After the laughter died down, Dugu Bo fell silent for a moment, then began justifying his years of hard work:
"Who says I don't recognize it? I recognize quite a few of them!"
"You saw that purple, fluffy chrysanthemum with the golden pistil, right?"
"I did. It seems to be of the same grade as the two herbs I ate."
There weren't many chrysanthemums in the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well, so as soon as Dugu Bo mentioned it, Fang Ling instantly recalled it.
Seeing the flash of contemplation in Fang Ling's eyes followed by clarity, Dugu Bo knew he had made the connection and proudly declared:
"That plant is called the Qirong Tongtian Chrysanthemum, it's an immortal herb!"
"Immortal herb? So, these incredibly rare medicinal plants should be classified as immortal herbs?" Fang Ling followed his lead.
"Hmph… exactly."
In truth, Dugu Bo wasn't entirely sure.
He had heard the term from Chrysanthemum Douluo Yueguan.
He hadn't given it much thought before, but after Fang Ling brought it up and he reflected on it, he realized it actually made a lot of sense.
Was it possible these herbs should really be called immortal herbs?
Fang Ling didn't expose his uncertainty and simply smiled, asking, "Senior, do you know what this immortal herb does?"
"Haha, of course I do." Dugu Bo could more or less guess.
"That immortal herb…" He naturally adjusted his wording.
"Yueguan from the Spirit Hall, also known as Chrysanthemum Douluo, is an old rival of mine. We've fought many times, and his spirit is exactly that same kind of chrysanthemum."
"I don't know the precise effects, but based on Yueguan's cultivation path, I'd say it's suited for power-attack type Soul Masters. For someone like me, a control-type Poison Title Douluo, it's of little use. It can't even neutralize poison, so I just left it there."
In reality, he also didn't know how to consume it properly.
Still, in front of Fang Ling, he had to maintain the confident and composed image of a Title Douluo.
"If your detoxification method works, I wouldn't mind letting you have it."
Dugu Bo made a casual promise.
The subtext was clear, if Fang Ling could truly detoxify, he'd earn something valuable.
If not, what good was he?
"Then I'll thank you in advance, Senior," Fang Ling said, catching the implied meaning.
But he was confident in his method, so he merely smiled.
The Qirong Tongtian Chrysanthemum was actually quite useful.
It was the immortal herb that Dai Mubai consumed, supposedly allowing him to cultivate an indestructible body.
That wasn't what Fang Ling cared about. So-called indestructibility probably referred to a tempered body akin to the Ice and Fire Body Refinement.
He only remembered one description, it could open the Eight Meridians.
That likely had a close connection to smoother energy flow within the meridians. If consumed, it might grant an ability that enhanced soul power circulation speed.
Not only could his soul power see a significant boost, but his soul skill release speed would also increase, eventually allowing for true instant casting.
At that point, Zhuqing could consume another similar immortal herb: the Water Immortal Jade Muscle Bone.
That was the one she took in the original story.
It would greatly benefit their Spirit Fusion Technique.
"Besides that, Senior, do you know of any others?" Fang Ling asked hopefully.
Dugu Bo remained silent.
If he knew more, there'd be no need for Fang Ling to experiment.
After a moment, Dugu Bo slowly explained:
"This is a serious matter, extremely precious. I can only investigate quietly, not openly."
"In the Soul Master world, people keep their treasures close. Who would easily share such secrets?"
"Take Chrysanthemum Douluo, for example, his spirit is exactly that, but would I dare ask him about it?"
"The Po family? I remember hearing about that clan's powerful medicines back when I was still a beggar," Fang Ling probed.
"I'm a guest elder of the Heaven Dou Imperial Family. How could I run off to Star Luo on my own?" Dugu Bo countered.
"Besides, that clan used to be affiliated with the Clear Sky Sect, and now they're entangled with the Spirit Hall. I don't want to get mixed up in that mess. If I get exposed, I'll lose everything."
His reasons were sound.
After all, Dugu Bo was the weakest of the Title Douluo and couldn't defeat most others.
Plus, he was poisoned and had to rely on the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well to suppress the toxins. It was his lifeline.
He'd rather take it slow than act rashly.
Contacting the Po family under the Spirit Hall's watchful eyes was too risky.
Fang Ling quickly made up his mind and said thoughtfully, "Let me try when I get back."
"You?" Dugu Bo raised an eyebrow. "You should know that the information here is very valuable. Not a word of it can be leaked."
"You ate the Ice and Fire Double Herb and gained immunity to fire, ice, and poison. Your talent must've improved significantly, maybe by a lot. If others find out, I could be implicated."
"Don't worry, Senior. I started as a beggar, and I know well the danger of having treasures. I've always been cautious," Fang Ling said calmly.
Immortal herbs originated from the Douluo Continent, could it be that only Yueguan, the Po family, and Tang San knew about them?
Fang Ling thought hard. That couldn't be the case.
"I want to ask: how long has the Nine-Heart Begonia Leaf family existed?"
"At least several hundred years. Why are you asking this?" Dugu Bo's green eyes flashed.
He had thought about the Leaf family before but was afraid that their famed medical experts would discover something about him, so he dared not approach them.
But this kid was different.
Fang Ling smiled. "You see, I'm very close with Lingling. The Nine-Heart Begonia Leaf family has practiced medicine for generations. Maybe they've passed down some relevant knowledge."
"If you publicly claim I'm your disciple, I'll have the status to marry Lingling. At that point, I might uncover something."
He spoke sincerely, his eyes firm, as though his true motive was to learn more about the immortal herbs.
The Nine-Heart Begonia is a rare spirit passed down through a single bloodline, making it a true medical lineage.
They had earned the world's respect through their skill and legacy.
Wouldn't they also want to solve the issue of their martial spirit?
Fang Ling guessed they must.
And when it came to martial spirits, aside from spirit rings, the most direct way to improve them was through immortal herbs, so they likely had relevant records.
If the Po family, known for their weapons, could study medicine, then surely the healing-focused Nine-Heart Begonia family would be even more knowledgeable.
Dugu Bo saw through him instantly:
"What a clever little guy. So your real goal is to gain a proper identity to match Leaf Lingling?"
"That's your true intention, isn't it?" he said teasingly.
Fang Ling's eyes sparkled with mischief. "You truly have sharp eyes, Senior. Then may I ask for a straight answer?"
"If some immortal herbs can affect the body, then surely others can affect martial spirits. Senior, is the evolution of your Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor replicable?"
"Don't you want Sister Yanyan's martial spirit to evolve too?"
This was an open conspiracy.
Dugu Bo's love for his daughter, and his recognition of the value of the immortal herbs Fang Ling had, made him take this proposal seriously.
To quietly obtain the Leaf family's potential knowledge about immortal herbs, he would definitely take Fang Ling as a disciple.
No matter if their cultivation paths aligned, he was the only wandering Title Douluo in the world.
A mere two-ring Soul Master who started as a beggar, becoming a disciple of a Title Douluo, others would see that as an incredible stroke of fortune.
And with that status, Fang Ling would be worthy of Leaf Lingling.
"The Leaf family's situation is special. With your significantly improved talent, you can barely qualify as my disciple. That way, it will be a good match."
Dugu Bo proudly accepted.
So what if it was an open conspiracy?
If it meant getting information on the names and effects of immortal herbs, he would welcome even more of them!
"But I've heard you like more than just Leaf Lingling. Who else? And does that girl know?"
If you want to read 40 advanced chapters and 3 new chapters daily, please subscribe to my : patreon.com/Moorowkeel