Not Only Handsome, But Also Strong

Chen Jieqi pointed to an immortal herb with a translucent white body by the lakeside and said to Dugu Bo, "Grandfather, look. This one with golden veins on its leaves and a jade-like stem is the Hunyuan Immortal Herb.

It has a mild nature, so you can just pull it up by the roots. We will consume it leaf by leaf and absorb it slowly."

Dugu Bo nodded and stepped forward to pull the immortal herb up by its roots. It felt slightly cool to the touch, and the golden veins on the leaves shimmered with a faint luster under the morning light, just as Chen Jieqi had described.

Without any hesitation, he plucked a leaf and placed it into his mouth.

The moment he swallowed it, Dugu Bo immediately sat cross-legged on a bluestone, closed his eyes, and followed Chen Jieqi's instructions to raise his soul power, guiding the medicinal energy of the herb to circulate slowly through his meridians.

At first, the medicinal energy was merely a gentle, warm current, wandering through his limbs and bones like melting snow in spring.

Wherever it passed, his meridians—usually parched and eroded by toxins—actually began to tingle with a faint itch, a sensation of being nourished.

What surprised Dugu Bo even more was that the toxins lurking deep within his meridians were being gently enveloped by the warm current, following the guidance of his soul power as they flowed bit by bit toward the Poison Core in his dantian.

"It's working..."

Dugu Bo sighed inwardly, his murky, dark green eyes trembling slightly.

For the first time in decades, the toxins were gathering so obediently instead of lashing out in a frenzy.

As time passed, the gentle warm current gradually thinned, and the effects of the medicinal energy began to fade.

Dugu Bo did not hesitate; he plucked another leaf of the Hunyuan Immortal Herb, placed it in his mouth, and calmed his mind once more, guiding the new warm current to continue nourishing his meridians and drawing out the toxins.

In this repeating cycle, the Poison Core in his dantian grew slightly hot, as if responding to the call of the medicinal energy.

A redemption spanning half a lifetime was quietly unfolding here, beside the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well.

Chen Jieqi watched Dugu Bo's brow gradually unfurl, a flash of joy crossing his eyes.

He then turned toward the cluster of immortal herbs not far away, beginning to calculate in his mind, "It will still take some time for Grandfather's poison sac to fully form. It's the perfect opportunity to plan for myself and Sister Yanyan as well..."

Chen Jieqi gazed at the rising mist of the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well, a gentle smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. The reason he chose to be honest

was never just for one person, but to ensure that everyone he cared about could stand firm on this dangerous continent.

Chen Jieqi stood among the immortal herbs beside the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well, his gaze sweeping over the brilliant, colorful treasures before finally landing on two specific herbs.

One was the Bright Heaven Herb, with a translucent white body emitting a soft holy light;

the other was the Blazing Exquisite Lantern, laden with golden fruits and radiating a pure, intense aura.

Chen Jieqi walked forward and tapped the Bright Heaven Herb with his fingertip, causing a pale golden holy light to flow gently.

"This herb can indeed enhance my purification power, but its greater utility lies in improving the constitution of a Six-Winged Angel martial soul.

If Qian Renxue were here, this would be the best choice."

As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Jieqi turned to the Blazing Exquisite Lantern beside him.

The sacred, bright aura from its fruits resonated with the Heart of the Naaru between his brows, making the holy light around his body even purer.

"And you are my true destination."

Chen Jieqi whispered to himself, his fingertips brushing over the plump fruit.

"No unnecessary physical enhancement, only the purest light and sacred energy—

it fits my Heart of the Naaru perfectly!"

Chen Jieqi withdrew his hand and looked at the steaming mist of the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well, a trace of determination flashing in his eyes.

"Compared to those flashy, superficial effects, pushing the core attributes of one's martial soul to the limit is true power."

Chen Jieqi murmured to himself, holy light swirling at his fingertips.

"Take my first soul skill, Holy Blessing of Light, for example. It consumes 20% of my soul power. If the sacred attribute of the Heart of the Naaru becomes even stronger, that 50% boost to power, defense, and attributes could become 60%, 70%...

Or take the Holy Light Domain; with the same range and duration, once the martial soul is strengthened, it wouldn't just increase the attribute buffs for myself and my teammates, but also make the debuffs on the enemy more thorough, even accelerating the dissolution of their soul power.

Even if it just made a soul skill last a little longer, or reduced soul power consumption by a fraction, it would be a decisive difference in a protracted battle.

Even the base damage of a soul skill would undergo a qualitative change due to the elevation of the martial soul's foundation."

"This isn't a superficial enhancement; it's a change at the very root."

Chen Jieqi smiled slightly, looking at the Blazing Exquisite Lantern laden with golden fruit.

"Once I consume it, the light and sacred attributes of the Heart of the Naaru will become even purer.

By then, every one of my soul skills will undergo a fundamental transformation. This is the path I must take!"

Having made up his mind, Chen Jieqi no longer hesitated; he sat cross-legged on the bluestone beside the Yangji Yanquan.

He pinched a golden fruit of the Blazing Exquisite Lantern between his fingertips and popped it into his mouth.

The fruit melted the moment it touched his tongue, and a pure, scorching, holy light energy instantly exploded, sliding down his throat like a warm spring as it surged toward his limbs and bones.

Chen Jieqi dared not be negligent; he immediately circulated his soul power to guide the medicinal potency, and a pale golden holy light surged from between his brows.

It intertwined with the holy light energy within his body, washing over his meridians like a gentle tide.

A hazy golden halo gradually rose from the surface of his skin, and the Heart of the Naaru martial soul between his brows lit up in response.

A layer of warm, lustrous gold was slowly being plated onto the crystalline structure of the puzzle, and a sacred, solemn aura quietly began to permeate from his body.

It made him appear even more devout and convincing; the entire process lasted about two hours, without any intense impact, as the medicinal power was absorbed gradually.

Chen Jieqi opened his eyes and looked down at his hands and the water; his appearance was no different from before, but he could clearly feel an inexplicable temperament added to his entire being—gentle, yet making others involuntarily want to draw close or feel convinced.

I'm afraid I have the potential to be a charlatan...

Chen Jieqi couldn't help but mutter, then with a thought, he summoned the Heart of the Naaru.

He saw that the originally soft holy light had now become as condensed as substance, presenting a dazzling, materialized gold, and the radiance was even more eye-catching.

As for the blade in his hand, which previously only shimmered with a faint elemental luster along its edge, it was now completely enveloped by a layer of scorching holy flames.

The entire weapon presented a translucent, materialized gold; the flames surged and danced on the blade as if they could burn enemies to ashes, possessing immense visual impact.

This change...

Chen Jieqi was slightly stunned as memories of playing WOW in his past life instantly flooded his mind.

If I grow wings later, it'll be the perfect visual for a legendary hero.

Thinking of this, the corners of his mouth couldn't help but lift, his eyes filled with smiles.

After all, being strong is only temporary, but being cool is a lifelong matter!

Chen Jieqi couldn't help but swing his sword in a light slash; the flames cut through the air, leaving a golden trail, and even the mist of the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well was instantly evaporated.

The golden light of the Heart of the Naaru and the flames of the Ashbringer shone in mutual reflection, shrouding him in a layer of sacred and scorching halo, making his temperament even more striking.

He then moved his mind, and a bright yellow soul ring flickered into existence.

[First Soul Skill: Holy Blessing of Light]

A pale golden light instantly enveloped his entire body; what was completely different from before was that

the light, which had previously only shimmered with gold, now became as hard as substance.

The consumption has dropped to ten percent?

Chen Jieqi felt a surge of joy; he subconsciously maintained the soul skill's operation and discovered that the rate of soul power consumption was a full half slower than before.

At the same time, the attribute boost provided by the soul skill increased by as much as 60%, going from the original 50% to 80%, while the duration remained unchanged.

Chen Jieqi moved his mind again, the Heart of the Naaru martial soul unfolded, and the Holy Light Domain suddenly took shape.

This time, the golden light curtain was no longer a simple barrier, but radiated a warmth that put people at ease; the domain effects were also significantly strengthened.

Not only was the continuous consumption halved, but the self-attribute boost and enemy debuff were both doubled, and even resistances were increased by 100%.

As expected.

Chen Jieqi retracted his martial soul; he hadn't tested his soul power yet, although this mainly strengthened the martial soul's attribute energy, it shouldn't be a problem to increase by a few levels.

He felt very satisfied with this, a smile curving the corners of his mouth.

He rubbed the space between his brows and sighed:

Being strong is only temporary, but being cool is a lifelong matter...

And this time, not only am I cool, but I'm also strong!