Chapter 74: Could Dugu Bo Be the True Chosen One?
Guang Ling and Han Li simultaneously turned to look at the figure standing before them and were momentarily stunned.
The Dugu Bo standing before them still wore the same gray robe, but his hair and beard had turned jet black. His face had undergone a transformation akin to plastic surgery his wrinkles had completely disappeared, making him appear much younger.
In just over an hour, he had gone from an old man to a middle aged, handsome uncle.
If they hadn't witnessed his martial soul evolution with their own eyes, the master and disciple duo would have never believed they were looking at the same person.
Seeing his master about to open his mouth and start bickering with Dugu Bo again, Han Li felt a headache coming on and quickly stepped between them.
"How about we head up first? Sister Yan is still waiting. We can talk once we're all there."
"Fine." / "Alright."
The two exchanged glances, spread their wings simultaneously, and soared toward the platform above.
Han Li glanced at the two already in flight, sighed lightly, and also slowly ascended toward the platform.
On the platform, Dugu Yan looked at the now completely transformed Dugu Bo and hesitantly asked, "Grandfather?"
"Of course, it's me, Yan Yan! Look at me I've succeeded! And I even got wings! From now on, I can take you flying in the sky."
Dugu Bo didn't retract his wings and instead flaunted them, deliberately addressing Guang Ling's previous remark about his inability to fly in front of his granddaughter.
Guang Ling merely curled his lips. Since Dugu Yan was present, he decided to let it slide and refrained from making any snarky remarks.
"Wow, Grandfather, you look so young now!"
Dugu Yan, accustomed to seeing her grandfather as an elderly man, took a moment to adjust. Though she didn't rush into his arms as usual, she still beamed with joy.
"Hahaha! Now that my poison is gone and my body is healthy again, of course, I look younger!" Dugu Bo laughed heartily, feeling truly happy for the first time in years.
"Congratulations, Grandfather! You'll never have to worry about martial soul backlash again."
Dugu Yan smiled sweetly, looking at her energetic grandfather.
"Congratulations, Senior."
Han Li also offered his sincere congratulations.
"Alright, stop just standing around take a seat."
Guang Ling had already claimed a chair and gestured for the three to join him.
Once everyone was seated, Dugu Bo, seeing the three pairs of eyes locked onto him, couldn't help but chuckle.
"Alright, I know you all have questions. Go ahead, one at a time."
"Me first! Me first!"
Dugu Yan eagerly raised her hand, claiming the first question.
"Alright, go ahead, Yan Yan." Dugu Bo looked at her indulgently.
"Grandfather, what's the deal with your wings?"
She had been holding this question in for a while, ever since Guang Ling interrupted her earlier.
"The wings? Well, they were an unexpected outcome of my martial soul evolution. I never anticipated growing them, but once I finished absorbing the medicinal power, they just… appeared. Fortunately, it's a beneficial change that aligns with my plans, so I decided to keep them."
Dugu Bo pondered for a moment before giving a serious response.
"Does that mean I might also grow wings in the future?" Dugu Yan asked excitedly.
Seeing his granddaughter's enthusiasm, Dugu Bo instinctively glanced at Han Li, as he had yet to see what had been prepared for her and dared not answer lightly.
Han Li noticed the subtle gesture and gave a slight nod, confirming it.
Relieved, Dugu Bo smiled at his granddaughter and nodded firmly.
"Yes!"
"Yes!" Dugu Yan clenched her fists in excitement soon, she would be able to fly too!
"Senior, even after your martial soul evolved, you retained such a potent level of toxicity. Isn't that risky? Or did something happen during the evolution that we don't know about?" Han Li asked, trying to understand.
Upon hearing this, a grin spread across Dugu Bo's face. This was precisely why he had been so eager to dispel his Martial Soul True Body earlier he couldn't wait to share what had happened.
"Han Li, I truly must thank you. The effect of that immortal herb you gave me was far stronger than I ever expected."
Dugu Bo stood up sincerely, pulling Dugu Yan up with him. He pressed down on his still confused granddaughter and bowed deeply.
Han Li quickly sidestepped but was still caught off guard by the gesture.
"Senior, let's just talk. I really can't accept this I might lose years off my life."
"No, you absolutely deserve this," Dugu Bo said with a rare look of seriousness.
"Yan Yan, listen to me. The only reason your grandfather is still alive today is because of Han Li. You must never harbor any ill intentions toward him do you understand?"
Dugu Bo turned to his granddaughter, his expression more solemn than ever.
Dugu Yan looked between her grandfather and Han Li, stunned, before nodding earnestly.
Han Li, standing to the side, didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
What was this situation?
Even if he was being thanked, shouldn't Dugu Bo at least explain the reason first? He, the person responsible, was still in the dark.
"Why don't we sit back down first? You three standing while I'm seated makes me feel a bit out of place."
Guang Ling took a leisurely sip of tea and set his cup down, enjoying the show even though he also had no clue what was going on.
"Alright."
Dugu Bo glanced at Guang Ling, then sat down again.
"We should sit too, Sister Yan," Han Li suggested.
"Oh… okay." Dugu Yan finally snapped out of her daze and returned to her seat.
"Senior, now will you finally explain? I'm completely lost here. What exactly did the water element Nine Petal Dragon Mushroom do during your evolution?"
Han Li looked at Dugu Bo, eager for answers.
"So it's called the Nine Petal Dragon Mushroom, huh?"
Dugu Bo murmured before regaining his composure. He looked at the three of them and began to explain.
"The dragon aura itself wasn't overwhelming certainly not as powerful as what I sensed from your martial soul, Han Li but it was still on par with the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon clan."
His expression turned even more serious.
"But the water attribute it carried, though weak, was extraordinary. Just a single strand of its essence transformed me into what you see now."
As he spoke, he activated his martial soul once more, conjuring a faint blue soul power in his palm and extending it toward the group.
"A purification effect?"
Guang Ling studied the energy closely. It seemed familiar, but slightly different, so he hesitated before asking.
"Exactly. Pure purification cleansing all negative effects. Of course, I only inherited a small portion of it. My soul power attribute hasn't fully changed, and my recovery speed is still slow. But at the very least, I am now immune to my own poison and may develop resistance to other negative effects in the future."
Dugu Bo scratched his head sheepishly as he explained.
Meanwhile, Han Li was frozen in place, his mind exploding with a series of expletives.
Was Dugu Bo the real chosen one?
Where the hell was his "beloved son"?
Wake up and take a look did you give the protagonist's luck to the wrong person?
Dugu Bo had merely chewed on an immortal herb, and not only did his martial soul evolve, but it also perfectly aligned with the Teng Snake form from his memories.
Fine, that was still within reason.
But then, he somehow managed to develop a watered down version of Ultimate Ice, purging all poison from his system and even gaining an absurd buff.
And what about him, Han Li?
His martial soul evolution involved suffering the invasion of an ancient dragon king's bloodline, making him fight to maintain control, all while being unable to ascend directly to a god level martial soul.
Did he get handed the wrong script?
For the first time, Han Li found himself questioning everything.
(End of Chapter.)
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