Douluo: Emerald Poison Emperor [38]

Chen Ming was amazed by Ye Lingling's healing ability with the Nine-Hearts Begonia, while Ye Lingling was equally astonished by Chen Ming.

Ye Lingling relied on her family's ancestral experience and the life-detection ability of her martial soul, the Nine-Hearts Begonia, to assess Dugu Yan's internal injuries. This was the result of generations of accumulated knowledge and innate talent, something that others could not replicate.

But how was Chen Ming able to assess the situation?

"A spiritual-type martial soul? Doesn't seem like it. He looks about the same age as me, and his soul power level shouldn't be above 40," Ye Lingling shook her head inwardly.

As Ye Lingling approached Dugu Yan, she secretly observed Chen Ming while casually asking Dugu Yan,

"Who guided the soul power in your body? Was it the teacher in charge of the training grounds?"

"It was... it was Chen Ming," Dugu Yan responded instinctively.

"?"

Hearing this, a metaphorical question mark seemed to rise above Ye Lingling's head.

She was aware that Dugu Yan was on the verge of breaking through to level 30. For a soon-to-be Soul Elder to sustain internal injuries due to soul power turbulence, it would require someone with at least a soul power level of 35 to suppress her soul power effectively. And this didn't even account for the skill required to control soul power precisely.

Not all soul masters excel in controlling their soul power. Most develop this skill through years of practice, while others focus solely on increasing their soul power level instead of refining their control, as the latter doesn't directly enhance visible strength.

Logically, resolving such a situation would require a spirit master at least level 40 or 50 to reorganize Dugu Yan's turbulent soul power into a stable state. Even then, success wouldn't be guaranteed.

Dugu Yan's initial injuries weren't severe. It was evident that her soul power had been quickly stabilized, preventing further reactions or damage to her meridians.

Could someone of the same age accomplish this?

Ye Lingling doubted she could achieve such a feat, even with dedicated training in soul power control.

Staring at Chen Ming, she suddenly asked,

"How old are you, what's your soul power level, and what's your martial soul?"

"Huh? My name is Chen Ming. I'm 11 years old, my martial soul is Emerald Scorpion King, soul power level 23—wait, no, 24. I just enrolled this year. Why?"

"I'm Ye Lingling, martial soul is Nine-Hearts Begonia, a healing-type Soul Grandmaster," Ye Lingling introduced herself briefly, then pointed to Dugu Yan.

"Was it you who controlled her soul power?"

"Barely managed it. If she had acquired another soul ring and advanced a few more levels, I probably wouldn't have been able to stabilize her soul power so easily."

Chen Ming admitted straightforwardly, as this wasn't some secret technique like spi; bones.

"You…" Ye Lingling stared at Chen Ming in silence for a moment before speaking,

"Your talent is truly rare."

"Thank you for the compliment. I've always had a bit of a knack for this," Chen Ming replied casually.

"That's not something you can just call a bit of a knack." Ye Lingling felt a twinge of envy at Chen Ming's nonchalant humility. Seeing that Dugu Yan was fine, she decided not to linger awkwardly and instead sat on a rock, gazing quietly at the flower field.

Her posture now was much more composed than her earlier casual demeanor of plucking petals out of boredom, giving off the air of an aloof and distant ice queen. It was hard to tell which was her true personality.

After confirming that Dugu Yan's internal injuries were no longer an issue, Chen Ming let go of her hand. Sitting across from each other on the ground, they exchanged awkward glances, neither knowing what to say. After a long pause, it was Dugu Yan—her neck already red—who finally broke the silence.

"I'm heading back to the dorm first... just to rest and recover," Dugu Yan said.

"Oh," Chen Ming nodded and stepped aside to let her pass.

"You're not going to say anything else?" Dugu Yan raised her head and asked Chen Ming.

"I'm mostly worried that if I say too much, you'll be displeased."

This was the truth. Chen Ming, having been single all his life across two lifetimes, truly didn't understand women very well.

Back in school, early relationships were discouraged, and after starting work, he simply lost interest in dating. On quiet nights, he'd sometimes think about relationships, but the thought of modern fairy-like girls and the unnecessary expenses during the dating phase would make him hesitate. Convinced that both his wallet and his energy were too fragile, Chen Ming ultimately never dared to pursue romance.

Now, he couldn't quite discern Dugu Yan's attitude toward him. He was worried that a single wrong word might lead her to say something to Dugu Bo, and then... well, he might not survive the fallout.

On Earth, a father's worst fear might be a yellow-haired boy pulling up with a flashy car. In the world of Douluo Dalu, such situations could be life-threatening.

Though Chen Ming didn't see himself as the flashy, flower-waving type, his relationship with Dugu Yan was far less clear-cut than that of a couple.

Even if Dugu Bo wasn't the strongest, he was still a Title Douluo. No matter how high Chen Ming's poison resistance was, a single poison from Dugu Bo could dissolve him into a puddle of goo.

Looking at Chen Ming's earnest face, Dugu Yan felt a slight headache. She had intended to say something more, but now, all her words were swallowed back down.

She supported herself as she stood up slowly. After confirming that she could move and her body felt fine, she gave Chen Ming a deep look, then walked over to Ye Lingling, who was still sitting absentmindedly on a rock. Leaning close to Ye Lingling's ear, she whispered a few words. The two then left the mimicry training ground designed for healing soul masters and headed back to their dorms.

Seeing this, Chen Ming shrugged and walked toward his courtyard, preparing for the eventual arrival of Dugu Bo.

Based on Dugu Bo's personality as portrayed in the original story, Chen Ming figured he wouldn't be slapped to death in a fit of rage, especially after saving Dugu Yan. Still, it was always wise to have a contingency plan.

What Chen Ming didn't see was that after Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling had walked a short distance, Dugu Yan, who had been walking confidently, suddenly deflated. She turned to Ye Lingling with pitiful eyes, noticing the slight curve at the corner of her friend's lips.

"Lingling, Lingling, you have to keep today's events a secret!" Dugu Yan pleaded.

"I can keep your secret, but do you think no one else saw you two on the way here?" Ye Lingling sighed and covered her face.

Most people feared Dugu Bo, but the Nine-Hearts Begonia lineage didn't. Her grandfather had once mentioned that Dugu Bo owed their family a favor. Because of this, Ye Lingling didn't treat Dugu Yan with the same cautious respect others did. Instead, she saw her as one of her few true friends.

"Instead of worrying about secrecy, you'd be better off finding your grandfather and explaining things to him before he gets the wrong idea."

"I'd like to, but Grandpa went into closed-door cultivation recently. I don't even know where he is. Otherwise, would those people in the academy dare to bother me?" Dugu Yan said, her tone growing aggrieved.

Thinking about it made her feel even more upset. Back when she was with her grandfather, she had wanted nothing more than to get away from him and prove herself. But now that she was apart from him, facing all these challenges on her own, she realized just how unprepared she was to handle everything.