Transformation!

Lin Xia took a deep breath, hesitated no longer, and looked directly at Bulbasaur.

"Bulbasaur... did you hear that? This place might be perfect for your cultivation!"

"Do you... like the aura here? The way you like sunlight and fertile soil?"

"Bulba!"

Bulbasaur's response was no longer a question, but carried obvious excitement and certainty!

Bulbasaur's little claws excitedly pawed at Lin Xia's arm. The purple mist around its body suddenly spread outward, actively curling around a wisp of drifting multicolored poisonous fog.

When the multicolored poisonous fog touched the purple haze, it seemed to dissolve, rapidly merging into it. Bulbasaur's eyes instantly lit up, and it let out a comfortable low cry. The seed on its back actually relaxed slightly, as though it were breathing in this "sweet" air!

Bulbasaur turned its head toward the direction of the densest poisonous fog deep within the courtyard, its gaze filled with longing.

Their hearts were in sync!

Lin Xia raised his head, his eyes becoming incomparably resolute as he met Yue Hongsheng's burning gaze. He clearly spoke two words:

"Senior, we're willing!"

"Good, good, good! Cultivate here, then. Use anything in the courtyard as you please. If you can't endure it, just call out loudly, and I'll come save you!"

After Yue Hongsheng left, Lin Xia looked over the courtyard's bizarre poisonous flowers and grasses. The air was filled with poisonous fog that hid bone-piercing danger beneath its cloying sweetness. He took a deep breath.

"Let's begin, Bulbasaur!"

"Bulba!"

Bulbasaur's response was clearly excited, and Lin Xia could distinctly sense its longing.

The little fellow lightly jumped into the area where the poisonous fog was thickest. The miraculous seed on its back opened and closed slightly as strands of multicolored poisonous fog were drawn by an invisible force, slowly gathering toward it and seeping inside.

What surprised Lin Xia even more was that Bulbasaur did not seem to be merely "absorbing" or "resisting" the poisonous fog. Rather... it was treating it as an energy source to "refine"!

The hazy purple aura coiling around the seed gradually became deeper and more condensed, its color shifting from light purple to dark purple, even blackish purple.

At the same time, Bulbasaur's skin seemed to become tougher. Beneath its blue-green hue was a faint, barely noticeable metallic gleam, especially along the edges of those dark green markings.

"As expected... it really is drawing poison to nourish itself!"

Lin Xia stared intently at Bulbasaur, his heart shaken.

Senior Yue Hongsheng's judgment had not been off by the slightest!

Lin Xia did not remain idle either. Since he was cultivating here, he sat down cross-legged and circulated his Soul Power, attempting to absorb the dense life essence in this place.

However, the life essence here had long been contaminated by deadly poison. The instant it entered his body, Lin Xia felt stabbing pain and numbness spreading along his meridians. He let out a muffled groan, and his expression changed slightly.

What tyrannical poison!

Lin Xia immediately stopped his reckless absorption attempt and simply maintained his close connection with Bulbasaur.

Just as he carefully adjusted himself, something wonderful happened.

As Bulbasaur continuously absorbed and refined the poisonous fog, transforming it into pure poison-attributed Soul Power—

Lin Xia felt a warm trickle feeding back through their martial soul connection!

Although this energy also carried a trace of poison's tyrannical chill, it had lost that destructive corrosiveness.

As it flowed into Lin Xia's body, it not only nourished his Soul Power, but also seemed to cause an extremely subtle change in his body. The discomfort from inhaling poisonous gas began to weaken, replaced by a strange sense of "adaptation."

At first, breathing the air still made his throat slightly itchy and sting, but after several days, the discomfort gradually disappeared. That once-pungent smell even faintly gave off a strange sweet fragrance that invigorated his mind.

When his skin came into contact with the fine poisonous powder drifting through the air, he felt only a brief numb tingling sensation, which quickly vanished without a trace.

Lin Xia cautiously tried guiding a wisp of aura released by a harmless poisonous herb toward his skin. To his surprise, the expected swelling and ulceration did not appear. There was only a slight burning sensation, like being scalded by warm water, and it vanished in an instant!

"I... I'm actually gaining poison resistance?"

Lin Xia could hardly believe it.

This was not Bulbasaur directly pouring energy into him as it did when feeding back life energy. It was more like his body was passively "adapting" to this highly toxic environment because of his martial soul's efficient refinement and their close symbiosis!

Just as the body would naturally improve its ability to carry oxygen after spending a long time in a low-oxygen environment.

This was another miracle brought about by symbiotic feedback!

Over the following days, man and beast settled down in the poisonous courtyard.

Bulbasaur became the center of a vortex of poisonous fog. The purple glow around its body grew ever denser and deeper. Sometimes, when its attack instinct was unleashed, pitch-black venom would seep from the tips of its vine whips. The droplets instantly corroded deep pits into the stone slabs with a sizzling sound, making the venom's potency plain to see.

Bulbasaur's control over its dual grass and poison attributes—especially the purity, intensity, and application of its poison—improved at a visible rate. Poison powder coverage, poisonous fog condensation, and venom spray all rapidly grew stronger. The poison talent it displayed even surpassed its grass talent.

Meanwhile, Lin Xia cultivated his Soul Power through the energy Bulbasaur filtered and converted while strengthening his own tolerance for poison in this extreme environment.

At first, he had to focus completely on resisting the stray toxins. Later, he could meditate almost as though he were in an ordinary environment. The only difference was that his Soul Power now contained a trace of poison's chill and corrosive properties, causing even his own Soul Power attacks to faintly carry an "undying" corrosive quality.

At the same time, the connection between Lin Xia and Bulbasaur became more seamless, and he grew increasingly adept at sensing and mobilizing the quietly growing poisonous energy within his body.

Under this nearly mad pace of cultivation, time flew by.

Who knew how many days had passed.

At a certain moment, Lin Xia and Bulbasaur, both in cultivation, almost simultaneously felt a sense of "saturation."

Bulbasaur seemed like it had drunk its fill. The seed on its back slowly closed, the poisonous fog swirling around it was completely drawn in, and the dense purple light around its body gradually withdrew, giving off a heavy, harmonious feeling.

The lake of Soul Power within Lin Xia's body had also filled to its current limit. Surging vitality mixed with resilient poison attributes, making his peak Level Ten Soul Power exceptionally solid and stable.

Lin Xia opened his eyes and slowly exhaled, his breath carrying a hint of fishy sweetness.

Lin Xia could feel that his body had been tempered anew. The toughness of his muscles and bones, as well as his adaptability to poison, far surpassed what they had been before.

Bulbasaur's current state was even more astonishing. Its deep purple sheen was like that of a high-quality gemstone, revealing an inner, dangerous power.

At that moment, the courtyard gate was gently pushed open, and Yue Hongsheng appeared as expected.

His sharp gaze immediately swept over Lin Xia and Bulbasaur, and an immensely satisfied smile appeared on his face.

"Good! What a natural culmination!"

Yue Hongsheng clapped his hands and laughed, his eyes filled with appreciation and anticipation, as if a priceless treasure stood before him.

"It seems the nourishment here has been absorbed to the limit of your current realm. Such a solid foundation is far beyond what an ordinary Level Ten soul master could compare with!"

"Xia, once you absorb a soul ring, you will surely rise several levels in succession!"

After speaking to Lin Xia, Yue Hongsheng walked over to Bulbasaur. His withered fingers lightly sensed the poison aura on its skin, which had almost condensed into substance, and he clicked his tongue in amazement.

"This poison aura is pure... good, truly good! It is more than twice as powerful as when you first arrived!"

Yue Hongsheng turned to Lin Xia and said solemnly:

"Xia, the time has come. Level Ten is the starting point of a mortal soul master's transformation, as well as the touchstone where a soul master's potential truly reveals itself."

"Your Bulbasaur's talent in the path of poison has been initially awakened, but its foundation still lies in the richness of plant life."

"The next first soul ring is of utmost importance! It will establish the main direction of your martial soul's future development!"

Lin Xia's heart tightened as he understood that the most crucial moment was about to arrive.

"Senior, do you have any good recommendations? Where should we go?"