This novel has been finished on Patreon! Over 1000 Chapters šavailable! Thank you to all my Patrons for the support over this and the other novels <3
I've also recently started a new translation, please check it out and show your support! Douluo: Seven Kill Shock the World
-------------------------
Back when Dugu Bo had broken through to level 90, his body had been completely immobilized. It was precisely because of this that he had been powerless to save his son.
This clearly showed that for soul masters, breaking through was by no means as simple as drinking water.
As Ye Wen had anticipatedā
Soon enough, a steady stream of people began approaching the Dugu residence. However, given the fearsome reputation of Dugu Bo and the fact that it was his estate, no one dared to violate the taboo and enter to investigate.
But at the same time, leaving without answers left many feeling reluctant.
As time passed, a sinister green toxic mist began to spread, and Dugu Bo's figure appeared at the entrance of the estate.
Seeing his towering presence, all those who had been lurking outside instinctively swallowed hard, their resolve wavering.
At this moment, Dugu Bo spoke indifferently: "My old friend Chen Gang has just broken through to become a Title Douluo, and the commotion was a bit louder than expected. That's all there is to it. You're all dismissedāleave now. Anyone who dares trespass will be killed without mercy."
With that, Dugu Bo returned to the courtyard.
Dugu Bo's words left little room for argument. The spies exchanged glances before retreating to report back to their respective masters.
Meanwhile, Chen Gang had finally overcome the stiffness that came with his breakthrough. After standing up and stretching his limbs, the sound of popping joints echoed continuously.
Chen Gang's appearance had undergone a dramatic change, causing Ye Wen and the others to glance at him in surprise.
His robust muscles remained, but his face had regained its youthful vigor. However, due to his long-standing habit of growing a thick beard, he still looked rugged.
It wasn't long before Ye Xixi, as Chen Gang's daughter, noticed something amiss.
"Father, weren't your hair and beard originally a different color?"
Chen Gang, upon hearing this, glanced down at his beard.
"That's strange. When I was young, my hair wasn't redāit was golden. Why has it turned golden now?"
Given Dugu Bo's presence, no one was particularly surprised that a Title Douluo would regain their youthful appearance.
Ye Wen had been momentarily distracted, imagining that if Chen Gang were to lose his eyesight, he could cosplay as Xie Xun, the Golden-Haired Lion King. But now, snapping out of his thoughts, he responded:
"Grandpa Chen Gang, it seems your martial soul has evolved, leading to these physical changes."
Ye Wen then recalled the majestic lion shadow that had appeared behind Chen Gang earlier. With some uncertainty, he asked:
"Grandpa Chen Gang, if I'm not mistaken, your martial soul is a subspecies of the Flame Lion. While there are minor differences between them, they shouldn't be considered an evolution from one to the other. Do you know what your martial soul has evolved into?"
Upon hearing this, Chen Gang closed his eyes briefly to sense his martial soul before responding with a hint of joy:
"My martial soul has indeed evolved.
However, Xiao Wen, you're mistaken. My Blazing Fury Lion martial soul has strictly evolved toward becoming a Flame Lion.
What you may not know is that the Blazing Fury Lion is a variant of the Flame Lion whose bloodline contains impurities that cause it to go berserk. Though the differences aren't significant, the Blazing Fury Lion is far more violent and lacks rationality.
Because of this, soul masters with the Blazing Fury Lion martial soul often go insane unless they possess strong mental fortitude to suppress it. I suffered greatly because of this in my youth."
Ye Wen nodded in understanding. Though he had read many books, detailed information on rare spirit beasts like the Flame Lion was scarce, and much of what he knew was hearsay.
The Flame Lion fell into this category. If Chen Gang's martial soul had evolved toward the Flame Lion, it was truly an unexpected boon, as this martial soul was terrifyingly powerful.
From what Ye Wen knew, the current wielder of this martial soul was the Fourth Elder of the Spirit Hall's Worship Hallāthe Lion Roar Douluo. This formidable expert not only possessed a soul power level of 97 but also had the terrifying ability to dominate beast-type soul masters below the Soul Sage level. He was truly a warrior capable of taking on ten thousand enemies.
(T/N: I checked the wiki and it says that the 4th Worship, has the Golden Lion as his martial soul, NOT the Flame Lion. Apart from that, there's no information on his soul skills and other information. I'm not sure if it's different in the manhua cause I haven't seen it. Not sure if author just messed up or made it up for the story.)
However, in Ye Wen's memory, this character was merely a side character in the original novel, with his abilities only elaborated upon in later derivative works. It seemed his powers were unleashed through soul skills.
Hmm...
But none of that mattered now. Regardless of whether he possessed those soul skills, the strength of Chen Gang's martial soul had visibly increased.
Feeling the fire element in the air, which was now far more active than beforeāalmost reaching its peakāYe Wen thoughtfully recalled Chen Gang's earlier words. It seemed Chen Gang's martial soul wasn't just a simple Flame Lion.
After nodding dismissively, Ye Wen asked, "Grandpa, you've gone through a lot. So, is your martial soul now the Flame Lion?"
Chen Gang slowly shook his head, though this was within Ye Wen's expectations. Then, Chen Gang explained:
"I said it's evolving toward the Flame Lion, but my martial soul hasn't stopped there. It has reached an entirely new level. My martial soul can now be called the Flame Lion Emperor."
"Wow!" Ye Xixi and her daughter exclaimed in unison.
They knew their father and grandfather had gained significant benefits, but they hadn't expected such an enormous leap. Adding the word "Emperor" to a martial soul made it even more extraordinary!
However, Chen Gang was slightly surprised to see Ye Wen's calm expression, as he simply nodded with an "I see."
"Xiao Wen, why do you look so unfazed? My martial soul has evolved into the Flame Lion Emperor!"
After another dismissive nod, Ye Wen replied:
"I understand, Grandpa. But right now, I'm more concerned about something else. The fire-element capabilities of your martial soul must have become significantly stronger than before."
Seeing Ye Wen's composed demeanor, Chen Gang, who had initially hoped for some admiration, felt somewhat disappointed.
Chen Gang gave a slight nod and conjured a ball of golden flames in his hand.
"You're correct. What of it?"
Though he asked the question, Chen Gang's mind was elsewhere, as he began reflecting on himself.
Breaking through to the Title Douluo level and regaining his youth had made him feel a bit overconfident. For someone who needed to make decisions and think strategically, this wasn't a good sign.
But just as Chen Gang began to reflect, Ye Wen suddenly said: "Grandpa, the evolution of your martial soul isn't the greatest benefit you've gained. The most significant advantage is that your martial soul's attribute has now reached the level of Ultimate Fire."
This statement left Chen Gang and the others looking confused, as the term Ultimate Fire was unfamiliar to them.
At this moment, Ye Wen realized his slip of the tongue. The concept of "Ultimate Attributes" wouldn't emerge until the era of The Unrivaled Tang Sect, thousands of years in the future.
---
T/N: For Patrons, don't forget to vote for which story gets 4 Chapters/Day for next week! Checkout the community Chats for the link or use the tag 'Weekly Vote' to get to the post!
------------------------------------------------------
Support my writing journey: patreon.com/EphemeralShadow
40+ Chapters Ahead Guaranteed.