Chapter 80: The Poor Old Poisoner
Seeing Yue Guan—a man who usually couldn't stand her and often clashed with her in the Elder Palace—kneel before her man, Ling Yuan couldn't help but get carried away.
A mischievous, teasing smile spread across her beautiful face. She swished her fiery red dress and leaned down slightly, bringing her face closer to the humiliated Elder.
"Yue Guan," she cooed, her voice dripping with playful superiority. "From now on, I am also your mistress. Shouldn't you call me 'Your Excellency' too?"
"You—" Yue Guan's baby-like, pale face, which was already flushed with the shame of submission, instantly turned a shade of green, then purple.
He was trembling, not from cold, but from sheer, unadulterated rage. This woman! This fiery, arrogant woman! He had endured the humiliation of submitting to Qin Xuan, a man whose power was undeniable, and his monstrous wife, Jingni. But to be forced to submit to Ling Yuan? His long-time rival?
His pride, his very essence, recoiled. But then he felt the lingering, soul-deep chill of Jingni's Domain and the cold, calculating gaze of Qin Xuan. He was trapped.
Finally, with a reluctance so thick it was almost physical, he squeezed his eyes shut and forced the words out, each one feeling like swallowing glass.
"Yue Guan... greets... Your Excellency Ling Yuan."
"Good boy," Ling Yuan smiled, her expression even more radiant. She felt a profound, petty satisfaction that was almost intoxicating.
She had been genuinely worried that after sleeping with Qin Xuan, Yue Guan would be the first to find out and would mock her mercilessly, spreading rumors throughout the Elder Palace that she had been 'conquered'.
Now, it seemed she had overthought it. Watching the effeminate, proud man she usually couldn't stand kneel before her as his mistress was even more joyful than when she had first been promoted to Titled Douluo.
However, she was soon to be depressed.
"Enough, Ling Yuan. That's enough." Qin Xuan's voice cut through her glee, not loud, but filled with an authority that allowed no argument. "Don't take the joke too far."
"Oh." Ling Yuan immediately pouted, her playful aura deflating. She stepped back, looking unconcerned, but she knew better than to push him.
Qin Xuan looked around at the clearing in the Star Dou Great Forest, the air still thick with the lingering scent of ice and power.
He said seriously, "The purpose of coming to the Star Dou Great Forest has been achieved. We have Jingni's rings, and we have... an understanding. There's no need to stay any longer. Let's get out first."
"Your Excellency," Yue Guan asked, his voice hesitant and strained. He was still on his knees, not daring to rise without permission. "What about... what about my and Old Gui's spirit rings?"
Qin Xuan had just promised to get them 10,000-year spirit rings. It was the entire reason they had been willing to negotiate. If he didn't keep his word now that they had submitted, then they could only admit their bad luck, their complete and utter defeat.
"Don't worry." Qin Xuan glanced down at him, his expression unreadable. "I always keep my word to my own people. Just follow me."
After Qin Xuan finished speaking, he had no intention of staying in the Star Dou Great Forest any longer. He turned, and with a flare of Spirit Power, summoned his sword.
Instead of walking, he led the group and directly flew out of the Star Dou Great Forest, soaring into the sky. Ling Yuan, Jingni, and a still-shadowy Gui Mei followed suit. Yue Guan, after a moment of shock, scrambled to his feet and hastily summoned his own power to fly, his heart pounding with a mix of dread and fragile hope.
They traveled for hours, a blur of Titled Douluo-level speed, leaving the vast forest far behind.
When Qin Xuan finally led them to a hidden, fog-shrouded mountain basin and they descended into the breathtaking, natural marvel of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, both Yue Guan and Gui Mei were rendered speechless.
The sheer, concentrated elemental energy, one side burning hot and the other freezing cold, washed over them. It was a divine paradise, a land of ultimate treasures.
"This... this place..." Yue Guan whispered, his eyes wide.
Gui Mei, materializing from the shadows, was also visibly shocked. His spectral form rippled, betraying his agitation. Such a place existed on the continent, hidden from Spirit Hall?
But Yue Guan's awe quickly turned to gut-wrenching despair. His gaze darted around the well, and he saw it. The barren surroundings. The empty patches of unique soil. The lingering, faint, divine aroma of countless Immortal Herbs that had once grown here.
He saw the places where the herbs had been, with only the roots and disturbed earth remaining.
He suddenly felt like crying, but no tears came.
Now, he finally understood. He understood where Qin Xuan's Immortal Herbs came from. He understood how Jingni had the foundation for 100,000-year rings.
Unsurprisingly, Qin Xuan had discovered this place long ago and harvested everything. It would be a long, long time—perhaps centuries—before these treasures grew back again. He had been standing on a mountain of gold, only to find it had already been hollowed out.
Qin Xuan's gaze swept over the two new subordinates and their barely concealed reactions.
"Gui Mei, Yue Guan," he said, his voice echoing slightly in the basin. "You should know that the limit of a Spirit Master's ability to withstand a spirit ring is closely related to their physique. In your current state, even if I grant you 10,000-year spirit rings, neither of you can absorb them."
He turned his focus pointedly to the pale-faced Elder. "Especially you, Yue Guan. Gui Mei is a bit better; his Spirit is inherently special, and he also possesses a Spirit Bone, so his endurance is naturally superior to yours. But you... you don't have a single Spirit Bone on you right now, do you?"
Qin Xuan's voice was flat, a simple statement of fact. "With your current foundation, do you have the confidence to absorb a 10,000-year spirit ring?"
"This—" Yue Guan sighed helplessly. The last of his hope died. He had to admit that Qin Xuan was right. Even if a 10,000-year Spirit Beast lay down and died for him, he would not be able to absorb its spirit ring. He would simply explode, his body and soul torn apart by the violent energy.
"Don't be discouraged."
Just as Yue Guan's spirit hit rock bottom, Qin Xuan spoke again.
"Since you intend to follow me, I naturally won't let you miss the opportunity to obtain a 10,000-year spirit ring. So," Qin Xuan smiled, "I specially prepared this for you."
Qin Xuan gently stroked his waist-mounted Spirit Tool, and with a flash of light, a large, resplendent chrysanthemum fell into his hand. It was not a flower, but a divine herb, its petals a perfect, velvet-like cream, its core shimmering with a faint, nine-colored light.
The instant it appeared, the ambient plant-type energy in the entire basin seemed to bow to it.
Yue Guan's eyes, which had been dull with despair, instantly lit up. He recognized it. He had seen it in the ancient, tattered texts in the Elder Palace's private library. It was the one treasure, the single hope, he had dreamed of for his entire life.
Unable to control his excitement, he exclaimed, his voice cracking, "Qirong Tongtian Chrysanthemum! Your Excellency... you actually have a second Qirong Tongtian Chrysanthemum! My heavens... Old Gui, am I dreaming?"
"Shut up, you idiot! Hurry and thank His Excellency!" Gui Mei said, his hoarse voice frustrated but also laced with unconcealed shock.
"Right, right, you're right!" Yue Guan stumbled forward, falling to his knees again. "Yue Guan thanks Your Excellency! Yue Guan thanks Your Excellency!"
He knelt down, his entire body trembling with explosive, uncontrolled emotion. At this moment, there was no longer any unwillingness in his eyes, only a profound, burning reverence and a gratitude so deep it was painful.
Tears instantly welled up and streamed down his pale face. He never expected that the Immortal Herb he had searched for, his entire life, would one day be within his grasp. He had resigned himself to never breaking past level 95, to being the "weakest" Titled Douluo. This... this changed everything.
If they weren't all here, he would have wanted to find a place to cry loudly, to wail like a child.
"Alright, if you want to cry, find a place to cry later." Qin Xuan's tone was dismissive, but not unkind. "I presume you've already guessed that this Immortal Herb was obtained from this treasure land. This place is of great benefit to plant-type Spirit Masters' cultivation, which is why I brought you here."
"After absorbing the Immortal Herb, your physique will be remolded. Whether you can successfully absorb a 10,000-year spirit ring after that will depend on your own fortune."
As Qin Xuan spoke, he casually threw the precious, peerless Immortal Herb to Yue Guan.
Yue Guan scrambled to catch it, his movements clumsy with panic. He held the Qirong Tongtian Chrysanthemum as if it were a newborn child, cherishing it, afraid of bumping or dropping it. After kneeling and thanking Qin Xuan again, his head pressed to the ground, he went to a corner nearby, his hands shaking as he prepared to absorb it.
"As for you, Gui Mei—"
When it was Gui Mei's turn, Qin Xuan paused. He pondered for a long time, his fingers tapping on his chin.
Finally, he took out the 10,000-Year Ginseng King from his storage—the very one from the original work, which helped Tang San's disciple cultivate innate full Spirit Power.
Originally, as a Spirit Master with a body-type Spirit (though a strange, spectral one), the Narcissus Jade Muscle Bone herb would have been most suitable for him.
But that item had already been absorbed by Jingni, and Qin Xuan didn't regret it for a second. Who told Jingni she was his wife? His most important person always came first.
Compared to other Immortal Herbs, Qin Xuan thought it over and decided that the 10,000-Year Ginseng King, which had no absorption restrictions and provided a massive, pure boost to vitality and Spirit Power, was most suitable for Gui Mei's strange, ghostly constitution.
"Thank you, Your Excellency Qin Xuan." Gui Mei didn't say anything extra. He simply bowed deeply.
He was already loyal to Qin Xuan, bound by the display of power and the promise. With such generous, unhesitating treatment, the only thing he could do was to become stronger and repay Qin Xuan's kindness with his life and his cultivation.
Gui Mei respectfully took the Immortal Herb. Just as he was about to take it to a quiet spot to refine it, Qin Xuan called out to him again.
"The 10,000-Year Ginseng King's physical enhancement is not as great as the Qirong Tongtian Chrysanthemum's. You already have a Right Leg Bone."
Qin Xuan's eyes met Gui Mei's, a slight smile on his face. "So, after you absorb the Immortal Herb, take this 40,000-year Wind Chasing Left Leg Bone and absorb it as well. I believe that after that, absorbing a 10,000-year spirit ring should not be a problem with your cultivation."
With another flash, Qin Xuan took out the Spirit Bone he was rewarded with after subduing Mo Ya.
Compared to Yue Guan, Qin Xuan clearly valued Gui Mei more. Not just for his ability, but also for his loyalty. This was someone who, if you treated him well, would repay you tenfold or a hundredfold.
This time, it was Gui Mei's turn to be moved to tears.
His spectral body solidified, and he fell to one knee, his head bowed. He didn't say anything, but his shoulders shook. A Spirit Bone. A 40,000-year Spirit Bone, given to him as if it were a simple trinket.
He didn't say anything more, just nodded heavily, and then found a corner not far from Yue Guan to begin refining. Everything was understood without words. His loyalty was no longer a submission to power; it was a forged, unbreakable, and absolute oath.
Ling Yuan, standing aside, watched this entire exchange. She saw that Gui Mei not only received an Immortal Herb but also a rare Spirit Bone, and immediately felt sour.
She wrapped her arms around Qin Xuan's neck from behind, pressing herself against his back. Her face was full of grievances, her lips pouted as if to say, "You don't love me anymore."
It was as if she was saying, "You heartless man! You have a Spirit Bone, and not only do you not absorb it yourself, but you give it to your subordinate. Even I don't have a single Spirit Bone on me yet! Am I not as important as a subordinate in your heart?"
Qin Xuan smiled, letting her hang off him. He reached up and patted her hand, then took out the Medusa Head Spirit Bone that had been acquired previously.
"Don't worry, I've already prepared your Spirit Bone." He said, his voice amused. "Besides, that 40,000-year Wind Chasing Left Leg Bone is not suitable for you in terms of either age or attribute."
He presented the new Spirit Bone to her. It was a dark, emerald-green skull, exquisitely crafted, with faint, serpentine patterns carved into its surface. A cold, ancient, and terrifying aura emanated from it.
"This is a Head Spirit Bone from a Medusa, the Empress of Snakes. Its age is probably around 60,000 years."
Ling Yuan's pout vanished, replaced by a gasp. A Head Spirit Bone! The rarest and most valuable type!
"Although it's not a wisdom Spirit Bone," Qin Xuan explained, "it possesses a very terrifying petrification ability. When used, the petrifying light it produces can even petrify energy attacks."
"With it, and after you absorb the Immortal Herb I have for you, I believe your strength can rise another level."
Holding this Spirit Bone, Qin Xuan's thoughts drifted, and a faint, pitying smile touched his lips. He thought of that unlucky Dugu Bo again.
Not only was the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well intercepted by him, but even his granddaughter's future Medusa Spirit Bone was intercepted by him. He wondered if that old fellow could even live to be promoted to Titled Douluo in his lifetime, now that his entire destiny had been stolen.
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