[DD]: 138

Han Li looked at him with a slight smile, then turned his gaze to Dugu Yan beside him and nodded at her.

Dugu Yan didn't hesitate. She reached to her waist, and a large light pink flower appeared in her hand. She took a few steps forward and handed it to Chrysanthemum Douluo.

"Aromatic Silk Beauty!"

There was no need for anyone to introduce it. Yue Guan immediately exclaimed in surprise, recognizing the immortal herb he had once longed for, now appearing right before his eyes.

However, he didn't take it right away. Under the watchful eyes of everyone, he adjusted his demeanor, took out a handkerchief from his chest, carefully wiped his hands, and only then cautiously accepted it with both hands.

His meticulous actions left everyone stunned.

They believed that if conditions allowed, he wouldn't mind bathing in incense before touching it.

But that wasn't the end. After receiving the Aromatic Silk Beauty, he skillfully set up a soul power shield around it.

"Its fragrance can attract soul beasts, which could be quite dangerous in the Star Dou Forest. However, if Worship Guang Ling is present, we could use its scent to lure soul beasts and select the right soul ring."

This is what it means to be professional.

This information wasn't recorded in any plant compendium; it was something Chrysanthemum Douluo had learned through his research.

As for Han Li, he was aware of it, but he usually obtained soul rings through other means, so he never needed this effect. And since Dugu Yan and Xiu'er were always with him, he had forgotten to mention it.

Yue Guan held the Aromatic Silk Beauty, examining it for a long time before looking at Han Li with some embarrassment. "Holy Son, may I take a little pollen? Just a little, I promise not to harm it."

"I want to try crossbreeding it with other rare plants to see if I can gain any new traits. If I succeed, I'll report it to you immediately."

Seeing Chrysanthemum Douluo's anxious expression, Han Li smiled and nodded, "Go ahead, as long as you don't damage it."

To him, this immortal herb wasn't of great use, and besides, if any research yielded results, he would be the first to benefit, so he naturally wouldn't refuse.

With Han Li's permission, Chrysanthemum Douluo immediately got busy. After a while, he put the herb away.

He then admired the immortal herb in his hand for a moment, reluctant to part with it, before finally handing it back to Dugu Yan.

"Thank you, Holy Son. I owe you one for this. Within my power, you can ask anything of me, and I'll do my best to fulfill it."

Yue Guan solemnly bowed to Han Li, making a promise.

"In that case, I'll remember this, Elder Yue."

Han Li smiled but didn't say anything further.

Sometimes, a favor is best kept rather than used, and to be honest, he couldn't think of anything that Yue Guan needed to do for him at the moment.

Chrysanthemum Douluo glanced at the immortal herb in Dugu Yan's hand once more before bowing and saying, "Holy Son, I'll take my leave now. May your martial journey be prosperous."

"Very well, I look forward to sharing a drink with you again."

Han Li returned the bow and watched as Chrysanthemum Douluo left, turning back every few steps.

"Elder Yue can be quite agreeable when he's in a good mood."

Dugu Yan put away the immortal herb and looked at the departing Yue Guan.

"You better not let Grandpa hear that, or he'll sulk."

Han Li jokingly teased Dugu Yan before leading the group to continue deeper into the forest.

"It's okay, Grandpa wouldn't get mad at me."

"By the way, Xiao Li, how do you plan to use Elder Yue's favor?"

"I haven't decided yet, we'll deal with it later. For now, let's focus on helping Zhuqing and Lingling with their soul rings..."

The group chatted and laughed as they continued towards their destination, showing no signs of tension from their soul ring hunting mission.

Meanwhile, Yue Guan quickly returned to their original spot.

Upon his return, Ghost Douluo cast an inquisitive glance at him. Yue Guan nodded with a smile but said nothing. Ghost Douluo then closed his eyes again, indicating that everything had gone smoothly.

Xie Yue and Yan stood nearby, occasionally glancing at Hu Liena, who was still meditating, lost in thought.

—

Compared to the somber atmosphere on their side, things were going much smoother for Han Li's group.

After nearly half an hour of traveling, they finally reached their destination. Han Li cleared the path with his domain, knocking out two soul beasts with a few arrows and forcing them into a sacrificial ritual.

Of course, the mental shock was mostly absorbed by Han Li through his mental sharing, allowing Zhu Zhuqing to remain under maximum pressure, training her mental strength while successfully absorbing the soul ring.

Along the way, they also obtained two 50,000-year-old leg bones, which were temporarily stored away to be used later for rapid upgrades and comprehensive enhancement after she successfully condensed her soul core.

These two consecutive high-level soul ring absorptions catapulted Zhu Zhuqing's level to 53, nearing the next breakthrough.

For a moment, Zhu Zhuqing felt overwhelmed by the surging soul power in her body and the two dark soul rings above her head.

However, the biggest gain wasn't just that; her martial soul had also shown a significant change due to the double soul ring absorption and the influence of the Evil God Orb.

First, a pair of wings grew on the back of her Hell Civet. Though they were not very large and somewhat small, it was clear that Zhu Zhuqing now could fly.

Secondly, the base attributes of the Hell Civet were greatly enhanced—whether it be strength, speed, or dark attributes, all were significantly fortified.

As Han Li put it, even in a head-on confrontation, the Hell Civet's strength wouldn't be weaker than that of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon. Of course, its attributes were still countered, and its defense was much weaker.

But assassins rely on agility and stealth, striking explosively at the right moment. Engaging in melee combat and frontal assaults would be foolish.

Lastly, perhaps due to always wearing the Evil God Orb and Han Li often activating the Deathgod Domain while assisting her in training, Zhu Zhuqing showed signs of forming her domain after this enhancement. Although it was still rough and only a budding possibility, it was already a pleasant surprise.

After returning, some proper training could help her fully develop this within a year—no, two years—something Han Li hadn't anticipated.

Meanwhile, Ye Lingling was nearby, absorbing her soul ring.

Her fifth soul ring came from a mutated species of Golden-Edged Sunflower called the Star-Moon Orchid. It grew in this eerie forest, absorbing moonlight to produce dew-like drops that healed the dark-attributed soul beasts here, making it the beloved plant of the entire area.

Coincidentally, after absorbing the Damask Tulip, Ye Lingling's Nine Heart Begonia also gained some stellar attributes, making this soul beast one of the most suitable for her.

Similarly, after being controlled and sacrificed, she obtained a right arm bone, which was also temporarily stored away.

After absorbing the soul ring, Ye Lingling's level jumped to 59, just one step away from becoming a Soul Emperor by sacrificing another soul beast.

However, she declined.

Her mental strength couldn't keep up at the moment. Even now, she was struggling to perform precise healing while using her martial soul. It was exhausting.

Although brute force might yield some miracles, Ye Lingling chose to reject further advancement. She had already seen how Han Li accelerated others' progress; there was no need to rush.

Her healing abilities were already sufficient. It was better to consolidate her gains and take some time to absorb them.

Rapid advancements inevitably come with shortcomings. Fortunately, there was now a cultivation technique to quickly remedy the deficiencies in mental strength. It wouldn't take long, and as long as she could meet the minimum standard for condensing a soul core, she'd be fine.

Since she had made her decision, Han Li didn't push her further and left the Star Dou Forest with the group.

...

While Han Li's group was reaping abundant rewards, Tang Hao in the Sunset Forest finally remembered his son and that he needed to return to protect Xiao Wu's identity.

After over a month of fruitless searching and living like a wild man, Tang Hao, in his frustration, killed a few passing soul beasts before heading toward Heaven Dou Imperial Academy.

Upon arrival, he discovered that the original seven members of the team had become six, and the atmosphere in Emperor Team 2 was extremely grim.

"Yu Xiaogang, tell me, what happened?"

Yu Xiaogang, who had temporarily been stripped of his training privileges, was deep in thought when he heard a voice behind him. A familiar figure, unkempt and bearded yet exuding the aura of a powerful expert, had appeared behind him without notice.

"Tang Hao, you've finally shown up."

Yu Xiaogang's eyes welled up as he looked at Tang Hao, overwhelmed with emotion.

Finally, someone who could stand up for him had returned. Only he knew how deeply Flender's complete disregard for their brotherhood had hurt him after that incident.

Now that Tang Hao was back, his voice mattered again. With Tang Hao here, his sun had risen once more.

Seeing Yu Xiaogang so emotional, Tang Hao frowned slightly. Why wasn't he answering? Didn't he hear the question?

Immediately, he released a powerful aura that bore down on Yu Xiaogang's position.

His mood was far from good. He hadn't found what he was looking for at the suspected sacrificial site, nor had he discovered any treasures or identified the mysterious Title Douluo. Usually, he would tolerate Yu Xiaogang's antics, considering his knowledge and direct lineage to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. But right now, he had no patience for it.

Caught in the pressure, Yu Xiaogang was slammed into the table. He nearly coughed up blood but forced it down.

Only then did he realize that Tang Hao was in a foul mood, and he had unwittingly provoked him.