Breakthrough to Titled Douluo?

"You... what did you say?"

Lingyuan's voice trembled, filled with disbelief.

"Break through... to Titled Douluo? How... how could that be possible?!"

Titled Douluo!

That was the ultimate dream of every soul master!

They stood at the very pinnacle of the continent!

How difficult was it to reach that realm?

Talent, resources, effort, opportunity—none could be lacking!

Across the entire Douluo Continent, there were countless millions of soul masters, but how many Titled Douluo were there?

Lingyuan's talent was undeniably outstanding. With Spirit Hall's immense resources backing her, she had cultivated to level eighty-nine as a Soul Douluo.

That achievement alone was enough to make ninety-nine percent of the continent's soul masters look up to her.

But only she herself knew that the gap between level eighty-nine and level ninety, though seemingly just one level, was like an uncrossable chasm standing firmly before her.

It had been three whole years!

She had been trapped at the level eighty-nine bottleneck for three whole years!

Over those three years, she had tried every possible method: secluded cultivation, life-and-death trials...

Yet her soul power seemed to have been locked in place, without the slightest progress.

That despair of trying no matter how hard she worked and seeing no hope nearly drove her mad.

She had even begun to resign herself to it.

Perhaps this was as far as she would ever go in this life.

Though Soul Douluo could be considered powerful figures in their own right, compared to true Titled Douluo, they were worlds apart.

Without a title, one remained an ant!

This was an eternal truth in the world of soul masters.

But now, Ning Chen, this brat, was telling her that this lousy flower that looked like a cockscomb could help her break through to the realm of Titled Douluo?

This was simply... even more absurd than a fairy tale!

Lingyuan's heart was in turmoil.

Reason told her that this was impossible.

Yet deep within her heart, a sliver of hope she herself scarcely dared believe in rose uncontrollably.

What if?

What if this brat was telling the truth?

She looked at Ning Chen—at his handsome, sincere face and those clear, confident eyes.

The more she thought about it, the more violently her heart began to waver.

"Ning Chen... you... you aren't joking with your sister, are you?"

Lingyuan swallowed with difficulty and asked in a dry voice.

She was afraid—afraid this was merely another one of Ning Chen's pranks.

He would give her hope, only to shatter it with his own hands.

That feeling would be crueler than despairing from the very beginning.

Ning Chen sighed softly as he watched the complicated expression on her face, full of both anticipation and fear.

For a soul master trapped at a bottleneck for years, the temptation of a breakthrough was fatal.

The smile faded from his face, replaced by an unprecedented seriousness.

"Sister Lingyuan."

He reached out and gently took Lingyuan's trembling hand.

"Look into my eyes."

"When have I, Ning Chen, ever lied to you?"

Ning Chen's voice carried an irresistible conviction.

Lingyuan was forced to lift her head and meet Ning Chen's deep gaze.

There was not the slightest hint of jest or mockery in those eyes, only openness and sincerity.

That was right...

Though this brat usually loved making shameless, overly familiar jokes with her, he had never disappointed her when it truly mattered.

Ever since childhood, he had always seemed able to create one miracle after another.

At six, he awakened Twin Martial Souls and was accepted as the Pope's personal disciple.

At fourteen, he had already become a Soul Ancestor, and his soul ring configuration was utterly astonishing.

Now, he had even reached the terrifying level of forty-nine, just one step away from becoming a Soul King.

His cultivation speed, combat talent, and intelligence... all far surpassed those of his peers. Even many long-renowned old monsters were ashamed by comparison.

This younger brother of hers had never been someone who could be judged by common sense.

Perhaps... he truly had a way?

The fire in Lingyuan's heart was completely ignited at that moment, burning ever brighter.

Her breathing began to quicken.

Her chest also rose and fell violently, and her proud curves made even Ning Chen unable to resist stealing a few extra glances.

"Ning Chen... this... this thing... really... really can?"

She still could not quite believe it, and her trembling voice grew even more unsteady.

Seeing how excited she was, Ning Chen knew the time was ripe.

He nodded and said in an unquestionable tone:

"Sister Lingyuan, you have to trust me."

"This Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower is absolutely your best opportunity for a breakthrough!"

"Its medicinal power is extremely fierce. The absorption process may be somewhat painful, but as long as you endure it, I guarantee that, barring any mishaps, the soul power in your body will undergo a qualitative transformation and break through the shackles of level ninety in one stroke!"

Ning Chen's words completely shattered all of Lingyuan's doubts.

She looked at the Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower in her hand as though she were looking at an unparalleled treasure, her eyes filled with fervor and excitement.

The nightmare that had plagued her for three whole years... would finally be broken today?

Was she about to become a true Titled Douluo?

At that thought, Lingyuan felt as though she were living in a dream. Everything seemed so unreal.

She abruptly raised her head, tears already filling her beautiful phoenix eyes.

"Ning Chen..."

Her lips moved as she wanted to say something, only to realize she could not utter a single word.

A thousand words eventually became just two.

"Thank you..."

She used all the strength in her body to say those words, and they were filled with boundless gratitude.

If what Ning Chen said was true, then the value of this gift could no longer be measured by anything.

This was not merely an Immortal Herb—it was the fate of the rest of her life!

It was a debt of gratitude as vast as heaven!

Seeing that she was on the verge of tears, Ning Chen felt a wave of emotion as well.

He released Lingyuan's hand, smiled, and patted her shoulder reassuringly.

"Oh, Sister Lingyuan, why are you crying?"

"We're brother and sister. Do we need to say such formal things?"

"If you really want to thank me, hurry up and absorb that Immortal Herb. Break through to Titled Douluo soon, so you can protect me in the future."

Ning Chen used a relaxed tone to dispel the somewhat heavy atmosphere.

"Mm!"

Lingyuan nodded firmly. She wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes with the back of her hand, and a radiant smile bloomed on her face once more.

It was a smile from the bottom of her heart, full of hope and joy—hundreds of times more moving than any of her previous seductive smiles.

"Alright, alright! Your sister believes you!"

She tightly cradled the Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower in her palms as though it were the most precious treasure in the world.

"I... I'm going back to absorb it right now!"

She was already unable to wait.

Every additional second of waiting was torment to her.

"Go on." Ning Chen nodded with a smile.

"Remember, when you absorb it, you must keep your mind completely focused and guide its medicinal power with everything you have to strike at the bottleneck. No matter how painful the process is, you must hold on!"

"I understand!"

Lingyuan answered solemnly.

She looked deeply at Ning Chen, her gaze containing far too many emotions.

Without saying anything else, she turned and prepared to leave.

However, after taking only two steps, she suddenly stopped again.

She turned around and looked at Ning Chen. The charming face that had just been streaked with tears revealed another seductive smile.

She blinked her captivating phoenix eyes at Ning Chen, her red lips parting as she asked softly in a tempting tone:

"Brat, your sister is about to enter seclusion."

"Before I go, let me ask you one last time..."

"Do you really... not want to touch them?"

As she spoke, she deliberately thrust out her proud chest.

"They feel... really nice, you know."

Under the moonlight, her alluring figure, paired with that bewitching expression and those tempting words, made her seem like a demoness capable of stealing a person's very soul.

Watching her like that, Ning Chen felt his nose grow hot and nearly got a nosebleed on the spot.

This demoness!

She was going to kill him!

He swallowed with difficulty, forcibly tore his gaze away from her magnificent chest, coughed twice, and said with feigned composure:

"Cough, cough... Th-then... maybe after you break through..."