The effect was that within the domain's range, allies could move 100% faster in the Network World. The caster could completely conceal all of his data in reality, increase allies' spiritual power by 50%, increase allies' Soul Power by 50%, and within the domain, infinitely digitize everything and materialize everything.
Nan Xuan's Soul Power was now Rank 72. The detection range of his First Soul Skill had already reached 100%, and with the Martial Soul Avatar's twofold boost, that became 300%.
His First, Second, Third, and Fifth Soul Skills each gained an additional 15% over their base 10% for every ten ranks of Soul Power gained. Thus, they had all reached 100% now, or 300% with the Martial Soul Avatar active.
Looking at all his enhancement skills, Nan Xuan could only sigh. "Ah, how lonely it is to be invincible."
Out of boredom, Nan Xuan unleashed his Seventh Soul Skill and used Digitization-style Etherealization. He then turned into a cluster of numbers standing on the ground, and anything could pass through his body.
Next, he unfolded the Domain of the Network and digitized something else, such as a stone beside him. Soon, the stone possessed the effects of the skills carried by Nan Xuan's Seventh Soul Skill. Then he used Materialization, and the stone returned to normal.
"So, as long as they're within my range, almost anyone I want to protect can be digitized. Even if they can't stay digitized for long, as long as they can evade a fatal blow, that's a chance to turn things around." Thinking of this, Nan Xuan was somewhat amazed by the power of his own Martial Soul.
Based on his calculations and estimates, within his domain, items without Soul Power could remain digitized almost indefinitely. For Soul Power between Rank 10 and Rank 30, it lasted seven seconds; Rank 30 to Rank 50, six seconds; Rank 50 to Rank 70, five seconds; Rank 70 to Rank 80, four seconds; Rank 80 to Rank 90, three seconds; Rank 90 to Rank 99, two seconds; and above Rank 100, one second.
Moreover, his domain covered roughly fifty kilometers. That was the limit his current spiritual power could sustain. If he broke through Rank 99 and became a god, the range would increase further.
"If I still can't win that battle while leading Bibi Dong with power like this, then I'd truly be useless." Nan Xuan assessed his current and future abilities as he looked up at the sky.
"Pathetic little Asura. What a joke."
At the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, Bibi Dong finished dressing and stepped out from behind the stone wall.
"Xuan, what are you doing?" Bibi Dong walked over to Nan Xuan, watching his somewhat clumsy movements as she asked curiously.
"Oh, Dong'er, you've finished absorbing them? I'm practicing Taiji. That's the polarity of yin and yang. I thought it might have some special effect here, but it seems I was overthinking it." Nan Xuan said awkwardly as he looked at Bibi Dong approaching.
"Taiji? Is this another Self-Created Soul Skill you came up with?" Bibi Dong did not understand these strange names, but it was not difficult to guess that it was one of Nan Xuan's Self-Created Soul Skills.
At the thought of Taiji, Nan Xuan could never forget the crushing domination of the twenty-four forms from university. He had nearly graduated when his teacher informed him that he had failed Taiji and needed to take a make-up exam. It had truly been despairing.
"More or less, but it seems rather impractical. By the way, you've already gained the properties of those two Immortal Herbs, right?" Nan Xuan did not want to discuss Taiji any further, so he sensed the aura emanating from Bibi Dong and asked with concern.
"Mhm. Not only did they grant me immunity to ice and fire, but my Soul Power also rose by one rank. I'm Rank 83 now." Bibi Dong revealed her aura and spoke happily.
Nan Xuan looked around. He had left behind the roots of the various Immortal Herbs, and it would not take long for them to grow back.
"Since that's settled, we should head back. We've been here for seven days already." Nan Xuan missed his little home. Though this place was rich in Soul Power, it was still not as good as his own home.
"Mhm, mhm. I haven't been home for a year and a half either." Bibi Dong also missed that ordinary little wooden house. She had already regarded it as her only home.
Just as they were about to leave, Dugu Bo sprang out from the other side of the Poison Array.
Bibi Dong watched him vigilantly. She feared that he had already found a solution and cured his poison, and that he would become unscrupulous and possibly break their agreement.
Seeing Bibi Dong's reaction, Dugu Bo said with some hurt, "Hey, little girl, is that really what you think I, Dugu Bo, am like? I know well enough what people outside say about me, but I'm still someone who repays kindness."
Nan Xuan patted Bibi Dong's tense arm.
Looking at Dugu Bo, he smiled and said, "It seems Senior has succeeded. Though it isn't complete yet, that is merely a matter of time. If you force all the poison into that soul bone, your Soul Power should improve as well."
"Yes, and I have you to thank for that, boy. If you had appeared earlier, perhaps my son Xin'er could have seen more of this world. Forget it. Let's not talk about that." Dugu Bo composed himself. He did not want others to see him make a fool of himself.
So he changed the subject.
"Still, I don't know your name yet, boy," Dugu Bo asked.
"My name is Nan Xuan. Oh, right. I have an Immortal Herb here that can evolve your granddaughter's Martial Soul into the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor. It'll make teaching her much easier in the future." Nan Xuan took a dark green, mint-shaped herb from his storage pouch.
"This is called Snake Phosphorous Herb. Just swallow it directly." Nan Xuan tossed the Immortal Herb to Dugu Bo and explained how to take it.
Dugu Bo's mind was still a little dazed. After this whole sequence of events, he had gained quite a few benefits.
"Then I'll thank you, boy." Dugu Bo did not hesitate. After all, he had traded his medicinal garden for this.
"Alright, we won't stay any longer. I hope Senior can look after this treasure ground when you have the time. Remember to keep your granddaughter away from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. If I find a better method in the future, I'll tell you and cure you completely." Nan Xuan unfolded his Seal Wings, picked up Bibi Dong, and transformed into a streak of cyan light as they departed.
"Nan Xuan... stay away from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan... cure my poison completely..."
"Heh, what an interesting fellow." Dugu Bo muttered over Nan Xuan's parting words and chuckled.
In truth, Nan Xuan had come this time with some nerve. He had not obtained the method from the original story to completely cure Dugu Bo, but he had preserved some of the medicinal properties of several herbs through special methods. He hoped to have a chance to make up for it in the future, lest anyone say he was even more disgusting than Tang San.
After leaving Sunset Forest, Nan Xuan returned directly to Holy Soul Village. He took out the Lovesick Heartbreak Red and spoke a heap of deeply affectionate, sickeningly sweet love words, along with the legend behind the Lovesick Heartbreak Red. Bibi Dong's heart was filled with love.
Following Nan Xuan's instructions, Bibi Dong coughed a mouthful of blood onto the Lovesick Heartbreak Red. The stone beneath it shattered, and the Immortal Herb melted into her body.
After finishing all this, the two gazed deeply into each other's eyes, then kissed passionately before heading into the room they had long missed.
Two years later, in the Star Dou Great Forest.
"Hao, we've already stayed in Blue Silver Valley for over a year. I also feel that our child is about to be born. I want him to be born in the human world, so we..." Ah Yin, her belly swollen with pregnancy, sat in Tang Hao's arms and spoke gently.
"Ah Yin, is that really what you want?" Tang Hao asked happily.
For a normal human to live for over a year in a world surrounded by animal soul beasts and plant soul beasts, it would already be fortunate if he had not gone mad.
Though Tang Hao had Ah Yin, his wife, accompanying him, he had not seen another human in more than a year. This had left him with a trace of resentment.
"Mhm, yes, Hao." Ah Yin did not know why Tang Hao asked that, but she had no chance to think so much right now. She gently stroked her swollen belly, her eyes filled with tenderness.
Upon hearing this, Tang Hao was incomparably excited. As someone who had spent a year and a half in the world of soul beasts, he naturally did not want his child to remain in such a place as well.
He wanted to go home, to the Clear Sky Sect.
After the husband and wife made their decision, they set out for the Clear Sky Sect the next morning.
Over in Holy Soul Village.
"Oh, they actually came out." Nan Xuan used the detection of his First Soul Skill to discover that Tang Hao and his wife had left the Star Dou Great Forest. He had once worried that Ah Yin would give birth to Tang San, the child of fate of Douluo Continent, in Blue Silver Valley within the Star Dou Great Forest.
But now, it seemed the plot's ability to repair itself was still quite strong.
"What came out?" Bibi Dong was stir-frying vegetables at the stove when she suddenly heard Nan Xuan mutter something. She asked curiously.
"Nothing much. It's just that the time for the first step toward fulfilling your dream is almost here." Nan Xuan hugged Bibi Dong from behind and smiled.
"Stop fooling around. I'm cooking." Faced with Nan Xuan's wandering hands, Bibi Dong could only offer a token resistance. As for everything else, she continued doing what she was doing.
Bibi Dong knew what Nan Xuan meant by the first step of her dream. The two of them now had almost nothing they concealed from each other. What she knew, Nan Xuan knew, and what Nan Xuan knew, she more or less knew as well.
Other than not telling Bibi Dong that he was a transmigrator and everything about the plot's development, Nan Xuan had told her everything. Aside from those matters, he had never had much to hide from her anyway.
In a city closest to the Clear Sky Sect, Tang Hao supported his wife.
"Hao, why aren't we going straight back to your home?" Ah Yin sat on the hotel bed, unable to help asking curiously as she thought about what had happened today.
"Oh, it's like this. My father, the Clear Sky Sect's sect master, doesn't know about us. My elder brother also didn't explain the truth, only saying that I was still training outside. If I suddenly brought you back, it might be inappropriate. So I contacted the clansmen stationed nearby and had them deliver a message to my elder brother first. Then he can sound out our father, and we can go home in a couple of days." Tang Hao explained helplessly upon seeing Ah Yin's puzzled expression.
"Alright. I hope the child can wait until then." Ah Yin forced a smile as she replied to Tang Hao.
As the Blue Silver Emperor, Ah Yin was quite sensitive to life force. She could already sense that her child was about to be born, likely within the next few days. Yet she had been restless lately, as if something was about to happen. She had wanted to urge Tang Hao to return to the sect quickly, but she feared putting him in a difficult position, so she let it go.
That night, Tang Xiao received the letter his younger brother Tang Hao had sent through a clansman.
"Elder Brother, Ah Yin is already pregnant, and the child should be born soon. Therefore, we plan to return to the sect, but we fear Father's reproach. I ask Elder Brother to test the waters for us. Signed, Tang Hao."
That was the content of Tang Hao's letter to Tang Xiao.
"Sigh, you foolish younger brother. You make me regret giving Ah Yin to you even more. Since you love her and she's about to give birth, why do you still care about such things? Making her wander outside with you... you truly deserve a beating." Tang Xiao looked at the letter from his younger brother and truly wanted to smash that foolish brother with a hammer.
Still, complaints were complaints, and regrets were regrets. No matter what, he first had to tell his father and have them return to the sect as soon as possible.
In a city near the Clear Sky Sect, a black-haired young man wandered through the market with a pregnant woman.
Tang Hao said it would benefit the fetus's development, and that the child would surely be a strong, healthy boy after being born.
Ah Yin could only grit her teeth and agree.
"Hao, I don't feel well. I think I'm about to give birth." Ah Yin clutched her stomach, bending over weakly.
"What?" Tang Hao panicked. He had not expected that taking a walk would result in his wife going into labor.
So he told Ah Yin to hold on, wrapped her in Soul Power, found a carriage, and immediately returned to the hotel.
At that very moment, Ghost Douluo, who happened to be conducting covert reconnaissance nearby, noticed something unusual.
"Interesting. Tang Hao, one of the Haotian Twin Stars, actually has a soul beast for a wife, and she's about to give birth." With curiosity, Ghost Douluo hurriedly sent this information to Spirit Hall.
Within Spirit Hall, Qian Xunji was teaching his daughter Qian Renxue how to cultivate her Martial Soul. Though he had not done that with Bibi Dong back then, he had a child with that maidservant. When the maidservant gave birth to Qian Renxue, she died on the spot due to complications during labor.
Last year, Qian Renxue underwent her Martial Soul Awakening. Her Martial Soul was the Angel family's inherited Martial Soul, the Angel Martial Soul, and her Innate Soul Power was Rank 20. This delighted Qian Daoliu, the foremost worshiper of Douluo Hall.
Nan Xuan also knew of Qian Renxue's birth, Martial Soul Awakening, and Innate Soul Power, and he had told Bibi Dong about it.
Nan Xuan could not help sighing once more at the strength of the world's will.
When Qian Xunji saw the urgent encrypted letter delivered by Ghost Douluo, his eyes widened.
Qian Renxue beside him did not understand her father's expression, but being sensible from a young age, she did not ask.
"Someone, summon everyone in Spirit Hall at Soul Sage rank and above. Follow me at once to the vicinity of the Clear Sky Sect and capture the human traitor Tang Hao and his soul beast wife," Qian Xunji ordered those below.
Guard: "Yes."
Hearing that her father was going out so late, Qian Renxue asked worriedly, "Daddy, what are you going out for so late at night?"
"Be good, Xue'er. Daddy is going to catch you a hundred-thousand-year soul ring. Just wait at home for Daddy's good news." Qian Xunji gently stroked Qian Renxue's head and comforted her with a smile.
After saying that, Qian Xunji sensed that his forces had gathered. He had Qian Renxue return to rest first, while he himself headed toward the vicinity of the Clear Sky Sect.
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