Chapter Forty-One: Evolution of the Martial Soul

Yin-Yang Eyes of Ice and Fire—Xiao Yu held in his hand a pill exuding a rich medicinal fragrance. It was crafted from the essence of three immortal herbs: Blazing Apricot, Eight-Pointed Mystic Ice Grass, and Autumn-Water Dew, combined with more than a dozen premium medicinal plants. This was Xiao Yu’s meticulous preparation for absorbing a ten-thousand-year soul ring.

Not far away, Dugu Yan nervously clutched a pill that was white with a reddish hue, enveloped in misty vapors. She glanced at her grandfather, Dugu Bo, and asked, “Grandfather, will this really evolve my martial soul?”

Beside Xiao Yu, Ye Lingling was silent, but her beautiful eyes seemed to carry the same question.

“Rest assured, all of you,” Yang Invincible declared with joy, his long-cherished wish finally realized. He thumped his chest and promised, “Our clan’s alchemical arts have been passed down for centuries. Immortal herbs absorb the essence of heaven and earth and the brilliance of sun and moon; they possess miraculous powers. You will surely gain unimaginable benefits.”

“Yan Yan, go ahead and take it!” Dugu Bo urged his granddaughter, “The Old Goat’s ingredients are all highly nourishing. Even if your martial soul doesn’t evolve, your body will be greatly strengthened, and your soul power cultivation will improve.”

Under her trusted grandfather’s encouragement, Dugu Yan swallowed the pill. Xiao Yu offered Ye Lingling a gentle smile before taking his own medicine. Ye Lingling, almost blindly trusting Xiao Yu, only took hers once she saw him do so, opening her delicate lips to swallow it carefully.

As for Zi Long, Xie Wu, and the others, their martial souls originated from the constellations, which could not evolve further. Yang Invincible had prepared tonics to strengthen their bodies, which they chewed with gusto as if eating candy.

As soon as Xiao Yu’s pill entered his stomach, a warm current surged forth and rapidly spread outward. The potent medicinal power erupted, a surging heat flooding his meridians like a tidal wave. Gritting his teeth, Xiao Yu quickly sat cross-legged and channeled his soul power to absorb and digest the medicine.

With the aid of soul power, the once turbulent medicinal energy became gentle. Xiao Yu felt as though every pore in his body opened wide, greedily absorbing the essence of heaven and earth.

Guided by his soul power, the medicinal energy circulated throughout his body, catalyzing a transformation in his meridians, bones, and organs. Even his soul was being nourished and elevated at an astonishing speed. Xiao Yu felt as if he were swimming in a golden sea, forgetting everything else.

He did not know how much time had passed before the medicinal energy was fully absorbed. Slowly, Xiao Yu opened his eyes to see Ye Lingling’s concerned and anxious face.

“Xiao... Brother Xiao Yu, you... you’re awake!”

Ye Lingling was startled by his sudden awakening and stammered out her words.

Xiao Yu nodded gently, reached out to rub Ye Lingling’s head, and whispered, “I’m fine. How about you? How did the medicine work for you?”

“I’ve been done for ages. Unlike you, so slow.”

Before Ye Lingling could reply, Dugu Yan spoke up bluntly, “Lingling and I finished absorbing the medicine half a month ago. Seeing you never wake up, Lingling worried herself sick these days—she barely ate or drank and got so thin!”

“Yan Yan, don’t say that!”

Ye Lingling’s face flushed bright red at those words, embarrassed. “I... I didn’t...” Her voice faded to a whisper so soft that even Xiao Yu, right next to her, could not make out what she was saying.

Xiao Yu smiled, taking Ye Lingling’s delicate hand. “I’ve told you before, I would never act recklessly. This time, absorbing the medicine took longer, and I made you worry!”

“Mhm.”

Ye Lingling nodded softly, not pulling her hand back. In fact, she felt much more at ease holding him.

“By the way,” Xiao Yu quickly changed the subject, “how did the medicine work for you both?”

Ye Lingling replied, “After absorbing the medicinal energy, my soul power broke through to level thirty. Before taking the pill, Yan Yan was already at the bottleneck for level thirty. Grandfather Dugu helped us catch two millennium soul beasts, and after absorbing their soul rings, my soul power reached thirty-three, while Yan Yan’s is almost thirty-seven.”

Dugu Yan had already been on the verge of becoming a Soul Master, while Ye Lingling had only been at level twenty-six or twenty-seven; these results were exactly as Xiao Yu had expected.

“How about your martial souls? Any changes?”

Dugu Yan’s pill combined the essence of Earth Dragon Golden Melon, Blazing Apricot, and Eight-Pointed Mystic Ice Grass. Ye Lingling’s included Kylin Golden Orchid, Narcissus Jade Bone, and Eight-Petaled Immortal Orchid. Xiao Yu never believed that the three immortal herbs’ essence only boosted soul power.

“Yan Yan’s martial soul evolved into a flood dragon. She lost its original toxicity but gained tremendous offensive power,” Ye Lingling answered softly. “Mine seems to have changed, too. Besides healing, I can now restore soul power. It feels as if my martial soul is telling me that the shackles of the Nine-Heart Begonia no longer bind me!”

“That’s right!”

Xiao Yu affirmed her words. “One of your pill’s ingredients was the Kylin Golden Orchid, an elegant and noble immortal herb that absorbs the essence of heaven and earth and the radiance of the sun and moon. It has a profound effect on plant-based martial souls. Now, the curse of the Nine-Heart Begonia is gone—you no longer possess merely the original martial soul, but a superior version.”

He paused. “Lingling, since the superior form of the Nine-Heart Begonia has never been recorded, why don’t you name it yourself?”

“Sacred... Sacred Heart Begonia!”

Ye Lingling didn’t know why, but as soon as Xiao Yu asked her to name her martial soul, that title surfaced in her mind.

“A fine name!”

Xiao Yu nodded, then solemnly cautioned Ye Lingling, “Lingling, when you return, tell only your grandfather and father about your martial soul’s evolution. Never let anyone else know.”

“Why?”

Before Ye Lingling could respond, Dugu Yan interjected impatiently, “Lingling’s martial soul evolving is such a wonderful thing—why keep it secret?”

“The hearts of men are unpredictable.”

Xiao Yu’s expression grew serious. “Let’s put aside others. Take the Seven Treasures Glazed Sect, currently revered as the continent’s top support clan. Nine-Heart Begonia was never a threat because its martial soul was limited by inheritance. But if the Seven Treasures Glazed Sect learns Lingling has overcome that flaw, what do you think they’ll do?”

Ye Lingling said quietly, “My grandfather and father have said as much. The Seven Treasures Glazed Sect has always eyed our Nine-Heart Begonia clan with suspicion. Their disciples keep a constant watch on our family’s perimeter.”