MTLNOVEL Chapter 181: Plucking the Yearning Heartbroken Red
The twin dragons of ice and fire soared and spiraled through the sky before both dived straight toward Gu Yue.
Xue Di's expression instantly turned cold. She reflexively prepared to intervene and protect Gu Yue.
But at that moment, she noticed Lu Jingming gently shaking his head at her, signaling not to act rashly.
Facing these two imposing, charging dragons, Gu Yue showed no fear at all.
Her expression was complicated, her eyes full of tangled emotions as she slowly extended her hand.
Strangely enough, as the enormous, majestic dragons neared Gu Yue, their forms gradually shrank.
By the time they reached her, they had become only as thick as her arms—now appearing like two adorable, lively little dragons, circling around Gu Yue with affection and joy, much like two huskies greeting their master.
"So it's you two…" Gu Yue murmured, her expression full of complex sorrow.
She instantly recognized the true identity of these little dragons, and her heart surged with emotion.
She also finally understood the origin of this mysterious land.
This was the place where the Ice and Fire Dragon Kings had fallen. No wonder this place brimmed with such powerful life force, spawning so many precious, rare immortal herbs.
After all, the fall of two god-king level dragons here would leave behind immense energy and life essence. It would be more surprising if no miraculous treasures were born from it.
And these two little dragons were the lingering dragon souls of the fallen Dragon Kings, now left with only instinct and no complete intelligence.
They had long slumbered within the Dragon Kings' remains, awakened only now by the pure aura of the Silver Dragon King from Gu Yue.
Thinking of this, Gu Yue couldn't help but glance at Lu Jingming beside her.
Her heart was full of confusion and amazement. How much did this guy know, exactly?
Even she, as the Silver Dragon King, hadn't known the Dragon Kings had perished here, yet Lu Jingming seemed to know everything, even bringing her here deliberately. He clearly knew about the existence of these dragon souls all along.
Even the immortal herbs that had lived here for ages didn't know this secret!
With the souls of the Ice and Fire Dragon Kings suddenly appearing and being effortlessly subdued by Gu Yue, all the hundred-thousand-year immortal herbs were instantly stunned.
Just from the aura the dragon souls emitted, the herbs could tell—these two were the very source of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
If even the source had submitted, what reason did the herbs, who depended on this very environment, have to hesitate?
Gu Yue's easy subduing of the dragon souls saved Greater Lord Rukkhadevata a great deal of effort.
Even the most hot-tempered of the herbs, like the Infernal Delicate Apricot, submitted obediently, expressing their willingness to follow Greater Lord Rukkhadevata.
Of course, Greater Lord Rukkhadevata's innate ability to win the favor of all plant life played a crucial role here.
Winning the trust of these immortal herbs was never easy.
Seeing the intelligent, hundred-thousand-year herbs all submit, Lu Jingming didn't stand on ceremony.
He directly harvested all the immortal herbs from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
Earth Dragon Golden Melon, Black Jade Divine Bamboo, Star Luo Holy Pearl, Origin Energy Immortal Grass, Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew, Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum, and more—none escaped his grasp.
While these herbs weren't particularly useful to him directly, they'd be perfect for cultivating his subordinates or as gifts for his close female friends.
With the help of these immortal herbs, women like Zhang Lexuan, Xu Jiujiu, Ye Guyi, Lan Susu, Lan Luoluo, and others would surely progress much faster in their cultivation.
After all, compared to those like Firefly and Castorice who were summoned here, their natural talent was a bit inferior.
With these herbs, their talent and cultivation would be significantly boosted.
Of course, Lu Jingming didn't overdo it—herbs that hadn't matured, he deliberately left behind.
He also left behind seeds of other herbs; given the Well's tenfold growth rate, more would grow in time.
At this moment, Lu Jingming's gaze fell on a small red flower ahead, and he couldn't help but feel a headache coming on.
This immortal herb, the Yearning Heartbroken Red, had extremely harsh picking requirements.
It could only be picked by the heartfelt blood of one who truly loved; otherwise, it couldn't be taken at all.
If one tried to take it by force, it would instantly lose all its medicinal properties.
Even with Greater Lord Rukkhadevata, Goddess of Life, present, the Yearning Heartbroken Red remained stubborn as a rock: without the blood of true love, it refused to submit to anyone.
"Sigh, if I'd known, I'd have brought Lexuan along." Lu Jingming shook his head in frustration.
He'd thought that Greater Lord Rukkhadevata's affinity and authority would be enough to tame the herb, but he'd underestimated its resolve. Even the Goddess of Life's presence meant nothing if not for true love.
Now, he was at a loss.
Of all his close female friends, Zhang Lexuan undoubtedly had the deepest feelings for him.
He couldn't be sure about the others, but with Lexuan, there was no doubt.
As for himself, he knew better than to try.
When the group learned of the herb's unique requirements, Xue Di, Bing Di, and Gu Yue all exchanged glances in surprise.
To think there existed such a bizarre herb, with such strange conditions!
"Between the four of us, who can pick it?" Bing Di surveyed the group with an odd expression.
She knew she couldn't, having never truly loved anyone.
Xue Di subtly glanced at Lu Jingming, then shook her head slightly.
She figured she probably couldn't either. At most, she liked Lu Jingming a bit, but nowhere near the level of undying love.
"How about you two give it a try?" Lu Jingming suggested helplessly.
He'd miscalculated the herb's stubbornness and could only pin his hopes on Gu Yue and Xue Di.
Of those present, only those two might stand a chance; he knew both harbored some affection for him, but wasn't sure how deep it ran.
If it didn't work out, he'd just bring Zhang Lexuan next time.
After all, there was no way anyone else could break through the Jade Phosphorous Flower of the Seven Absolutes's barrier anytime soon.
"Let's try."
Gu Yue hesitated for a moment, then summoned her soul power, drew out a drop of her heart's blood, and spat it onto the Yearning Heartbroken Red.
The next instant, everyone stared in shock.
The Yearning Heartbroken Red absorbed Gu Yue's blood, then detached itself from the rock.
Gu Yue instinctively caught the flower, which had now turned golden-red, her face full of disbelief.
"I… picked it?" Bing Di and Xue Di looked at Gu Yue in astonishment.
Gu Yue herself was completely stunned. She hadn't expected to succeed!
Lu Jingming's mouth twitched, regarding Gu Yue with a complicated look.
Seriously? Did her affection run that deep?
Thinking back, he hadn't even tried to woo Gu Yue!
Even in the simulation universe, he'd been merciless; he never tried to butter her up.
Are soul beasts just this pure? Once they fall for someone, is it really for life?
Lu Jingming suddenly thought of the original series' soul beasts—Ah Yin, Xiao Wu, Wang Qiu'er, Bai Xiu Xiu, and so on—always ready to sacrifice themselves for love.
Maybe this devoted for life trait really was a soul beast racial instinct. The thought made Lu Jingming look at Gu Yue a bit more gently.
Maybe he should treat her better in the future—at least go easier during sparring.
"What are you looking at?!" Gu Yue clutched the flower, her face flushing, heart pounding.
Even she found it unbelievable—how did she succeed?
She admitted she liked Lu Jingming, but hadn't realized it ran so deep.
Xue Di frowned and tried with another Yearning Heartbroken Red, biting her lip and dropping her own blood onto it.
The next moment, that flower also gently fell into Xue Di's hand.
"Huh?" Bing Di stared at Xue Di in disbelief.
Lu Jingming was also stunned. Xue Di, what are you doing? What's your deal?
"It's not hard. Just think of the one you love, with a clear mind, and it will accept you." Xue Di wiped blood from her lips and spoke calmly.
As she mentioned "the one you love," her gaze briefly landed on Lu Jingming.