Earth Dragon Golden Melon, Venomous Snake Transforms into a Flood Dragon?

After hearing this, Dugu Bo felt as if he had been enlightened. He carefully considered Ning Chen's words.

Force the poison into a spirit bone? Right! Why had I never thought of that?

The poison caused backlash because the body could not withstand the ever-growing toxicity.

But if there were a container capable of storing that poison, wouldn't the problem be solved?

And spirit bones were the best containers! External Soul Bones, especially, could grow alongside a soul master and could fully contain the steadily increasing poison.

The more Dugu Bo thought about it, the more flawless the theory seemed.

The way he looked at Ning Chen had changed from shock to utter admiration.

How was this kid's brain even wired? I spent my whole life failing to understand this, yet he had exposed the answer in just a few words.

He was simply a monster!

However, Dugu Bo soon realized one fatal flaw in the method.

"Kid, your method truly is ingenious. This old man admires you," Dugu Bo said with a sigh.

"But External Soul Bones are things one can only hope to encounter by chance, much less one with compatible attributes."

"I've lived to this age and only seen a few. Finding a suitable External Soul Bone for Yan Yan in such a short time would be harder than climbing to the heavens."

Ning Chen nodded in agreement after hearing Dugu Bo's words.

Of course, he knew External Soul Bones were extraordinarily difficult to find. Tang San obtaining the Eight-Spider Lance had been nothing but protagonist luck.

But he had proposed this method only to demonstrate his abilities and completely awe Dugu Bo into submission.

"You are right, Senior. External Soul Bones are indeed difficult to find, which is why I prepared a second method."

As Ning Chen spoke, he extended the Earth Dragon Golden Melon in his hand.

"This second method is to consume this item in my hand."

Dugu Bo stared at the golden melon, his face full of confusion.

"Eating this melon can cure the poison?"

Ning Chen smiled confidently, then spoke one word at a time.

"Not only can it cure the poison, it can also cause Dugu Yan's Martial Soul to mutate. I call this second method Venomous Snake Transforms into a Flood Dragon!"

"Venomous Snake Transforms into a Flood Dragon?!"

Dugu Bo's face filled with shock when he heard those four words.

He excitedly seized Ning Chen's wrist with astonishing strength, his voice trembling as he said, "Kid, are you saying... that if Yan Yan consumes this, her Jade Phosphorous Serpent Martial Soul will evolve into a flood dragon with dragon bloodline?"

Dugu Bo's heart had gone completely wild.

Martial Soul Evolution! That was something from legend. The Jade Phosphorous Serpent was a high-grade Martial Soul, but it was still ultimately a serpent.

If it could evolve into a flood dragon, even if it merely gained a trace of dragon bloodline, that would be a qualitative leap!

If Yan Yan's Martial Soul truly evolved into a flood dragon, her future achievements would be limitless. A Titled Douluo would never be her endpoint. This was practically ascending to the heavens in a single step!

But how could that be possible? With just a lousy melon?

Feeling the force gripping his wrist, Ning Chen frowned slightly.

Then, with a little effort, he freed himself from Dugu Bo's grasp and steadied the Earth Dragon Golden Melon.

"Senior, don't get excited yet," Ning Chen said calmly.

"This is called the Earth Dragon Golden Melon. It is no ordinary fruit, but a top-grade Immortal Herb nurtured in the extreme environment around this spring."

"More importantly, it contains an incomparably pure power of earth dragon bloodline."

"As long as Dugu Yan consumes it, the Earth Dragon Golden Melon's medicinal power will forcibly transform both her Martial Soul and body."

"Once the Jade Phosphorous Serpent absorbs the earth dragon bloodline, it will evolve toward the flood dragon path. If the evolution succeeds, the quality of her Martial Soul will undergo a heaven-shaking transformation."

"By then, the backlash from mere Jade Phosphor Snake Poison would be nothing to a flood dragon with dragon bloodline. It would naturally be cured without medicine."

Ning Chen paused here, looking elsewhere as a thought crossed his mind.

Actually, when he first saw the Earth Dragon Golden Melon, Ning Chen had wanted to keep it for himself.

After all, his second Martial Soul was the Thunder Prison Heaven-Slaying Dragon.

But after thinking it over carefully, he gave up on that idea.

His Thunder Prison Heaven-Slaying Dragon was an extremely violent true dragon of the lightning attribute.

Meanwhile, the Earth Dragon Golden Melon contained the bloodline of an earth-attributed earth dragon.

If he forcibly absorbed it, not only would it do little to improve his second Martial Soul, it might even make his bloodline impure.

Since it was of little use to him, he might as well use it as a favor and completely win over Dugu Bo and his granddaughter. This was a guaranteed profit with no loss.

After hearing Ning Chen's explanation, Dugu Bo paced back and forth in excitement.

He kept rubbing his hands together, muttering under his breath.

"So that's how it is, so that's how it is! Use a higher bloodline to suppress lower poison and fundamentally solve the Martial Soul's flaw. Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!"

Dugu Bo abruptly stopped and looked at Ning Chen, his eyes full of gratitude.

"Kid, I'm completely convinced by you today! Just how much knowledge is packed inside that head of yours?" Dugu Bo said excitedly.

Ning Chen smiled and reminded him, "Senior, don't celebrate too soon. As I said, while this method is good, the process will be extremely difficult."

"The Earth Dragon Golden Melon's medicinal power is incredibly overbearing. The pain of forcibly transforming the Martial Soul and flesh is something ordinary people simply cannot endure."

"If Dugu Yan's will is not firm enough and she faints from the pain during the absorption process, not only will her Martial Soul fail to evolve, she may even explode and die."

Dugu Bo's expression instantly froze upon hearing that.

Explode and die? The risk was far too great.

"This..."

Dugu Bo hesitated for several seconds, then turned to look at Dugu Yan, who was sitting on a rock in the distance.

When they had arrived, Dugu Bo had feared that the extreme aura surrounding the Ice Fire Yin Yang Eyes would harm his granddaughter, so he had placed her on a large rock some distance away.

Seeing Dugu Bo hesitate, Ning Chen said, "Senior Dugu, which method will you choose? Will you search for an elusive External Soul Bone, or let Dugu Yan take a chance on the Earth Dragon Golden Melon?"

Dugu Bo sighed and shook his head.

"This concerns Yan Yan's life and future. This old man cannot decide for her. I should ask Yan Yan what she thinks."

"I truly worry that she will not be able to endure the pain of the second method. She has been pampered since childhood and has never suffered much."

With that, Dugu Bo took the Earth Dragon Golden Melon and turned toward Dugu Yan.

Dugu Yan sat on the rock, boredly swinging her uninjured leg.

The moment she saw her grandfather approaching, she immediately pouted and began acting spoiled.

"Grandpa! What were you and Ning Chen talking about down there? You ignored Yan Yan for so long. Did you two forget all about me?" Dugu Yan complained unhappily.

Dugu Bo walked before his granddaughter and reached out to stroke her head, his eyes filled with affection and guilt.

"Yan Yan, don't be angry. Grandpa did not forget you. Grandpa was discussing a way to solve your Martial Soul Backlash with Ning Chen."

Dugu Yan froze for a moment, her face full of confusion.

"Martial Soul Backlash? What is that? Do I have some kind of backlash?" Dugu Yan asked, blinking her large eyes.

Dugu Bo looked at his granddaughter's innocent gaze, and his heart ached.

He knew it was time to tell Yan Yan this cruel secret...