Dugu Bo took a deep breath and turned his gaze back to Han Li, who was holding the Aromatic Silk Beauty.
In the past two days, he had suffered several losses due to impulsiveness. Now, faced with a huge temptation, he had instead calmed down.
Especially since he hadn't forgotten that at the beginning, Guang Ling was ready to silence him just upon hearing the word "immortal herb," making Han Li's current generosity somewhat unsettling for him.
"Han Li, to be honest, both solutions you've offered are so good that I'm afraid to choose. Especially the second one—you seem very eager for me to choose it, which far exceeds the treatment plan you initially promised me, right?"
"Indeed," Han Li responded with a smile.
"Then you better explain why you're doing this. If you don't clarify, I don't dare to choose," Dugu Bo said with a wry smile.
To be honest, he didn't think he was worth that much. Even the first option seemed quite incredible to him, yet Han Li had given him two choices. This was terrifying.
Han Li shook his head in frustration. He had underestimated the impact of martial soul evolution on the natives of Douluo Continent, silently noting this low-level mistake to avoid repeating it in the future.
After reorganizing his thoughts, Han Li looked at Dugu Bo in front of him.
"Senior, you're overthinking it. To be honest, I prefer you to choose the second option because it benefits me more."
As he spoke, Han Li pointed to the Aromatic Silk Beauty in his hand.
"As for martial soul evolution, it's not that difficult given the quality of herbs here. Does that make sense to you? Also, I don't like owing people. Since you provided an herb very important to my master, I will give my all. Otherwise, I would just tell you to push the poison into your soul bone, which only treats the symptoms."
"Moreover, since you chose to become my guardian, you're now one of us. I said it before: I'm always generous with my people. Although I can't fully trust you yet, I believe it's worth exchanging two opportunities for martial soul evolution for your goodwill."
"That's it. The initial reason was simply that I needed the Aromatic Silk Beauty; the subsequent decisions were to win you over. Does that make sense?"
Han Li spread his hands, indicating he had finished speaking.
Dugu Bo listened in a daze. So, his anxiety was due to his limited perspective?
No, no, he quickly shook his head, dismissing the thought. Martial Soul evolution was a monumental deal anywhere. Given the chance, many high-level soul masters would be willing to risk their lives for it. Therefore, Han Li's offer was indeed extraordinarily generous.
Regaining his composure, he looked at the smiling Han Li and nodded solemnly, bowing respectfully.
"Then let's go with your plan. I'll choose the second option."
"Alright, let me first help you recuperate. Your body is in terrible condition, almost completely corroded by poison. It's best to restore some vitality before we proceed."
Han Li put away the Aromatic Silk Beauty and, after some thought, first took out the Nine Treasure Purple Zoysia. After reconsidering, he put it back and instead took out a Nine-Grade Dragon Ganoderma, which exuded a slight mist, and handed it over.
This Nine Treasure Purple Zoysia (water attribute) grew near the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. It seemed to be a mutation of the Nine-Grade Purple Ganoderma, influenced by the water dragon king's aura within the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, containing a certain dragon aura.
However, whether due to the mutation or some other reason, it was stuck just below the level of an immortal herb. Similarly, it had a twin, the Nine-Grade Dragon Ganoderma (fire attribute), in the same situation.
Han Li had carefully considered before taking out this rare herb. In terms of effectiveness, it was comparable to an immortal herb for dragon and snake martial spirits, making it a top-tier quasi-immortal herb, more than sufficient for Dugu Bo.
"First, consume the leaves. During the recuperation process, use its ability to suppress the poison as much as possible. Later, I'll prepare some medicine for you. In seven days, we'll begin," Han Li said without introducing the herb further.
"Alright."
Dugu Bo took the Nine-Grade Dragon Ganoderma from his hand, examined it carefully, and, although he didn't recognize it, could tell from its aura that it was something valuable.
Without further ado, he found a spot, sat down, put two leaves of the Dragon Ganoderma into his mouth, and began cultivating.
Seeing Dugu Bo move to the side, Guang Ling approached, knowing Han Li was preparing to start with him.
"Han Li, can my martial soul evolve too?" Guang Ling asked expectantly.
"Master, do you want the truth or a lie?" Han Li asked, blinking at Guang Ling.
"Forget it, you don't need to say anything, just get started."
Guang Ling waved his hand, knowing the answer. He had asked out of curiosity and wasn't insisting.
"Evolution is difficult, but getting stronger is certainly possible."
Seeing his master was ready, Han Li took out the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and handed it to Guang Ling.
Guang Ling looked at the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass, which was continuously eroding his soul power even in his hand, and turned to his disciple, "Do I just eat it?"
"No, just let it come into contact with your martial soul. I'll handle the rest."
Han Li's expression turned more serious.
Guang Ling nodded, said nothing, and immediately sat down cross-legged. He summoned his martial soul, placed it together with the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass, and closed his eyes.
Seeing the two make contact, Han Li quickly stretched out his hands, grabbing the spot where the bow and the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass touched. A faint red soul power instantly invaded both, causing them to spontaneously resist simultaneously.
Fortunately, Guang Ling had been forewarned by Han Li and actively suppressed his martial soul's resistance, making Han Li's job easier. He focused on handling the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass, and with the primary source of resistance gone, his soul power quickly enveloped both.
With the first step completed, the subsequent tasks became much simpler. Using his absolute control over ice elements, Han Li formed a net with his soul power, isolating the potent ice poison of the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and suppressing it at the bow handle.
The remaining energy was allowed to flow through the martial soul, continuously reinforcing its ice attribute with a large amount of pure ice elemental power. This energy eventually established a channel through the martial soul and entered Guang Ling's body.
Seeing this, Han Li finally breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed his master's condition was better than he had anticipated.
Perhaps due to Guang Ling already being at level 97 and the compatibility of the attributes, it took just over an hour for him to absorb all the energy from the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass. However, there were still no signs of a breakthrough.
(Note: The original work mentions two different setups; here, it adopts the setting where after level 95, each level increase doubles the soul power.)
Damn, is this all the immortal herb can do? Strengthen the elemental power and then wither? That's too short-lived.
Han Li rarely cursed in his heart, but fortunately, he had considered this problem from the start.
Without hesitation, he summoned his evolved Ice-Fire Dragon God Bow, channeling the energy of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well through it. Using the martial soul as a bridge, he quickly converted this energy into an ice attribute and directed it into Guang Ling's martial soul.
The massive commotion woke Dugu Bo, who was still cultivating. He stared in shock at the scene before him and then willingly abandoned his cultivation to stand guard on the perimeter.
Sure enough, the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well proved powerful. Under Han Li's full infusion, it took only fifteen minutes for faint fluctuations to emanate from Guang Ling's body.
Suddenly, Guang Ling opened his eyes and nodded at Han Li.
Han Li's face lit up with a hint of joy as he released his suppression of the ice poison at the bow handle and stepped back.
Dugu Bo also approached, his eyes showing a trace of envy. He knew this was a sign of an impending breakthrough.
He had been stuck at level 91 for years, constantly enduring the corrosion of poison.
Guang Ling's breakthrough gave him hope. If a level 97 could break through, then surely he could make some progress too.
The soul power around Guang Ling intensified, even turning the mist near him into ice crystals that fell continuously to the ground.
Han Li was about to remind him, but Guang Ling, perhaps recalling the commotion from his last breakthrough, realized this wasn't his room, and damaging anything here would be heartbreaking.
Under their watchful eyes, Guang Ling suddenly stood up, his wings unfolding out of nowhere, and he soared into the sky, disappearing quickly from their sight.
Dugu Bo, noticing the faint red glow in Han Li's eyes, asked enviously, "What's happening now? Explain it to me."
Han Li was about to respond when a bright light appeared in the sky. A milky white glow spread across the sky, briefly obscuring the blue sky and forming a circular rainbow pattern under the sunlight.
"He succeeded. Master is coming back."
No explanation was needed; the phenomenon in the sky said it all.
Just as Han Li finished speaking, Guang Ling's laughter echoed from above.
"Xiao Li is right, I'm now at level 98."
As Guang Ling descended, a large number of ice crystals followed him. However, by the time they reached the valley entrance, the influence of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well below caused them to quickly melt into raindrops. Han Li and Dugu Bo had to use their soul power to create shields above their heads to avoid getting their clothes wet.
"Congratulations on advancing further, Master."
"Congratulations."
Han Li and Dugu Bo spoke in unison, their eyes fixed on Guang Ling, who had just returned to the ground.
"Haha, thank you, thank you."
Guang Ling responded joyfully, his excitement plain to see.
"Hey, your left eye can open now?"
Dugu Bo looked at Guang Ling's left eye in surprise. The area previously covered in dark blue ice crystals now had smooth, clear skin, showing no signs of any previous issue.
"That's right. The Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass has repaired the previous... defects, and the restrictions on me are gone. From now on, I will be in perfect condition."
Guang Ling replied vaguely, subconsciously hiding some details. He was willing to answer Dugu Bo's question mainly because of his good mood from the recent breakthrough and out of respect for his disciple.
Han Li was also overjoyed to hear his master's response.
Although Guang Ling had always seemed indifferent, as a top-tier archer, having his left eye restricted was something he was reluctant to mention. This unexpected benefit naturally made Han Li happy for his master.
"Not only that but my martial soul has been significantly strengthened. The ice element it carries has been greatly enhanced. Plus, I can now selectively use the poison from the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass."
As he spoke, a divine bow emitting a milky white glow appeared in Guang Ling's hand. It looked similar to before, but just by observing it, one could sense its chilling aura.
Is this the ultimate ice? Or what they call near-ultimate? Han Li wondered, sensing the ice elemental fluctuations from Guang Ling's divine bow.
To be honest, he wasn't even sure if his martial soul was considered the ultimate ice. After all, he hadn't finished reading the sequel, which introduced countless new settings. Fortunately, the original Douluo Dalu didn't have this setting, so he didn't need to worry about it. A slightly slower cultivation speed was nothing to worry about with his rapid progress.
Oh well, as long as it can fight. Noting that Guang Ling's divine bow's ice element was still slightly less intense than his own, Han Li stopped pondering.
"What are you thinking, Xiao Li?"
Guang Ling interrupted Han Li's thoughts, playfully flicking his forehead with a smile.
The sudden attack made Han Li instinctively cover his head with his hands and take a few steps back.
Then, he noticed the sudden silence around him and heard Guang Ling's somewhat suppressed and angry voice.
"Xiao Li, tell me, what happened to your hands? Is this the result of using your martial soul to channel energy for me earlier?"
Sensing the emotion in Guang Ling's voice, Han Li realized that his unconscious action had revealed his hands to Guang Ling.
"It's nothing, Master. You don't need to worry. I'll just take some time to cultivate and it'll be fine."
Han Li smiled as he lowered his hands, then voluntarily stretched them out, palms up, for the two to see.
His hands, from the back to the wrist, were covered in densely packed, dual-colored scales, looking quite menacing. They emitted a faint aura typical of high-level dragons.
"Tell me, what's going on?"
Guang Ling didn't believe his excuse and looked at him sternly. It was clear Han Li's condition was due to some kind of corrosion. Dugu Bo also gazed at him with concern.
Han Li sighed helplessly. It seemed he couldn't hide it anymore, so he decided to come clean.
He organized his thoughts and looked at the two in front of him.
"Master, Senior, you previously asked me why my martial soul couldn't be touched and why it suddenly exuded dragon pressure. I'll explain it now."
"If I'm not mistaken, the changes in my martial soul are due to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. During its evolution, I could feel that the so-called pool water was likely not water at all, but rather the transformed corpse and blood essence of a high-level dragon."
"Dragon blood essence? What kind of dragon blood essence could create such a treasure land and cause so many rare herbs to grow around it?"
Guang Ling and Dugu Bo's eyes widened in shock. They couldn't help but glance at the seemingly calm Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, murmuring to themselves.
"Perhaps a god's," Han Li answered with a smile.
"A god's? Yes, only divine-level blood could possess such power."
Guang Ling thought of the Angel God worshipped by the Martial Soul Hall, his expression growing grim. He looked at Han Li: "So, Xiao Li, your martial soul wasn't evolving but being corroded?"
"No, Master, my martial soul did evolve." Han Li shook his head, refuting Guang Ling's statement. "My Ice-Fire Bow, due to its complete fusion of ice and fire, wasn't corroded. Instead, it forcibly absorbed a portion of the beneficial energy, completing its evolution."
"But because of this, I voluntarily gave up on pushing my martial soul to a higher level. My current martial soul and body can't withstand a full evolution. If I forcefully advance, I would have to endure the baptism of dragon blood and its residual spirit."
"If that happens, I might be polluted and corroded. I wouldn't be myself anymore, and who knows what would happen to the Ice-Fire Bow. So, I chose to stop at my limit."
"As for my martial soul's spontaneous activation, it's likely due to the remaining dragon spirit not being completely expelled. The condition of my hands is the same, but it's still under control. Given time, I can drive it out. I don't want to turn into a soul beast."
Hearing his words, Guang Ling and Dugu Bo finally breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, the problem wasn't too severe, though their gazes at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well now carried a hint of fear.
"From now on, you're not allowed to do anything like this again, do you hear me? Otherwise, consider yourself no longer my disciple," Guang Ling turned his head and sternly looked at Han Li.
"Don't worry, Master, I understand. This was a special situation. I won't take such risks lightly."
Seeing his master's reaction, Han Li knew he had passed this hurdle. He quickly smiled and moved closer to massage his master's arm.
"Get lost. And don't ever use the water from this pool for cultivation again, got it? Otherwise, I'll break your legs. I don't want a monster for a disciple."
Guang Ling pushed him aside with a look of disdain, but his tone was full of affection.
"Got it, Master. No problem. You have to have faith in me. Even without relying on this stuff, I'll still be the youngest Title Douluo in the future."
Han Li grinned and moved closer again, and the master and disciple started to playfully tussle.
Dugu Bo looked enviously at the good rapport between the master and disciple. He consoled himself internally, thinking, "It's okay, I still have Yan Yan. I'm not jealous."
=====
Support Me At Patreon.com/AbsoluteCode