Chapter 16 – The Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower
Liu Erlong's mother, it seemed, had suffered severe internal damage to her life force when she was young. As long as that vitality could be replenished, her illness could still be cured.
Fortunately, Qi Tian knew of a place that contained countless rare and miraculous herbs capable of restoring one's very foundation—the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
Qi Tian told Liu Erlong that he was going out to gather medicinal herbs and asked if there was anyone trustworthy who could look after her mother for a while.
"Old Madam Li next door is a kind person," Liu Erlong replied. "You can ask her for help."
Qi Tian immediately went next door and found Auntie Li. Though she was older than Liu Erlong's mother, she actually looked healthier and younger.
"Auntie Li," Qi Tian said sincerely, "I need to leave for a couple of days. Could you please take care of my mother while I'm gone?"
Auntie Li hesitated—not because she was unkind, but because Liu Erlong's mother was seriously ill. If anything went wrong, the neighbors would gossip and blame her.
Sensing her hesitation, Qi Tian reached into Liu Erlong's money pouch and pulled out two Silver Soul Coins, placing them firmly in Auntie Li's hands.
"Auntie Li, please—help me this once. When I return, I'll make sure you're properly rewarded."
The amount startled her. Two Silver Soul Coins were a generous sum for a common villager. As expected of a soul master, he truly spent money lavishly.
"Alright, little Liu, don't you worry," Auntie Li said, patting her chest confidently. "With me here, your mother will be well taken care of!"
Only after hearing that did Qi Tian relax. He packed a few essentials and hurried toward the Sunset Forest.
Liu Erlong's home was in a small village just outside Heaven Dou City, not too far from the forest. After traveling for about an hour, Qi Tian reached the outskirts of the Sunset Forest.
"The Sunset Forest? Why are you coming here?" Liu Erlong's voice sounded surprised inside his mind. "You're not planning to hunt soul beasts and absorb a soul ring, are you?"
"I'm already at Rank 40. If I advance to Soul Ancestor by absorbing a new ring, I'll lose the Spirit Hall's subsidy!" she exclaimed nervously. "Without that stipend, how am I supposed to pay for Mother's medicine?"
Indeed, after breaking through Rank 40, she could have applied to join the Heaven Dou Empire and become a noble. But the bureaucratic process would take too long, time her mother didn't have. So, she had been deliberately suppressing her cultivation to keep receiving the hundred-gold-soul-coin subsidy from Spirit Hall.
"Relax," Qi Tian reassured her with a smile. "I'm not here to hunt soul beasts."
Having visited the forest once before, Qi Tian already knew the safest route through.
Half a day later, he reached the valley at the heart of the Sunset Forest—
The hidden place where the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well lies.
Drawing on his previous experience, Qi Tian immediately activated his martial soul. His body glowed crimson as he transformed into a Fire Dragon and soared into the sky, landing on a cliff that overlooked the twin springs of extreme cold and heat.
The air was thick with mist and elemental energy. Within the toxic vapors, numerous rare herbs—both medicinal and poisonous—thrived in perfect balance.
"So many spirit herbs…?" Liu Erlong gasped in awe.
Having long helped her mother brew medicine, she was well-versed in herbology. She recognized several plants that would be priceless treasures in the outside world—some over a thousand years old, others even older.
Qi Tian didn't act greedily. He only picked a few herbs that replenished vitality and strengthened the body before stopping.
Just as he was about to leave, a glimmer of crimson caught his eye.
It was a fiery red plant whose leaves resembled a rooster's comb, radiating waves of gentle heat and vitality.
"The Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower…" Qi Tian murmured. "If Liu Erlong eats this, I wonder if its energy will also feed back into me."
The last time he'd used Bibi Dong's body to consume the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass, Infernal Delicate Apricot, and Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew, part of their spiritual and soul power had reflected into his true body. Perhaps this time would be the same.
With that thought, he carefully harvested the Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower, planning to have Liu Erlong ingest it later.
Glancing toward the center of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, he noticed that both the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and Fiery Apricot were nearly depleted, leaving behind only a few roots.
"So this world really is a parallel version of the one where Bibi Dong exists," Qi Tian mused.
After collecting what he needed, he didn't linger—staying too long could lead to poisoning from the opposing cold and fire energies.
By nightfall, Qi Tian had returned to Liu Family Village. Fortunately, Liu Erlong's mother's condition had not worsened.
Liu Erlong's mother's decision to settle her final affairs that day left both Liu Erlong and Qi Tian deeply unsettled. Neither dared delay any longer.
After sending Auntie Li home, Qi Tian took out a thousand-year spirit ginseng. He gently squeezed out a single drop of its essence and fed it to Liu Erlong's mother.
As the medicinal power spread through her body, color returned to the old woman's pale cheeks almost instantly.
Qi Tian finally let out a sigh of relief. He then instructed Liu Erlong,
"Have her take one drop of this ginseng essence and a small piece of its root each day. It will steadily replenish her vitality."
"Thank you…" Liu Erlong's voice trembled slightly. "But as I said before—if you can cure my mother, my body will be yours from now on. Could you please use it to take care of her for me?"
There wasn't a trace of hesitation in her tone. For her, exchanging her body for her mother's health was a trade she'd gladly make.
"Who said I wanted your body?" Qi Tian replied helplessly.
"Tomorrow, I'll return it to you. For now, is there somewhere safe where I can cultivate using your body?"
"There is! There is!" Liu Erlong answered quickly, her voice filled with relief—she was going to live after all. She hurriedly guided Qi Tian to the cellar beneath her home.
Because of her mother's illness, the cellar was mostly empty, barren, and cold.
Qi Tian stepped inside, preparing to consume the Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower.
But just as he was about to, a thought struck him. If he ingested it now, the burning medicinal energy would likely scorch Liu Erlong's clothes. Given her poor situation, that would only burden her further.
"…I really am too considerate," he muttered with a faint, wry smile.
Qi Tian carefully removed Liu Erlong's outer garments to prevent them from being destroyed by the fiery energy. Though Liu Erlong was younger than Bibi Dong, her figure was striking—full and curvaceous, yet with the firm, taut tone of a warrior's body.
"W–what are you doing?" Liu Erlong's voice quivered with embarrassment inside his mind.
Though she couldn't move her body, she could still feel everything—every brush of his fingertips against her skin. It was an unfamiliar and confusing sensation, but she didn't resist.
After all, this man had saved her mother's life. Whatever he did, she wouldn't stop him.
"Nothing." Qi Tian drew his hand back, forcing himself to stay calm. He had only been curious, nothing more.
He didn't dare let his mind wander further. If he lost control and fell into temptation, it could lead him down a dangerous path of indulgence.
Focus, he told himself. 'Power comes first. Once my cultivation reaches its peak, what kind of beauty would I not have?'
Liu Erlong, sensing his restraint, felt an unexpected tinge of disappointment.
Qi Tian then took out the fiery red Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower, placed it into his mouth, and swallowed it whole.
In an instant, an overwhelming wave of fire-element energy erupted within the body. Qi Tian immediately began to circulate his soul power, using the Fire Dragon Martial Soul to channel and refine that explosive force.
Flames burst from his skin, and his martial soul began to transform under the intense energy.
Unfortunately, Liu Erlong had not yet obtained her fourth soul ring. Her cultivation was stuck at the peak of the fortieth rank, unable to break through. The accumulated energy could only be stored within her body for now—waiting for the day she absorbed her next ring to fully unleash it.
Unaware of the passage of time, Qi Tian sank into a deep meditative state, slowly refining the Sunflower's boundless medicinal essence.
——
At dawn the next morning, Qi Tian awoke in his dorm at Nuoding Academy.
A surge of powerful soul energy rippled through his body—the result of the feedback from Liu Erlong's cultivation.
His soul power had soared from Rank 2 all the way to Rank 7 overnight.
However, the evolutionary effect of the Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower—its ability to enhance one's martial soul—had not transferred over to his true body.
Even so, Qi Tian smiled faintly.
Every step forward was progress—and this was only the beginning.
——
End of Chapter