Dugu Yan's Martial Soul Evolution, the Legendary Immortal Herb
Just as Lin Chen was getting ready to take a good look at what Xue Qinghe was doing, a powerful presence suddenly erupted from Dugu Yan in the distance.
"Oh? From the looks of it, Miss Dugu Yan's Martial Soul may be about to evolve." Xue Qinghe discreetly put the Immortal Herb away, then walked over with a smile and led Lin Chen to look in Dugu Yan's direction.
A formidable presence erupted from Dugu Yan. Behind her, the Jade Phosphorous Serpent gradually grew longer and larger, and dark golden patterns intertwined across its once dark green scales.
Just as Lin Chen thought the Martial Soul Evolution was over, a pair of short, dark golden dragon horns gradually grew from the bumps atop the Jade Phosphorous Serpent's head. Four dark golden dragon claws also sprouted from its slender body.
As the dragon claws appeared, Dugu Yan's eyes snapped open. Her presence surged once more, and her Soul Power broke through level after level, reaching level 30 in an instant and attaining the realm of a Soul Elder!
Dugu Bo stared at the changes in Dugu Yan, dumbstruck. Then he abruptly came to his senses and burst out laughing. "Hahahahaha! That's my granddaughter, all right!"
Dugu Yan flexed her hand in a daze, feeling the surging power within it. It all felt especially unreal.
Six months before she ate the Earth Dragon Golden Melon, she had only been a level 23 Soul Grandmaster. She had trained hard every day for those six months, yet her Soul Power had only risen by three levels.
But she had merely followed Lin Chen to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, and the deadly poison in her body had been cured, while her Martial Soul had evolved as well.
Even her Soul Power Level had suddenly reached level 30, making her a Quasi-Soul Elder. Everything had gone so smoothly that she even felt as though she were dreaming.
And all of this had happened simply because she had met Lin Chen and become friends with him.
"Grandpa, am I dreaming?" Dugu Yan raised her head in confusion, evidently still recovering from her shock.
Seeing this, Dugu Bo smiled and rubbed Dugu Yan's head. "Yanyan, what silly things are you saying? Of course you aren't dreaming. Everything that happened to you is real."
Hearing this, Dugu Yan abruptly came to her senses. Feeling the powerful Martial Soul and Soul Power within her, she beamed with joy. "It's real! My Martial Soul really did evolve, and my poison is gone too!"
Lin Chen walked over with a smile and congratulated her. "Congratulations on breaking through to level 30. A twelve-year-old Quasi-Soul Elder is a rare sight."
Xue Qinghe smiled gently. "The deadly poison is gone, and the serpent has become a flood dragon. Congratulations, Miss Dugu Yan. You've shed your mortal body and been reborn."
"Mm!" Dugu Yan nodded excitedly, then suddenly sensed something was off. "Wait. Doesn't it seem a little odd for you, a six-year-old Quasi-Soul Elder, to say that?"
"Hehe, don't worry about that." Lin Chen smiled and waved a hand. "Since you, Dugu Yan—"
Before Lin Chen could finish, Dugu Yan interrupted him. "Lin Chen, don't call me Dugu Yan anymore. Aren't we friends now? Just call me Yanyan from now on."
A blush crept onto Dugu Yan's face as she said this. "And of course, the same goes for you, Brother Xue. Calling me Miss Dugu Yan is much too formal."
Dugu Bo glanced at the bashful Dugu Yan beside him, as though he had suddenly understood something. A smile appeared on his face, but he did not point it out.
Lin Chen, however, noticed nothing amiss. He merely nodded in confusion. "Since it's Dugu... ah, Yanyan's request, I'll call you that."
After a pause, Lin Chen spoke with a smile. "What I was going to say is, since you've reached level 30 too, Yanyan, why don't you come hunt Soul Beasts with me first?"
Dugu Bo looked at Lin Chen suspiciously. "What's going on with you, kid? Aren't you going to finish absorbing the Immortal Herbs before you leave?"
Lin Chen shook his head. "My spiritual power is sufficient now, so there's no rush to absorb the Immortal Herbs for the time being. Besides, the Ice and Fire Golden Body takes a long time, so there's no need to rush."
"Since that's what you say, kid, we'll do it your way." Dugu Bo nodded. "Let's go."
Seeing this, Xue Qinghe was just about to say something when Lin Chen waved a hand to stop her. "Brother Xue, don't come along. You don't need to hunt for a soul ring, so wouldn't coming with us be a waste of time?"
"But..." Xue Qinghe had just begun to speak when Lin Chen interrupted her. "Brother Xue, just stay here. I was hoping you could help me look for any Immortal Herbs suitable for me to eat."
Dugu Bo also nodded in agreement, then tossed a dark green pouch from his robes to Xue Qinghe.
Under Xue Qinghe's surprised gaze, Dugu Bo smiled and said, "This is called the Wishful Hundred Treasure Pouch. It can store living things. Qinghe, you can use it to store the Immortal Herbs."
Xue Qinghe was about to decline when Dugu Bo interrupted her. "None of the three of us can identify these Immortal Herbs. If I leave this with you, won't you be able to help us find suitable ones?"
Dugu Yan also nodded with a smile. "Brother Xue, don't be polite. I've never seen anyone give back something my grandpa has given them."
Seeing that both grandfather and granddaughter had said so, Xue Qinghe's face was full of helplessness. "In that case, thank you for your kindness, Mr. Dugu. I'll stay at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well and look for Immortal Herbs."
"Then let's go." With that, Dugu Bo led Lin Chen and Dugu Yan into the Poison Array.
Before leaving, Lin Chen looked back at Xue Qinghe's face and, under her gaze, smiled.
Xue Qinghe watched Lin Chen and the other two disappear into the Poison Array, then breathed a sigh of relief and took the Immortal Herb she had hidden from her robes.
It was a wondrous flower, snowy white throughout and shaped like a lotus, but without leaves. Its petals overlapped in layer upon layer, each as thin as a cicada's wing, with a pale golden glow along its edges.
The entire flower was without a trace of impurity, and it continuously gave off a warm, sacred, and awe-inspiring presence.
Fortunately, Qian Renxue had used the concealment effect of her Soul Bone to mask the flower's presence earlier. Otherwise, judging by the sacred presence it was giving off now, Dugu Bo would certainly have noticed something amiss.
Qian Renxue gazed excitedly at the Immortal Herb in her hand, a thousand thoughts racing through her mind. I never thought the legend Grandpa told me about would actually be true...
According to legend, the Nine Heavens Divine Feather Flower was a divine-level Immortal Herb that stood above all others and could evolve a Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul into a Nine-Winged Angel.
But the conditions for the flower to bloom were extremely demanding.
To make it bloom, a virgin maiden who possessed a Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul had to drip her blood onto its petals. Only then would the flower open.
If even one of those conditions was not met, the Nine Heavens Divine Feather Flower would not only fail to bloom but would instantly wither.
Moreover, once it bloomed, it had to be eaten within a day, or it would wither as its spiritual Qi dissipated.
She had originally planned to find an excuse to send Lin Chen away, but he had actually chosen to leave of his own accord. How could she not be delighted and excited?
At that thought, an infatuated look appeared on Qian Renxue's face once more. I never thought I'd encounter such a stroke of fortune. I really must thank Lin Chen this time. If not for him, I might never have seen this Immortal Herb in my entire life...
Never mind. There's no use dwelling on it now. I should hurry and absorb the Nine Heavens Divine Feather Flower while Lin Chen and the others are away.
When I absorb the Nine Heavens Divine Feather Flower, my concealment Soul Skill will lose its effect because of my Martial Soul's evolution. Going back to Heaven Dou City is out of the question, and there isn't enough time anyway. It looks like I can only absorb it here!
With that thought, Qian Renxue sat cross-legged, picked up the pure white Immortal Herb with her delicate, translucent fingers, and swallowed it in one bite.