Chapter 13: Extreme Attributes
After deciding how to handle the soul bone, Dugu Bo concluded that once Dugu Chen absorbed the immortal herbs, he would take them to hunt for their second soul ring before heading to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan.
Dugu Chen wanted to set off immediately, but Dugu Bo insisted there was no need to rush. With no choice, Dugu Chen let it be.
Gazing at the array of immortal herbs before him, Dugu Chen pondered briefly before selecting two: the Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower and the Earth Dragon Golden Gourd.
The Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower had vibrant red leaves, with its top shaped like a rooster's comb. Upon closer inspection, the leaf veins shimmered golden-red—an attribute capable of purifying flames.
The Earth Dragon Golden Gourd, an earth-attribute immortal herb, held the essence of the earth dragon—embodying upheaval and dominion over the land.
Dugu Chen's decision to take both wasn't made lightly. His Qilin martial soul possessed both fire and earth attributes. Absorbing only one might disrupt the balance within his body. Besides, the names—one dragon, one phoenix—sparked his curiosity. Perhaps combining them would produce unexpected benefits.
Holding both herbs, he cast a reassuring glance toward Dugu Bo and Dugu Yan, then sat down cross-legged and swallowed them whole, beginning the refinement process.
The moment the herbs entered his body, it was as if a firestorm ignited within him. The powerful medicinal energy surged through his throat, chest, and abdomen. Wherever it spread, it ignited his blood, refined his flesh, and forced the energy to integrate—like a raging blaze devouring his insides.
Dugu Chen felt as though he was being split in two: one side scorched by unbearable heat, the other bloated with suffocating pressure. Two powerful forces clashed violently inside him.
Normally, the power of an immortal herb would lie dormant and be slowly absorbed. But he had consumed two at once—and they weren't complementary or neutralizing herbs like the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and the Blazing Apricot Delicate Heart. These two were now battling within him, each trying to dominate his body.
Feeling the dangerous storm building inside, Dugu Chen's heart sank. If this continued, he might either be incinerated alive or burst from within. He had clearly been too hasty. Ever since awakening his martial soul, everything had gone so smoothly that he'd grown overconfident.
He had to act—fast. If this immense energy equivalent to that of a Soul Sage fully erupted, it would destroy him, a mere Soul Master.
"ROAR!!!"
Just as panic began to rise, his Qilin martial soul manifested within his consciousness, letting out a thunderous roar. The rampaging energy inside him was momentarily suppressed.
Dugu Chen's eyes widened in surprise. His martial soul had changed. Its once dual-colored eyes had turned golden, and its entire body radiated a faint golden glow. It unleashed a powerful suction force, pulling in the wild medicinal energy rampaging inside him.
He had no time to ponder the changes. Quickly, he directed part of the energy into the broader meridians within his body. Though he couldn't name them, he could at least identify and clear the thickest pathways.
Opening the meridians, tempering the body, strengthening the foundation—these were far more critical than hastily raising soul power. A solid foundation meant faster progress later, and with a strong physique, absorbing higher-level soul rings would be less dangerous.
Outside, Dugu Bo and Dugu Yan watched as Dugu Chen's once-swollen body gradually returned to normal following the appearance of his martial soul. The old man let out a sigh of relief and chuckled.
"That brat… always makes people worry."
As the refining continued, waves of warmth coursed through Dugu Chen's body. He noticed that some of the medicinal energy had begun flowing into the smallest meridians across his system.
Eventually, when he could no longer draw energy into his pathways, he realized most of the medicinal force had already been absorbed.
Suddenly, the sound of bones grinding echoed from within him. His limbs swelled with power, and his muscles visibly thickened.
Time passed. Three hours flew by.
When Dugu Chen opened his eyes, they now glowed—one red, one yellow—with a faint flicker of golden-purple light in the depths of his pupils.
He stood and checked his condition. His soul power had risen to level twenty. Even though most of the energy had gone toward strengthening his physique and opening meridians, the remaining force still pushed him up four whole levels.
Truly worthy of being called an immortal herb.
From this, Dugu Chen gained firsthand understanding: not all immortal herbs were equally compatible with every martial soul. Just like in the original story, Zhu Zhuqing gained the most soul power from the Narcissus Jade Bone—but it didn't evolve her martial soul, since it wasn't fully compatible. In fact, she ended up falling behind, and even had one fewer trial on Sea God Island than the others.
"Brat! Put on your clothes! Who are you trying to impress?!"
Dugu Bo's scolding voice rang out, accompanied by a flying piece of clothing.
Looking down and realizing his old clothes had been reduced to charred strips, Dugu Chen smiled awkwardly and quickly dressed.
He had no intention of showing off in front of men. If it were just Senior Sister and him... that'd be a different story. As for you, Dugu Yan—could you not peek so openly between your fingers?
Fully dressed, Dugu Chen walked over to his master and scratched his head apologetically.
"Sorry for worrying Master and Senior Sister."
"Can't you be a little more careful next time? Give this old man a break."
"Hehe."
Listening to Dugu Bo's grumbling—which was clearly concern in disguise—Dugu Chen could only smile sheepishly.
But deep down, he knew: this time, he'd been too reckless. The fear still lingered.
Seeing the brat's usual smirk, Dugu Bo felt both helpless and annoyed.
"Fine, I'll let it go this time. I assume the harvest wasn't small?"
Dugu Chen nodded and released his martial soul. The Qilin appeared once more.
As it materialized, both Dugu Bo and Dugu Yan felt the surrounding temperature spike and a heavy pressure settle in. Even Dugu Bo's soul power circulation slowed down.
"What's going on? Why does my soul power feel sluggish?"
Dugu Bo was surprised. Dugu Yan also looked uneasy, clearly feeling the same suppression.
Dugu Chen glanced at his martial soul. This time, its eyes had reverted to red and yellow. If he hadn't seen the golden eyes earlier, he might've thought it was just an illusion. Clearly, this martial soul was far from ordinary.
Sensing the changes carefully, he turned to Dugu Bo and said,
"It should be attribute suppression."
"Attribute suppression?"
Dugu Bo frowned. He knew about martial soul suppression, but attribute suppression was a new one. Since taking in this disciple, he often felt like the last seventy years of his life had been wasted. Every day brought something new.
"Yes. If a martial soul possesses extreme attributes, it can suppress martial souls that lack them. I believe my martial soul has evolved. It now holds the attributes of extreme fire and extreme earth."
Dugu Bo's eyelid twitched. This brat already had a domain skill that suppressed opponents—now attribute suppression too? Might as well call him invincible!
Dugu Chen activated his domain. A circle of earthy yellow light spread out, covering fifty meters. He felt a near 20% boost—probably about 15%, plus the suppression it brought to enemies.
Combined, that was 30% combat advantage. Against those without domains, the gap was overwhelming.
Within the domain, Dugu Chen recovered faster and could manipulate both fire and earth elements freely. He was truly becoming a walking fortress. Though he hadn't yet comprehended domain-specific skills, he could tell this domain had a lot more potential.
Dugu Bo looked at the domain with envy welling in his eyes and grumbled,
"Stop showing off your domain, brat. Get some rest tonight. Tomorrow, I'll take you and Yan Yan to get your second soul rings."
"Master, how about letting Senior Sister and me go by ourselves this time? It'll help us adapt to our new abilities."
Not wanting to agitate his already moody master, Dugu Chen quickly dismissed the domain and made a suggestion.
Dugu Yan's eyes lit up at the idea. She looked expectantly at her grandfather.
"No. Both of you need thousand-year soul rings. With only one ring each and few offensive skills, it's far too dangerous."
Dugu Bo refused outright. If it were just hundred-year rings, it would be one thing—but thousand-year ones were a different matter.
Dugu Chen gave up. Seeing her Junior Brother back down, Dugu Yan sighed and followed suit.
Based on his condition, Dugu Chen figured he could now absorb any soul ring below four thousand years. Dugu Yan's physical condition was just as good—maybe even comparable to a power-type Soul Venerable. A two-thousand-year soul ring should be no problem.
Still, they would have to judge based on what they encountered. Compatibility mattered more than just chasing the highest age.
As night fell, the soul ring hunt was postponed. Dugu Bo set up a large tent from his soul tool.
After eating dry rations, Dugu Chen and Dugu Yan retired to the tent. Dugu Bo stood watch outside.
Inside, they lay in their sleeping bags, staring silently at each other. The atmosphere turned strangely quiet.
Dugu Chen was the first to break it.
"Senior Sister, what kind of soul ring are you hoping for?"
Dugu Yan didn't answer. Instead, she reached over and hugged his arm, whispering softly,
"Junior Brother... we'll always be together, right?"
"Of course. I'll always stay with Senior Sister and Teacher."
Dugu Chen answered without hesitation. Right now, Dugu Bo and Dugu Yan were the most important people in his life.
"Junior Brother is so amazing… I bet many girls will like you in the future. Maybe you'll forget about me then."
Dugu Yan's voice trembled slightly. These past few months had been more precious than her entire childhood. Though her grandfather was always by her side, she'd never had someone her age—until now. She didn't want to lose this bond.
Sensing the unease in her tone, Dugu Chen gently stroked her hair and whispered,
"How could I ever forget Senior Sister? You'll always be my one and only Senior Sister."
Hearing this, warmth filled Dugu Yan's heart. She closed her eyes and slowly drifted to sleep.
Dugu Chen smiled and did the same.
Outside the tent, Dugu Bo's ears twitched.
His expression darkened, veins bulging on his forehead.
Did that brat just... is he trying to court my granddaughter? Am I old and weak now, or is he just too bold?!
He silently marked another score against Dugu Chen in his mental notebook.