Three-Colored Buddha's Fury Fire Lotus, a Titled Douluo in a Sorry State

Four months passed in the blink of an eye.

In the valley of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, the red and white springs remained sharply divided, continuously giving off two utterly opposing auras of extreme cold and extreme heat.

Compared with four months earlier, however, the soul power fluctuations rippling around the figure standing where the two springs met had grown many times more substantial.

Ye Han slowly opened his eyes and let out a long breath of stale air. It faintly separated into red and white wisps, dispersing into the air on the wind.

After four months of dedicated cultivation, coupled with fully absorbing the medicinal power of the immortal herbs remaining in his body, his soul power cultivation had firmly reached the threshold of rank fifty.

Moreover, Ye Han knew that his accumulated soul power went far beyond merely scraping past rank fifty.

A powerful premonition rose in his heart: once he obtained his fifth Soul Ring, his soul power would not rise by just a single rank. It would most likely make a considerable leap.

At a thought, red light flashed beside him, and a figure quietly appeared.

It was no longer the rather slender juvenile Fire Qilin of before, but a truly adult qilin.

Over three meters tall, he had a lionlike build covered in crimson scales, a flaming mane billowing along his back, a dark crimson horn jutting from his head, and a tail like a fire dragon.

Flames swirled endlessly beneath his hooves, his molten-gold eyes blazed, and waves of heat rolled around him as his true origin fire slowly flowed beneath his scales.

Two months earlier, the moment Ye Han's soul power broke through to rank fifty, the Fire Qilin had advanced into his adult form.

Whoosh!

Just then.

A dark green figure passed through the poisonous mist between the mountains and landed in the valley.

It was Dugu Bo.

He had come to check Ye Han's cultivation progress as usual, but as his gaze swept over the ice and fire springs, he caught sight of the towering crimson figure beside Ye Han and froze on the spot.

“Th-this is...” Dugu Bo even began to stammer. “Ye Han, your beast martial soul... evolved?”

Before Ye Han could answer, his eyes flew wide, and he exclaimed, “You brat... don't tell me your cultivation has already broken through to rank fifty?”

"You have a sharp eye, Senior."

Ye Han smiled. “I broke through two months ago. I'm now a rank-fifty Quasi-Soul King.”

He paused briefly, then offered the explanation he had prepared long ago. “As you can see, Senior, my beast martial soul has evolved into its Complete Form. It's been absorbing power near the Scorching Yang Spring all this time. With the continual nourishment of the Yang Spring's origin aura, its bloodline—or rather, its martial soul origin—was greatly strengthened. The moment my soul power broke through the rank-fifty bottleneck, it completed this evolution as well.”

After listening, Dugu Bo studied Ye Han carefully, his tone easing slightly. “Judging by your condition, you must have broken through some time ago. Your soul power is steady, without the instability of someone who just advanced.”

“That's right.” Ye Han nodded. “I broke through two months ago.”

Dugu Bo could not help marveling. "Your cultivation speed... truly makes a man envious."

The two exchanged a few more pleasantries.

Then,

Ye Han suddenly looked up at Dugu Bo. “Senior, sorry for the trouble, but could you help me test just how strong the Fire Qilin and I have become?”

"You brat... you want to spar with me?"

Dugu Bo gave a carefree laugh. "I'm a Titled Douluo! Even with your breakthrough, you're only a rank-fifty Quasi-Soul King. You haven't even obtained your fifth Soul Ring!"

Ye Han smiled faintly, his tone calm. “I only want to test our combat strength. Please indulge me, Senior.”

Dugu Bo studied Ye Han for a moment. Seeing that he was serious rather than joking, he hesitated no longer.

"Very well. Since you want to give it a try, I'll exchange a few moves with you."

The two immediately left the valley of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.

At Ye Han's mental command, the Fire Qilin gave a low roar. An inexplicable buoyant force lifted its body, and it naturally rose into the air.

Ye Han leaped up and landed firmly on the Fire Qilin's back.

The Fire Qilin immediately soared into the sky with Ye Han aboard, following Dugu Bo into the distance.

The shock waves from their clash would be immensely powerful. Neither could afford the destruction a battle inside the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well would cause, so they needed somewhere sufficiently open and far from the valley.

After roughly a quarter of an hour's flight, Dugu Bo stopped above a barren valley.

The Fire Qilin slowly descended, and Ye Han surveyed their surroundings.

The terrain was open, surrounded by bare rock walls, with sparse vegetation and scarcely any signs of human activity.

It was perfect for a battlefield.

Roar!

The Fire Qilin burned with fighting spirit, flames surging around it as waves of heat rolled outward.

Even from dozens of meters away, Dugu Bo could clearly feel the heat washing over his face. A scorching aura filled the air, and even the rocks beneath his feet grew slightly hot.

Dugu Bo, who had originally intended to give Ye Han an easygoing assessment, suddenly narrowed his eyes. The casual expression vanished from his face, and his Jade Green Snake Eyes filled with gravity.

He actually sensed a threat from the Fire Qilin before him.

As a Titled Douluo, he was sensing a threat from the external beast martial soul of a rank-fifty Quasi-Soul King.

By all common sense, this should have been impossible.

Dugu Bo's expression turned utterly serious.

He held nothing back. Soul power surged thunderously around him, and nine Soul Rings appeared beneath his feet in succession: two yellow, two purple, and five black.

"Martial Soul Possession!"

With that low shout, Dugu Bo's body began to transform.

Dark green scales grew out through his skin, his legs fused into a thick serpent's tail, and his Jade Green Snake Eyes locked onto the Fire Qilin.

The instant his Martial Soul Possession was complete, Dugu Bo struck first.

With a powerful flick of his tail, he shot straight at the Fire Qilin like a bolt of lightning.

His thick serpent's tail tore through the air and lashed viciously at the Fire Qilin's body.

"Roar!"

Not to be outdone, the Fire Qilin clenched his right fist. White flames coiled around it as he punched to meet the blow.

Qilin Fist!

Bang!

The serpent's tail collided violently with the Qilin Fist. A deafening thud exploded through the valley, and violent waves of air swept in every direction, whipping dust into the sky.

To Dugu Bo's astonishment, although his all-out blow forced the Fire Qilin back several steps, plowing two deep furrows through the ground, it failed to overwhelm him outright.

Instead, a distinct burning pain shot through Dugu Bo's tail, despite its covering of tough scales.

The flames controlled by the Fire Qilin could actually penetrate his protective soul power and injure his body?

What kind of fire was this?

Before he could think it through, the Fire Qilin steadied himself and lunged again. His white-flame-wreathed Qilin Claw sliced through the air, aiming straight for Dugu Bo's face.

"Impressive, brat!"

Dugu Bo shouted, whipping his tail around to shift sideways and evade the strike. At the same time, he thrust out his right hand, his five fingers turning into dark green talons as he swung back toward the Fire Qilin's neck.

Clang, clang, clang...

His talons scraped against the scales, producing a piercing clash of metal.

When his strike failed, Dugu Bo lashed out with his tail again, faster this time and at an even trickier angle.

The Fire Qilin neither dodged nor retreated. His chest swelled, and he opened his mouth to unleash a thick pillar of white fire—

Flamethrower!

The pillar of fire collided with the serpent's tail once more.

This time, Dugu Bo distinctly felt the burning pain in his tail intensify. With a muffled grunt, he used the force of the collision to spring backward, putting distance between himself and the Fire Qilin.

After just a few brief exchanges, every trace of disdain had vanished from his heart.

With multiple enhancements reinforcing him, the Fire Qilin's combat strength had reached an outrageous level, far beyond what an ordinary Quasi-Soul King should possess.

Those blazing white flames in particular were terrifyingly hot, capable of burning through even his protective soul power.

Dugu Bo drew a deep breath, looked at Ye Han, and said gravely:

"Ye Han, next... I'll be using my poison techniques."

He paused, his tone solemn. "If you can't endure it, speak up immediately. I'll stop at once."

After the Earth Dragon Golden Melon had transformed his body, his close-combat ability had improved somewhat. But poison remained his greatest specialty and the central trump card of his combat strength.

Yet upon hearing Dugu Bo's words, Ye Han, standing off to the side, curled his lips into a slightly peculiar smile.

Ye Han nodded lightly. "Go ahead, Senior."

Seventh Soul Skill, Martial Soul Avatar!

Dark green light shot into the sky. Within its radiance, Dugu Bo's body rapidly expanded, transforming into a Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor over thirty meters long.

His enormous serpent body coiled within the valley, his Jade Green Snake Eyes fixed on the Fire Qilin.

"Watch out, brat!"

Dugu Bo gave a low roar. The Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor's enormous jaws opened wide, spewing a cloud of dark green poisonous mist that swept toward the Fire Qilin.

But faced with this deadly poison, enough to make most Soul Masters pale at its mere mention, the Fire Qilin stood his ground.

The white flames around him instantly turned cyan. The moment the dark green poisonous mist touched them, it melted and evaporated like snow beneath a blazing sun, unable to get anywhere near him.

Dugu Bo's serpentine pupils abruptly contracted.

"Buddha's Fury Fire Lotus!"

Just then, Ye Han had somehow already drawn close. Two masses of flame enveloped his hands, one cyan and one red, and instantly fused together.

Boom!

An exquisitely beautiful lotus of flame shot skyward and exploded directly in front of Dugu Bo!

"This is..."

Dugu Bo's eyes widened.

In the next instant, he unleashed the power of a Titled Douluo without hesitation, even placing his martial soul across his body as a shield.

Ye Han's attack made him feel that his life was in danger!

If he did not use his full strength, he would die!

Boom!

After the explosion came a heavy thud.

Dugu Bo was hurled hundreds of meters away and fell into a patch of grass, remaining motionless for a long time.

"Shit, did I overdo it and kill him?"

Ye Han was deeply uneasy as well.

He had only wanted to test the power of the Three-Colored Buddha's Fury Fire Lotus on a whim.

He had certainly tested its power, but he desperately hoped he had not killed Dugu Bo.

Otherwise, he would truly have no face to return and see Dugu Yan!

"Cough, cough, cough..." Fortunately, a bout of coughing finally came from the grass. Ye Han looked up to see Dugu Bo climbing off the ground, his face charred black, his clothes in tatters, and his aura weak. He could not have looked more bedraggled!

At the sight, Ye Han could not help breathing a sigh of relief.

Thank goodness, thank goodness. He wasn't dead!