Chapter 223: Accelerating Progress—Three Years Later
The Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect: The Bamboo Grove Behind the Mountain.
Jiang Bai stood before the pavilion, his hands clasped behind his back.
Shui Bing’er and Ye Lingling stood side by side in front of him, positioned to his left and right.
Gazing at them, Jiang Bai spoke slowly: "I summoned you here because I wanted to help you accelerate your progress."
"Accelerate our progress?"
Shui Bing’er and Ye Lingling exchanged glances, both looking somewhat puzzled.
Jiang Bai smiled faintly: "You chose to join my Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, and as my inaugural disciples, you hold a special status. As a major power within the Spirit Master world, our Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect naturally possesses an abundance of cultivation resources."
Shui Bing’er and Ye Lingling’s eyes lit up in unison.
Jiang Bai flipped his right hand.
Two medicinal herbs materialized out of thin air within his palm.
One was a pale purple Lingzhi mushroom. Its entire cap was a deep purple, resting atop a jade-like stem that bore nine leaves.
As a faint purple radiance shimmered around it, a subtle medicinal fragrance wafted forth—refreshing to the spirit and soothing to the heart.
The Nine-Grade Purple Lingzhi.
The other was an eight-petaled orchid. Its petals were as white as snow and crystal-clear, glowing with a soft halo under the sunlight.
The petals quivered ever so slightly, as if the flower were a living creature; its entire form was a pristine, shimmering white, exuding an aura of aloofness and ethereal purity.
The Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid.
Jiang Bai pointed to the Nine-Grade Purple Lingzhi: "This one is the Nine-Grade Purple Lingzhi. It serves to fortify one’s foundation, nourish the vital essence, and boost spiritual energy and cultivation power. It should also be capable of strengthening the very source of your Martial Soul—and perhaps, it may even help you, Lingling, break through the inherent limitations of the Nine-Heart Begonia."
He then pointed to the Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid: "This one is the Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid. Its function is also to fortify the foundation and nourish the vital essence, while simultaneously purging impurities from the body. It will remedy the issue of slow cultivation speed that typically plagues Support-type Spirit Masters like yourself. Its medicinal effects should remain active and beneficial until you successfully reach Rank 70."
He paused for a moment, then extended both celestial herbs toward Ye Lingling: "Both of these... are for you, Lingling."
Ye Lingling’s beautiful eyes blinked once, then instantly widened in astonishment.
Beneath the black veil that obscured her face, her expression was one of utter disbelief.
Celestial herbs? Were they truly celestial herbs?!!
Could there truly be such miraculous medicinal herbs in this world?!
She had studied a great deal of herbal lore under her mother, Ye Linglong, and was familiar with various "Immortal-grade" herbs.
Among them, the Ninth-Rank Purple Ganoderma—though not strictly classified as Immortal-grade—was nonetheless extremely rare; she had only ever seen it depicted in books and had never witnessed one with her own eyes.
As for the Eight-Petaled Immortal Orchid—she hadn’t even heard of it before!
What she found even more unbelievable was that Jiang Bai had casually pulled out two such plants—and claimed he intended to give them both to her?!
Standing nearby, Shui Bing’er saw that Ye Lingling had frozen in stunned silence; unable to help herself, she nudged her with her elbow and whispered, "Hey! Lingling! Say something!"
Ye Lingling: "..."
Snapping back to reality, she parted her lips and stammered hesitantly, "I... this... Sect Master..."
Jiang Bai smiled gently. "It’s quite alright. Just take them."
As he spoke, he tucked the two Immortal herbs into Ye Lingling’s arms.
"Simply place them in your mouth, chew, and swallow. Then, gather your soul power to assist the medicinal effects in integrating with your body. That is all. You can slowly absorb the remaining potency over time."
Ye Lingling nodded blankly.
She lowered her gaze to the two Immortal herbs cradled in her arms; within those eyes—usually so vacant and hollow—a complex light now flickered.
After a long moment...
She raised her head and spoke softly, "Thank you, Sect Master."
Though her voice remained quiet, it carried a warmth that had been absent before.
Jiang Bai smiled, then suddenly asked, "Lingling, you’ve been with the Sect for quite some time now, haven’t you?"
Ye Lingling blinked in slight surprise.
Jiang Bai continued, "All this time, you’ve kept this veil over your face. I’ve never actually seen your true features."
Ye Lingling lowered her head, remaining silent.
Beneath the black veil, her face began to feel faintly warm.
Jiang Bai let out a soft sigh; fearful of startling her, he kept his voice extremely gentle: "I meant nothing untoward by it. I simply felt that... you must look very beautiful when you smile."
Ye Lingling’s body gave a slight tremor.
She raised her head and looked at Jiang Bai.
Within those eyes—usually so vacant and hollow—a flicker of complex emotion and hesitation now passed.
She parted her lips, as if she wished to say something. But in the end, she remained silent.
She simply nodded gently.
Seeing this, Jiang Bai did not press the matter further.
He pointed toward the pavilion: "You should absorb the celestial herb right here. Both Bi Ji and I are present, so we can stand guard and protect you."
Ye Lingling nodded; cradling the celestial herb, she walked to a corner of the pavilion, crossed her legs, and sat down.
She took a deep breath, calming her mind and emotions.
Then, she placed the Nine-Grade Purple Ganoderma into her mouth.
She chewed.
She swallowed.
The medicinal power began to dissolve and spread throughout her body.
...
Jiang Bai turned around and looked at Shui Bing’er.
Shui Bing’er was gazing back at him with an expression of eager anticipation.
Her eyes sparkled brightly, like two distant stars.
If Ye Lingling could receive such a magnificent opportunity, surely she wouldn’t be left out?
What could it be?
Would it be a celestial herb as well?
She wondered silently to herself.
Observing her look of eager anticipation, Jiang Bai couldn’t help but smile.
"Bing’er, I’ve prepared a celestial herb for you as well."
As he spoke, he flipped his right hand over.
A crystalline white flower appeared in the palm of his hand.
The flower was pure white from stem to petal, translucent and crystal-clear; it looked as pristine and unblemished as a white lotus rising from the mud.
Tiny, dew-like droplets seemed to cling to its petals, shimmering with a faint halo of light under the sunlight. The entire flower exuded a delicate, ethereal fragrance—an aroma that uplifted the spirit and refreshed the soul.
The Narcissus of Jade Skin and Bone.
"This flower is called the Narcissus of Jade Skin and Bone."
Jiang Bai explained: "Its function is to nourish the tendons and strengthen the bones, while clearing and harmonizing the body’s seven meridians and eight channels. To consume it, you must eat only the petals first, and finally suck the nectar from the stamen; in doing so, you will absorb its full medicinal efficacy. Like the other, it also requires the use of Soul Power to activate."
He paused for a moment: "Remember—you must maintain a calm and tranquil mind in order to fully absorb its essence."
Having finished his instructions, he handed the Narcissus of Jade Skin and Bone to Shui Bing’er.
Shui Bing’er accepted it with both hands, her beautiful eyes gleaming with wonder and delight.
She lowered her gaze to the celestial herb resting in her palms, and a surge of indescribable emotion welled up within her heart.
Loyalty!
She whispered the word silently to herself.
Although it was but a single flower, it was—after all—a rare and priceless celestial herb! She raised her head and said gratefully, "Thank you, Sect Master!"
Jiang Bai smiled slightly. "Rest assured; although there is only one stalk here, your future resources for Soul Rings will certainly not be lacking."
Shui Bing’er froze for a moment.
Soul Rings?
Then, her beautiful eyes instantly lit up!
Usually so steady and calm, her body was now trembling slightly from sheer excitement!
Could it be... could it be that...
The Sect Master intends to find a 100,000-year Soul Ring for my ninth Soul Ring?!
Having a 100,000-year Soul Ring for her ninth ring was already the greatest dream in Shui Bing’er’s heart!
As for reaching the level of Jiang Bai or Jiang Li’er—who possessed nine or three 100,000-year Soul Rings respectively—she didn’t even dare to imagine such a thing!
If she could just have one 100,000-year Soul Ring...
That would be more than enough!
Watching her look of intense excitement, Jiang Bai felt a sense of amusement deep down.
However, he didn’t say much more; he simply instructed, "Go absorb the Immortal Herb first. Prepare yourself well for the Continental Elite Academy Tournament."
Shui Bing’er nodded vigorously. "Understood!"
Cradling the Immortal Herb, she walked to the side and sat down cross-legged.
Taking a deep breath, she calmed her racing heart.
Then, she began the absorption process.
...
Three years passed in the blink of an eye.
Over these three years, Jiang Bai successfully broke through to Rank 96.
Such a pace of advancement would be utterly world-shaking for any other Titled Douluo.
But for him, it was simply a natural progression—the inevitable result of his cultivation.
The second trial of his Divine Examination was completed successfully.
The third trial required him to defeat a Soul Beast with a cultivation base of over 500,000 years.
He chose the Snow Empress.
Both combatants went all out, engaging in a fierce, earth-shattering battle. Ultimately, the Snow Empress—with her nearly 800,000-year cultivation base—was defeated.
The fourth trial challenged him to defeat a Dragon-type Soul Beast with a cultivation base exceeding 500,000 years.
He made a trip to the Star Dou Great Forest and sought out Di Tian for a duel.
That battle was so intense that the sky grew dim, and the sun and moon seemed to lose their light.
In the end, he emerged victorious.
Di Tian accepted his defeat with complete conviction.
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