Chapter 82: Martial Soul Evolution, A Slightly Abnormal Change
Early the next morning, Han Li awoke from his cultivation as usual. Feeling the soul power still accumulating within him, he was satisfied as he stepped out of the stone chamber.
Today was the day Dugu Yan's martial soul would evolve, as well as the day they would finally leave. After living in the wilderness for over half a month, even with all the preparations, Han Li still felt uncomfortable. He was starting to miss the softness of his bed and the noisy bustle of people.
After a simple wash and a quick meal, he lazily made his way up to the platform.
As expected, he was the last to arrive. The other three were already there, chatting. Or rather, two of them were trying to ease Dugu Yan's nerves she seemed quite anxious.
"Morning, Master, Senior, and Yan ," Han Li greeted.
"Morning? This old man didn't dare wake you up, so he dragged me out at the crack of dawn. We've been talking for almost an hour now," Guang Ling complained from the side.
Han Li chuckled but didn't reply, instead turning his gaze to Dugu Yan.
At that moment, she also looked over. Seeing how calm he was, her nervousness eased somewhat.
"How are you feeling, Yan ? Ready?" Han Li asked gently.
"I'm ready. Let's start. Either way, I'll get stronger, so I won't overthink it," Dugu Yan took a deep breath and stood up. Now that it was about to begin, she had become surprisingly calm.
"That's the right mindset. You'll definitely succeed."
Han Li nodded at her before flipping his left hand, revealing a red lingzhi that had already been stripped of its leaves. He handed it to Dugu Yan.
"As we discussed before, there are no special requirements just eat it all."
He placed the lingzhi in her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.
"Mm."
Dugu Yan looked at the lingzhi in her palm, then nodded to the three of them before walking to an open space and sitting down.
After a brief pause, she placed the lingzhi into her mouth. Ninth grade dragon lingzhi wasn't very large, so she swallowed it in just a few bites before activating her soul power.
Almost instantly, crimson flames erupted from her body, engulfing her entirely. The potent medicinal energy transformed into pure energy, enhancing her soul power at a visibly rapid pace.
"This…?"
Dugu Bo looked at Dugu Yan with concern, pacing anxiously.
"Relax, Senior. This is completely normal. You and Master are both too high leveled, so immortal herbs have limited effects on your cultivation and focus more on other aspects. Yan , on the other hand, is only a Grand Soul Master. Having such a reaction is expected. Don't forget how much bigger the commotion was when my martial soul evolved."
Han Li rolled his eyes. Her clothes weren't even damaged what was he worried about?
"Hah, I was being too impatient."
Dugu Bo stopped pacing and let out an awkward chuckle.
Time passed slowly, yet the crimson flames around Dugu Yan didn't weaken. A faint dragon's aura even began to emanate from her body.
"Senior, it's your turn. Release a bit of your martial soul's aura and try to stimulate Yan 's martial soul instincts. Whether she transforms into a dragon or devours one will depend on her."
Han Li turned to Dugu Bo, signaling for him to act.
Originally, Han Li was supposed to handle this step. However, after the last time he activated his inner energy, his recovery speed had significantly increased. By now, all traces of that energy had completely vanished.
He wasn't about to provoke the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well again just for Dugu Yan's evolution. Fortunately, Dugu Bo could fulfill this role just fine. Their martial souls shared the same origin, so the effect wouldn't be any weaker than if Han Li had done it himself.
"Alright."
Dugu Bo's expression turned serious as he activated his martial soul, carefully controlling his aura as he approached Dugu Yan.
The moment he got close, Dugu Yan seemed to sense his energy. A small, jade green snake emerged from behind her, flicking its tongue before disappearing back into her body.
Seeing this, Dugu Bo immediately retracted his martial soul and let out a long sigh of relief.
"Alright, we've done all we can. The rest is up to Yan now."
As he finished speaking, the crimson flames around Dugu Yan became unstable, and pain appeared on her face. Dugu Bo clenched his fists tightly, watching anxiously.
Time passed. The flames flickered wildly, then, an hour later, suddenly halted.
In the next instant, a powerful wave of soul power burst outward from Dugu Yan's body, spreading in all directions.
As the energy dissipated, Dugu Yan opened her eyes and stood up.
She examined herself for a moment before smiling and waving at the three of them.
"I did it."
Seeing that she had awakened, the three quickly approached.
"Yan Yan, how do you feel? Also, what did your martial soul evolve into? Let Grandpa see!"
The moment Dugu Bo reached her side, he eagerly inspected her from head to toe, bombarding her with questions in his excitement.
Hmm… how should it be described? Dugu Yan had changed quite a bit.
Her once violet short hair had turned a deep red, the same color as the flames that had enveloped her. Her eyes were still green, but they had faded from their previous vibrant jade to a much lighter shade.
Overall, her aura had lost some of its eerie charm but gained a sharper, more heroic presence.
"Grandpa, you're asking too many questions at once! Which one should I answer first?"
Dugu Yan, still the same as ever, immediately started playfully complaining.
"Alright, alright, I won't ask anymore. Take your time and tell us everything,"
Dugu Bo, ever the doting grandfather, instantly relented, rubbing his nonexistent beard as he nodded in satisfaction at her transformation.
Dugu Yan composed herself before speaking, "I'm not sure if my martial soul is a dragon or a snake anymore, and the way I use it seems different from before."
As she spoke, she raised her right hand, and a miniature energy serpent materialized in her palm.
"Hm?"
The three immediately noticed the anomaly.
Normally, beast martial souls manifested through body enhancement some displayed physical traits, while others didn't. But now, Dugu Yan's martial soul had appeared externally in an energy form.
"Can you still use it normally for martial soul possession?" Han Li asked swiftly.
"Yes."
Hearing his question, Dugu Yan immediately dismissed the energy serpent in her palm and activated her martial soul possession as usual.
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