Wu Siduo successfully fused with the Ferocious Beast-level Qirong Tongtian Chrysanthemum. Sitting cross-legged by the scorching Yang Spring, she closed her eyes, refining the immense energy brought by the immortal herb.
A brilliant golden seed flew out from the soil where the Qirong Tongtian Chrysanthemum had once grown, landing directly in Jing Shaoyu's palm.
Seeing this, the Qiluo Tulip's eyes flashed with envy as it said, "Master, Amorous Douluo, and the remaining three young ladies, please follow me further."
They arrived at the central area of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well—more precisely, the boundary between the Yang Spring and the Yin Spring.
"Young lady who wields the sword," a Ferocious Beast eagerly rushed forward the moment they arrived, its eyes gleaming as it looked at Ye Xinglan. "You mentioned earlier that you wanted a spiritual treasure to enhance your Sword Intent, right? What a coincidence—I'm exactly that!"
"You are...?" Ye Xinglan stared blankly at the dark green Ferocious Beast before her, puzzled.
"Mo Mo, must you be so impatient?" The Qiluo Tulip said helplessly. "Are you really that eager to leave?"
"Of course!" The Ferocious Beast called Mo Mo retorted without hesitation. "Don't tell me you don't want to stay by the Master's side!"
"I..." The Qiluo Tulip immediately fell silent.
"Mo Mo, ignore him. He's just jealous of us." At that moment, another Ferocious Beast rushed forward, standing before Lan Fozi. "Young lady, you possess the Ultimate Water Martial Soul, while I embody Ultimate Ice. Choosing me will undoubtedly elevate your strength by leaps and bounds!"
"Xiao Bing, you're not allowed to leave either!" The Qiluo Tulip said angrily. "Your predecessor already ascended with the Spirit Ice Douluo. At least give the others a chance!"
"She is her, and I am me. Don't lump us together!" Xiao Bing immediately refuted. "Besides, is it really me denying them the opportunity? It's just that none of them are suitable for this young lady with the Ultimate Water Martial Soul."
The chaotic scene before him left Zang Xin utterly dumbfounded. These Ferocious Beast were practically tripping over themselves to promote their own merits—something he would never have dared to imagine.
"Enough!" Jing Shaoyu said sternly. Of course, he understood exactly what these Ferocious Beasts were thinking. Their enthusiasm was a good thing, but such disorderly behavior was simply too unruly. "All of you, quiet down! Speak one at a time!"
The Ferocious Beasts immediately fell silent at Jing Shaoyu's reprimand, too nervous to utter another word.
The Qiluo Tulip cautiously spoke up, "Master, the thing is, these three young ladies behind you happen to be perfectly compatible with some of us. That's why they're so excited. Please forgive our lack of composure."
"Mm, begin," Jing Shaoyu nodded.
Mo Mo said, "I am Mo Mo, a 160,000-year-old Ink Jade Divine Bamboo. Fusing with me can greatly enhance the resilience of your Martial Soul, significantly strengthen your physique, and most importantly—I can synergize with your sword energy!"
As the Ink Jade Divine Bamboo introduced itself, its gaze remained fixed on Ye Xinglan, filled with anticipation and nervousness.
Jing Shaoyu also looked at Ye Xinglan, his eyes flickering slightly as he awaited her decision.
Ye Xinglan naturally chose to accept. After all, there was no reason to refuse when a Ferocious Beast was eagerly offering to become her Soul Spirit—especially one that was such a perfect fit for her as an immortal herb Soul Beast. She replied, "Thank you for your recognition, Senior. However, I don't currently have a need for Soul Rings, so you'll have to wait for some time."
"No problem, no problem!" The Ink Jade Divine Bamboo was overjoyed upon hearing Ye Xinglan's choice, his smile practically frozen on his face. He said, "I can stay by the Master's side first. When you reach your bottleneck, we can fuse then—no rush, hehe!"
The mere thought of being able to stay near Jing Shaoyu filled the Ink Jade Divine Bamboo with indescribable excitement. That was the Lord of Nature! By His side, he was certain to achieve even greater progress!
Hearing this, Jing Shaoyu nodded and said, "That's acceptable."
Seeing Jing Shaoyu's approval, the Qiluo Tulip and the other six Ferocious Beasts immediately shot envious and jealous glances. Another Ferocious Beast couldn't wait to introduce itself.
"I am the Eight-Horned Xuanbing Grass, a companion spirit of the Extreme Yin Cold Spring, a top-tier ice-attribute immortal herb. Though I've only cultivated for 110,000 years, I've already survived one heavenly tribulation—I'm a genuine Ferocious Beast," Xiao Bing introduced itself to Jing Shaoyu and Lan Fozi, a hint of pride in its tone.
"Young lady with blue hair, you possess Ultimate Water. If you fuse with me, you'll immediately gain Ultimate Ice as well. Since ancient times, ice and water have been inseparable. With both Ultimate Water and Ultimate Ice, you'll undoubtedly go much further. I won't say you'll surpass the Spirit Ice Douluo, but matching her is absolutely within reach!"
It even painted a grand future for Lan Fozi, making Jing Shaoyu and Zang Xin roll their eyes involuntarily.
Lan Fozi, however, was thrilled, seemingly bewitched by the Eight-Horned Xuanbing Grass's words. Her face lit up with longing as she said, "Really? That sounds great! I'll give you this opportunity!"
"Wonderful!" The Eight-Horned Xuanbing Grass cheered immediately. "I see you don't need a Soul Ring right now either. How about I also stay by the Master's side first and wait until you reach your bottleneck before fusing? What do you think?"
Its ulterior motives were practically written all over its face.
"I don't think we need to go through all that trouble," Lan Fozi said, her eyes gleaming eagerly. "I've heard that the Eight-Horned Xuanbing Grass periodically condenses a drop of Extreme Cold Ice Dew, the essence of its frigid medicinal power.
"As a Ferocious Beast, you must have accumulated quite a lot of them, right? If you give them all to me, I can absorb them and likely break through in cultivation. Then we can fuse directly—simple as that! That way, we won't trouble Shaoyu-gege either."
"Uh..." The Eight-Horned Xuanbing Grass's expression instantly stiffened. It stared at Lan Fozi's greedy eyes, feeling an inexplicable surge of fear. It suddenly realized it might have made a terrible mistake.
"Hahaha, serves you right, Xiao Bing!" The other Ferocious Beasts behind it couldn't help but laugh at its failed scheme.
"I think it's a good idea," Jing Shaoyu agreed.
"Fine..." Seeing that the great Creator had already spoken, what else could the Eight-Horned Xuanbing Grass do? It had no choice but to comply.
Thus, the Eight-Horned Xuanbing Grass retrieved a pile of smooth, translucent crystalline orbs from the Cold Extreme Yin Spring. Each orb was the size of a date pit, emanating a chilling cold—these were the Extreme Cold Ice Dew.
The Eight-Horned Xuanbing Grass looked at the Extreme Cold Ice Dew it had painstakingly condensed, feeling deeply wronged. A trace of resentment toward Lan Fozi arose in its heart. Was it so wrong to want to spend more time with the Creator? Why the rush? These Extreme Cold Ice Dew would belong to her sooner or later—it wasn't going to hoard them!
Lan Fozi, however, paid no mind to such grievances. Ignoring the Eight-Horned Xuanbing Grass's aggrieved gaze, she directly gathered all the Extreme Cold Ice Dew into her hands and immediately sat cross-legged, beginning to absorb the pure energy.
"My turn, my turn!" one of the Ferocious Beasts spoke up. "I am the Dilong Golden Melon, cultivated for 190,000 years and about to undergo my second heavenly tribulation. Fusing with me will not only grant you a Ferocious Beast Soul Spirit—but an orange-ranked one at that!
I am a top-tier spiritual herb of the earth attribute, possessing the power to overturn the earth itself. Fusing with me will drastically increase your strength. Moreover, I can sense that you possess an extremely high-quality earth-attribute Soul Bone. If you fuse with me, that Soul Bone will surely be enhanced, and you will gain mastery over the power of the earth. What do you say?"
As the Dilong Golden Melon spoke, its eyes kept darting to Mo Hentian's expression, trying to gauge her reaction. Unfortunately, it was disappointed—Mo Hentian remained expressionless the entire time.
Truthfully, the Dilong Golden Melon was indeed well-suited for Mo Hentian, but it wasn't the only Ferocious Beast vying for her.
"Melon, you're not good-looking at all—totally unsuitable for a delicate girl like her! I'm the better fit!" Another Ferocious Beast appeared, shoving the Dilong Golden Melon aside and declaring righteously, "Little girl, isn't your second Martial Soul a mental-type? Hehe, so is mine!
I am the Looking Through Autumn Water Dew, having survived my first heavenly tribulation. Fusing with me will not only greatly enhance your spiritual power but also strengthen your eyes, granting you immunity to all illusions and charms!"
A conflicted expression appeared on Mo Hentian's small face. Being chosen by two Ferocious Beasts was both a blessing and a dilemma. Unable to decide, she instinctively looked toward Jing Shaoyu.
Jing Shaoyu said, "Follow your own heart. Of course, if you want both, that's also possible."
These plant-type Ferocious Beasts would be overjoyed to be chosen, as it meant they could stay by the Creator's side and bask in the favor of natural laws.
"Then I'll choose Senior Looking Through Autumn Water Dew," Mo Hentian said after a moment of contemplation, lifting her head.
Her Sky-Hate Hammer Martial Soul already had seven Soul Rings, while her Celestial Fox Martial Soul had yet to receive any. Now, with the Looking Through Autumn Water Dew, she could finally attach a Soul Ring to it.
"Wonderful! Little girl, rest assured—you won't regret choosing me!" The Looking Through Autumn Water Dew was ecstatic, cheering excitedly.
"Ah..." The Dilong Golden Melon, on the other hand, was dejected.
Mo Hentian also sat cross-legged and began fusing with the Looking Through Autumn Water Dew.
In the blink of an eye, among the seven who had entered, only Jing Shaoyu, Zang Xin, and Ye Xinglan remained standing.
"Master, didn't Amorous Douluo mention you had another companion who couldn't make it? Please choose on her behalf—any of us four would be suitable," the Qiluo Tulip quickly approached Jing Shaoyu with an ingratiating smile.
"Master, choose me," the remaining three Ferocious Beasts also crowded forward, with the red-clad woman at the forefront eagerly saying, "I am the Fierce Flame Apricot Enchantress, a top-tier fire-attribute Immortal Herb born from the scorching Yang Spring, and the strongest in combat among us. Any Soul Master who fuses with me will gain control over fire elements while enhancing all their abilities."
"Master, pick me," the Hunyuan Immortal Herb immediately chimed in. "Our lineage has no other abilities except to boost Soul Power, refine cultivation, condense Soul Power, and compress Soul Cores. Any Soul Master who fuses with me won't need other Immortal Herbs—with my Primal Chaos Qi, all external energies can be perfectly absorbed!"
"And me, and me!" the Dilong Golden Melon chimed in. "Master, you already know my abilities. Fusing with me will greatly enhance physical strength and power!"
"Master, actually, I can too," the Qiluo Tulip, seeing her companions promoting themselves so vigorously, couldn't stay idle either. "I, the Qiluo Tulip, am the King of Immortal Herbs! Not only can I command all natural treasures, but I also emit fragrances that neutralize poisons, alter auras, and suppress plant-type Soul Beasts! Most importantly, I'm the only one among us who has survived the second heavenly tribulation—my cultivation is the strongest!"
Jing Shaoyu listened to the self-promotion of the four Ferocious Beasts with a thoughtful expression, while Zang Xin and Ye Xinglan beside him also seemed deep in contemplation.
"From a Martial Soul perspective, the Dilong Golden Melon is undoubtedly the best fit for Na'er," Ye Xinglan said. "Na'er has dragon bloodline, and this Dilong Golden Melon is also a dragon-vein creature. Its combat-oriented abilities perfectly suit Na'er's role as a power attacker."
"Exactly, exactly!" The Dilong Golden Melon eagerly seized the opportunity. "Little Xinglan is absolutely right! We Dilong Golden Melons possess true earth-dragon bloodline. If the fuser also has dragon lineage, it can even elevate their bloodline!"
"I think the Fierce Flame Apricot Enchantress is also a good choice," Zang Xin offered his opinion. "As an extreme-fire entity with formidable combat power, fusing with Na'er should yield excellent results."
"Amorous Douluo speaks wisely!" The Fierce Flame Apricot Enchantress brightened. "My combat prowess is universally acknowledged—even Spirit Ice Douluo was once taught a lesson by me! If you want to enhance fighting strength, choosing me is guaranteed to be right!"
Both Ye Xinglan and Zang Xin's suggestions were reasonable, but they were based on Na'er's previous circumstances and held no relevance for her current state. The present Na'er didn't need these flashy abilities.
Thus, Jing Shaoyu had already made his decision.
"Your suggestions are all excellent, but if Na'er were to choose herself, she would most likely pick the Hunyuan Immortal Herb," Jing Shaoyu said with a smile.
"Is it me? Is it really me?" The Hunyuan Immortal Herb was so stunned by this sudden delight that it seemed dazed, shaking the Qiluo Tulip's shoulders beside it, its eyes radiating indescribable excitement.
"Sigh!" The Fierce Flame Apricot Enchantress and Dilong Golden Melon exchanged glances, letting out a helpless sigh in unison.
Qiluo Tulip was the one who wanted to cry the most. From start to finish, he hadn't even been considered—this was truly too disrespectful to a flower.
"Great Master, do you have any other family or companions in need of immortal herbs? Or perhaps… do you yourself not require any?" He looked at Jing Shaoyu with hopeful eyes as he spoke.
"I've already chosen six immortal herbs. Can I still pick more?" Jing Shaoyu couldn't help but laugh at Qiluo Tulip's expression.
"No problem, no problem!" Qiluo Tulip waved his hands repeatedly. "It is our honor to serve the great Creator. Even if you were to take all of us away, we would gladly agree, right, everyone?"
"Right, right, right!" The Fierce Flame Apricot Enchantress and Dilong Golden Melon immediately chimed in support.
"This doesn't make sense, Brother Luo. Your sudden shift from reluctance to reverence is downright laughable!" Zang Xin had reached the peak of speechlessness. "Didn't you say earlier that for the sake of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well's ecological balance, you couldn't leave in large numbers? How come now you're all willing to follow Shaoyu away?"
Qiluo Tulip wasn't the least bit angered by Zang Xin's sarcasm. Instead, he declared righteously, "To serve the Great Master, we are willing to sacrifice everything—even the environment of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well! Besides, with the Great Master here, he is the best ecological balance for the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well!"
Zang Xin had nothing left to say.
"Hmm, not bad." Jing Shaoyu stroked his chin, eyes gleaming as he nodded in approval.
(End of Chapter)