Chapter 38: Soul Hunting (I)

Thank you to our new Patrons: ar4ngel, Savagesmiley, w1212m, Raingori, DTShadow, nicholas berenguer, Noah Thomas, Brian Ramsey, Duoc, Chimera, Josh Wells, Orion Chung, Braydon Delgado, Gary Manus, [GLD]Guto, John Goral and Pierre-Louis! You are what makes this possible! We are up to Chapter 110: Tang Hao Runs Away in Disgrace on Patreon!

There's something for free patrons too! Free Patrons receive 1 chapter in advance :)

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Flender and Liu Erlong were still absorbing the immortal herbs, their bodies occasionally emitting fluctuations of soul power.

Their martial souls had also manifested—the Owl martial soul and the Crimson Dragon martial soul. Flender's Owl martial soul was considered a top-tier advanced martial soul, while Liu Erlong's Crimson Dragon martial soul, a variant of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, was a supreme-tier martial soul.

As Flender's Owl martial soul absorbed the herb's energy, visible changes began to occur. Wind elements from the surrounding environment converged toward the Owl martial soul, causing it to gradually transform into a greenish hue. Its body slowly grew larger, its feathers becoming sharper and more formidable. The Owl exuded an increasingly majestic presence.

Flender opened his eyes, now in the state of martial soul possession. Normally, when his martial soul was activated, his eyes would turn orange-yellow, but now they had shifted to a deep green.

Flender could feel the changes within himself. His spirit power had been close to level 79, on the verge of breaking through. The immortal herb had directly boosted him by two levels, bringing him to the bottleneck of Spirit Douluo. Moreover, he sensed that his Owl martial soul had evolved. What was once a top-tier advanced martial soul had now transformed into a supreme flying-attack-type martial soul—the Hurricane Owl.

Flender felt as though something inside him had snapped, but he didn't dwell on it. He could sense a significant increase in his strength, with all six of his existing soul skills having grown stronger to varying degrees.

"How is it, Principal? Did you break through?" Li Luochen looked at Flender, observing his newly evolved martial soul and sensing that the breakthrough had likely succeeded.

"I've broken through! I'm now an eighty-level quasi-Spirit Douluo. I haven't even reached fifty years old yet, and I've already broken through to Spirit Douluo. In the future, I might even have a chance at becoming a Title Douluo.

My martial soul has also evolved—it's now the supreme-tier Hurricane Owl. My control over wind attributes has greatly improved.

Thank you, Luochen. But what about Hongjun and Xiao Ao? How will they fare?"

Flender reflected on the changes within himself, suddenly thinking about his students and his old friends.

"Of course, everyone has their share! The herbs for Hongjun and Xiao Ao are even more precious than yours. I've prepared everything for Grandpa, the teachers, and everyone else. Once we return, I'll distribute them."

Li Luochen knew that Flender might feel uneasy about receiving such a valuable gift from his student. Hearing that everyone had their share put Flender's mind at ease, and he said nothing further.

Roar—

A dragon's roar erupted as Liu Erlong completed her martial soul evolution. Though she was younger than Flender, her cultivation had already approached the Spirit Sage level. Liu Erlong was a talented individual, though her focus on romance had caused her to waste some time.

Now, not only had she broken through to level 70, but her martial soul had also evolved. Her Crimson Dragon martial soul, which had previously been slightly inferior to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, had closed the gap thanks to the immortal herb. Additionally, her martial soul had undergone a dragon transformation.

As the daughter of Yu Luomian, Liu Erlong was no stranger to dragon transformations and knew how to cultivate them. Moreover, her Crimson Dragon martial soul's flames had grown significantly stronger, rivaling those of specialized fire-attribute soul masters. With the evolution of her martial soul, she also felt as though something inside her had snapped—but instead of discomfort, she felt an overwhelming sense of relief. Looking at Flender, her eyes softened with affection.

"The principal and wife have both advanced. Now, let's head to the Sunset Forest to hunt for soul rings. Grandpa Dugu and I just discussed it—there are suitable soul beasts for the three of us there."

Li Luochen turned to Flender and Liu Erlong, who nodded in agreement. With Dugu Bo present, hunting soul rings would be much easier.

The group heading out for soul hunting consisted of five people: the main force being Dugu Bo, at the peak of level 94; Flender, at level 80; and Liu Erlong, at level 70. Observing from the sidelines were Li Luochen, at level 40, and Dugu Yan, at level 37.

---

Southwest Tian Dou Empire, Fasinuo Province. Notting City, Notting Junior Soul Master Academy

Yu Xiaogang, still diligently writing away, felt something strange but couldn't pinpoint it due to his low cultivation level. He didn't realize that he had lost something incredibly important.

The Golden Iron Triangle was now a mere shell of its former self. Yu Xiaogang could no longer form the trinity soul fusion technique with Liu Erlong and Flender—he had lost the ability to compete at the highest levels.

If not for the fact that his Luo San Pao was an incomplete evolution of the Holy Light Dragon, how could he have served as the main controller in the soul fusion technique? Now, with Flender's martial soul evolving and Liu Erlong's martial soul advancing further, their levels had surpassed the Holy Light Dragon bloodline possessed by Luo San Pao.

At this moment, Yu Xiaogang was merely a level 29 Great Soul Master, forever unable to break through to Spirit Elder.

Sunset Forest

"We're almost at the territory of the Blazing Unicorn Serpent. Get ready."

Dugu Bo gave the order, already prepared. He released his spiritual energy to observe the surroundings.

"Flender, protect Luochen and Yan Yan. Old man, I, and dragon girl will deal with that unicorn serpent."

Roar—

A dragon-like cry echoed through the forest. A twenty-five-meter-long serpent with crimson scales and a single horn on its head appeared—a characteristic of sub-dragon species.

"Sixth Soul Skill: Jade Phosphorous Snake Emperor Break!"

Dugu Bo unleashed his single-target attack, the snake head slamming heavily into the Blazing Unicorn Serpent, leaving it momentarily stunned.

"Sixth Soul Skill: Explosive Fire Dragon Fist!"

Taking advantage of the opening, Liu Erlong unleashed her strongest soul skill, delivering a powerful punch directly at the unicorn serpent.

However, the Blazing Unicorn Serpent was still a sub-dragon soul beast, with incredible defensive capabilities. For soul beasts, reaching fifty thousand years was a watershed moment. This unicorn serpent, at exactly fifty thousand years, was far stronger than a forty-nine thousand nine hundred year-old soul beast.

"Hmph, this creature's defense is quite high? Watch me break through your scales. True Body of the Martial Soul!"

Dugu Bo immediately unleashed the True Body of his martial soul, delivering a heavy blow to the unicorn serpent's head. The horn shattered, and a massive wound appeared on the serpent's head.

Dugu Bo sneered, his left arm flashing as he activated the skill of his left-arm soul bone—the Snake King Bind!

Several green snake shadows bound the Blazing Unicorn Serpent, paralyzing it with venom so it couldn't move.

"Dragon girl, now! Attack the wound on its head!"

Dugu Bo shouted. Liu Erlong quickly reacted, channeling her energy into her sixth soul skill.

"Explosive Fire Dragon Fist!"

A punch imbued with the shadow of a dragon struck the wound on the unicorn serpent's head. The serpent let out one final roar before collapsing, lifeless.

A black soul ring emerged from the Blazing Unicorn Serpent's body—a fifty-thousand-year seventh soul ring, right at the upper limit. Thanks to the immortal herb she had consumed earlier, Liu Erlong's constitution had improved, making the absorption of this soul ring feasible. The strength of the seventh soul skill, the True Body of the Martial Soul, was directly tied to the age of the soul ring—the older the soul ring, the greater the power of the True Body.

Liu Erlong gazed at the black soul ring, her face filled with joy. She had finally stepped into the realm of true power. Possessing a seventh soul ring was the hallmark of a true powerhouse. As a Spirit Sage, her status had risen significantly.

Liu Erlong sat down and began drawing the black soul ring toward her, absorbing the fifty-thousand-year soul ring.

------------------------------------------------------

Support my writing journey: patreon.com/EphemeralShadow