Zhang Lexuan?

"Young Master! After absorbing the immortal herb you gave me, I've become a Peerless Douluo!"

Xuan Zi's face brimmed with gratitude.

"Master, if this old servant releases all the toxins in my poison core, even that pansy Chrysanthemum Guan would be seriously injured, if not killed!"

Lin Xiao looked at Dugu Bo, finding his constant cries of "Master" rather awkward.

After all, he had come from the twenty-first century.

Lin Xiao waved a hand.

"Dugu Bo, just call me Lin Xiao or Young Master from now on. 'Master' sounds a little awkward."

He spoke with some resignation.

Of course, if Bi Ji called him that, he would only be secretly delighted.

The system, which had not shown itself for some time, suddenly chimed.

Congratulations to the host on successfully obtaining your second soul ring. The Choose Three from Five System's second round of rewards will now be issued.

After absorbing the Ice and Fire Dragon Kings' soul bones, Lin Xiao had already reached level 28.

The Ice and Fire Dragon Kings' soul bones had given him two powerful offensive skills and two domains.

Frostbound, Fire's Sorrow.

One resembled an ice explosion technique. It ignored all rules to forcibly freeze the target for 0.5 seconds, then sent a shock through their body upon thawing, slowing their senses and soul power circulation for the next half minute.

The Fire Dragon King's right hand bone was even more overbearing.

A fireball resembling a Rasengan would hover in Lin Xiao's hand.

It would erupt the instant it came into contact with another object.

With Lin Xiao's current soul power level and reserves, he could only unleash it about eight or nine times.

Its power could match a Soul King's all-out strike.

The two domains could be released simultaneously.

Enemies within the domains would suffer an unending assault of ice and fire upon their Sea of Consciousness.

At the same time, any ice- and fire-attribute damage they received would be doubled.

These two soul bones had raised Lin Xiao's battlefield control to an extraordinary level.

The Fire Dragon King's Fire's Sorrow also made up for his lack of skills.

Combined with Gungnir's defense-ignoring attacks, they were formidable.

Against opponents of the same level, Lin Xiao could fight dozens on his own.

Gungnir's second soul skill was also just a single skill.

The World Tree's standing was simply too high for the Douluo Plane.

Even the God King-level Fire Dragon King's divinely bestowed origin soul ring could only condense a single soul skill.

Burning.

After activation, Gungnir's next attack would carry a burning effect, engulfing the target's mind, soul power, and physical body in searing flames at the same time.

Until Lin Xiao exhausted his soul power, this process would continue, adjusting its intensity according to his remaining reserves.

As he took stock of his gains, he reflected on them.

Lin Xiao felt that he was becoming more and more of a sneaky bastard.

He turned to look at the options the system had displayed.

1. An unremarkable ice-blue bead.

2. Martial Soul Avatar trial card ×1.

3. A Dao Protector with fairly decent strength.

4. One Storage Ring (500 cubic meters).

5. Gems worth one hundred million Gold Soul Coins.

"Gems? System, do these gems include ores?"

Lin Xiao asked.

After all, if ores were included, a full hundred million's worth would be enough to make Lou Gao, the only divine craftsman of the Douluo I era, work himself to the bone for him. With subsequent system rewards, the era of battle armor might even arrive ahead of schedule.

They are merely treasures collected by merchants.

The system's rather icy voice doused his fantasies.

"If they're just treasures, forget it..."

After all, Dugu Bo was still a Titled Douluo, and the Dugu Family had considerable savings.

Although Lin Xiao had barely acquired any Gold Soul Coins since arriving in this world, asking Dugu Bo for some would be no big deal.

The choice was not particularly difficult this time. Without much deliberation, Lin Xiao once again selected 1, 3, and 4.

An unremarkable ice-blue bead.

Lin Xiao did not believe it was truly unremarkable.

Besides, none of the other items were things he particularly needed.

Even if it turned out to be a dud, he would not really lose out.

Having enjoyed the convenience Xuan Zi provided, a Dao Protector was naturally a good choice.

He did not quite understand what the system meant by "fairly decent strength."

Still, it would be a subordinate completely loyal to him, whose strength could not possibly be all that poor.

As for a Storage Ring, Lin Xiao did not yet have one. Although Dugu Bo's could store living things, its capacity was not particularly large.

So Lin Xiao had not thought to ask him for it.

Ding! System rewards have been successfully issued!

After saying that, the system fell silent once more.

"Tsk, tsk. A reward every ten levels? Not bad, but it's way too boring."

This system is nothing but a level-up gift pack...

At the outskirts of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, a powerful surge of soul power rushed in.

A graceful figure landed right in front of Lin Xiao.

"Young Master, Lexuan has arrived."

As Lin Xiao looked at the stunning woman before him, a panel resembling a game interface suddenly appeared above Zhang Lexuan's head.

Zhang Lexuan (just after absorbing a Ten Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring)

Soul power level: 83

"Sister Lexuan, get up. Welcome aboard!"

Lin Xiao helped Zhang Lexuan up from where she knelt on one knee.

Beside them, Dugu Bo looked at the woman before him, who appeared barely into her twenties yet had already reached the Soul Douluo level.

He became even more convinced that clinging to Lin Xiao's coattails had been the right decision.

Dugu Bo had indeed judged correctly.

Having just absorbed a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring, Zhang Lexuan was at most twenty-four or twenty-five.

She could even compete in the National Advanced Soul Master Tournament...

Lin Xiao was thinking the same thing.

He did not want to join any existing faction.

A Soul Douluo with a Ten Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring, a Peerless Douluo, and Dugu Bo, who had escaped the ranks of the weakest Titled Douluo.

With just these three, he could establish his own faction and develop it into an extremely powerful force.

As the inner court's senior sister, Zhang Lexuan's ability to handle affairs was undoubtedly ridiculously good.

Then there was her strength: a Soul Douluo with a Ten Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring.

Although Lin Xiao was not quite sure how large a gap there was between the senior sister before him and the Titled Douluo of this era.

At a rough assessment, Zhang Lexuan's aura was no weaker than Dugu Bo's.

Perhaps, against Titled Douluo whose ceiling was below level 93.

She had enough strength to handle them.

Add to that her stunning face and superb figure.

She was capable, capable in bed, and capable of getting things done.

By comparison, Lin Xiao almost felt that Xuan Zi had lost some of his appeal.

Ahem, just kidding. He's a Peerless Douluo, after all. At least, apart from Bibi Dong and those three old fossils, no one alive today is his match.

He took the ice-blue bead out of his Storage Ring.

Lin Xiao immediately felt as though the bead was trying to draw him somewhere.

He turned, following that sensation.

Due north...

"The Far North? Perfect. I was planning to use immortal herbs and my identity to bring the Ice and Snow Emperors under my command anyway..."

"Looks like it's time to put a trip to the Far North on the agenda."

Lin Xiao murmured.

He looked at Dugu Bo.

"Old Poison, that's what I'll call you from now on... Settle your family matters as soon as possible, then guard this precious land. Don't let anyone enter."

"I'll be establishing my own faction before long. Sorry for the trouble I'll be putting you through then.

"Until I return, Zhang Lexuan will take charge of all matters concerning the faction. Listen to her as you would to me. Understood?"

Dugu Bo nodded like a chick pecking at grain.

"Understood, understood! Take care on your journey, Lin Xiao. This old servant will await your return!"