Martial Soul Evolution

Dugu Yan clutched the bottle and stood at the edge of the training ground, watching his back until he disappeared around the corner. Only then did she lower her head and walk into her room.

She shut the door, tipped her head back, and swallowed the Earth Dragon Golden Melon.

The moment the medicinal power entered her stomach, she froze. Her Jade Phosphorous Serpent Martial Soul burst uncontrollably from behind her-but this time, its color did not deepen.

The poisonous mist around the emerald-green serpent that had been with her for over a decade dissipated strand by strand, as though drawn away by an invisible hand. Under the surge of medicinal power, its body rapidly lengthened and thickened. Its once-tiny scales stood up one by one and hardened, changing from poisonous green to jade-blue and taking on a cold sheen found only on dragon scales. Two young dragon horns slowly pushed out from either side of its head, and beneath its belly, a pair of tiny dragon claws broke through its scales.

Dugu Yan dropped onto the bed, gritting her teeth as she watched her Martial Soul shed its serpent form inch by inch before her eyes, becoming a Jade-Scaled Dragon-still young, but already possessing a dragon's majesty.

Not a trace of poison remained.

In its place was a pure, immense power unlike anything she had ever felt. The dragon's majesty rippled out from behind her, making the paper on the room's windows tremble.

Half an incense stick later, the transformation stopped.

Dugu Yan slowly stood. The Jade-Scaled Dragon behind her circled once before settling obediently on her shoulder. She raised a hand-no poisonous mist, no backlash, only the cold light reflected from the dragon's scales. She tried to summon her Martial Soul, and the serpent venom that had plagued her for over a decade, gnawing at her bones at night, was gone without a trace.

She looked down at her hands and froze.

Her Martial Soul was no longer a serpent.

It was a dragon.

In the treatment room, Ye Lingling held the luminous white Aromatic Silk Beauty and looked at Tang Yin. "Should I take it now?"

"Mm." Tang Yin nodded. "I'll be going."

He closed the door behind him and left.

Alone in the empty treatment room, Ye Lingling put the flower into her mouth.

The moment its delicate fragrance spread, her whole body jolted, and she dropped onto the edge of the bed. Her Nine Heart Begonia Martial Soul burst into bloom behind her-all nine white petals were there, each one as translucent as crystal. Gentle white light poured from her body and traveled through her meridians, widening them and purifying her Soul Power wherever it passed. Even her spiritual power rose a notch.

She sat alone in the treatment room for the entire night.

At daybreak, she opened her eyes.

Level thirty-one.

She had only been level twenty-six when she joined the team. After taking one Immortal Herb, she had jumped straight to Soul Elder.

Early the next morning, at the training ground.

Tang Yin had just walked in when he felt two different gazes on him.

Dugu Yan stood at the edge of the training ground. The phantom of her Martial Soul flashed behind her-not a serpent, but a small jade-blue dragon coiled around her shoulder. When she saw Tang Yin, her lips moved, but in the end she said nothing. She merely turned her face away, though her ears reddened.

"System, system."

Host: Tang Yin

Martial Soul: Blue Silver Emperor (half-awakened)

Bloodline: Blue Silver Emperor Bloodline 75%, Ice Dragon King Bloodline 10%, Fire Dragon King Bloodline 10%, ordinary Soul Master bloodline 5%

Soul Power Level: 37

Tang Yin was startled.

How did my bloodline purity get so high? And I have the Ice and Fire Dragon Kings' bloodlines too?

Tang Yin checked the system records.

It turned out that the system had purified his bloodlines.

Tang Yin thought to himself, In that case, I can make plans for the Ice and Fire Dragon Kings' remains.

The training ground.

Tang Yin stood between the two older girls, wearing the coat that was two sizes too large and tilting his head slightly upward. He was eleven, but inside that shell was a soul that had lived for over twenty years. With two girls half a head taller than him looking after him on either side, he should have felt awkward-but strangely, he didn't.

Dugu Yan looked down at him, meeting his upturned gaze. Her usually frosty junior was wearing her coat, its collar still bearing the creases from where Lingling had just straightened it, his features clean and clear. Something in her heart softened. She reached out and ruffled his hair, her touch much gentler than usual.

"Little one," she muttered, turning her face away. "Hurry up and grow."

Ye Lingling watched from the side and smiled softly. She looked down, took a freshly steamed osmanthus cake from the food box, blew on it, and held it to Tang Yin's mouth. "It's still hot."

Tang Yin opened his mouth and took a bite.

Sweet.

Dugu Yan caught sight of this and snorted, but she also broke off half a cake from her own share and stuffed it into his other hand. "Don't just eat hers. Sister Yan has some too."

Tang Yin stood there with the cake Dugu Yan had pressed on him in his left hand and the osmanthus cake Ye Lingling had fed him in his right, Dugu Yan's coat draped over his shoulders and the warmth of Ye Lingling's fingertips still lingering on his neck.

He chewed the osmanthus cake, watching the two people chasing and playfully hitting each other ahead, then glanced at the quiet Ye Lingling beside him.

The wind blew across the training ground, carrying the scent of autumn osmanthus.