For the moment, Grand Elder Qian Daoliu's thoughts could be set aside.
The instant he learned that spirit rings possessed the ability to store soul power, he no longer had the slightest interest in anything else.
Without wasting even a second, he immediately sat down cross-legged and began activating the new function within his spirit rings.
The temptation was simply too great.
A doubling of one's total soul power reserve.
Perhaps even more.
For a soul master of his level, such an improvement was almost unimaginable.
Seeing the Grand Elder begin cultivating, Dugu Bo and Lin Lang exchanged glances.
After a brief moment of thought, they came to the same conclusion.
The immortal herbs weren't going anywhere.
There was no need to rush.
Increasing their soul power reserves first was clearly the better choice.
Soon, both men sat down as well and entered a meditative state.
For a while, the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well became strangely quiet.
The only person still standing was Yu Xiaogang.
His gaze swept across the valley.
Colorful immortal herbs grew everywhere, filling the area with rich medicinal fragrances and dense heaven-and-earth energy.
The sight was breathtaking.
Yu Xiaogang couldn't help but smile.
Compared to Qian Daoliu and the others, he possessed only a few spirit rings.
Even if he wanted to activate the soul power storage function, it wouldn't take long.
Because of that, he was far more interested in another matter.
Choosing an immortal herb.
Walking slowly among the plants, he carefully examined each one.
The current Yu Xiaogang was no longer the useless waste that everyone had mocked in the past.
The transformation brought by his first three spirit rings had fundamentally changed him.
His martial spirit had evolved.
His aptitude had improved dramatically.
His cultivation speed was no longer inferior to true geniuses.
If someone possessed a device capable of measuring innate soul power, Yu Xiaogang was confident that his talent would now be at least Rank Eight.
Perhaps even higher.
In truth, he believed Full Innate Soul Power would be a more accurate assessment.
"My talent has already changed."
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"In that case, herbs focused purely on increasing aptitude can be excluded."
His gaze landed upon the Nine-Grade Purple Ganoderma.
It was undoubtedly an incredible treasure.
An immortal herb capable of strengthening foundations and improving talent.
Countless soul masters would dream of obtaining such a treasure.
Yet Yu Xiaogang shook his head.
There was no doubt that talent was important.
After all, nobody in the world would ever complain about having too much talent.
The stronger one's talent, the easier cultivation became.
However, immortal herbs had a limitation.
The first one produced the greatest effect.
Subsequent herbs of a similar type would yield diminishing returns.
Because of that, Yu Xiaogang didn't want to waste his opportunity on something that overlapped with benefits he had already obtained.
If possible, he wanted an immortal herb that could grant him something entirely new.
Something unique.
His eyes moved elsewhere.
Soon, they landed on another treasure.
The Autumn Dew Chrysanthemum.
A smile appeared on his face.
This immortal herb was famous for enhancing spiritual power.
Of course, the so-called "Fiery Eyes of Truth" described in legends was an exaggeration.
The real benefit was a tremendous increase in mental strength.
For Yu Xiaogang, this was highly attractive.
Strong spiritual power meant better control over soul skills.
It also increased resistance against illusion-type abilities.
Most importantly, it would make absorbing future spirit rings much easier.
The stronger his mental strength became, the higher the spirit ring age he could safely absorb.
That alone made the herb incredibly valuable.
Still, it wasn't enough to make a final decision.
Continuing onward, Yu Xiaogang soon arrived before another famous immortal herb.
The Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum.
The moment he saw it, his eyes brightened.
This herb specialized in strengthening the body.
And nobody understood the importance of physical strength better than Yu Xiaogang.
Throughout his cultivation journey, every major breakthrough had been supported by improvements to his physique.
Without the enhancement provided by Whale Glue, he never would have achieved his current spirit ring configuration.
His body simply wouldn't have endured it.
The Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum offered an even greater enhancement.
Compared to it, Whale Glue seemed almost insignificant.
If he consumed this herb, his physical capabilities would undoubtedly increase dramatically.
His future cultivation path would become much smoother.
But even then, Yu Xiaogang hesitated.
Because there were still two herbs he valued even more.
At the very center of the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well grew two legendary treasures.
The Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass.
And the Infernal Delicate Apricot.
One represented ultimate ice.
The other represented ultimate fire.
Individually, each was a deadly poison.
Even titled Douluo-level experts would perish after consuming them alone.
Yet when consumed together, their opposing properties perfectly canceled each other out.
Not only would they become harmless—
They would instead forge an unparalleled physique.
A body immune to both ice and fire.
A body capable of surviving within the extreme environments surrounding the Yin-Yang Well.
Yu Xiaogang's eyes flickered.
This wasn't simply a matter of improving his statistics.
This was acquiring an entirely new ability.
An entirely new mechanic.
The value was immeasurable.
Because of that, these two immortal herbs occupied the highest position on his list.
Still...
There remained one final treasure.
One that even Yue Guan had repeatedly emphasized during his explanations.
The king among immortal herbs.
The Yearning Heartbroken Red.
The moment Yu Xiaogang thought about it, his expression became strange.
Unlike other immortal herbs, the Yearning Heartbroken Red couldn't simply be harvested and consumed.
No.
First, it had to acknowledge its owner.
Without recognition, attempting to consume it would result in a devastating backlash.
As for obtaining recognition...
The requirements were absurd.
One had to possess a genuine lover.
More importantly, their feelings had to be completely sincere.
Not the slightest trace of deception could exist.
Only then could the flower bloom for them.
Thinking about it, Yu Xiaogang couldn't help but sigh.
"Who would have thought that even consuming a treasure of heaven and earth requires an examination of one's love life?"
The concept was ridiculous.
At the same time, it was fascinating.
He could already imagine the chaos that would occur if a seemingly devoted couple arrived before the flower only to fail the test.
The resulting drama would likely be unforgettable.
Yu Xiaogang chuckled softly.
Then he continued wandering among the immortal herbs.
One circle.
Two circles.
Three circles.
As time passed, his expression gradually became more conflicted.
Every herb seemed useful.
Every herb possessed extraordinary value.
Choosing one meant giving up countless others.
Eventually, his choice paralysis reached its peak.
He stopped walking and scratched his head helplessly.
"If only the Earth Dragon Golden Melon were a Light-Attribute herb."
His gaze fell upon the treasure he had previously recommended to Dugu Bo.
The Earth Dragon Golden Melon possessed traces of dragon bloodline power.
It was undoubtedly an exceptional immortal herb.
Unfortunately, its primary attribute was Earth.
That was the problem.
Yu Xiaogang's cultivation path centered around Light.
If he consumed the herb recklessly, there was a possibility that it would alter the fundamental nature of his power.
At best, he would gain an additional attribute.
At worst...
His Light attribute might transform into Earth.
The risk was far too great.
He couldn't gamble on something like that.
Frowning, Yu Xiaogang fell into deep thought once more.
Then suddenly—
An idea flashed through his mind.
Little Dragon.
His martial spirit.
Although technically part of him, Little Dragon existed independently and possessed its own consciousness.
In many ways, it resembled a true spirit beast.
And spirit beasts often possessed extraordinary instincts.
Sometimes they could sense things that humans overlooked entirely.
Instead of struggling alone, why not ask Little Dragon for help?
The more Yu Xiaogang thought about it, the more reasonable the idea seemed.
Without hesitation, he summoned his martial spirit.
A flash of light appeared.
Little Dragon emerged.
At first, it was prepared to greet Yu Xiaogang happily.
Then it noticed its surroundings.
The tiny dragon froze.
Its eyes widened.
Its jaw dropped.
"Awooooo?!"
The shocked cry echoed throughout the valley.
Little Dragon stared at the countless immortal herbs surrounding them.
Then it rubbed its eyes.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Clearly, it suspected it was hallucinating.
After all, it had accompanied Yu Xiaogang during Yue Guan's lessons.
It knew exactly how valuable immortal herbs were.
And now...
An entire garden of them lay before its eyes.
Seeing its adorable reaction, Yu Xiaogang laughed.
"Shocked, aren't you?"
He gently patted the little dragon's head.
Little Dragon nodded frantically.
Its expression practically screamed disbelief.
Yu Xiaogang crouched down and smiled.
"Little Dragon."
"If you had to choose one immortal herb here..."
"Which one would you want?"
The question immediately captured Little Dragon's attention.
Its eyes lit up.
Literally.
The tiny dragon flapped its wings excitedly and flew into the air.
Then it landed atop Yu Xiaogang's head.
Tilting its head upward, it began sniffing.
One sniff.
Two sniffs.
Three sniffs.
It looked surprisingly serious.
Like a professional treasure hunter.
Yu Xiaogang remained silent and waited.
Soon, Little Dragon suddenly froze.
Its eyes brightened.
Without warning, it shot forward.
Whoosh!
The tiny dragon flew directly toward the Earth Dragon Golden Melon.
Then it hovered beside it, pointing urgently toward the ground beneath the plant.
Yu Xiaogang blinked.
He walked over.
"What?"
"You mean there's something underneath?"
Little Dragon nodded so hard that Yu Xiaogang worried its head might fall off.
The excitement radiating from the little dragon was impossible to miss.
For a moment, Yu Xiaogang's heart began racing as well.
The Earth Dragon Golden Melon was already an immortal herb.
Yet Little Dragon wasn't interested in the herb itself.
Instead, it was pointing underground.
That meant only one thing.
Something else was hidden there.
Something valuable enough to attract even Little Dragon's attention.
Yu Xiaogang slowly crouched down.
His eyes locked onto the soil beneath the immortal herb.
Excitement flashed across his face.
Just how many treasures were hidden within this legendary valley?
And what exactly was buried beneath the Earth Dragon Golden Melon?
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)