Chapter 67: Du Gu Yan's Martial Spirit Evolution - The Ice and Fire Jade-scaled Jiao - Douluo's spirit bead sword

Chapter 67: Du Gu Yan's Martial Spirit Evolution - The Ice and Fire Jade-scaled Jiao "Howl!!" A wolf's cry shattered the silence as the first person awoke from absorbing the medicinal power. As Tian Lin anticipated, it was Qin Ming, their teacher. Given that the purple-gold pill he consumed was the weakest in potency, and considering his already advanced cultivation, he naturally absorbed it faster. A fiery wolf, radiating intense heat, appeared around Qin Ming's body. It exuded a majestic presence, accompanied by five soul rings—two yellow and three purple—gracefully hovering around him. This was always Qin Ming's regret; the configuration of his soul rings was not optimal. Retracting his martial spirit, Qin Ming assessed himself and said, "On the cusp of level fifty-five, this purple-gold pill has indeed propelled me upward by more than two levels. Moreover, my soul power feels much purer!" "Congratulations on your cultivation breakthrough, Teacher Qin Ming," Tian Lin stepped forward to say. "Teacher, the effects of the purple-gold pill are still active within you. If you were originally destined to break through to the Title Douluo realm around sixty, this should hasten that achievement by two or three years." "This is all thanks to you, little Tian. If ever you need my help, just ask." Appreciative of the kindness he received, Qin Ming was a man who remembered favors. It was precisely because of this quality that Tian Lin was willing to extend his help. After another hour, the next to awaken were the Shi brothers. Their affinity with the medicinal power was remarkably high, allowing them to absorb it almost as swiftly as Qin Ming. "Martial spirit possession!" the Shi brothers exclaimed. Instantly, two Xuanwu turtles bonded with them. The original emerald green turtles now emanated waves of golden light, indicating a significant enhancement in their martial spirits' quality. "Level thirty-seven! Brother, I’ve reached level thirty-seven, a leap of six levels!" Shi Mo exclaimed excitedly. Shi Mo, the more composed of the two, added, "Indeed. Such a divine elixir truly concentrates and refines soul power more than any hard-earned cultivation could." Qin Ming was taken aback. He had believed that his own significant leap of over two levels was already astonishing, only to be surprised by the Shi brothers' six-level advancement. Of course, their initial low soul power was a factor. If the Shi brothers were at Qin Ming's level, the Xuanwu Gold Pill would only boost their soul power by three to four levels. Yet, the enhancement of their martial spirits was the true reward. Soon, Ao Si Luo, Yu Feng, and Ye Ling Ling also awakened one after another. They were uncertain of their precise advancement because, without a third soul ring, they could only sense the thirty levels of soul power—any surplus remained beyond their reach. "Little Tian, you're incredible! I don't know how much my soul power has increased, but now, I'm at the rank of a Heaven Dou Academy student," Ao Si Luo exclaimed enthusiastically, moving to embrace Tian Lin. "Knock it off!" Tian Lin retorted, landing a swift kick that sent Ao Si Luo flying back even faster, humorously protecting his personal space which he reserved for ladies. Yu Feng was much calmer. He inspected his palm and noted, "My martial spirit seems to have acquired some fire attributes. But the actual increase in soul power will have to wait for the acquisition of a third soul ring." "Indeed, my martial spirit has also undergone changes. Not only does it still heal, but it seems to now restore soul power as well," Ye Ling Ling remarked. Her words, said with a calm neutrality, unveiled a dramatic enhancement. The Nine Heart Begonia was already the premier healing martial spirit, rivaling even the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda in auxiliary capacity. Now, with added soul power restoration, even the appearance of a Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda might not guarantee superiority over Ye Ling Ling's Nine Heart Begonia. "It seems Lily’s affinity with herbs is remarkably high," Tian Lin praised. The effects of Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid on her surpassed those described in the original for Oscar. "This is all thanks to you, Little Tian." Ye Ling Ling's eyes were filled with gratitude towards Tian Lin, seemingly ready to regard him as a brother, much like Du Gu Yan. Given Ye Ling Ling's maturity, a romantic interest was improbable; thus, she considered him akin to a younger brother. However, Tian Lin humorously lamented having so many sisterly figures. As everyone relished their transformations post the divine herb consumption, behind them arose a dragon's roar and a peculiar lowing sound. The dragon's roar was self-explanatory—it came from Yu Tian Heng. His martial spirit had not changed, as the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon was already a top-tier martial spirit—a qualitative transformation was unlikely. However, his physical strength had significantly enhanced, and his soul power had surged by six levels to reach thirty-eight. This nearly matched his prowess as depicted upon his initial appearance in the original narrative. While the dragon's roar was recognizable, the lowing sound was curious. The individual beside Yu Tian Heng was Du Gu Yan, whose martial spirit was a snake. If she were to make a sound, shouldn't it mimic a serpent’s hiss? "Something's off, Yan's martial spirit isn't a snake anymore," Tian Lin observed, noting the anomaly in Du Gu Yan’s martial spirit; it bore claws—mimicking neither snake nor dragon, occupying an intriguing intermediate form. "What kind of martial spirit is Yan's now? I feel a resonance with my own," Yu Tian Heng remarked in astonishment. His martial spirit being a noble dragon, not even the formidable Jade-scaled Snake Emperor could align with its lineage—thus, any form of resonance was unimaginable. "Could it be a jiao?" Tian Lin speculated. Ancient texts describe the jiao as having the form of a serpent and the body of a dragon, with older creatures extending several yards, often found residing beneath streams or stone pools, with a bellow akin to a cow's low. These characteristics eerily matched Du Gu Yan’s current martial spirit state. "A jiao!" Yu Tian Heng recalled, "Indeed, my family records mention the jiao, an incompletely evolved dragon, nobler than any snake. I never expected Yan to undergo such a fortunate transformation." Yu Tian Heng was genuinely delighted for his girlfriend. Tian Lin added with a laugh, "Tian Heng, Yan's martial spirit might not rival the noble bloodline of your Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, but in terms of combat, it’s now incredibly formidable. This isn’t any ordinary jiao—it’s an Ice and Fire Jade-scaled Jiao, embodying ice, fire, and poison attributes. In battle, it’s exceptionally potent." "Indeed, it might not match my family's bloodline strength, but its combat prowess might even exceed it," Yu Tian Heng nodded in agreement. Even the illustrious Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon only possessed a single attribute—lightning. He had yet to encounter a three-attributed martial spirit. "Moreover, Tian Heng, with Yan's martial spirit now nearly comparable in quality to your Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, coupled with the resonance you mentioned, haven’t you considered anything?" Tian Lin asked, hinting at a possibility. Upon this reminder, Yu Tian Heng's eyes gleamed with realization, "Martial Spirit Fusion!"