A fireball erupted from the Flame Beast King's mouth, barreling toward them.
Seeing that Lin Feng and the others couldn't dodge in time, Lin Ye stepped forward.
"Eighth Soul Skill: Extreme Flame Explosion!"
He hurriedly released his soul skill, intercepting the attack.
Boom!
The two energies collided, releasing a powerful shockwave that sent nearby lava quaking and cliffs collapsing.
As the energy subsided, the Flame Beast King took advantage of the aftermath and charged straight at Lin Feng and the others again.
"So, you like cheap shots, huh?"
"You can't win in a straight fight, so you rely on ambush?"
"Well, guess what—time to see what I'm good at."
A flash of inspiration lit up Lin Feng's eyes.
The nine heads of the Jade Phosphor Nine-Headed Dragon began to whip through the air.
"Come, you oversized brute!"
"Come over here to your granddaddy and let me rip that Fire Crystal off your thick damn skull!"
Lin Feng's eyes gleamed. The more he thought about it, the more viable the plan seemed.
He started provoking the Flame Beast King verbally, trying to bait it into exposing its weak point.
But in the next second, the Flame Beast King unexpectedly flew right past them.
With lava surging behind it, it made a beeline for Lin Ye.
"Roar—!"
The beast let out a deafening cry that carried a wave of mental shock. Even Lin Feng felt a stabbing pain in his head.
"Lin Feng! Lin Feng!"
Next to him, Dugu Yan clutched her head, her face twisted in pain.
Lin Feng quickly activated his head soul bone's skill, neutralizing the mental assault for her and his father.
But when he looked back at the beast—
"You serious?"
"Dude, I'm right here! How'd you even squeeze past my massive frame like that?"
Just then, Lin Ye hesitated for a split second—
And in that instant, the Flame Beast King was already right in front of him.
He had no choice but to meet it head-on, unleashing his soul power.
Boom—
The collision was no less intense than the previous explosion.
This time, Lin Feng could even hear the lava deep beneath the ground rumble.
"Damn, this thing is strong."
Gritting his teeth, Lin Ye did his best to maintain the form of the Flaming Sun Three-Headed Serpent.
"Feng'er! Don't just stand there—help me out!"
The beast's [Shockwave Impact] trait amplified its charge, overpowering Lin Ye by sheer force.
Facing a 70,000-year soul beast—roughly equivalent to a Rank 89 soul master—Lin Ye's soul skills had little effect.
Without delay, Lin Feng flew the Jade Phosphor Nine-Headed Dragon toward his father.
Three of the dragon heads wrapped in Ultimate Fire latched onto the beast's back, burning it with searing flame.
The Flame Beast King howled in agony.
It never expected that this "insignificant bug" could inflict such pain.
"Roar!"
Writhing in fury, the beast thrashed, trying to shake Lin Feng off.
Lin Ye used the moment to escape the force of the charge and reposition himself.
Now the beast's belly faced him directly.
"Perfect chance!"
"Eighth Soul Skill: Extreme Flame Explosion!"
He fired another blast straight at the creature's abdomen.
"Roar—!"
The Flame Beast King howled in rage.
"What?!"
Lin Ye's eyes widened.
His full-power attack had only left a shallow wound?
How could a 70,000-year-old soul beast have such absurdly high defense?
At the same time, Lin Feng directed three more dragon heads to bite down on the Fire Crystal embedded in its forehead.
"Hngh! Why is this thing so hard to pull out?!"
Finding himself at a loss, Lin Feng quickly changed tactics.
Instead of pulling, he clamped down on the base of the Fire Crystal, then poured in his Ultimate Fire and Jade Phosphor poison to burn it out.
The beast flailed in agony, rolling wildly through the magma.
Lin Feng gritted his teeth, hanging on with all his strength.
Suddenly, the Flame Beast King roared, forcing itself through the pain and charging upward—toward the surface.
"No!"
"It's trying to shatter the crystal in sunlight!"
"Father, stop it!"
Lin Feng shouted urgently.
Lin Ye didn't hesitate.
"Martial Soul Avatar!"
"Sixth Soul Skill: Serpent's Reverse Scale!"
In a flash, he transformed into a much larger Flaming Sun Three-Headed Serpent, his body now covered in golden scales.
"HAHHH—!"
Using all his power, Lin Ye swam into the beast's path and took the brunt of the charge.
"Soul Bone Skill—True Dragon's Claw!"
At the same time, Lin Feng activated his right arm soul bone skill.
A black divine dragon appeared beside Lin Ye, helping absorb some of the impact.
But the Flame Beast King was too powerful. It plowed through them both, dragging two dragons and a serpent toward the surface.
In the sky—
"Little Chrysanthemum."
"Not to rub it in, but next time you see me…"
"Try being a little more humble."
Dugu Bo mocked Yue Guan, who was still writhing from the poison.
Gui Mei's expression twisted in fury at this fresh humiliation.
"Seventh Soul Skill: Martial Soul Avatar!"
He vanished into shadow form, his speed surging.
A heartbeat later, he reappeared behind Dugu Bo.
"Eighth Soul Skill: Phantom Wraith!"
Purple-black skulls erupted from his body, bombarding the Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor.
He had once used this same skill to defeat Dugu Bo before.
Time to see how much stronger this old poison really was.
"Eighth Soul Skill: Time Freeze!"
Just in time, Dugu Bo narrowly evaded the surprise assault.
"Hahaha!"
"Ghost, I was expecting that."
"Only cowards gang up two-on-one."
Even while dodging, Dugu Bo couldn't help but taunt.
"Old Ghost, I don't need your help."
"I can beat him myself."
Yue Guan cut in with a scowl before Gui Mei could argue.
Seeing that he still wanted to fight, Gui Mei had no choice but to hold him back."Yue Guan, the soul beast king has awakened and vanished from sight,"
Gui Mei said grimly. "We shouldn't waste any more time on him. Don't let your personal grudge interfere with the Pope's orders."
Yue Guan clenched his jaw and forcefully circulated his soul power, expelling the poisonous blood from his body. His complexion paled further.
"…Fine."
"Then let's deal with this old poison together first."
His voice was serious—he had clearly made up his mind.
"Agreed."
Gui Mei met his gaze without hesitation.
"It's about time we showed this old poison some humiliation."
"Martial Soul Fusion—Dark Eclipse!"
Their furious roars echoed as the fusion began.
A silver flame erupted from Gui Mei's body, soaring into the sky.
At the same time, a radiant golden flame burst from Yue Guan.
Silver and gold intertwined, creating a dazzling, awe-inspiring scene.
Nine soul rings on each of their bodies flared in unison, illuminating the world like a dreamscape.
High in the air, the two clasped hands.
Their bodies fused.
All eighteen soul rings merged into a colossal dual-colored halo that surged toward Dugu Bo.
The halo rapidly expanded into a massive, hundred-meter-wide ring of gold and silver, its brilliance so intense it seemed to dye the heavens and earth.
And then—something astonishing happened.
On the ground, those still frozen in place by the battle's chaos couldn't even react before they were caught in the field.
Within the vast radius of the ring, all movement stopped.
Time stood still.
"…Not good!"
"These two have no sense of honor!"
Dugu Bo tried to retreat but found it was too late.
A wave of golden-silver light swept across him, and his body locked in place.
In this domain, all actions and soul skills of enemies were suspended.
The skill was powerful—but had one critical flaw: Yue Guan and Gui Mei would also be immobilized.
—
Beneath the lava.
"Damn it! Feng'er, let go!"
Lin Ye and Lin Feng quickly released their hold just before the Flame Beast King could burst from the lava.
They darted to the side, submerging into the molten sea.
If anyone saw them, it could mean death.
"Roar!!"
The Flame Beast King emerged with a furious bellow.
But before it could celebrate its escape, a brilliant golden light erupted in the sky.
Dangerous.
Extremely Dangerous!
Sensing something terribly wrong, the Flame Beast King tried to dive back into the lava.
But just as it turned—
The beam struck its body.
Its tail and body froze in an instant, only the head still submerged.
Lin Feng stared, stunned.
Its massive head twisted in agony, deep pupils locked with his.
"…Time freeze?"
He blinked, then broke into joyous laughter.
"Haha! Talk about a plot twist!"
"I thought the Flame Beast King escaping meant we'd lost everything—who knew Dark Eclipse would stop it cold?!"
"Chrysanthemum and Ghost Douluo, my lucky stars! Of all times to use their Martial Soul Fusion Skill, they chose now! It's like they're handing me the Fire Crystal on a silver platter!"
Elated, Lin Feng called out,
"Father! Yan'er! Now's our chance!"
"Ghost and Chrysanthemum Douluo are right above us—they'll send people down soon."
"We have to get that Fire Crystal before they do!"
Without delay, the dragon and serpent pair unleashed their full soul power, burning at the Fire Crystal embedded in the soul beast's forehead.
In just a few seconds—they succeeded.
Lin Feng turned with a grin.
"Let's retreat."
"But… Grandfather's still up there," Dugu Yan said worriedly. "He's fighting them alone—what if…"
"Don't worry," Lin Ye stepped forward to reassure her.
"Your grandfather will be fine."
Lin Feng added,
"Yan'er, don't forget—Grandfather is aligned with the Heaven Dou Imperial family. Spirit Hall wouldn't dare kill him openly."
"Our priority now is to retreat."
"If we wait until those two recover from the fusion backlash, we won't get another chance."
"You're right, Lin Feng," Dugu Yan nodded firmly.
"We can't be a burden to Grandpa."
Without further hesitation, the trio quickly fled into the depths of the magma.
—
On the surface.
Though most people were immobilized, their eyes could still move—and all turned toward the eruption.
"What is that… the Flame Beast King?!"
"So massive…"
Soul Kings and Soul Elders, frozen in place, stared in astonishment.
"Damn it…"
"To have the Flame Beast King right in front of me—and be unable to move a muscle!"
Liu Erlong gritted her teeth, helpless.
She thought of her time with Yu Xiaogang, of what might have been.
Her eyes dimmed.
Dugu Bo, still trapped, was equally shocked.
Could they really steal the treasure before his eyes?
—
In the sky.
Through the shimmering domain, Yue Guan and Gui Mei saw the Flame Beast King frozen in place.
"Old Ghost! This is divine luck!"
"To think the Flame Beast King would pop out just as we activated the fusion skill—perfection!"
"The Pope's orders are practically complete!"
Yue Guan beamed with glee.
Gui Mei's cold voice echoed through the massive ring,
"Yan. Your opportunity has come. Go."
The group below understood clearly—once Yue Guan and Gui Mei's soul power ran out, the domain would end.
They had only moments to act.
Racing across the ground like dragonflies on water, they reached the beast's frozen body.
Yan stepped forward, but froze.
No matter how hard he tried, the Flame Beast King's body wouldn't budge.
Then—he noticed the burly man standing nearby.
The Fire Leopard Sect's sect master.
"You! Pull this thing out for me!"
Yan jabbed a finger at Huo Yanbao.
Huh?
Is this brat talking to me?
You think I can move while I'm frozen?!
What a joke.
Huo Yanbao stared in disbelief.In the next moment—
Huo Yanbao stumbled a step forward.
"I… I broke free from the immobilization?!"
He was utterly shocked.
At first, he thought it was because Yue Guan and Gui Mei couldn't maintain Dark Eclipse any longer. But then, when he glanced up, he met Gui Mei's icy stare.
Clearly, he had been deliberately released.
"What are you standing there for?! Hurry up and move!"
Yan snapped irritably at him, clearly frustrated by his inaction.
Huo Yanbao shot him a look of displeasure. This brat was bossing him around like he owned the place.
"Sect Master, your help today… the Holy Maiden will remember it."
Before things could escalate, Hu Liena stepped forward and soothed Huo Yanbao with a courteous smile and a respectful tone.
If you want someone's help, you should at least be polite.
Huo Yanbao felt appeased by Hu Liena's respectful attitude and finally gave a satisfied nod before stepping forward.
"So this Flame Beast King is finally coming out?"
All eyes turned to Huo Yanbao, eager to witness the Flame Beast King with their own eyes. Some who couldn't get a good view were so desperate they were scratching at their heads in frustration.
Then, they suddenly felt the hold on their bodies vanish.
"Everyone, evacuate the area immediately. Anyone who remains within the domain's range will be treated as challenging Spirit Hall."
Gui Mei's cold voice echoed from above.
"Thank you, Elder Ghost!"
The moment they were released, everyone quickly withdrew from the center and watched from afar.
Even Liu Erlong and Fire Dragon, despite their reluctance, had to step back and observe from the edge.
"Seventh Soul Skill, Martial Soul Avatar!"
Huo Yanbao activated his martial soul, Fire Leopard, and with a mighty roar, bent down and yanked the Flame Beast King out of the lava by its tail.
Gasps of astonishment spread through the crowd. Who would've thought the Fire Leopard Sect's master had such strength?
Yan, seeing the Flame Beast King dragged out, rushed over with Hu Liena, eager to harvest the Fire Crystal.
But the moment they reached its head—
"Huh? Where's the Fire Crystal?!"
The top of the beast's head was empty.
The three of them froze in confusion.
Up in the sky—
Yue Guan's face turned grim at the sight. He instantly released his spiritual power to scan the area but found no suspicious presences nearby.
Could we have failed the Pope's mission…?
A wave of unease washed over him.
"Where could the Fire Crystal have gone?!"
"I don't get it. We were all right here!"
"It's not like it could just vanish into thin air."
"Exactly. And before Elders Yue Guan and Gui Mei used Dark Eclipse, it was definitely still there!"
People began murmuring in confusion.
Far off in the distance, Dugu Bo's lips curved into a slight smile.
This had to be Feng'er's handiwork.
A quick glance around confirmed it—Lin Feng wasn't anywhere in sight. And neither were Yan'er or Lin Ye.
Dugu Bo's heart settled. Now all he had to do was find the right moment to leave.
My grandson-in-law really is something! Hahaha!
Yue Guan caught the look on Dugu Bo's face and a wave of killing intent surged from his body.
If it weren't for the fact that Dugu Bo had pledged allegiance to Prince Xue Xing, Yue Guan would've killed him on the spot.
But Dugu Bo merely looked back at him with contempt, thoroughly enjoying the way Chrysanthemum Douluo was helpless to do anything about him.
Off to the side—
"You! Did you mess with the body?!" Yan turned and accused Huo Yanbao with a furious glare.
"You think I took it?"
"Just look at this burn mark on its forehead. Do you think I have that kind of firepower?"
"Only a Titled Douluo could've made a wound like this."
Huo Yanbao's voice was laced with irritation. Since when did some snot-nosed kid have the right to shout at him?
Still, with two Titled Douluo hovering nearby, he didn't dare push the matter.
"Could there be a fire-attribute Titled Douluo hiding somewhere?"
"Is there really such a hidden expert in the continent?"
"If there is, then sure—it's possible they snuck in and stole the Fire Crystal."
Speculation ran wild among the crowd.
Yue Guan and Gui Mei floated silently above, listening to the chatter as Dark Eclipse faded.
"ROOOAAR!!"
"You damned thing! Die!"
The Flame Beast King barely had time to roar in regained freedom before Gui Mei slammed a palm down on its skull, killing it instantly.
Yue Guan swooped in to examine the body.
"Old Ghost, do you really think there's a hidden fire-attribute Douluo out there?"
Yue Guan asked in confusion.
"No idea," Gui Mei replied coldly, shaking his head.
Dugu Bo wandered over curiously, chuckling inwardly.
Let's see who would ever guess that my grandson-in-law wields fire of this caliber!
"What are you looking at, you old fogey?"
Yue Guan snapped at him, annoyed.
He had suspected Dugu Bo, but after thinking it through, it just didn't add up.
"Hmph. Like I care to look."
Dugu Bo snorted and turned to leave.
"Let's go. We need to report this to the Pope."
Gui Mei sighed as he stored away the beast's corpse.
With Spirit Hall and Dugu Bo's group gone, the once-cordial atmosphere dissolved instantly.
Now that the Fire Crystal was gone, everyone's eyes turned elsewhere—because where there's magma, there's bound to be Flame Beast corpses.
And with corpses came profit.
If someone found one with a soul bone, they'd strike gold.
Even finding a regular Fire Crystal would be worth it.
Still, some people weren't interested in such scraps and chose to leave—like Fire Dragon and his team.
Just then—
A pillar of lava burst from the hole left behind by the Flame Beast King, shooting dozens of meters into the air.
A ten-thousand-year Flame Beast suddenly leapt out of the pit, magma cascading off its black-scaled, eight-meter-long body as it let out a mournful cry.
Its enormous wings beat the air with such force that the shockwave nearly knocked people off their feet.
A dazzling Fire Crystal gleamed from its forehead.
"Hahahaha! There really is more treasure here!"
Huo Yanbao's eyes lit up in excitement.
And soon, more Flame Beasts erupted from the lava.
In an instant, the sky was filled with their shrieks, the winds howling, and the clouds gathering overhead—
The hunt was far from over."How are there so many Flame Beasts?!"
"Weren't they supposed to be solitary by nature? What's going on?"
"More is better, isn't it? If there were fewer, there wouldn't be enough to go around!"
The spectators watched the chaos above with a mixture of greed and disbelief.
Dozens of Flame Beasts soared through the skies, their wings outstretched as they formed fireballs in their mouths and rained them down upon the crowd.
A massive battle was about to erupt.
Flame projectiles pelted the earth like a fiery downpour.
"Hahahaha!"
"Good thing I didn't leave! Bring it on!"
"Seventh Soul Skill—Martial Soul Avatar!"
With a thunderous laugh, Fire Dragon transformed into a blazing Fire Tyrant Dragon, covered in dark red scales and bearing a sharp ten-inch horn on its head.
He raised his claws to block the incoming fireballs while simultaneously forming crimson orbs in his mouth and launching them skyward.
Here and there, weaker Flame Beasts were struck down by his blasts.
Meanwhile, in the distance—
"What a great opportunity!"
"Qin Ming, stay safe. Zhi Lin and I will find you a quality Fire Crystal."
The moment the chaos began, Bai Baoshan lightly patted Qin Ming on the back and grinned.
"Thank you, Senior Bai, Senior Zhì Lín!"
Qin Ming quickly bowed in gratitude.
"Martial Soul Avatar—Heaven Star Furnace!"
"Martial Soul Avatar—Sky Azure Vine!"
With a sharp cry, both Soul Douluo leapt into battle, igniting their seventh soul skills and charging into the fray.
Elsewhere—
Liu Erlong silently tied back a loose strand of her cyan hair with a handkerchief, her gaze locked on the fierce melee in the skies.
She had made up her mind: she would claim a Fire Crystal suitable for herself.
"Haah!"
"Seventh Soul Skill—Fire Dragon Avatar!"
With a roar, she transformed into a massive, winged fire dragon and soared upward, deadly determination gleaming in her eyes.
With talons like blades, she lunged at a nearby ten-thousand-year Flame Beast.
On the ground—
"Hey, isn't that the Flame Beast we injured earlier?"
Someone pointed at a wounded beast.
"Ah, I get it now!"
"These beasts must've rushed in from the outskirts of the lava zone!"
His companion's eyes lit up with understanding.
"Who cares where they came from? They showed up, so they're not leaving!"
"Stop gawking and get to fighting! Or you'll end up with nothing!"
Their team leader barked orders at them, pushing the group into action.
Some fire-attribute soul masters had already jumped into the lava, scavenging for Flame Beast corpses.
Suddenly—
"I found a ten-thousand-year soul bone!"
A Soul Emperor cried out in elation, pulling a glittering bone from a beast's remains.
But before the joy could even register—
A panther-like claw pierced straight through his chest.
"Hahahaha!"
"This trip was so worth it!"
Huo Yanbao, sect master of the Fire Leopard Sect, held the bloody soul bone in one hand and shouted, "Fire Leopard Sect! Fall back!"
"A ten-thousand-year soul bone just dropped?!"
Such an extraordinary treasure—coveted even by Titled Douluo.
The crowd erupted.
Bai Baoshan, Zhi Lin, Fire Dragon, and Liu Erlong all turned their attention to Huo Yanbao.
"Huo Yanbao! Leave that soul bone behind!"
With a shout, they and other soul masters began to chase after him.
"Ahhh—!"
Without those experts to hold the line, the remaining soul masters were quickly overwhelmed by the swarming Flame Beasts.
Cries of agony rang out across the battlefield.
One after another, soul masters fell.
—In the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well—
"Uncle Lin, why isn't Lin Feng back yet?"
"I'm starting to worry… What if he ran into danger alone?"
"And we still don't know what happened to Grandpa…"
Dugu Yan bit her lip, her voice trembling with concern.
After they had escaped, Lin Feng had returned to the battlefield alone, worried about Dugu Bo's safety.
"Don't worry, Yan'er."
"Didn't you say that Feng'er has his own original soul skill? Even your grandfather, a Titled Douluo, would have a hard time detecting him."
"He'll be fine."
"And your grandfather too—didn't Feng'er say it himself earlier?"
"He's now officially affiliated with the Imperial family. Spirit Hall wouldn't dare lay a finger on him."
Lin Ye comforted her gently.
Just then—
A figure emerged through the poisonous mist.
It was Lin Feng, safely returning with the Aromatic Silk Beauty Immortal Herb in hand to shield himself from the poison.
"Lin Feng! How's Grandpa?!"
Dugu Yan rushed up anxiously.
"Yeah, Feng'er."
"You were gone just a short while, but Yan'er was worried sick."
Lin Ye also stepped forward with concern.
"Don't worry. Grandpa Dugu is fine."
"I saw him leave safely before I came back."
Lin Feng put the immortal herb away and quickly consoled Dugu Yan when he saw her tearful eyes.
Finally, she let out a breath of relief.
Still worried, she stepped forward to check Lin Feng's condition for injuries.
"I'm fine, Yan'er."
He grinned and patted her gently on the head.
Just then, Dugu Bo descended from the sky.
Seeing that everyone was safe and sound, he let out a long, relieved laugh.
"Hahahaha!"
"Good—you're all okay!"
Though his voice was hearty, a trace of exhaustion lingered beneath.
He had gone far out of his way to avoid revealing the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well's location, circling around the perimeter just to make it back safely."Feng'er, you were the one who took the Fire Crystal from the soul beast king, weren't you?"
Dugu Bo stepped forward, his eyes full of curiosity.
"Yes, Grandpa Dugu."
Lin Feng pulled the Fire Crystal out of his soul tool and placed it before Dugu Bo.
Compared to the Fire Crystals from ten-thousand-year Flame Beasts, this one was noticeably larger and emitted a rich, deep crimson glow. The earlier crystals had traces of yellow mixed into their red—this one was purer, more potent.
"Grandpa, it wasn't just Lin Feng—it was also Uncle Lin. We got it together!"
"You have no idea how dangerous it was in that lava!"
"That Flame Beast King, dozens of meters long, charged straight at us. I was so scared I couldn't even speak."
…
Dugu Yan chattered excitedly, recounting the harrowing moments of their hunt.
"Thankfully, Lin Feng and I had our Martial Soul Fusion Skill, and Uncle Lin was with us too."
"Hahaha! Well done, Yan'er! That's my granddaughter!"
"I saw the wound on the Flame Beast King's head and figured it had to be your doing—looks like I was right."
"You don't know how funny it was watching that old Chrysanthemum try to guess whether there was some hidden fire-type Titled Douluo out there."
"Thinking back to his sour expression now still makes me laugh!"
Dugu Bo burst into hearty laughter, visibly pleased. Even the wrinkles on his face seemed to relax.
Lin Feng smiled faintly. The old man was clearly in a great mood.
Though it had all played out by coincidence, Lin Feng had still taken the Fire Crystal thanks to the diversion caused by Yue Guan and Gui Mei.
And Lin Feng was someone who always repaid kindness.
He always called him 'old man' sometimes right? Fine, I guess calling him 'Grandpa Dugu' permanently will do.
"Hehe, Grandpa, that's not quite right. Who said we didn't know?"
"Lin Feng stayed behind in the lava, waiting for you until he was sure you'd left safely."
Dugu Yan giggled as she nudged Lin Feng's arm, acting every bit the doting girlfriend trying to win favor with the family.
"Feng'er!"
Dugu Bo's eyes widened with surprise, moved to his core.
He was truly touched.
Lin Feng—a mere Soul Ancestor—had risked staying behind on a battlefield with multiple Titled Douluo just to make sure he was safe.
Even a biological grandson might not go that far.
Despite Lin Feng having a self-created stealth-type soul skill that made him hard to detect, it had still been extremely dangerous.
But he had done it.
At this moment, Dugu Bo felt a tightness in his chest and his eyes stung.
Just picturing Lin Feng silently waiting for him in the depths of the battlefield while he fought for his life—he couldn't put into words the emotion he felt.
An old man, warmed to his heart by the concern of a junior.
Lin Feng scratched his nose and said nothing.
Yes, it had been risky—but letting Dugu Bo know what he'd done was worth it.
What Lin Feng didn't know, however, was that Dugu Bo had already made a silent vow in his heart: even if it cost him his life, he would ensure Yan'er and Lin Feng lived safe, peaceful lives.
"Don't worry, Yan'er, Feng'er. Grandpa will protect you both."
His heart was firm.
"Feng'er, what do you plan to do with this Fire Crystal?"
"Will you keep it on you to enhance your cultivation insight and speed?"
"Or absorb it all at once to boost your soul power directly? That method could make your soul power unstable, though."
Lin Ye spoke up, diverting the topic. As Lin Feng's father, he was getting a bit jealous seeing how well his son got along with Dugu Bo.
Dugu Bo, for his part, was also curious.
Both of them had already decided from the start that the Fire Crystal would go to Lin Feng. A child with such talent deserved to be nurtured at all costs.
As for Dugu Yan—
After years at Lin Feng's side, she had gained more from him than even her grandfather could've provided.
"Father, Grandpa, I've thought it through—I'll absorb it to raise my soul power directly."
"Even if it causes some fluctuation, my body can handle it."
Lin Feng answered without hesitation. He had already copied the trait [Fire Crystal].
Naturally, it was time to use it.
"Alright. Then I'll stay with Grandpa and keep watch for you."
Dugu Yan beamed, her face full of anticipation.
Then Lin Feng took out a Fire-Heart Seven-Leaf Flower from his storage pouch and handed it to Lin Ye.
"Father, this immortal herb can significantly enhance your flame quality."
"It might help you break through to Titled Douluo. While I'm absorbing the crystal, you should absorb this."
Lin Feng offered the plant with a calm smile.
"Hahaha! Then thank you, Feng'er! And thank you, Senior Dugu!"
Lin Ye's face lit up with joy upon hearing the herb's effect.
As for why he thanked Dugu Bo?
He glanced around the area. It was clear most of the rare herbs he and Lin Feng had eaten recently had likely come from Dugu Bo.
Naturally, gratitude was in order.
"Hahaha! No need for thanks—we're all family."
"Feng'er's knowledge of immortal herbs now rivals mine."
"But this little rascal has swindled me more than once, you know."
Dugu Bo chuckled, waving his hand.
He remembered how Lin Feng had given Dugu Yan an herb that transformed her physique and evolved her martial soul—even before knowing about the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
It had probably been something from the Lin family.
Given Lin Feng's age, there was no way he'd acquired something that rare on his own.
With so many favors exchanged between the two families, they were long past keeping score.
The two men—Lin Ye and Dugu Bo—shared a smile, full of mutual appreciation.
Senior Dugu, we can only repay your kindness through Feng'er.
And you, Feng'er, have treated me and Yan'er better than anyone else could.
Their eyes exchanged all the gratitude their mouths didn't say.
"…What are you two doing?"
Dugu Yan looked at the pair, puzzled by their silent eye contact and emotional glances.
"N-Nothing!"
Both men averted their gazes in unison.
"Alright then, Feng'er. I'll take this for now."
Lin Ye accepted the herb and tucked it into his soul tool.
"Feng'er, go ahead and start absorbing the Fire Crystal."
"Clan Leader Lin, you do the same with your herb."
"Yan'er and I will guard you."
Dugu Bo composed himself and gave his instructions.
"Yes, Grandpa and I will keep watch."
Dugu Yan smiled brightly, happy to be of help.
"Thank you, Senior Dugu."
"Thanks, Grandpa."
Lin Feng and Lin Ye bowed respectfully.
After Dugu Bo and Dugu Yan left the room—
Lin Feng and Lin Ye entered separate chambers within Dugu Bo's wooden house and sat cross-legged to begin cultivation.
Lin Feng placed the Flame Beast King's crystal before him.
"System, copy trait [Fire Crystal], replace [Fire Immunity]."
He issued the command inwardly.