Facing Yu Xiaogang

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After leaving the Heaven Dou Royal Academy, Nan Feng didn't head south immediately. Shui Bing'er's Ice Crystal Amulet floated quietly in the Tower Spirit Space, its silver-blue ice patterns and emerald green life luster reflecting deep within her soul. The Primordial World Power in her dantian, drawn by ice-type Spiritual Power, formed an extremely thin icy-blue light thread. Peng Eye quietly shimmered with golden light in their pupils, the multicolored spectrum of the Treasure-Appraising Spirit Light light covering a range of a thousand steps, and the spatial law of Shrinking the Ground to an Inch continued to settle in his meridians. His Soul Power was stuck at level seventy-seven, not a multiple of ten, but he wasn't in a hurry. Old Huai had said that his Soul Power would naturally stabilize at level seventy-nine after a year and a half, at which point he would go to the Abyss to find the Nine Netherworlds Dark Python.

He traveled northwest for three days, traversing hills and two coniferous forests, arriving at a secluded valley on the evening of the fourth day. A stream gushed from a crevice in the rock, its water crystal clear, its banks covered with low shrubs and herbs. His mind raced with the Treasure-Appraising Spirit Light; the Spiritual Power points in the valley were evenly distributed, with no trace of Soul Beast lairs, making it suitable for secluded cultivation. Nan Feng found a sheltered rock face deep within the valley, his Tower Realm light membrane forming three layers of protection around him. Just as he was about to sit cross-legged, a violent surge of Soul Power suddenly approached from the direction of the valley entrance.

The surge of Soul Power was extremely intense, far exceeding the level of Soul Saint. In the perception of the Treasure-Appraising Spirit Light, it appeared as a blazing crimson light, with violent flame patterns burning along its edges. The crimson light moved rapidly and in a clear direction, rushing straight towards the depths of the valley. Nan Feng kept the Tower Realm Light Membrane on his body and did not retract it. He stood up and looked towards the entrance of the valley.

A crimson figure burst into the valley, moving with the speed of a burning meteor. The figure abruptly stopped in the center of the valley, the crimson Soul Power surge causing the surrounding bushes to bend to the ground, and the stream's surface to steam with a layer of white mist from the scorching heat. The newcomer was a woman in her early thirties, her long crimson hair tied back with a simple leather cord. Her face was striking, her brows bearing a sharp edge honed by years of battle. She wore a dark red, close-fitting outfit, worn in several places, as if she had just survived a fierce fight. The crimson flames surrounding her slowly subsided after she stopped, but the lingering, violent Soul Power surge still permeated the air.

Liu Erlong.

Nan Feng had seen her at the Soul Master Tournament. She was sitting in the audience, holding a wine glass, her gaze pausing for a moment when she saw his Soul Ring Configuration. Later, in a tavern, she got half-drunk and cursed Yu Xiaogang for half an hour. Still later, on his way to the City of Slaughter City, Nan Feng encountered her once more on the outskirts of Sunset Forest. She stopped him and asked if the third ring was ten thousand years old. He said yes, and she stared at him for a long time before saying, "Yu Xiaogang's theory doesn't apply to you."

Now she stood in the center of the valley, the crimson Soul Power fluctuations around her slowly receding, her amber pupils reflecting Nan Feng's figure and the star patterns flowing on the light membrane of the Tower Realm. Her gaze moved from Nan Feng's face to the red ribbon on his left wrist, and then to his dantian—where a dark golden light was faintly pulsating. Her pupils contracted slightly.

"It's you." Liu Erlong's voice was a little hoarse than when they last met, carrying the weariness of a long journey. "I heard outside Heaven Dou City that the Heaven Dou Immortal Master had returned to the city and had been chasing you for three days. You've got a quick escape."

Nan Feng looked at her. Although Liu Erlong's Soul Power fluctuations were violent, there was a very discordant disorder mixed in with her aura, as if her Soul Power encountered some kind of obstacle when circulating in her meridians. Her Scarlet Dragon Martial Soul appeared to be suppressed in the perception of the Treasure-Appraising Spirit Light. There was a dark pattern around the edge of the light spot at the Martial Soul Core, as if it was bound by something.

"There's something wrong with your Soul Power," Nan Feng said.

Liu Erlong paused for a moment, then grinned, a self-deprecating smile playing on her lips. "You have a sharp eye." She walked to a large rock by the stream, sat down, and took out a leather pouch from her Storage Soul Tool at her waist. She uncorked it and took a swig. A strong smell of alcohol emanated from the pouch. "My Scarlet Dragon Martial Soul has been stuck at the peak of Soul Douluo for a long time. My Soul Power has reached level 89 and can't go any higher. It's like the Martial Soul Core is locked by something. I've consulted many people, and they all say there's no way to fix it."

She took another swig of wine, her amber pupils reflecting the shimmering light dancing in the stream. "I came to find you because I witnessed your battle with Yu Tianheng in Heaven Dou City. Your tower can suppress everything, and your power is completely different from ordinary Soul Power. I want to know if you can unlock the lock on my Martial Soul Core."

Nan Feng sat down on a rock across the stream. His Treasure-Appraising Spirit Light carefully sensed Liu Erlong's Martial Soul Core in his mind. The light spots of the Scarlet Dragon Martial Soul were extremely intense, its Soul Power concentration far exceeding that of a peak ordinary Soul Douluo. However, the dim lines around the edges of the light spots were indeed present, and the arrangement of these lines had a structure Nan Feng was very familiar with—suppression, constraint, self-lockdown. It was somewhat similar to the flaw in Tang Yuehua's Martial Soul Origin, but while Tang Yuehua's Martial Soul Origin couldn't grow normally due to emotional repression, Liu Erlong's situation was more complex. A very faint dark green luster was mixed within that dark line, a trace left from long-term use of some kind of drug or contact with some kind of Soul Power.

"The lock on your Martial Soul Core," Nan Feng said, "Wasn't something you were born with. Someone put it on you."

Liu Erlong paused in her act of pouring wine. She put down the wine flask, a strange light flashing in her amber eyes. "What do you mean?"

"The lock's patterns have a dark green sheen, a mark left by the long-term effects of some kind of drug," Nan Feng said. "This drug doesn't directly harm the Martial Soul, but it slowly accumulates a layer of binding on the Martial Soul Core. The longer it lasts, the tighter the binding becomes. Judging from the amount accumulated on your Martial Soul Core, you've been affected by this drug for at least twenty years."

Liu Erlong remained silent for a long time. The stream flowed at her feet, and twilight slowly spread down from the rock walls on both sides of the valley. She sat on a large rock, her long, crimson hair swaying gently in the evening breeze, and the worn marks on her dark red outfit stood out clearly in the twilight. She looked down at her hands, where a very faint crimson dragon scale pattern was visible in her palm, the edges of which also had an abnormal dark green tinge.

"Twenty years." Her voice was much lower than before, with a hoarseness that had been suppressed for too long. "I've known Yu Xiaogang for over twenty years. He gave me a kind of medicine, saying it could help stabilize my Martial Soul foundation and aid my cultivation. I believed him and took it for ten years."

Nan Feng remained silent. Old Huai emerged from the immortal tree within the Tower Spirit Space, its semi-transparent remnant soul drifting faintly in the twilight of the valley. Old Huai's voice echoed in Nan Feng's mind, "The Scarlet Dragon Martial Soul Martial Soul Core is deeply intertwined with the flow of Soul Power. To unlock it, you need Primordial World Power to impact that lock from within, while simultaneously using the Return to Origin Power to repair the Martial Soul wall eroded by the drugs. The process will be very painful, and she must completely trust you and offer no resistance whatsoever."

Nan Feng relayed Old Huai's words to Liu Erlong. After listening, she remained silent for a long time, her amber pupils churning with complex emotions—anger, bitterness, and a weariness that had been suppressed for too long. She clenched her fist, the crimson dragon scales on her knuckles glowing faintly in the twilight, but a layer of dark green luster also emerged, like an invisible shackle.

"Twenty years." She repeated the word, her voice carrying an extreme, suppressed calm. "Back then, he said I couldn't absorb the fourth ring beyond my limits, and I believed him. He said our Martial Soul were incompatible, so he dared not take me with him, and I believed him too. He gave me medicine, saying it could help me break through my bottleneck, and I still believed him. Twenty years. I took medicine for ten years and practiced martial arts for twenty years, but my Soul Power was stuck at level eighty-nine and I couldn't go any higher, and my Martial Soul Core was even locked."

She looked up at Nan Feng, her amber pupils burning with a light Nan Feng recognized—the flame in Huowu 'Huo Wu eyes when she unleashed her full power, only Huo Wu, fiercer, and colder. "Help me untie this," her voice calm and resolute. "No matter how painful, no matter the cost."

Nan Feng stood up and walked to her. He placed his right palm above her Baihui acupoint on the top of her head, and the tower body emerged from his palm. The nine-story bronze tower slowly rotated in the twilight. The light membrane of the Tower Realm expanded from Nan Feng's body, enveloping Liu Erlong within its domain. The Peng Eye shone with a golden luster in their pupils, Treasure-Appraising Spirit Light light reflected the light point structure of Liu Erlong's Martial Soul Core in exquisite detail.

"It will hurt," Nan Feng said.

Liu Erlong scoffed. "Back when I was hunting Soul Beast in Sunset Forest, a ten- Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast ripped my stomach open. My intestines spilled out, and I stuffed them back in myself. Pain? Bring it on."

Nan Feng drew Primordial World Power from his dantian, channeling it along his meridians into the palm of his right hand. Dark golden light surged from beneath his palm into Liu Erlong's Baihui acupoint, flowing down her meridians to the Martial Soul Core. When the Primordial World Power touched the dark pattern on the Martial Soul Core, the pattern suddenly lit up with a layer of dark green light, attempting to block the Primordial World Power. Nan Feng then infused the suppressing power of the Mountain Suppression Art into it, and the golden light exploded violently within Liu Erlong's Martial Soul Core, cracking the dark green light barrier.

Liu Erlong trembled all over, her teeth clenched. Crimson flame phantoms suddenly burst forth from her body, but were suppressed by the light membrane of the Tower Realm and could not spread. The veins on her forehead bulged, and sweat slid down her temples, but her back remained straight, and she did not utter a sound of pain.

Nan Feng continued to pour in the Primordial World Power. The dark golden light tore through the dark pattern inch by inch, and the Return to Origin Power surged out from the fourth level of the tower, repairing the Martial Soul wall that had been eroded by the medicine. Liu Erlong's Martial Soul Core vibrated violently under the combined effect of the Primordial World Power and the Return to Origin Power. The light spots of the Scarlet Dragon Martial Soul gradually brightened from a dim crimson red, and the dark green luster peeled off piece by piece in the golden light.

One hour. Two hours. The twilight in the valley completely sank into night, and the stream shimmered with a silvery-white light under the moonlight. Liu Erlong sat cross-legged on a large rock, her whole body enveloped in dark golden light, and crimson dragon scale patterns appeared and disappeared on her skin repeatedly. Nan Feng stood in front of her, his right palm pressed on her head, continuously pouring in Primordial World Power. The power of the sixth level of the nine-story tower Power of Return to the Void Nothingness, suddenly erupted at the deepest part of the dark patterns, shattering the last piece of dark green light curtain.

The moment the dark patterns shattered completely, Liu Erlong's Martial Soul Core suddenly expanded, and crimson light surged from her body, causing the light membrane of the Tower Realm to expand outward by several inches. The phantom of the Scarlet Dragon Martial Soul appeared behind her, a crimson dragon roaring in the night, its wingspan dozens of feet, the scales on its body turning from dark red to crimson gold, and its eyes burning with scorching white flames.

Liu Erlong opened her eyes. A faint golden luster appeared in her amber pupils, the mark left by the Primordial World Power within her Martial Soul Core. She looked down at her hands; the crimson dragon scale patterns on her palms had fully illuminated, the dark green luster completely gone. She clenched her fists, the dragon scale patterns on her knuckles gleaming with a crimson-gold light in the moonlight, her Soul Power surging through her meridians like a river.

"The bottleneck at level 89," her voice trembled slightly, but she quickly suppressed it, "Is over."

Nan Feng withdrew his right palm. The light membrane of the Tower Realm receded from her body. He took a step back and watched Liu Erlong stand up. Her long, crimson hair fluttered in the night wind, and her dark red outfit was soaked with sweat, but her back was straighter than before. The phantom of the Scarlet Dragon Martial Soul slowly dissipated behind her, and the lingering heat in the air baked the rocks by the stream until they were scorching hot.

"Your Scarlet Dragon Martial Soul's potential is far from being fully realized," Nan Feng said. "The lock has been unlocked, but your Martial Soul Core has accumulated twenty years of damage from the drug's erosion and still needs time to repair. For the next three months, avoid high-intensity combat and allow the Return to Origin Power to slowly repair your Martial Soul Wall. After three months, your Soul Power will begin to rise, and breaking through to the Titled Douluo is only a matter of time."

Liu Erlong looked at him. Moonlight danced in her amber pupils, the golden luster shimmering quietly deep within them. She was silent for a moment, then jumped down from the large rock and stood in front of Nan Feng. She was only up to Nan Feng's shoulder, but standing there, the aura emanating from her was even more imposing than before.

"Yu Xiaogang," she began, her voice calm, but each word like a knife honed over twenty years, "His theories were stolen. His medicine is harmful. He has wasted twenty years of my life."

Nan Feng looked at her.

Liu Erlong raised her head, moonlight illuminating her face, highlighting the fine lines at the corners of her eyes and the sharpness etched by years of battle between her brows. A slight smile curved her lips, a smile with a razor-sharp edge. "You're right. True power is never bound by theory. My Scarlet Dragon Martial Soul, I will develop it myself. What he stole, what he owes me twenty years of debt, I will make him repay."

She turned and walked towards the valley's exit, her long, crimson hair fluttering in the night wind. After a few steps, she paused, not turning back, her voice carrying clearly, "Nan Feng, you helped me. From now on, if you need someone to risk their life, call me."

Her figure receded into the moonlight, the crimson Soul Power leaving a scorching trail in the night before disappearing around the corner at the valley entrance. Nan Feng stood by the stream, the light membrane of the Tower Realm slowly retracting from her body, the red ribbon on her left wrist fluttering gently in the night breeze. In the Tower Spirit Space, the Ice Crystal Amulet floated quietly, its silver-blue ice patterns and emerald green life luster reflecting each other.

Old Huai poked its head out from the Immortal Tree, its semi-transparent remnant soul flickering in the Tower Spirit Space. "This woman," Old Huai's tone was tinged with complex emotion, "Twenty years. That thief Yu Xiaogang not only stole the research manuscripts of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, but also harmed Liu Erlong for twenty years."

Nan Feng remained silent. He sat cross-legged by the stream, and the Tower Realm Light Membrane once again formed three layers of protection around him. The dragon scale patterns of the Scarlet Dragon Martial Soul left a clear trace in the Treasure-Appraising Spirit Light, and the Primordial World Power imprint remaining in the Martial Soul Core Liu Erlong's Martial Soul pulsated quietly deep within his senses, like a seed waiting to sprout. His Soul Power was stuck at level seventy-seven, not a multiple of ten, and the Peng Eye quietly shimmered with golden light in their pupils. The spatial law of Shrinking the Ground to an Inch continued to settle in his meridians.

Three months later, Liu Erlong's Martial Soul was repaired, and her Soul Power began to rise. Breaking through to the Titled Douluo was only a matter of time. As for Yu Xiaogang —the "Grandmaster" who stole the research manuscripts of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan and used drugs to bind Liu Erlong for twenty years— Liu Erlong would personally collect the debt he owed.

The red ribbon on her left wrist fluttered gently in the night breeze. Nan Feng closed her eyes and entered a state of deep meditation.