Super Martial Soul: Divine Black Jade Bamboo Flute

Lu Xuan did not hesitate. He took the Divine Black Jade Bamboo Shoot and swallowed it whole. Then he sat cross-legged on the ground beside the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, closed his eyes, and circulated his inner cultivation technique, devoting himself to absorbing the shoot's immense medicinal power.

Ye Renxin watched his disciple settle into meditation to refine the medicine, without a trace of worry.

He turned his attention back to the rare plants and herbs covering the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well and began searching carefully for an Immortal Herb that suited him—one that could break the curse on the Nine Heart Begonia bloodline.

If an Immortal Herb could break the shackles of fate at their source, why take the perilous route of feigning death and forcibly degrading their martial soul?

Seeing how calm Ye Renxin remained while Lu Xuan refined the Immortal Herb, Dugu Bo's lingering concerns faded.

If the boy's own master was not worried, he had even less reason to be.

He hurried to Ye Renxin's side. What Ye Renxin had said earlier had left him with countless questions.

Now, standing in the herb garden he had guarded for years but barely understood, he could not contain his curiosity. He kept asking Ye Renxin about the properties, effects, and identifying features of the various Immortal Herbs.

Ye Renxin had practiced medicine all his life and had always enjoyed teaching others. Seeing Dugu Bo so eager to learn, he held nothing back and began explaining the medicinal plants in this treasured place.

"To be honest, my knowledge of Immortal Herbs is far from exhaustive." Ye Renxin studied the rare plants around them as he spoke. "But I am certain of one thing: in the hands of someone suited to it, every Immortal Herb is a chance to defy fate."

"Each one has its own rules for harvesting and consumption, though. Make a mistake in the process, and you may suffer more harm than good."

As he spoke, Ye Renxin's gaze fell on a Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower. He quietly made a note of it.

The Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower was a perfect match for his son-in-law Zhao Yan's Phoenix Crying Spear martial soul.

If Zhao Yan consumed it, his martial soul's foundation would be greatly nourished, and his cultivation could rise straight to the Soul Douluo realm! Reaching Titled Douluo within ten years would not be an empty dream, either.

"The Immortal Herbs I mentioned earlier work on the same principle, and many of the other plants here do too." Ye Renxin swept his gaze over the herbs around them and said sincerely, "Brother Dugu, it now seems quite possible to completely cure the martial soul curse that has plagued the Dugu family for generations."

For all his easy talk, Ye Renxin remained cautious. He never mentioned which Immortal Herb would suit Dugu Yan best.

This was a treasure trove the likes of which one might encounter only once in a thousand years, but his life and Lu Xuan's were both in Dugu Bo's hands.

He knew how to cure Dugu Bo's family of the mortal danger brought by their martial souls, and he also wanted to seize this chance to secure a great opportunity for his own family.

But if he laid all his cards on the table and lost his value, who could say Dugu Bo would not turn on him then and there?

Ye Renxin walked on slowly, scanning the surroundings for an Immortal Herb that could drive the evolution of the Nine Heart Begonia martial soul.

After examining the nearby plants one by one, he found that only the Aromatic Silk Beauty seemed to offer much hope.

And it was only hope. Success was far from guaranteed.

It was not that the herb lacked potency. He and Ye Qingxian had already passed the best age for transformation through cultivation. Their bodies' foundations were set, and even an Immortal Herb would struggle to undo the constraints imposed by time.

The herb could increase their strength and might even help them break through the barrier to Titled Douluo, but that was still a long way from Martial Soul Evolution.

If his granddaughter Ye Lingling consumed the Aromatic Silk Beauty instead, she might have a chance to evolve her martial soul. But under the ironclad rules governing the Nine Heart Begonia's inheritance, either he or his daughter Ye Qingxian had to die before Ye Lingling could awaken it.

An opportunity to refine their martial soul lay before them, yet fate's deadly shackles barred the way. Each problem trapped them in the other, creating a deadlock with no apparent solution.

Ye Renxin looked over the Immortal Herbs and poisonous plants around him, turning the problem over and over in his mind.

After hearing Ye Renxin out, Dugu Bo stood rooted to the spot, shaken. He could only marvel bitterly at how he had guarded a treasure trove and come away empty-handed. He had known nothing of the wondrous effects of so many Immortal Herbs growing in this extraordinary place.

Countless priceless opportunities had been right under his nose, yet all these years he had used only some of its poisonous plants to make medicine.

A moment later, overwhelming joy swept through him.

The martial soul affliction that had plagued the Dugu family for generations, the poison that had tormented him for half his life, and the burden weighing on his son all finally had a glimmer of a solution.

At last, there was a chance to completely cure the afflictions suffered by all three members of his family!

Dugu Bo had not even considered the worries Ye Renxin kept to himself.

As he saw it, Ye Renxin's family numbered only a handful of people. How many Immortal Herbs could they possibly use?

If Ye Renxin could truly rid all three members of his family of the dangers and inherited shackles of their martial souls, Dugu Bo would gladly hand over the entire Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.

If it bought his family a future and saved their lives, he could part with this treasured place.

Time passed. Once the spiritual energy in his body had fully settled, Lu Xuan finally finished refining and absorbing the Divine Black Jade Bamboo Shoot's immense medicinal power.

His eyes snapped open, a clear gleam flashing within them. His Soul Power felt steady and abundant, utterly different from before.

Unable to contain his delight, Lu Xuan looked up at Ye Renxin and Dugu Bo and called out, "Master! Senior Dugu! I've reached level twenty!"

"Heh, I expected as much." Ye Renxin smiled. "And that's before you've obtained your second soul ring. Once you absorb it, your Soul Power will rise well beyond the level-twenty threshold. Lu Xuan, show us your martial soul."

"Yes, Master!"

Without hesitation, Lu Xuan summoned his Jade Flute martial soul into his palm.

The elegant jade flute, once a gentle shade of green, was now black as ink, its color deep and rich. More than its appearance had changed. An indescribably mysterious sheen flowed faintly across it, and its aura far surpassed what it had been before.

Before its evolution, the Jade Flute had been a top-tier weapon martial soul on par with the Clear Sky Hammer. Now, the evolved Divine Black Jade Bamboo Flute had risen to the ranks of super martial souls alongside the Heaven-Piercing Spear.

"Master, my first soul skill has grown stronger too!"