The very nature of the Land Dragon Golden Melon made one thing abundantly clear—it was never meant to be eaten in any conventional sense. Perhaps, if one possessed a Martial Soul True Body, they could forcibly transform and swallow it whole like a Spirit Beast, digesting it through sheer physical superiority.
But that level was far beyond Chen Ming's current reach.
So he chose a method that was both more practical and more efficient.
Pressing the melon's stem against his dantian, he carefully began drawing out its energy, guiding it through his meridians—the extraordinary channels that carried and circulated power within his body.
As the energy flowed, more and more of it streamed out from the melon like delicate threads, entering Chen Ming under his precise control.
At the same time, as he absorbed this energy, he infused a portion of his own essence and vitality back into it. Then, by gradually slowing and redirecting the flow of his Spirit Power, he guided this now "marked" energy back into the Land Dragon Golden Melon.
At first, this process showed little visible effect.
But as Chen Ming persisted—three times a day, morning, noon, and night—refining it steadily over the course of an entire month, changes finally began to appear.
The melon, once the size of a cantaloupe, shrank slightly. Its weight lessened just a bit, and its shape became smoother and more refined, like a perfectly polished golden sphere.
Closing his eyes, Chen Ming could now sense its presence within a certain range. If he stood within three steps and waved his hand, the melon would subtly tremble in response.
When he focused his will and poured Spirit Power into it, the melon would glow faintly, its golden-earth energy making it feel even heavier, as though its density were increasing in response.
The Land Dragon Golden Melon was, by nature, a "dragon core" crafted for true dragons. Chen Ming could not absorb it directly—but he could awaken it externally and draw upon a portion of its power.
His ultimate goal was clear.
He wanted to refine it into an external core—something that was both an extension of himself and a weapon.
He didn't expect to reach the legendary heights of mythical artifacts, but with enough effort, he believed he could turn this Land Dragon Golden Melon into something of his own—a "Earth-Shattering Melon."
One day, it would serve both purposes.
In stillness, it would aid his cultivation, purifying his Martial Soul and refining his energy.
In battle, it would rise into the air and crash down like a falling meteor, crushing his enemies beneath its weight.
That—that was the kind of life-bound treasure Chen Ming truly desired.
For now, however, it could not yet be stored within his body. Their connection remained shallow, insufficient for it to function as a true weapon. Only when it could shrink down to the size of a pellet and be swallowed into his dantian, becoming a true core, would his refinement be considered complete.
Meanwhile, as his essence continued to be replenished and purified, his Martial Soul itself began to change.
When summoned now, the scales covering his body were no longer a dull earthen yellow, but tinged faintly with gold. What had once been heavy, cumbersome armor grew sleeker and more agile—yet paradoxically, its actual weight and defensive strength only increased.
Before, Chen Ming had looked like he was wearing heavy armor—and in truth, he was.
Now, he appeared clad in something lighter, more flexible… yet his defense had not diminished in the slightest. If anything, it had improved.
If his Martial Soul had once resembled crude, unrefined metal ore filled with impurities, then after absorbing part of the melon's power and undergoing initial transformation, it was now more like forged pig iron—still not perfect, but far superior to raw, untouched ore.
Then, one day, during his usual training, something clicked.
As he channeled his scales into pure energy and gathered them in his hand, they began to take shape—
forming, at last, into a metal shield engraved with draconic patterns.
At that moment, Chen Ming understood.
The time for him to obtain his next Spirit Ring had finally come.
Carrying the shield formed from his own scales, Chen Ming went to find Dugu Bo.
And thanks to everything Chen Ming had demonstrated during this time, even Dugu Bo had been deeply shaken.
After confirming that his granddaughter, Dugu Yan, was doing well at the Heaven Dou Royal Academy, Dugu Bo sent word to the outside world that Chen Ming was safe. Then, without further distraction, he threw himself entirely into research within the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
Chen Ming studied Dugu Bo's body—detoxifying him while probing the mysteries of a Titled Douluo and the deeper nature of Martial Souls.
Meanwhile, Dugu Bo immersed himself in the theories and methods Chen Ming had introduced, attempting to understand them and integrate them into his own cultivation and legacy.
In fact, he had begun to believe, deep down, that whatever he could glean from studying Chen Ming might ultimately prove more valuable than all the poison techniques he had accumulated over his lifetime.
Unfortunately, the pace of their research was anything but equal.
Chen Ming's understanding of Dugu Bo advanced rapidly, while Dugu Bo's comprehension of Chen Ming lagged far behind. Even when Chen Ming broke everything down step by step, explaining the principles in the simplest possible terms, Dugu Bo still struggled to keep up.
To compensate, he even built himself a wooden cabin near the outer edge of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, just to stay closer to Chen Ming.
That said… compared to Chen Ming's carefully calculated structure—both aesthetically pleasing and highly functional—Dugu Bo's self-built cabin looked rather crude and unsightly.
When Chen Ming pushed open the door and entered, Dugu Bo didn't react much at first. Instead, he glanced up at the sky.
"Hmm? Is it already time for treatment again?" he muttered. "Was I too absorbed in my work today? It feels earlier than usual…"
He began removing his upper garments, preparing for acupuncture and scraping therapy as usual—but Chen Ming reached out and stopped him.
"Senior, haven't you noticed anything different about me?"
"Different?" Dugu Bo frowned, looking him over. His gaze quickly settled on the shield in Chen Ming's hand. "Where did that come from?"
He noticed that, under Martial Soul possession, the scales on Chen Ming's body were noticeably fewer than before.
"…That's a Spirit Ability, right? It has to be a Spirit Ability, doesn't it?"
Even though he already had a rough guess, Dugu Bo still asked with a trace of hope.
"It's an ability I developed called 'Beast Soul Toolization," Chen Ming replied calmly.
With a thought, the dragon-patterned shield dissolved into energy and flowed back into his body. The missing scales on his form reappeared almost instantly.
Then, closing his eyes, Chen Ming focused his vitality and Spirit Power. Within seconds, the scales on his body seemed to melt, flowing toward his hand and condensing once more into the same shield.
The shield was about one meter long, half a meter wide, and roughly five millimeters thick—a rectangular, medium-sized shield by any standard.
As for its weight… it was easily over fifteen kilograms, making it far heavier than ordinary shields.
If not for the fact that it was part of his own Martial Soul—thus far easier for him to wield than its actual mass would suggest—simply lifting and using it would have required immense strength and stamina.
In defense, it could act like a wall, covering most of his body.
In offense, a single swing would be enough to shatter bones.
Its surface resembled metal, yet when Dugu Bo reached out to touch it, he could feel something more—faint vitality, a texture akin to stone, and the slow circulation of Chen Ming's Spirit Power within.
Influenced by Chen Ming's Martial Soul origin, the shield bore layered patterns like dragon scales, with faint streaks of gold threading through it. Under the sunlight, it radiated an imposing, almost oppressive aura.
Even on its own, it would qualify as a high-quality tool-type Martial Soul.
And yet… this was only a fragment of Chen Ming's power.
Though it didn't truly count as possessing twin Martial Souls—one beast, one tool—the advantage it granted him over ordinary Spirit Masters was undeniable.
"..."
Dugu Bo fell silent, as though his mind had momentarily disconnected. After a long pause, he let out a deep sigh and summoned his own Martial Soul.
"…Take a look for me," he said at last, his tone tinged with resignation and curiosity.
"Do you think my Martial Soul has the potential to be weaponized like yours?"
...
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