Chapter 61: Dugu Bo Sees Through

The danger Liu Erlong imagined didn't happen.

Even Yu Tianyan had underestimated himself—or more accurately, he had underestimated the power of the Dragon Blood Sword Grass.

Even the pressure from the 4,000-year-old spirit ring barely affected him.

With the Fallen Heart Flame protecting him, the pain wasn't even as severe as it had been when he absorbed his first spirit ring.

Years of tempering his body with the strange flame had made him far stronger than most beast-type spirit masters at the same level. Although he had been cautious not to overdo it—so as not to hinder his future development—his physical body was still exceptional.

The external soul bone shared the burden, and the Dragon Blood Sword Grass comprehensively enhanced his body.

Moreover, his first two spirit rings had already exceeded the typical age limit, giving him a significant physical boost.

When the moon rose, he opened his eyes.

A flash of lightning crossed his gaze. Under the influence of the 4,000-year-old spirit ring, his body was further strengthened. The soul power brought by the Dragon Blood Sword Grass surged within him—his level had now reached 33.

The blue dragon in his sea of consciousness could enter his body at any time. If he wanted, he could temporarily evolve his martial soul into the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon.

"Senior, Xiaoyan, it's getting late. Let's find a place to rest for the night and return to the academy tomorrow," Liu Erlong suggested.

Dugu Bo nodded indifferently. He didn't care where they stayed.

"What kind of soul beast is that? I've never heard of it before," Liu Erlong asked in confusion.

"Xiaoyan, let Senior Dugu rest. He's been away for eight months—he must miss Yanyan," Liu Erlong added. Dugu Bo's current appearance was pitiful. Plus, it had been months since he'd seen his granddaughter. They should be considerate of the old man.

Hearing this, Dugu Bo nodded again. If he hadn't wanted to win over Yu Tianyan's sympathy, he would've changed clothes and gone straight to see his granddaughter.

He had activated his soul power once after absorbing the Fallen Heart Flame and found that his cultivation speed had returned to what it was in his youth. This had shocked him. So, no matter how unbelievable Yu Tianyan's progress seemed, Dugu Bo accepted it as reasonable.

He handed Yu Tianyan a set of notes he had been compiling for some time.

"Kid, this Phantom Fire Marten is nearly 70,000 years old. It's enough to win your heart, right?"

Yu Tianyan's eyes lit up with excitement.

He had already prepared for the worst—settling for a fire-attributed soul beast over 60,000 years old for his right leg bone. He hadn't expected Dugu Bo to actually find something this special.

Liu Erlong, who had been joyful to see him awake, suddenly scowled and pulled his ear.

"Are you trying to die? A 4,000-year-old spirit ring for your third ring? Do you plan to make the fourth one 10,000 years?"

As she said that, she paused in surprise—realizing that might actually be possible—and forgot to let go of his ear.

For the one being scolded, though, this moment was the happiest.

After every cultivation session, he would collapse onto Liu Erlong's bed and refuse to move.

"Alright, sister. Let's head to another location," Yu Tianyan said with a smile.

The three of them found a taller hillside and set up three tents again.

After cultivating with the Heart Flame at 90% capacity for eight months, his soul power had reached level 89. Under its effects, the five soul bones within him had started to connect. Once they fully fused, he could unlock a powerful Soul Bone Fusion Technique.

"No matter what, sister, this sixth soul bone is yours. Let's go. We can't let it escape. Senior, lead the way!" Yu Tianyan said eagerly.

Dugu Bo raised his eyebrows and said, "Calm down, kid. I've already poisoned that demon marten—it won't get far. If it shows up nearby, I'll sense it. Let me recover for a bit first."

As for the original resident soul beast of the area? Liu Erlong had driven it off with a cold snort, still wondering if the fourth ring could really be a ten-thousand-year one.

Watching their squabble, Dugu Bo couldn't help but sigh. Still, he smiled and said:

"A thousand-year second ring, a four-thousand-year third ring—you're basically a monster."

Yu Tianyan simply gave a light smile. He didn't bother saying anything about luck.

In his heart, he thought: After all the effort I've put in, what's wrong with resting on your bed for a bit?

"Ah! I was wrong, sister! I was wrong! I won't go any higher, I swear!" Yu Tianyan begged, clutching his ear in pain.

But he still muttered under his breath, unwilling to give up: "Damn, let's look for a 5,000-year one next time. This one's still a bit too old."

Time flew.

"Why doesn't that little monster come record this himself? The old man misses his granddaughter..." Dugu Bo muttered.

Late at night, Dugu Bo sat inside his tent, staring through a small gap. Outside, Yu Tianyan and Liu Erlong leaned against a tree, resting together. His lips twitched violently.

Five days later, the trio returned to Lanba Academy.

"Snort."

Everything seemed to return to normal.

The relationships between Jing Ling, Huang Yuan, Jiang Zhu, and Dugu Yan gradually improved. A temporary instructor was arranged by Yin Shu for the new teaching area.

Dugu Bo wandered the continent with a thick book of notes from Yu Tianyan, visiting various soul beast habitats. Sometimes he searched, sometimes he recorded, mumbling to himself along the way.

"Do they not see me as human anymore? A Titled Douluo doing hard labor…"

His hair was a mess, his robe was ragged—not because he couldn't tidy up, but because he wanted Yu Tianyan to think he was working hard.

With bright green eyes sparkling like a monkey's, he looked at Yu Tianyan with excitement.

He knew very clearly—without the Fallen Heart Flame, he'd be nothing. Everything he had now was thanks to it.

He had finally acquired his ideal third soul skill: Thunder Fury.

In a wooden house, Liu Erlong and Yu Tianyan sat cross-legged, making the final push in their soul power cultivation.

Dugu Bo was given a task—to find a fire-attributed soul beast over 60,000 years old. He had initially agreed with a smile, but after Yu Tianyan promised him three soul bones next year, he realized instantly that he had been tricked!

"Senior, I'm not the monster. My flame is the real monster."

"Fine, since you say so… let's set off tomorrow," Yu Tianyan said, slightly exasperated.

Dugu Bo's haggard appearance no longer fooled him. His eyes were still full of energy. But considering the eight-month separation between grandfather and granddaughter, he couldn't be too harsh.

"Hmph, brat, don't come looking for me next time this happens," Dugu Bo huffed, then flew out of Lanba Academy.

He had to clean himself up before seeing his granddaughter.

"Xiaoyan, you've got Senior Dugu wrapped around your finger," Liu Erlong said with a laugh.

Yu Tianyan flipped through the soul beast data Dugu Bo had handed him. It recorded the attributes and characteristics of spirit beasts over 30,000 years old—data previously unheard of.

Reading through it, he commented:

"That old man's very cunning, sister. Don't be fooled by his appearance."

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(End of chapter)

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