Because of Tang San's complicated situation, despite his correct answer in the quiz and earning the incredibly valuable Hundred Herbs Elixir recipe, reactions were mixed. Apart from Tang Xiao praising him, the Spirit Hall merely remarked that Tang San was just lucky this time, and warned they'd kill both him and his father if found again. The other factions stayed silent.
[Ding! The quiz is now over. The broadcast will close in three minutes, and everyone is free to leave the stream.]
[The next quiz will take place one month from now!]
As the scarlet text floated in front of everyone, a cold, detached voice echoed in their ears.
"A month until the next broadcast?"
Both the human Soul Masters and the spirit beasts frowned. Based on previous broadcasts, a one-month gap usually meant the broadcast would show future events. But neither side, human or beast, had any idea what the future held. Only Lin Yu knew about those events.
Would Lin Yu be the center of attention again in the next broadcast? Many Soul Masters felt bitter but could do nothing. They tried to comfort themselves, thinking that just because the broadcast might show future events, it didn't mean the quiz questions would be about them. After all, the current broadcast focused on rare herbs instead of past events as expected. Maybe they would still have a chance next time.
As the broadcast ended, everyone left the stream.
In Heaven Dou City, within Dugu Bo's residence:
"So those strange plants around my herb garden are called 'immortal herbs'? However, none of the ones from the broadcast seem to be in my garden."
"And Tang San only revealed their names without explaining their effects."
"These immortal herbs must be incredibly powerful. I can't risk carelessly using them!"
After leaving the broadcast, Dugu Bo pondered the events with a sense of awe. Thanks to the broadcast, he now understood the immense value of the rare plants in his own herb garden. But this knowledge also made him cautious. He couldn't afford to make any noise about it. After all, his old rival in Spirit Hall, that flower-loving Chrysanthemum Douluo, was familiar with these immortal herbs. And with Dugu Bo's garden hosting a plant identical to Chrysanthemum Douluo's martial spirit, the Strange Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum, it wouldn't take much for his old enemy to come after him.
Meanwhile, deep in a forest on the border between the Heaven Dou and Star Luo Empires, Tang San was excitedly communicating with the broadcast system, pulling out his rewards: the Hundred Herbs Elixir recipe and a bottle of the elixir itself.
"Xiao San, let me take a look at that elixir recipe," Tang Hao said in his usual gruff tone, as soon as Tang San retrieved the items.
"Here, father!" Tang San obediently handed over the recipe.
"Centuries-old ginseng, purple lingzhi, and hundred-year-old knotweed..."
Tang Hao frowned as he read the ingredients aloud. Though these weren't as rare as thousand-year-old herbs or the nearly impossible ten-thousand-year herbs, they were still incredibly valuable. The elixir's name wasn't a joke; it truly required over a hundred different herbs, all at least a century old. Gathering such a variety of rare ingredients would be no easy feat. Only the royal families of Heaven Dou or Star Luo, or powerful groups like Spirit Hall or the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, could pull together the resources needed for such an endeavor.
"This recipe requires a hundred different herbs, all at least a hundred years old. Gathering the ingredients alone will be a challenge," Tang Hao said, shaking his head as he handed the recipe back to Tang San.
"Alright, Xiao San. Go ahead and take the elixir. It'll help you reach the level of a Grand Soulmaster more quickly."
"Understood."
Tang San nodded seriously and tucked the recipe into the Twenty-Four Moonlit Bridges pouch his teacher, Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang, had given him as a gift. Just as he was about to store the elixir bottle as well, Yu Xiaogang awkwardly approached, clearing his throat.
"Xiao San... we haven't even looked at the elixir yet."
His voice feigned nonchalance, but the gleam in his eyes betrayed a deep, almost desperate desire. In the original story, without the game-changing broadcast system, Grandmaster had already given up on proving his theories. After mentoring Tang San for six years, he had grown to care for him, even refusing a rare Nine-Petal Violet Grass when Tang San offered it.
But this time, things were different. The broadcasts had shown Grandmaster glimpses of a future where he could change his fate, reigniting his long-suppressed ambitions. He had seen the chance to prove his theories, to leave a mark on the world. While caution still held him back, he had chosen to mentor Tang San as a way to realize those dreams. He hadn't developed a deep affection for Tang San yet—it was more about what Tang San could do for him.
So when he saw that the Hundred Herbs Elixir could push someone of even low innate soul power to the Soul Elder rank, Yu Xiaogang found his resolve weakening. Tang San was already a Soul Master, so he probably wouldn't need the entire bottle of elixir to reach the Soul Elder rank, right? Surely one pill wouldn't hurt? Maybe that single pill could help Yu Xiaogang finally break through and achieve his dream of becoming a Soul Elder—a dream he had chased for years.
He was confident Tang San would agree. After all, the boy had once said, "A teacher for a day is like a father for life." Surely he would part with one pill for his master.
Tang San, however, quickly caught on to what Yu Xiaogang wanted. His teacher wasn't just interested in the elixir; he needed it.