Chapter 72: Adjustments and Recovery Martial Soul Evolution Begins
Seeing how easily the two men had settled things with just a brief exchange, Dugu Yan, who had only just begun to grasp the situation, couldn't help but want to ask more questions.
"Alright, let's save this discussion for mealtime. First, we need to build a small wooden house. Otherwise, you'll be sleeping under the open sky tonight." Han Li pointed at the darkening sky as a reminder.
"Ah, okay!"
Dugu Yan finally remembered the pressing matter she definitely didn't want to sleep outdoors.
At that moment, Guang Ling also landed on the platform. Since all four of them were spirit masters and materials were abundant, it took just half an hour to build a small wooden house. Han Li even took out some smooth stone slabs from his storage bracelet to serve as furniture and a bed.
Once everything was set, Guang Ling retrieved the pre prepared food, and the four of them enjoyed dinner together, chatting and laughing.
Because of Dugu Yan's presence, they had to spend extra effort explaining everything again in detail. She listened in awe, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
Time passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, six days had gone by.
During this period, Dugu Bo, whose body had been riddled with wounds and exhaustion, had finally recovered some vitality thanks to nourishing meals. Now, it was time to begin his martial soul evolution.
A deep voice came from Dugu Bo's mouth.
Seeing that she had calmed down considerably, the three men immediately descended toward the Ice Fire Yin Yang Well.
Nearly an hour passed. Throughout this time, Dugu Bo's brow furrowed occasionally, his face showing flashes of pain. However, his aura and physical state remained stable.
If the process turned out to be harmful in the long run, he had already decided he would rather abandon it even if it meant losing some strength. He had suffered too much from poison and was terrified of its consequences. Moreover, since Dugu Yan would eventually undergo martial soul evolution as well, he wanted to ensure the path was safe for her, even if it meant being a little weaker.
"Of course, if the suppression fails, you can always discard it temporarily. Master will handle any follow up issues your priority should always be survival." Han Li sternly reminded him.
As for Dugu Yan, after spending the past few days together, she had grown somewhat familiar with Han Li and Guang Ling.
Although both of them spent most of their time cultivating, they always took breaks during meals and whenever they needed to check on Dugu Bo's condition. During those moments, she would take the initiative to chat with them.
"Alright, let's begin."
Naturally, Dugu Yan didn't mind getting closer to them. She was genuinely curious about Han Li, and after these few days, she had started to grasp a few tricks on how to get along with him.
If they missed this optimal window for the process, Han Li feared Dugu Bo's body wouldn't be able to endure it. Any further delays could cause complications and his medical knowledge relied solely on rare medicinal herbs, so he couldn't afford to take risks.
Having rehearsed the process countless times in his mind, Dugu Bo nodded firmly at Han Li and Guang Ling. Then, he took out the now leafless Nine Petal Dragon Mushroom (Water), stuffed it into his mouth, chewed a few times, and swallowed it whole.
"Dugu Clan girl, while we're busy, make sure the food is ready for lunch." Guang Ling casually tossed her a small spatial ring containing various food supplies.
After one final check on Dugu Bo's condition, Han Li let go of his wrist.
He glanced at Dugu Yan, who seemed even more nervous than Dugu Bo himself, and reassured her, "Sister Yan, stay on the platform for now. Master and I will accompany Senior down below. Don't worry he'll be fine."
"Okay, I'll wait here. Grandpa, you got this!"
Moreover, Han Li had a strong tendency to share knowledge, and he loved being praised. Though he always maintained a calm and composed demeanor, the smile in his eyes and the subtle upward curl of his lips made it obvious that he enjoyed the attention.
"So? How is it?" Dugu Bo and Dugu Yan both looked at him anxiously.
In Han Li's eyes, Dugu Bo was quite an unusual existence a peculiar character even among the oddballs of the first Douluo series.
After a simple breakfast, the four of them gathered on the platform.
Han Li had a habit of drawing out suspense when he spoke, deliberately piquing curiosity before delivering his answers. He seemed to enjoy seeing people's reactions.
Still, this particular quirk had actually saved his life before. The essence of his poison had remained sealed in a single concentrated area instead of spreading throughout his body. Otherwise, with his naturally low poison resistance, he might have died long ago.
The moment their auras clashed, the Ice Fire Dragon Bow and Dugu Bo's body simultaneously emitted an illusory dragon's roar. The enormous green serpent behind Dugu Bo reacted aggressively, baring its fangs and letting out a silent yet oppressive hiss toward the two men below.
Dugu Bo quickly closed his eyes, focusing on refining the medicinal power.
Dugu Yan glanced at them, her tense expression softening. She responded gently, "Okay, I'll be here waiting."
"Now! Integrate!"
The outer layer of the energy pearl was still wrapped in a murky green liquid evidently, Dugu Bo hadn't completely expelled the toxins.
Worst case scenario, the pearl could be used as a single use, large scale offensive weapon a decision Han Li and Dugu Bo had agreed upon in advance.
On one hand, Dugu Yan was genuinely worried about her grandfather. On the other, Dugu Bo had intentionally encouraged her to engage more with Han Li, knowing that their fates were now intertwined. Strengthening their bond was only beneficial.
Taking advantage of this martial soul evolution process, Dugu Bo also wanted to attempt an adjustment to his martial soul structure.
Dugu Bo thumped his chest confidently. "I'm ready."
He had unknowingly formed an energy pearl inside his body a phenomenon somewhat similar to the soul cores that would appear in the distant future. However, because it had developed unconsciously and was primarily meant to contain poison, it didn't serve any real purpose in aiding his cultivation. Instead, it had become a burdensome existence.
"Martial Soul Possession!"
"Alright, no problem." Dugu Bo agreed without hesitation.
The three men each used their own methods to comfort Dugu Yan, easing her nerves significantly.
That energy pearl was essentially a ticking time bomb inside his body. Han Li, however, had no intention of convincing him otherwise.
Firstly, his proposed martial soul evolution was already a significant shift in Dugu Bo's cultivation path. Secondly, he lacked knowledge about how soul cores were actually formed. Personally, he disliked unstable, uncontrollable power he preferred reliability, even if it meant being slightly weaker in the short term.
"Don't worry, Yan Yan, Grandpa will succeed."
"The situation is stable, and the poison is currently being suppressed. There won't be any issues affecting the next phase. When the time comes, all you need to do is merge the expelled toxins with your energy pearl."
Dugu Bo muttered under his breath, his pupils narrowing into sharp slits as a chilling aura radiated from his body. Behind him, a translucent projection of the Jade Phosphor Serpent appeared, hissing ominously.
Han Li and Guang Ling remained silent, watching intently. This was only the beginning hopefully, the rest of the process would go just as smoothly.
This was the plan they had spent the past few days refining. Han Li was merely reiterating it for clarity.
Suddenly, Dugu Bo's eyes snapped open, and at the same moment, his mouth parted slightly. A deep green energy pearl shot out from within.
Guang Ling and Han Li immediately ceased spectating. Summoning their martial souls, Guang Ling hurled a blast of icy light at the energy pearl while Han Li unleashed his full martial soul aura, pressing it down onto Dugu Bo with immense force.
"Roar!"
A phantom dragon's roar echoed once more as the evolution officially commenced.
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