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--- Chapter 51 ---
The next day.
Han Yuan did his usual morning routine.
He sat on the cliff and stared at the emerging sunrise calmly, catching the purple qi in the air. The mental palace art slowly circulated and sublimed the absorbed purple qi into a pure spiritual power.
After re-evaluating his worldview last night, Han Yuan broke through his mental block and increased his spiritual power by 500 points, making him closer to the Sea Abyss Realm.
The Sea Abyss Realm is a big hurdle, especially in this era when the cultivation of spiritual power wasn't too developed. Still, once one reaches this realm, absorbing a 100,000-year-old spirit ring is already possible.
Of course, absorbing doesn't equal success.
Spirit Masters must consider many factors before absorbing a 100,000-year-old spirit ring, or they'd die from an explosion.
"Young Master, you're here." Dugu Bo landed behind Han Yuan. "I've been looking for you!"
Han Yuan closed his eyes and glanced back, "Good morning, Senior. How was your sleep?"
Dugu Bo stared at the sunrise and smiled, "The best sleep I've ever had in the last few decades. In fact, I have jogged around Desolate Mountain before sunrise, feeling how much better it was without poison in my body."
"At this rate, my strength will increase by a leap!"
"Remember, we haven't solved your problem. It takes time." Han Yuan reminded Dugu Bo again.
Dugu Bo nodded, "I know. I wouldn't use my martial soul's possession so easily, Young Master."
"Then, again. I'm just excited!"
Han Yuan understood Dugu Bo's feelings. It's like someone with disabled legs gaining the ability to walk again and deciding to run with all their might due to excitement.
They walked down the cliff and discussed many topics, mainly about the martial souls.
Dugu Bo listened to Han Yuan's explanation, "I see, so the martial soul's origin is probably the reason behind Jade Phosphorus Snake's flaw."
"My family's ancestors absorbed too much origin from the poison-type spirit beasts, which caused the poison attribute in the Jade Phosphorus Snake to become too strong for their descendants to handle."
"Yes." Han Yuan nodded calmly. "Martial Soul's evolution is a gradual process."
"Senior's ancestors who first implemented this change probably used a spirit beast similar to their martial as a target, which not only evolved the snake into Jade Phosphorus Snake but even increased its quality from low-tier to high-tier."
"Nevertheless, they become greedy and started absorbing spirit rings from other poison-type spirits beasts like scorpions, spiders, and toads, making the Jade Phosphorus Snake into a top-tier martial soul that can evolve into Jade Phosphorus Snake Emperor."
"However, they unknowingly created flaws in martial souls because too many origins mixed in the martial soul, which passed on to the next generations..."
"The origin is not simple essence. It contained the spirit beast's bloodline, evolutionary path, and potential. Everything is fine when "snake" martial souls absorb spirit rings from snake-type spirit beasts, but..."
"Compatibility, huh?" Dugu Bo sighed helplessly. "Those poisons from the spirit ring's origins fought and devoured each other, creating a deathly poison like Poison Jar or Gu Ritual that our family can't endure in my generation."
He laughed bitterly, "My martial soul evolves into the Jade Phosphorus Snake Emperor probably because those chaotic origins finally settled upon reaching the Title Douluo Realm."
Hearing this, Han Yuan suddenly interjected. "It's not easy to gain balance with those chaotic origins in your body, Senior."
"You need an extremely balanced and polarized force to suppress all those origins. According to my conjecture, a place with abundant two opposing elements like light and darkness, ice and fire, and wind and lightning is "highly" needed."
Dugu Bo's face froze as his breathing became heavier, "Young Master, you're indeed a true genius."
"Hmm?" Han Yuan feigned ignorance.
Dugu Bo sighed and explained, "Truthfully, in search of a solution to my flawed martial soul, I've roamed the Douluo Continent for years."
"One day, my poison backlash got triggered, and I was a Soul Douluo at the time, barely surviving the poison..."
"Fortunately, I discovered a mysterious land, and inside is a pool of water with extreme cold and hot essences. They appeared to be opposing each other but achieved this miraculous balance..."
"The energy of this pool helped me suppress my poison."
"Now that I think about it, this pool is also why my Jade Phosphorus Snake evolved into Jade Phosphorus Snake Emperor!"
"Where is this place?" Han Yuan's eyes lit up.
Dugu Bo chuckled, "Coincidence enough, it's inside my garden at Sunset Forest!"
"Since I've agreed to give my garden to Young Master, this pool will also be yours..."
"This..." Han Yuan hesitated. "You won't regret this later on, Senior?"
Dugu Bo shook his head gently and declared firmly, "You're my benefactor."
"Above all else, I'm a man of my promise."
"Since I've agreed to something, I will fulfill it without regret!"
"People like you are rare nowadays, Senior." Han Yuan couldn't help but praise.
Dugu Bo grinned, "Hahaha~! Of course, I'm Dugu Bo! I'm not like those hypocritical bastards who said one thing and did another."
Indeed, even in the novel, Dugu Bo's nature is good. He might be a little eccentric and weird, but you can attribute those to the suffering he had undergone.
Sadly, Dugu Bo chose the wrong person to be loyal. Not only that, he also lost his "priceless" garden, and his Dugu Family failed to survive 10,000 years in the future despite helping Tang San through many life-and-death situations.
Let alone solving the poison. The Dugu Family probably couldn't even get a lick of Immortal Herbs, nor seen it themselves.
Absorbing spirit bone so they can pour the "poison" in their body into a new container?
Aren't they afraid that spirit bone's capacity wasn't enough and then burst at once, killing themselves instantly?
Without the Ice and Fire Remedy, using spirit bone to treat the Dugu Family's problem is a "temporary" treatment, like putting tape over a broken wall.
...
"I will give you my respect and call you Old Monster when you're stronger than me. However, I won't forget your offense and will make you suffer later, Dugu Bo!" - Tang San, the Art of Bully the Weak and Fear the Strong.
...
Han Yuan smiled faintly, "I won't let you down."
"Actually, I already have two methods in mind, and one is useful for your situation."
"Oh, please do tell me, Young Master." Dugu Bo was excited.
"Have you ever heard of the "fish leaping over the dragon's gate." story, senior?" Han Yuan didn't answer immediately, leading Dugu Bo to a new topic.
Dugu Bo pondered before nodding, "I heard there is a legend that aquatic spirit beasts can evolve into a subtype dragon after leaping the dragon's gate, but there is no such thing as a dragon's gate. It's just another word for the 100,000-year-old mark of their cultivation."
"I also have heard of a legend about snakes becoming a sub-type dragon, though there is no real evidence."
"So, we can conclude that dragon-type spirit beasts are 'faintly' connected to many spirit beast species." Han Yuan stated. "Which is normal because dragons are lustful creatures, and they like to mate with anything that moves."
"Their traces can be seen all over the Douluo Continent."
"Theoretically speaking... Your Jade Phosphorus Snake Emperor could also transform into a powerful sub-type dragon."
"But that is impo-! Difficult."
At first, Dugo Bo wanted to say it was impossible but remembered that he was following a monstrous genius like Han Yuan now.
Han Yuan pointed his finger to Dugu Bo's chest and explained his idea, "Your Jade Phosphorus Snake Emperor's origins might have stabilized, but they are scattered. If I can awaken the dragon's bloodline in your spirit's origin and augment it with the bloodline, essence, and neidan of a strong dragon-type spirit beast, your spirit can evolve into a dragon. Well, probably Flood Dragon, to be precise."
"This is the method for solving your problem, Senior."
"I call this method the Martial Soul's Ancestral Evolution or Bloodline Awakening of Martial Soul!"