Hundreds of thousands of years had caused the two Soul Bones to lose most of their essence, but their remaining energy was still powerful.
Never mind absorbing them-even an ordinary Soul Saint who merely approached would be ground to dust by that immense power.
Fortunately, Tang Tianlin possessed the Golden Dragon King Bloodline, had forged the Ice and Fire Golden Body, and had also condensed the Ice and Fire Divine Ring. Only with these multiple buffs stacked together could he absorb them perfectly.
With all preparations complete, all that remained was to leave it to time.
Inside the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
Tang San frowned, pacing back and forth along the bank.
Xiao Wu crouched on a rock, growing dizzy as she watched Tang San pace. "San, could you stop walking in circles? Since Brother Tianlin dared to go down there, he must have been confident."
"But Big Brother has been down there so long. I can't stop worrying."
Tang San's brows were tightly furrowed. "Logically, with Big Brother's strength, condensing the Ice and Fire Golden Body shouldn't take more than two days. But it's already been four!"
Two days earlier, after he and Xiao Wu finished absorbing the Immortal Herbs, both their Martial Souls and Soul Power had improved dramatically.
They had wanted to share their joy with Big Brother, but after circling the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, they still could not find him anywhere.
Tang San guessed that Big Brother had most likely entered the spring to forge the Ice and Fire Golden Body.
But since he was nowhere to be seen on the surface, that meant he had ventured deep into the spring in pursuit of stronger ice and fire power.
And so, Tang San and Xiao Wu had waited for two whole days, yet still saw no sign of Big Brother.
"Could something really have gone wrong?"
As time passed, Tang San grew increasingly anxious.
Just then, a streak of green light cut across the sky, approaching from afar before landing on the ground.
The light faded, and a green-haired figure stepped out. It was Dugu Bo, who had returned.
Beside him was a tall, pretty girl with purple hair-Dugu Yan.
"Young friend, why are you here alone? Where is the Young Lord?"
Dugu Bo scanned the surroundings. Seeing no sign of Tang Tianlin, he immediately asked.
Hearing this, Tang San shook his head slightly and pointed toward the spring. "Big Brother has been in the spring for four days."
"What?!"
Dugu Bo's eyes widened. He hurried to the edge of the spring, and at the sight of its calm surface, his heart sank straight to the bottom.
He had also soaked in the spring water before to suppress the toxins in his body.
But he had only dared to touch it after scooping out a ladleful and diluting it repeatedly. Yet the Young Lord had jumped straight in for a bath?
Wouldn't he melt like cream?
Just then, a faint tremor came from the ground, and the spring's surface suddenly began to boil.
"Roar!"
The next second, a dragon's roar from ancient times resounded through the heavens.
A scarlet-gold pillar of light shot skyward from the spring, piercing the Poison Miasma and dyeing the entire sky gold and red.
"This is..."
The instant he heard the dragon's roar, Dugu Bo's expression changed drastically. The Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor Martial Soul within him began trembling uncontrollably once again.
Beside him, Dugu Yan's pretty face turned deathly pale. Her legs buckled, and she began to drop to her knees toward the pillar of light.
"Yanyan!"
Fortunately, Dugu Bo reacted quickly, catching his granddaughter's arm and forcibly holding her up.
Not far away, although the dragon's roar sent Tang San's blood and vital energy surging, his eyes were filled with excitement.
He could not have been more familiar with this aura. It was definitely Big Brother!
A moment later, the scarlet-gold pillar faded, and a tall figure slowly emerged.
It was Tang Tianlin.
After absorbing the two Million-Year Soul Bones, Tang Tianlin seemed to have grown a little taller again.
With broad shoulders and a narrow waist, he stood there like an insurmountable mountain.
Then Tang Tianlin noticed their pale faces and frowned slightly. "Why are you all so pale?"
As his words fell, another faint dragon's roar rippled outward, making everyone's faces pale once more.
Only then did Tang Tianlin realize what was happening. With a slight shift of his thoughts, he gradually reined in the Dragon Might and blood energy spilling from him.
"Sorry. I just made a breakthrough and didn't rein in my aura in time."
Only when they felt the pressure disappear did everyone breathe a sigh of relief, color gradually returning to their faces.
"Big Brother, are you all right?"
His little brother Tang San was still the first to step forward in concern.
Tang Tianlin shook his head. "What could have happened to me? I just gained a few unexpected rewards at the bottom of the spring and cultivated for a few extra days."
Even though the two Million-Year Soul Bones had lost most of their power, their remaining energy had still allowed him to break through to rank fifty-six.
"Unexpected rewards?"
Tang San froze. Only then did he notice that Big Brother's aura had become even stronger than before.
"Wait, Young Lord, you've become a Soul King?!"
The instant Dugu Bo sensed Tang Tianlin's Soul Power, he instinctively rubbed his eyes, his face filled with disbelief.
The Young Lord had been rank forty-eight when he left. How had he become a Soul King after just a few days apart?
And judging by the Soul Power he sensed, he was even a Soul King above rank fifty-three?!
He swallowed, then turned his gaze toward Tang San and Xiao Wu, freezing once again.
"Wait, how are you both rank forty too?!"
How little time had passed? Yet all three had advanced by more than five ranks.
Beside him, Dugu Yan stood rooted to the spot at the shock in her grandfather's voice.
As the granddaughter of a Titled Douluo, she had only cultivated to rank thirty-seven so far, which already qualified her as a genius among her peers.
Yet these two looked two or three years younger than her and had already cultivated to rank forty.
A sense of defeat rose within her. She felt as though all her years of cultivation had gone to the dogs.
Noticing his precious granddaughter's dejected expression, Dugu Bo patted her shoulder. "It's all right, Yanyan. If Grandpa succeeds in a little while, you'll be able to become a true genius too."
Dugu Yan's heart tightened at his words. "Grandpa, are you really going to try?"
Before coming here, her grandfather had already explained the whole story to her, and she knew he was about to make a risky attempt.
If it succeeded, the flaw in their Martial Souls would be resolved completely.
But if it failed, she would lose her only family.
Looking at his granddaughter's reddening eyes, Dugu Bo suddenly felt a little afraid.
It was not that he feared death.
He feared that after he died, no one would be left to protect Yanyan.
But then he thought again. If he did not take this gamble, Yanyan would die before him in three to five years.
Rather than endure the white-haired burying the black-haired once again, he might as well stake his old life to fight for a glimmer of hope for his granddaughter.
"Don't worry. Neither of you will die."
Tang Tianlin stepped forward and said calmly, "Since I asked you to take this gamble, I naturally won't let you gamble for nothing."
Dugu Bo froze. "Young Lord, what do you mean...?"
"I have a way to improve the success rate of your Martial Soul Evolution."
Tang Tianlin turned toward Tang San. "San, take out the Sweet Potato Golden Dragons."
Hearing this, Tang San immediately reached into the Ruyi Treasure Bag and took out the two Immortal Herbs he had prepared earlier.
The moment the Sweet Potato Golden Dragons appeared, Dugu Bo swallowed, and his Martial Soul once again sent him an urge to devour them.
Before he could sense much more, Tang Tianlin suddenly extended his hand beside him. His five fingers curled slightly, and two drops of scarlet-gold blood condensed at his index finger.
Dugu Bo's pupils constricted sharply.
He could sense that the life essence contained in those two drops of blood was purer than that of any heavenly treasure he had ever seen in his life!
"Young Lord, what are you..."
Before you continue