Having finished absorbing the dragon souls, Jiang Li was quite satisfied. He was genuinely looking forward to seeing what wonders his Human Emperor Banner Martial Soul would display once he claimed the system's reward.
Now, after recording a person of destiny in his Human Emperor Banner, he could slowly refine that person's source power, transforming it through special rules into fuel for his own growth.
Once those people of destiny had been completely refined into puppets and resummoned, their strength would be on par with his own.
"Ah, I'm getting more and more excited, I tell you!"
"Ke ke ke ke ke ke—"
Whenever Jiang Li used his Human Emperor Banner Martial Soul, he became a little unhinged.
But he didn't think it was a big deal. A little influence on his state of mind wasn't enough to shake his firm resolve to become a god.
If the Angel Clan saw him like this, they'd surely take him for a Fallen Soul Master and shout for his blood.
Then again, Jiang Li figured those foolish natives would mistake his Human Emperor Banner, which shimmered with Grandmist Purple Qi, for the utterly evil Ten Thousand Soul Banner. He wouldn't hold their ignorance and disrespect against them.
If they had something to say, they could come inside his banner and discuss it with everyone.
Ke ke ke ke ke ke—
After returning to the surface, Jiang Li saw that Tang San needed a little more time to finish refining the Immortal Herbs. He prepared to head back to the bottom of the spring and begin absorbing the two dragon bones.
Before that, though, he noticed Tang San had left the River of Oblivion Autumn Water Dew on the bank, along with a thoughtful little note reminding him of a few things to keep in mind while absorbing it.
"Tsk, that boy."
The more Jiang Li watched this disciple, the more pleased he was. Just look at how obedient he was!
Without hesitation, he let a few drops of dew from the River of Oblivion Autumn Water Dew fall into his eyes.
In an instant, he felt his mind grow clearer.
His Spiritual Power seemed to have improved noticeably as well.
Next, he adjusted himself to his peak condition. Once his mind had settled as still as a mirror, Jiang Li entered the spring once more.
With a light flick of his will, the Human Emperor Banner trembled faintly!
The two dragon bones, radiating the ultimate powers of ice and fire, slowly floated out. Their icy blue and fiery red lights intertwined, as though the two extreme elements were silently at odds, yet held within the same meridian by some force!
The next instant, Jiang Li raised both arms, and Soul Power flowed quietly through his meridians!
He guided the two Soul Bones left behind by the Ice and Fire Dragon Kings with his mind. With a soft "whum," the bones abruptly accelerated, pressing toward his left and right arms with scorching force.
The instant they touched him, the powers of ice and fire erupted together, as if they meant to tear his arms apart from within.
Jiang Li furrowed his brow but didn't retreat. Instead, he actively drew on his Soul Power, forcing the two opposing dragon auras deep into his meridians.
"You damned beasts! You still dare to resist!"
At Jiang Li's angry shout, his Human Emperor Banner began to shake erratically.
Streams of red and blue source power were drawn from the bodies of the two spiteful dragon souls, clinging to his arms in a peculiar form.
Even though the Ice and Fire Dragon Kings had been dead for many years, they had once been genuine divine beasts.
Their high-tier power, beyond the realm of Soul Masters, wasn't something he could absorb at his current level.
He'd be risking death just to try.
For now, he was extracting this source power only to help him absorb the Soul Bones more smoothly.
The two dragon bones, which had been agitated inside Jiang Li, instantly quieted as soon as they sensed that source power, allowing him to absorb them.
Time flowed by...
Just as the Soul Bones were about to fuse completely, extreme cold and searing heat surged across his shoulders and back at the same time, as if trying to split his upper body in two!
Jiang Li gave a low shout and gritted his teeth, forcing the two Soul Bones into their respective positions.
Whum—
An immensely powerful dragon aura and wave of Soul Power burst outward in every direction, and the spring's once-calm surface began to boil!
Jiang Li's Soul Power surged all the way to the level-80 bottleneck. With just one Soul Ring, he would become a bona fide Soul Douluo!
Back on the ground, he felt as though his whole body had been cleansed.
The sensation of possessing such surging power was almost intoxicating!
"Congratulations, Master, on your latest breakthrough!"
The moment Jiang Li emerged, Tang San came forward to congratulate him.
From what he could sense, the might emanating from his master was countless times stronger than before. It left him feeling as though he were a mayfly gazing up at the vast sky!
"Xiao San, it looks like you gained quite a lot this time too."
Tang San scratched his head sheepishly. He knew how dramatically he had changed after absorbing the Immortal Herbs.
His former malnourished appearance was gone. His long hair was now blue, and the contours of his face had softened. Even his Soul Power had reached the level-20 bottleneck.
"Master, I've noticed that my Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul seems to have changed again!"
Tang San spoke excitedly and raised his right hand. A Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul brimming with life swayed in the air.
The silver veins on his Blue Silver Grass had turned completely gold. This meant that the royal bloodline in his Martial Soul had been fully activated by the power of the Immortal Herb, completing his leap from Blue Silver Crown Prince to Blue Silver Emperor.
"Master, I can also feel that the mysterious summons from before has grown even stronger."
Tang San finished explaining what he felt, his young face full of confusion.
He looked at his master expectantly, hoping for an answer. In his eyes, his master knew everything and could do anything—surely he could clear up the mystery for him.
Jiang Li: ...
He remembered telling Tang San earlier that he still didn't really understand what was behind that strange feeling of his.
But seeing the boy's eyes practically bursting with curiosity...
"Xiao San, you know that Soul Masters with Beast Martial Souls or plant-type Martial Souls can generally find a corresponding Soul Beast, right?"
Tang San nodded, and Jiang Li continued, "Among the Soul Beast Clan, no matter the species, every group has a king of its own."
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