Qiangu Yunying wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth. A smile bloomed on her pretty face, her gaze slightly dazed as she looked at the enchanting flower in her hand.
"Yearning Heartbroken Red…"
Yin Zhang watched her with anticipation, yet Qiangu Yunying was clearly reluctant to consume it. She hugged the Yearning Heartbroken Red tightly to her chest and said tentatively, her tone filled with pleading,
"Xiao Zhang, can I keep this Immortal Herb and not consume it?"
There was even a faint hint of charm in her voice, though it wasn't obvious.
This made Yin Zhang feel both amused and helpless.
He stepped forward, gently pulling Qiangu Yunying into his arms, and whispered softly,
"Sister Yunying, does our relationship disappear without this Yearning Heartbroken Red? It's only an external symbol. Wouldn't it be better for you to consume it and advance to Spirit Emperor?"
"Hm…"
Qiangu Yunying pouted, clearly reluctant, but under Yin Zhang's gentle persuasion, she finally made up her mind.
Although there was no example in the original records of someone increasing their cultivation by consuming the Yearning Heartbroken Red, based on its description, it was the king of Immortal Herbs. The increase in spirit power it granted should be the greatest among them all.
Qiangu Yunying was currently at level 56—after consuming it, she would certainly reach level 60.
Originally, before meeting Yin Zhang, Qian Jun had promised her a Spirit Bone if she took first place in the grade competition one month later. However, because of Yin Zhang's sudden appearance, she failed, and that Spirit Bone remained with Qian Jun.
She had been upset about it for a short while back then, but hadn't taken it too much to heart.
"…Alright then. I'll absorb it."
Qiangu Yunying sat down cross-legged and followed the method Yin Zhang explained, beginning to absorb the medicinal power.
Only after she started did Yin Zhang finally relax and smile.
He then collected the remaining Immortal Herbs and top-grade medicinal plants.
Snow Silkworm, Cinnabar Lotus, Peerless Silk Fairy, Marvelous Velvet Sky-Reaching Chrysanthemum, Eight-Petal Fairy Orchid, Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower, Qiluo Tulip, Narcissus Jade Muscle Bone, Ninth-Grade Purple Ganoderma, Water of Longing and Seeing Through Water, Dragon Ganoderma Leaf, Snowy Swan's Kiss.
All the top-grade herbs and Immortal Herbs that had appeared in the original work were present, except the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and the Infernal Fire Apricot, which had not yet been harvested.
What truly delighted Yin Zhang was that although the number of Immortal Herbs hadn't changed, there were actually six Ninth-Grade Purple Ganodermas—far more than in the original records, where it had served as the key opportunity for Yu Xiaogang to break through to level thirty and stabilize his foundation.
In addition, there was another top-grade herb that had never appeared before.
Its name was Mandara.
It came in two varieties: one that grew by the red spring, crimson in color, and another that grew by the blue spring, ice-blue in hue. There were four of each.
If one of each type was consumed together, they could stabilize the foundation and greatly improve resistance to both ice and fire. Consuming only one alone was courting death.
Each person could only consume such a pair once. A second time would have no effect, and further attempts would instead give rise to ice poison and fire poison within the body, severely damaging it.
Though it couldn't compare to the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass or the Infernal Fire Apricot, it was still an excellent herb. This discovery made Yin Zhang—who had previously worried that the herbs would be difficult to distribute—overjoyed.
The Snow Silkworm and Cinnabar Lotus, which had no recorded scenes in the original work, could be consumed after Mandara to assist with absorption. They were decent auxiliary herbs.
As for Dragon Ganoderma Leaves, there were the most of them—over twenty in total.
They did not improve aptitude or spirit power, but consuming them could rapidly heal bodily injuries and restore expended spirit power. Chewing one at a critical moment could make all the difference.
Yin Zhang took out the jade boxes he had prepared in advance from his golden bead chain, stored each Immortal Herb separately, and prepared to distribute them to the appropriate people later.
When Qiangu Yunying finally awoke, it was already deep into the night.
Yin Zhang asked Dugu Bo for some firewood, cleared a small area, and lit a bonfire.
"What's that smell? It smells so good!"
As soon as Qiangu Yunying stood up, a rich fragrance belonging to the Yearning Heartbroken Red spread faintly from her body.
After stretching her delicate figure, she looked at Yin Zhang, who was roasting meat by the bonfire. Fat sizzled as it dripped, seasonings were sprinkled on top, and an irresistible aroma filled the air.
"Xiao Zhang, what is that?"
The gluttonous Qiangu Yunying couldn't resist. She walked over eagerly and asked.
"Roasted Soft Bones Rabbit meat. Want some? These skewers are just right—you must be hungry," Yin Zhang said with a smile.
He handed her a skewer carved from a thick oak branch. It felt heavy in her hand.
She sniffed it lightly, then began to eat with great enthusiasm, oil smearing the corners of her mouth as she looked utterly satisfied.
Yin Zhang smiled, glancing at the skewers beside him—he had already finished eating earlier.
At the same time, he had given Dugu Bo two Ninth-Grade Purple Ganodermas and one pair of Mandara herbs.
After Dugu Bo absorbed one Ninth-Grade Purple Ganoderma himself, he faintly sensed signs of an impending breakthrough.
The other Ninth-Grade Purple Ganoderma was given to Dugu Xin, while the pair of Mandara herbs were intended for Dugu Yan.
Yin Zhang himself had also absorbed one pair of Mandara.
He clearly felt his resistance to both ice and fire increase significantly, and his spirit power rose by one level, bringing him to the very brink of level 40—just a step away from becoming a Spirit Ancestor.
Strictly speaking, it was two steps, since he would still need to absorb a spirit ring.
Because his spirit was fire-attributed, the increase in fire resistance wasn't especially obvious, but the enhancement to his ice resistance was unmistakable.
However, when he tried to absorb a Ninth-Grade Purple Ganoderma afterward, he instinctively felt resistance from his body, which left him somewhat helpless. This was also why he hadn't simply given each member of the Dugu family a Ninth-Grade Purple Ganoderma along with a pair of Mandara herbs.
As for Snowy Swan's Kiss, Yin Zhang had intended to give it to Dugu Bo, but Dugu Bo refused.
After hearing the reasoning, Yin Zhang realized it really wasn't appropriate and put the herb away again, deciding to see if it might be useful later.
Once she had eaten her fill, Qiangu Yunying finally remembered to share her good news.
She happily threw herself into Yin Zhang's arms, kissed him, and said excitedly,
"Xiao Zhang, my spirit power increased so much! It jumped four whole levels and reached level 60! Once I absorb a spirit ring, I'll be a Spirit Emperor!"
"And you know what? My father is only a Spirit Saint!"
Yin Zhang smiled helplessly.
"You didn't even wipe the oil off your mouth and hands—you're smearing it all over me."
Qiangu Yunying giggled, grabbed Yin Zhang's face, and kissed him again.
"Sister Yunying!" Yin Zhang let out an indignant protest.
"Hehehe—Xiao Zhang Zhang…"
Qiangu Yunying only grew more unrestrained.