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

After all, strictly speaking, Ye Lingling was the Support System Soul Master of her second team. The stronger Ye Lingling became, the farther the second team could go.

Unlike the first team, which as a seeded team could directly advance to the finals of the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament, the second team had to fight their way through the Selection Tournament and elimination rounds. Naturally, the stronger the team, the better.

Ye Lingling nodded. "Both the healing effect and healing speed have indeed improved greatly."

"How much stronger?"

"As long as someone still has one breath left, I can definitely save them!"

Hearing Ye Lingling speak so boldly, Dugu Yan's face lit up with delight. "Then we've got the Soul Master Tournament in the bag!"

"Lingling, as a Support System Martial Soul, your Nine-Heart Begonia already had absolutely top-tier healing effects. It's just a pity that it only had one soul skill."

Hearing Dugu Yan's words, Ye Lingling quietly said, "Actually, aside from my Nine Heart Begonia Martial Soul evolving into the Nine-Heart Begonia and gaining vastly improved healing abilities, I also acquired another new skill."

"A new skill?! Lingling, are you serious?"

Ye Lingling nodded.

Seeing Ye Lingling nod, Dugu Yan immediately asked, "What skill is it?"

"Resurrection..." Ye Lingling said calmly.

"Resurrection?! Lingling, are you sure? Lingling, you're amazing! You actually gained such an incredible skill! You can't just stand by and let people die in the future—we're good friends!" Dugu Yan said excitedly.

But this time, Ye Lingling did not immediately agree. She seemed to have some unspoken difficulty.

"Lingling, does your new skill have some kind of restriction or price?" Zhao Mu noticed the change in Ye Lingling's expression and could not help asking.

Ye Lingling nodded. "The resurrection skill can be used regardless of how many Soul Rings a Soul Master has or how much Soul Power they possess. It can resurrect others and defy fate itself. But after using the resurrection skill, the Nine-Heart Begonia will permanently wither, and the Soul Master of the Nine-Heart Begonia will naturally lose her life as well..."

Trading one life for another?

Douluo was, after all, a low-fantasy world. Resurrection was simply too heaven-defying. Tang San had spent more than a hundred chapters running around just to resurrect Xiao Wu.

"Ah? You have to sacrifice your life, Lingling? Then I don't want you to save me. I only want you to be well, Lingling. Never use this skill."

Lingling did not immediately agree to Dugu Yan's request.

Resurrection?

Ye Lingling made a decision in secret.

Her resurrection skill would be reserved for only one person.

The person who lifted her black veil—the person she would marry.

Ye Lingling held the Nine-Heart Begonia in her jade-like hand when a sudden change occurred. A golden halo filled the begonia flower. A streak of gold emerged from its roots, traveled along its stem and leaves, reached its bud, and finally condensed into a speck of golden light that emerged from the flower and landed in Ye Lingling's hand.

"Lingling, this is..." The sudden change in the begonia flower had naturally been noticed by Dugu Yan and Zhao Mu. The former could not help asking.

Ye Lingling's clear voice rang out. "Whenever a Nine Heart Begonia Martial Soul awakens, it produces a begonia seed. This time, after my Nine Heart Begonia Martial Soul evolved into the Nine-Heart Begonia, it produced another seed as well—and it is a Nine-Heart Begonia seed."

"A Nine-Heart Begonia seed?" Zhao Mu asked. "Can planting it grow another Nine-Heart Begonia?"

Ye Lingling gave a slight nod. "Previously, after Nine Heart Begonia seeds were planted, they could indeed grow into Nine Heart Begonia flowers. It simply took a relatively long time. A Nine-Heart Begonia seed should also be able to grow into a Nine-Heart Begonia flower, but the process may take even longer and be very difficult..."

"Lingling, can you give me this Nine-Heart Begonia seed?" Zhao Mu thought for a moment, then immediately asked.

"Ah? This..." Ye Lingling's face instantly turned red again. If not for the black veil covering her face, she would probably have embarrassed herself in front of Zhao Mu and Dugu Yan.

A begonia seed represented hope and entrustment.

If removing the black veil from her face was the standard Ye Lingling had set for choosing a husband, then the begonia seed was something her late mother had spoken of.

If she ever encountered a man suited for her, she should give him the begonia seed.

It was an entrustment and a hope. Perhaps it was also a kind of inheritance ritual for the Nine Heart Begonia. Perhaps that was why the Nine Heart Begonia Martial Soul had been passed down generation after generation.

"What is it? Is it inconvenient?" Zhao Mu naturally noticed Ye Lingling's hesitation.

Ye Lingling shook her head. "No. Naturally, I can give you the Nine-Heart Begonia seed. After all, without you, there would be no Nine-Heart Begonia in this world."

As she spoke, Ye Lingling solemnly handed the Nine-Heart Begonia seed in her hands to Zhao Mu with both hands.

This time, the two stood very close together.

Looking at Zhao Mu's fair face, it still held a trace of youthful immaturity, but his features were already sharply defined. He was rather handsome and refined, showing the makings of a truly good-looking man.

If judged by appearance alone, if that person were Zhao Mu, it did not seem like such a bad deal.

And if that happened, Yan Yan would have to call her Grandma?

At that thought, Ye Lingling could not help letting out the smug laugh of a sly woman deep in her heart.

But Yan Yan's relationship with Zhao Mu also seemed rather unclear, and lately, Yan Yan had been spending less and less time with Yu Tianheng.

More precisely, it seemed that ever since Yan Yan had returned, the two had not spent any time alone together.

Were they about to break up?!

If they broke up, it would definitely be because of Zhao Mu.

Zhao Mu and Yan Yan spent more time together. If they had feelings for each other, those feelings would surely heat up quickly.

But Yan Yan was ten years older than Zhao Mu, while she was only nine years older than him. No, not even nine—only a little over eight.

So this round, I have the advantage!

Just as Ye Lingling was lost in wild thoughts and speculation, Dugu Yan directly interrupted her.

"Lingling, what are you spacing out for?"

Ye Lingling came back to her senses. Remembering that she had just been gossiping about Dugu Yan in her head, she felt like she had been caught doing something bad.

"Nothing. I just suddenly thought of something. Yanzi, after absorbing the Aromatic Silk Beauty, my Soul Power Level actually rose by a full six levels. My Soul Power Level is now forty, so I wanted to ask how you got those unusual Soul Rings. I want one too."

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The reason Zhao Mu had asked Ye Lingling for the Nine-Heart Begonia seed was entirely because, after learning of the Nine-Heart Begonia's exceptional healing ability and even its outrageous resurrection effect, he had suddenly had an idea.

Aside from individual combat, Soul Masters on Douluo Continent also fought in teams.

Due to the limitations of Soul Masters, every type of Soul Master—the Control System, Power Attack System, Agility Attack System, Support System, and Defense System—had limitations or weaknesses.

But if several Soul Masters of different types formed a team, their combat strength could rise rapidly.

Zhao Mu could not have a team following him around at all times, so he would have to rely on himself most of the time. In that case, perhaps he should consider becoming more well-rounded.

For a Soul Master to keep fighting, the prerequisite was staying alive.

Although Heibai's second form greatly enhanced defense, greater defense did not mean Heibai could not be injured. And injuries would inevitably require healing.

So after hearing of the Nine-Heart Begonia's overwhelming healing and resurrection abilities, Zhao Mu began considering whether he could obtain a Nine-Heart Begonia Soul Ring.

The Nine Heart Begonia was already an exceptionally rare high-grade medicinal herb. The Nine-Heart Begonia, which had evolved from the Nine Heart Begonia and surpassed it in every aspect, was an existence comparable to an Immortal Herb.

If he could gain the Nine-Heart Begonia's powerful healing ability, then add the formidable defense of the Mountain-Back Iron-Armored Bamboo—

Zhao Mu's personal safety would receive the greatest possible assurance.

Everyone feared death. Ensuring that he would not die already put him in an invincible position.

As for the Nine-Heart Begonia's growth, with the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well's enhancement, there was even less reason to worry. It would probably not take long before a Nine-Heart Begonia grew.

And now, hearing Ye Lingling's thoughts and request after her Soul Power Level reached forty, Zhao Mu could not help looking up at her.

Sure enough, Dugu Yan quickly sold Zhao Mu out.

"Lingling, my fourth and fifth Soul Rings were both obtained with Second Grandfather's help. If you want one, you'll need Second Grandfather's help too. I can't help you."

After hearing Dugu Yan's words, Ye Lingling turned her gaze toward Zhao Mu.

"Second Grandfather, how did you make your Soul Rings and Yanzi's Soul Rings like that? They're both distinctive and seem very powerful."

Probably no one who had seen Zhao Mu and Dugu Yan's unusual Soul Rings would not be curious about them.

If not for Poison Douluo standing behind them, someone might truly have done something extreme to the two.

Moreover, regardless of what Soul Rings were attached to Ye Lingling's Nine-Heart Begonia Martial Soul, aside from its resurrection skill, the Nine-Heart Begonia would still only possess healing as a skill.

Therefore, Ye Lingling had no restrictions whatsoever regarding the type of Soul Ring she could acquire.

Since that was the case, why could she not make her Soul Rings more distinctive?

After considering it again and again, Zhao Mu ultimately chose not to hide it from Ye Lingling any longer. "The reason Yan Yan's Soul Rings and mine are special is because our Soul Rings did not come from hunting Soul Beasts."

Because of her living environment and personal experiences, Ye Lingling did not have many friends. Perhaps Dugu Yan was her only one. As for Yu Tianheng and the others, they were teammates at most.

Judging from Ye Lingling's attitude in her conversations with the others in the original story, their relationship was not particularly close.

Ye Lingling was stunned upon hearing this. "They didn't come from hunting Soul Beasts? Then they came from...?"

Seeing that Zhao Mu did not intend to hide it from Ye Lingling, Dugu Yan opened up completely. "Our Soul Rings were formed by absorbing Immortal Herbs!"

"Immortal Herbs? Immortal Herbs like the Aromatic Silk Beauty?" Ye Lingling continued asking, but her voice gradually lowered, and she seemed to begin losing hope.

At first, Ye Lingling had only thought that the uniqueness of Zhao Mu and Dugu Yan's Soul Rings came from some special process during the hunting of Soul Beasts. Little did she know that what they had absorbed were not Soul Beast Soul Rings, but Immortal Herbs.