"Third Brother, thank you. Thank you so much. I know those two words are far from enough to repay the kindness you've shown me, but I really don't know what else to say. If you didn't already have Xiao Wu, I would definitely chase after you. Third Brother, look — my Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda has become the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda. That means I'm no longer restricted by the family inheritance."
Tang San reached up and patted Ning Rongrong's head. "We're partners. There's no need for all that." As he spoke, he slowly opened his eyes.
In that instant, the entire wooden hut seemed to flash with light. Ning Rongrong, closest to Tang San, saw it clearly — his eyes had turned completely gold-purple, and that dazzling radiance fell into her eyes, leaving her vision bleached white. She could see nothing at all.
Tang San's gaze swept across the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda in Ning Rongrong's hands. When that gold-purple light landed on Xiao Wu, Tang San's body suddenly trembled violently, and his entire expression turned strange.
The moment Xiao Wu felt Tang San's gaze fall on her, even though he had already reined in the brilliance of his eyes, she still felt a sensation of being seen right through. Her heart hammered. Had he... noticed something?
Just as Xiao Wu's heart climbed into her throat, the light in Tang San's eyes faded, quickly returning to normal. His expression composed, he lowered his head and asked Ning Rongrong before him, "Rongrong, are you all right? I didn't control my eye power just now."
The whiteness before Ning Rongrong's eyes gradually faded, and her vision returned. "Third Brother, what was that skill? Why couldn't I see?" Even though she had recovered, she still didn't quite dare to look Tang San in the eye.
Tang San smiled. "It's my Purple Extreme Demon Eye. If I'm not mistaken, my Purple Extreme Demon Eye has advanced another level."
The 'Longing Gaze Dew' truly deserved its reputation as a supreme immortal treasure. Though it hadn't helped Tang San raise his Soul Power any further, it had propelled his Purple Extreme Demon Eye past the Microscopic stage, leaping directly into the third of the four tiers of the Purple Extreme Demon Eye — Mustard Seed.
Moreover, due to the effects of the 'Longing Gaze Dew,' Tang San's Purple Extreme Demon Eye had undergone some special changes. It was no longer merely an auxiliary ability.
"Little San, congratulations," Xiao Wu said, walking up to Tang San with a smile. At the same time, her eyes were fixed intently on his, as if trying to read something from his expression. Unfortunately, no matter how she looked, Tang San seemed exactly the same as always, with nothing out of the ordinary.
He ruffled Xiao Wu's hair. "If you were willing to eat this 'Heartbreak Red,' the benefit you'd gain should be the greatest out of all of us. This is an immortal treasure among immortal treasures — it has the power to bring the dead back to life and regrow flesh on bare bone, borrowing the very workings of heaven and earth. Right now, only you can eat it."
Xiao Wu pulled the 'Heartbreak Red' into her embrace. "I won't. I can't bear to eat it. I'm going to keep it by my side forever."
"Mew—" A soft cat's meow drew everyone's attention. When they turned to look,
"Zhuqing, how much did your strength increase?" Xiao Wu seemed to have regained her usual liveliness and bounced over.
Zhu Zhuqing hesitated briefly. "It... seems like seven levels?"
"What do you mean 'seems like'? Seven levels is seven levels." Xiao Wu burst out laughing, using her body to block the view of the others behind her. She reached out and gave Zhu Zhuqing's chest a squeeze. "Relax, it's not an illusion."
"Ah—" Zhu Zhuqing let out a startled cry, her lovely face flushing crimson. "What are you doing..."
Xiao Wu said with mock seriousness, "I was helping you feel that all this is real. I didn't expect the effect of your 'Narcissus Jade Muscle Bone' to be even better than the others'. Seven whole levels — that means your Soul Power is thirty-eight now, isn't it?"
Zhu Zhuqing's gaze drifted past Xiao Wu toward Tang San. Just as Xiao Wu tensed, worried she might throw herself into his arms the way Ning Rongrong had, Zhu Zhuqing merely gave Tang San a slight bow. "Third Brother, thank you."
Tang San smiled gently. "We're all partners. There's no need for thanks. Actually, it's not that the 'Narcissus Jade Muscle Bone' Zhuqing took is stronger than anyone else's — it's just that each immortal herb produces different effects. For example, every one of these immortal herbs can boost Soul Power by roughly ten levels, but for some, the main effect manifests as a transformation of the body itself, which naturally dilutes the raw increase in Soul Power. Little Ao's 'Eight-Petal Celestial Orchid,' for instance, has a fairly slow absorption process — it works gradually over time. That's why it only raised him five levels."