Chapter 15: Three Years of Meditation
The sun and moon turned, ushering in a new day.
After finishing his morning cultivation, Dugu Chen sat down to breakfast with Dugu Yan, who had come looking for him early. They were eating meat from the Golden Crocodile King. One had to admit, the flesh of a high-grade soul beast was truly exceptional—firm and chewy, yet filled with warm energy that slowly spread through Dugu Chen's body with each bite.
The improvement wasn't dramatic, but accumulated over time, it significantly boosted his physical fitness. No wonder the saying went: "Poor scholars, rich warriors."
At that moment, Dugu Bo returned.
Without a word about the food on the table, he pulled up a stool, poured himself a cup of tea, and casually handed over two bracelets.
"These are from my trip to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. Ning Fengzhi was exactly as you described—skeptical at first, but once he tried the herbs, he became exceedingly polite. I sensed his soul power overflowing... he likely broke through to rank eighty. The soul bone has already been delivered, and these two soul tools were gifted in return."
A flash of green light revealed a long, black wooden box in Dugu Bo's right hand, similar in shape to a sword case. He placed it squarely on the dining table.
Dugu Chen accepted the two bracelets—one red, one purple. Each was delicately crafted and embedded with six evenly spaced circular jade stones, the same color as the bracelet. Their soft luster was evidence of their rarity and craftsmanship.
Infusing his soul power into them, Dugu Chen found that each jade stone provided about two cubic meters of storage space. Combined, each bracelet offered twelve cubic meters of soul tool capacity. The color choices were clearly thoughtful.
He handed one bracelet to Dugu Yan. After she put it on, the bracelet automatically adjusted to her wrist. Dugu Chen then fiddled with his own, admiring the fine details.
"Teacher, it seems Ning Fengzhi really did break through to rank eighty. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect might soon become the Eight Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. These two bracelets are their tribute to curry favor."
Dugu Bo nodded thoughtfully. It seemed he had underestimated the value of his medicinal garden. A herb like the Nine-Rank Purple Ganoderma, which he considered fairly ordinary, had helped one of the continent's top sects break through their bottleneck. If the secret of his garden were ever exposed...
The thought sent chills down his spine.
"Yan Yan, Chen'er, listen carefully: you must never reveal anything about the immortal herbs. To outsiders, say your breakthrough to a thousand-year two-ring was due to whale glue. If word gets out that we possess so many supreme treasures, we'll never know peace."
Both Dugu Chen and Dugu Yan nodded seriously. In the end, the root of the issue was their lack of strength. If they had the power of a rank ninety-nine Titled Douluo, who would dare to covet their possessions?
Dugu Chen then picked up the box from the table. It was heavier than expected.
Opening it slowly, a slight crack was enough to unleash a powerful aura that seemed to freeze the very air around them.
Inside the box lay a black soul bone—specifically, a left forearm bone. Its light was restrained, but the energy it emitted was fierce and oppressive.
Soul bones varied in quality. Generally, the more complete the bone and the stronger its energy fluctuations, the higher its grade and the stronger the beast it came from.
This one wasn't complete, so it wasn't top-tier—but despite its flaws, Dugu Chen felt an uncontrollable desire to absorb it. Restraining himself, he closed the box and returned it to Dugu Bo with a chuckle.
"As expected of a Blood River treasure. I almost couldn't stop myself from claiming it. Clearly, my mental discipline needs more work."
Dugu Bo laughed.
"Heh… don't be too hard on yourself. When I first got it, I nearly bolted with it too.
"This soul bone comes from a twelve-thousand-year-old Dark Night Leopard. Its attribute doesn't match my martial soul, but it's still useful for channeling poison."
---
Heaven Dou City
As the capital of the Heaven Dou Empire, Heaven Dou City brimmed with history. Its architecture and traditions spoke of its ancient heritage.
Though Dugu Chen had been living here for half a year, he had spent most of his time cultivating and hadn't really explored the city. Now that they were preparing to head for the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well to detoxify Dugu Bo, and unsure how long they'd be gone, Dugu Chen asked to go shopping—partly to stock up, but also to explore.
Naturally, he and Dugu Yan did the shopping. Dugu Bo was their guardian—or more accurately, their bodyguard.
At the moment, Dugu Yan clutched his hand with one of hers and a candied hawthorn in the other. Her enthusiasm was wild—like a husky let loose in a new house.
Poor Dugu Chen. At such a young age, he had to experience the universal torment of accompanying a girl on a shopping spree. Thankfully, soul tools existed on the Douluo Continent—if not, he would've suffered even more.
The streets were crowded and lively. Vendors shouted, haggling echoed, and conversations flowed around them. As Dugu Chen watched the endless stream of people, a strange emotion welled up in his heart.
"Junior Brother, what's wrong? Are you unhappy shopping with your Senior Sister?" Dugu Yan asked, noticing his absent expression.
"Of course not! I just didn't expect shopping with Senior Sister to be so fun. It's way better than cultivating!" Dugu Chen quickly replied with a bright smile—his survival instincts kicking in.
"Right? I think so too! Then when we get back, let's go shopping every day!" Dugu Yan beamed. She hadn't expected him to enjoy it so much. 'Junior Brother and I really are in sync!'
At that, Dugu Chen felt his soul cry out. He immediately tried to talk her out of it.
"But Teacher doesn't have that much time to keep coming with us... and he's old now. You wouldn't want to tire him out, right?"
Dugu Yan turned to look at Dugu Bo, who walked calmly behind them, clearly full of energy. She was confused but still nodded out of sympathy for her grandfather.
"Alright then! Once we're strong enough, we'll go out and play on our own!"
Dugu Chen nodded vigorously and wiped the cold sweat from his brow. When he met Dugu Bo's teasing gaze, he smiled sheepishly.
That evening, the three returned home to rest. They would set off for the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well at dawn.
Before leaving, Dugu Chen summoned the butler and gave him instructions to travel to the Barren Kingdom, near the villages outside Soto City, to find two specific individuals.
---
Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well
Near the spring, Dugu Bo had excavated a cave on the hillside to serve as their new residence.
Inside, he had just finished absorbing the soul bone, but his rank remained at ninety-one. After all, the bone's energy wasn't enough to propel him any further.
He had also concocted a medicinal mixture from Dugu Yan's blood and a muscle-soothing agent. After ingesting it, the toxins in his body were visibly suppressed. The constant pain from their backlash faded, and as he channeled the poison into the soul bone, not only did he avoid weakening, but even the bottleneck of rank ninety-one began to loosen.
This was unexpected. Breaking through each rank after ninety was a monumental challenge. For the toxins to help him further refine his cultivation was a pleasant surprise.
Dugu Bo's demeanor clearly changed over the following days. His mood was lighter, and he looked much younger.
With Dugu Bo's condition improving, Dugu Chen was finally at ease.
Though the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well wasn't part of a top academy, its abundant elemental energy rivaled simulated cultivation environments.
Because they had already consumed the immortal herbs from the spring, neither Dugu Chen nor Dugu Yan were affected by the extreme cold or heat here. Dugu Bo was also confident in their safety.
Dugu Chen cultivated beside a massive ganoderma that radiated golden light. Its surface had faint dragon scale patterns—it was a Nine-Rank Dragon Ganoderma, an immortal herb perfect for dragon-type martial souls.
This location was the richest in dragon qi. Here, Dugu Chen could refine his martial soul further and strengthen his foundation.
His Qilin martial soul had already mutated. Though it had fully evolved, it now carried clear traces of dragon lineage, evident in its claws.
On the Douluo Continent, anything related to dragons was synonymous with strength. Naturally, he would use every resource available to reinforce that strength.
Meanwhile, Dugu Yan was immersed in the central spring. The Well's opposing energies continuously helped her body refine and absorb the power of the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and the Fiery Apricot Delicate Solitude. Her physique was transforming, and the two extreme toxins in her martial soul grew stronger in tandem, accelerating her cultivation.
Over the following days, the trio devoted themselves to secluded cultivation. With Dugu Bo as their sparring partner, their combat experience rapidly improved.
Dugu Chen also shared his technique, Reigning Over the World, with both of them. Unfortunately, neither had the talent for it. Even so, Dugu Bo's experience as a Titled Douluo allowed him to offer countless insights, helping Dugu Chen avoid many pitfalls.
Once one is immersed in cultivation, time flies by.
In seclusion at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, the three of them grew stronger each day, absorbing not just power but decades of wisdom from Dugu Bo—his understanding of martial souls, poison, and cultivation.
Time seemed to blur. The outside world no longer felt connected to them. Dugu Chen could only tell how much time had passed by the way his formerly lean figure had filled out.
---
Meanwhile, in the Outside World...
The peaceful world of soul masters was suddenly stirred by the ascension of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect into the Eight Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
In a quiet Holy Spirit Village, a boy was cooking for his lazy father.
Bibidong's throne as Pope was growing more stable.
Xue Qinghe was gradually solidifying his role as Crown Prince.
Everything appeared calm—on the surface.