Guang Ling and Han Li simultaneously looked at the figure that had appeared before them and couldn't help but be taken aback.
The person standing before them was still Dugu Bo in his familiar gray robe, but his hair and beard had both turned black. His face looked as if it had undergone cosmetic surgery, with all the wrinkles gone, making him appear much younger.
In just a little more than an hour, he had transformed from an old, decrepit man into a handsome middle-aged man.
Had they not witnessed his martial soul evolution firsthand, the master and disciple would never have thought they were the same person.
Seeing his master about to open his mouth and start arguing with Dugu Bo, Han Li felt a headache coming on and quickly stepped between the two.
"How about we go up first? Sister Yan is still waiting. We don't want her to worry. We can discuss everything together up there."
"Alright/Okay."
The two exchanged glances and simultaneously revealed their wings, flying towards the platform above.
Han Li watched the two take off, sighed lightly, and then slowly ascended toward the platform.
On the platform, Dugu Yan, seeing the transformed Dugu Bo, hesitantly asked, "Grandpa?"
"Yan Yan, of course, it's me. How about it? Did you see it? Grandpa succeeded and even grew wings. I can take you flying in the sky now."
Dugu Bo did not retract his wings; instead, he flaunted them by flapping them left and right, indirectly responding to Guang Ling's previous remark about his inability to fly in front of his granddaughter. [Note: the ability to fly at the Soul Sage stage was only discovered in Soul Land 2, I think.]
Guang Ling pursed his lips but held back any sarcastic comments, considering Dugu Yan was present.
"It is you, Grandpa. You've become so young all of a sudden."
Having been accustomed to her grandfather's old appearance, Dugu Yan was momentarily unaccustomed to the change and didn't rush over as usual, but she still showed a happy smile.
"Hahaha, Grandpa's poison is cured, and my body has recovered to health, so naturally, I look younger." Dugu Bo laughed heartily, feeling happier than he had in years.
"Congratulations, Grandpa, you no longer have to worry about martial soul backlash."
Dugu Yan looked at her rejuvenated grandfather and sweetly remarked.
"Congratulations, Senior."
Han Li also quietly offered his congratulations from the side.
"Alright, don't just stand there. Take a seat, everyone."
Guang Ling had already found a chair and sat down, beckoning the others to join him.
After everyone took their seats, Dugu Bo couldn't help but laugh as he looked at the three of them staring at him.
"Alright, I know you all have questions for me. Go ahead, ask them, one at a time."
"I'll go first, I'll go first."
Dugu Yan eagerly spoke up, snatching the first question.
"Alright, Yan Yan, go ahead," Dugu Bo said, looking at her dotingly.
"Grandpa, what's with your wings?"
Dugu Yan had wanted to ask this earlier but had been interrupted by Guang Ling and had held back until now.
"The wings are an unexpected result of my martial soul evolution. I hadn't anticipated growing wings, but after fully absorbing the immortal herb, my martial soul suddenly sprouted them. Fortunately, this is a good thing and will better support my plans, so I decided to keep them," Dugu Bo answered thoughtfully.
"Does that mean I might grow wings in the future too?" Dugu Yan asked excitedly.
Seeing his granddaughter's happiness, Dugu Bo couldn't help but glance at Han Li. He hadn't yet seen what Han Li had prepared for Dugu Yan, so he didn't dare answer lightly.
Han Li noticed Dugu Bo's small gesture and gave a slight nod, confirming it.
Dugu Bo breathed a sigh of relief, then smiled and looked at Dugu Yan, nodding firmly.
"Great!" Dugu Yan couldn't help but clench her fists in excitement at the thought of being able to fly in the future.
"Senior, after your martial soul evolution, you still retained such strong toxicity. Isn't that a bit risky? Or did something happen during the evolution that we don't know about?" Han Li speculated.
Hearing Han Li mention this, a smile instantly appeared on Dugu Bo's face. This was also why he had been eager to release his martial soul's true form upon hearing Guang Ling and Han Li's conversation.
"Speaking of which, Xiao Li, I really must thank you. The effect of the immortal herb you gave me was far stronger than I had expected."
Dugu Bo stood up sincerely and, pulling Dugu Yan along, deeply bowed to Han Li, despite her confusion.
Han Li hurriedly stood up to dodge but was still forced to accept this gesture.
"Senior, let's just talk normally. I really can't bear this; it shortens my lifespan," Han Li said.
"No, you can bear it," Dugu Bo replied seriously.
"Yan Yan, remember this. Your grandpa is still alive today because of Han Li. You must never have any ill thoughts towards him in the future, understand?"
Dugu Bo turned to his granddaughter, his expression more serious than ever.
Dugu Yan looked at her grandpa, then at Han Li, and solemnly nodded to indicate she understood.
Han Li was at a loss, thinking, What kind of situation is this?
"Senior, even if you want to thank me, you should explain the reason first. I'm still in the dark here," he said, half-jokingly.
"How about we sit down and talk? With the three of you standing, I feel a bit out of place."
Guang Ling took a sip of tea and placed the cup back on the table. Although he didn't know what was going on, it didn't stop him from enjoying the spectacle.
"Alright."
Dugu Bo glanced at him, then sat back down.
"Let's sit too, Sister Yan."
Han Li looked at the still somewhat dazed Dugu Yan and beckoned.
"Oh, okay." Dugu Yan snapped out of it and sat back down.
"Senior, you should explain now, right? I'm still completely in the dark. What role did that water-attributed Nine-Grade Dragon Ganoderma play in your evolution?" Han Li asked, puzzled, looking at Dugu Bo for answers.
"So it's called Nine-Grade Dragon Ganoderma."
Dugu Bo murmured, and then his expression returned to normal. He looked at the three of them and began to explain:
"The dragon aura wasn't as powerful as the one in Xiao Li's martial soul but was not weaker than the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon."
His expression grew more serious as he continued, "But it was the water attribute, though weak, that was extraordinary. Just a trace of its essence transformed me into what I am now."
As he spoke, he activated his martial soul again, and a faint blue energy appeared in his hand, extending it toward the center of the group.
"Purification effect?"
Guang Ling stared at the energy for a long time, finding it somewhat familiar yet different. He asked uncertainly.
"Yes, it's purification, pure and simple. It purifies all negative effects. Of course, I've only inherited a bit of it. The attribute of my soul power hasn't completely changed, and recovery is still slow. It just ensures I'm not affected by toxins and might make me more resistant to negative effects in the future."
Dugu Bo scratched his head, a bit embarrassed.
Meanwhile, Han Li was stunned, his mind racing. What kind of destiny's child is Dugu Bo? What about his destiny? Wake up and see if you've given your fortune to the wrong person.
Dugu Bo had merely chewed on a plant that wasn't even an immortal herb, yet his martial soul evolved, still bearing the appearance of the Serpent from his memory. That would have been fine on its own.
But the key point was that he had managed to chew out a weakened version of the Ultimate Water, eliminating his toxins and gaining a massive boost.
And as for Han Li himself? His martial soul evolution required enduring the bloodline and aura erosion of a long-dead Dragon King and couldn't reach the divine level in one step. Did he get the wrong script?
Han Li found himself deeply questioning everything.
"Xiao Li? What's wrong?"
Guang Ling gently pushed Han Li, who had been deep in thought since Dugu Bo finished speaking.
"Oh, it's nothing. I was just thinking about something," Han Li replied absentmindedly, his thoughts interrupted.
"Is it something important again?"
Guang Ling's expression immediately became tense, staring unblinkingly at his treasured disciple. He was worried it might be something like erosion again; his heart couldn't take much more.
Sensing his master's anxiety, Han Li felt a warmth in his heart and chuckled softly. "No, don't worry, Master. I was just recalling something related to what Senior mentioned."
"The Nine-Grade Dragon Ganoderma mutated under the influence of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. I was wondering, since Senior inherited purification abilities, perhaps when I reach a certain level, I might also be able to transform ice into water and gain the same abilities."
"Hey, that makes sense! My ice elemental power isn't weak either. Could I do it too?" Guang Ling's eyes lit up with the same idea.
Probably not, Han Li thought to himself, knowing that Guang Ling's Glowing Feather Arrow had already inherited the cold properties of ice. However, he didn't voice his answer aloud.
Let Master experiment at his own pace, he mused. Maybe he'll come up with something new. Dugu Bo is the best example.
Right now, Dugu Bo was his enforcer; his strength was effectively Han Li's strength. This was also a form of fortune, Han Li reassured himself.
"Then I must congratulate Senior again. The path to becoming a Super Douluo is now open to you."
Having calmed himself, Han Li looked at Dugu Bo with a peculiar expression, as if he had just hit the jackpot in a game.
"Haha, indeed! And now I've even broken through to Rank 93. Reaching Rank 95 will be a piece of cake. Don't worry, as long as I'm alive, nobody will be able to harm you," Dugu Bo laughed heartily and made a grateful promise.
"With Senior's assurance, I can go around causing trouble freely," Han Li joked with a smile.
"Hahaha, I wouldn't dare to make such a promise unless your master joins in," Dugu Bo laughed in response.
"If I'm joining in, what do we need you for?" Guang Ling teased and then smiled.
Over the next while, they asked a few more questions, and Dugu Bo's excitement from his breakthrough gradually subsided.
"By the way, Xiao Li, during your martial soul evolution, only a part of the dragon aura in your soul was drawn out. Do you want me to see if my purification power can counteract its erosion?" Dugu Bo turned and asked.
"It probably won't work, given that your ability stems from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, but it won't hurt to try," Han Li said, extending his hand toward Dugu Bo.
As expected, Dugu Bo's soul power roamed through Han Li's body without any effect.
Dugu Bo couldn't help but shake his head and sigh, "The Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well is truly both miraculous and fearsome."
The others nodded in agreement, and the atmosphere momentarily grew cold.
Seeing the three of them fall silent, Han Li took the initiative to ask, "By the way, Senior, Sister Yan's situation is different from yours. She can't perform the true form of her martial soul like you can. Have you figured out a concrete process for the evolution path you discovered? Maybe you could share it with us?"
Guang Ling and Dugu Yan also turned their attention to Dugu Bo upon hearing this.
After organizing his thoughts, Dugu Bo slowly began to speak:
"I can't say I have a specific process, but I am confident I can help Yan Yan follow the same evolution path."
"First, our previous approach to stimulating the martial soul's characteristics was correct. At that time, I noticed my martial soul was more active than usual and more closely connected to me."
"Then, instead of purely relying on instinct to refine immortal herb, I continuously used my martial soul to try and devour that energy."
"Using the martial soul to devour? How do you do that? Is there a specific soul power pathway? When I absorbed the immortal herb, I didn't feel anything like that," Guang Ling interrupted, finding his explanation increasingly mystical.
Dugu Bo didn't mind his skepticism and answered seriously, "I don't know either. The soul power pathway was no different than usual. At that time, I had only one thought in my mind: 'The snake devours the dragon.' And then I succeeded."
He continued, "The first time my martial soul evolved, I was also quite confused. By the time I realized it, my martial soul had become the Jade Phosphor Snake Emperor. This time was the same. By the way, didn't Xiao Li's martial soul also actively devour during his evolution? You can ask him if you don't believe me."
Han Li nodded in agreement. Dugu Bo was right; it was the same for him.
When he sensed the residual will trying to break through his martial soul, he refused to let anything else contaminate it. He chose to actively refine it, and the Ice and Fire Bow indeed evolved as he had hoped.
"Then why didn't I sense anything?" Guang Ling asked, puzzled.
"Maybe it's because of the different types of immortal herbs. Master, your herb only had pure ice elements. Although it was influenced by the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass might have actively repelled other energies during its growth," Han Li speculated.
"That makes sense," Dugu Bo nodded, agreeing as he thought about the various herbs Han Li had collected, most of which lacked dragon-like energy.
"According to what you're saying, the young girl will need some luck. I hope she succeeds," Guang Ling shook his head, doubtful that Dugu Yan could fully replicate Dugu Bo's process.
"Yes, that's true, but it's better than crossing the river by feeling the stones," Dugu Bo didn't argue, instead looking at Dugu Yan with a smile.
"The situation isn't as bad as you think. For Sister Yan, whether she evolves towards Senior's current martial soul or naturally transitions to a dragon-type martial soul, it's a significant enhancement. At least she doesn't have to stubbornly stick to the Jade Phosphor Serpent martial soul," Han Li reassured.
"And unlike Senior, her martial soul's toxin is still dormant. Plus, with the deliberate adjustments made to her soul skills, her congenital poison, although difficult to completely remove, doesn't need to be fully eradicated, nor does it require any human intervention. As long as she successfully evolves, her new martial soul will be able to suppress the toxin directly. Unless she insists on following the same path as Senior, the issue won't be a problem at all."
Guang Ling and Dugu Bo's words left Han Li somewhat confused. They had subconsciously forgotten that Dugu Yan's current martial soul was just the Jade Phosphor Serpent, an ordinary high-level martial soul. Any evolution would be a gain.
"That's true."
Dugu Bo and Guang Ling finally realized this, coming to an epiphany. They had instinctively considered Dugu Yan's situation from Dugu Bo's perspective, which was fundamentally flawed.
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