Chapter 173: Blazing Sun Domain The Sixth Spirit Ring Delivered to the Doorstep
The newly manifested martial soul was unlike anything they had imagined.
Han Li had considered multiple possibilities. He had thought that Jiu Ying might appear, since Ma Hongjun's martial soul had evolved into the Seven Headed Fire Phoenix after consuming the inner core of the Ten Headed Blazing Sun Serpent.
Alternatively, Dugu Yan's martial soul could have directly transformed into a Ten Headed Blazing Sun Serpent. But reality had taken an unexpected turn.
The Flame Winged Serpent Spirit hadn't changed too drastically not even growing additional heads. However, atop its head, nine golden red suns were arranged in a mystical formation, exuding an aura of divinity.
It seemed the high concentration of serpent bloodline had reverted its semi draconic features back into a more serpentine form, closely resembling the Ten Headed Blazing Sun Serpent.
Its previously crimson red scales had now fully transformed into a golden red hue. Simply put, its appearance had vastly improved.
Additionally, a new mark resembling both a serpent and a flame had appeared on Dugu Yan's forehead. With her golden red hair and noticeably fairer skin, she now radiated a heroic elegance an untouchable beauty that seemed to burn the very air around her.
It was worth mentioning that Dugu Yan's already defined figure had grown even more striking. Her waist had become even slimmer, creating a mesmerizing contrast that evoked both admiration and an almost primal desire to conquer.
Han Li blinked unconsciously, internally marveling at how wonderful martial soul evolution was.
Each transformation was like witnessing an entirely new person. And coincidentally, he had been there to witness every stage.
But the biggest reactions didn't come from Han Li they came from the two other girls.
Shui Bing'er and Xiu'er stared at Dugu Yan, their eyes practically glowing with admiration and envy.
"Absolutely incredible…"
Dugu Bo suddenly spoke, though his voice was slightly strained. His body showed signs of discomfort a reaction to his martial soul being suppressed but his expression was one of overwhelming excitement.
His voice snapped Dugu Yan out of her trance. She opened her eyes and stood up, a radiant smile gracing her lips.
Above her head, her spirit rings began to materialize.
At the very top, a golden red spirit ring shone brightly, drawing everyone's attention.
"Golden red… This must be what Xiao Li called a lifebound spirit ring, right?"
Dugu Bo's voice trembled slightly. The sheer magnitude of Dugu Yan's gain had completely exceeded his expectations.
"Grandpa, you guessed correctly! It's my lifebound spirit ring it grows with me! A bit of a shame, though. If I had known it would turn out this way, I would have saved it for my seventh spirit ring instead."
Dugu Yan's joy was clear, but there was also a trace of regret in her voice.
As if responding to her, the golden red spirit ring above her head flickered slightly.
"The energy within the inner core was limited. If you had waited until the seventh spirit ring, it might have enhanced your martial soul, but it likely wouldn't have become a lifebound ring. This result is already excellent."
Han Li interjected, amused by her slight greed.
He had considered this possibility before, but after consulting the Will of the World, he had determined that using it for her sixth spirit ring would yield the greatest benefits.
Besides, before reaching Soul Sage, upgrading her martial soul and refining her fire attribute into Extreme Fire would greatly aid in spirit core condensation.
"Heh, I was just saying."
Dugu Yan chuckled sheepishly, knowing she had gotten too greedy.
But in the next moment, her eyes sparkled mischievously.
"My gains don't stop there! Care to guess what else I got? Oh, Xiao Li you're not allowed to guess!"
Dugu Yan immediately silenced Han Li with a playful threat.
Han Li simply smiled and closed his mouth.
After all, how could he refuse the intimidating gaze of the newly transformed Serpent Queen? If he wanted to continue enjoying her finer features in the future, it was best to comply.
Guang Ling shot Han Li a look of pure disdain before enthusiastically joining the guessing game.
Round after round of playful speculation unfolded, and bit by bit, the full details of Dugu Yan's transformation were revealed.
Her sixth spirit ring, for now, had a 50,000 year lifespan. But since it was lifebound, it would continue to grow.
As for her new spirit ability, she had named it Nine Suns Radiance. It was a highly versatile skill, capable of both focused and wide area attacks.
During activation, the nine golden red suns above her martial soul would emit fire attribute beams, which she could freely control. They could also merge into a single, devastating attack.
Additionally, she could sacrifice all nine suns at once, creating an unescapable bombardment zone within her mental domain. She could even force them to self destruct for an overwhelming explosion though this would result in a long recovery period.
In essence, her sixth spirit skill functioned as an alternative martial soul avatar that boosted offensive power rather than enhancing her body.
However, her biggest gain was an entirely new domain which she had named the Blazing Sun Domain.
When activated, nine suns would appear in the sky within her domain, while the ground below would be engulfed in a sea of flames.
Within this field, her fire based attacks would receive a 100% damage boost, and she would gain the ability to transform into flames, making her highly resistant to physical attacks.
Within her domain, any enemy caught inside would gradually have their soul power and mental strengthignited over time while also suffering continuous fire poison corrosion.
The most terrifying aspect was that, likely due to the Extreme Fire attribute, all other elemental energies were directly repelled within the domain, making them completely unusable. This effect was strikingly similar to one of the abilities within Han Li's Yin Yang Domain.
"Keep at it, Yan. If one day you can merge this with the Slaughter God Domain, you'll be unrivaled in same tier battles."
Han Li encouraged her with a smile but was immediately met with a sharp glare.
"The energy consumption is ridiculous. I can barely sustain it right now. I'll think about merging them later."
Dugu Yan had been delighted when she realized she had reached level 67, but after actually testing the domain, her face had turned sour.
"Hahaha, take your time. Once you reach level 70, that's when a domain truly starts showing its full power."
Dugu Bo grinned from ear to ear.
His granddaughter now possessed two domains, and one of them was an innate ability granted by her martial soul this was what it meant to be from a top tier martial soul lineage!
With such good fortune, the atmosphere in the courtyard became even more lively. As the night deepened, the residence gradually fell into a peaceful silence, marking the end of another good night's rest.
The Next Day
The group took a short break from cultivation, sleeping in until midday before heading into the merchant guild in town to resupply.
A rare moment of leisure.
That afternoon, the three girls went out for a shopping trip, while the four men gathered by the courtyard's pond, playing chess and chatting idly relishing the rare tranquility.
As for worrying about the three girls? There was no need.
They were still accidentally leaking killing intent from time to time. In a place where soul masters were scarce, it was already a miracle if they didn't intimidate the locals.
Sure enough, the girls didn't return until nightfall, their moods noticeably lifted.
Not only had they brought plenty of food, but they had even bought gifts for everyone.
Departure for Star Dou Forest
The next morning, a luxurious carriage departed from the town, heading straight for Star Dou Forest.
By the time they reappeared, more than ten days had passed. They had carefully avoided drawing attention before finally slipping into Star Dou Forest.
"Does Bing'er's sixth spirit ring still require us to go all the way to Frozen Forest?"
After traveling deeper into the forest, Guang Ling suddenly remembered that not only was Han Li aiming for a sixth spirit ring, but so were Xiu'er and Shui Bing'er.
"No need. There's a perfectly suitable soul beast for Bing'er right here a Snow Kite that somehow ended up living in this area."
Han Li answered with a casual smile.
Of course, whether it was really an accident… only he knew.
That convenient?
The others blinked but chose not to question it silently accepting Han Li's words.
Well, this was Star Dou Forest a place where anything could happen.
More importantly, Han Li had said it himself.
A Convenient Setup
After half a day of travel, Han Li, leading at the front, suddenly raised a hand to halt everyone's movements.
He signaled for them to suppress their auras as much as possible.
As expected, exactly ten minutes later, a furious Snow Kite came chasing after a Dark Gold Bear that was clutching an egg.
The bear, in turn, kept hurling massive boulders backward in a desperate attempt to fend off its pursuer.
The entire scene was…
Ridiculous.
Seeing this, the group collectively facepalmed.
Han Li, however, remained completely unfazed, watching calmly.
This was already the best possible scenario he could arrange.
Only after communicating with his dear son did he realize that even the Will of the World had struggled to orchestrate a better setup.
Had they not intervened, the situation would have been even more absurd.
"Master, Uncle, Old Man let's move. Keep the commotion small so we don't disrupt anything else later."
Noticing that the others were watching the spectacle like an entertaining play, Han Li had to remind them to act.
"Alright, alright, we're on it."
While the scene was hilarious, they had seen far crazier things over the years. Without further delay, the three Super Douluo swiftly took action.
Their movements were precise and efficient, giving zero opportunity for the two "actors" to resist. Both the Snow Kite and Dark Gold Bear were swiftly knocked unconscious.
Without hesitation, Guang Ling stealthily slipped the bird egg into his storage space reserving it as his future snack.
The entire process was so smooth it felt scripted.
Neither Shui Bing'er nor Xiu'er faced any obstacles in absorbing their spirit rings.
And as an added bonus, they each obtained a spirit bone.
However, they didn't immediately absorb them.
They remembered Guang Ling's advice once their spirit cores were formed, spirit bones could be used to accelerate cultivation. Absorbing them now would be a waste.
By the end, Shui Bing'er and Xiu'er had reached level 62 and level 66, respectively.
Shui Bing'er's progress was the most significant having jumped 9 levels in a single year.
But her explosive growth phase had now ended. From here on, her Extreme Ice cultivation would slow down significantly, and she would have to rely on dual cultivation to maintain her pace before reaching Soul Sage.
It was worth noting that her rapid leveling had only been possible because Han Li had deliberately left resources for her and Dugu Yan during their time in Slaughter City.
During that major battle, he had let them feast while Xiu'er and Dugu Bo had merely sipped the broth.
Even so, the group was incredibly satisfied with their progress.
Though their spirit power hadn't skyrocketed as dramatically, their physical bodies, mental strength, and combat abilities had all improved immensely.
Their peers were still struggling in the Soul Elder or Soul Ancestor stages and that was only the most talented ones.
Next Target: Dark Demon Evil God Tiger
"Alright, their spirit rings are settled. Xiao Li, where's your target?"
"You mean the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger? Oh, look over there."
Han Li smirked, pointing toward the northwest.
High above the forest, a horde of flying soul beasts was frantically fleeing.
(End of Chapter)
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