Bonus Chapter. Enjoy!
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Thanks to the initiative of the Damask Tulip, Huo Yuhao was the quickest to have an Immortal Herb choose him.
However, it wasn't long before Tang Wulin, Xie Xie, and Xu Xiaoyan also each selected an Immortal Herb that resonated with them.
Immortal Herbs possess Spirit and cannot be forced.
Therefore, the three of them, like peacocks displaying their feathers, unreservedly revealed their Spirits, Spirit Power, and innate talents.
Among the three, Tang Wulin's talent was undoubtedly the most dazzling.
In the end, he actually gained the recognition of a hundred-thousand-year CSingular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum.
Although it wasn't one of the other five Vicious Beasts capable of taking human form, it was already one of the most precious Immortal Herbs surrounding the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
Xie Xie and Xu Xiaoyan fared slightly worse, but they certainly didn't leave empty-handed.
Xie Xie obtained a sixty-thousand-year Dragon Shadow Orchid, while Xu Xiaoyan received a fifty-thousand-year Starlight Herb, both highly compatible with their own Spirits.
Whether used to enhance their Foundation or transformed into Spirit Souls, it was enough to elevate their strength to a whole new level in a short time.
Yet, just as everyone was rejoicing in their own gains, the ground beneath their feet suddenly shook violently.
The ice-blue and crimson lake waters churned and surged, splashing noisily onto the shore. The exotic flowers and rare grasses by the lakeside all lowered their leaves, and even those Vicious Beasts simultaneously changed their expressions.
Holy Spirit Douluo Ya Li quickly moved to the edge of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, lowering her head to gaze intently at the violently trembling dual-colored lake surface.
It was clear she had already sensed that this tremor originated from the very depths of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
The others also gathered around, tension written on every face.
Gu Yue and Na'er had plunged into the lake and vanished without a trace, and now such intense tremors suddenly came from the lake bottom. No one could feel at ease.
Zang Xin stood in place, his gaze steady as it swept over the lake surface. His voice remained unhurried, carrying a composure that calmed the heart.
"With the two Dragon Souls of the Ice and Fire Dragon Kings there, those two girls shouldn't have any problems."
Upon hearing this, everyone nodded, yet not a single person moved away from the lakeside. Reason was reason, but worry was worry. Until they saw the girls, everyone's hearts remained suspended.
Time passed minute by minute. The shaking of the lake surface gradually subsided, the churning waves quieted once more, and the ice-blue and crimson colors restored that distinct dividing line.
Fortunately, they didn't have to wait too long.
With a splash, two familiar figures broke through the water's surface and landed steadily on the shore.
Everyone hurriedly crowded around. After a flurry of questions confirmed the two were truly unharmed, their suspended hearts finally settled back into place.
When the chatter died down a bit, Zang Xin leisurely spoke up. "Everyone else has chosen their Immortal Herbs. Now it's just you two left."
As his words fell, everyone's gaze naturally settled on Gu Yue and Na'er.
Na'er and Gu Yue exchanged a glance, then almost simultaneously shook their heads.
Finally, Na'er spoke, "Lord Duoqing, we've already gained considerable benefits down there. This time, we won't choose any Immortal Herbs."
Hearing this, Zang Xin's eyebrows raised slightly.
The Immortal Herbs of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well were an Opportunity of immense magnitude. Across the entire continent, one could not find a second treasure land that could compare. Others sought a single ten-thousand-year Immortal Herb in vain, yet they voluntarily gave up the chance. This truly surprised him somewhat.
At the same time, he thought to himself that the Opportunity the two gained at the lake bottom must be no small matter.
In Zang Xin's eyes, apart from Huo Yuhao, Gu Yue and Na'er likely possessed the best talent among these youths, so they were also highly likely to obtain hundred-thousand-year Immortal Herbs.
If the two each took away another hundred-thousand-year Immortal Herb, just this one trip to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well would cost four hundred-thousand-year Immortal Herbs. Even the Tang Sect would feel the sting of such a price.
So now that the two had voluntarily withdrawn, Zang Xin also breathed a sigh of relief.
Zang Xin suppressed these emotions deep in his heart, his face still wearing that composed, smiling expression.
Looking at everyone, he said gently, "In that case, let's begin our return journey."
...
This trip to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well could be said to have yielded bountiful harvests for everyone. So when leaving, everyone's faces were beaming with joy.
However, as it was already late, the group stayed overnight in Heaven Dou City that day, only setting out on the return journey to Shrek Academy the next day.
By the time the group arrived at Shrek City via the soul guidance train, dusk was approaching.
The platform was bustling with people. Na'er, Tang Wulin, and the others, following Ya Li, didn't linger and headed straight back to Shrek Academy.
However, Huo Yuhao and Gu Yue did not return to the Spirit Pagoda. The previous evening, Huo Yuhao had already communicated with Leng Yaozhu via soul tool transmission.
His Spirit Power had long been pushed to the critical point of the seventieth rank. The trip to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well had also gained him the recognition of the Damask Tulip. All the prerequisites for breaking through to Spirit Saint were now in place.
Therefore, his first task upon returning this time was to charge towards becoming a Spirit Saint.
Huo Yuhao led Gu Yue through the bustling main streets of Shrek City, heading all the way towards the city's outskirts, finally stopping before the gate of a secluded small courtyard.
The courtyard wasn't large, and its location was remote, with no dense residential areas nearby; the nearest neighbor was over a hundred meters away.
Last time he condensed his first Spirit core, he had chosen this very place.
The two had just stood still at the courtyard gate, not yet having time to raise a hand to knock, when the wooden door was pulled open from the inside.
Leng Yaozhu's figure appeared behind the door, clad in a plain-colored long dress, the hair at her temples neatly tucked behind her ears—clearly, she had been waiting for some time.
Her gaze first swept quickly over the two of them, then she slightly stepped aside to let them into the courtyard.
The courtyard gate gently closed behind them. Leng Yaozhu turned to look at Huo Yuhao. In her usually sharp and decisive eyes, a rare trace of gravity now appeared.
She looked seriously into Huo Yuhao's eyes and asked, word by word, "Are you ready?"
Leng Yaozhu knew that this time, Huo Yuhao wasn't just aiming to break through to Spirit Saint; he also intended to condense his second Spirit core!
Breaking through to Spirit Saint didn't worry Leng Yaozhu. With Huo Yuhao's Foundation and reserves, crossing that threshold was as natural as water flowing downhill.
But the risk of condensing a second Spirit core at the Spirit Saint stage was far too great, especially since Huo Yuhao had chosen the universally acknowledged most difficult and dangerous method: the Yin-Yang Complementary method.
So, even with Leng Yaozhu's utmost confidence in Huo Yuhao's talent and Heart-Nature, an inescapable trace of unease inevitably surfaced in her heart at this moment.
Huo Yuhao saw the unspoken worry in the depths of Leng Yaozhu's eyes. He didn't rush to offer comforting words, merely smiling slightly.
"Don't worry, Aunt Leng. I wouldn't joke with my own life. You know my reserves."
Hearing this, the expression on Leng Yaozhu's face indeed relaxed a few degrees. She truly understood Huo Yuhao's hidden cards better than anyone. Even if something went wrong during the condensation of the second Spirit core, it likely wouldn't be life-threatening.
She took a deep breath, thoroughly suppressing that faint worry deep in her heart. "Then let's begin. I'll be your Protector."
Huo Yuhao nodded, saying nothing more. He turned around and walked with steady steps towards the quiet room ahead.
"Yuhao." At that moment, Gu Yue's voice suddenly came from behind.
Huo Yuhao stopped and glanced back at her.
The last rays of the setting sun slanted down from above the courtyard wall, illuminating half his face in a warm golden light.
He smiled. "Don't worry."
Gu Yue stood in place, her purple eyes fixed unblinkingly on him.
She was silent for a moment. Finally, she said, "I believe in you. I have a gift for you after you break through."
Huo Yuhao was momentarily stunned, then the curve of his lips lifted a few degrees higher.
He didn't ask what the gift was, simply responding crisply with one word: "Okay."
Then he pushed open the door and entered the quiet room. The door gently closed behind him, cutting off his figure within the deepening dusk inside.
Only Leng Yaozhu and Gu Yue remained in the courtyard. They stood side by side in the yard as the setting sun slid inch by inch down the wall, stretching their shadows longer and longer on the bluestone ground.
Leng Yaozhu turned her head to look at Gu Yue. Those eyes, usually sharp and piercing, had now quietly transformed into a rare gentleness.
Her tone carried an indescribable touch of emotion. "Youth is truly wonderful."
Gu Yue tilted her head slightly, glancing at her teacher, and said softly, "Teacher is still young too."
Having integrated into human society for so long, even the dignified Silver Dragon King had learned social graces.
Hearing this, Leng Yaozhu indeed laughed, the laughter tinged with a hint of self-mockery. "Old. Already over a hundred years old."
After saying this, her tone suddenly shifted. Her gaze returned to Gu Yue's face as she asked, "How are things between you and Yuhao?"
Gu Yue naturally knew what Leng Yaozhu was asking. She subconsciously lowered her head. A faint blush quickly spread across her fair cheeks, and her voice became even softer than before. "We're doing well."
Leng Yaozhu took in her subtle reaction, the curve of her lips softening further.
As if suddenly remembering something, she slightly turned her head. Her gaze passed over the courtyard wall, looking towards the direction of Shrek City's center.
That glance was extremely brief, yet in that instant, an extremely complex shadow of melancholy flashed in the depths of her eyes, as if recalling someone, some long-sealed past event.
But that shadow of melancholy came and went quickly, vanishing in an instant as she reined it in completely, as if it had never appeared.
She turned back, looking once more at the graceful black-haired young woman before her, speaking earnestly, "Cherish the person before you. Now is the happiest time for you."
Gu Yue was slightly taken aback. She didn't understand why her teacher suddenly said such a thing.
But looking into Leng Yaozhu's eyes, which had returned to calm, she ultimately didn't ask further, only nodding as if she understood, yet not quite.
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A/N:
5 Power Stones = 1 Extra Chapter
2 Reviews = 1 Extra Chapter
I hope all of you are enjoying this story so far. I would appreciate some Power Stones if you can spare any. Leave a review if you like the story. Thank you.