The next morning, as the first light of dawn appeared on the horizon, Dugu Yan leapt out of the wooden cabin, brimming with uncontrollable excitement.
With anticipation shining in her eyes, she woke up Fang Ling, who was meditating to absorb the remaining medicinal effects, and her grandfather, who was cultivating after having his poison cleansed.
"Grandpa, Fang Ling, it's my turn to take the immortal herb!" Her voice was filled with urgency.
After witnessing Fang Ling's tremendous improvement from taking an immortal herb, she too wanted to become a genius.
"All right, don't be impatient," Fang Ling said as he gently hugged her in an attempt to calm her excitement.
This sudden gesture made her feel shy. She quickly pulled away.
"Grandpa's watching. What are you doing?" Dugu Yan blushed and gave Fang Ling a playful glare.
"Not feeling so nervous now, are you?" Fang Ling smiled.
"Huh? That actually worked?" Dugu Yan was surprised to find that her trembling had eased.
"Let's go, to the Earth Dragon Golden Melon," Dugu Bo said calmly, his hands clasped behind his back. Although he appeared composed, he couldn't hide the excitement in his heart.
Watching his granddaughter about to take an immortal herb and undergo a significant transformation filled even a cautious Title Douluo like him with indescribable joy.
"Okay!" Dugu Yan smiled brightly and nodded.
The Earth Dragon Golden Melon was a top-tier earth-attribute immortal herb. It could only grow in places imbued with the purest dragon aura.
Now that pure-blooded dragons were nearly extinct, it could only be found in the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, said to house the buried corpse of a god-level Dragon King.
Dugu Yan skipped along and stopped before a vine exuding a heavy, earthy aura.
The vine lay flat on the ground, with oval-shaped green leaves.
At its center hung a watermelon-sized fruit about twenty centimeters long. Its surface was covered in pale golden dragon scales, similar to those on the Jade Heaven Dragon Arm, giving it a refined appearance.
She reached out to pick it but hesitated, unsure if there were any taboos. After a moment, she asked, "Is this the only one I can eat? What about the Snow Swan Kiss?"
She was familiar with the herbs here and recognized the snow-white, swan-neck-shaped herb that had nearly killed her grandfather.
Now that she had an external soul bone, she no longer feared poisonous residue. In fact, the more toxic the herb, the better.
She even imagined spraying her poison, making her enemies surrender, followed by a wave of cheering and admiration.
"The poison is too intense. Your body won't be able to withstand it. Transferring it to your external soul bone takes time, and your cultivation is still too weak to suppress it," Dugu Bo said, firmly rejecting the idea.
After careful discussion with Fang Ling, they decided not to risk using the Snow Swan Kiss.
Although the toxins could be transferred to the soul bone, the timing was too unpredictable.
Dugu Bo still had lingering fears, and Fang Ling didn't want her to take such a risk.
Even with the suppression of the Fragrant Silk Beauty Immortal Herb, the Snow Swan Kiss was not the best choice for cultivation.
Therefore, despite the attribute mismatch, the Earth Dragon Golden Melon was the most suitable option.
Improving her innate talent and evolving her martial soul was the only way for her to stand above her peers.
The Jade Phosphor Serpent wasn't a royal spirit, it was still somewhat lacking.
Though it was a snake-type martial soul, it lived on land, which barely connected it to the Earth Dragon Golden Melon.
More or less.
"The Jade Phosphor Serpent carries dragon blood, so it's fully compatible with this herb that only those with dragon bloodlines can consume."
Without further hesitation, Dugu Yan picked up the fruit and began peeling off the scales one by one.
Fang Ling had explained the proper method of consumption in detail.
The Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower required enduring intense inner trials and unbearable pain after consumption,failure to do so would result in wasted effort.
The Ice and Fire Twin Lotus was difficult to harvest and required withstanding extreme temperature changes, entering the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well at the precise moment.
The Lovesick Heartbroken Red required passing a test of true love before it could be picked.
The Earth Dragon Golden Melon was similar. To consume it, the user needed to peel off its dragon scales using blood containing a dragon bloodline and endure the crushing force of the earth.
If she could endure the pressure, her martial soul would evolve, and the results would be worth celebrating.
If she failed, the effects would be significantly reduced.
No one could help her with this process,it all depended on her own willpower.
As Dugu Yan endured the pain, her hands bleeding, she finally peeled off all the scales, revealing the earthy yellow flesh of the fruit.
The flesh was plump, but being an earth-attribute herb, it lacked juice.
A powerful dragon aura began to spread, and the scent from the fruit became overwhelmingly enticing.
She picked up a ceramic spoon and began devouring it eagerly.
As an earth-element herb, it was fitting to eat it using earthenware.
After all, the fruit was too large to eat directly,not to mention it wouldn't be very elegant.
Even while consuming an immortal herb, she wanted to maintain her dignity in front of Fang Ling and her grandfather.
The large chunks of fruit melted in her mouth, turning into energy and flowing down her throat. She ate quickly but didn't overeat.
After finishing, she lay down on the ground and immediately began meditating, circulating her soul power to absorb the herb's effects.
Dugu Bo and Fang Ling watched her closely.
Fang Ling's eyes glowed with red-golden light as he stared unblinkingly.
Dugu Bo used his spiritual power to sense her state, while Fang Ling could clearly see a dense and heavy force flowing through her meridians, spreading throughout her body.
As time passed, the pressure she endured gradually increased.
It felt like she was being crushed beneath Five Finger Mountain. Her body trembled, her teeth clenched, and her muscles instantly tightened.
She hadn't experienced the Monkey King's legendary trials, yet she now had to suffer his pain?
Fang Ling thought for a moment and came up with this odd comparison.
The Great Sage could endure it,but could she?
He could only hope she would succeed.
Three hours passed. The heavy earthy-yellow aura around her finally began to dim.
Fang Ling's eyes were full of joy.
It was all thanks to Qin Ming's training runs. They had significantly improved Dugu Yan's temperament.
Without that, this girl, spoiled since childhood, would never have been able to endure such pain.
Dugu Bo was a bit stunned. He never expected that the sweet girl who used to snuggle in his arms and call him "Grandpa" would grow up like this.
He chuckled softly,his granddaughter had truly grown up.
His face was full of pride and relief.
As the yellow glow faded, so did the crushing pressure.
Even to the naked eye, her breathing visibly relaxed.
The yellow aura became gentle, like a spring breeze or light drizzle, gradually merging into her body,completely different from its earlier intensity.
With the medicinal energy taking effect, the wounds on her hands began to heal, and the scabs naturally fell off.
A faint dragon aura began to emanate from her.
Although she possessed a dragon-type martial soul, the Jade Phosphor Serpent wasn't powerful enough at her current stage to produce such a presence.
This change indicated that her martial soul was already beginning to evolve under the herb's influence,moving toward a stronger dragon-type form.
Three more hours passed. As the last trace of yellow aura disappeared…
Dugu Yan's eyes suddenly opened, and she let out a clear, resonant dragon roar toward the clouds above.
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