The Ninth Method

"Young Master." Dugu Xin stepped forward, his tone solemn. "My father is advanced in years, yet he's still just a step away from becoming a Titled Douluo. Yan Yan is still young, and the foundation of her Martial Soul hasn't stabilized yet."

He drew a deep breath, his gaze earnest. "I beg you to use Immortal Herbs to improve their Martial Souls and help them evolve." After saying this, he instead smiled freely and waved a hand. "As for me, my talent is mediocre, and my strength limited. There's no need to waste such precious Immortal Herbs on me. That Spirit Bone with Venom Spray is enough for me. That would also put one of my worries to rest."

Dugu Xin had noticed the look in Feng Baiyu's eyes as he gazed at the Immortal Herbs after landing, and immediately understood that these treasures had caught his interest.

He had always known his own limits. The Dugu Family depended on others for its standing now; if they dared to demand more than their share, they would only bring about their own destruction. Better to step back of his own accord: that would show his loyalty while securing an opportunity for his father and daughter. It was the safest choice.

At this, Feng Baiyu glanced up at Dugu Xin, a trace of surprise passing through his eyes. This man really was a sensible member of the Dugu Family. He knew when to advance and when to retreat, and had judged the situation with perfect precision. Feng Baiyu couldn't find a single fault in his words.

But Dugu Xin had still underestimated him. Being able to take most of the Immortal Herbs from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well was already an enormous opportunity for him. If he couldn't even meet the needs of the three members of the Dugu Family, then he'd truly be acting like a glutton.

Still, Dugu Xin had underestimated the breadth of his generosity. Taking most of the Immortal Herbs from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well was already an unexpected boon. If he begrudged even the three members of the Dugu Family what they needed, that would be downright petty.

"Mr. Dugu and Miss Dugu need to evolve their Martial Souls. Yours shouldn't be held back, either." Feng Baiyu spoke candidly. "There are enough Immortal Herbs here, so you don't need to worry, young Mr. Dugu."

"Young Master." Dugu Xin gave a bitter smile. "This subordinate's Innate Soul Power is only level five. My talent is truly limited. Being able to stay alive is already a blessing; I don't deserve to waste these Immortal Herbs. That Spirit Bone is enough to keep me alive. From here on, following your advice when I obtain Soul Rings will be more than enough for me!"

"Since you've made up your mind, I won't force you." Seeing that Dugu Xin had even resisted the temptation of the Immortal Herbs, Feng Baiyu plucked a fist-sized, bright red fruit covered in scales from nearby and said, "In that case, eat this Fire Scale Fruit."

"Don't refuse!" Feng Baiyu said. "This is a pure fire-type herb, not quite an Immortal Herb. Once you eat it, you'll be able to turn the poison attribute in your body into the fire attribute, transforming your Jade Phosphorous Serpent Martial Soul into a Fire Scale Snake!"

Dugu Xin knew that the Jade Phosphorous Serpent was slightly higher in quality than the Fire Scale Snake, but the Fire Scale Snake was a complete Martial Soul, without any innate defects!

After his Martial Soul mutated, he wouldn't need to worry about poison building up. As long as his Soul Rings were properly matched, he wouldn't encounter the slightest bottleneck before reaching Soul Douluo rank!

"Thank you, Young Master." Dugu Xin thanked him and was about to bite into it.

"Wait!" Feng Baiyu hurriedly stopped him. "You can't eat the skin of the Fire Scale Fruit. Cut it open and absorb the juice and flesh inside. Once you've finished, use your Soul Power to refine the medicine's effects."

Dugu Xin hurriedly did as he was told. The fruit quickly shriveled up.

Watching his son, Dugu Bo felt the corners of his eyes grow damp.

How could he not understand? Xin'er had done this so the Young Master wouldn't look unfavorably on the Dugu Family. They had already pledged their loyalty; they shouldn't be too greedy.

"Mr. Dugu." Feng Baiyu looked at Dugu Bo and asked bluntly, "When it comes to evolving your Martial Soul, would you like it to gain both ice and fire powers, or would you rather have it transform in the direction of a jiao-dragon?"

"Young Master." Dugu Bo took a deep breath. "I've spent my whole life using poison. I'm afraid I wouldn't be used to losing all the poison in my body. Is there a way for me to keep it?"

"The simplest way to keep your poison is to evolve into a Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor. But that still won't change the fact that the poison will erode your body." Feng Baiyu shook his head, then began walking around the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.

He activated Fire Phoenix True Sight, inspecting the properties and effects of every Immortal Herb. This was even more useful than memorizing them; a single glance told him everything.

There were plenty of Immortal Herbs and lesser spirit medicines here, but not a single one could solve Dugu Bo's problem.

"Young Master." Just then, Dugu Bo spoke. "I don't necessarily need an Immortal Herb from here to solve the poison in my body. Could my ninth Soul Ring resolve it instead, if I follow your arrangements?"

"I can't bear to lower my cultivation with a Soul Skill, but could the Soul Ring from that Blood-Stabbing Pufferfish solve the problem with my snake venom?" Dugu Bo's eyes lit up more and more. "And with that Spirit Bone with Venom Spray! By then, I might even be eager to absorb more poison!"

"That's not a bad idea." Feng Baiyu paused at Dugu Bo's words, then continued, "Earlier, at Feng Mansion, I only mentioned the first six ways to solve the problem. There are three more!"

"Your son, Dugu Xin, using a Snake Scale Fruit doesn't count as Martial Soul Evolution, but it does count as a way to change his Martial Soul and solve the problem at its source. That's the seventh way!" Feng Baiyu said. "Immortal Herbs or absorbing a Soul Ring both have a certain chance of accomplishing this."

"The eighth way involves the core of a creature called the Ten Headed Fierce Yang Serpent!" Feng Baiyu said. "The Ten Headed Fierce Yang Serpent is the supreme serpent. Absorbing its core can evolve a Martial Soul and give rise to fire-attribute power, while perfectly preserving the poison attribute. The problem is that this thing has vanished without a trace, and I can't get my hands on one right now."

Feng Baiyu knew there was a Ten Headed Fierce Yang Serpent in Slaughter City, but it was impossible to obtain; that was no help in solving an urgent problem. He'd only brought it up to fill out the list.

Dugu Bo had never even heard of the Ten Headed Fierce Yang Serpent, much less its "core." Hearing that Feng Baiyu had no leads either, he knew this method wasn't of any use for now.

"Mr. Dugu, your Soul Power has already reached level eighty-nine, putting you at Soul Douluo rank. It's almost impossible for you to evolve toward a jiao or dragon." Feng Baiyu looked at Dugu Bo and said, "If you choose the right ninth Soul Ring, there's hope of evolving your Martial Soul into a Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor. But not only would it fail to solve the poison problem, it might make it even worse."

Feng Baiyu watched Dugu Bo's expression change, then said, "If you really do evolve your Martial Soul into a Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor, you'll still need another method to control the poison."

Dugu Bo was rather pleased to hear that his Martial Soul could evolve into a Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor. But if the poison got even worse, wouldn't he be done for anyway?

Dugu Bo pinned his hopes on the last method. If the ninth method couldn't solve the problem, he would absorb the Spirit Bone with Venom Spray and later find a Blood-Stabbing Pufferfish Soul Ring to deal with it. That would work, too.

"The final method carries a certain risk, but once the problem is solved, you'll be able to keep your poison perfectly." Feng Baiyu looked at Dugu Bo. "That method is a Soul Core!"

"As long as you condense a Soul Core, you won't just reach Titled Douluo rank—you'll also solve the problem of the poison in your body!"