Chapter 23

"It's a friend Grandpa just met!"

"Huh? Someone you just met? Is he reliable?" But Dugu Yan's expression gave Dugu Bo the feeling that she was asking whether he was reliable.

"Ahem! Don't you trust your grandpa's eye for people?" Dugu Bo protested loudly.

Lu Guyan pursed her lips, then seemed to think of something. Her expression dimmed. "If only Mom and Dad were still here..."

Dugu Bo put away his playful expression as well. "Yes, if only they were still here..."

He looked at Dugu Yan, his gaze deep and resolute, and murmured to himself, "Yan'er, let this curse end with me. Grandpa will make sure you no longer have to bear this suffering."

The two continued on in silence. When they reached the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, both froze. Dugu Yan's mouth fell wide open in shock. "Grandpa, are you sure you didn't bring me to the wrong place?"

Dugu Bo did not answer. Standing beside her, he too had his mouth wide open, his eyes as round as bronze bells.

"I told Brother Lan he could remodel it however he liked, but I never imagined he'd make it this beautiful!"

The valley before them and the one in their memories were two entirely different places. Dugu Bo even turned to look at the path they had taken. Only after confirming they had not come the wrong way did he lead Dugu Yan inside.

A transparent layer of Glazed Crystals formed an inverted dome over the entire valley. Sunlight refracted into tiny rainbow gleams as it passed through, drawing colorful arcs through the air.

The poisonous mist that had once lingered without dispersing was gone, replaced by a thin layer of golden vapor floating among the plants, like morning mist, like sheer gauze. One deep breath filled the chest with the moist, sweet freshness of vegetation.

The beds of Jade Phosphorus Seven-Absolute Flowers Dugu Bo had cultivated were now intertwined with Blue Silver Grass, forming a dreamlike garden of amethyst.

Farther inside, Blue Silver Grass carpeted the ground. Its leaves were as dense as a woven rug, and when a breeze passed over them, it looked as though the entire valley were breathing softly.

As Dugu Yan walked in, the Blue Silver Grass beneath her feet automatically parted into a narrow path, closing again after she passed, like a group of guards quietly watching her through.

She crouched down and reached out to touch one stalk. Its leaves were smooth and slightly cool, with a moist texture.

"...Is this my grandpa's valley?" she said softly.

Dugu Bo stood behind her, his mouth still hanging open. He looked around, then down at his feet. Whenever the Blue Silver Grass touched his boots, it would brush against them very lightly before drawing back, like a shy greeting.

"Brother Dugu, you're back."

Dugu Yan looked toward the voice and saw a handsome young man with long silver hair standing beside the water.

"Grandpa, is this the friend you mentioned?" Dugu Yan asked blankly.

"Yes. Let Grandpa introduce you. This is my new friend, Lan Changsheng!"

Because they had come in a hurry, neither of them knew what sort of demon or monster the name Lan Changsheng had already become in the rumors outside.

"Hello. You must be Brother Dugu's granddaughter, Dugu Yan. What a pretty young girl." Lan Changsheng looked at Dugu Yan, his eyes smiling.

"Lan, Lan... Grandpa, what am I supposed to call him?"

"He's my younger brother, so of course you should call him Grandpa too!" Dugu Bo said as though it were only natural.

"A grandpa this young?" Dugu Yan pointed at Lan Changsheng and challenged her grandfather.

Granddaughter, when it comes to this brother's age, even if we added ours together and multiplied it by a hundred, we still couldn't compare. Dugu Bo felt bitter inside. He did not know how to explain it, either. Having promised Lan Changsheng not to keep his true identity secret, he could hardly simply tell his granddaughter.

"Be good. Call him what I tell you to call him. You can't muddle the generations."

Dugu Yan pouted, clearly unable to get the words out.

"Don't make things difficult for her. Let's discuss the matter at hand," Lan Changsheng interjected at just the right moment.

"All right. Yan'er, Brother Lan can actually resolve the problem of our Martial Souls' toxicity, and there are two ways to do it."

Knowing that this was the crucial moment, Dugu Yan listened carefully to her grandfather.

"One is to do what I did. Brother Lan uses Life Divine Power to grow an organ similar to a Poison Gland inside the body to store Jade Spirit Snake Poison. Not only does this solve the problem of poison eating away at the body, it also makes us more compatible with our Martial Souls. I've even developed a way of merging that differs from the Martial Soul Avatar."

As he spoke, Dugu Bo summoned his Jade Forest Serpent Emperor and mobilized his Soul Power, merging his Martial Soul with himself.

Watching her grandfather's aura surge before her, Dugu Yan covered her little mouth. It even made her overlook Dugu Bo's mention of Life Divine Power.

Dugu Yan naturally knew that this was not her grandfather's Martial Soul Avatar, which was why she was so shocked. The enhancement from this fusion was almost on par with the Martial Soul Avatar. If...

"Grandpa, try activating your Martial Soul Avatar at the same time!"

"Haha! I've been wanting to try that for ages too. Yan'er, stand farther back!"

The Seventh Soul Ring around Dugu Bo suddenly lit up. Jade-green soul light burst from within him, and dark green snake scales grew wildly outward from his skin. His entire body lengthened, reshaping into a Human-Serpent Form.

His upper body retained a human outline, but its surface was covered in thick, dark green snake scales. Two bony ridges rose at his shoulder blades, while the scales over his chest and abdomen were larger and thicker, silver-gray like a natural suit of armor.

His lower body transformed completely into a serpent's, as thick as a water vat and dozens of zhang long. From his waist down, the scales gradually shifted from dark green to emerald, with a faint black sheen at the tip of his tail.

Two rows of jade-green spines pierced out from his backbone, extending along his spine all the way to the tip of his tail. His eyes became molten-gold vertical pupils, carrying an imposing pressure without a trace of anger.

Poison no longer spread from his body. All of it was concentrated and discharged into the Poison Gland, becoming an even fiercer venom. He raised his hands, and venom solidified into claw blades. The venomous fangs in his mouth enlarged at the same time, their dark green tips flickering in and out of sight.

Dugu Bo's Human-Serpent Form coiled within the valley, its dark green scales reflecting the blue and red light of the Yin Yang Spring, like a giant beast awakened from ancient times. The serpent-head mark beneath his ribs moved on its own, taking the shape of the Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor and roaming all over his body, helping Dugu Bo sense enemies behind him and to either side.

"Haha! Brother Lan, I've never felt better!" Dugu Bo's excited voice rang throughout the valley.

Lan Changsheng, who was protecting the surrounding flowers and plants, could only shake his head helplessly.

But before Dugu Bo could enjoy his excitement for long, he felt his Soul Power draining rapidly. The consumption was two to three times greater than that of using the Martial Soul Avatar alone.

Alarmed, he hurriedly released his current state. "Ahem, this uses far too much Soul Power." Dugu Bo was a little embarrassed. "Still, it gives me a powerful trump card."

Dugu Yan did not agree, however. "Grandpa, the poison in this form no longer relies mainly on poisonous gas like before. It's geared more toward close combat and penetration. It's not suited to being held back as a trump card. It's better for finishing off your opponent quickly as soon as you meet. Otherwise..."