Watching Dugu Yan cheer and leap for joy, Dugu Bo praised her, his face full of affection:
"Well done, Yanyan!"
Then Dugu Bo gave Lu Chen a meaningful look. As a Titled Douluo, his spiritual senses were keen.
Just now, when Lu Chen had communicated with the Dragon Origin Fruit through the Blue Silver Domain,
Dugu Bo had keenly sensed it!
He was curious about Lu Chen's ability to communicate with plants, but more than that, he was grateful to him.
Perhaps, without Lu Chen's help just now, his granddaughter would never have gained the Dragon Origin Fruit's recognition.
Dugu Bo spoke gratefully:
"Brother Lan Chen, thank you so much for what you did just now. Now that the Dragon Origin Fruit has recognized Yanyan, can she eat it?"
Lu Chen nodded with a faint smile and replied:
"She can eat the Dragon Origin Fruit at any time. The dragon essence it contains is absolutely enough to evolve Yanyan's Jade Phosphorous Serpent into an immensely powerful Jade Phosphorus Dragon."
Having received Lu Chen's affirmative answer, Dugu Bo looked encouragingly at Dugu Yan, his voice brimming with anticipation:
"Yanyan, hurry and eat the fruit. Grandpa wants to see your martial soul evolve and completely rid you of the martial soul flaw that makes the Jade Phosphorus Snake Poison turn against your body."
Dugu Yan answered, then sat cross-legged on the grass. After taking a few deep breaths, she ate the Dragon Origin Fruit with anticipation and excitement.
The flesh melted in her mouth, turning into sweet juice almost without needing to be chewed, then slid down her throat into her stomach.
In just a short while, Dugu Yan had finished the entire fist-sized Dragon Origin Fruit.
In an instant, an intense surge of energy erupted from within Dugu Yan's body.
Streams of purple light surged through her meridians, spreading into her internal organs, limbs, and every bone before piercing through her flesh, making every inch of her skin radiate rich purple light.
A trace of nervousness appeared on Dugu Yan's face. She could clearly sense that the energy surging within her far exceeded her rank thirty-five soul power.
If this energy ran wild, it would surely tear her body to pieces, leaving Dugu Yan feeling somewhat frightened and uneasy.
Just then, Lu Chen's gentle voice reached Dugu Yan's ears:
"Yanyan, don't be nervous. Since the Dragon Origin Fruit has recognized you, it won't resist your absorption. Keep your mind steady and don't let your thoughts wander. Carefully feel all the changes the Dragon Origin Fruit's dragon essence brings you as it merges into your body, soul, soul power, and martial soul."
Lu Chen's voice seemed to hold a certain magic. After hearing it, Dugu Yan's nervousness gradually eased.
Following Lu Chen's instructions, she closed her eyes and kept her mind steady, carefully sensing the unprecedented changes the Dragon Origin Fruit's dragon essence brought her as it merged into her body, soul, soul power, and martial soul.
Every cell in her body was cheering for joy, for the Dragon Origin Fruit's dragon essence was completely transforming her body.
This process was Tendon-Cleansing and Marrow-Washing, transforming her from the inside out.
To put it more plainly, this process could also be called...
Dragon Transformation!
Purple light carrying astonishing energy fluctuations poured ceaselessly from Dugu Yan's body, enveloping her entirely and forming an enormous cocoon of purple light.
Within that purple cocoon, Dugu Yan was undergoing an unprecedented transformation, her body, soul, soul power, and martial soul all being remade.
Standing not far from Dugu Yan, Dugu Bo watched her become a cocoon of purple light. Although his expression remained unchanged, the anxiety in his eyes showed that his heart must have been anything but calm.
As the saying went, concern threw the mind into chaos!
After all, the one inside that cocoon was Dugu Bo's only family. Even with his cold heart, as hard as iron and stone, he could not regard this calmly.
It was Lu Chen who walked over and reassured him with a relaxed expression:
"Brother Dugu, sense it carefully. Isn't Yanyan's aura inside that purple cocoon constantly growing stronger?"
"So there's nothing to worry about. For Yanyan, this brings a hundred benefits and not a single harm."
"When Yanyan emerges from that cocoon, she'll definitely have finished absorbing the dragon essence and evolving her martial soul. Her Jade Phosphorous Serpent will have evolved into a Jade Phosphorus Dragon, completely freeing her from the martial soul flaw that makes the Jade Phosphorus Snake Poison turn against her body."
Hearing Lu Chen's reassurance, the anxiety in Dugu Bo's heart eased a little. He gave a bitter chuckle, then said helplessly:
"Brother Lan Chen, I know what you're saying makes sense, but she's my only granddaughter, after all. My heart keeps lurching up and down. I simply can't calm down."
Lu Chen sighed inwardly. Who would have thought that Dugu Bo, whom the world feared like a tiger, had such a tender side?
He placed his hands behind his back and continued talking to Dugu Bo:
"Brother Dugu, the Dragon Origin Fruit Yanyan ate is one of the highest-quality, most potent immortal herbs in this entire valley."
"Actually, there's another immortal herb that I think would also suit you both very well. It's called the earth dragon golden melon."
"It's an earth-attribute treasure born of heaven and earth, and it also contains a certain amount of dragon essence. The earth attribute is balanced and peaceful, one of the gentlest attributes, and won't conflict with the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Martial Soul's poison attribute."
"Yanyan has already eaten the Dragon Origin Fruit, so I think you should eat this earth dragon golden melon, Brother Dugu. Your Jade Phosphorous Serpent has already evolved into a Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor."
"Just as you said, a mere single immortal herb might not be enough to make the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor evolve."
"But the earth dragon golden melon can grant you a second attribute, the earth attribute. The poison and earth attributes won't clash at all. If you use the earth attribute to suppress the poison attribute, that would also effectively free you from the martial soul flaw that makes the Jade Phosphorus Snake Poison turn against your body."
After hearing Lu Chen's words, Dugu Bo was stirred. According to this analysis, eating that earth dragon golden melon would indeed benefit him immensely.
At the same time, Dugu Bo could hear that Lu Chen was sincerely considering his welfare. A little warmth appeared in his emerald-green eyes, and a faint smile rested on his face.
"Brother Lan Chen, I understand your kindness. It's just that, for now, I still can't stop worrying about Yanyan."
"Once Yanyan has finished evolving her martial soul, I'll find a chance to eat the earth dragon golden melon. The immortal herbs are all here in this valley anyway. There's no need for me to rush."
Since Dugu Bo had said that, Lu Chen said no more.
Dugu Bo himself was in no hurry, so why should he fret on the sidelines?
It wasn't as though the immortal herbs would run away!
Lu Chen stood beside Dugu Bo, waiting with him for Dugu Yan to break out of her cocoon.
Time slipped swiftly by unnoticed. Soon, dawn came. The red sun rose in the east, and strands of warm sunlight shone into the valley from outside, illuminating it.
Meanwhile, in Heaven Dou City, the spies hidden near the Dugu Mansion only belatedly discovered that Dugu Bo and Lu Chen had long since vanished.
Upon discovering this, they hurried back to report, some heading to the Crown Prince Mansion and others to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.