Due to its absorption of an immortal-grade herb, the Jade Phosphor Serpent evolved into the Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor. However, this transformation also endowed it with dual elemental attributes: ice and fire. Its new martial soul was now called the Ice-Fire Jade Phosphor Emperor.
Thanks to the immortal herb, the quality of Dugu Yan's martial soul had risen significantly. In fact, she could now sense that her beast-type martial soul surpassed even the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon in strength.
"How strange... where did Grandpa go?" Dugu Yan came back to her senses and looked toward the bank of the Ice-Fire Yin-Yang Well, but her grandfather was nowhere to be seen.
Feeling uneasy, she was about to go look for him when a voice suddenly reached her ears in a focused thread of sound.
> "Dugu Yan, once you leave the Ice-Fire Yin-Yang Well, do you have time to come meet an old man like me?"
Her expression changed. She quickly looked around but saw no one. Alarmed, she asked, "Who's there?!"
> "I am Qian Daoliu."
Qian Daoliu?!
Dugu Yan trembled. She naturally knew this name. From historical records passed down through Tang San and others, she had learned many of the secrets hidden in this era.
There were only three known Limit Douluo in existence, those who had reached Rank 99—and Qian Daoliu was one of them.
His strength was beyond anything her grandfather, Dugu Bo, could contend with.
What was more concerning was that Qian Daoliu had reached her through voice transmission while she was still inside the Ice-Fire Yin-Yang Well. Didn't that mean the Spirit Hall now knew of this sacred location?
> "Understood, Senior. I'll come see you—but I'll need a little time," Dugu Yan replied, forcing down her panic.
Just then, Dugu Bo appeared.
"Yan Yan, you broke through?" he asked, studying her closely. Her soul power was solid and stable, with no signs of weakness from a rushed breakthrough. In fact, the aura from her martial soul no longer merely radiated dominance—it now felt threatening.
That meant her evolved Jade Phosphor Serpent was at least strong enough to pose a threat to his own. Possibly even surpass it.
"As expected of an immortal herb," Dugu Bo nodded in satisfaction. Regret flashed through his heart—if only he had realized the value of this treasure earlier, his son wouldn't have died so young.
When she heard the words immortal herb, Dugu Yan's heart skipped a beat. Quickly, she said, "Grandpa, that's not important now. Let me treat you first."
Dugu Bo's condition had worsened significantly. Though the Fragrant Silk Beauty Immortal Herb could detoxify him, losing the poisonous nature of his martial soul would make him as helpless as a toothless tiger. For someone like Dugu Bo, being a Poison Douluo without poison was worse than death.
Dugu Yan chose to adopt Tang San's previous method: using her own blood to refine medicine and treat her grandfather step by step.
Though this treatment was only a temporary fix, it could at least prolong his life by decades. By then, she would have become a Title Douluo. Whether she used the Fragrant Silk Beauty Immortal Herb or found another method, she'd have the means to completely resolve the poison affliction.
After completing the first stage of treatment, Dugu Bo felt significantly better.
"Yan Yan, this method of yours really eases my condition. It's ridiculous—Ning Fengzhi even tried to use the promise of curing me as a bargaining chip to make me join the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan and hand over my Qiluo Tulip! Hmph!"
Dugu Yan was stunned. "Grandpa, did you say Ning Fengzhi knew about your poisoning and that you had the Qiluo Tulip?"
"Exactly. He described my symptoms perfectly—it was identical to what you told me!"
"Identical?" Dugu Yan's expression turned grave.
In her past life, Ning Fengzhi never knew about her grandfather's poisoning, nor anything about the Ice-Fire Yin-Yang Well. If he had, he wouldn't have been duped by Tang San so easily.
She clearly remembered that Ning Rongrong got her immortal herb from Tang San. Which could only mean… she wasn't the only one who had been reborn. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan also had a reincarnator!
As a native of this world who had reincarnated, Dugu Yan now realized: if she could be reborn, then so could others.
Anyone familiar with Tang San's path to power knew about the Ice-Fire Yin-Yang Well. So it wasn't just the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan—even Qian Daoliu, who shouldn't have appeared here, had come. That meant the Spirit Hall also had a reincarnator.
That makes things much more dangerous…
Originally, Dugu Yan had no grand ambitions. She didn't want to join Spirit Hall or side with Tang San. All she wanted was to guard the Ice-Fire Yin-Yang Well and reach godhood, becoming a free and unrestrained soul master.
But now, the situation was far more complicated.
Dugu Yan's expression turned grim.
"Yan Yan, come on, I'll take you to hunt for your third spirit ring," Dugu Bo said.
Snapping out of her thoughts, Dugu Yan shook her head. "Grandpa, I've decided to let the academy help me with my third ring. You need to focus on recovering."
"…Alright then."
"I'm heading back now, Grandpa."
Because of the Qian Daoliu issue, Dugu Yan decisively parted ways with her grandfather and left the Ice-Fire Yin-Yang Well alone. Deep within the Sunset Forest, two old men appeared and blocked her path.
The soul pressure they emitted was suffocating—far stronger than anything even her grandfather had ever shown. One wore a white robe embroidered with a six-winged angel; the other, a golden crocodile.
Rank 99 Limit Douluo Qian Daoliu and Rank 98 Super Douluo Golden Crocodile.
Was all this really necessary for just a Spirit Master who didn't even have a third ring yet?
The two turned to her.
> "Little girl, you recognize us, don't you?"
> "You're quite lucky, aren't you? But if I'm not mistaken, the immortal herb you absorbed was originally meant for Tang San, wasn't it?"
"…You two are reincarnators too, aren't you?" Dugu Yan asked.
Qian Daoliu replied, "That's right. Both I and Old Crocodile are reincarnators."
Dugu Yan took a deep breath. In the original timeline, Tang San had heaven-defying luck. Even without the immortal herbs from the Ice-Fire Yin-Yang Well, he would've risen to prominence—just more slowly.
But now? The Spirit Hall also had reincarnators. And not just any—Qian Daoliu and Golden Crocodile, two of the highest authorities in Spirit Hall.
What chance does Tang San have now? But honestly, Dugu Yan didn't really care about Tang San's fate. Her concern was standing right in front of her: Qian Daoliu and Golden Crocodile—two beings even her grandfather had to look up to.
> "You've come for the Ice-Fire Yin-Yang Well, haven't you?"
> "Smart girl," Qian Daoliu replied.
> "Grand Worshiper, if you're also a reincarnator, then the only thing valuable enough to make both you and the Second Worshiper show up together... must be the Ice-Fire Yin-Yang Well," Dugu Yan said bitterly.
(End of Chapter)
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