A Century-Old Curse Lifted in a Day

The next day, after Chen Jieqi finished his meditation and prayer, he ate his breakfast.

He looked at Dugu Yan, who was nearby helping Dugu Bo organize medicinal herbs, his eyes filled with gentle consideration.

If Sister Yan Yan continues to follow the poison-control path of her Jade Phosphorous Serpent martial soul, her upper limit will be at most Dugu Bo.

Even if she fails to evolve it into a Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor, she will be far from reaching Dugu Bo's level. Even if she is lucky enough to evolve into a Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor, following Dugu Bo's path of the 'poison sac' would mean enduring decades of backlash before the sac even forms. Just thinking about it makes my heart ache...

Chen Jieqi whispered to himself, looking at the cluster of immortal herbs not far away.

No, I cannot let her walk this path. Even if Dugu Yan herself could endure it, I, Chen Jieqi, do not want her to suffer this pain. Therefore, I must change her track and have her walk the path of a snake transforming into a dragon.

So, I have decided it will be you—the Earth Dragon Golden Melon.

The Earth Dragon Golden Melon is an earth-attribute plant-type immortal treasure. It is a golden, round melon the size of a fist, with fine dragon-scale patterns on its skin.

It contains pure Earth Vein Power and the bloodline of an Earth Dragon, making it a top-tier plant nourished by heaven and earth's unique spiritual veins.

It has extremely strong compatibility with earth-type and dragon-type martial souls. It can strengthen one's control over Earth Power, making it especially suitable for earth-type, Earth Dragon, and sub-dragon martial souls, and it can significantly increase the power of earth-type skills.

Furthermore, most importantly, it purifies the martial soul's bloodline, helping non-dragon martial souls (such as the Jade Phosphorous Serpent) evolve into earth-attributed dragon-type martial souls, while also clearing toxins and impurities from the body.

This is the foundation of Chen Jieqi's confidence in choosing to have Dugu Yan walk the path of the snake transforming into a dragon.

Having made up his mind, Chen Jieqi stood up, walked to Dugu Yan's side, and took her hand.

"Sister Yan Yan, I've thought of a new path for you, little sister. Let's not follow the poison-control path; let's walk the path of the snake transforming into a dragon. How about it?"

Dugu Yan was slightly startled.

"Snake transforming into a dragon? What is that?"

Chen Jieqi squatted down in the herb garden, gently brushed the dragon-scale patterns on the Earth Dragon Golden Melon, and turned to look at Dugu Yan beside him.

"Sister Yan Yan, look at this melon. Not only can it infuse you with the bloodline of an Earth Dragon, but it can also clear all the toxins from your body. From now on, you will never have to suffer the pain of backlash again."

Dugu Yan squatted down, looking at the golden, glowing melon, her voice trembling slightly.

"Can I really... get rid of it completely?"

"Yes."

Chen Jieqi nodded heavily.

"Your Jade Phosphorous Serpent will absorb its earth elements and slowly transform into an Earth Dragon. In the future, your martial soul will be an earth-type dragon. After the transformation, not only will your physique be greatly improved compared to before, but the hidden danger of the 'poison' attribute will also be removed and replaced with the upright, peaceful, or heavy 'earth' attribute."

"And besides the common choices of power attack or defense, the 'earth' attribute can also follow a control path through versatility and terrain restriction. If you want to continue on the control path, that is perfectly fine. If you have the opportunity to evolve into 'Earth Power' later on, its potential and foundation will be no less than that of an extreme attribute, but that is a matter for the future."

Dugu Yan looked at Chen Jieqi's earnest eyes, then at the immortal herb with its dragon-scale luster.

The unease in her eyes gradually turned into anticipation.

"Okay, I will listen to your arrangements, little brother!"

"Sister Yan Yan, the essence of the Earth Dragon Golden Melon is more compatible with earth-attribute or dragon-type martial souls, thereby drawing out 'Earth Vein Power' or 'Earth Power'. Therefore, the method of consumption is to drip blood onto it and then use soul power to guide the golden melon to slowly integrate into your body to achieve bloodline resonance."

"However, in your case, it is about purifying the bloodline, evolving, and removing toxins, so you can just consume it directly. It will take about a few days, during which you must endure and neutralize the violent earth-type energy of the golden melon to avoid backlash."

Chen Jieqi said to Dugu Yan solemnly.

"Thank you, little brother Jieqi."

Dugu Yan smiled after taking the Earth Dragon Golden Melon, then sat cross-legged and began to eat it.

Chen Jieqi stood guard by Dugu Yan's side, watching her take small bites of the Earth Dragon Golden Melon. The golden flesh melted between her lips and teeth, carrying a rich aura of earth elements.

"Bear with it, Sister Yan Yan, this energy will be a bit intense."

He whispered a reminder.

Not long after, Dugu Yan's brows furrowed sharply, and fine beads of sweat seeped from her forehead.

"So heavy... It feels like being pressed down by a stone..."

Dugu Yan felt her meridians slightly swell under the scouring of the violent earth-type energy. The intense pain made her clench her fists, but immediately after, a tingling sensation spread from the depths of her bones—a sign that her bloodline was being purified and her bones were being strengthened.

Watching the scene before him, Chen Jieqi immediately warned:

"Don't resist, let the energy flow through your meridians. It's helping you purge the toxins and transform your bloodline!"

Gradually, an earthy-yellow halo surged from within Dugu Yan, wrapping her entire body into a cocoon of light.

Fine dragon patterns began to emerge on her exposed forearms, and earthy-yellow mist sprayed from her pores, swirling around her to form a small energy vortex that made even the ground beneath her feet tremble slightly.

"It's a success..."

Chen Jieqi watched that heavy and profound earth-type energy, finally letting out a sigh of relief.

The curse of the Dugu family had finally begun to be completely rewritten at this very moment.

The mountain stream returned to its usual silence, with only the chirping of birds and insects and a faint scent of sulfur lingering in the air.

Chen Jieqi sat cross-legged where he was, feeling the energy of heaven and earth slowly pouring into his body.

He knew deep down that no matter how high one's talent was, it would all be empty talk without diligent cultivation.

Without powerful strength as a backing, so-called security was nothing more than a castle in the air.

Therefore, even while watching Dugu Yan undergo her transformation, Chen Jieqi dared not slack off in the slightest, maintaining his meditative state to silently consolidate his soul power, which had just reached level 18.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

Chen Jieqi slowly opened his eyes, his gaze falling upon Dugu Yan. The earthy-yellow energy halo that had shrouded her had completely vanished.

That violent, magma-like energy had finally been thoroughly digested, and the brow that had been tightly furrowed from intense pain was now smooth and relaxed.

What surprised him most was that Dugu Yan's iconic short purple hair, under the infusion of earth elements and the complete purification of toxins, had quietly turned a deep, dark orange. As the strands fell to her shoulders, she possessed a sense of mature composure that replaced her previous cold allure.

Immediately after, Dugu Yan slowly opened her eyes as well.

The emerald-green eyes that had originally belonged to her Jade Phosphorous Serpent Martial Soul had now quietly shifted to a rich, earthy yellow.

Those eyes were as deep as the earth, looking profound and unfathomable.

"It worked."

Chen Jieqi felt a surge of joy and stepped forward quickly, his voice filled with relief.

"Sister Yanyan, how do you feel?"

Dugu Yan flexed her fingers, feeling the heavy power flowing through her meridians. Without the intrusion of the toxins from the past, she felt completely refreshed.

She raised a hand to brush her short hair, looking at the dark orange locks and earthy-yellow eyes in the reflection, a confident smile curling her lips:

"It's stable. The curse of the Dugu family has finally ended with my generation!"

Dugu Yan stood up abruptly and pulled Chen Jieqi into a hug, her voice filled with irrepressible surprise:

"I've finished absorbing it! It's exactly as you said!"

Her pretty face beamed as she chattered on, sharing the changes:

"The toxins are all cleared, my body is several times sturdier than before, and my strength has increased quite a bit!

My Jade Phosphorous Serpent Martial Soul has evolved into a sub-dragon, called the Single-Horned Golden Flood Dragon. Not only is my skin thick and tough, but I can also manipulate earth elements..."

Chen Jieqi was held tighter and tighter by her, his cheek pressed against the soft fabric of her clothes, his breath filled with the scent of the young girl.

He could feel Dugu Yan's excitement, and even though he felt a bit stifled by being pressed against her chest, he simply patted her back gently, a tender smile curving his lips as he patiently listened to her finish.

Gradually, Dugu Yan's voice grew quieter as she belatedly realized her loss of composure.

She looked down at the small Chen Jieqi in her arms, who was held against her chest, looking up at her with a smile, his eyes curved like crescent moons.

"Ah..."

Dugu Yan let go abruptly, her cheeks flushing bright red instantly, and she took a step back.

Chen Jieqi was also helpless; the girl's blush spoke louder than any words, so he had to ask as if nothing had happened:

"Sister Yanyan, have your soul skills changed as well?"