Tuo Ba Xuan shut his eyes tight, feeling the warmth all around him as every meridian in his body began to twist and change.
Complex, indecipherable dragon patterns appeared across the golden layer of light covering his skin.
Tuo Ba Xuan gathered all his Soul Power, guiding the patterns until they fit snugly against his skin.
But this terrified Dugu Bo. At first, seeing Tuo Ba Xuan absorb the herbs without a hitch, he had thought nothing would go wrong.
Then Tuo Ba Xuan suddenly dropped to his knees and, as if he had gone mad, leaped into the spring.
That pool was so dangerous that even he, a Titled Douluo, didn't dare touch it.
"That brat... he couldn't have died, could he?" Dugu Bo muttered with a frown. But the strange movements in the water showed that Tuo Ba Xuan wasn't in any mortal danger, and Dugu Bo finally relaxed.
Star Luo Empire, Sacred Dragon City, Sacred Dragon Sect.
Inside the sect master's hall, sect master Tuoba Xi stared delightedly at the letter in his hand.
Nearly a year had passed, and this was the first message he had received from Tuo Ba Xuan.
Then Tuoba Xi's eyes darkened. He held the letter over a candle and burned it to ashes.
"Xuan, you've really surprised your grandfather."
Tuoba Xi remained calm on the surface, but the gleam in the corner of his eye betrayed his excitement.
"Someone," Tuoba Xi called. "I'll be away from the sect for a few days. Keep a close eye on it."
Heaven Dou Empire, Fasinuo Province, Shrek Academy.
"Teacher, are we really going to that Heaven Dou Royal Academy?" asked the somewhat sleazy Ma Hongjun, scratching his head.
Flender gave a slight nod. "I'm not willing, but we don't have much choice. Since Xiaogang and Xiao San have both brought it up, let's join Heaven Dou Royal Academy."
Oscar was just as reluctant. "Dean, I heard that all the students at Heaven Dou Royal Academy are nobles. Will we really fit in there? Besides, you're the dean. Isn't it up to you whether we go or not?"
At that moment, a rift was quietly opening within Shrek Academy. The conservative faction consisted of its veteran members: Flender, Zhao Wuji, and the other teachers, along with the three students Ma Hongjun, Oscar, and Dai Mubai.
The other faction, led by Yu Xiaogang and joined by the remaining four Devils, was more radical. They wanted to join an advanced academy to train the students.
Because of this, even the Shrek Seven Devils had spoken to one another far less often lately.
This differed from the original story because, in Suotuo City, the Shrek Team had failed to defeat the Imperial Fighting Team.
A newly formed team was still on the rise. Just as they were about to make a name for themselves, they suffered an unexpected defeat—a crushing blow.
In particular, Yu Xiaogang and Tang San had devised the entire strategy for that Soul Fighting match. But in the end, one mistake by Tang San had caused their excellent position to collapse.
After the match, Ma Hongjun and Dai Mubai had vehemently questioned their strategy: to slowly lull the enemy into complacency before striking like thunder at the end.
This led directly to a fierce argument between Dai Mubai and Tang San.
And so, from that moment on, cracks began to form within Shrek Academy.
While the various factions each made their own plans and began to act,
the sky above the heart of Sunset Forest suddenly darkened with gathering clouds, as if thunder were exploding among them.
Tuo Ba Xuan had finally finished absorbing the Infernal Delicate Apricot and the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass, fully forming his Ice and Fire Golden Dragon Body.
Countless flowing lights seemed to drift across the sky, while the distant cries of whales echoed through the air.
At that moment, a thunderous ancient dragon's roar rang out above the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well.
With a golden body of ice and fire, Tuo Ba Xuan let out a long, exhilarating howl that shook the heavens.
Wherever the sound passed, birds sang in chorus, and countless Soul Beasts bowed their heads in submission.
All living things fell still and prostrated themselves, welcoming the arrival of the true dragon.
A golden beam shot into the sky. Tuo Ba Xuan radiated a terrifying dragon's might, and even the air around him began to congeal.
The Mountain Dragon would forever reign as king! Ice and fire intertwined, wrapping Tuo Ba Xuan in a fantastical halo of light.
Roars of dragon souls burst through the air, drawing horrified gazes from Soul Masters in the nearby towns.
Dugu Bo was completely stunned. His Martial Soul trembled violently—not because he was being overpowered, but because he was being suppressed at the deepest level of his bloodline.
He was closest, and so he felt the greatest pressure.
Tuo Ba Xuan slowly opened his eyes. The halo vanished at once, streaming into his eyes as eagerly as rivers rushing to the sea.
At that moment,
"Your Excellency, it's been a while," Tuo Ba Xuan said with a hidden smile as he slowly descended.
"It hasn't been that long. Only a month," Dugu Bo replied, smacking his lips. "Have you finished absorbing them?"
Tuo Ba Xuan nodded. "Yes. I hope I haven't disappointed you."
Dugu Bo felt as though his whole worldview had been turned upside down. He couldn't even tell what level of strength Tuo Ba Xuan had reached.
In Dugu Bo's eyes, Tuo Ba Xuan wasn't a person at all, but a lifelike dragon!
"Thank you for protecting me this past month, Your Excellency," Tuo Ba Xuan said respectfully, cupping his hands.
"It was nothing." Dugu Bo waved him off. He didn't dare accept Tuo Ba Xuan's courtesy now.
"So?" Dugu Bo tentatively asked next.
"Now that I've finished what I came to do, I'll help Your Excellency fix your condition," Tuo Ba Xuan said earnestly.
Dugu Bo froze. He had just tested this half-grown boy, even though he was a dignified Titled Douluo.
But he quickly put the thought aside. As a Titled Douluo, his senses were sharp. The fact that he had instinctively done so meant Tuo Ba Xuan was truly terrifying—so terrifying that Dugu Bo had to regard him as an equal.
"Your Excellency, let me first explain the details of how I'll resolve your condition."
"Good!"
Ten days later.
"Hey, brat, where's my dragon blood today?" Dugu Bo rushed up to Tuo Ba Xuan like a shameless rogue, holding out his hand.
"Don't worry. How could I shortchange you?" Tuo Ba Xuan chuckled and handed Dugu Bo a small celadon bottle.
It contained one drop of his blood essence. After ten days, Dugu Bo's condition had improved considerably. At the very least, he no longer felt pain whenever it rained.
Dugu Bo already had Medusa's Head Soul Bone, and he was a Titled Douluo, so the poison was naturally easy to deal with.
On top of that, Tuo Ba Xuan had given him an Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid to strengthen his constitution, cleanse his marrow, and wash away impurities.
Tuo Ba Xuan had also used his Soul Power to condense some of his own blood essence for him. This was no ordinary blood essence—Tuo Ba Xuan's was the blood essence of a dragon.
The pure energies of the three Dragon Kings—the Mountain Dragon King, Ice Dragon King, and Fire Dragon King—had all fused within Tuo Ba Xuan's body.
His body and blood had long since passed beyond the bounds of humanity.
Besides that, Tuo Ba Xuan had refined some ordinary Immortal Herbs into pills for Dugu Bo to absorb.
Thanks to Tuo Ba Xuan's various treatments and his own efforts, Dugu Bo's Soul Power Level had miraculously reached level 93.
As everyone knew, it was incredibly difficult for a Titled Douluo to gain even a single level of Soul Power.
It was even harder for someone like Dugu Bo, a mediocre Titled Douluo to begin with.
The two full levels he had gained left Dugu Bo ecstatic. What's more, his Martial Soul seemed to be on the verge of evolving.
He figured that just a few more drops of Tuo Ba Xuan's blood essence would complete its evolution.
As if he had found a treasure, Dugu Bo swiftly swallowed the blood essence in the bottle.
"Ha ha ha! Refreshing, absolutely refreshing!" Dugu Bo roared with laughter. His aura began to shift rapidly, and the Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor behind him sprouted small horns. Its once-dark green scales began to develop strange patterns, gradually transforming into dragon scales.