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After the purple spirit light flashed, the Angelic Sacred Sword instantly transformed into a continuously burning, platinum-flame sword.
The platinum flames extended endlessly toward the sky, distorting the very air around them!
Standing beside Xiao Xue, Ye Lan immediately felt the surrounding temperature rise sharply.
Xiao Xue held the sword of flames with both hands, bringing it down vertically towards the 'Swamp Poison Dragon'! The moment the tip of the fiery blade was aimed at the 'Swamp Poison Dragon,' the platinum-flame sword transformed into a concentrated beam of golden flame energy that shot towards its target.
The instant the 'Angel's Wrath' collided with the 'Polluting Sludge,' the previously flowing 'black mire' was instantly baked dry by the intense heat, solidifying into hard black clumps.
Under the 'Swamp Poison Dragon's' incredulous gaze, the solidification of the 'black mire' continued unabated.
It watched helplessly as the vast amount of sludge it had spewed out turned into solid black chunks of earth, and it could feel the moisture around its neck being rapidly absorbed by the drying purple mud.
At this moment, the 'Swamp Poison Dragon' felt as if it had been subjected to Medusa's gaze.
In a matter of moments, the 'Swamp Poison Dragon' was completely bound by the hardened mud armor that had been baked dry all over its body, rendering it unable to move a single inch!
Even after the 'Swamp Poison Dragon' was baked into an earthen statue, the 'Angel's Wrath' had not yet ceased its assault!
The 'Angel's Wrath' continued to roast the dragon-shaped mud sculpture relentlessly.
At this time, the 'Swamp Poison Dragon' felt its scales all over its body gradually become scorching hot. These scales were rapidly losing moisture, becoming rough and beginning to peel.
Under the roasting heat of the 'Myriad Scales,' the 'Swamp Poison Dragon' let out a painful, mighty roar.
Gradually, the dragon's roar grew faint, its life fading away.
Ye Lan shouted loudly, "Yanyan, now's your chance!"
Hearing Ye Lan's command, Xiao Xue immediately retracted the 'Angel's Wrath.'
Dugu Yan leaped instantly towards the dragon-shaped mud sculpture.
At that moment, Ning Rongrong spoke rapidly, "The Nine Treasures are known: first is Power, second is Speed, third is Spirit!"
Dugu Yan's strength immediately rose to another level! Fueled by the memory of the 'Swamp Poison Dragon's' earlier mockery of her, the enraged Dugu Yan unconsciously unleashed one hundred and twenty percent of her spirit power!
Bang!!
Facing Dugu Yan's punch, which was filled with rage, the 'Swamp Poison Dragon' mud sculpture was instantly shattered into countless pieces!
A purple spirit ring slowly floated up from the scattered remains.
Seeing the furious Dugu Yan, Ning Rongrong muttered to herself, "Yanyan is so terrifying!"
Zhu Zhuqing smiled and said, "Now you know how frightening Sister Yanyan can be, right?"
Xiong Er and Da Ju, however, caught the scent of cooked dragon meat and immediately ran over to the scattered remains of the 'Swamp Poison Dragon' to feast heartily.
Ye Lan smiled helplessly at the two greedy gluttons, then said, "Yanyan, you can begin absorbing the spirit ring now!"
"Okay!" Dugu Yan nodded in anticipation, then sat cross-legged before the purple spirit ring and began to absorb the 'Swamp Poison Dragon's' spirit ring. However, Dugu Yan's absorption process this time was not as smooth as Ning Rongrong's or Ye Lenglen's had been.
She was absorbing a dragon-type spirit ring that was beyond her age limit. Although Dugu Yan's martial soul was the 'Jade Phosphor Dragon Emperor,' the incredibly violent spirit power of the 'Swamp Poison Dragon' still continuously battered her meridians, her martial soul, and her physical body.
Before long, dense beads of sweat appeared on Dugu Yan's forehead, and a wave of heat steamed from her body.
Seeing Dugu Yan's painful expression, Ye Lenglen immediately summoned her 'Nine-Heart Sacred Begonia' to heal Dugu Yan's body.
Countless white and pink petals floated towards Dugu Yan, and the intensity of her convulsions began to decrease.
With the healing from the 'Nine-Heart Sacred Begonia,' the impact of the 'Swamp Poison Dragon' spirit ring was now rendered useless.
Although each surge from the spirit ring injured Dugu Yan, the 'Nine-Heart Sacred Begonia' would instantly heal her body back to its peak condition.
The Silver Wolf, witnessing this scene, exclaimed in amazement, "The 'Nine-Heart Sacred Begonia' is terrifyingly effective! From now on, when Xiao Lan and the others absorb spirit rings, they won't have to worry about violent spirit power rampages anymore!"
Ye Lan spoke up to explain, "With Lenglen present, that is indeed the case. As long as the body can withstand the total amount of spirit power from the spirit ring, the absorption is virtually risk-free."
"However, if the absorbed spirit ring exceeds one's own absolute limit, there is still a significant risk of death! After all, there's a finite amount of spirit power a body can absorb. Exceeding that limit could very well cause the body to explode!"
After hearing Ye Lan's explanation, Ning Rongrong's and Zhu Zhuqing's eyes lit up.
"Teacher's explanation was excellent! We've learned more about martial souls!"
Xiao Xue looked at Ye Lan with adoration. Ye Lan's understanding of martial souls was as sharp and insightful as ever.
A long time later, under Ye Lenglen's continuous healing, Dugu Yan successfully absorbed the six-thousand-year 'Swamp Poison Dragon' spirit ring!
The awakened Dugu Yan immediately flew towards Ye Lan, wrapped her arms around his head, and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.
Ning Rongrong was stunned when she saw Dugu Yan's bold action!
Ning Rongrong's cheeks flushed red, and she stammered incoherently, "You wicked woman, you… you, you..."
Zhu Zhuqing covered her eyes with her hands, too shy to look at Ye Lan and Dugu Yan.
Xiao Xue looked at the audacious Dugu Yan, feeling a little jealous.
Xiao Xue, you need to be bolder! Xue Qinghe would never be as timid as you!
After kissing Ye Lan's cheek, Dugu Yan's own face instantly turned crimson.
She quickly pulled away, not daring to meet Ye Lan's gaze.
Will Ye Lan be disgusted with her?!
Seeing his granddaughter's bold move, Dugu Bo couldn't help but laugh out loud, "Yanyan, well done!"
Dugu Yan exclaimed in embarrassment, "Grandpa!"
"Ha! Haha!" Dugu Bo laughed even more heartily.
Ye Lan was a bit dazed from being kissed by Dugu Yan; he could still feel the soft touch of her lips lingering on his cheek.
Ye Lenglen broke the awkward silence, "Yanyan, how do you feel after absorbing the spirit ring?"
Dugu Yan said happily, "After absorbing the 'Swamp Poison Dragon' spirit ring, my spirit power level has reached level forty-four!"
Dugu Bo said excitedly, "That's my Yanyan! What kind of spirit ability did you get? It's not that 'Swamp Transformation,' is it? That spirit ability is amazing; it can grant immunity to physical attacks!"
"Grandpa, it's not 'Swamp Transformation'! That spirit ability is so ugly! I got the Toxic Dragon Battle Armor!" Dugu Yan announced excitedly.
"Good, good, good! That spirit ability sounds powerful just from its name!"
Not wanting to dampen everyone's enthusiasm, Dugu Yan decisively activated her martial soul and released the 'Toxic Dragon Battle Armor'!
The moment the 'Toxic Dragon Battle Armor' appeared, it completely captured Ye Lan's attention.
The 'Toxic Dragon Battle Armor' presented an overall style that was both oppressive and mysterious. It fit Dugu Yan's body perfectly, flawlessly contouring her curves and showcasing a combination of feminine grace and immense power.
The armor was a full-body suit, leaving only Dugu Yan's mouth, nose, and chin exposed. On the helmet, two sharp, purple dragon horns pointed towards the sky, like two sharp blades piercing the clouds.
Below the dragon horns were two large, emerald-green dragon eyes, and the chest plate was fashioned into the shape of a ferocious dragon's maw.
The upper part of the armor was composed of countless hard, jade-green dragon scales. These scales varied in size and were tightly arranged, forming a perfect defensive layer. Green patterns flowed across the armor's surface, constantly glowing with an eerie green light.
Her arms were encased in overlapping layers of dragon scales, and her fingers ended in sharp, silver dragon claws. Two long, purple bone spurs extended from behind her elbows.
The lower half of the armor was similar in style to the upper half, with the notable difference of a thick dragon tail extending from the waist at the back.
Seeing the incredibly cool 'Toxic Dragon Battle Armor,' Ye Lan instantly gasped in amazement.
What kind of divine spirit ability is this?!
This armor is so beautiful that I'd want it even if it had no power at all!
This is basically the Douluo Dalu version of Kamen Rider Dragon Knight!
Dugu Yan then explained, "The Toxic Dragon Battle Armor increases my strength and defense by one hundred percent, and my spirit power by fifty percent!"
"That's insane!" everyone exclaimed in shock.
"This is all thanks to Ye Lan and Xiao Xue! Thank you, Xiao Xue, for helping me defeat the 'Swamp Poison Dragon'!" Dugu Yan said cheerfully.
Hearing Dugu Yan's thanks, Xiao Xue's jealousy lessened considerably.
Seeing that the sky was about to darken, Ye Lan suggested, "Let's find a dry place to camp. It's not wise to travel at night."
"Okay!" everyone agreed.
Subsequently, the girls began to prepare food and a campfire under Ye Lan's direction, while the Titled Douluos and the Silver Wolf set up the tents.
Ye Lan looked at the large bonfire that had been lit and the well-pitched tents.
He thought to himself with satisfaction: Now this feels like a real camping atmosphere!
Before he could enjoy the feeling for long, Ye Lan saw Ning Rongrong attempting to handle the roasted fish by the fire.
He cried out in alarm and rushed to stop her.
Ning Rongrong's reputation as a master chef of the dark culinary arts had already spread throughout the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy!
He had no desire to numb his sense of taste again to sample Ning Rongrong's "delicacies"!
After finishing his various tasks, Ye Lan finally had a moment to relax, half-lying against Xiong Er's back, enjoying the warmth of the campfire and the various roasted wild vegetables and meats.
Feeling quite content, Ye Lan noticed that Xiao Xue looked preoccupied with something.
He directly pushed a piece of roasted meat into Xiao Xue's mouth and asked, "What are you thinking about, Xiao Xue?! Eat up, eat up, the barbecue will get cold soon!"
Xiao Xue flusteredly took a few bites of the meat Ye Lan had fed her, her cheeks instantly turning red.
Ye Lan looked at the flushed Xiao Xue in confusion and touched her forehead.
Why is she so hot?
"Xiao Xue, are you alright?"
Feeling Ye Lan's large hand, Xiao Xue's face turned an even deeper shade of red, and she quickly ran off towards a nearby stream.
Ye Lan watched her go, puzzled, with no idea what had just happened to Xiao Xue.
At that moment, Dugu Bo came over, clearly looking like he'd had a bit too much to drink. "Xiao Lan, come have a drink with your old grandpa!"
Faced with Grandpa Dugu's enthusiasm, Ye Lan had no choice but to take large gulps of fruit wine with him, putting aside his thoughts about Xiao Xue's strange behavior.
Xiao Xue crouched by the stream, repeatedly scooping up the cool water and splashing it on her face.
She was trying to calm herself down, to stop her mind from racing!
Later that night, a full moon hung high in the sky.
The quiet hillside was filled with only the chirping of insects.
Ye Lan was sleeping in a very casual posture; spending the day rushing around with Xiong Er in search of spirit rings had truly exhausted them.
In a hazy, half-asleep state, Ye Lan suddenly felt something soft on his lips.
Ye Lan subconsciously licked his lips.
Hmm, a little sweet.
Xiao Xue, who had been moving with the stealth of a cat, felt her heart begin to pound furiously!
Thump, thump, thump!
It felt as if her heart was about to leap out of her chest! Panicked, Xiao Xue quickly fled the scene of the crime!
That's right!
The reason Xiao Xue had been so preoccupied during the campfire feast was that she had been constantly trying to build up her courage.
After Dugu Yan's bold move during the day, Xiao Xue realized that she needed to be more daring herself.
However, with so many people around, she couldn't summon the courage she once had as Xue Qinghe.
So, after much deliberation, she decided to launch a surprise attack on Ye Lan in the middle of the night!
During the feast, images of kissing Ye Lan had flashed through her mind repeatedly.
When Ye Lan interrupted her thoughts, her face had instantly turned beet red.
In the middle of the night, Xiao Xue tossed and turned, unable to sleep.
She wanted to kiss Ye Lan but was afraid of being discovered by him and the others.
Finally, throwing caution to the wind, Xiao Xue decided to take the initiative!
It was just that the moment she kissed Ye Lan, his subconscious reaction...
Back in her own tent, Xiao Xue covered her face with her hands, repeatedly cheering in her heart:
Xiao Xue, you did it! You actually did it!
Then, she remembered Ye Lan's action from just moments ago, and she was overcome with a mix of shock and embarrassment.
Caught in a whirlwind of excitement and shyness, Xiao Xue didn't sleep a wink for the rest of the night.
The next morning.
After a simple meal, Ye Lan and his group began their search for a suitable spirit ring for Zhu Zhuqing.
Ye Lan decided to look for a shadow-element, speed-type, cat-like spirit beast for Zhu Zhuqing.
Thanks to the tireless efforts of the 'plants,' they finally located a 'Shadowy Night Cat' of about two thousand five hundred years.
Zhu Zhuqing had absorbed two immortal herbs, both of which had enhanced her physical constitution, so absorbing a spirit ring that exceeded her limit by two thousand five hundred years was no problem at all.
Having found their target, Ye Lan's group immediately set off towards their destination.
At noon, they finally arrived at the Shadowy Gloom Forest.
At that moment, the clear sky suddenly darkened.
The trees in the Shadowy Gloom Forest were not only extremely dense but also shrouded in a black mist, making the environment exceedingly dim.
Ning Rongrong shivered and clung to Zhu Zhuqing's arm, murmuring, "Ye Lan, is the 'Shadowy Night Cat' in here? This place is so eerie!"
"We're almost there! Don't be a scaredy-cat!" Ye Lan summoned 'Blue Silver Grass' nearby to provide some light for everyone.
Then, Ye Lan directly activated his Golden Pupils.
In such a dark environment, only the 'Golden Pupils' could clearly see the shadow-element 'Shadowy Night Cat.'
However, the moment he activated his 'Golden Pupils,' Ye Lan was startled.
Dugu Bo and the others were chuckling; they had sensed the little cat's presence as soon as they arrived.
If Ye Lan took another step forward, he would have trodden on it!
Through the perspective of the Golden Pupils, the 'Shadowy Night Cat' was right in front of Ye Lan, merely two meters away, sitting and licking its fur. In normal vision, the spot where the 'Shadowy Night Cat' was located was completely dark, perfectly blended with its surroundings.
The moment he saw the 'Shadowy Night Cat,' Ye Lan said decisively, "Zhuqing, ten o'clock, three meters!"
Hearing Ye Lan's command, Zhu Zhuqing decisively activated her 'Shadow Sacred Cat' martial soul.
After her martial soul possessed her, Zhu Zhuqing's dynamic vision, night vision, and perception of shadows increased dramatically.
Only now could Zhu Zhuqing clearly see the 'Shadowy Night Cat's' appearance.
The 'Shadowy Night Cat' was more than twice the size of a domestic cat, with a long, slender, and agile body. Its lower legs were thin, while its thighs were packed with explosive power.
Its entire body was covered in fur as deep and black as the night, with a faint, ghostly light shimmering on it. The tips of its ears and tail were a deep purple, and its eyes were as purely black as the abyss.
Zhu Zhuqing asked in confusion, "Teacher, is this 'Shadowy Night Cat' really two thousand five hundred years old? It looks so small!"
Ning Rongrong asked, puzzled, "Where, where? Why can't I see anything?"
Ye Lan smiled, "'Shadow-element' spirit beasts are renowned as assassins of the dark! Of course, you can't see it, Rongrong."
"Zhuqing, don't be fooled by its small size. Its combat power is quite formidable. Want to give it a try?"
"Alright! 'Nether Thrust'!" Zhu Zhuqing instantly activated her first spirit ability.
The 'Shadow Sacred Cat' turned into an afterimage, lunging in front of the 'Shadowy Night Cat,' and her dagger, 'Dark Night,' was immediately unsheathed.
A black crescent slash instantly shot towards the 'Shadowy Night Cat.' To Zhu Zhuqing's astonishment, after a flicker of shadow energy on the 'Shadowy Night Cat,' it remained in place, indifferently licking its fur. The black crescent slash passed right through the 'Shadowy Night Cat's' body and struck the ground.
Countless clumps of soil were sent flying by the impact, creating a semi-circular shockwave of dirt.
Though shocked, Zhu Zhuqing's hands did not stop moving.
Countless thin purple threads formed a cross-hatching grid, completely enveloping the 'Shadowy Night Cat'!
At this moment, the 'Shadowy Night Cat' finally moved!
It finished grooming its fur, stood up, yawned, and stretched leisurely.
Ning Rongrong asked in confusion, "Ye Lan, why is Zhuqing swinging her blade at that patch of darkness? Is something there?"
Ye Lan remarked with a sigh, "Truly worthy of being a 'Shadowy Night Cat.' What a troublesome ability!"
Just as Xiao Xue was about to ask Ye Lan about the 'Shadowy Night Cat's' spirit abilities, the beast moved.
The 'Shadowy Night Cat' transformed into a black shadow, its dark claws unsheathed from its paws, and it swiped at Zhu Zhuqing with eight intersecting claw marks.
Zhu Zhuqing's reaction was not slow; she immediately raised her blade to block.
Clang! Clang!
The 'Shadowy Night Cat's' claws were like metal as they clashed with 'Dark Night.'
Feeling the force of the impact transmitted through 'Dark Night,' Zhu Zhuqing exclaimed in surprise, "I can touch it now?!"
Ye Lan stated decisively, "It has used its innate ability. It probably can't use it again for a short while! Zhuqing, now is your chance!"
Ning Rongrong no longer cared what kind of spirit beast Zhu Zhuqing was fighting and quickly chanted, "The Nine Treasures are known: first is Power. Second is Speed. Third is Spirit!"
Feeling the dramatic increase in power and spirit energy within her, Zhu Zhuqing decisively activated her 'Sacred Cat - Speed Form.'
With her speed boosted once again, Zhu Zhuqing instantly dashed to the side of the 'Shadowy Night Cat.'
Zhu Zhuqing swung her blade diagonally at the 'Shadowy Night Cat's' waist.
The moment 'Dark Night' touched the 'Shadowy Night Cat,' it dissolved into a shadow, moving like a bolt of lightning to instantly appear behind Zhu Zhuqing.
So fast!
All Zhu Zhuqing saw was the afterimage of black lightning!
Having teleported behind the cat-eared girl, the 'Shadowy Night Cat' immediately used Shadow Claw!
A massive black claw shadow instantly struck towards Zhu Zhuqing.
Zing! Zing!
At that moment, Zhu Zhuqing felt a searing pain on her back, and her spirit power was gradually being eroded by the 'Shadow Power.'
Even with her Indestructible Vajra Body, the 'Shadow Claw' instantly tore through the skin on Zhu Zhuqing's back, drawing several spurts of blood.
Zhu Zhuqing's first spirit ability lit up again, and combined with her quick-draw technique, another black crescent slash shot towards the 'Shadowy Night Cat.'
However, the 'Black Crescent Moon' once again passed through the 'Shadowy Night Cat's' body, flying towards the numerous trees in the distance.
Countless trees were sliced in two by the 'Black Crescent Moon,' crashing to the ground with a loud boom.
At this point, Ye Lan said, "Zhu Zhuqing, it used its innate ability again. Physical attacks are ineffective against it right now. It only solidifies for the instant it attacks!"
"Got it!" Zhu Zhuqing instantly understood her teacher's meaning.
At that moment, countless white and pink flower petals floated towards Zhu Zhuqing.
The wounds on Zhu Zhuqing's back began to heal, but the healing speed was much slower than usual. It was apparent that the 'Shadow Claw' also had a healing reduction effect.
Although the healing wasn't as effective as usual, feeling the coolness on her back allowed Zhu Zhuqing to completely ignore her injuries. Zhu Zhuqing sheathed 'Dark Night' and closed her eyes tightly.
The 'Shadowy Night Cat' tilted its head, looking at the closed-eyed cat-eared girl with its pitch-black pupils.
Although the cat-eared girl's eyes were closed, it still felt a hint of threat, and the night-black fur on its spine bristled slightly.
Moreover, its 'Shadow Power' state was about to expire. Even so, the 'Shadowy Night Cat' cautiously circled the 'cat-eared girl' at high speed.
Within seconds, after circling an unknown number of times, the 'Shadowy Night Cat' suddenly lunged at the back of the cat-eared girl's neck on the left side.
The cat-eared girl's scabbard was on her right side, so it decided to attack her most vulnerable point on the rear left.
The 'Shadowy Night Cat' transformed into a black shadow and used 'Shadow Claw' again.
The very instant the 'Shadowy Night Cat' attacked…
Clang!
Zhu Zhuqing instantly drew 'Dark Night,' and a black line of light shot towards the 'Shadowy Night Cat.'
The corners of the 'Shadowy Night Cat's' mouth curled up slightly. Its true attack was never the first strike!
Shadow Step!
The 'Shadowy Night Cat' once again turned into black lightning, instantly appearing behind the cat-eared girl as she turned.
Just as the 'Shadowy Night Cat' appeared, Zhu Zhuqing's second spirit ring lit up.
Countless black sword shadows appeared in the space where the 'Shadowy Night Cat' had just teleported.
'Nether Hundred Claws' originally increased the attack power and speed of Zhu Zhuqing's claws, allowing her to strike the same spot on an enemy hundreds of times in a very short period.
After Zhu Zhuqing became a speed-type spirit master, she rarely used the 'Nether Hundred Claws' spirit ability.
This was because she fought by converting her speed into attack power.
If she used 'Nether Hundred Claws' while stationary, she wouldn't be able to utilize her speed to boost her attack power.
As Zhu Zhuqing's mastery of the sword path progressed, she creatively developed the 'Nether Hundred Slashes'!
She utilized the immense attack speed boost from 'Nether Hundred Claws' to unleash hundreds of slashes!
After the countless black sword shadows appeared, the 'Shadowy Night Cat's' consciousness faded while it was still reveling in the joy of having gotten behind the cat-eared girl.
The 'Shadowy Night Cat' was instantly sliced into countless pieces of meat by the sword shadows, which fell chunk by chunk onto the dark soil.
Zhu Zhuqing panted heavily, kneading her right wrist with her left hand.
Unleashing so many sword shadows in such a short time had consumed an enormous amount of her energy.
The reason she had used 'Nether Hundred Slashes' just now was that she had predicted the 'Shadowy Night Cat' would once again use its extremely fast black lightning to teleport behind her.
But Zhu Zhuqing couldn't see behind her, so she decided to use the wide-area 'Nether Hundred Slashes' directly.
This way, no matter where the 'Shadowy Night Cat' teleported behind her, she would be able to cut it to pieces.
(End of Chapter)