Chapter 342: Yin-Yang Twin Lotus, Ye Lingling’s Hesitation

Looks like it's time to use the ultimate move—after all, "you can't catch the wolf without sacrificing a sheep!"

Su Ming casually asked, "Lingling, you're at level thirty-nine now, so you'll soon be able to absorb your fourth spirit ring. I've always wondered: does your Nine-Hearted Begonia truly only offer one effect—area-wide healing? Is there really no other supportive ability?"

Ye Lingling looked slightly downcast at this. "Yes, that's true. Moreover, Nine-Hearted Begonia has a major drawback: each generation can only have one inheritor. As far as I know, no generation has ever overcome this limitation, which has always puzzled me.

"Although Nine-Hearted Begonia's healing is the best on the continent, these two major flaws limit its appeal to other forces. It's just a single healer with no offensive abilities, so it can't play much of a role. Compared to the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda of Ning Rongrong's clan, which balances multiple boosts, the Nine-Hearted Begonia is much less desired. It's even coveted by Spirit Hall, though they've never had the chance to recruit Ning Rongrong's clan due to their alliance with the Heaven Dou Empire."

Su Ming already knew most of this.

There was no way around it—no spirit on the continent was flawless. The more specialized a spirit's strength, the more likely it was to have significant weaknesses. Like the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda, for instance: while it has unparalleled supportive power, its wielder could never break through to level eighty because the pagoda itself has only seven floors.

Rongrong had only overcome this by using immortal herbs to eliminate her spirit's flaw. Ye Lingling's best hope to remove her spirit's limitations would likely be through a similar method. But what exactly would become of her spirit after she consumed an herb? Rongrong's spirit had gone from seven to nine floors, which made sense. But what would happen with Ye Lingling?

Su Ming pondered and then said, "Lingling, I happen to have something that might just help you overcome that first flaw. It could grant your spirit additional abilities beyond healing. I can't guarantee what the new abilities might be, and there is some risk, but would you be interested in trying?"

Ye Lingling's eyes lit up immediately, and she answered without hesitation, "Yes! I want to try!"

She was excited—this sounded like a guaranteed gain. Gaining an extra ability, whether it was support or offense, shouldn't diminish her existing healing power. So why not give it a shot?

Seeing her eagerness, Su Ming simply smiled and took out a lotus from his soul tool, presenting it to her. It was an unusual flower, half black and half white.

As she took in its striking appearance, she asked curiously, "Su Ming, what's this lotus called? It's so beautiful yet mysterious—one half is pure white, and the other half is a deep, enigmatic black. I feel an almost reverent awe just looking at it."

Su Ming nodded, "You're spot on with that description. This is the Yin-Yang Twin Lotus. The white half represents purity, much like your Nine-Hearted Begonia, while the black half symbolizes mystery and depth. If you absorb it, it will likely add a new ability to your spirit—what that ability will be, we can't be sure, but it's highly probable it'll lean towards the dark side of the spectrum.

"It's the Yin and Yang balance. Your current healing ability aligns with the 'Yang' side, so the new ability will likely be 'Yin.'"

There was another aspect that Su Ming hadn't mentioned—the lotus's symmetrical black and white petals reminded him of the yin-yang symbol, representing balance. This suggested that the new ability would likely have an offensive or defensive nature rather than merely support, giving her a much-needed self-protection capability.

"Since you're willing to try it, let's begin. I'll guard you while you absorb it. Once you're done, your power should significantly increase, and this lotus will even boost your innate potential," Su Ming said.

Ye Lingling felt a surge of excitement, the desire evident in her eyes as she gazed at the Yin-Yang Twin Lotus. But then, she managed to suppress that urge.

At first, she had approached Su Ming hoping for help with her spirit's limitations. But they'd since become close friends, and that changed things. She'd already received so much help from him without giving anything in return, and it made her feel uncomfortable, almost guilty. She hesitated, feeling a twinge of conscience.

Su Ming noticed her indecision and felt a bit gratified. Since she was having second thoughts, giving her this valuable herb wasn't in vain.

In his past life, Su Ming would never have considered giving away something so precious to someone with no solid commitment to him. Only if a girl had genuinely reciprocated his feelings would he even think of giving something of such value. Otherwise, he'd just end up looking like a desperate fool while the girl would respond with a casual "I didn't promise to date you," accepting the gift without commitment.

The world of Douluo Continent, however, was different—more like the ancient times in his previous world. If someone accepted a gift, it meant they were acknowledging the deeper intentions behind it.

Ye Lingling knew this well, which was why she hesitated now. Su Ming would hardly give her such an invaluable herb without good reason. He'd already told her he had feelings for her, so offering this to her likely meant he wanted to take things to the next level.

Living in the Heaven Dou Empire had taught her that no good deed comes without a price, even from family.