"How amazing! I feel like my Soul Power increased out of nowhere by as much as I'd gain in a day of cultivation," Dugu Yan exclaimed.
She was now over level 40, so each bottle added very little Soul Power, but even so, the effect was quite noticeable.
"Little Monster, don't tell me this is how you gained your levels." Dugu Bo felt his entire worldview being reshaped. He had lived more than half his life, yet this was the first time he had heard of such a way to level up.
"That's right. As long as we find a way to deal with the deadly poison in your bodies, Old Poison, even piling you straight up to level 99 won't be a problem."
"What poison?" Dugu Yan looked at Li Chen in confusion.
He said nothing, turning his gaze toward Dugu Bo.
The latter fell silent for a moment, a rare trace of complicated emotion appearing on his dark green face.
After a long while, Dugu Bo sighed, his voice sinking low. "Yanyan, Grandpa has never told you this, but although our Dugu Family's Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor Martial Soul has potent poison, that poison is a double-edged sword. The further we cultivate, the worse its backlash becomes."
Dugu Yan froze, her lips trembling slightly.
"Don't worry," Li Chen interrupted, softening his tone. "Though we don't have a cure yet, we still have a way to treat the symptoms. Just control your cultivation speed and maintain your current level instead of rushing higher. We'll find a solution eventually."
"Mm," Dugu Yan answered quietly.
Just then, at the center of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, the red and blue light around Wine Fox suddenly burst outward before abruptly drawing back into her body.
She slowly opened her eyes, faint traces of ice and fire flashing deep within them.
Tempered by the infernal delicate apricot and octagonal mysterious ice grass, her once purely wind-attributed Martial Soul had undergone a complete transformation, taking on a new form with four attributes-wind, fire, ice, and poison. Her level had even broken straight through to level 98.
Wine Fox stood up and appeared beside Li Chen in an instant.
She tilted her head toward him, her eyes curving into a smile. "Master, aside from those in the Divine Realm, no one can stop you from doing anything you wish now."
As Wine Fox finished speaking, Li Chen was the first to chuckle. He raised a hand and gently stroked the pair of ears on her head. "Not bad."
Wine Fox narrowed her eyes, swished her tail lightly, and obediently murmured, "Mm."
Dugu Yan's eyes widened. Her gaze darted back and forth between Li Chen and Wine Fox several times, her head buzzing. "You... what did you call him? You're a level 98 Super Douluo, and you call him Master?"
She pointed at Wine Fox, then at Li Chen, her voice rising. "What exactly is your relationship?"
Wine Fox tilted her head, her tone cheerful. "I'm Master's Personal Maid."
Dugu Yan opened her mouth, momentarily unsure where to even begin asking. She looked at Wine Fox, who maintained this beastlike appearance despite not using Martial Soul Possession.
All sorts of images involuntarily surfaced in her mind: Wine Fox had ended up looking this way because her Martial Soul Awakening had failed, then Li Chen had found her and taken her in, feeding her those Bottles o' Enchanting until she became a Titled Douluo.
In reality, Li Chen simply liked this sort of beast girl and had tricked her into becoming his Personal Maid, serving tea and water, making his bed and folding his blankets every day. Perhaps she even wore an apron while working in the kitchen, and at night...
"Pervert!" Dugu Yan suddenly blurted out.
"No, I..." Li Chen had no idea what she had imagined to turn him into a pervert.
He turned toward Wine Fox, hoping she would help explain, but she merely tilted her head and blinked, a faint, teasing curve lingering at the corners of her mouth. Clearly, she was enjoying the spectacle and had no intention of saying anything.
In the end, Dugu Bo could not stand watching anymore. He coughed heavily and steered the conversation back on track. "All right, all right. We can argue about your nonsense later, Little Monster."
He narrowed his eyes, his gaze growing serious. "This Divine Realm you mentioned just now-could it be connected to the legendary level 100 apotheosis?"
"That's right. Level 100 apotheosis is real. Take the Angel God worshipped by Spirit Hall, for example. The six-winged angel Martial Soul passed down through generations of the Qian Family is a god-bestowed Martial Soul bestowed by her."
Dugu Bo's pupils contracted slightly, and the hand stroking his beard stopped in midair.
He had always thought "level 100 apotheosis" was nothing more than a legend handed down from ancient times. He had never imagined it was actually true.
Li Chen smiled. "So don't be too surprised, Old Poison. This world has far more secrets than you imagine."
Dugu Yan blinked, looking from her grandfather to Li Chen with only a hazy understanding. "Then... doesn't that make Spirit Hall invincible?"
"Not quite invincible." Li Chen did not explain further.
Without the Divine Realm and an outsider like him, Spirit Hall would indeed have been invincible on the continent in terms of strength.
Unfortunately, the Angel God's fate remained unknown, and a God King above was scheming, forcibly stripping away Spirit Hall's fortune to give it to his successor.
"All right, it's getting late. I'll take you all back to Heaven Dou City."
With that, Li Chen walked over to the Teleportation Stele and raised his hand to inject Soul Power into it. A screen of light appeared, displaying over a hundred nodes.
"Is this what you used to teleport straight here earlier?" Dugu Yan looked at the stele, which was glowing with strange runes.
"Yes. Stand closer."
As soon as he finished speaking, a Teleportation Array appeared beneath their feet. In the blink of an eye, they were standing in a courtyard.
"Venerable Lord." The Green-Robed Villager named Liu Liujiao from last time was there as well. After all, his duty was to stand guard here.
"We're already in Heaven Dou City! Even when Grandpa carries me, it takes a while, and it's really uncomfortable," Dugu Yan exclaimed in wonder.
Even Dugu Bo suddenly felt that all his previous trips between Heaven Dou City and the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well had been nothing but pointless effort.
"Let's find Ye Lingling now and go to your academy together."
Dugu Yan had already started walking ahead. "Come on, come on. I'll take you to find Lingling first. She's definitely still at Heaven Dou Royal Academy."
She turned back and beckoned to Li Chen. "Aside from classes and training, she spends practically all her time cultivating in her dorm. She's really easy to find."
Li Chen followed her, with Wine Fox walking quietly beside him, her fox tail swaying gently. Dugu Bo brought up the rear with his hands behind his back, following at an unhurried pace.
As soon as they approached the academy gates, the guard recognized Dugu Yan and Dugu Bo behind her. Without bothering about whom they had brought along, he let them straight through.
Dugu Yan led them through the front courtyard with practiced ease, around several classroom buildings, and toward the dormitory area.
Heaven Dou Royal Academy had few students to begin with. They all lived in small detached buildings, two or three people to each, scattered among the shade trees. The area was quiet, with hardly anyone moving about.
Dugu Yan stopped before one of the small buildings, with white walls and gray roof tiles. Tilting her head up toward a lit window on the second floor, she called, "Lingling!"
The window opened a crack, revealing a cool, aloof face.
Ye Lingling glanced down. Seeing two strangers standing behind Dugu Yan, she frowned slightly.
She asked no questions, only saying coolly, "Wait there."
With that, she closed the window. Before long, footsteps coming downstairs sounded from inside.
Before you continue