Chapter 118: Comprehensive Advancements (Final)
Qianqian's Four Winged Angel Martial Spirit possessed both fire and light attributes, with her elemental affinities for each reaching their utmost limits.
(Note: The concept of "extreme attributes" has its issues. Ice, at least, has an endpoint with absolute zero, but fire technically has no upper limit for temperature. Here, I'll add that an extreme affinity attribute can dominate any weaker affinity of the same type.)
This should have been a blessing, as an extreme affinity meant that Qianqian's potential could exceed a Super Douluo's, possibly even reaching level 99. However, the nature of extreme attributes imposed limits before level 70, cultivation progress would be slow.
Qianqian, however, seemed unbothered. Having once spent six years reaching her first level of soul power, the increase in her cultivation speed already filled her with joy. "So what if it's a bit slower?" she thought. Her progress felt more than manageable.
While she didn't have Qian Renxue's innate 20th level soul power, her Four Winged Angel awakening had granted her a powerful ability: the Divine Judgment Domain, which reduced the power of darkness and evil by 30% and boosted her own strength by 20%. Truly worthy of the Angel spirit, this ability made her a natural counter to dark soul masters.
After examining Qianqian's physical changes, Ye Wen found her physical strength had grown dramatically. Initially, her first ring could only handle about 300 years, but her second ring could now bear up to 1500 years.
Because of her spirit's uniqueness, Ye Wen also taught her some concealment techniques a skill he'd honed well over the years. With a promise to take her on a ring hunt the next day, Ye Wen sent Qianqian off to rest after her exhausting session with the herb.
When Qianqian left, he asked her to call for Lanyan and Ah Yin.
Ye Wen had mixed feelings about Lanyan. On one hand, she often slacked off in cultivation. But she had contributed immensely to running Tianxing Academy, almost like his personal secretary. According to her, she simply wasn't destined to reach Titled Douluo, and with Ye Wen and Ah Yin protecting her, "What soul master would even dare to mess with me?"
It didn't take long for Lanyan to enter the training chamber, her eyes filled with anticipation instead of the usual nonchalance.
"Master, it's finally my turn, isn't it?" she said cheerfully.
Now seventeen, Lanyan was as tall as Ye Wen, her presence radiating elegance. Ye Wen found it hard to reconcile this poised young woman with the carefree girl he'd always known.
"What are you staring at, Master?" she teased, impatiently shaking his shoulder. "Where's my herb? Don't hold back, I know you have one!"
"Wait how did you even know about this? Your senior and junior disciples all kept it secret."
Hands on her hips, Lanyan smirked, dropping her noble demeanor entirely. "I'm not blind, Master. The leaps in their strength, the transformations it had to be some kind of miracle herb. And I don't read all those books for nothing!"
Ye Wen stared, speechless. The world of Douluo had a strange way of keeping everyone's intelligence in check, yet Lanyan seemed to have broken free. But then, given her work managing academy affairs, it made sense she'd be so sharp.
Ah Yin arrived just then, and Ye Wen decided there was no need to beat around the bush.
"All right, if you know it's a rare herb, then sit down, and let's get started." Ye Wen then took out two jade bottles, each containing a unique herb essence Fiery Apricot and Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass.
He explained the essences' abilities to Lanyan before she drank them. The process would be painful, but the benefits would be worth it. These two herbs hadn't drastically raised Tang San's soul power in the original work, but they had given his Blue Silver Grass immunity to fire and ice and greatly enhanced his physical resilience.
Lanyan's third ring came from a 5,000 year old Blue Silver Tree nearing the end of its life. With Ah Yin's help, the tree had willingly offered its essence to Lanyan, transforming her martial spirit from Blue Silver Vine to Blue Silver Tree. Her third skill, Earth's Embrace, allowed her to plant her spirit in the ground to absorb nutrients, boosting her endurance and healing power.
The opposing natures of the two herb essences played off one another, sparking like fire and ice within her. But though Lanyan often seemed lazy, she grimaced through the pain without a sound, concentrating on refining the energy. Ah Yin also assisted, her spirit's similar origin making her a more compatible guide than Ye Wen.
"So, she has this kind of resolve after all," Ye Wen thought. "No soul master, it seems, can truly settle for mediocrity. Lanyan's seen her peers advancing and must have felt the pull to keep up. Perhaps her laid back attitude is just a cover."
After a long time, Lanyan finally opened her eyes, her face shining with joy. Her soul power had only increased by two levels, but her martial spirit had transformed profoundly. Each Blue Silver Leaf now displayed a red and blue central vein, a mark of her immunity to both fire and ice.
"She's tougher now," Ah Yin added. "With her newly strengthened constitution, she should be comparable to those born with level seven or eight soul power."
It was a good outcome. By next year, with an additional cleansing herb, she might rival someone with innate full soul power. Ye Wen, however, decided not to tell her about this just yet. He'd save it as a surprise, just to keep her motivated.
(End of Chapter)
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