Refining the Ghost Vine, Dugu Bo Breaks Through Level 94! (Seeking Follow-ups!)

Yu Nan calmly revealed the answer:

"An extremely rare plant-type soul beast."

"It does not feed on sunlight or dew, but specifically consumes remains containing metal elements and underground Geng Metal mineral veins to grow."

"This ghost vine has been lurking beneath this mass grave for at least thirty thousand years, absorbing the blood and bones of countless blacksmiths, and has long since mutated."

"Its poison is no longer merely corrosive or paralytic."

"It is—'sharp'."

"Sharp?"

Dugu Yan, standing to the side, was somewhat puzzled:

"How can poison be sharp?"

"A good question."

Yu Nan explained:

"Yan Yan, although your grandfather's Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor poison is tyrannical and claims to kill upon contact, it struggles to instantly penetrate the bodies of opponents with extremely high defense, such as Title Douluo who specialize in defense, or those with holy attribute purification abilities."

"But the poison of this Geng Metal Ghost Vine is different."

"It contains the indestructible nature of Geng Metal energy."

"Its poisonous mist is like countless nano-needles, so fine they are invisible to the naked eye!"

"Once released, it can directly pierce through an opponent's protective soul light, or even drill through bones and armor, forcibly injecting the toxin into the enemy's body!"

Hearing this, Dugu Bo's breathing instantly became heavy.

He stared at the ground beneath his feet with burning eyes, as if trying to see through the layers of earth.

As an expert in poisons, he knew exactly what this meant!

The greatest weakness of his poison was its penetrating power!

Whenever he encountered someone thick-skinned like the Diamond Mammoth Huyan Zhen, or someone with innate holy purification like Qian Daoliu, his poison was often blocked outside the body, significantly reducing its effectiveness.

But if his poisonous mist were infused with the 'Geng Metal' attribute...

A poisonous mist with innate armor-piercing effects?!

That would be the nightmare of every defense-type soul master!

"If I could refine the origin of this Geng Metal Ghost Vine..."

Dugu Bo licked his lips, the green light in his eyes flaring intensely:

"My Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor poison will undergo a qualitative leap!"

"By then, even a Title Douluo above level ninety would have to shed a layer of skin if they dared to take my poison head-on!"

"Exactly," Yu Nan affirmed.

"Furthermore, this Geng Metal energy can temper your martial soul true body, making your serpent emperor physique even tougher and compensating for your weakness as a control-type soul master with a fragile frame."

"Make your move, Old Poison Freak."

"Don't keep this treasure waiting underground for too long."

Dugu Yan still needed time to grow.

It was necessary to increase Dugu Bo's strength as well.

"You got it!"

Dugu Bo let out a loud laugh, no longer bothered by the filth and stench of the place.

Boom!

Nine soul rings instantly rose from beneath his feet: yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black, black, black!

The terrifying pressure of a Title Douluo was released without reservation, instantly scattering the surrounding yin energy and mist.

"Rise for me!"

Dugu Bo let out a low shout, his right hand forming a claw as he grabbed at the empty air above the ground.

Emerald-green soul power transformed into a giant hand that blotted out the sky, fiercely plunging into the dark red soil!

Rumble—!

The earth shook violently, as if a magnitude ten earthquake had occurred.

The soil at the center of the mass grave churned, and countless white bones and scrap metal were sent flying.

"Hiss—!!!"

A sharp, ear-piercing hiss suddenly erupted from beneath the ground, sounding like the shriek of a vengeful ghost and causing Dugu Yan's eardrums to ache.

Immediately following, countless vines, pitch-black as ink yet shimmering with the cold luster of metal, burst from the soil like a swarm of frenzied black pythons!

They lashed out wildly against Dugu Bo's giant hand of soul power, each strike producing the clanging sound of metal striking metal, sending sparks flying in every direction!

How could these be plants?

These were clearly countless living, metallic whips!

"Good beast! Truly vigorous!"

Feeling the recoil force transmitted from the vines, Dugu Bo was not alarmed but delighted.

The stronger these vines were, the more concentrated the Geng Metal energy within them must be!

"Medusa's Gaze!"

A pale, ghastly light flashed across Dugu Bo's eyes.

Two Petrification Beams shot out instantly, striking the main trunk of the struggling Geng Metal Ghost Vine with pinpoint accuracy.

Crack, crack, crack...

The once violently thrashing vines instantly stiffened, a layer of grayish-white stone emerging on their surface.

Although the Geng Metal Ghost Vine possessed extremely high resistance, cracks began to appear in the petrified layer after a mere two seconds.

But for a powerhouse like Dugu Bo, two seconds was more than enough!

"Come out for me!"

Dugu Bo let out a violent roar, his giant hand of soul power exerting sudden force as he yanked upward with all his might!

BOOM!

A bizarre plant, fully ten meters tall, pitch-black in color, and draped with skulls and broken swords along its roots, was forcibly ripped from the earth!

It hovered in mid-air, radiating a heart-stopping, sharp aura and potent corpse poison, causing the surrounding air to hiss as it was sliced apart.

"Yan-yan, get back!"

Dugu Bo waved his large sleeve, a gentle wave of soul power sending Dugu Yan a hundred meters away.

Afterward, he looked at the Geng Metal Ghost Vine before him, his eyes burning with fanatical light, and sat down cross-legged as his Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor martial soul suddenly manifested!

A massive, emerald-green serpent phantom emerged behind him, opening its blood-red maw to inhale sharply toward the Geng Metal Ghost Vine!

"Refine!!!"

As Dugu Bo inhaled with great force, the Geng Metal Ghost Vine trembled violently in mid-air; the vines, once black as ink, began to wither and disintegrate rapidly.

A visible stream of black-gold energy, like thousands of tiny steel needles, flowed continuously into Dugu Bo's body through the maw of the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor phantom.

"Hmph—!"

Dugu Bo let out a muffled groan, his face instantly turning deathly pale.

Pain!

Bone-piercing, heart-wrenching pain!

The Geng Metal energy entering his body didn't feel like absorbing soul power; it felt like swallowing a stomach full of razor blades.

The incredibly sharp aura rampaged through his meridians, attempting to slice through his blood vessels and bones.

Had it been in the past, Dugu Bo would likely have spat out a mouthful of blood and been forced to interrupt the absorption.

But now, Dugu Bo gritted his teeth, mobilized his entire reserve of soul power, and suppressed the violent Geng Metal energy with all his might.

He began to fuse it, bit by bit, into his own innate lethal poison.

Time passed second by second.

The green light on Dugu Bo's body grew increasingly intense, but within that once-translucent emerald green, a heart-stopping dark golden luster gradually began to emerge.

The surrounding air seemed to be sliced by some invisible force, emitting faint "chi-chi" sounds.

Finally, as the sun set behind the mountains.

BOOM—!!!

A terrifying, peerless aura erupted from within Dugu Bo, shooting straight into the heavens!

Within the graveyard spanning a thousand meters, every withered tree, broken tombstone, and white bone was, in that instant, silently ground into dust by the spreading poisonous mist!

That's right—not corroded, but shredded!

Within that ink-green poisonous mist, it was as if billions of microscopic wind blades were hidden; wherever it passed, all things turned to ash!

"Hoo..."

Dugu Bo slowly opened his eyes.

Deep within his originally emerald pupils, a vertical golden needle-point now flickered, appearing even more eerie and dangerous.

He stood up, feeling the soul power surging within him like a rushing river, and a look of incredulous ecstasy appeared on his face.

"Level ninety-four..."