In an ordinary small inn at the heart of Tian Dou City…
This was one of the most pivotal moments in Yang Fan's life—because he was about to consume the Blue Emperor Soul Bone Pill before him.
Forged from a hundred-thousand-year Blue Silver Emperor and its right leg soul bone, its effects filled him with eager anticipation.
Yang Fan took a deep breath, centering himself into peak condition.
The pill slid down his throat…
At first, nothing happened—just a familiar, grassy aftertaste, reminiscent of the Blue Silver Grass he used to chew after training on Yunluo City's rear mountain.
But within two minutes—
A surge of icy-cold energy exploded inside him.
Unlike absorbing a soul ring—which brought that overwhelming, bloated sensation—this felt smooth, comfortable, even pleasant.
He could clearly sense most of that cool energy flooding into his soul power core, while a smaller portion flowed into his Dou Qi reservoir.
His soul power began rising at a visible pace.
In mere minutes, he hit a bottleneck.
If he remembered correctly, the last time he'd felt this urge to absorb a soul ring was two months ago.
Though his soul power had now reached Level 19, the immense energy from the Blue Silver Emperor showed no sign of slowing.
Another ten minutes passed—the chill gradually faded, dissolving completely into his two energy cores.
Yang Fan could now distinctly feel he'd become a quasi-Soul Grandmaster, though he couldn't pinpoint his exact level.
But Yao Lao gave him the answer immediately:
"Excellent, excellent," the old alchemist nodded in satisfaction.
"Once you obtain your next soul ring, your soul power should reach approximately Level 25."
"Huh?" Yang Fan blinked. "Only Level 25?"
Tang San had gained three full ranks just from absorbing the Blue Silver Emperor's right leg bone—and that was at Soul King level!
Here, Yang Fan had sacrificed both of the Blue Silver Emperor's hundred-thousand-year soul bone skills and refined the entire plant into a pill—yet only gained six levels?
"Greed leads to unstable foundations," Yao Lao chided, flicking a whip-like strand of Dou Qi against Yang Fan's head.
"This Blue Emperor Soul Bone Pill will carry you through your entire soul master journey, ensuring you always stay ahead of peers at your rank."
True—he could have extracted more immediate power from the pill.
But Yao Lao chose not to.
He was thinking long-term—about Yang Fan's future.
"Now… sense your Dou Qi," Yao Lao said, a proud glint in his eyes.
"This… thank you, Master!" Yang Fan gasped.
His Dou Qi circulation had visibly accelerated. His Dou Qi core had grown significantly larger—nearly reaching Dou Qi Ninth Stage!
"Feel anything else?"
Anything else?
Yang Fan carefully probed inward with his faint soul perception.
"Release your Dou Qi," Yao Lao instructed gently. "Focus… and feel."
Following his master's guidance, Yang Fan finally detected the subtlest—but most crucial—change.
"Wood… wood attribute!"
In that moment, Yang Fan was so overwhelmed he nearly wet himself.
"Exactly!" Yao Lao beamed.
"By consuming a pill refined from the plant-type Blue Silver Emperor, your body has absorbed a trace of wood essence."
This was his greatest gain.
It meant he was no longer just a "pure fire" cultivator.
He could now become an alchemist!
"Master—please teach me!" Yang Fan's heart blazed anew with the dream of alchemy.
"You foolish boy," Yao Lao chuckled. "Did you think becoming an alchemist was that simple?"
"Only Dou Zhe can become alchemists—because only they possess a Qi vortex stable enough to sustain flame control."
"And alchemy is directly tied to soul strength. The higher your cultivation, the stronger your soul—and only then can you refine high-grade pills."
…
Yang Fan gathered Dou Qi into his right palm.
"Master… I must be at Dou Qi Ninth Stage now. When can I condense my Qi vortex?"
He finally understood: becoming a Dou Zhe was the true turning point in his path.
"Keep cultivating," Yao Lao said. "When the time comes, your body will tell you."
It was an indescribable sensation—even Yao Lao couldn't fully explain it.
And even if he could, he wouldn't.
True understanding came only through personal experience. Relying solely on theory would never lead to breakthroughs.
"But when you do reach that moment," Yao Lao warned sternly, "don't get curious. Don't recklessly experiment."
"Dou Qi cultivators are different from soul masters!"
"When a soul master hits a bottleneck? Just hunt a soul ring in the forest and break through.
But if a Dou Qi cultivator fails to form their Qi vortex, they'll regress to Dou Qi Eighth Stage—and have to start all over."
Yang Fan understood.
This wasn't unique to Dou Zhe—it applied all the way up: Dou Shi, Da Dou Shi, Dou Ling…
That's why true experts grew rarer at higher ranks.
A Dou Zong might spend years trying to advance one stage.
Fail? Everything resets. Anyone would go mad from frustration.
"You keep training. Your master needs some rest."
Just as Yao Lao was about to retreat into Yang Fan's body, the boy suddenly spoke:
"Master… want to absorb some of my Dou Qi?"
He desperately wanted to become a Dou Zhe faster—but he wanted Yao Lao by his side even more.
"I'm not as fragile as you think," Yao Lao smiled softly.
Deep inside, warmth bloomed. Compared to his near-dissipating state six years ago upon arriving in Douluo Continent, his soul was now robust and stable.
The power surge hadn't made Yang Fan arrogant—in fact, it deepened his focus.
He knew his current strength was still nowhere near enough to swagger in Douluo Continent.
…
That afternoon,
Yang Fan slipped out of the inn and asked passersby for directions to local apothecaries.
His purpose in coming to Tian Dou City was clear: the Ice-Fire Yin-Yang Well.
But to enter that sacred ground, he first needed antidotes capable of countering the Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor's venom.
He had to gather all necessary herbs before Yao Lao fully recovered.
Within half a day, he'd collected common anti-venom ingredients:
Half-Edge Lotus, Wood Hibiscus, Realgar Powder, Paris Polyphylla…
But the most crucial component remained missing: Blazing Dragon Gallbladder Grass.
This wasn't an ordinary herb—it was a fire-attribute plant-type soul beast.
When ground into powder after being slain, it neutralized toxins—and also purified a fire-attribute soul master's flame, making it highly coveted.
According to Yao Lao, to craft an antidote potent enough against the Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor's poison, they needed a ten-thousand-year Blazing Dragon Gallbladder Grass.
No ordinary pharmacy would carry such a treasure—not even a hundred-year variant.
To obtain this rare plant-type soul beast ingredient, Yang Fan would have to go to the Tian Dou Auction House.
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