Poison Cloud Technique—at first glance, it sounds like an unremarkable skill, one that's commonly seen in various Western fantasy settings and not unheard of on the Douluo Continent.
However, this Poison Cloud Technique was far from ordinary. Just as the claw attack granted by a regular black bear pales in comparison to that of the Darkgolden Terrorclaw Bear, the Poison Cloud Technique of the Jade Phosphorous Flower of the Seven Absolutes was unique.
The essence of the Jade Phosphorous Flower of the Seven Absolutes was its extreme toxicity, and its strongest and most adept form of attack was the creation of poison clouds. Under Chen Ming's intervention, this soul ring not only allowed him to perfectly merge with the Jade Phosphorous Flower of the Seven Absolutes's poison but also granted him a special ability: the transformation of soul power's state.
On the Douluo Continent, soul power exists in three forms—gaseous, liquid, and solid. In this era, Soul Masters had little understanding of these states. The transition from gaseous to liquid soul power was achieved only through painstaking cultivation. The existence of the solid-state was uncertain, and the concept of a soul core had yet to emerge in the minds of Soul Masters.
Yet, this soul ring not only granted Chen Ming the Poison Cloud Technique but also gifted him a natural talent for altering the state of his soul power.
Externally, Chen Ming could transform his soul power into poison clouds, releasing them into the air. With his spiritual power, he could control the density and composition of these clouds and, if needed, reabsorb the poison clouds to convert them back into soul power. Internally, he could reverse the process of the Poison Cloud Technique to condense his soul power, transitioning it from a gaseous to a liquid state—and potentially even to a solid state or the formation of a soul core.
In this era, this was an extraordinary breakthrough. Even if Chen Ming couldn't create a soul core, merely increasing the quality of his soul power would allow him to easily challenge opponents of higher levels.
Over the years, Chen Ming had come to understand that poison-element Soul Masters on the Douluo Continent faced significant limitations in altering their toxins. They primarily relied on the toxins inherent to their martial souls, which would then evolve through the absorption of different soul rings.
Without soul rings, they couldn't actively modify their toxin composition. Jade Phosphor Snake Venom remained Jade Phosphor Snake Venom, and Emerald Scorpion Venom stayed Emerald Scorpion Venom. Even with soul rings, the toxins were merely mutated versions of the originals, always retaining their fundamental essence.
An observant individual could easily identify the origin of such toxins and develop corresponding countermeasures. This was one of the main reasons why Dugu Bo often found himself at a disadvantage—over the years, his toxins had been at least partially deciphered, leaving plenty of methods to neutralize them.
But Chen Ming was now different. He could actively alter and interfere with his soul power. Currently, his soul power was primarily based on the Emerald Scorpion's venom fused with the Jade Phosphorous Flower of the Seven Absolutes's toxins. After observing other poisonous creatures, he could analyze their toxins and integrate their characteristics into his soul power.
If he desired, he could even remove the Emerald Scorpion's traits entirely, showcasing only the toxins of the Jade Phosphorous Flower of the Seven Absolutes or other poisonous creatures. By adjusting the proportions and types, he could create unprecedented and unparalleled mixtures of toxins. This was groundbreaking on the Douluo Continent.
While Dugu Bo could release Jade Phosphor Snake Venom with a wave of his hand, what Chen Ming would release in the future would be completely unpredictable.
When others believed they had deciphered Chen Ming's toxins, he could entirely switch to a different venom to eliminate his enemies. The combination of various toxins could yield unimaginable effects. At the very least, creating a simplified version of the Life-Death Talisman or Three-Corpse Brain Pill would be almost trivial.
Without a doubt, while the soul skill itself was already powerful, its attached properties were even more so—so much so that they rivaled, if not surpassed, the abilities of some hundred-thousand-year soul skills. If Dugu Bo ever learned of this, he'd likely drool in envy.
After finalizing his choice of soul skill, the soul ring began to solidify, and Chen Ming's mental state gradually descended from the realm of interacting with the laws of the Douluo World back into a deep meditative state.
The soul power from the Jade Phosphorous Flower of the Seven Absolutes's soul ring flowed into his body, its essence merging with his martial soul. His physique began to change—he grew taller, his bones and muscles denser, his vitality surged, and even his appearance became noticeably more refined.
Patterns resembling plants began to emerge across the carapace of Chen Ming's martial soul. The scorpion tail behind him swayed, its tip taking on a molten, melting texture. The essence of his martial soul infused into it, and the tail slowly began to grow.
A twelfth segment of the tail formed, darkened in color, but the process didn't stop there. A thirteenth segment, still in its early stages of growth, started to take shape.
"Is this... twelve and a half segments?"
Chen Shijie found himself stunned once again. But this time, after staring in disbelief for a moment, he managed to answer.
Typically, it's rare for a martial soul to exhibit such signs of growth, but when it does happen, one can often reference corresponding soul beasts for guidance.
From Chen Shijie's perspective, although the thirteenth tail segment was not yet fully developed, it would naturally mature further with cultivation. Perhaps even without absorbing a second soul ring, Chen Ming's thirteenth segment would complete its growth when he reached the twentieth rank.
"The fourteenth segment with the second soul ring, the fifteenth segment with the third… Is this the Scorpion Emperor's martial soul?"
"The first soul ring from the Jade Phosphorous Flower of the Seven Absolutes's sacrifice, reaching rank thirty to evolve the martial soul to emperor class… My grandson, Chen Ming, has the potential to become a Titled Douluo!"
"My grandson has the potential to become a Titled Douluo!"
Chen Shijie, overwhelmed with emotion, conjured a barrier of soul power in front of Chen Ming and then grabbed Chen Tianyun by the collar. He began shouting excitedly into Chen Tianyun's ear, nearly leaving the latter in a daze. Chen Tianyun, stunned by the outburst, almost forgot who he was for a moment. After a while, he nodded absentmindedly in agreement.
The two men, still ecstatic, whispered carefully behind the soul power barrier while waiting for Chen Ming to finish absorbing his soul ring. After over an hour, Chen Ming's soul power stabilized, and his tightly shut eyes slowly opened.
The moment Chen Ming regained consciousness, Chen Shijie rushed forward, lifted him high into the air, and exclaimed loudly, "My grandson has the potential to become a Titled Douluo!"
"Father, be careful! Don't scare Xiao Ming—he just finished absorbing his soul ring!" Chen Tianyun quickly grabbed Chen Shijie's arm and offered a reminder.
Hearing this, Chen Shijie calmed down a little, hugging Chen Ming tightly before finally placing him back on the ground. But before Chen Ming could say anything, Chen Tianyun approached him eagerly, patting and examining him from head to toe to check his condition.
"Physical condition—excellent. Soul power condition—excellent. Everything is perfect! Xiao Ming, you truly have the potential of a Titled Douluo!"
"Second Uncle, Grandpa… please calm down," Chen Ming said, his mouth twitching. He had plenty of things he wanted to share, but with their overwhelming enthusiasm, he could only try to pacify them.
After nearly a tea's time, Chen Ming managed to soothe them, and they regained their composure, wearing their usual expressions as they began questioning him.
A Soul Master's soul skills are important secrets and not something one would casually share with outsiders. However, sharing them with family is entirely normal.
Chen Ming chose to omit the details of his spiritual exploration and simply explained that he had instinctively gained a unique soul skill. He briefly introduced the Poison Cloud Technique and the abilities it granted him.
Given the limited understanding of soul power transformation during this era, neither Chen Tianyun nor Chen Shijie realized the significance of the granted ability. Instead, they focused on the Poison Cloud Technique itself.
Under their eager gazes, Chen Ming performed a small-scale demonstration of the Poison Cloud Technique, creating a modest poison cloud. Upon confirming that Chen Ming's martial soul had indeed inherited the Jade Phosphorous Flower of the Seven Absolutes's toxins, Chen Tianyun and Chen Shijie exchanged a look, a sense of relief washing over them.
"The long-cherished wish of our ancestors has finally been realized in the younger generation of our family…"