Chapter 72: Hu Liena Admits Defeat?

Lu Yuan smiled faintly and said, "Elder Yue, I have a favor to ask of you."

"Oh? What can I assist you with, Young Master Yuan?" Chrysanthemum Douluo became intrigued.

Lu Yuan's status had changed dramatically since receiving advice from Golden Crocodile Douluo. He'd made a name for himself in both the Supreme Pontiff's Hall and the Douluo Consecration's Hall, rising to prominence and attracting the attention of many Title Douluos. Furthermore, he was supported by the two powerhouses, Qian Daoliu and Bibi Dong, as well as Golden Crocodile Douluo. Nobody dared to provoke him within the Supreme Pontiff Hall.

Of course, Chrysanthemum Douluo had always been friendly to him.

With a smile, Lu Yuan explained, "Recently, I've been conducting research on rare herbs. I heard that you possess an ancestral book called the 'Immortal Herb Compendium.' I came here today to request your assistance and borrow it."

"Oh, so you wish to borrow my 'Immortal Herb Compendium'!" Chrysanthemum Douluo raised his slender fingers and said, "Well, that can be arranged, but I'd like you to make a small gesture in return."

"A gesture? What kind of gesture?" Lu Yuan inquired curiously.

"Young Master Yuan, how would you describe our relationship?" Chrysanthemum Douluo asked.

Lu Yuan was momentarily taken aback and then replied, "Um! I believe our relationship is quite good, isn't it?" His relationship with Chrysanthemum Douluo had been excellent ever since he joined the Spirit Hall.

"If our relationship is indeed good, why do you persistently refer to me as 'Elder Yue'?" Chrysanthemum Douluo had an 'angry' expression on his face.

"Eh?" Lu Yuan looked puzzled. "Then, how should I address you?"

"Call me 'Uncle Yue'!" Chrysanthemum Douluo smiled.

"Okay then, Uncle Yue!" Under Chrysanthemum Douluo's gaze, Lu Yuan respectfully addressed him by that title.

"Hahaha, good!" Chrysanthemum Douluo's laughed heartily and revealed a gentle smile. "Wait here!"

Without further ado, Chrysanthemum Douluo swiftly turned into a blur and vanished into his room. In an instant, he reappeared before Lu Yuan, retrieving the book in the blink of an eye.

Lu Yuan unconsciously accepted the book handed to him by Chrysanthemum Douluo. Opening it, he discovered a plethora of illustrations depicting Immortal Herbs.

"Thank you, Uncle Yue. This is precisely what I was searching for."

"Hmm!" Chrysanthemum Douluo nodded in satisfaction and said, "Young Master Yuan, I'm lending you this 'Immortal Herb Compendium,' but please remember to return it to me once you have finished. It has been passed down in my family for generations, and I cannot afford to lose it."

"I understand, Uncle Yue!" Lu Yuan smiled faintly, then promptly departed with the 'Immortal Herb Compendium' in his possession.

As Lu Yuan walked away, he couldn't help but feel a tad perplexed by Chrysanthemum Douluo's request to call him 'Uncle Yue.'

'Why did he want me to address him in that manner? What does it signify?' he wondered. However, he did not delve too deeply into it, he was quite aware of the eccentric personalities of some Title Douluos.

Nevertheless, if that was enough to maintain a good relationship with him, he saw no harm in complying with the request.

Returning to Lake Island, Lu Yuan entered his room and set the book aside for a moment.

As he looked around, he spotted Hu Liena sitting in the middle of the bed in a lotus position. Her eyes were closed, and her short blonde hair accentuated her beautiful features.

Over the past year, Hu Liena's body had matured, and her curves were more pronounced, impossible to hide under her academy outfit. Her fair legs were tantalizingly exposed.

Upon hearing the sound of the door, Hu Liena's eyelashes trembled slightly as she opened her eyes and turned her gaze towards the figure in the doorway. A mix of emotions flashed in her eyes.

"Cough... big sister, can I study a book here... I won't be interrupting your cultivation, right?" Lu Yuan felt a little uncomfortable under Hu Liena's gaze, but he asked anyway.

"...This is also your room, younger brother. You don't need to ask me," Hu Liena replied after a few seconds of silence.

Lu Yuan nodded in response, and before an awkward silence could settle in, he walked over to the floor near the edge of the bed, and sat down, taking out the book again from his ring.

Hu Liena watched him intently as he settled down to study the book. Her heart was filled with a mixture of emotions that she couldn't put into words.

Despite not wanting to feel this way, she found herself unable to help it.

All this happened due to a scene that took place a few days ago. On Lu Yuan's ninth birthday, he had taken her to a secluded place and told her about Qian Renxue.

Initially, she had been puzzled. Who was Qian Renxue? However, the surname seemed a bit familiar to her...

Her doubts had been cleared when Lu Yuan mentioned that she was the granddaughter of the Grand Worship's granddaughter.

This revelation shocked her. If Qian Renxue was the granddaughter of the Grand Worship, did that mean the previous Supreme Pontiff had a daughter? Unless the Grand Worship had unrecognized offspring elsewhere... but if that were the case, Qian Renxue wouldn't have the surname Qian.

However, those doubts became insignificant as she focused on the core issue. Why was Lu Yuan telling her about the Grand Worship's granddaughter? When and how had they even met?

And most importantly, was this woman with the surname Qian prettier than her?

Fortunately, Lu Yuan had diverted this potentially fatal question by emphasizing that each woman had her own unique beauty and charm, making beauty comparisons unnecessary.

This response had put Hu Liena in a better mood, but that was short-lived as Lu Yuan continued his narrative:

He'd met Qian Renxue before arriving at Spirit City.

Their relationship had surpassed that of mere friends.

And he had made her a promise before departing!

Each revelation had hit Hu Liena like a bombshell.

However, her first reaction had not been anger towards Lu Yuan, but rather towards Qian Renxue.

'Taking advantage of her age to seduce my younger brother, what a beast!'

In her eyes, that wicked woman had tricked and seduced her younger brother!

However, with Lu Yuan's persuasive explanation, Hu Liena's anger subsided.

Then, it had been replaced by a deep sadness...

She had been convinced that she had an advantage over the others, that she had met Lu Yuan first, that they had grown up together, and that she unquestionably held the first place in his heart.

But the harsh reality had hit her hard. It turned out that she had already lost the race from the starting line!

This realization left her disheartened.

But her sorrow didn't last long. At that moment, she resolved within herself, 'Even if you're the daughter of the previous Supreme Pontiff and your grandfather is the Grand Worship, so what? Younger Brother is mine!'

'While you are on the outside, I'm the one who spends every day with him. We eat together, we sleep together! I'm the closest person to him!'

However, a glimmer of reality cleared her mind.

It was because she spent every day with her Younger Brother that she knew him so well. If he had made a promise to that Qian Renxue, he would surely not go back on his word.

No matter how hard she tried to win him over, it would be in vain. She knew he wouldn't change his mind.

From that day on, she quietly retreated, her heart filled with disappointment. Both of them had been behaving in this manner since then...

As she lost herself in her thoughts, Lu Yuan let out a sigh and began to read the 'Immortal Herb Compendium' in his hands.

The book contained detailed information about various Immortal Herbs. There were familiar ones like Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum, Beautiful Silk Tulip, Yearning Heartbroken Red, and Eight Petal Immortal Orchid. But there were also some he had never heard of. Lu Yuan's head spun from the overwhelming variety.

The book not only provided clear descriptions of each herb's properties but also included information on how to harvest them. This delighted Lu Yuan. With this 'Immortal Herb Compendium' in his hands, he could sweep up all the immortal herbs of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well!

After a long while of being engrossed in reading, Lu Yuan suddenly felt a jade hand stroking his shoulder from behind...

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A/N:

Hi guys, I have an announcement to make.

For the past month, my available time to work on stories has been consumed by my main project and another one that I have not yet announced. This has left me with limited availability to work on this story.

The upcoming chapters require quite a bit of editing of the source material, and I want to make sure I take my time with each chapter. So, if I don't upload chapters for a while, it's due to these circumstances.

Oh, and I found some time to work on this chapter. I hope you enjoyed it!