The Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor's Poison Has Become Sentient?

At this very moment, that mass of indescribable matter that Luo Chen had just forced out of Dugu Bo's body suddenly began to move.

It was the accumulated Jade Phosphor Serpent Poison expelled from Dugu Bo's body, stripped from the walls of his meridians and driven out from every corner by the power of time. Luo Chen had intended to use his time energy to purify it completely, but before he could act, it moved on its own.

The grey-green mucus writhed slowly on the ground like a snake just waking from slumber. Its surface bulged and recessed rhythmically, shifting from grey-green to ink-green, then to a dark violet, finally settling into a deep purple that bordered on black. Even more eerie were the silver-white patterns emerging on the surface of the mucus—the imprints left by Luo Chen's time energy—which pulsed and spread across the venom like veins.

Dugu Bo stood up abruptly, emerald soul power condensing in his palms as he stared fixedly at the mass.

"What is this?" His voice carried a trace of nervousness he had never felt before.

Luo Chen did not answer. His spiritual power had already locked onto the mucus, and his Spirit Abyss Realm perception told him that there was a pulse of life within it. It was not residual poison or the embers of energy, but a nascent, independent, faint, yet genuine life consciousness.

It had no eyes and no mouth, yet it "looked" at Luo Chen.

No, not "looked"—it sensed. It sensed the power that had transformed it from a dead object into a living one: silver-white, warm, and imbued with the sensation of passing time. That power came from Luo Chen.

"Senior," Luo Chen's voice was low, "it seems my time energy has activated your Jade Phosphor Serpent Poison. It now exists somewhere between poison and life—a brand-new form of existence."

Dugu Bo's eyes widened. "Are you saying my poison has become a spirit?"

"You could put it that way." Luo Chen crouched down to observe the venom closely. It no longer possessed corrosive properties; or rather, its corrosiveness had been neutralized by the time energy. It was now more like an energy entity with self-awareness, slowly wriggling and carefully avoiding Luo Chen's fingers.

It wasn't avoiding him. It was testing him.

It extended a tiny thread of venom, gently touching Luo Chen's fingertip. Luo Chen did not pull away. The moment the thread touched his skin, a faint spiritual ripple traveled through it—not language, nor logic, but a vague, primal emotion: curiosity.

It was curious about the person who had brought it to life.

Luo Chen's spiritual power subconsciously responded to that ripple. Silver-white time energy overflowed from his fingertip, resonating with the silver patterns on the venomous thread. The mass of venom shuddered violently, and then the entire thing began to glow. The silver-white light and the dark purple poison intertwined, casting a slowly rotating Taiji pattern onto the smooth floor.

Dugu Bo took a step back, his expression grave.

Luo Chen did not retreat. He could feel that the venom was undergoing a deeper transformation—not merely "coming to life," but merging with his own power and evolving toward an unprecedented life form.

"What is this?"

Luo Chen was at a loss. What could this be considered? A soul spirit? It didn't quite look like one.

Luo Chen stood up, and the venom ceased its writhing, curling up quietly at his feet like a newborn cub instinctively snuggling against its mother. "It has my time energy and spiritual power flowing through it. Could a unique life have been born from their fusion?"

Dugu Bo remained silent for a long time; this was something born from his own poison, yet it was entirely different.

Just then, the little life suddenly flashed and dove into Luo Chen's body, attaching itself to his skin. It crawled up his left arm and onto his back, shifting shapes—now a cloak, now a shoulder guard.

"This..." Luo Chen was speechless for a moment. It was just like liquid!

Finally, it hid within Luo Chen's skin and fell into a deep sleep!

Luo Chen looked down at the dark purple mass on his left shoulder. It clung to him quietly, invisible to the naked eye, like a sleeping infant.

Yet, Luo Chen could feel its consciousness slowly growing, moving from mere instinctual reactions to the beginning of emotional fluctuations.

Perhaps one day, it would possess complete intelligence, the ability to speak, and thoughts of its own.

By then, it would no longer be just an energy entity.

It might become a new life form, perhaps even evolving into an entirely new species!

Luo Chen was startled by the thought, but quickly dismissed it as absurd. How could he possibly create life? Yet, the idea remained like a thorn in his mind, impossible to pull out.

Gods need believers; perhaps he could achieve that through this tiny life on his body, carving out an alternative path!

It was not forced, nor captured; it had chosen to follow him spontaneously and instinctively. It did not understand the meaning of faith, but it regarded Luo Chen as the entire purpose of its existence.

Luo Chen suppressed the thought.

It was too far off.

"Let's go, An'an." He turned and walked toward Luo An'an, who was crouching in the distance, holding a small wildflower and looking curiously at his shoulder.

"Brother, what is that growing on your shoulder?"

"It's not growing; it moved in."

"Will it bite people?"

"No."

"Can An'an touch it?"

"Not yet. Wait until it grows a bit more, then I'll let it play with you."

"Okay!" Luo An'an nodded vigorously. "Then An'an is going to give it a name!"

"Alright, and what name will An'an give it?"

Luo An'an frowned in thought for a long while, then her little eyes lit up.

"How about we call it Little Black!"

"Little Black... Little Black sounds good. Let's go with that name!" Luo Chen said with a smile.

The little life on Luo Chen's shoulder conveyed a sense of joy, though it was unclear if it would remain so pleased once it understood what "Little Black" meant.

These matters had finally come to an end, and the next step was to hunt for a soul ring for Luo An'an. Her innate level twenty soul power was a result of absorbing the spiritual energy from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. He wanted her to attach a soul ring to the Dream-Weaving Immortal Garment first, followed by the Heaven-Swallowing Demon Jar.

The Dream-Weaving Immortal Garment was an auxiliary-type martial soul, and since he didn't know much about that aspect, he decided to consult Dugu Bo.

Upon learning this, Dugu Bo immediately offered to personally take Luo An'an to hunt for the soul ring. Although Luo Chen was confident he could protect his sister, having a Title Douluo present provided an extra layer of security—why not take it?

Dugu Bo had four recommendations: the Spirit Light Butterfly, the Morning Dew Flower Spirit, the Moonlight Moth, and the Soft Bone Rabbit.

After screening them, Luo Chen concluded that the Spirit Light Butterfly and the Morning Dew Flower Spirit were the most suitable soul beasts for Luo An'an.

The light from the Spirit Light Butterfly could form a protective barrier, enhancing both spiritual and physical resistance.

Meanwhile, the dew from the Morning Dew Flower Spirit possessed healing properties.