Ye Lingling's Visit
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The abandoned Soul Hunting camp on the edge of the Star Dou Great Forest was shrouded in a layer of cyan-gold Tower Realm light membrane. The patterns on the surface of the light membrane flowed slowly like living things, isolating all the aura of Soul Beast within a hundred paces. Nan Feng sat cross-legged on a smoothed-out blue stone in the center of the camp. His dragon wings were folded and pressed against the sides of his spine. His outer robe covered the outline of the two slightly raised wing bones, with only a section of dark gold patterns showing from the collar. These were the star patterns that had spread to the sides of his neck after his fourth evolution.
He closed his eyes, immersed in the Tower Spirit Space. The Soul-Suppressing Azure Lotus floated above the Life Origin Stone, its nine azure- Golden Lotus Seed pulsating in perfect sync with his heartbeat. The Return to Origin Power continuously flowed from the fourth-level tower gate, washing over the residual dark injuries in his dantian, meridians, and bones like warm water. The marks left from the battle with the Shadow Leopard Emperor —three deep claw marks on his chest revealing bone, broken ribs, and the muscles on his waist shattered by the leopard's tail—had healed seventy percent under the repair of the Return to Origin Power, but the deepest cracks in his meridians still needed time to heal.
Old Huai's voice came from the Immortal Tree: "Someone's coming. From the direction of Heaven Dou City, the scent of Nine Heart Begonia."
Nan Feng opened his eyes. About a hundred paces outside the light membrane of the Tower Realm, a pale pink halo of begonia flowers was approaching. The figure in the halo was walking very fast, but made little noise, as if deliberately slowing down his steps.
Ye Lingling.
She wore a plain white robe with silver thread embroidered with Nine Heart Begonia on the cuffs. Her long hair was tied up with a simple wooden hairpin, and her complexion was paler than usual. She stood outside the light membrane of the Tower Realm, not daring to rush in, but simply reaching out a finger to gently touch the surface of the light membrane. A ripple spread across the cyan-gold light membrane, and her fingertip was gently flicked away.
"Nan Feng." Her voice came from outside the light barrier, clear and urgent, "Let me in."
With a thought, Nan Feng 'Tower Realm light membrane cracked open in front of her. Ye Lingling stepped in, and the light membrane closed behind her. She walked to the bluestone and stood still, looking down at Nan Feng.
Nan Feng certainly didn't look good at the moment. The bandages under his outer robe were stained dark brown with seeping blood, his left arm was still in a sling because it had been dislocated, his face was almost transparently pale, his lips were cracked, and his eye sockets were slightly sunken. He looked up at Ye Lingling, and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly. "Why are you here?"
Ye Lingling didn't answer. She squatted down, and the halo of the begonia flower between her fingers lit up, with nine pink and white petals swirling in her palm. She reached out and pressed her hand against Nan Feng's chest, her palm against the three deepest claw marks. The moment the healing Soul Power surged into his body, Nan Feng groaned, his back tensing.
"Three ribs broken. Seven meridians torn. The joint capsule of his left arm ruptured. His back..." Ye Lingling's hand moved to his back, and she could feel the gash that stretched from his shoulder blade to his waist even through the bandages. "This wound was just an inch away from cutting into his spine."
Nan Feng said, "I'm used to it."
Ye Lingling's fingers paused for a moment. She looked up into Nan Feng's eyes, a faint hint of anger in her usually clear gaze. "Do you always have to make yourself like this?"
"The Shadow Leopard Emperor is a 32,000-year-old Soul Beast," Nan Feng said. "We can't take it down without fighting tooth and nail."
Ye Lingling remained silent for a moment, then didn't press further. Her healing Soul Power continued to flow into Nan Feng's body, the pink halo of the Nine Heart Begonia enveloping his entire body, putting his broken ribs back in place, repairing his shattered meridians inch by inch, and re-weaving his torn muscle fibers. Nan Feng felt a warm current coursing through his body, like spring water overflowing a dried-up riverbed.
But just as the healing power penetrated into the vicinity of the dantian, an unexpected change occurred.
The liquid Primordial World Power within Nan Feng's dantian surged violently, and a golden light burst forth from its depths, enveloping, pulling, and devouring Ye Lingling's Begonia healing power. The golden light, like a ravenous beast, tore apart, transformed, and merged the Begonia Spiritual Power into its own. Ye Lingling's healing Soul Power was almost powerless against the Primordial World Power, like snow falling into boiling water.
Ye Lingling's hand trembled violently. She sensed that the healing power she released was intercepted, decomposed, and recombined by a completely unfamiliar force after entering Nan Feng's dantian—that force was more ancient, purer, and more vast than Soul Power, carrying a primordial quality like the beginning of chaos. After her Begonia Spiritual Power was devoured by that force, she herself was also undergoing changes.
The Nine Heart Begonia's Martial Soul Core trembled slightly, and a faint golden halo clung to its pink and white petals.
"Your soul..." Ye Lingling's voice was a little tense, "Is consuming my healing power."
Nan Feng opened his eyes. He also sensed the changes in his dantian— the Primordial World Power actively devoured the Begonia Spiritual Power, and after the devouring, the liquid Primordial World Power in his dantian actually expanded slightly, and its cyan-gold color deepened a bit. The Return to Origin Power on the fourth level of the tower also accelerated its circulation speed after devouring the Begonia Spiritual Power.
"The Primordial World Power is transforming your Begonia Spiritual Power," Nan Feng said. "It has become even stronger after absorbing healing energy."
Ye Lingling did not withdraw her hand. Her fingers remained pressed against Nan Feng's chest, and the halo of begonia continued to be released. Although each release was mostly devoured by the Primordial World Power, she sensed that the golden halo that had been tainted by her Martial Soul Core was slowly spreading as it was repeatedly devoured and repeatedly released.
"Your soul is consuming my healing power..." she repeated softly, her shock slowly transforming into a calm analysis, "But it's getting brighter. What is that golden power?"
Nan Feng was silent for a moment. He sat up straight, the dragon wings on his back slightly unfolding and then folding back, the red ribbon on his left wrist fluttering gently in the wind. He looked into Ye Lingling's eyes—those usually clear eyes were now staring at his dantian, a golden halo flickering deep within her pupils.
"Primordial World Power," Nan Feng said, "I'm cultivating a Dao that's higher than Soul Power. Primordial World Power is its origin, older than the existence of the Divine Realm. It can devour, transform, and absorb all forms of Spiritual Power —including your Begonia Healing Power."
Ye Lingling remained silent for a long time. Her fingers did not leave Nan Feng's chest, and the halo of the begonia continued to be released. The pink and white petal phantoms spun in her palm, and strands of golden light flowed back from Nan Feng's body to her Martial Soul Core. She felt her Nine Heart Begonia changing—a very faint golden edge appeared on the petals, the purity of her healing Soul Power was slowly increasing, and something dormant deep within her Martial Soul Core was being awakened.
"So when I heal you," Ye Lingling slowly said, "Your Primordial World Power will devour my Begonia Spiritual Power, but at the same time, my Martial Soul will also be tempered by your power?"
Nan Feng nodded. "The Primordial World Power has the ability to 'transform.' It can devour external Spiritual Power, but during the transformation process, it will leave a trace of the Primordial Origin to nourish the source. Your Nine Heart Begonia is evolving after being touched by the Primordial World Power."
Ye Lingling withdrew her hand and looked down at her palm. The illusory image of the Nine Heart Begonia Martial Soul appeared in her palm, with an extremely fine golden line on each of the nine pink and white petals, as if embroidered with gold thread. She clenched her fist, feeling the faint but clear change in the Martial Soul Core.
"My Nine Heart Begonia... is evolving." Her voice was soft, as if confirming something unbelievable. "My family's Nine Heart Begonia Martial Soul, passed down for hundreds of years, has never undergone such a change."
Nan Feng stood up from the bluestone and stretched his limbs. With the Return to Origin Power and Ye Lingling's healing power, 70% of his injuries had healed. His broken ribs had returned to their original positions and begun to regrow, most of the cracks in his meridians had been repaired, and the joint capsule in his left arm was also recovering. He sensed his Soul Power —level 56, stuck at a level other than ten, unable to Soul Power further. However, the liquid Primordial World Power in his dantian was more condensed than before, the Return to Origin Power on the fourth level of the tower circulated more smoothly, and the dragon wings could be opened and closed more freely.
"Your path..." Ye Lingling stood up, looking at Nan Feng, a complex emotion surging in her eyes, "Is different from becoming a god. It's stronger."
Nan Feng looked at her. The eyes of the successor of the Nine Heart Begonia were as clear as ever, but now there was a firmness in that clarity, as if she had made a decision.
"If you get injured in the future, I'll be even more determined to come," Ye Lingling said, her tone calm but leaving no room for refusal. "Your soul needs my Begonia as a transformation medium. My Martial Soul needs your Primordial World Power to complete its evolution. It's a win-win situation."
Nan Feng was silent for a moment, then nodded.
Ye Lingling's lips curved slightly—the closest Nan Feng had ever seen to a smile from her. She took out a small porcelain bottle from her sleeve and handed it to Nan Feng: "This bottle contains seven healing pills from the Nine Heart Begonia. Each one was refined using my Martial Soul Origin. Keep it with you; next time you're injured, take one to stabilize your injury."
Nan Feng took the porcelain bottle. The bottle still retained the warmth of Ye Lingling's palm.
"And another thing," Ye Lingling suddenly took a step forward, so close that Nan Feng could smell the faint herbal scent emanating from her, "The Shadow Leopard Emperor's Fourth Soul Ring... is 32,000 years. Your Soul Ring Configuration: the first ring is 920 years, the second is 2,100 years, the third is 12,000 years, and the fourth is 32,000 years. Every single one of them aligns with the Grandmaster's theories."
Nan Feng looked at her.
Ye Lingling said, "You've walked a farther road than anyone else. But you must live to reach the end."
After saying this, she turned around and walked towards the exit of the light membrane of the Tower Realm. She paused at the edge of the membrane, without turning back. "I'll wait for you at the Heaven Dou Royal Academy. Your fifth ring is for the Far North; the Frost Giant Dragon is a 58,000-year-old Soul Beast. Before then, heal your injuries."
The light membrane of the Tower Realm cracked open in front of her, and her figure walked into the twilight at the edge of the Star Dou Great Forest, the pink and white halo of begonias gradually disappearing into the depths of the dense forest.
Nan Feng stood in the center of the camp, holding the porcelain bottle in her hand, the red ribbon on her left wrist fluttering gently in the evening breeze. In the Tower Spirit Space, the nine lotus Soul-Suppressing Azure Lotus- Suppressing Green Lotus pulsated steadily, the Primordial World Imprint quietly rotating deep within her soul. The liquid Primordial World Power in her dantian had gained a touch of the warm texture of Begonia Spiritual Power compared to before, and a hint of pinkish-white warmth was faintly mixed in with the azure-gold light.
"This girl..." Old Huai poked his head out from the immortal tree, his semi-transparent face bearing an indescribable expression, "Her Nine Heart Begonia has begun to evolve after being imbued with Primordial World Power. Have you ever considered that she might be the first person on the Douluo Continent to become a god with a healing-type Martial Soul?"
Nan Feng stored the porcelain bottle in the Tower Spirit Space and turned to walk in a northwest direction. The Shadow Leopard Emperor's injuries would take another month to fully heal, but he couldn't stop. He was stuck at level 56, which wasn't a multiple of ten, so his Soul Power couldn't increase, but the cultivation of Immortal Dao didn't have this limitation. He could continue to comprehend the Heavenly Constellation and Earthly Fiend Divine Abilities Return to Origin Power the origin, and continue to practice flying with the dragon wings.
"Let's go," Nan Feng said. "Let's find a place with water. Dragon Wing needs practice."
Old Huai muttered something and shrank back into the immortal wood. Shifang poked his head out from a corner of the Tower Spirit Space: "Brother Nan—the pills Miss Ye gave me smell so good, can I eat them?"
"Cannot."
"Oh." Shifang withdrew, then poked his head out again after a while. "What about the grilled fish?"
Nan Feng's lips curved into a smile, "Roast."
He walked out of the abandoned camp, his dragon wings unfurling slightly in the twilight, the dark golden wing bones shimmering in the setting sun. The porcelain bottle left behind by Ye Lingling floated quietly in the Tower Spirit Space, the Nine Heart Begonia pattern on the bottle echoing the petals of the Soul-Suppressing Azure Lotus.
The Return to Origin Power on the fourth level of the tower continued to surge out, repairing the last few hidden injuries within its body. The Space-Time Power and space on the fifth level had been fully released, and the time flow rate of the Tower Spirit Space stabilized at 2:1. The Power of Return to the Void void on the sixth level also cracked after the Fourth Soul Ring entered the body, and black annihilation power seeped out from the crack, forming a small black pattern on the surface of the tower.
Old Huai once said that the sixth level corresponds to level seventy, and it takes the Seventh Soul Ring to fully open it. However, the Fourth Soul Ring and the refining of the Immortal Herb have already caused the sixth level to crack prematurely. Although the Power of Return to the Void cannot be fully released, the wisp of annihilation power that seeps out is enough to shatter some of the energy attacks.
Nan Feng sensed every change within his body— his Soul Power reached level 56, the Primordial World Power in his dantian became more solid, the walls of his meridians thickened by 30%, his dual immunity to ice and fire operated stably, his Treasure-Appraising Spirit Light aura could perceive a radius of 500 steps with its multi-colored spectrum, his dragon wings could be extended and retracted at will, the Tower Return to Origin to Origin technique slowly circulated its restorative power within his body, the first chapter of the Mountain Suppression Art was fully mastered, and the second level of Shrinking the Ground to an Inch was about to be broken through.
He emerged from the dense forest at the edge of the Star Dou Great Forest, where a vast grassland stretched out in the twilight, with a stream shimmering golden in the setting sun in the distance. Nan Feng stood at the edge of the grassland, his dragon wings suddenly unfurling. The dark golden wings, spanning three zhang, fluttered in the evening breeze, the star patterns and shadow patterns on the wing membranes intertwined, as if a hole had been torn in the night sky.
He took a deep breath, flapped his dragon wings, and soared into the sky.
The grasslands receded rapidly beneath our feet, and the streams transformed into golden streaks in the setting sun. The Nan Feng swept across the grasslands, over the hills, and through dense forests, its dark golden dragon wings tracing long trails in the twilight. Within the Tower Spirit Space, the nine lotus seeds of the Soul-Suppressing Azure Lotus were perfectly synchronized with the heartbeat, the Primordial World Imprint rotated quietly, and the nascent Golden Core core in the dantian slowly took shape under the compression of Primordial World Power.
Level 56. Stuck at a level that isn't a multiple of ten, but there are no bottlenecks in the Immortal Dao.
The red ribbon on his left wrist fluttered in the wind, and the porcelain bottle left by Ye Lingling emitted a faint warmth of begonia in the Tower Spirit Space. The Nan Feng flew north, and the snow and wind of the Far North awaited him in the distance. The Frost Giant Dragon was even further away, and the story of the Ice Empress and the Snow Empress was quietly unfolding deep in that eternally frozen ice field.