"How are you doing, kid?"
A voice suddenly came from behind Chu Chengzhou.
"I'm fine, I made it through! But I have to say, senior, the medicinal power of those two herbs of yours is no joke—I nearly didn't survive."
Chu Chengzhou replied quickly as he got up and put on his clothes.
Back when he began refining the medicinal power of the two immortal herbs, he had already sensed Dugu Bo's arrival.
"You knew you almost didn't make it, huh?"
Dugu Bo snapped irritably.
He had been on edge the whole time. Chu Chengzhou was essentially his lifesaver, and he had eaten two of the most poisonous herbs in his entire herb garden. If he had died, how would Dugu Bo have faced the world?
"Senior, I know those two herbs. I wouldn't have taken them unless I was absolutely sure."
Chu Chengzhou replied sheepishly.
"Oh? You recognize them?"
Dugu Bo was surprised. Even he didn't know what those herbs were, and yet Chu Chengzhou did?
"Yeah. The cold poison one is called Eight-Petal Ice Crystal Grass, and the fire poison one is Fiery Apricot Blossom. Alone, they're extremely toxic. But if taken together, they neutralize each other, eliminating the toxicity and boosting resistance to ice and fire elements."
Chu Chengzhou explained briefly.
Of course, he didn't dare reveal the full effects of the immortal herbs to Dugu Bo. The benefits of such herbs were far too great. If Dugu Bo knew their true value, there was no way he would have given them up.
"Resistance to ice and fire?"
Dugu Bo raised an eyebrow but didn't care much.
To him, resistance to elements sounded flashy and gimmicky. It wasn't as useful as just increasing one's soul power levels.
Since Chu Chengzhou hadn't suppressed his soul power during the process and there had been no obvious increase in his level after taking the herbs, Dugu Bo concluded that while they were special, their value was limited.
Besides, the resistance boost was limited to just ice and fire—pretty useless to a Titled Douluo like him. He considered them more like chicken ribs—tasteless, but wasteful to throw away.
"Alright, kid. It's getting late—go pick out your herbs!"
Dugu Bo waved his hand, signaling Chu Chengzhou to begin his selection.
Chu Chengzhou nodded and took out a jade shovel from his storage device, starting to dig up the herbs—roots and all—that he planned to take with him.
Leave the roots behind?
He wasn't even sure if these immortal herbs could regrow from roots or seeds. And with his lack of herbology skills, there was no point in trying.
Aside from the two herbs he already consumed and the Wangchuan Qiushui Dew he hadn't found yet, twelve other immortal herbs remained near the Yin-Yang Ice-Fire Eye. Eight were mature, four weren't.
Chu Chengzhou didn't plan to take them all.
He wasn't a total loner, but the number of people he truly cared about was limited. And besides, he wanted to leave a few behind as a courtesy to Dugu Bo, the garden's owner.
In the end, he dug up seven immortal herbs and one high-grade but non-immortal herb:
Eight-Petal Orchid
Narcissus Jade Skin Bone
Phoenix Rooster Comb Flower
Qiluo Tulip
Lovesick Heartbreak Red
Earth Dragon Golden Melon (fruit only, no vine)
Primordial Immortal Herb
And the Nine-Grade Purple Ganoderma, which wasn't technically immortal-grade but far beyond ordinary.
He left behind:
Tongtian Chrysanthemum
Snow Swan Kiss
Qiluo Fragrant Immortal Herb
Obsidian Divine Bamboo
Xingluo Spirit Bead
Three of the herbs—Lovesick Heartbreak Red, Qiluo Tulip, and Narcissus Jade Skin Bone—were for his fiancée Xiao Wu, his sweetheart Ning Rongrong, and his target Zhu Zhuqing.
The remaining four—Phoenix Rooster Comb Flower, Eight-Petal Orchid, Earth Dragon Golden Melon, and Primordial Immortal Herb—were for his grandparents, as well as his friends Oscar and Ma Hongjun.
Though he wasn't super close with Oscar and Ma Hongjun, they were still good friends. And since they had received immortal herbs in the original story, Chu Chengzhou felt a bit bad about snatching their chances.
Of course, family came first. His grandfather Su Nan had a fire-element martial soul, the Red Flame Spear, and his grandmother Li Wan had the auxiliary-type Green Jade Orchid. So Phoenix Rooster Comb Flower and Eight-Petal Orchid naturally weren't going to Oscar and Ma Hongjun. They got the Earth Dragon Golden Melon and Primordial Immortal Herb instead.
According to the five elements theory—fire generates earth—Ma Hongjun, as a fire-element mutated phoenix-type spirit master, might gain from consuming a soil-element herb like the Earth Dragon Golden Melon. Maybe he'd even evolve into a Lava Phoenix!
As for the Nine-Grade Purple Ganoderma, Chu Chengzhou intended to gift it to his future father-in-law.
In the original story, Yu Xiaogang used this to break his martial soul's limitation and advance to a three-ring Soul Elder. If it could evolve martial souls, then perhaps it might even help Ning Fengzhi—currently a level 79 Soul Sage—advance his Seven-Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda to the Eight or even Nine-Treasure level.
It was a good investment. Chu Chengzhou would surely need his help in the future, and a gift like this would leave a good impression.
If it didn't work?
Well, it wasn't something Chu Chengzhou needed himself, and it wasn't even his to begin with. No big loss.
"You're really just taking these?"
Seeing Chu Chengzhou only collect eight herbs (ten, counting the two he had already taken), Dugu Bo was surprised.
Obviously, he didn't realize the value of those ten herbs was greater than the rest of his entire garden combined.
"Senior, these are more than enough for me."
Chu Chengzhou shook his head, playing the part of someone who "knows his limits."
Scoring a huge win? Better to keep that to yourself. No need to let the "victim" know how badly they'd been robbed.
Even the herbs he didn't take—he didn't reveal their true worth to Dugu Bo either. Better safe than sorry. The old man might just flip and take everything back.
Seeing this, Dugu Bo hesitated for a moment, then took off a blue pouch from his waist and tossed it over.
"Kid, take this Ruyi Treasure Pouch! It can store living things. If you store those herbs inside, their medicinal properties won't degrade over time."
"Thank you, Senior!"
Chu Chengzhou's eyes lit up as he caught the pouch.
This was a great item! He'd originally planned to stash the herbs in his storage necklace, which couldn't preserve living things. But with the Ruyi Treasure Pouch, that problem was solved.
"All right, are you done? Let's head back to Heaven Dou City."
Dugu Bo waved it off casually.
"Senior, how about we stay one more night?"
Chu Chengzhou didn't want to leave yet—he hadn't found the Wangchuan Qiushui Dew.
Without it, he wouldn't gain the "Fiery Golden Eyes" that would allow him to see through the correct way to use immortal herbs, not to mention the massive boost to spiritual power.
"Stay another night?"
Dugu Bo raised a brow.
"Senior, you've got so many herbs here. I'd like to collect some 'Herbal Dew' before we go."
Chu Chengzhou scratched his head, a little embarrassed.
"Herbal Dew? What's that?"
Dugu Bo was puzzled.
"It's the dew that forms on the herbs."
Dugu Bo: "…"
"All right, go ahead and collect your weird herbal dew. Call me when you're done."
Smacking his lips, Dugu Bo agreed.
Under the two-colored glow from the Ice-Fire Springs, Chu Chengzhou wandered among the herbs at night with a jade vial, collecting dew.
He didn't remember what the Wangchuan Qiushui Dew plant looked like, but he vaguely recalled it was small and had several drops of spirit-boosting dew. That helped him eliminate most of the mismatches.
The valley air was rich in moisture, and while a single plant's dew didn't amount to much, he soon filled the bottle.
He didn't pour it out—instead, he drank it all.
If he dumped it, and Dugu Bo saw, he'd have a hard time explaining. Drinking dew? No biggie!
Even if it was poisonous dew, he had poison immunity anyway.
Heaven rewards those who work hard. Around 1–3 AM, as he collected dew from a small, plain green herb with three white leaves, the moment the dew entered the bottle, the entire plant withered and turned to dust.
Chu Chengzhou's eyes lit up with joy.
That must be the Wangchuan Qiushui Dew!
He sat nearby and drank the dew on the spot.
As the night turned to dawn and sunlight touched him, Chu Chengzhou finished refining the medicinal power. When he opened his eyes, a golden light flashed.
In an instant, the misty valley became crystal clear. His vision could even penetrate the soil to see the roots underground.
"X-ray vision for the win!"
He was in awe. With his heightened spiritual power and his illusion techniques, even six-ring Soul Emperors or weak-willed Soul Saints would have a hard time resisting him now.
And with his Fiery Golden Eyes—able to see through all things...
Ahem, he was a gentleman. No peeking! If he was going to look, he'd do it righteously!
By noon, a green-haired old man and a white-clothed youth descended from the sky, landing in front of Blue Tyrant Academy.
"All right, kid. Come visit the Dugu Estate sometime. I'm off."
With that, Dugu Bo took off again.
"Thanks again for everything, Senior. Safe travels!"
Chu Chengzhou bowed respectfully.
Dugu Bo didn't reply—he just waved his hand.
"Tsk~! What a haul!"
After Dugu Bo left, Chu Chengzhou couldn't help but smile as he looked at the many celestial herbs in his Ruyi Treasure Pouch.
It was right around mealtime, and before long, Chu Chengzhou found Xiao Wu and the others in the academy's cafeteria.
"Brother, you're back?"
Seeing Chu Chengzhou return, Xiao Wu immediately said joyfully.
"Mm, I've got something good for you later!"
He ruffled Xiao Wu's rabbit ears and smiled.
"Something good? Senior Chu, didn't you go to that herb garden with Poison Douluo yesterday? Don't tell me this 'something good' is just herbs?"
Ning Rongrong was momentarily stunned, then asked with a somewhat odd expression.
"I brought some for both of you too. Whether it's good or not, you'll see for yourselves!
Just hope someone doesn't end up crying and begging to marry me later—after all, I already have a wife!"
He wrapped an arm around Xiao Wu and spoke meaningfully.
If it were back when they first met, Chu Chengzhou wouldn't dare say such a thing—Ning Rongrong would've definitely lost all interest in him. But now? After their countless "loves" in that illusion, they knew every bit of each other. He didn't believe this little minx could really let go.
"Pfft~ Cry and beg to marry you? Keep dreaming! Xiao Wu, aren't you going to rein your brother in?"
Ning Rongrong rolled her eyes at Chu Chengzhou, then playfully complained to Xiao Wu.
"It's fine. If it's you, Rongrong, Big Sister Xiao Wu doesn't mind having you as a little sister!"
Xiao Wu giggled behind her hand, waving it off as if it didn't matter.
If she once suspected there was something shady going on between Little Chu and her bestie Rongrong, after Chu Chengzhou openly said "I already have a wife," those doubts vanished.
After all, if he says he's already taken, how could her bestie still throw herself at him?
Besides, Ning Rongrong is the heiress of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan—how could someone of her stature be willing to play second fiddle?
Impossible. Absolutely impossible!
Hearing all this, Zhu Zhuqing looked at the three of them with a strange expression.
If she wasn't mistaken, there wasdefinitely something fishy between Chu Chengzhou and Ning Rongrong… and Xiao Wu seemed to be completely in the dark?
But she wasn't about to speak up about it. They were all good sisters after all, and she didn't have any solid evidence. If she said something, it'd just backfire—she might not even have any besties left after.
Sigh… all the fault of this Senior Chu—eating from his bowl while eyeing the pot.
Of course, it's not surprising for a man to be a little fickle—after all, most capable men are.
Being a flirt isn't a crime. What is wrong is being incapable and still being a flirt. That's just lacking self-awareness.
"Oh right, have you guys seen Oscar or Fatty?"
Blue Tyrant Academy didn't have that many students—just over 200. Chu Chengzhou scanned the cafeteria but didn't see either of them.
"No classes this afternoon, so the academy's empty. They probably went out to mess around again."
Ning Rongrong said with a look of disdain.
Chu Chengzhou: "..."
Over half an hour later, in a simulated forest environment training ground at Blue Tyrant Academy.
"Brother, hurry up and show us that good thing you mentioned!"
Xiao Wu tugged at Chu Chengzhou's arm, acting cutesy.
Nodding, Chu Chengzhou no longer kept it a secret. Under their curious gazes, he took out a flowerpot from the Ruyi Treasure Pouch at his waist.
Tang San (in the distance): A flowerpot? (Disdain)
Inside was a delicate, sparkling white flower that looked as pure as a lotus—completely untainted.
Looking at the strange flower, Ning Rongrong blinked.
It looked pretty, sure, but… was thiswhat he called a treasure?
She'd heard Dugu Bo wasn't the generous type. If it was something valuable, would that Title Douluo really just give it away?
Ignoring Ning Rongrong's doubt, Chu Chengzhou handed the flowerpot to Zhu Zhuqing and said:
"Zhuqing, this flower is called 'Narcissus Jade Skin Bone.' Its medicinal power is all in the petals and the stamen. Eat the petals and suck the nectar while circulating your soul power to absorb it."
"Brother, what does the Narcissus Jade Skin Bone do?" Xiao Wu asked curiously.
"How ignorant!"
Chu Chengzhou flicked her forehead and said, "It's a celestial-grade herb. Taking it not only increases soul power without side effects, but also boosts cultivation talent! If your martial soul is highly compatible with the herb, there's even a chance it might evolve!"
Hearing this, Zhu Zhuqing was so shocked she almost dropped the pot.
Though she and Chu Chengzhou were on good terms, it was just friendship between classmates. A treasure like this… she didn't feel right accepting it.
"Senior Chu, I can't accept this without earning it."
She tried to return the pot.
"Zhuqing, just take it. Celestial herbs are powerful but can't be used more than once. I already took one myself—if you don't take it, I can only give it to someone else.
And not just you and Rongrong—Oscar and Fatty each have one too."
Chu Chengzhou shook his head. He still planned to use this Narcissus Jade Skin Bone to advance his 'big kitty' strategy—there was no way he was taking it back.
"Well… alright then. Thank you."
After hesitating for a moment, Zhu Zhuqing nodded and accepted it.
Since Oscar and Ma Hongjun also had some, she wasn't being singled out for "special treatment," unlike someone like Rongrong who might have something going on with Chu Chengzhou. That made it easier to accept.
As for the favor she now owed—well, Chu Chengzhou had already helped her a lot with her training. She could just repay him gradually over time.
Then Chu Chengzhou took out a second flowerpot.
This time, the plant looked quite unusual. The stem and leaves were lush and intricately woven, while the top bore a golden tulip with a rich, luxurious scent.
"This is called the Delicate Fragrance Tulip. Its medicinal power is all in the central stamen. Just gently inhale the nectar, absorb the essence into your body, and refine it with soul power.
Rongrong, trust me—it'll be a pleasant surprise."
Chu Chengzhou smiled and handed it to Ning Rongrong.
Then, using a bit of soul power, he teased her with a transmitted thought: 'Rongrong, consider this an early betrothal gift~'
Hearing that, Ning Rongrong—who had been about to thank him—immediately shot him a shy, angry glare.
Stupid scumbag! We haven't even had any physical intimacy—who said I'm marrying you?!
Chu Chengzhou: Tsk, you hike your skirt and then pretend you don't know me?
"Hey! Rongrong, I brought you a treasure out of kindness, and you're glaring at me instead of thanking me?"
Chu Chengzhou feigned disappointment.
"Then I really must thank you properly!"
Shame turned to indignation, and Ning Rongrong gritted her teeth as she glared at him.
Xiao Wu: "..."
Zhu Zhuqing: "..."
What's going on here? Why does Rongrong look like she's about to eat someone?
"Brother, mine's not going to be worse than Rongrong and Zhuqing's, right?" Xiao Wu pouted.
"Of course not! You're Big Sister Xiao Wu—yours is definitely the best! Buuut…"
He stroked the rabbit ears on her head.
You're the first wife of the Chu family, obviously yours has to be better than the second and third!
"But what?"
Xiao Wu asked eagerly.
"Unlike the other two herbs, this one is called Lovesick Heartbroken Red. It's special—it needs to recognize its master before you can use it."
Saying that, Chu Chengzhou brought out a jade box.
No more clunky flowerpots—this herb didn't grow in soil, but on a stone, so he just picked it up as-is.
Inside was a simple-looking white flower, palm-sized, shaped like a peony, with no leaves. Its stem was connected to a pitch-black stone.
On the white petals were shocking red streaks—bright as blood—giving it an intense, almost alarming beauty.
"Recognize a master? How do you do that?"
Xiao Wu blinked curiously.
"This flower is no ordinary herb. It chooses its own master. When picking it, you must sincerely think of the one you love most, and offer a drop of heartfelt blood onto the petals. If your heart isn't true—even if you cough up blood—you'll never pick it.
Once picked, it'll never wither as long as it stays by its chosen one.
The stone below is called Black Absolute. If the flower is forcefully picked, all its medicinal power will vanish.
But with great risk comes great reward—Lovesick Heartbroken Red is the king of all flowers, far beyond any ordinary celestial herb."
Looking deeply at Xiao Wu, Chu Chengzhou spoke with affection.
As for the tragic love story behind the flower?
Well… he remembered there was a story, just not what it was. If he could, he might've made the little bunny shed a golden tear or two.