Dugu Bo held the inner core of the Ten-Headed Blazing Serpent in front of his eyes, swallowing hard.
It had been seven or eight years since he last consumed an Immortal Herb, and his Soul Power had already reached level 94. However, he had been stuck at this level ever since, as if an invisible barrier prevented him from breaking through to level 95.
He understood that this was the limit of his potential, a limit he had only reached thanks to the Immortal Herb.
Dugu Bo was somewhat unwilling to accept this, but the gap between level 94 and 95 was like a chasm that had blocked the advancement of countless Title Douluo throughout history.
Feeling the Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor's intense desire for the inner core, he was well aware of the benefits it could bring him.
With a single gulp, he swallowed it. Dugu Bo immediately felt a scorching heat slide down from his mouth into his stomach. Beads of cold sweat began to form on his forehead.
The heat, the pain, it felt as if all the blood in his body was flowing backward. Even the Jade Phosphor Serpent Venom stored in his Soul Bone began to surge back. This discovery alarmed him greatly. After all, this was one of the most potent poisons in the world, and even he couldn't fully neutralize it.
But soon, he realized it was a false alarm. The Jade Phosphor Serpent Venom didn't linger in his body but instead rushed straight toward his Jade Phosphor Serpent Spirit, eventually merging into the head of the Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor.
However, the changes didn't stop there. Some of his reversed blood flow also seeped into the Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor Spirit, along with the energy from the Ten-Headed Blazing Serpent's inner core.
The pain was excruciating, as if his Martial Soul was being torn apart. Dugu Bo clenched his teeth tightly.
Crack, crack—
In a daze, Dugu Bo seemed to hear a series of crisp sounds. When he looked inward at his Martial Soul, he saw the Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor shedding its skin.
First, the head, then the body, and finally, the serpent's head began to bite at the skin of its tail until the entire layer of skin had been shed. Only then did Dugu Bo begin to feel relief from the pain.
Slowly opening his eyes, he saw the concerned gazes of Li Xun and the others. Dugu Bo smiled, "Good kid, I didn't spoil you for nothing."
"How is it? Has your Martial Soul changed?" Li Xun was the first to ask.
Dugu Bo extended his right hand, and a long, dark green serpent suddenly coiled around his arm. "The inner core of the Ten-Headed Blazing Serpent was incredibly hot, but for some reason, my Martial Soul now seems to have a water attribute."
"However, I've also gained some benefits from this. My Martial Soul is now called the Jade Phosphor Mystic Serpent."
Li Xun was delighted, "Grandpa Dugu, I suspect it might be a case of extreme yang giving birth to yin. But regardless of the attribute, as long as it involves a mutated beast species, it counts as an evolution. What about your Soul Power? Have you reached level 95?"
"Level 95 isn't that easy to achieve..."
Dugu Bo shook his head, but seeing the look in Li Xun's eyes, he quickly added, "Although most of the energy this time was used for the evolution of my Martial Soul, I have touched the threshold of level 95. I believe I'll make a breakthrough in the coming days."
"And kid, what's with that look?"
"I'm just happy for you," Li Xun said with a satisfied nod, seeing that his efforts hadn't been in vain. "You should focus on improving in the next few days. We'll need your strength soon."
Li Xun's words brought everyone back to reality. While the addition of a level 95 Super Douluo to the sect was certainly cause for celebration, the birth of a 16-year-old Soul Saint was the true foundation and future of the sect. This was indeed a double blessing.
"Xiao Xun, have you decided which Soul Beast to hunt for your seventh Spirit Ring?" Ning Fengzhi asked with concern. Sword Douluo and Zhu Zhuqing, among others, also looked at Li Xun with curiosity.
"The Titan Giant Ape. Its age isn't too high, making it just right for me."
Although the Titan Snow King was easier to hunt compared to the inseparable duo of Da Ming and Er Ming, its age was too high. Li Xun felt it was better to play it safe with his seventh Spirit Ring.
In the following days, Li Xun spent his time waiting for Dugu Bo to make a breakthrough. Besides cultivating, he occasionally made his presence known in front of Qian Renxue.
After two years apart, Qian Renxue had changed significantly, most notably in her increasingly regal demeanor.
However, Li Xun had anticipated this. Having thoroughly studied Qian Renxue's personality, he didn't beat around the bush and directly informed her of his upcoming hunt for the seventh Spirit Ring, asking her to prepare accordingly.
Upon hearing this, Qian Renxue's imposing aura instantly dissipated, and she reverted to the joking senior sister she once was, realizing that Li Xun was about to obtain his second Ten Thousand Year Spirit Ring.
Li Xun was no stranger to this. While environment and status could change a person, Qian Renxue's pettiness wasn't something that could be easily eradicated in such a short time.
The Soul Hunt Operation and the Heavenly Dou coup were still three years away.
Compared to the original timeline, although Qian Renxue could openly accelerate her cultivation after ascending the throne, the wasted time wasn't so easily compensated. Her current cultivation level was only at the sixty-sixth rank.
As long as he remained stronger than Qian Renxue, she would continue to act the part of a benevolent ruler, given her hidden admiration for strength.
However, compared to the relatively easy-to-handle Qian Renxue, Li Xun was more concerned about Bibidong.
In recent years, Bibidong had been too quiet, so much so that Li Xun couldn't guess which stage of the Rakshasa God Trial she was undergoing. Moreover, the Spirit Hall hadn't made any significant moves.
Now that the Blue Lightning Tyrant School had been destroyed and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School had submitted, the Spirit Hall's path to unifying the continent seemed to only have the Star Luo Empire left.
Everything going too smoothly often wasn't a good thing, as no one could predict how Bibidong intended to destroy the continent. Would she shatter the planet after becoming a god?
But the power of a Rakshasa God alone might not be enough, right?
It probably wouldn't be that simple. What Li Xun feared most was a large-scale purge after the Spirit Hall's unification, as the saying goes, "When the hare is dead, the hound is boiled." Such things had happened countless times before, Li Xun thought with a frown.
He needed to ramp up the pressure and ensure the Spirit Hall didn't gain the upper hand.
He heard that the Clear Sky Sect had relocated to the Star Luo Empire and was doing quite well recently. They would be the first target.
In the following days, numerous reports about the friction between Star Luo and Heavenly Dou, as well as the rapid development of the Clear Sky Sect in recent days, appeared on Qian Renxue's desk.
At the edge of the Star Dou Great Forest, Li Xun and five Title Douluos descended. Although they could have called for more reinforcements from the Spirit Hall, after discussion, they deemed it unsafe.
The group concealed their tracks as they moved forward, reaching the outer edge of Star Dou in less than two days.
"Let's stop here. If we go any further, the distance between the two Soul Beasts' support would be too small, greatly increasing the risk of unnecessary trouble," Sword Douluo said, stopping the group from advancing further.
Li Xun understood and took out a small cage from his Soul Guiding Device. Inside was the rabbit that Xiao Wu had transformed into after her Sacrifice.
Thinking the scent might not be strong enough, he added some of Xiao Wu's clothes, which had been collected earlier.
Sword Douluo and the others didn't press Li Xun for details about his actions, but Snake Lance and Ci Xue couldn't help but express their doubts: "Can this really lure out the Titan Giant Ape?"
Li Xun nodded. Naturally, he wouldn't give a bad attitude to those who were helping him: "Rest assured, you two won't be making this trip for nothing."
They were asking about the principle, not whether it would succeed. However, seeing Li Xun's confident expression, Snake Lance and Ci Xue opened their mouths but didn't press further.
Time seemed to drag on. Just as everyone thought Li Xun's method wasn't working, Li Xun made a gesture and quickly put away Xiao Wu.
Through Perception Feedback, he had already detected the Titan Giant Ape's movements.
Everyone's hearts tightened, and they quickly dispersed, hiding their presence.
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