Chapter 41: Refining Nangong Wan

As the water vapor grew thicker, the ice encasing the Masked Douluo gradually melted away.

All the golden liquid eventually flowed into the Masked Douluo's mouth.

This liquid, formed from light elements, could thaw the Masked Douluo's frozen soul.

"Mm... Mm..."

The Masked Douluo's eyelids trembled slightly, but he couldn't open his eyes.

"Old Yi, what's going on with him?"

Jiang Jue looked at Electrolux in confusion. From his perception, the Masked Douluo's blood was circulating again, and his soul core was also functioning.

As a Title Douluo, as long as his soul core remained intact, dying wasn't an easy feat.

"He doesn't want to wake up. A little external stimulation should do the trick."

Jiang Jue's face darkened at this. So, this masked guy was just dreaming?

At your age, how can you sleep so soundly?!

Slap! Slap!

Jiang Jue slapped the Masked Douluo twice on the face, all the while shouting with concern, "Elder Yue, wake up! Wake up!"

The Masked Douluo, awakened by Jiang Jue's affectionate "service," mumbled dazedly, "Huh? I think I just saw my late great-grandmother..."

"Great-grandmother..."

Slap! Slap!

Seeing that the Masked Douluo was still disoriented, Jiang Jue gave him another two affectionate slaps.

Cough, cough!

The Masked Douluo coughed twice, his eyes finally clearing up.

"Holy Son, you're down here too? Looks like none of us escaped the Ice Empress."

The Masked Douluo sighed, his expression sorrowful.

"We're not dead yet. Elder Zhang saved us."

"Huh?"

Hearing this, the Masked Douluo's eyes brightened as he muttered, "I didn't expect Elder Zhang to be so kind. I'll definitely burn more incense for him during festivals in the future."

Jiang Jue held his forehead, utterly speechless. Who would've thought this Masked Douluo's thought process would be so peculiar? Did he eat too many brains or something?

"Elder Zhang isn't dead, but he's injured. We need to find a safe place quickly to heal him."

"That's great! Let's go!"

Hearing that Zhang Peng was alive, the Masked Douluo's face lit up with joy as he stood up hurriedly.

"Why does my face hurt? So strange..."

The Masked Douluo rubbed his face, mumbling to himself. He clearly remembered the Ice Empress's strike hitting his chest, so why did his face hurt?

Jiang Jue's gaze wandered a bit as he quickly handed Zhang Peng to the Masked Douluo. The three then swiftly left.

In an icy valley within the central region of the Extreme North.

"Holy Son, you know, Elder Zhang is really tough. Even with such severe injuries, he's still hanging on."

The Masked Douluo sat cross-legged behind Zhang Peng, channeling soul power into him. As his soul power flowed in, Zhang Peng's complexion gradually became rosy again.

Meanwhile, Jiang Jue was sitting on the other side, absorbing the surrounding soul power to restore himself to peak condition. He still needed to deal with Nangong Wan next.

"Elder Yue, stay alert outside. I need to meditate for a while."

Jiang Jue spoke solemnly to the Masked Douluo, feeling genuinely uneasy.

"Don't worry, Holy Son. Leave it to me."

Jiang Jue shot the Masked Douluo a deep look before closing his eyes and diving into his Sea of Spirit.

They were now in the central region of the Extreme North, where the strongest soul beasts were around fifty thousand years old. The Masked Douluo's strength should be enough to handle them.

In his Sea of Spirit, Jiang Jue summoned the Soul Refining Banner and absorbed the Devourer Dagger into his body, turning it into a gray light that entered the banner.

"Elder Nangong, how are you enjoying your stay?"

A crisp voice echoed as Jiang Jue appeared near Nangong Wan.

Nangong Wan was seated cross-legged, his brows tightly furrowed. Ever since entering the Soul Refining Banner, he found that this space constantly drained his spiritual power, like a thief claiming everything inside.

He had tried calling out to Jiang Jue but received no response. Unable to perceive the outside world, he assumed Jiang Jue and the others were still dealing with the Ice Empress. Left with no choice, he could only meditate to minimize his spiritual power loss.

Upon hearing Jiang Jue's voice, Nangong Wan's eyes shot open, filled with surprise.

He realized Jiang Jue and the others must have escaped the Ice Empress.

"Holy Son, how's the situation outside?"

Nangong Wan struggled to hide his excitement. Although he had a guess, he still asked. At the same time, he eyed Jiang Jue's spiritual form, a bold thought forming in his mind.

"Nangong Elder, the danger has passed, but I have something important to ask you."

Jiang Jue smiled faintly as he spoke.

"Oh? What is it?" Nangong Wan asked, puzzled.

"I was wondering if you're comfortable here. Have you considered staying long-term?"

"Huh?"

Nangong Wan was momentarily stunned before realization dawned, his heart sinking as he stared at Jiang Jue's smiling face.

"Is this brat planning to make me a permanent resident of this Soul Refining Banner?"

His expression darkened.

"You must be joking, Holy Son. I still wish to serve the Holy Church. How could I stay here permanently?"

Jiang Jue's smile widened.

"Nangong Elder, you need to be flexible. After all, the Holy Spirit Church will be mine to lead someday. Joining my Soul Refining Banner is contributing to me personally, and by extension, to the Church as a whole. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Ag... Actually, no!"

Nangong Wan's face grew sinister. "Holy Son, are you saying there's no room for negotiation?"

The sinister thought in his heart took root.

"How dare you! I kindly persuaded you, yet you remain obstinate. Without a body, what can you do outside?"

"There's a perfectly good one right here! I've had my eye on it for a while now."

Nangong Wan dropped all pretenses.

This title of Holy Son is yours, Jiang Jue? Then it can be mine too!

Jiang Jue wasn't surprised. With a wave of his hands, over thirty beast spirits appeared behind him.

A twelve-meter-tall Cyclops, the peculiar Evil Eye, the blood-red-eyed Soul-Devouring Crow, the battle-ready Ice Spirit Battle Tiger... All these beast spirits stared intently at Nangong Wan.

"Heh! You think these spirits can stop me?"

"Today, I'll show you why Title Douluos are not to be trifled with!"

Nangong Wan roared, his body transforming into a giant centipede shrouded in green mist, its twisted form radiating a sinister aura.

"Go!"

With a wave of Jiang Jue's hands, the beast spirits charged at Nangong Wan.

"Fools!"

Nangong Wan's centipede form spewed out toxic green gas, instantly melting the leading spirits into puddles.

Seeing this, Nangong Wan felt victorious, his attacks growing even more ferocious!

(Chapter End)

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