Inside a secluded cultivation room of the Body Sect.
“Alright, the method for condensing the Spirit core has already been explained to you in detail.
From here onward, it will depend on your own practice and comprehension.”
Jinpeng looked at Dugu Bo, who was sitting cross-legged in front of him, and spoke in a calm voice.
The transformation of the poison core into a Spirit core was not something that could be completed simply through external assistance.
Jinpeng could explain the method and guide Dugu Bo through the most dangerous parts, but the actual condensation still had to be completed by Dugu Bo himself.
“Mn, thank you, Elder Jin.”
Dugu Bo nodded and thanked him once again.
The gratitude in his voice was sincere.
After suffering from the poison backlash of the Jade Phosphor Serpent Martial Soul for so many years, he had finally obtained a method that could completely resolve the hidden danger.
To Dugu Bo, this was no different from being given a second life.
Jinpeng nodded before adding, “Your granddaughter is refining the Netherworld Yellow Spring Fruit in the cultivation room next door.
Elder Chen has already arranged for someone to watch over her, and I have personally checked the surrounding area.
She is completely safe, so you don’t need to worry about her.”
Dugu Bo’s expression relaxed considerably, and he nodded to express his gratitude.
Afterward, Jinpeng turned around and walked out of the secluded cultivation room, leaving Dugu Bo alone to complete the condensation of his Spirit core.
Dugu Bo sat cross-legged in the center of the room, his expression calm and solemn.
He was not in a hurry to begin.
Instead, he reached into his Wishful Hundred Treasure Purse and carefully took out the Purple-spotted Snake Star that Du Busi had previously selected for him at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
Although the Purple-spotted Snake Star was not a genuine Immortal Herb, its compatibility with the Jade Phosphor Serpent Martial Soul was extremely high.
Its greatest value was not in directly increasing one’s spirit power, but in refining poison power, purifying the Martial Soul’s origin, and strengthening the control of poisonous energy.
For Dugu Bo, who had spent his entire life cultivating the Jade Phosphor Serpent Martial Soul, it was undoubtedly an extremely suitable treasure.
Without hesitation, Dugu Bo swallowed the Purple-spotted Snake Star directly.
The moment the herb entered his mouth, its medicinal power melted almost instantly, transforming into a warm and lingering current that spread through his body along his meridians.
Compared with the more violent and overbearing medicinal power of certain Immortal Herbs, the Purple-spotted Snake Star was considerably gentler, allowing Dugu Bo to absorb its essence without suffering any violent medicinal backlash.
Under the nourishment of this medicinal power, the Jade Phosphor Serpent Martial Soul behind Dugu Bo gradually became visible.
Its emerald-green body flickered faintly, and its poisonous aura became increasingly pure.
The originally somewhat chaotic poison power inside Dugu Bo’s body began to stabilize, while the poisonous energy gathered around his poison core became denser and more refined.
Dugu Bo could clearly feel that the poison power that had once caused him endless suffering was gradually becoming more obedient.
About an hour later, the medicinal power of the Purple-spotted Snake Star was completely integrated into his body.
The warmth circulating through his meridians slowly disappeared, leaving behind a pure and refined poisonous energy that had already merged with his Martial Soul and poison core.
Dugu Bo slowly opened his eyes.
“Next, condense the Spirit core.”
His voice was low, and his eyes flashed with determination.
After taking a long breath, he could clearly feel that the meridians throughout his body were much smoother than before, while the poison power that had previously threatened to erupt at any moment was now firmly contained within his control.
Without wasting any more time, Dugu Bo closed his eyes once again and began circulating his spirit power according to the method Jinpeng had taught him.
His poison core gradually began to rotate.
The enormous amount of poisonous energy accumulated within it was slowly compressed, refined, and purified under the guidance of Dugu Bo’s spirit power.
At first, the process was extremely slow, and every slight movement of the poison core caused intense pressure throughout his meridians.
However, Dugu Bo did not panic.
He followed Jinpeng’s instructions step by step, carefully maintaining the balance between his spirit power and poison power.
The poison core had already existed inside his body for decades.
It had been formed through the accumulation of the Jade Phosphor Serpent’s venom and his own spirit power, so the foundation for transformation was already extremely solid.
What Dugu Bo needed to do now was not create something from nothing, but purify and reshape the existing core until it could evolve into a genuine poison-attribute Spirit core.
The process was naturally not easy.
However, after countless years of cultivating poisonous techniques and fighting against the backlash of his own Martial Soul, Dugu Bo possessed an extremely strong will.
Even when the transformation caused waves of pain to spread through his body, he remained motionless and continued circulating his spirit power.
One day passed.
Then another.
The poison core inside his body gradually became smaller, but its aura became increasingly terrifying.
Every strand of poisonous energy had been compressed to an astonishing degree, and a faint green brilliance slowly emerged from the center of the core.
On the third day, a powerful yet restrained aura suddenly erupted from the secluded cultivation room before quickly disappearing again.
The tightly closed door slowly opened.
Dugu Bo stepped out.
The light from the corridor entered the room and illuminated his face.
His dark green robe was slightly wrinkled, and his hair was somewhat disheveled after three days of cultivation, but his eyes were brighter than ever.
“It’s wonderful.
This feeling is wonderful!”
Dugu Bo stood at the doorway and took a deep breath.
The moment the air entered his lungs, he felt an unprecedented sense of freedom throughout his body.
The poison that had plagued him for decades no longer felt like a hidden blade waiting to strike.
It had become a part of his strength.
Rank ninety-three Titled Douluo!
His spirit power had successfully increased by two ranks, and the deadly poison backlash that had tortured him for so many years had been completely resolved.
The poisonous energy within his body was no longer scattered throughout his meridians in a dangerous state.
Instead, it was concentrated inside the newly transformed poison-attribute Spirit core and circulated smoothly under his control.
More importantly, the Spirit core could continuously absorb the elemental energy of heaven and earth, allowing his spirit power to recover at a far greater speed than before.
Dugu Bo clenched his fist.
He could clearly feel that his overall strength had undergone a qualitative change.
If he were to fight an opponent of the same rank again, his endurance and ability to sustain powerful Spirit Abilities would be completely different from before.
“After all these years, the poison that almost killed me has finally become one of my greatest strengths.”
A faint smile appeared on Dugu Bo’s old face.
Just as Dugu Bo stepped completely out of the cultivation room, a pretty figure suddenly jumped up from the steps not far away and rushed toward him in two or three quick steps before throwing her arms around his waist.
“Grandpa!
You’re finally out!”
Dugu Yan tilted her head upward to look at him, her jade-green eyes shining brightly with excitement.
Dugu Bo lowered his head and looked at his granddaughter.
The sternness that usually appeared on his face disappeared completely, replaced by a gentle smile.
He reached out and stroked Dugu Yan’s hair.
“How is it?
Have you completely absorbed the medicinal power of the Immortal Herb?”
“Mn!”
Dugu Yan nodded vigorously.
“I have already absorbed most of its medicinal power, and my spirit power has reached level forty.
More importantly, my Martial Soul has evolved into the Jade Phosphor Serpent!”
There was obvious excitement in her voice.
Dugu Yan’s original Martial Soul was the Jade Phosphor Snake, an inherited Martial Soul of the Dugu family.
Compared with Dugu Bo’s Jade Phosphor Serpent, which had undergone an acquired evolutionary transformation through his own cultivation and opportunities, Dugu Yan’s original Martial Soul had always possessed a slightly weaker foundation.
However, after refining the Netherworld Yellow Spring Fruit, the poisonous origin within her Martial Soul had been thoroughly purified and strengthened.
Under the nourishment of the Immortal Herb, her Martial Soul had successfully evolved from the Jade Phosphor Snake into the Jade Phosphor Serpent.
Although the evolution did not instantly transform her into a top-level powerhouse, the improvement to her Martial Soul origin and future potential was extremely significant.
“Good, very good!”
Dugu Bo laughed twice, his eyes filled with satisfaction.
He patted Dugu Yan’s shoulder and said, “Your foundation has been strengthened, your Martial Soul has evolved, and your spirit power has reached the bottleneck of level forty.
Once Grandpa has a word with Elder Jin, I will personally accompany you to hunt for a suitable fourth Spirit Ring.”
Dugu Yan nodded hard.
“Alright!”
She then looked at her grandfather with some curiosity.
After observing him for several seconds, her expression gradually became strange.
“Grandpa, you seem to have become much stronger too.”
Dugu Bo laughed.
“Of course.
The problem inside Grandpa’s body has been completely eradicated, and my spirit power has also increased by two ranks.
I have now reached rank ninety-three.”
Dugu Yan stared at him for several seconds, seemingly wanting to confirm whether he was merely trying to comfort her.
After confirming that Dugu Bo was not joking, she suddenly lunged into his arms again and buried her face against his chest.
“That’s wonderful!”
Dugu Bo’s expression became even gentler as he patted his granddaughter’s back.
For him, becoming stronger was important, but seeing Dugu Yan escape the fate that had once awaited every member of the Dugu family was even more important.
The two generations of the Dugu family had both been troubled by the poisonous nature of their Martial Soul.
Now, under the help of Body Sect, not only had Dugu Bo’s poison backlash been resolved, but Dugu Yan’s Martial Soul had also successfully evolved.
At this moment, Dugu Bo’s sense of belonging toward Body Sect became even stronger.
…
Wulan City.
Inside the private suite on the top floor of the largest hotel in the city.
Jinpeng sat in the main seat, while Chen Yuan sat on his left.
A cup of warm tea was placed in front of each of them, and the fragrance of the tea slowly curled upward, filling the quiet room.
Seven days had already passed since Chen Yuan first contacted Spirit Hall in Wulan City.
According to the agreement made previously, Spirit Hall had finally sent its representatives to conduct a formal discussion with Body Sect.
Footsteps came from outside the door.
The sound was measured and even, with two people approaching one after another.
Elder Chen’s eyes narrowed slightly, and a faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
“The guests have arrived.”
Jinpeng opened his eyes, his calm gaze falling toward the door.
“Please come in, the two of you.”
The door was pushed open.
Two figures, one dressed in golden clothing and the other surrounded by an indistinct black aura, walked into the private suite side by side.
The moment they entered, the atmosphere in the room subtly changed.
Yue Guan’s gaze first swept across Jinpeng sitting in the main seat, then landed on Chen Yuan beside him.
The smile on his feminine face remained unchanged, but his eyes became slightly more serious.
The man beside him was Gui Mei.
His entire figure seemed to be enveloped in darkness, and the faint black mist surrounding his body made it difficult to clearly perceive his true appearance.
Yue Guan spoke first.
“Spirit Hall, Yue Guan.”
“Gui Mei.”
Jinpeng stood up and returned the greeting with cupped hands.
“Body Sect, Jinpeng.”
He then turned slightly and indicated Chen Yuan beside him.
“This is Elder Chen Yuan.”
Chen Yuan also slightly nodded, which counted as returning the courtesy.
The four of them took their seats.
Yue Guan gracefully picked up the teacup in front of him and took a light sip.
His movements were elegant, but his eyes remained focused on Jinpeng.
“This is the first time our Spirit Hall has heard the name Body Sect.
May I ask how long the Body Sect has remained in seclusion?”
“Body Sect has lived in seclusion for generations and rarely entered the outside world.”
Jinpeng’s tone remained calm.
Yue Guan raised his eyebrows slightly.
“So now the Body Sect intends to enter the world?”
“That depends on the Sect Master’s intentions.”
Jinpeng calmly put down his teacup.
“For now, our Sect merely wishes to establish a cooperative relationship with your esteemed faction.
There is no intention of completely exposing the Sect to the outside world.”
Hearing this, Yue Guan and Gui Mei exchanged a glance.
Neither of them was surprised by the fact that Jinpeng was not the Sect Master.
However, this confirmed something important.
The Body Sect possessed at least three Titled Douluos.
Du Busi was already known to be a powerful Titled Douluo, Jinpeng was a rank ninety-seven Titled Douluo, and Chen Yuan had also demonstrated strength beyond what ordinary Spirit Masters could easily see through.
If the information they had obtained was accurate, the foundation of this mysterious Body Sect was indeed extraordinary.
Yue Guan’s expression remained calm, but the caution in his heart increased.
He placed the teacup down.
“Spirit Hall has already tested the Body Cleansing Pill that Body Sect sent to Wulan City.
The effect is indeed quite good.
For Spirit Masters below the Spirit Emperor rank, the improvement to the physical body is considerable.”
He paused before continuing.
“Since the Body Sect is willing to take out such valuable pills and use them as a starting point for cooperation, the cooperation you want to discuss cannot be something simple, right?”
“Elder Yue Guan is indeed a straightforward person.”
Jinpeng picked up his teacup, took a sip, and slowly placed it back on the table.
“My Body Sect is willing to establish a long-term cooperative relationship with Spirit Hall.
As long as both sides can reach an agreement that benefits everyone, there is no reason for us to refuse.”
“Spirit Tools?”
Yue Guan’s gaze flickered slightly.
“Mn.”
Jinpeng nodded.
“Not only storage Spirit Tools, but also detection Spirit Tools and offensive Spirit Tools.”
His tone was calm, yet the confidence within his words was unmistakable.
“My Body Sect has mastered the manufacturing technology of Spirit Tools and possesses the ability to produce them in batches.”
The private suite fell silent for a moment.
Yue Guan and Gui Mei exchanged glances, and although neither of them spoke, both understood the significance of what Jinpeng had just said.
The value of Spirit Tools was already considerable.
Storage Spirit Tools were particularly rare because of the difficulty of manufacturing their spatial structures, while detection and offensive Spirit Tools could potentially influence the way Spirit Masters fought and gathered intelligence.
If Body Sect truly possessed a mature manufacturing system and could produce Spirit Tools in batches, then the value of such cooperation would go far beyond a few bottles of Body Cleansing Pills.
At present, spatial storage Spirit Tools were not something that ordinary Spirit Masters could casually obtain.
Even a relatively ordinary storage Spirit Tool could command a high price on the market, while truly high-quality ones were even more difficult to find.
Yue Guan’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“Manufacturing Spirit Tools is indeed a huge business.
Such a market is valuable enough to attract the attention of countless forces.
Does the Body Sect really intend to swallow such a huge opportunity alone?
Aren’t you afraid that the cake will be too large and you will eventually choke on it?”
As he spoke, Yue Guan gently tapped one finger against the tabletop.
The movement seemed completely casual.
However, at the same instant, a faint and elusive strand of spirit power quietly spread along the surface of the table and moved toward Jinpeng.
It was extremely covert and gentle.
For an ordinary Spirit Master, it would have been almost impossible to notice.
But this was a probing attack from a Titled Douluo.
Jinpeng’s hand holding the teacup paused slightly.
His eyes lifted and landed directly on Yue Guan.
He had naturally noticed the probing spirit power.
The next moment, an extremely powerful aura erupted from Jinpeng’s body.
His Body Martial Soul was released instantly.
A terrifying wave of spirit power surged outward from his body, crushing the strand of probing spirit power into nothingness before it could approach him.
“Boom!”
Nine Spirit Rings rose slowly beneath Jinpeng’s feet.
Yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black, black, red!
The final red Spirit Ring released a terrifying pressure that instantly filled the entire private suite.
A 100,000-year Spirit Ring!
Yue Guan’s smile froze.
His pupils contracted violently as he stared at the dazzling red Spirit Ring beneath Jinpeng’s feet.
“A 100,000-year Spirit Ring!”
Yue Guan abruptly stood up, and his spirit power surged violently.
His Martial Soul, the Qirong Tongtian Chrysanthemum, appeared beside him in an instant, its brilliant petals unfolding as he released his own aura to resist Jinpeng’s overwhelming pressure.
Gui Mei’s figure also distorted slightly under the invisible pressure.
The black mist surrounding his body fluctuated violently, and his Ghost Martial Soul appeared faintly within the darkness as he resisted the terrifying aura.
The atmosphere that had previously been peaceful and cordial changed completely in an instant.
Jinpeng did not say anything.
He simply looked at the two Titled Douluos from Spirit Hall with an indifferent expression.
The pressure released by a rank ninety-seven Titled Douluo was already astonishing, and after his recent refinement of the Ink Jade Divine Bamboo, his physical foundation had become even stronger.
Combined with the power of his secondary awakened Body Martial Soul, his aura was far more oppressive than that of an ordinary Titled Douluo of the same rank.
Yue Guan’s heart became heavy.
He had originally intended to probe the true strength of Body Sect.
Instead, he had been directly shown the terrifying foundation of one of its Elders.
A rank ninety-seven Titled Douluo possessing a 100,000-year Spirit Ring was already enough to make him take the situation extremely seriously.
Yue Guan slowly put down the teacup in his hand, preparing to say a few polite words to ease the suddenly tense atmosphere.
But before he could speak, Jinpeng moved.
A hand crossed the table without warning and casually landed on Yue Guan’s shoulder.
The movement was not fast.
Yet Yue Guan’s expression changed instantly.
He had been prepared for Jinpeng to attack, but the strange thing was that even after seeing the hand approach, he found himself unable to avoid it.
The moment Jinpeng’s palm settled onto his shoulder, Yue Guan felt an extremely heavy force descend upon him.
His spirit power was instantly suppressed, and its circulation became sluggish.
It felt as if a small mountain had suddenly been placed on his shoulder.
Yue Guan’s knees bent slightly against his will, and his entire body sank downward.
His elegant expression finally changed.
“So strong!”
Cold sweat appeared on Yue Guan’s back.
Although Jinpeng had not used any Spirit Ability, the simple suppression produced by his physical strength and spirit power was already enough to make Yue Guan feel an enormous threat.
Gui Mei’s expression also became solemn.
“Stop!”
Seeing Yue Guan being suppressed, Gui Mei immediately released his Ghost Martial Soul.
Black mist surged violently around his body, and he intended to step forward to rescue Yue Guan.
But at this very moment, Jinpeng withdrew the hand pressing on Yue Guan’s shoulder.
The oppressive force disappeared instantly.
Yue Guan straightened his body and took a deep breath, his expression becoming more cautious than before.
However, Jinpeng and Chen Yuan did not pay attention to him.
The two of them turned their heads at almost the same time, their gazes falling squarely on Gui Mei.
Their eyes met.
The expressions of both Jinpeng and Chen Yuan became slightly strange.
There was shock in their eyes, accompanied by a trace of suspicion.
The reason was simple.
The Martial Soul Gui Mei had just released had revealed an extremely unusual characteristic.
Jinpeng stared at the dark aura surrounding Gui Mei for a moment before slowly speaking.
“Body Martial Soul?!”