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

Ye Lingling understood the value of Immortal Herbs. She could not afford one herself, nor did she have the nerve to ask Zhao Mu and Dugu Yan for one.

Although she and Dugu Yan were friends, precisely because they were friends, it was best to avoid too much exchange of benefits. Otherwise, their relationship would no longer remain so pure.

Zhao Mu nodded. "It is indeed an Immortal Herb like the Aromatic Silk Beauty. If you are willing to try, Lingling, I still have a few Immortal Herbs here. Of course, the prerequisite is that you must keep this secret and not tell anyone else."

Ye Lingling was alone, and now that her Martial Soul had evolved into the Nine-Heart Begonia, she was well worth winning over.

Only if his own strength was sufficient, and his friends were strong enough, could he face the great upheaval that would soon come to the continent.

Yet Ye Lingling shook her head. "Immortal Herbs are too precious. I should honestly go find someone to hunt a Soul Ring with. But I absolutely will not tell anyone else about the Immortal Herbs. I am willing to swear on my Martial Soul."

As she spoke, Ye Lingling raised her right hand and quickly swore on her Nine-Heart Begonia Martial Soul that she would keep the secret.

Did swearing actually work?

If this had been before, Zhao Mu definitely would not have believed it. But on the Douluo Continent, swearing upon one's Martial Soul seemed to create some inexplicable connection.

"Lingling, condensing a Soul Ring from an Immortal Herb is far more convenient and powerful than hunting a soul beast for one. Do you really not want to?" As one of only two people who had absorbed an Immortal Herb Soul Ring, Dugu Yan had plenty of say in this matter.

Ye Lingling still shook her head and said softly, "Immortal Herbs are too precious. I can't repay such a favor."

Who would have thought that Dugu Yan immediately laughed and said, "If you can't repay it, repay it with your body!"

Hearing Dugu Yan's words, Ye Lingling became embarrassed and angry. "You pervert! I'm never talking to you again!"

"Alright, alright, you don't have to repay it with your body. At worst, you can work for us. From now on, you'll do whatever I tell you to do," Dugu Yan said.

After Dugu Yan talked her through it, Ye Lingling finally decided to try absorbing an Immortal Herb Soul Ring, then slowly work to repay the favor.

After Ye Lingling made her decision, Zhao Mu took an Immortal Herb from his storage Soul Tool ring.

The Immortal Herb lay blooming in a jade box. It was an eight-petaled orchid. As the box opened, a rich orchid fragrance filled the entire room. One light breath of it made them feel refreshed.

"This is..." Looking at the orchid Immortal Herb healing within the box, Ye Lingling subconsciously asked.

Zhao Mu looked puzzled. "This is the Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid. It is recorded in the Medicinal Herb Illustration Guide you gave me, Lingling. You don't recognize it?"

Hearing that, Ye Lingling said awkwardly, "That book is so thick. One look at it makes me lose all desire to keep reading."

Zhao Mu: "..."

Child, read some books!

Zhao Mu then began explaining to Ye Lingling. "The Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid does not wilt for a thousand years or fade for ten thousand. Its medicinal effect is gentle and easy to absorb. It can strengthen one's foundation, nourish one's vitality, and remove impurities from the body. It can also increase the cultivation speed of Support System Soul Masters. Most importantly, it forms a pair with the Aromatic Silk Beauty Immortal Herb you absorbed before, and the two complement each other." (Mentioned in the original work.)

As Zhao Mu explained, Ye Lingling felt even more strongly how precious the Aromatic Silk Beauty and Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid were. She might still have some hope of repaying the debt for one Immortal Herb if she worked hard enough, but how was she supposed to repay the debt for two? Even selling herself would not be enough!

Was she really going to work for Yanzi and Zhao Mu?

Even working for them would not be enough to repay it!

Under the immense pressure, a crooked idea suddenly surfaced in Ye Lingling's mind. Or rather, it had already formed before, and now it only deepened.

Since she could not repay it by working, why not just become the boss's wife?

"Does this have any special way of eating it?" Having made up her mind, Ye Lingling immediately adopted the mindset of a shameless debtor.

It was an Immortal Herb. She just had to eat it!

On the continent, aside from appearance, strength was also an extremely important advantage for female Soul Masters.

Besides, Yanzi was already level fifty-four. She had to catch up quickly.

Following the instructions in the Medicinal Herb Illustration Guide, Zhao Mu said, "The Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid does not require any special method. Just eat it directly. It tastes sweet and fragrant, so it is not unpleasant."

"After eating it, you only need to circulate the Immortal Herb's energy and condense a new Soul Ring, just as you normally would when absorbing a soul beast Soul Ring."

Following Zhao Mu's instructions, Ye Lingling immediately sat cross-legged on the bed again. Then, petal by petal, she placed the Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid into her mouth and promptly began cultivating.

After Ye Lingling consumed the Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid, she sat quietly on the bed. Yet a unique fragrance belonging to the orchid emanated from her body, while faint white mist emerged from her skin and drifted around her.

Soon after, a golden halo also appeared around Ye Lingling. Zhao Mu and Dugu Yan were both familiar with that golden light—it was the aura of the Aromatic Silk Beauty.

The golden halo merged with the white mist without any sense of discord. Instead, it made the already cool and reserved Ye Lingling appear even more noble, like an immortal maiden untouched by the mortal world.

Absorbing the Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid took Ye Lingling much less time than absorbing the Aromatic Silk Beauty. In a little over an hour, she woke from her cultivation.

The ethereal nobility that had appeared around Ye Lingling while she absorbed the Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid did not disappear when her cultivation ended. At that moment, her entire body seemed to be covered in a lustrous glow.

After stepping down from the bed, Ye Lingling summoned her Nine-Heart Begonia Martial Soul. Golden and white halos surrounded the already pinkish-white begonia, making it seem even more lively.

At the same time, four Soul Rings rose one by one from beneath Ye Lingling's feet.

Yellow, yellow, purple, white!

Her fourth Soul Ring was a crystalline snow-white color, like the Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid.

"Lingling, how do you feel? Are you uncomfortable anywhere?" Seeing Ye Lingling emerge from cultivation, Dugu Yan stepped forward and asked.

Ye Lingling paused, then carefully sensed the changes in her body.

"I feel incredibly comfortable all over. Much better than before. Every discomfort in my body has vanished, and I feel full of vitality."

"That's good!" Dugu Yan said with sincere concern. "Anything else?"

Ye Lingling smiled lightly and held out one hand, waving it before Dugu Yan. "Five levels! Yanzi, after absorbing the Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid and condensing a Soul Ring, my Soul Power increased by a full five levels! My Soul Power Level has now reached level forty-five!"

Feeling the surging Soul Power within her, Ye Lingling found it almost impossible to believe.

Including the Aromatic Silk Beauty she had absorbed earlier, she had gone from level thirty-four to level forty-five in a single day. Such an improvement was something not only she, but likely anyone, would not even dare imagine.

"Lingling, it's good that you're alright. And just as you wished, your fourth Soul Ring has become rather distinctive now."

"It is nowhere near as distinctive as your red fifth Soul Ring, which looks just like a 100,000-Year Soul Ring. As for my white one, people might mistake it for a ten-year Soul Ring."

"What? Do you regret it?"

Ye Lingling shook her head. "I don't regret it. Besides, this white color is quite pretty."

As Ye Lingling continued chatting with Dugu Yan, she suddenly froze.

"What is it, Lingling?"

Though they could not see Ye Lingling's face beneath her black veil, they could sense her confusion.

"I just feel... I feel like my body is very well."

"Isn't having a healthy body a good thing? Do you want to feel unwell instead?" Dugu Yan curled her lips and said irritably.

Ye Lingling slowly said, "My physical condition is very good, but it feels a little too good. It is as though my body contains inexhaustible energy."

"Second Grandfather, this..." Dugu Yan naturally did not understand Ye Lingling's condition, so she could only turn to Zhao Mu for help. Of the three of them, Zhao Mu knew the most about Immortal Herbs and had the most authority on the matter.

Zhao Mu said, "Both the Aromatic Silk Beauty and the Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid are top-tier Immortal Herbs. When the two meet and complement each other, perhaps some unusual effects occur."

Ye Lingling nodded, but in the very next moment, she ran out of the room.

Noticing something unusual about Ye Lingling, Zhao Mu and Dugu Yan hurried out after her.

They then saw Ye Lingling leap into the air, raise her arm, and smash toward a two- or three-meter-tall rockery outside Zhao Mu's dormitory.

"Lingling, be careful!"

Dugu Yan had barely cried out when she and Zhao Mu witnessed an utterly shocking sight.

The slender Ye Lingling, with those thin arms of hers, punched the rockery. The two- or three-meter-tall structure instantly shattered with a boom, stones flying everywhere.

In contrast, Ye Lingling appeared completely unharmed. At most, some dust had gotten onto her clothes.

Only then did Ye Lingling turn back toward Zhao Mu and Dugu Yan. "Sorry! There was too much energy building up inside me, and I couldn't help wanting to release it."

"Lingling, your punch was terrifying!" Dugu Yan stared at the rubble, every piece smaller than a fist, and was overwhelmed with shock. Was this really the delicate and frail Ye Lingling?

Although her appearance had not changed much, Ye Lingling now possessed such terrifying explosive strength.

Zhao Mu examined the rubble all over the ground. He could be certain that Ye Lingling had used no technique at all. She had simply shattered the rockery with the strength of her physical body. The power of that punch felt enough to give even a Soul Emperor-level powerhouse a serious headache.

She could heal and save people, yet possessed absurdly monstrous strength. No matter how he looked at it, she resembled Tsunade's template from Naruto.

The only flaw was that her chest was a little flat.

"Lingling, with this monstrous strength, no one will dare bully you in the future. Anyone who still sees you as a helpless Support System Soul Master is bound to suffer badly!" Zhao Mu could not help remarking. With this strength alone, Ye Lingling could fully serve as a Power Attack System Soul Master. She did not even need Soul Skills—she only needed to crush everything with brute force.

"But I seem unable to control this power inside me right now." As she spoke, Ye Lingling clenched her fist again, unable to resist the urge to release it.

Looking at Ye Lingling, whose body was overflowing with energy, and considering how similar she was to that template, Zhao Mu suggested, "Lingling, instead of wastefully expending this energy, you should try compressing it and storing it inside your body. When you need it in an emergency, release it again. Perhaps it can erupt with even greater power and change the course of battle."

Before Ye Lingling could say anything after Zhao Mu finished speaking, Dugu Yan spoke first. "Such an enormous amount of energy would place extremely severe pressure on the body and cause damage if stored inside it recklessly."

"That would indeed be true for others, but she is Ye Lingling, a Nine-Heart Begonia Soul Master proficient in healing!" Zhao Mu replied.

The pressure and damage caused by accumulated energy stored within her body would be fully healed by the Nine-Heart Begonia's healing ability. Yet that stored energy could erupt with even greater force at a crucial moment. This... was a secret technique exclusive to Ye Lingling!

Ye Lingling also trusted Zhao Mu's words completely. She stopped releasing the energy inside her body and instead began compressing and storing it within herself.

As the energy was continuously compressed, white vapor-like gas kept spilling from Ye Lingling's body.

After a while, once the energy had been completely compressed and sealed within her body, Ye Lingling's aura finally stabilized again. From then on, surplus energy and Soul Power seemed capable of being stored within her body in this way.

At a critical moment, a sudden eruption could deal the opponent a devastating blow.

Beneath the black veil, unseen by anyone, a pinkish-white begonia pattern had appeared on Ye Lingling's forehead.

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