A small valley unfolded before them, densely packed with plants of indescribable colors. Sunlight filtered through the seven-colored toxic clouds above, casting ethereal glows on thousands of extraordinary flora. Anyone could see their rarity at a glance.
At the valley's heart lay a lake divided into red and white halves. The icy-white side exhaled frigid mist; the fiery-red side warped the air with heat. To An Zhen's senses, boundless life energy radiated from its waters.
"Holy—!" Tianmeng Iceworm gasped. "The cosmic energy here is five times denser than Star Dou Forest's core!"
Such a treasure trove existed!
But recalling An Zhen's earlier words, this place likely tied to the being he'd mentioned—one rivaling the God of Ice.
"Long ago, a dragon proclaimed itself Dragon God—ancestor of all dragons on Douluo. Its power crowned it King of Gods. It had nine sons, each a Dragon King ranking among the mightiest deities. In the Dragon God War, they fell or were sealed. This Ice Fire Two Extremes Eye marks where the Ice and Fire Dragon Kings perished."
An Zhen's spiritual voice echoed in Huo Yutong's mind.
"Dragon Kings?!" Tianmeng Iceworm shrieked.
True dragons stood above all soul beasts. But Dragon Kings...
"You plan to make Little Yutong absorb the Ice Dragon King's soul?!"
"Correct. No prize, though."
"Huff—"
The golden-haired shut-in took a nervous breath, her "generous assets" heaving dramatically.
This was beyond audacious.
"Humans and soul beasts are mortal enemies!"
"Then why did you choose Yutong?"
Under Yi Laike's protection, An Zhen strode forward.
"Two passable souls linger here," Yi Laike observed.
An Zhen seized the implication. "Souls, not divine souls?"
"They retain traces of divinity but have degraded to mortal souls." Grey eyes, dead as tombs, reflected the world. "Their spirits were flayed by cosmic law. Their physical and spiritual powers were extracted to forge this sanctuary—this very land."
"Reclaiming that energy could restore them to godhood. But it has fused with this world. The treasure beneath them now belongs to the earth."
In simpler terms: their divine armor had been stripped.
"Better than I hoped."
Huo Yutong might not need the "Ice Empress backup plan" after all.
A starved camel outweighed a horse. Even ten thousand years later, with only instinct remaining, the Ice and Fire Dragon Souls' quality likely surpassed the Ice Empress's.
"Who goes there?!"
A clear, spirited female voice rang out. Blistering heat surged as the valley's temperature spiked.
A fiery-red plant towered before them—cabbage-shaped, carved from ruby.
"Youyou, the Fragrant Silk Immortal Blossom. A'jiao, the Blazing Fiery Apricot. Bajiao, the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass. You three rule here, yes?"
Under the gaze of countless plant soul beasts, the handsome youth calmly named the three hundred-thousand-year herbs—and their self-given titles.
"Who are you? How do you know Youyou?" a gentle, curious voice asked.
"Allow me." An Zhen flashed what he deemed a charming smile. "I am An Zhen. And I'm here to rob you!"
The plants: "?"
"Rob? You... you're a villain?!" The Fragrant Silk Blossom finally processed his words.
Boom!
The ash-haired man raised a hand. Deathly grey necromantic power erupted, coalescing into infinite chains of pure, absolute death energy.
In a blink—before the plants could react—countless grey chains materialized above each one.
Danger!
For the first time since gaining consciousness, they felt death's breath.
Those chains seemed poised to rip their souls away. The cursed necromantic energy was their innate nemesis.
"Mere sustenance." Had Yi Laike not been shielding An Zhen and Huo Yutong, these plants wouldn't merit a glance.
His tombstone-grey eyes turned to the red-white lake. An ancient tongue from another world spilled from his lips. The necromantic energy sealing the valley churned in precise patterns. A colossal, phantom array took shape overhead.
He would "drag" those two buried entities out.
"You... you...!" The pink blossom trembled, cowering like an abused maiden. "How dare you be so wicked!"
"Beware!" The Blazing Fiery Apricot's voice held feeble threat. "This place was left by that man ten thousand years ago! There are rules here!"
"Ridiculous." An Zhen scanned the herbs while holding Huo Yutong. "Since when do humans need 'rules' to hunt soul beasts? And why should I obey another's laws?"
Why so many restrictions for picking herbs?
When he killed soul beasts, none cited "rules." Survival of the fittest—unless they could produce a stronger force to crush him.
Did these herbs have an owner?
Dugu Bo? Long dead. And he hadn't planted them.
Tang San? Planting a flag doesn't grant ownership. If I stake a claim on Douluo Continent, does that make it mine?
By true right? The Ice and Fire Dragon Kings. These herbs grew nourished by their corpse-energy.
But An Zhen was here to hunt those very Dragon Kings.
I'll shackle their souls and plunder their bones. The garden weeds are trivial.
"You'll face divine retribution!" the Blazing Fiery Apricot roared defiantly.
"Then that retribution is mine to claim."
"..."
You really are a bandit! You steal everything!
Powerless—whether hundred-thousand-year or ten-thousand-year—the plant soul beasts could only watch An Zhen browse among them, praying silently: Don't pick me.
An Zhen found his target.
An unremarkable jade-green herb. Three snow-white leaves at its center held glistening, dewdrop-like liquid.
Tears of Longing Dew.
He plucked it.
"Yutong, open wide."
The girl obediently parted her cherry lips.
Dew-like liquid dripped onto her tongue. The herb withered in seconds. Tiny seed-like particles fell into An Zhen's palm.
"Here." He tossed the seeds near the Fragrant Silk Blossom. "Plant these somewhere suitable."
"Huh? Oh." Youyou blinked, then complied. Violet light carried the seeds into the soil.
"Youyou!" The Blazing Fiery Apricot fumed. "Why are you obeying him?!"
(End of Chapter)