Douluo: Martial Soul Iron-Eating Beast, Never a Slave — Section 26

Jade Jasper Python-Dragon!

Although the boost and benefits were not as great as those of a True Dragon, Dugu Bo's strength had still soared considerably.

"Grandpa, did you succeed?" Dugu Yan could not help asking.

Dugu Bo slowly nodded.

His strength had increased, and he was still alive. That was enough.

As for evolving into a True Dragon, perhaps Dugu Bo had felt some regret right after the evolution, but now that obsession no longer seemed so deep.

Moreover, this Martial Soul Evolution was only a beginning. Dugu Bo could sense that there was still a "trigger" within his body that could affect the evolution of his Martial Soul.

As time passed, his Martial Soul would continue to undergo latent changes and evolution. Given enough time, the python-dragon might not be unable to transform completely into a dragon and soar through the nine heavens.

Once Dugu Bo rose to his feet, Dugu Yan immediately threw herself forward and hugged his arm. After all that fear, she cherished his presence even more.

"Grandpa, has the problem with your body been completely resolved?"

In response, Dugu Bo let out a relieved breath and said, "Completely resolved! After decades, I've finally gotten rid of that damned thing. It's just a pity it happened now. If it had been ten or so years earlier, perhaps..."

Thinking of his tragically deceased son, Dugu Bo could not help feeling grief and regret. But then he looked at Zhao Mu. Ten years earlier? Zhao Mu had not even been born yet.

"Grandpa, have you become stronger now? How much has your Soul Power Level increased?"

Facing Dugu Yan's string of questions, Dugu Bo did not hide anything and said with a smile, "My strength has indeed improved. As for my Soul Power Level, it's probably risen by two levels."

"Two levels? Then you're now a level ninety-three Title Douluo," Dugu Yan said.

A single level for a Title Douluo was equivalent to ten levels, or even more, for a low-level Soul Master.

Therefore, every level gained by a Title Douluo was an enormous increase in strength, especially after level ninety-five.

Other than protagonists with special plot armor or cheats, few could fight above their level at the Title Douluo stage.

Dugu Bo and Dugu Yan could not help chatting for a while. That was because Dugu Bo had evolved successfully. If he had failed, the two would have been separated by life and death, so they naturally needed time to calm their emotions.

As their emotions gradually settled, it was Dugu Yan's turn next.

Looking at the remaining blood vial on the ground, which had yet to be put away, Dugu Bo suggested, "Yan Yan, you should choose the second treatment plan to deal with the toxins in your body. I'll find you a suitable soul bone to store the poison."

However, as soon as Dugu Bo finished speaking, Dugu Yan shook her head. "No, Grandpa. I want to choose the first treatment plan too. I want to completely resolve the Jade Phosphorous Serpent's flaw at its root and gain even greater strength!"

"Yan Yan, you saw it just now. The evolution process of a Martial Soul is extremely dangerous. One slight mistake and..." As someone who had personally experienced it, Dugu Bo understood it even more deeply than Zhao Mu and Dugu Yan, who had only watched.

The heavenly lightning had struck the Martial Soul rather than directly attacking the Soul Master, but the pain was impossible to imagine without experiencing it firsthand. That was why Dugu Bo did not want Dugu Yan to take the risk.

"Grandpa, you had your own conviction before. Now I have mine too. I didn't stop you, and I hope you won't stop me either. You succeeded, so I will definitely succeed as well!" Dugu Yan insisted.

Dugu Yan was naturally extremely proud inside. Only someone so proud would be utterly crushed after Tang San broke the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Poison she had been so proud of.

The prouder and more talented a person was, the less they could endure the blow of failure.

Dugu Bo, who knew Dugu Yan's temperament well, naturally understood that he could not stop her. After sighing helplessly, he no longer tried to dissuade her and instead brought her Heibai's blood from its Fourth Form.

Taking the bottle of blood, Dugu Yan did not hesitate and drank it all in one gulp.

Then she sat cross-legged, just as Dugu Bo had done before.

Before long, as Dugu Yan's Jade Phosphorous Serpent Martial Soul appeared, the sky, which had only recently cleared, became overcast once again.

Thunder rumbled within the dark clouds, gathering strength to strike.

Yet when Dugu Bo saw the terrifying lightning within those clouds, his heart clenched.

"This..."

Dugu Bo was shocked to discover that the lightning in the sky was nearly as powerful as when he had evolved. It had not weakened because of Dugu Yan's lower strength.

Even Dugu Bo, a Title Douluo, still feared that power of heaven and earth. Let alone Dugu Yan, whose Soul Power Level had not even reached forty.

In an instant, the first bolt of lightning crashed down, striking Dugu Yan's Jade Phosphorous Serpent Martial Soul with lightning-fast speed.

With only one strike, Dugu Yan's Jade Phosphorous Serpent Martial Soul seemed to suffer a heavy blow. It collapsed directly onto the ground, faint arcs of electricity running over its body as it twitched slowly.

Dugu Yan spat out a mouthful of blood as well.

"Yan Yan!" Dugu Bo called out worriedly.

Boom!

At that moment, the lightning in the sky continued to churn, and the second strike was about to descend.

As he watched the flashing silver lightning, an abrupt scene suddenly flashed through Zhao Mu's mind. It seemed that some book had mentioned how puppets became stronger after being struck by lightning.

"Heibai, she did feed you before. You don't want her to be struck to death by lightning, do you?" Zhao Mu turned to Heibai and smiled.

Heibai: (˙ー˙)

Heibai panicked, because Zhao Mu was wearing that scheming, sinister smile again.

Heibai was not disappointed. Zhao Mu's next words made its entire body tremble.

"How about you help her withstand the lightning? Your First Soul Skill is Thunder State. Maybe taking a few lightning strikes will make you stronger?"

Awoo, awoo, awoo~

No! If you want to save someone, you take the lightning yourself! Why make a bear take it?

Getting struck by lightning would make it stronger? Who was he trying to fool?

Thank you to all the readers for following along and supporting the story. Because of you, this book successfully advanced and was successfully released. My sincere thanks!

I would also like to thank Handsome Boy, Momtv31, Star Sword God, Half a Life of Love Half a Life of Madness, and Reader 20240201400413 for their monthly votes. Thank you for your support!

This author has written rather freely, so some people may feel that I'm talking nonsense or adding too many original settings. All I can say is, if you like it, please support it; if you don't, I'm sorry. But please go easy on the criticism. Life isn't easy for anyone. I'm just trying to make a living.

Boom!

Thunder roiled in the sky, and a new wave of lightning attacks was about to fall.

Judging from Dugu Bo's earlier evolution, there had been twenty or thirty lightning strikes in total.

Yet now, after only one strike, Dugu Yan had already wilted. If the remaining twenty or so strikes came down, her Jade Phosphorous Serpent Martial Soul would not transform into a Jiao—it would probably be blasted into scraps.

Watching the lightning about to descend, Dugu Bo's Soul Power surged, and he was clearly preparing to step forward and shield Dugu Yan from it.

At a life-or-death moment like this, who cared whether the evolution succeeded or not?

Dugu Bo liked being alone, but that did not mean he wanted to become utterly alone in the world.

If anything happened to Dugu Yan, he would have no family left at all.

Heavenly lightning descended toward Dugu Yan's Jade Phosphorous Serpent. Just as Dugu Bo was about to leap forward to block it, a broad purple figure rushed toward Dugu Yan ahead of him, then stood above her and blocked the incoming heavenly lightning for her.

The silver lightning struck the purple figure heavily, creating an astonishing spectacle.

Only after the lightning attack had fully landed and the silver glow faded did Dugu Bo recognize that the one taking the lightning was actually a bear?

It was simply that the bear's outward form was something he had never seen before.

Purple arcs of electricity covered its entire body, thunder rolled over both paws, and its purple lightning seemed to echo the silver lightning in the sky.

A bear...

Could it be...

Dugu Bo turned to look at Zhao Mu and muttered inwardly, Could this be that little beast?

Thinking of its different forms under different Soul Rings and Soul Skills, then seeing this lightning-controlling form...

"Is this its First or Second Soul Skill?"

After forcefully enduring a lightning strike, Heibai in Thunder State raised both arms high and roared, brimming with fighting spirit. It did not appear to have suffered any serious injuries.

Iron-Eating Beasts never yielded!

Iron-Eating Beasts feared nothing!

How could it bow its head for five zhang of bamboo!

Dugu Bo, who understood the power of that heavenly lightning, was secretly amazed. What species was this bear? Its body was this tough?

Looking at Heibai, Dugu Bo suddenly recalled the fleeting image that had appeared in his mind when he drank its blood and evolved.

It was an image of an enormous black-and-white bear battling a True Dragon with wings on its back.

Could that massive bear be this little fellow? Or was this little fellow the descendant of that black-and-white bear?

Boom! Another bolt of lightning descended!

Heibai suddenly leaped up, its front paws clenched into fists. Purple lightning exploded over its fists as it swung at the descending heavenly lightning with the force of Thunderbolt.

Crackle!

For a moment, the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well blazed with lightning, the two kinds of thunder continuously colliding.

During this process, Dugu Yan's Jade Phosphorous Serpent did not fare well either. Whenever the lightning collided, traces of residual lightning power would inevitably fall upon the Jade Phosphorous Serpent's body.

Though its power was far inferior to the rolling heavenly lightning, it was still enough to make the Jade Phosphorous Serpent struggle in agony.

Under the torment of the residual lightning, the Jade Phosphorous Serpent's jade-green body gradually began to fade, turning grayish-white like Dugu Bo's Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor had before.

Compared to the Jade Phosphorous Serpent's silent changes, the changes on Heibai's side were far more dramatic.