"Cough, senior, how have you been lately?"
Dugu Feng was the first to break the silence.
Ye Lingling took two steps forward, closing the distance to just two steps away from Dugu Feng.
"After absorbing the Immortal Herb last time, I've been cultivating inside the mansion! Just waiting for you to take me out for training!"
Her calm tone held no complaint, which actually left Dugu Feng at a loss.
Seizing the moment, he quickly responded: "I came precisely to take senior on an outing. I see your strength is almost reaching Soul Emperor level, perfect timing to hunt Spirit Beasts!"
Ye Lingling's progress somewhat surprised him.
She had already reached level fifty-eight.
Consuming the Immortal Herb really made a difference.
With the additional help from his Core Pearl, she would definitely break through to Soul Emperor within a year.
Dugu Feng offered no explanation for why he had taken so long to visit, which instead made Ye Lingling curious.
Besides the news about the Poison Demon King and Glazed Goddess that emerged during the first year after the Soul Master Competition.
Back then, Ye Lingling immediately knew it was Dugu Feng and Ning Rongrong.
Her heartache was understandable.
Whenever she heard people describe Dugu Feng and Ning Rongrong as a Divine Couple, bitterness welled up in Ye Lingling's heart.
Truth be told, she had met Dugu Feng earlier than Ning Rongrong.
Before Dugu Feng even enrolled in school, she had visited Dugu Mansion with her grandfather Ye Qingxin.
But she never expected Ning Rongrong would beat her to it.
However, Dugu Feng only stayed with Ning Rongrong for slightly over a year. Had he been cultivating all other times?
Ye Lingling believed that unless something important had happened, Dugu Feng wouldn't have taken this long to visit.
"There's been no news from you all this time!" Ye Lingling said.
As she spoke, Ye Lingling gestured for Dugu Feng to sit down, while she took the seat beside him.
Then she picked up the nearby teapot and began brewing tea.
Ye Lingling's tea brewing movements flowed like clouds and water, clearly cultivated since childhood, making it a delightful sight for Dugu Feng.
"I've been cultivating in a special place. After breaking through to Soul Emperor, I've been searching for suitable Spirit Beasts," Dugu Feng explained.
A delicate fragrance wafted through the air as Ye Lingling served the brewed tea, a flicker of joy passing through her heart.
So Dugu Feng hadn't come because he was cultivating, allowing her constantly anxious heart to finally settle.
"I just returned to Heaven Dou City a few days ago, just in time to witness the drama unfolding in the city." Within the royal family, the Crown Prince and the Prince are fighting over Xue Ye the Great's poisoning incident, and even I got involved..."
Dugu Feng recounted Qian Renxue's recruitment attempts, Prince Xue Xing deploying troops, and the crossbow attacks on the four single-attribute clans.
This series of events drew continuous exclamations of surprise from Ye Lingling.
"I had no idea so much had happened!" Ye Lingling sighed.
Simultaneously, she understood the level Dugu Feng now operated at. Even though she had already estimated highly of him, she still felt shocked inwardly.
Dugu Feng could already influence the empire's political situation.
After chatting for a while, their past affection gradually resurfaced, erasing the estrangement from years of separation.
An hour later, after consulting with Ye Qingxin, Ye Lingling followed Dugu Feng out of the Ye residence.
This time, Dugu Feng didn't plan to travel far from Heaven Dou City.
He intended to take Ye Lingling to cultivate at the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well.
"Senior, I've formed some theories about the Nine Heart Begonia Spirit's defect. It can definitely be resolved!"
The two of them hitched a carriage without hiring a driver. Dugu Feng calmly drove the horse toward the city gates.
Ye Lingling trembled, disbelief in her eyes. "What method do you have?"
"Your Martial Soul has such strict limitations—it must be an issue with its inheritance. If we can trigger a Spirit Mutation or Spirit Evolution, we can resolve the Martial Soul Defect!"
Ye Lingling immediately became dejected again. "Last time, you gave me that Eight Petal Immortal Orchid—such a miraculous Immortal Herb—and it still couldn't make my Martial Soul evolve!"
"Senior, but the Eight Petal Immortal Orchid has already altered part of your Martial Soul.
Cultivation speed is determined by the Martial Soul. Top-tier Martial Souls cultivate faster, and the power of Soul Skills is stronger. The Eight Petal Immortal Orchid changed your cultivation speed—how could it not have changed your Martial Soul?
It's just that the change lies in the essence of the Martial Soul, which isn't easily noticeable in daily life.
Perhaps it lacks the energy to promote evolution. I know a place rich with the essence of plants and herbs, perfect for your cultivation!"
Hope rose in Ye Lingling once more. If anyone else claimed they could solve her Martial Soul Defect and promote Spirit Evolution, she would dismiss them as a fraud.
But Dugu Feng was too extraordinary.
Ye Lingling had no choice but to believe him.
As they gradually approached Sunset Forest, Dugu Feng left the carriage in a supply town.
Then, hand in hand, he led Ye Lingling into Sunset Forest.
Naturally, their hands remained clasped together.
Ye Lingling's heart pounded wildly. Last time, right here in Sunset Forest, when Dugu Feng helped her hunt for her fourth Spirit Ring, their relationship had taken a leap in intimacy.
And now, they were back in Sunset Forest.
She felt that the day they would fully merge was not far off.
"Don't be nervous. There are no Spirit Beasts in Sunset Forest that can threaten me!" Dugu Feng sensed her tension and quickly reassured her.
Ye Lingling's long eyelashes curved slightly upward, as if she were rolling her eyes. Was she nervous about the Spirit Beasts?
She was nervous about him!
After walking for a while, Dugu Feng said, "I'll carry you while flying!"
He wrapped his arm around Ye Lingling's waist, pulling her entire body against his.
Then, the Blue Silver Emperor Right Leg Bone on his right leg emitted a faint glow.
The two of them lifted off the ground and soared into the sky.
They swiftly drifted toward the center of Sunset Forest.
Moments later, they first landed on the mountaintops flanking the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well.
"Last time, I already felt this place was special, but I had just obtained my fourth Spirit Ring and was too excited to ask you about it!" Ye Lingling exclaimed in amazement.
Dugu Feng gazed ahead at the thick, billowing steam, moist and carrying the scent of sulfur.
"Below, there's a hot spring where cold and heat intersect, containing immense ice and fire energy. The Immortal Herb I gave you came from here. Come, I'll take you down!"
Holding Ye Lingling, Dugu Feng descended. His arm and back respectively emitted icy and fiery energies.
The two energies swirled around them.
Forming a man-made miniature Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well, it protected Ye Lingling from the Cold Poison and fire toxins of the area.
Even Dugu Bo dared not cultivate here for extended periods due to the intense energy.
Only the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well could counteract the toxins.
And since Dugu Feng had tamed the Eight-Angle Black Ice Herb and Blazing Apricot Delight, he could create his own Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well at any time. After he filtered the Cold Poison and fire toxins, they could only serve as nourishment for his Overlord Venom.
Upon entering this place, the Overlord Venom within Dugu Feng's body grew active.
The Overlord Venom greatly favored this location—here, its energy could rapidly increase, making it a treasure land comparable to Slaughter City.
Slaughter City possessed dense mental toxins that could enhance the Overlord Venom's power in spiritual aspects.
Moreover, the toxic energies here were far more diverse, allowing the Overlord Venom to deduce endless variations.
(End of Chapter)