"Fine, have it your way."
Seeing how confident Qi Lin was, Dugu Bo still had some hesitation, but he agreed in the end.
After a moment of thought, he took out a snow-white pill from a green treasure pouch and handed it to Qi Lin.
"This is an antidote I meticulously refined. If you accidentally come into contact with any of the poisonous herbs in this medicinal garden, this pill should be able to save your life."
Qi Lin didn't really need it, but since it was a token of goodwill, he accepted it with a smile.
"Thank you, Senior Dugu."
Dugu Bo let out a hearty laugh. "No trouble at all!"
After speaking, he turned to Dugu Yan and said, "Yan Yan, Grandpa has something to take care of. You take good care of little Lin."
The valley wasn't a large space, and it was just the two of them—a perfect environment for building bonds. How could Dugu Bo possibly waste such an opportunity?
Dugu Yan frowned slightly at her grandfather's words.
She had finally brought Qi Lin back, and yet her grandfather wasn't staying to entertain him? What could be so urgent?
Still, she obediently said, "Then hurry back, Grandpa. It's rare for little Lin to visit."
"Hahaha, I know, I know."
Dugu Bo chuckled and then vanished in the blink of an eye like a shadow fading into thin air.
Once he was gone, Dugu Yan looked helplessly at Qi Lin. "Little Lin, my grandpa is really unreliable. You came all this way and he still left on some errand."
"Forget about him, let me show you around the valley."
"Alright!"
Qi Lin smiled lightly, and under Dugu Yan's lead, began exploring the valley.
After a short walk, the two returned to the herb garden. Dugu Yan began explaining the garden to him.
Since she was young, Dugu Bo had always been afraid she might wander into the garden by mistake, so aside from repeatedly warning her, he had taught her everything he knew about medicinal herbs.
After telling Qi Lin about every herb she recognized, she said with some frustration, "That's all I know. The rest, I don't recognize either."
"Not just me—even my grandfather doesn't know them."
She looked a bit regretful. "There are a lot of rare herbs in here, and while many are toxic, others could be treasures. But without knowing what they are, we can't make use of them."
At that moment, Qi Lin smiled. "I might be able to help with that."
Dugu Yan was surprised. "You mean... you recognize them?"
"I don't. But I have a way to identify them."
He then explained the effect of his fourth soul skill.
Dugu Yan was astonished. "There's such a soul skill in this world?"
"Controlling the plants within a domain… Doesn't that mean you counter all plant-type soul masters?"
"You could say that," Qi Lin said with a warm smile.
That smile left Dugu Yan with mixed emotions.
"That soul skill is incredible. You shouldn't have told me so casually. Do you know what could happen if word got out? Plant-type soul masters would see you as a threat, an enemy to eliminate."
"I've heard that even Spirit Hall has a Title Douluo with a plant martial soul."
Qi Lin scratched his head. "I trust you, Yan."
Dugu Yan was stunned.
"You told me just because you trust me?"
Qi Lin nodded sincerely. Her gaze grew more complex, her tone filled with emotion. "Little Lin… don't be this nice to every girl. They might get the wrong idea."
Qi Lin nodded again, wanting to say it was just instinct—sometimes he said things before thinking.
"Here, let me tell you what each herb is."
As he spoke, five soul rings rose beneath his feet, the fourth flickering a vibrant green.
Fourth Soul Skill: Nature's Domain!
As the skill activated, a field of green mist spread out from Qi Lin's feet.
With the domain active, Qi Lin led Dugu Yan back into the garden, identifying each herb and explaining their medicinal properties and uses.
Even Dugu Yan was stunned by his knowledge, her gaze growing more and more complicated.
Only then did she realize how she and her grandfather had wasted such treasures, guarding a mountain of gold without knowing its worth.
So many of these herbs had incredible properties, yet they had been ignored simply due to ignorance.
If Qi Lin had wanted to, he could've easily withheld the information, feigned ignorance, and tricked her grandfather into giving him those rare herbs. That way, he'd have them all to himself.
But instead, he shared everything with her, holding nothing back.
Could it be…
He wasn't tempted at all?
"You're such an idiot."
"You realize, right? If you hadn't said anything, Grandpa would've probably given you all those 'immortal herbs.'"
Dugu Yan looked at the young man beside her, unsure how to respond.
Qi Lin simply smiled and asked, "Well, what if I ask for them now? Would you still give them to me?"
Dugu Yan paused, then smiled. "Of course."
"Then that's all I need." Qi Lin shrugged casually.
After a moment of thought, he added, "Yan, if I can bring out the full potential of these herbs, would you want my help?"
Dugu Yan was surprised. "What do you mean?"
Qi Lin then gave a brief explanation of his third soul skill—Liuding Creation.
In essence, he could toss herbs into the Liuding Divine Flame and refine them into powerful pills.
Wouldn't that be even better than simply eating the herbs raw, like the original Shrek Seven Devils did?
Dugu Yan stared at Qi Lin, her eyes wide with amazement.
"Little Lin, just how many secrets are you hiding?"
She couldn't be blamed for her reaction—both his third and fourth soul skills were simply too extraordinary.
"Haha, plenty more where that came from," Qi Lin said casually. Then he continued, "Here's what I'm thinking: I'll refine the herbs into pills, and you can divide some of them among us. I need to give some to Xiao Wu and the others."
He counted on his fingers—Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, Zhu Zhuqing, Gu Yuena, and his parents—those were non-negotiable.
As for the others, it would depend on the situation.
Beside him, Dugu Yan couldn't help but feel a touch of envy for Xiao Wu and the other girls.