappoint you.]
[Aha: Even though the Medicine King can't come, a few Amber Eras ago I picked up quite a few seeds while trailing behind him to brew wine. I'll give you one! Of course, if you grind these seeds finely, they're also great for making cookies. Too bad Aha isn't good at cooking. If you can make them, send some to the tavern, yeah?]
[Aha: Here comes the big one, baby, look up at the sky~]
Since what Aha was about to do next might be directly related to his friends' lives, Nero read every word sent by the Joyous Lord very carefully.
Then he let out a breath.
From the looks of it, the Medicine King wouldn't be coming.
If the Medicine King didn't come, he wouldn't attract Lan.
If Lan wasn't attracted, there wouldn't be a rocket blasting the Luofu up to the thirty-third heaven.
But then again...
Following behind the Medicine King and picking up seeds... that really did sound like something he would do.
Though that was definitely a beautified way of putting it. How he actually got those things from the Medicine King was hard to say...
Rather than picking them up, Nero believed Aha had probably swiped them while the Medicine King was blessing some place or person.
"Sigh... how big can one seed be? If I'm making cookies, wouldn't it be better to just eat it myself? And I still have to send you some?", Nero sighed, muttering under his breath as he raised his head.
Even though he probably shouldn't trust Aha, he was still willing to give him a chance.
The moment he looked up, Nero saw a dark shadow falling straight down. He instinctively reached out to catch it, and immediately felt a heavy weight in his hands.
Not bad, this thing really wasn't small. Holding it felt like a giant triangular candy. Its overall shape was round and smooth like jade, and it smelled like macadamia nuts. It should taste pretty good.
Looking at the seed in his hands, Nero blinked twice.
"Aha, it's this big?"
Nero switched to holding it with both hands, like he was holding a small ball.
Who knew how Aha managed to deliver this thing so quickly.
And just as Nero received the seed, the trio from the Medicine King's secret lineage across from him seemed to gradually come back to their senses.
All three of them, six eyes in total, stared intently at Nero, or rather, at the massive seed in his hands.
As followers of Abundance, they were more sensitive than ordinary people in certain aspects. From it, they could feel a wild, unrestrained life force.
'What exactly is that thing?'
Lu Furong felt puzzled. Just now, it was as if he had seen boundless divine light flicker, delivering that vibrant seed into the hands of that person.
At this very moment, that green-headed fish-man was holding a living existence in his hands.
A phenomenon appearing out of nowhere like that was clearly something worth thinking about.
Although this person's face was ugly, his body looked good, you could even say perfect, at least judging from the hand and that section of lotus-like arm they could see, Lu Furong felt his judgment was sound.
Adding to that the aura he displayed and what seemed to be considerable strength, could it be that this guy...
As they looked at Nero, the bodies of the three planters from the Medicine King's secret lineage suddenly trembled, their eyes filling with longing.
A certain possibility, perhaps not entirely correct, began to take shape in their minds. They had never imagined that one day they could be this close to the Medicine King.
This person might look a bit strange, but he really did have immortal fate.
To think he hadn't even officially joined the Medicine King's secret lineage yet, and had only just taken his first step on this path, yet he had already gone further than all of them.
No wonder they had unconsciously followed his rhythm earlier. It must be because his level was higher, and they were drawn in by some kind of presence he carried.
'That's right, that seed must be a divine object bestowed by the Medicine King!'
'That's why it drove us into such a frenzy!'
While the three from the Medicine King's secret lineage were letting their imaginations run wild, Nero actually developed the urge to take a bite and see what it tasted like.
As for the power of Abundance that might be contained within, he didn't really care.
First, he trusted Aha. Second, he trusted the system.
After everything that had happened, it wasn't like he didn't know what those fragments the system had asked him to collect actually were.
Since the system could handle fragments of Pure Beauty, then the power on the Abundance side should be about the same.
At that moment, Aha's final message also came through.
This legendary Nameless first sent over a Pom-Pom sticker, then said, "It's a bit big. But after all, I always pick ones that are edible and tasty. Good stuff should be shared, no need to thank me!"
Nero didn't reply. He simply put away his phone.
Then he raised his hand and lightly knocked on it, cracking open the shell of the massive seed in his hands.
Grabbing the split part, he pulled it open, lifting the "lid" and revealing what was inside, a brown sphere, carrying a caramel-like aroma, something that made people feel happy, that was Nero's judgment of it.
At the same time Nero opened the seed, the three from the Medicine King's secret lineage who saw this suddenly shivered, then raised their hands to cover their heads.
For some reason, when they watched Nero open the seed, they had the strange feeling that it wasn't a seed at all, but their own heads, and the kernel inside was actually their brains.
'This guy is terrifying!'