Jade Phosphorus Poison Dragon

Gradually, a violet halo surged around Dugu Yan like a tide, intertwining with her original emerald-green Soul Power to form streaks of alternating purple and green light.

As time passed, the violet light grew denser, and the deep, low roar of a dragon seemed to echo faintly from within Dugu Yan.

After roughly three hours, the Soul Power around Dugu Yan suddenly surged, and the phantom of a Jade Phosphorous Serpent coiled up around her.

The phantom lingered for only a moment before the violet light enveloped it, and its body began to transform at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Its slender body gradually grew thicker, and four dragon claws sprouted beneath its belly. Its serpent scales turned into dragon scales, their edges tinged with a faint golden glow. Its serpent head became a dragon's head, and its cold, serpentine eyes turned into fierce, domineering dragon eyes.

At last, it became a dragon-shaped phantom eighteen feet long, hovering behind Dugu Yan. Dragon might and poisonous breath intertwined, putting even Dugu Bo under a little pressure.

As the violet light faded, Dugu Yan awoke, and the Jade Phosphorus Poison Dragon merged into her body.

Dugu Yan's body began to swell, and emerald-green poisonous mist rose around her. Her once-slender limbs grew sturdy and powerful; a few dragon scales appeared on her arms, and sharp claws grew from her hands. Her legs did not fuse into a serpent tail as before. Instead, an emerald-green Dragon Tail sprouted behind her.

At the center of the scales on her brow was a scarlet point that made one's heart skip a beat. Her eyes became golden, with vertical pupils, and the corners tilted slightly upward, carrying the pride and coldness unique to dragons.

Dugu Yan was overjoyed, yet scarcely able to believe it. "I really transformed into a true dragon! And I can feel that my Soul Power has increased significantly, though I can't show it without an added Soul Ring."

Dugu Bo suddenly patted Xing Tian and said, "Do you have another one? Let me evolve too."

Xing Tian rolled his eyes. "You think Immortal Herbs grow like cabbages? There isn't another one! That was the only one! There is another Nine-Grade Purple Ganoderma, but it doesn't count as an immortal herb. If you eat it, it'll only restore most of the damage your body suffered from the poison. Your Martial Soul definitely won't evolve."

"But if we leave that Nine-Grade Purple Ganoderma for another hundred years, it might become a new Nine Grade Dragon Mushroom."

Dugu Bo exclaimed, "In a hundred years, I'll have turned to dust!"

Just then, Dugu Yan ended her Martial Soul Possession and leaped at Xing Tian, wrapping him in a big hug. She planted a hard kiss on his cheek and said, "Thank you, Xiao Tian."

Under Dugu Bo's fiery gaze, Xing Tian said, "This was your family's to begin with. You don't need to thank me."

Dugu Yan shook her head. "No. Grandpa definitely didn't know what it was, or he would've let me eat it long ago. So I still have to thank you."

Xing Tian stammered, "Sister Yan... we..."

Dugu Yan raised a finger to Xing Tian's lips, signaling him not to continue.

This time, Dugu Yan only blushed faintly, her face bright with a smile. "I understand."

Dugu Yan had realized that Xing Tian had definitely wavered—or perhaps had already accepted her confession. Otherwise, with his strength, if he wanted to reject her, he could easily have dodged or pulled away just now. Since he hadn't resisted, his meaning was clear enough.

Xing Tian had indeed decided to try spending more time with Dugu Yan. After all, things in this life were very different from his previous one. People had to change and adapt to new circumstances.

Xing Tian said with some guilt, "Sister Yan, actually, I have feelings for Lingling..."

Dugu Yan interrupted him again. "It's okay. Lingling came first, after all. I don't mind."

For a moment, Xing Tian didn't know how to continue. Fortunately, Dugu Bo coughed at just the right moment. "Can we set off to hunt Soul Beasts now?"

"We can. Senior Dugu..."

"Wait a moment!" Xing Tian was interrupted again. Dugu Bo grinned. "Isn't it time you changed what you call me?"

Xing Tian's mouth twitched. To be honest, he could be rather petty, and he really didn't want to call Dugu Bo "Grandpa" just yet.

Xing Tian immediately whispered a few words to Dugu Yan beside him. She smiled. "I think that's a great idea."

Xing Tian asked for the moon. "Senior Dugu, I'd like to pick a few more Immortal Herbs, if that's all right. Also, storing Immortal Herbs requires a Soul Tool that can hold living things. Sister Yan said that the leather pouch at your waist is called the Ruyi Hundred Treasure Pouch. Could you give it to me?"

Dugu Bo's eyes widened in anger. He realized that Xing Tian clearly intended to empty out his family's entire fortune.

It wasn't that Dugu Bo was unwilling. It was that Xing Tian still wouldn't call him "Grandpa."

Before Dugu Bo could say anything, Dugu Yan immediately slipped into the role of a wealthy, generous heiress and swept her hand through the air. "Of course! I'm in charge here. It's all yours!"

Then she walked up to Dugu Bo, untied the Ruyi Hundred Treasure Pouch, and handed it to Xing Tian.

"Thank you, Sister Yan!"

As Dugu Bo stared on, dumbstruck and heartbroken, yet utterly helpless, Dugu Yan accompanied Xing Tian as they ransacked the Ice Fire Yin Yang Well.

The sight reminded Xing Tian of a poem from his previous life: "The village children bully me, old and weak, and have the heart to rob me right to my face."

In the Star Dou Forest, Dugu Bo asked, "What do you think we should choose for Yanyan's third Soul Ring? Should she pick a Sub-Dragon Species Soul Beast, like Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Soul Masters do, or keep choosing Poison-type Soul Beasts?"

"Either would work," Xing Tian said. "Although most Sub-Dragon Species Soul Beasts aren't poisonous, they strengthen the body more, allowing Sister Yan to bear more and stronger poisons and lowering the risks of cultivating her poison arts. She'd still need to do a great deal of extra work gathering poisons as she continued to cultivate, though."

"If she keeps choosing Poison-type Soul Beasts, she'll have less work to do, and her control over poison and its potency will improve even more. But cultivating her poison arts will also be more dangerous."

"However, with my blood to help her, the danger will be reduced. Sister Yan can choose for herself."

Dugu Yan thought it over and said, "My family has always used poison in battle. Now that I have a top-tier poison art like the Ten Thousand Poisons Heart Sutra, and I'm neither skilled at nor fond of close combat, I'd rather prioritize Poison-type Soul Beasts."

Suddenly, a strange sound rang out all around them. The rustling sounded as if someone were changing clothes, or like leaves rubbing together.

"It seems to be a many-legged Soul Beast," Xing Tian said first.

"Let me see what it is." Dugu Bo released his mental power to probe his surroundings.

But his effort was in vain, because the source of the sound appeared on its own the very next moment.

It was a strange giant spider with a body over one and a half meters across and eight spear-like legs more than three meters long.

Its entire body was covered in glossy black armor. The tips of its long legs were slender, and each silent step pierced the ground, showing just how sharp they were.

There were white markings on the spider's abdomen, standing out sharply against its black body. Those markings formed the shape of a savage human face. Eight small eyes, gleaming with a faint purple light, were set right on its abdomen.