"What is this? A tonic?" Zhu Zhuqing asked doubtfully, looking at the herb in front of her.
Lu Feng said seriously, "This herb is called the Yearning Heartbroken Red. It is the finest of all Immortal Herbs. Consuming it will transform the body completely. I conservatively estimate it can increase soul power by at least ten levels at the Soul Elder stage."
"Ten levels of soul power!" Hearing this, Zhu Zhuqing immediately exclaimed.
Immediately, her eyes flickered, and she asked doubtfully, "Is this how your soul power advanced so rapidly? Didn't you always say you were treading on thin ice?"
"Ahem." Lu Feng coughed lightly and said righteously, "To find this item, I exhausted my schemes and even put myself at risk. Isn't this the result of my hard work?"
Zhu Zhuqing rolled her eyes at him but didn't say anything more.
"So what should I do now?" Zhu Zhuqing asked.
Lu Feng said solemnly, "This flower is extraordinary; it chooses its master. When picking it, spit a mouthful of blood onto the petals, and think in your heart..."
With a soft 'pfft', before Lu Feng could finish speaking, Zhu Zhuqing bit her lip and sprayed a mouthful of fresh blood onto the petals.
The Yearning Heartbroken Red didn't even waver. It quietly detached from the Uriel Rock and fell into a slender, jade-like hand.
"Is... is that it?" Zhu Zhuqing held up the flower in her hand and shook it.
"Uh... theoretically speaking, yes." Lu Feng said, slightly surprised.
He winked at Zhu Zhuqing and asked curiously, "Zhuqing, what were you thinking about when you picked the flower just now?"
Hearing this, Zhu Zhuqing's pretty face turned red. In that moment just now, for some reason, Lu Feng's smile had suddenly appeared in her mind.
"Hmph, I'm not telling you." Zhu Zhuqing turned her head away, not daring to look at Lu Feng.
Lu Feng smiled slightly and gently stroked her head. "This flower is pure and solitary; it cannot be taken with any supplementary medicine. Just pick the petals and eat them, then immediately begin cultivating on the spot to dissolve the medicinal power and break through your bottleneck."
Zhu Zhuqing lowered her head, her fingertips gently stroking the petals. "I can feel its emotions. It seems to be cheering for me. If not for the imperial competition, I would really want to keep it by my side forever."
She plucked a petal and put it in her mouth.
A strange scene occurred. The moment the petal touched her lips, it instantly melted into juice and flowed into her mouth.
As the petals turned into juice and flowed into her body one by one, a faint golden-red light began to appear around her body.
Zhu Zhuqing's body, like a whale swallowing water, frantically absorbed the soul power in the air.
"Whoosh!"
A breeze actually stirred within the sealed room.
As time passed, the golden-red light within Zhu Zhuqing's body became increasingly brilliant, and vast waves of life energy were constantly generated within her.
At the same time, her aura was growing visibly.
Level 39.
Level 40.
Early morning, a ray of sunlight shone into the room.
"Achoo."
Lu Feng rubbed his nose and sneezed. He slowly opened his eyes and saw Zhu Zhuqing squatting beside him, teasing his eyelashes with her hair.
Lu Feng sat up and asked doubtfully, "Eh, why did I fall asleep? Zhuqing, you didn't do anything untoward to me, did you?"
Zhu Zhuqing glared at him irritably. "Hmph, who would want you?"
"Hehe." Lu Feng chuckled. "Zhuqing, how do you feel now? How much has your soul power increased?"
Hearing this, excitement burned in Zhu Zhuqing's eyes like fire. "It's truly amazing. I actually broke through level 40 directly. After I absorb my fourth soul ring, I think my soul power can still surge by a large margin."
"Mhm." Lu Feng nodded.
He was just about to say something when Zhu Zhuqing suddenly threw herself at him.
"Smack." Zhu Zhuqing wrapped her arms around Lu Feng's neck, leaned forward, and planted a heavy kiss on his cheek.
"Lu Feng, really... thank you so much." Her voice trembled slightly, carrying an irrepressible sob.
As her words fell, she buried her head gently into Lu Feng's solid chest, her shoulders shaking slightly as she sobbed softly.
For a long time, Zhu Zhuqing had been under immense pressure. In the dead of night, she often woke up from nightmares.
Zhu Zhuqing didn't know what her ending would be. She could only numb herself with cultivation.
But even if she cultivated day and night, the gap in talent and age was like a chasm, difficult for her to cross.
But now, she finally saw the dawn.
The corners of Lu Feng's mouth tilted up, holding a gentle smile. "Zhuqing, sending me off with just this gift, isn't that a bit too 'stingy'?"
Saying this, he slowly extended his hand, his index finger gently lifting Zhu Zhuqing's chin.
In an instant, an exquisite face stained with tears like a pear blossom bathed in rain came into view. Her skin was as fine as jade, and the tears sliding down her cheeks added a touching charm.
Zhu Zhuqing raised her eyes, her heartbeat accelerating sharply. Her eyes still held undried tears, but in this gaze, a different kind of shyness welled up.
The air seemed to freeze in this instant, their breathing intertwining.
Lu Feng's gaze slowly moved down, landing on Zhu Zhuqing's slightly trembling lips. He involuntarily lowered his head, inching closer. The distance between them shrank until they could feel each other's warm breath.
Just as their lips were about to touch, Zhu Zhuqing suddenly closed her eyes. Her long eyelashes trembled slightly, nervous, yet seemingly expectant.
Lu Feng's lips gently covered hers. At first, it was a light touch like a dragonfly skimming the water, then gradually deepened.
"Mmm..."
Sunset Forest, by a cliff.
Claw marks crisscrossed the ground, and the soil was violently overturned. On the cliff face, three two-foot-deep gouges were shocking to behold.
A white wolf, over five meters long, lay on the ground. Blood gushed from a wound in its abdomen, staining the ground red.
Zhu Zhuqing sat cross-legged to the side, soul power circulating, guiding the soul ring for absorption.
After a long time, she slowly opened her eyes and said excitedly, "Lu Feng, I succeeded. Your theory was correct. This Howling Moon Wolf's soul skill really does have a stacking effect."
Lu Feng nodded and said indifferently, "Good luck. What is your soul skill's effect?"
Zhu Zhuqing's face was flushed red, clearly still immersed in the joy of her own soul skill.
She took a deep breath and slowly said, "My fourth soul skill is a self-buffing skill. Using it increases my attack, defense, speed, and spiritual power by 50% across the board, lasting for at least an hour."
"And, I can use the fourth soul skill twice simultaneously without any side effects," Zhu Zhuqing said excitedly.
Hearing this, the corners of Lu Feng's mouth tilted up slightly. The effect of Zhu Zhuqing's soul skill was much stronger than that dog-headed Soul Master's back then.
The battle with the dog-headed man was arguably Lu Feng's most difficult fight.
The dog-headed Soul Master's stacked use of his fourth soul skill had left a deep impression on Lu Feng. In the Heaven Dou Imperial Library, Lu Feng had looked up a large amount of information and finally reached a conclusion.
The dog-headed man's fourth soul ring should have come from a Howling Moon Wolf.
"Not bad." Lu Feng gently patted Zhu Zhuqing's head. "The characteristic of your fourth soul skill counts as a trump card. Don't expose it easily."
"Mhm." Zhu Zhuqing nodded heavily, her face unable to hide her excitement. "My current soul power has already reached level 45! That herb truly deserves the name of Immortal Herb."
Immediately, Zhu Zhuqing frowned and said, "Lu Feng, how should I explain this to everyone when I go back? Should I just say I absorbed a soul bone?"
If she only had level 41 soul power, Zhu Zhuqing could have glossed over it. But an increase of seven levels overnight... if she hadn't experienced it herself, she wouldn't have believed it.
At the same time, this highlighted the preciousness of the Immortal Herb even more.
Zhu Zhuqing was unwilling to expose such a treasure; that would simply be asking for trouble.
Lu Feng chuckled lightly, a cunning smile on his lips. "Zhuqing, there's no need to hide the name of the Immortal Herb. Just say your subordinates found it."
"Oh? What scheme are you hatching now?" Zhu Zhuqing asked doubtfully.
Zhu Zhuqing had been with Lu Feng for so long that she understood his nature very well. Whenever he made this expression, it meant he was planning to mess with someone.