Time flies, and another month has passed.
At the foot of Sea God Mountain, Dugu Yan slowly opened her eyes.
In those emerald green eyes, there was now a deep golden light, like starlight reflected in the depths of an ancient pool, and the Soul Power fluctuations around him were more solid than a month ago.
She took a deep breath, stood up, and walked towards the crowd.
"You've broken through?" Tang Jian stepped forward, his eyes filled with anticipation.
Dugu Yan nodded, a slight smile playing on her lips, though it couldn't hide the sharpness in her eyes. " Level 70."
Five months, Level 3.
For a Soul Master who has already reached the peak of Soul Emperor, this speed is already extremely fast.
While the Sea God's Light certainly played a role, it was also inseparable from her own talent and hard work.
Before she finished speaking, a flash of red light appeared, Bo Saixi's figure reappeared before everyone, her red robe fluttering gently in the sea breeze.
She looked at Dugu Yan, her gaze softening, and said softly, "You're quite good. Breaking through to Level 70 in five months is faster than I expected."
Bo Saixi raised his hand and waved it lightly. A golden bead slowly floated towards Dugu Yan. The bead was exactly the same as the one Tang Feng had absorbed before, and it was light gold in color.
"This is your God-Given Soul Ring," Bo Saixi said.
Dugu Yan reached out and took the golden bead, feeling the gentle yet vast energy contained within it, and a complex emotion welled up in her heart.
She looked down at the small bead in her palm, and thinking of the fifteen days of agonizing pain Tang Feng endured while absorbing that bead, her fingertips involuntarily tightened slightly.
Bo Saixi said nothing more.
Her gaze lingered for a moment on the golden trident mark on Dugu Yan's forehead, then she vanished in a flash, leaving only the gentle sea breeze behind.
Dugu Yan held the God-Given Soul Ring, remained silent for a moment, then turned and walked towards Tang Feng.
" Little Fengzi," she began, her tone unusually inquiring, "Do you think... I should absorb it now?"
Tang Feng looked at the God-Given Soul Ring in her hand but did not answer immediately.
He pondered for a moment, then shifted his gaze from the Soul Ring to Dugu Yan's face, and then from her face to the distant Sea God Mountain shrouded in golden light.
"I suggest you absorb it now," he said slowly.
Dugu Yan was slightly taken aback.
Tang Feng continued calmly, "Your First Test is three hundred and thirty-three steps. With your current physical strength, even with the boost from all of us, completing it will be extremely difficult."
He paused, his gaze falling on Dugu Yan, his tone becoming solemn. " The Martial Soul Avatar provides a comprehensive boost to Soul Master. Strength, speed, defense, Soul Power recovery... it's a qualitative leap. The Seventh Soul Ring brings not only an increase in Soul Power, but also the activation of the Martial Soul Avatar."
He looked directly into Dugu Yan's eyes and said, word by word, "Without Martial Soul Avatar, let alone level 333, you'd probably struggle to even reach level 200. By absorbing what you've gained, you can obtain a Seventh Soul Ring that's close to 80,000 years old, which is already very high. With the blessing of Martial Soul Avatar, you'll have enough confidence to pass the First Test."
Dugu Yan listened quietly, the hesitation in her eyes gradually disappearing.
She lowered her head, looking at the warm golden bead in her hand, her fingertips gently stroking its surface, and nodded softly.
"You're right."
Without further hesitation, Dugu Yan turned and walked to a smooth bluestone, where she sat down cross-legged.
With a flick of a finger.
"Wave!"
With a soft sound, the golden bead shattered before her eyes.
Instantly, a dense golden mist surged forth, instantly enveloping Dugu Yan's body. The mist swirled and lingered, carrying a hazy, dreamlike quality, completely submerging her figure.
A halo of light began to appear around her body.
It started faintly, gradually becoming richer. Like ripples, it spread outwards in circles, then contracted inwards in circles, each circle carrying a strange rhythm.
Dugu Yan closed her eyes, a pained expression on her face.
The pain wasn't intense, tearing, but a deeper, more profound aching and burning sensation from the very marrow of the body.
It was as if something was growing inside her, gradually transforming her meridians, her bones, and the Martial Soul Origin.
Dugu Yan's body began to tremble, an unhealthy flush appeared on her skin, and beads of sweat rolled down her forehead, only to be evaporated by her Soul Power, leaving behind fine streaks of salt frost.
But she gritted her teeth, closed her eyes, and silently endured it.
Tang Feng looked at her, then turned to the others and said, "We don't know how long it will take Sister Yan to absorb this Soul Ring. You all go and continue your training; we'll take turns protecting her here."
Everyone nodded, said nothing more, and turned to walk towards the steps.
Day 1.
The golden mist surrounding Dugu Yan grew thicker and thicker, gradually enveloping her in a giant cocoon of light.
The cocoon of light sat quietly on the bluestone, only occasionally trembling slightly, a testament to the existence of life within.
the next day.
The color of the light cocoon began to change.
The golden mist gradually faded, replaced by rings of black light. These black halos spread outward from the core of the cocoon, and each infusion of Soul Power caused the cocoon to tremble slightly.
Day three.
As the first rays of dawn shone at the foot of Sea God Mountain, the cocoon of light finally began to dissipate.
Rings of black light surged from Dugu Yan's body, condensing and swirling around her, eventually converging into a massive black halo.
The halo hovered above her head, slowly rotating, exuding a profound and majestic aura.
Her original six Soul Ring now shone brightly! Yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black—six halos of light intertwined, echoing the Seventh Soul Ring that was about to take shape above her head.
The final moment has arrived.
A resounding dragon roar suddenly rang out!
The dragon's roar did not come from the outside world, but emanated directly from Dugu Yan's body, carrying an ancient pressure from the depths of her bloodline. The surrounding air trembled slightly from the roar.
Dugu Yan opened her eyes.
In the depths of those eyes, a fleeting glint of emerald green and gold light flashed.
The light was deeper and more restrained than before, yet it faintly exuded a kind of oppressive power that made people dare not look directly at it!
That was the oppressive aura emanating from the depths of their bloodline, belonging to the dragon race.
She slowly stood up.
A crowd had already gathered around, their eyes filled with anticipation and curiosity.
Ning Rongrong was the first to step forward and ask:
" Sister Yan, how much has your Soul Power increased? What are the effects of the Martial Soul Avatar?"
Dugu Yan looked at her, the corners of her lips slightly upturned.
" My Soul Power has just reached Level 73."
The next moment, the phantom of the Jade Phosphorus Poison Dragon appeared behind her.
The phantom was nearly twice as large as before, its entire body covered in fine scales that reflected a blend of emerald green and gold light in the sunlight.
The most terrifying thing was those dragon eyes, radiating a chilling aura of power.
" Martial Soul Avatar, Jade Phosphorus Poison Dragon. Upon activation, all attributes are increased by 200%, Soul Skill effects are doubled, and the ability to fly like a dragon is gained."
Everyone gasped, their envy evident in their expressions.
A 200% increase in all attributes is a qualitative leap for a Soul Master, not to mention the ability to fly like a dragon.
But Dugu Yan did not stop.
She raised her hand, and a ray of light, interwoven with emerald green and azure blue, slowly spread out from her body, forming a halo about a hundred meters in diameter.
Where the halo reached, the air seemed to thicken, and the sounds of ocean waves and dragon roars could be faintly heard intertwining.
"I've also awakened a... domain."
Dugu Yan's voice carried a hint of exploration, clearly indicating she was also familiarizing herself with this newfound power. " Jade Scale Poison Domain. Once activated, it continuously releases highly toxic toxins within its area. The concentration of these toxins can be freely adjusted by me, ranging from a slight numbness to an instantaneous corrosion of Soul Power shields. Enemies within the domain will have their toxin resistance gradually weakened, while their movement speed will be suppressed. The extent of this suppression depends on the difference in Soul Power between the enemy and me."
She paused, seemingly sensing something, then continued, "Furthermore, within this domain, I can sense any fluctuations in Soul Power and life force. Invisibility or stealth skills are ineffective within this domain. If fighting in water, the domain's range will double, and toxins can be absorbed into the water flow, achieving wide-area coverage."
Everyone was slightly taken aback.
Continuous poison damage, weakened resistance, speed suppression, and the ability to detect and conceal... the comprehensiveness of this field is terrifying, and it fits perfectly with Dugu Yan's combat system, which focuses on using poison and control.
She looked up at Sea God Mountain: "This domain can also be used within the Sea God's Light. Although it cannot directly counteract the Sea God's Light, the toxins within the domain can help me sense changes in pressure, allowing me to adjust my climbing pace more precisely."
After listening, Tang Feng praised, "Very good. With your Martial Soul Avatar and this domain, Sister Yan, your chances of climbing the 333 steps have increased significantly."
Dugu Yan gave a soft "hmm" and withdrew her domain.