In the air.
Su Chen transformed into a streak of golden light and plunged downward at full force. The Cloud-Rowing Palm had already formed a phantom more than ten meters wide, crashing down from the sky.
"Ugh."
Dugu Bo's heart jolted. He hurriedly unleashed his trump card:
"Eighth Soul Skill: Time Solidification."
Duang!
When their attacks collided, Su Chen was frozen in midair, but the giant palm had already slammed into the Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor, blasting a huge crater into the ground.
"Pfft!"
Dugu Bo spat out a mouthful of blood.
"Ninth Soul Skill."
"Three Origins Into One."
As Dugu Bo unleashed his final, powerful attack, Su Chen quickly drew on his strength and broke free, forming a shield of water around himself.
"Soul Bone Skill: Medusa's Gaze."
Dugu Bo had indeed gone all out. He'd used nothing but trump cards, without holding back.
Su Chen's watery shield instantly turned to stone. However, just as Dugu Bo was celebrating and his next attack was about to land, the petrified shield shattered—and another layer of water formed, blocking his Ninth Soul Skill.
"How could this be?"
Dugu Bo couldn't make sense of it. He sighed dejectedly.
"Forget it. I admit defeat."
Su Chen flew down from the air and said, "Your Soul Bone Skill is indeed quite powerful, but my Three Origins Into One isn't a one-time-use Soul Skill."
"It's a shield that lets me keep pouring out power. After you petrify it, I can just form a new one."
Dugu Bo shook his head.
"I don't get it. Everything about you is so bizarre. Even an ordinary Titled Douluo at level ninety-five probably couldn't beat you."
"Come on, let's head back!"
Su Chen nodded and said nothing more.
Actually,
Titled Douluo were still pretty tough to fight. The Eighth and Ninth Soul Skills were so powerful that blocking them took a tremendous amount of energy!
Three Origins Into One was powerful, but not enough to defeat a Titled Douluo. What was truly impressive was his hundred years of cultivation, along with the staying power of the blue buff, Nine Yang Divine Skill.
Dugu Bo suddenly asked, "I remember that a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring has two Soul Skills. What's your other one?"
"It boosts my speed."
Su Chen replied casually.
Dugu Bo was struck speechless. That pair of golden wings from Dou Qi Wings was already absurdly fast, and he had another speed-boosting skill?
"Damn it!"
"You wouldn't happen to be an agility-type Soul Master, would you? With those bizarre tricks of yours, that'd be way too dangerous."
Su Chen thought for a moment before replying, "Not exactly. I'm more like that Angel Martial Soul—a well-rounded fighter. And this is only my second Soul Ring."
The two flew back to the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well.
The more Dugu Bo thought about it, the more exhausted he felt. Everything about Su Chen kept shocking him, one thing after another!
While waiting for Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling to finish cultivating, Su Chen began writing in his diary:
[Today was another happy day!]
[After cultivating all night with the Immortal Herb, I successfully broke through to level twenty and received a God-Bestowed Spirit Ring as a reward. An eighteen-thousand-year Soul Ring is so good.]
[Too bad my First Soul Ring is so pathetic. Compared to this eighteen-thousand-year Soul Ring... there are tears in my eyes. Of course, the First Soul Ring is the only proof that Brother Chicken ever existed. He was afraid I'd forget him!]
[Those who rise to the peak earn the false devotion of the crowd; the faithful are revealed when the sun sets.]
[How could I ever forget?]
[I've picked all the Immortal Herbs. I left one for Dugu Bo, one for Dugu Yan, and gave another to Ye Lingling. I hope her Martial Soul can break through its limits!]
[After all, Ning Rongrong's Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda evolved into the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda after she took the Aromatic Silk Beauty. If it could break through the limits of a Martial Soul, then the Nine Heart Begonia should be able to as well.]
[Once Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling finish absorbing theirs, I can head back to Heaven Dou City. I wonder if that little vixen, Hu Liena, has missed me. I saved an Immortal Herb for her, after all.]
[At last, I've finished what I came here to do. I can't wait to go bully the scum at Shrek. Heh heh heh!]
[Today's diary entry is about Huo Wu. She's just a minor character. What kind of story could I even write about her?]
Su Chen stopped writing there. His mind was full of things he could nitpick. All he remembered was that Huo Wu was called Huo Wu, and that she had a Fei Fengfeng with her. After that, he drew a blank.
Wasn't this just making things hard for me?
"Su Chen."
Just then, Dugu Yan, who had finished cultivating in the distance, came running over and threw herself into Su Chen's arms, planting a hard kiss on his left cheek.
"Smack!"
The crisp sound suddenly brought Dugu Yan back to her senses. Her face turned red in an instant.
"Um... don't get the wrong idea. I'm thanking you for the Immortal Herb you gave me. It raised my Soul Power by five levels. I'm already at level forty."
Su Chen smiled and nodded. He patted Dugu Yan on the shoulder and said, "The Immortal Herb can also speed up your cultivation. Once you condense a core bead and evolve the Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor, you'll be a true genius."
"Mm!"
Dugu Yan nodded firmly, her cheeks flushed as she lowered her head.
Dugu Bo held his forehead nearby, feeling utterly exhausted. He'd let Su Chen use his Immortal Herb to woo his granddaughter. Su Chen, you really know what you're doing!
Just then,
the Nine Heart Begonia flower on Ye Lingling suddenly bloomed. Golden patterns began to grow across its petals. It had clearly evolved.
"Hm?"
Surprise showed in Dugu Bo's eyes. He asked, "Kid, can Lingling's Nine Heart Begonia really evolve?"
Su Chen nodded, then thought for a moment before replying:
"If the Aromatic Silk Beauty is used on the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, it can evolve into the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda. Since that also breaks through a Martial Soul's limits, the Nine Heart Begonia should be able to do the same."
Dugu Yan's face lit up with delight. "Doesn't that mean Lingling won't be limited to just one skill anymore? She'll be able to provide other kinds of support too?"
The Nine Heart Begonia.
Only one inheritor could exist in each generation.
At the same time, no more than two Nine Heart Begonia Soul Masters could be alive. Only when one died could another possibly appear among their descendants.
And it had only one Soul Skill—healing.
Su Chen thought it over, then shook his head. "I'm not sure about that. It probably won't provide stat boosts like the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda. Otherwise, it'd be way too overpowered."
Dugu Bo nodded in agreement. The Nine Heart Begonia's healing was already heaven-defying. If it could also boost people's attributes, it would leave everyone else with no way to survive!
The flower bloomed, releasing a faint fragrance. A golden light shone, and petals patterned with golden lines fluttered through the air, turning the area into a sea of flowers.
"Su... Su Chen."
Ye Lingling rushed through the sea of flowers, tears of excitement streaming down her face. She threw herself into Su Chen's arms, rose onto her toes, and bravely kissed him.
A passionate, lingering kiss.
A kiss that would last forever.
A kiss that sealed their love.
Dugu Yan felt a sour pang in her heart as she watched. Lingling, honestly! She looked so refined and quiet, but she had no idea how to hold back!
You're supposed to be a cool, gentle girl!
Hmph!
I, Dugu Yan, might look carefree, but I would never act so impulsively. I'd at most kiss him on the cheek. I, Dugu Yan, would rather starve to death and jump from here—
[Congratulations to Ye Lingling for triggering the hidden quest reward. Received: ten levels of Soul Power.]
Dugu Yan: ???
What was going on?
What had Ye Lingling done?
Watching the two of them embrace and kiss passionately, Dugu Yan was completely stunned.
Don't go away~
The distance can't keep us apart~
My longing becomes an ocean~
Outside the window, it can't get in...
At that moment,
Dugu Yan wasn't the only one stunned. Ye Lingling's own head was spinning!
What had she done? Why had she suddenly completed a hidden quest and gained ten levels of Soul Power?
My goodness!
Could it be...?
As the thought occurred to her, Ye Lingling hugged Su Chen even tighter and kissed him more passionately.
Dugu Bo turned away, silently cursing, "Damn, these young people... Damn, young people these days..."