Master of Pills and Artifacts-Lin Hao!

"Roar!"

That day, as Lin Hao absorbed the purple qi and cultivated his Purple Demon Eye, a low dragon's cry rang throughout the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.

Whoosh!

Dugu Bo appeared at once, staring excitedly at the wooden hut.

Seven days had passed since Dugu Yan absorbed the Earth Dragon Golden Melon, without a sound from her. If her life force hadn't grown steadily stronger, Dugu Bo would have feared something had happened to her.

Now that there was finally some movement, how could he not be excited?

Lin Hao ended his cultivation and walked over with Sea Horse Douluo, curious to see Dugu Yan emerge.

Her evolution had taken a full seven days. He was eager to see what Martial Soul she had gained.

Creak!

"Grandpa, I did it!"

As the door opened, Dugu Yan spotted Dugu Bo and cried out in excitement.

She activated Martial Soul Possession in an instant.

Her Jade Phosphorous Serpent Martial Soul had changed completely, becoming a dragon-type Martial Soul with a deep yellow body.

It had grown no wings, but it radiated the solid weight of the earth.

"Wonderful! Wonderful!"

Dugu Bo gazed at the utterly transformed Dugu Yan, his eyes growing moist despite having always killed without batting an eye.

"Dugu Yan has evolved a new Martial Soul. We should give it a name first," Lin Hao suggested with a smile as he watched grandfather and granddaughter embrace.

"Yes, yes! We certainly should!"

"Lin Hao, why don't you name it for me?" Dugu Yan's lovely eyes turned toward him expectantly.

Lin Hao paused, but did not refuse.

"This Martial Soul evolved from the Jade Phosphorous Serpent and gained the Earth Dragon Golden Melon's Earth Dragon Flip ability. How about calling it the Earth Rockscale Dragon?"

"Good. Earth Rockscale Dragon it is."

Dugu Yan nodded happily.

After her Martial Soul Evolution, not only had her cultivation reached rank thirty-eight, but her first three Soul Skills had also changed.

Her original Soul Skills were Jade Phosphor Red Poison, Jade Phosphorous Blue Poison, and Jade Phosphor Purple Poison. All three used toxins to strengthen allies or control enemies.

Now, her three Soul Skills were Rockscale Dragon Claw, Rockscale Protection, and Earth Dragon Flip.

One attack, one defense, and one control skill made for a fairly well-rounded set.

After packing up the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, Lin Hao left the two Dragon Kings beneath it alone for now. He was still too weak; when facing their lingering souls, no amount of caution was excessive.

Once he had grown stronger, he would return with the real Sea God Trident and the Asura Demon Sword—two Super Divine Artifacts—and scatter their remains.

The group left the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well and returned to Heaven Dou City.

"Dugu Bo, how much do you know about the Ye Family?"

"Who? The Ye Family of the Nine Heart Begonia?" Dugu Bo asked after a moment's surprise.

When Lin Hao nodded, he explained, "The Nine Heart Begonia line seems to be cursed. Only two people in each generation can inherit its Martial Soul, so their numbers have always been few. In this generation, there are only Ye Xinglan and Ye Lingling."

"Otherwise, the title of the world's greatest support-type sect would not have fallen so easily to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect."

The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's attribute boosts were formidable and could even ignore differences in rank.

But it had one fatal weakness: its members could not advance beyond seven rings.

The Nine Heart Begonia had no such limitation. Ye Xinglan was already an Eight-Ring Soul Douluo, and a healing-type one at that. She deserved to be called the continent's foremost healing-type Soul Master.

No one knew how many connections the Nine Heart Begonia line had cultivated.

Otherwise, Ye Lingling would never have become such a prize in the eyes of so many talented young men.

Between Dugu Bo's account and what he already knew, Lin Hao now had a clear picture of the Ye Family.

Lin Hao intended to win over the Ye Family, but not because he had taken a fancy to Ye Lingling or Ye Xinglan.

What he wanted was the network the family had built over the years.

Lin Hao knew how to refine artifacts, but he also knew how to refine pills.

Though Tang San had never studied the Mystic Water Pill, the Soul Ascension Pill, or the other pills that appeared later, his God King-level understanding had let him grasp most of their principles at a glance.

With the Tang Sect's teachings as well, Lin Hao was confident he could make them.

What he lacked was a large supply of medicinal ingredients—not the rare herbs from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, but ordinary ones.

For that, he needed someone well connected in the medicinal trade to help him buy them.

Lin Hao had his eye on Ye Xinglan.

Dugu Bo and Yang Wudi were possibilities too, but one worked alone and the other had a foul temper. Neither had nearly as many connections as Ye Xinglan.

Once he had made up his mind, Lin Hao immediately took Sea Horse Douluo to call on her.

Dugu Bo and Dugu Yan came along as well.

The excuse was that Dugu Yan wanted to visit her close friend Ye Lingling.

"Your Excellency, Jade Phosphorous, I apologize for not coming out to welcome you," Ye Xinglan said, surprised that Dugu Bo had come to the Ye Family.

"Patriarch Ye, I'm only accompanying Young Master Lin Hao today. He's the one who has business with you."

Ye Xinglan was startled. Someone had won Dugu Bo's allegiance? That would send shockwaves through the Soul Master World.

She turned to Lin Hao, and her heart tightened again: she could not see through him.

The pressure radiating from Sea Horse Douluo beside him made her heart skip a beat. Another Titled Douluo.

With two Titled Douluo accompanying him, this young man was no ordinary person.

"Patriarch Ye, I'm Lin Hao. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"The pleasure is mine!"

Everyone took their seats, but before the conversation could begin, Ye Lingling heard the commotion and came out. She paused at the sight of the visitors. Then she noticed Lin Hao and cried out in surprise.

"It's you, Lin Hao!"

"We meet again, Miss Lingling!"

"Lingling, you know young friend Lin Hao?" Ye Xinglan was surprised. When had her daughter met someone so important?

Ye Lingling promptly told her how Lin Hao had saved her.

"So it was you who saved Lingling. You have my deepest thanks, young friend Lin Hao."

Ye Xinglan had not expected the two of them to share such a connection. A glint passed through her eyes as she thanked Lin Hao.

"It was nothing. Besides, Miss Lingling already rewarded me!" Lin Hao waved a hand, unconcerned.

Seated nearby, Dugu Yan watched Ye Lingling with a new gleam in her eyes.

With Ye Lingling there, the atmosphere grew warmer, largely because Ye Xinglan was making an effort to be friendly.

"Patriarch Ye, I came today to propose a business deal with the Ye Family."

After a few more words, Lin Hao turned to Ye Xinglan and got to the point.

"What sort of business did you have in mind, young friend Lin Hao? If it's within the Ye Family's power, I'll do my best to help."

"I'd like to use the Ye Family's trade channels to purchase large quantities of several medicinal ingredients for me."

Lin Hao handed Ye Xinglan a list of ingredients he had prepared.

Ye Xinglan glanced at it, then looked up at him in shock. "These ingredients are all extremely precious. What do you intend to use them for, young friend Lin Hao?"

"To refine pills!"