Actually, the current struggles of Shrek are having little effect, which is normal. After all, they are a group of old guys who have sat high on the "altar," detached from worldly power struggles for too long. They are pedantic and conservative, always fantasizing that Shrek Academy is a holy land of Douluo Planet and that all factions should naturally pay tribute.
But in reality, not everyone on this continent is a fanatic believer of Shrek; they have brains. This has led to the fact that Shrek Academy's method of handling this "public relations crisis" appears so foolish, even ridiculous.
These old elders went to various major factions, basically holding airs. Logically, as the "faulty party," they should lower their posture and show the sincerity of Shrek Academy. But how could the noble elders of the Sea God Pavilion do that? Instead, they were overbearing and bossy, which caused conflicts and friction with many factions.
They returned in anger, stroking their beards and staring.
Although Lu Cheng didn't know what medicine Mu En was selling in his gourd, to deal with potential future dangers, he still felt it necessary to give the Body Sect a strong dose of medicine.
"Our sect lacks top-tier combat power," Lu Cheng mused. "For example, a Limit Douluo."
Upon hearing this, Du Busi's old face flushed, and the heroic expression he had just displayed instantly turned somewhat awkward: "That… Xiao Cheng, it's not that this old man isn't trying; it's just that the barrier of the Limit Douluo is too hard to cross. I'm afraid I have no chance of condensing a second martial soul core in this lifetime."
The many elders around also sighed helplessly.
"Sect Master, to raise a problem is to solve it. Since I dare to speak of this, I surely have a solution," Lu Cheng said with a smile.
"Oh?" Du Busi looked a bit wilted. Although he didn't quite believe it in his heart, upon hearing Lu Cheng speak, out of trust for this precious disciple, he chose to listen patiently.
A few days ago, Du Busi announced that he was taking Lu Cheng as a disciple. This announcement was not about teaching, but rather more like an identity "certification," a deep binding of the relationship chain.
That is why Lu Cheng could become a second-generation disciple of the Body Sect and a junior brother to Senior Sister Wei Linger and the others.
"Master, do you know about Immortal Herbs?" Lu Cheng asked.
The voice was soft, but it was like dropping a bomb in the quiet courtyard.
It caused the surrounding elders to look up in unison, their gazes falling on Lu Cheng. Even Lang Ya, who was joking around with Senior Sister Wei Linger and had his arms crossed, trembled suddenly, looking at Lu Cheng in astonishment.
The last time an Immortal Herb appeared was ten thousand years ago, when the seven gods ascended to the God Realm together.
Unlike Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang, who claimed he cultivated a god—which was purely gilding his own face—the Immortal Herbs truly have the qualification to say this. They can improve aptitude and cultivation, possessing heaven-defying effects. For ten thousand years, countless peak powerhouses have deduced that while the former Shrek Seven Devils were strong, they were far from strong enough to become gods. Consuming immortal herbs was the most important turning point that started their ladder to godhood.
This shows the heaven-defying, fate-changing nature of Immortal Herbs.
"Good disciple, precious disciple… have you seen an Immortal Herb?!" Du Busi's voice trembled as he said, somewhat excitedly.
"My blood pupil can undergo a second awakening, not because I reached the limit of my potential, but because I consumed an immortal herb," Lu Cheng said with a light laugh.
Opening his palm, a crimson, soft, and scorching fire lotus slowly condensed and emerged, surrounded by flames.
"This is… an Immortal Herb? "
The rest of the elders all stood up and crowded around, their eyes filled with some amazement.
"Correct," Lu Cheng said with a smile.
Since he chose to join the Body Sect, resources should naturally be piled up there. All in! Increase the stakes! And the one with the fastest results is naturally the strongest of the Body Sect, Du Busi.
As long as Du Busi consumes an Immortal Herb and completes his martial soul advancement, he will inevitably be able to easily break through that final threshold and reach the realm of a Limit Douluo. This is what he needs most right now.
He needs a quiet environment to help him get through this period of "weakness." Once he returns to his peak in the simulator, that will be the time for the destruction of Shrek Academy.
And the Holy Spirit Cult—new and old accounts will be settled together.
Sunset Forest.
A group of people stood in mid-air, overlooking the large forest shrouded in poisonous miasma. Behind Lu Cheng, a pair of fire wings flapped slowly, his figure suspended in the air, positioned at the front. He looked around and nodded secretly.
It seems that group of immortal herbs listened to advice. Compared to the poisonous miasma that once engulfed most of the forest, the area had shrunk significantly now. The Seven Absolute Flowers of the Azure Phosphorus are also considered immortal herbs, and having existed for ten thousand years, it would be a pity to destroy them.
"Let's go."
Lu Cheng nodded slightly, stepped lightly, and with a flutter of his wings, dived headlong into the poisonous miasma below.
This scene startled Du Busi and the others, but immediately, the poisonous miasma that Lu Cheng touched seemed to have a life of its own, avoiding him on the sides. Clearly, Xiao Huo within his body was having an effect.
Du Busi and the others looked at each other and followed closely.
"Eh? Lu Cheng, Xiao Huo, you're back again?" Youyou said with a hint of surprise in her tone.
"Correct, this is my… elder. Youyou, do you have any immortal herbs suitable for him?"
"Hmm… he is a Super Douluo, right? Then he cannot be sacrificed. As long as it's not a hundred-thousand-year-level immortal herb, you can take whatever you want," Youyou said with a smile. The Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well has existed for ten thousand years. Hundred-thousand-year-level immortal herbs are not many, but they can also give birth to seeds and seedlings through self-propagation.
Therefore, there are actually quite a few Immortal Herbs of the same type.
"However… won't that guy in the sky be angry?" Youyou asked curiously.
"Who cares about him?" Xiao Huo transformed into a girl in red, playfully teasing Youyou's large petals, sitting on the latter's two green leaves, and swinging like a swing. In fact, having experienced the simulator, she knew Lu Cheng's ultimate goal: to rush to the God Realm and kill that so-called God King.
And also the guy who kept them penned here all those years ago.
As for what Lu Cheng wanted to do, she didn't care. She would only accompany Lu Cheng to be crazy together, to rush to the God Realm together. Even if they died, they would die together; isn't that romantic?
The bubbly Youyou was tickled until she couldn't straighten her waist, her flower stem even bending.
"This is… an Immortal Herb? "
Du Busi and the other elders were even more cautious, their eyes flashing with excitement.
"The Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid is more suitable for the third elder. Its medicinal properties are mild and mellow, having the effect of strengthening the foundation and expelling impurities from the body."
"The Strange Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum is a neutral immortal herb. Consuming it will circulate qi through the limbs, clear the eight extraordinary meridians, and forge an indestructible body. It is suitable for the master's body martial soul."
There were seven people on this trip. Apart from Du Busi, the other six upper elders were all gathered. Lu Cheng did not hesitate at all; these were all his biggest trump cards for the future, so everyone got an Immortal Herb.
As for the Immortal Herbs for Ning Tian, Wang Dong'er, and others, he would bring them back as well.
The current Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well is far wealthier than it was ten thousand years ago. The variety and quantity of immortal herbs are so abundant that it's no wonder even Tang San was reluctant to let go and had to keep them firmly in his own hands.
Since that's the case, he must ruthlessly fleece Tang San.
Lu Cheng ruthlessly squeezed Youyou.
He took away a total of nearly thirty Immortal Herbs of unspecified age.
The many elders of the Body Sect were eager to try. The moment they obtained the Immortal Herbs, they began to consume and absorb them according to Lu Cheng's introduction. Waves of violent or gentle soul power surged continuously inside the valley, and light cocoons wrapped them up, waiting for them to transform from cocoons into butterflies.
"I've been squeezed dry (sad)…" Youyou said sadly.
"For ten thousand years, the offspring flowers born from us big flowers have almost all been scavenged by you. It will take at least another ten thousand years to give birth to the same number of offspring flowers."
It's not that there are no other Immortal Herbs left.
But you have to know there are differences between immortal herbs.
Herbs like her, Xiao Huo, and the Eight-Cornered one are all first-sequence Immortal Herbs, and their amplification to the human body is heaven-defying. The other Immortal Herbs are far less precious and effective than the first sequence, so strictly speaking, they are just spiritual plants that were nourished by the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well to make up the numbers.
Now that Lu Cheng has raided them, he has taken away all the offspring of the top Immortal Herbs born over these ten thousand years.
"Hehe…" Lu Cheng smiled without saying a word.
What does this count as? His ultimate goal is the two dragon bones of the Ice and Fire Dragon Kings beneath this Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. It's just that even if he dug them out, he couldn't swallow them for the time being, so he didn't make a fuss.
Moreover, this area is the "back garden" of Tang Clan's Third Young Master. After completely breaking ties with Yan Shaozhe in this tournament, Tang San of the God Realm probably won't just watch; he will take action against him. Since that's the case, he will take the initiative and fleece his back garden clean.
Not to mention, the second simulation should also be put on the agenda.
Once Du Busi and the others finish absorbing the Immortal Herbs, he will have the confidence to safely conduct the simulation in the Body Sect.
Before Lu Cheng could muse further, whistling sounds came one after another.
First, the sixth elder, who had the shallowest cultivation but was also a ninety-five-level Super Douluo, broke out of his cocoon. A layer of pale golden luster radiated from his body, and he said excitedly, "Golden tier! My body's second awakening has actually advanced to the Golden tier!"
His soul power cultivation also increased by about one level.
Subsequently, the other five elders also broke out of their cocoons one after another.
Their soul power all increased by one level.
Thus, there were three at level ninety-six, two at level ninety-seven, and one at level ninety-eight. Not to mention that their body awakenings had all advanced from their original Silver tier to the current Golden tier; their combat power soared, which was terrifying. Moreover, the Immortal Herbs improved their entire aptitude, not just that one level of soul power.
In other words, all six of them now had the possibility of sprinting to the pinnacle of the continent.
The previously almost solidified bottleneck appeared with cracks again; it seemed that as long as they reached out, they could touch it.
The six people's attitude towards Lu Cheng was naturally even more joyful, and they were in a state of "the Holy Son is always right," following the "Holy Son's" lead.
And the final advancement of Du Busi to the Limit also triggered a vision of heaven and earth.
Buzz…
As the large dark green clouds dissipated, Du Busi's burly figure slowly emerged. The latter stepped lightly and appeared in front of Lu Cheng, the majesty of a Limit Douluo fully revealed. Even though he had just advanced to the Limit, his combat power was not inferior to Long Xiaoyao, who had stepped into the Limit for a hundred years.
Because while he consumed the Immortal Herb, he also evolved his own martial soul.
With his black robe fluttering behind him in the wind, Du Busi looked impassioned. He breathed out a breath of turbid air deeply and patted Lu Cheng on the shoulder: "Child, from now on, you are the sect master of the Body Sect."
Lu Cheng: "…"
The six upper elders: "…"
As expected of Du Busi, he is righteous; he gives away an entire sect just like that.
But Lu Cheng still smiled and shook his head to decline: "Master, let's wait until I advance to Title Douluo. It's still too early now."
"That's fine too." Du Busi felt some regret. He clenched his fists, feeling the soul power in his whole body surging like a vast ocean, and punched forward suddenly.
The mountain collapsed, and the earth trembled.
It was like an earth dragon tossing and turning.
"Pfft, pfft, pfft, you guys, are you crazy…" Youyou shook her body and said angrily, "It's fine if you take the Immortal Herbs, but you want to destroy this place too?"
"Hahahaha…" Du Busi's face was a little awkward, but his expression remained excited: "Now if I meet Elder Xuan again, I can crush him with one finger."
Lu Cheng shook his head helplessly.
He really has no ambition.
At the very least, he should compare himself with old-school limit combat powers like Long Xiaoyao or Kong Deming. An elder Xuan…
"Let's go back to the Sect."
Lu Cheng said with a calm look.
He left a soul tool communicator for Youyou, so if she encountered "danger," she could press the button. The Body Sect was still very close to the Sunset Forest, and he would send people to arrive.
As for what "danger" referred to, naturally, it only meant the forces of that sea god, Tang San.
He took away all the offspring immortal herbs; there was no guarantee that those guys wouldn't be angry out of shame.
Returning to the Sect.
The entire Shrek team, except for Ma Xiaotao, who had already taken an immortal herb, each received one.
Including Xiao Xiao and Ling Luochen.
The former was moved to tears; the little loli threw herself into Lu Cheng's arms and rubbed against him, her tears and snot flowing and staining Lu Cheng's clothes, but he just smiled and rubbed her head.
Being able to choose to follow him unswervingly under Yan Shaozhe's coercion and inducement, this Immortal Herb was worth it.
Ling Luochen was obviously surprised; after all, this was one of the only two possibilities for her to possess the Ultimate Ice attribute. Such a precious opportunity, and Lu Cheng gave it away without a second thought.
Stunned and shocked, after getting it, she kissed Lu Cheng shyly and left to absorb it.
Jiang Nannan and Tang Ya, the sister pair, both accepted it with smiles.
Lu Cheng also promised that in "a few days," he would go to Heaven Dou City and take Tang Ya to pay respects to her parents.
As for Ning Tian, she was dazed.
When an immortal herb symbolizing the ladder to godhood that her ancestors once walked appeared, and her Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda martial soul was about to reappear, Ning Tian's excitement was no less than others' and even more so.
Thus it ended.
Body Sect.
In his own courtyard.
Lu Cheng looked at the simulator panel.
Consuming the progress bar filled with a piece of Life Gold, he breathed out a breath of turbid air deeply.
Second simulation, start!