Douluo Dalu - Volume 10 - Ice Fire Alchemical Body Read online

  Before long, Ma Hongjun had brought back Dai Mubai. Before Dai Mubai had even arrived, his voice already echoed in the distance.

  “Little San, you’ve come back. If you hadn’t, Xiao Wu might have worried herself to death.”

  Dai Mubai wasn’t much different from before, he only appeared a bit calmer. Having already passed his sixteenth birthday had somewhat increased his aggressiveness, but his overall imposing manner was a bit more restrained. The pair of evil eyes radiating health and vigor, his casual movements all had a kind of king among beasts elegance.

  Hearing Dai Mubai’s words, Xiao Wu blushed and couldn’t help making a spitting sound, but she didn’t make any attempts to defend herself.

  Except for Xiao Wu, Dai Mubai was the first to meet Tang San among the Shrek Seven Devils, and meeting once again was especially familiar, holding out his hands to embrace Tang San’s shoulders, he said:

  “Fatty said you brought back gifts for us that can even help me break through the bottleneck, get it out quickly.”

  Tang San laughed, raising his hand to punch Dai Mubai in the chest,

  “Don’t worry, we’ll go somewhere quiet first.”

  Led by Grandmaster, everyone stepped into that quiet log cottage. The sunlight brought the shadows of the trees through the windows, the fresh and clean air seeping through the gaps. Listening to the melodious birdsong and the soft wind, it was very difficult to imagine this place was in Heaven Dou Empire’s capital city. Even Grandmaster who was naturally disposed to living a simple life couldn’t help sighing in admiration over Liu Erlong’s excellent choice.

  Grandmaster said to Tang San:

  “Begin. I’ll guard you.”

  Tang San nodded, and under everyone’s inquisitive and attentive stares, his right hand stretched into the Wishful Hundred Treasure Purse to pull out a kind of plant.

  That was a chrysanthemum with an enormous flower in an exceptionally beautiful violet. Bizarrely, each of the chrysanthemum’s petals seemed to be adorably fluffy on the outside, making them blend into each other. It didn’t release any fragrance, and the stamen rising from the center of the petals was more than half a chi[ ½ 尺 = ⅙ m] tall, the tip of the stamen glittering with a faint golden radiance.

  “What’s this?”

  Dai Mubai was the first to ask, and the others were all also attracted by the plant Tang San pulled out.

  Tang San smiled faintly, saying to Dai Mubai:

  “Boss Dai, I prepared this especially for you. It’s called Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum, a neutral immortal treasure herb, when eaten the energy will spread through the four limbs, blood clearing the eight meridians, and you can practice Vajra Strength Body.”

  Dai Mubai was shocked,

  “So awesome? Vajra strength?”

  Tang San said with a smile:

  “Although ‘Vajra Strength Body’ is a bit exaggerated, this herb is most compatible with your spirit. Your spirit power is neutral, overwhelmingly vast, and just fiercely potent. The efficacy is all in the limbs, so this will make your cultivation twice as fast for half the effort. Since you’ve already reached the fortieth rank bottleneck, I think it will certainly help you break through the crisis. Once you’ve obtained your spirit ring the medicine will continue taking effect, and should have even greater promoting effect.”

  “The gifts I’ve chosen for everyone all attach most importance to strengthening foundations, they won’t spoil things for enthusiasm.”

  Dai Mubai solemnly accepted the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum Tang San held out, looking deeply at Tang San,

  “We’re brothers, so I won’t say thanks. How is this thing eaten?”

  Tang San said:

  “First eat that stamen, afterwards each of the petals, don’t eat the stalk. After eating it immediately start cultivating, dissolving the medicinal strength to break the bottleneck.

  Dai Mubai didn’t say anything else, and immediately walked over to a corner to take the herb as Tang San instructed.

  For all this time the fortieth rank bottleneck had always bothered him. Now having the chance to break through, his heart was already burning, impatient to begin. Oscar asked in a low voice:

  “Little San, what’s an immortal treasure herb?”

  Tang San said with a smile:

  “This is something from Heaven, that can only rarely be found in the human world.”

  Everyone looked at each other, and including Xiao Wu, everyone’s gazes became burning hot. Ning Rongrong giggled, delicately saying:

  “Third brother, don’t be partial.”

  Tang San said:

  “Don’t worry, everyone has a share. Little Ao, this is yours.”

  His hand stretched into the Wishful Hundred Treasure Purse for a second time, this time pulling out a jade case and handing it to Oscar.

  Oscar sighed in admiration,

  “No need to even look, just the value of this case alone is considerable.”

  Tang San was somewhat speechless:

  “Little Ao, this is just common white jade. Two gold spirit coins will get you one.”

  “Eh……”

  Oscar was part stunned, part embarrassed.

  Tang San laughed, saying:

  “However, the thing inside is indeed of considerable value. Open it and see.”

  Oscar did as asked, and entirely different from Dai Mubai’s Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum, the instant the jade box opened, the whole room was filled with an odd fragrance. A strong orchid fragrance made everyone’s hearts clear and souls brighten, the fragrance penetrating deep into the heart rousing everyone’s spirits, involuntarily inhaling.

  In the jade case quietly lay an eight petaled orchid, the petals trembling minutely, entirely lustrous snow white, giving people a noble and virtuous feeling.

  Tang San said:

  “This is called an Eight Petal Immortal Orchid, it’s also an immortal treasure herb. It must be picked with gold and stored with jade, and as long as it’s regulated in jade ware, it won’t wither for a thousand years, or a hundred lifetimes. Among all the immortal treasure herbs I brought back with me this time, it’s the one with the gentlest nature, one of the most mellow. Absorbing it is easy, but requires a very long time. Its effect is to strengthen foundations and drive out impurities, its effect should complement the slow cultivation speed you have as a food system Spirit Master. The medicinal effect should even continue until you’ve cultivated to the seventieth rank.”

  Oscar opened his eyes wide,

  “So good? Little San, I love you.”

  Chapter 070: Exceptional Immortal Treasures For Seven Devils

  Part 1 (TL by Bagelson)

  Tang San’s whole body trembled,

  “Don’t, go eat it quickly. There’s no special way of eating it, chewing and swallowing will suffice, the flavor is sweet and fragrant. Just like Dai Mubai, you also have to focus your spirit power to assimilate the medicinal effects, afterwards slowly absorb it.”

  Tang San had carefully thought about the most suitable plants for everyone even before he had returned.

  Even though there was a limited amount of immortal treasures, there was still enough for one for each of the Shrek Seven Devils. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to give the teachers immortal treasures as well, but the absorption rate for these immoral treasures was better the younger the user. The opposite would drain the medicinal effect.

  Oscar happily ran over to the other side of the room, swallowing the Eight Petal Immortal Orchid in one mouthful, and immediately starting cultivation.

  Ma Hongjun was next when going by age, and he impatiently moved closer,

  “Third brother, mine, mine.”

  Looking at the excited Fatty, Tang San said with a smile:

  “Don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten you. Fatty, I’ve thought carefully about your Evil Fire. This variant Evil Fire is admittedly very powerful, but at the same time it’s constantly eroding your body. This is essentially because your Phoeni
x flame isn’t pure enough. This time I’ve found you a nourishing and purifying yang medicinal herb.”

  Ning Rongrong let a giggle escape, saying:

  “He still needs nourishing? In this time Fatty went out for bad things a lot. However, he said Heaven Dou City was very expensive, but still spent enormously. Nourishing him even more, perhaps he’ll have to go out even more frequently.”

  Tang San smiled:

  “No. As I said, his evil fire’s impurity leads to his own backlash. If it continues like this, then perhaps one day it will lead to his evil fire destroying him. By filtering out the impurities of his Phoenix flame, he might truly be considered a Phoenix Spirit Master. Fatty, this is for you.”

  That was a deep red trembling, silky soft immortal herb. Its appearance seemed very simple, only formed from red grass leaves. The tip of the grass leaves were shaped just like cockscombs, but when observing carefully one could discover its distinctiveness, the venation was unexpectedly gold. When it was taken out, the temperature in the room immediately rose sharply.

  “This thing is called Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower, swallow it without chewing. Congregate spirit power and conduct, no matter how painful it is you must be patient, otherwise you will ruin the effect. This thing’s effect is quite obvious, it should substantially increase your spirit power and flame. If you give up halfway, the medicinal effect will lower a lot.”

  Tang San placed the herb in Ma Hongjun’s hands, and Fatty immediately left.

  Tang San had taken out three immortal herbs and given them to three people one after another, even Grandmaster couldn’t help being moved. Let alone seeing these herbs, he had never even heard of them before.

  The fourth one Tang San brought out wasn’t according to age Xiao Wu, but rather for Ning Rongrong.

  “Third brother, what are you giving me?”

  Not waiting for Tang San to start speaking, Ning Rongrong already ran up and grabbed his arm. Xiao Wu frowned behind, but didn’t say anything. Tang San smiling stretched his hand into the Wishful Hundred Treasure Purse, and in a flash of golden light, a fantastic immortal herb already appeared.

  This was a very fantastic immortal herb, below the stalk and leaves were all wisteria drapes, finely combed. But at the top was a golden dazzling tulip, and a heavy tulip fragrance immediately replaced Oscar’s previous Eight Petal Immortal Orchid, the rich fragrance giving a splendorous and majestic feeling.

  “Your Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda spirit is extremely special. I thought it over carefully, and selected this immortal herb for you. This thing is known as a Beautiful Silk Tulip, it’s graceful and luxurious. By taking it you can breathe in the quintessence of heaven and earth. The radiance of the sun and the moon. Your Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda is on its own classified as a treasure type spirit. With the help of this Beautiful Silk Tulip, the effect should be very complementing. This flower can’t be devoured. You have to breathe in the stamen, slowly absorbing the best features within, afterwards cultivate your spirit power and slowly circulate it, letting the medicinal effects find its way to the hundred bones of all four limbs.”

  Ning Rongrong took the Beautiful Silk Tulip, and giggling said:

  “Third brother, I really want to kiss you, only in order to keep Xiao Wu from upending the vinegar jar[ “Vinegar jar” is an idiomatic expression for a jealous person.], I’ll let it be. But I really can’t accept this flower from you free of charge, later little sister will definitely do something in return.”

  Four of the Shrek Seven Devils had already obtained immortal herbs, finally remaining was only Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing.

  Xiao Wu stood there calm and composed without the slightest bit of anxiety. Tang San gave the others such good immortal herbs, how could he treat her unfairly?

  Zhu Zhuqing’s natural disposition was reclusive, and extremely shy. Even though she was inwardly equally brimming with expectation, she found it embarrassing to be as forward as Ning Rongrong.

  Tang San walked over to Zhu Zhuqing,

  “Zhuqing, this immortal herb I’ve chosen for you is the easiest to absorb and transform. Moreover the efficacy is even better than the others’, considered an all-round boost. However, to eat this immortal herb you must pay a certain price. I hope you have the mental preparation.”

  If someone else had said this, Zhi Zhuqing would certainly have believed they had ulterior motives, but when it came from Tang San she didn’t have the slightest uncomfortable feeling. Everyone had been together for so long, even if Zhu Zhuqing very rarely spoke, how couldn’t she know Tang San’s character?

  Immediately nodding, she quietly said:

  “Thank you third brother.”

  This was the first time Zhu Zhuqing had called Tang San ‘third brother’, and Tang San couldn’t help smiling slightly, once again pulling out a herb from the Wishful Hundred Treasure Purse.

  It was a seemingly common white flower, palm sized, a bit like a tree peony, without leaves, the stalk connecting to a big rock. That stone was completely pitch black, and from how Tang San carried it could be seen that its weight was astonishing.

  On that white flower were a few flecks of red, scarlet red like blood giving people a hair-raising feeling.

  Tang San grimly said:

  “This herb is called Yearning Heartbroken Red. Among immortal treasure herbs it’s a divine treasure. It also has a legend. A very long time ago, a youth, quiet and contented, most liked gardening and planting trees, filling his garden with green and blue lotuses and bulbs, thousands of purples and reds. Ordinarily singing to flowers, toasting to the moon, when a flower fell, he would be boundlessly grieved, sweeping up the flower, burying it in the ground, shedding tears again and again. It’s said his feelings moved Heaven, and his great love for flowers moved the Heavenly Flower Immortal, who personally descended to the world to marry him, happiness like fish in water need not be mentioned. But unexpectedly the good times didn’t last, god learned about their matters, and was furious, saying immortals and the mundane didn’t match, ordering Flower Immortal to return to the divine realm. That youth having lost his lover, moaned and groaned in pain all day, depressed, discarding matters of flowers, consequently the walls fell and fences collapsed, flowers and trees withered, the land growing desolate. One day a white haired old man arrived, telling him that the white tree peony flower in his garden, was his wife’s reincarnation, as long as he destroyed the flower, the Flower Immortal would lose her immortality, banishing her to the mundane world to be his wife again, but he couldn’t by any means destroy a flower. The words turned into a pure wind and disappeared, and the youth suddenly came to himself, deeply regretting his mean treatment of the blossoms, he again carefully tended to the flowers and plants, even though he deeply loved his wife, he couldn’t bear to burn down the tree peony, it was even more cherished than himself, day and night watering the flowers with his tears, the tears stemmed from deep sorrow, and yearning and heartbroken he died, in his final moments, he dripped some blood on the petals, and you see those dark red stains, that is the heart’s blood of that youth.”

  Quietly listening to Tang San’s story, whether it was Zhu Zhuqing or Xiao Wu to the side, both were somewhat sentimental. Even Grandmaster felt his heart sway, unable to help himself.

  Tang San solemnly said:

  “The flower is an exceptional treasure that chooses its master. When picking it you must keep your beloved in your heart, with absolute sincerity, spitting out blood on the petals. If you are at all half-hearted, even if you spit blood until you die, don’t think about removing the flower. After picking the flower, as long as it is by your side it will never wither. The rock it grows from is called crow break, if it’s forcefully broken, this Yearning Heartbroken Red will equally lose its medicinal strength. Using this herb has the immortal results of heaven and earth, by my conservative estimate, it can at least increase spirit power by ten ranks, and it will still substantially remould the body. Zhuqing, even if I’m not entirely sure what’s
between you and Mubai, of us seven, you are the only ones who are certainly sweethearts, therefore I’ve brought this to you, hoping you can become that destined person.”

  Zhu Zhuqing looked blankly at this touching bloody tree peony Yearning Heartbroken Red in front of her, softly nodding, her gaze floating over to Dai Mubai cultivating not far away,

  “I’ll try.”

  Urging the spirit power within, prompting the movement of qi and blood, Zhu Zhuqing’s cherry lips parted, spitting a drop of blood on the petals.

  The moment she spit out blood, in her mind was fixed the figure of Dai Mubai. But for some reason she recalled Dai Mubai’s dissolute past, and her attention shifted slightly, unable to keep her state of mind from swaying.

  When the blood fell on the petals, the Yearning Heartbroken Red trembled slightly. Tang San, Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing and Grandmaster’s gazes were all fixed on this flower, quietly waiting.

  However, Tang San quickly lost hope. That Yearning Heartbroken Red’s swaying gradually stopped, without falling off.

  Zhu Zhuqing sadly said:

  “I’m sorry, third brother, my heart is too greedy, I can’t take this flower.”

  Tang San sighed, helplessly shaking his head,

  “Zhuqing, don’t be like that. When I returned I prepared you another herb as backup. Wait a moment.”

  While speaking, Tang San held up the Yearning Heartbroken Red to Grandmaster,

  “Teacher, you and aunt Erlong’s feelings are deep and heavy, it would be better for you to try. Perhaps, this Yearning Heartbroken Red might be able to change your spirit variation.”

  Grandmaster sighed, saying:

  “Such a divine treasure, how could I eat it? By now I have long ago passed the age for cultivating. If it is destined for me, I will keep it at my side forever.”

  Looking at the bloodstains on the Yearning Heartbroken Red, Grandmaster couldn’t help recalling all that had happened between him and Liu Erlong, a burst of pain in his heart, he didn’t use his spirit power, but directly raised his hand to hit his chest. As Tang San cried out in alarm, blood forced its way out of his mouth, just right to spurt onto the flower.