Chapter 84: Flame Winged Serpent Spirit and a Farewell Performance
"Whether it's a snake or a dragon, you two should come up with a new name for the martial soul. 'Jade Phosphor Serpent' doesn't really fit anymore," Guang Ling said with a smile as he listened to the conversation between grandfather and granddaughter.
"That's true."
Dugu Bo and Dugu Yan exchanged glances and nodded in agreement.
"How about letting Han Li pick a name for it? My martial soul evolution is all thanks to him anyway. Grandpa, what do you think?" Dugu Yan glanced at Han Li, who was quietly observing from the side, then turned to Dugu Bo for his opinion.
"Let Han Li name it? I mean, we could… but I'm just worried you might not like it," Dugu Bo chuckled, recalling how casually Han Li had renamed his martial soul before.
Guang Ling pressed his lips together, clearly holding back laughter. Letting Han Li name it was definitely an amusing suggestion.
Noticing their expressions, Dugu Yan seemed to understand something but didn't mind. She waved her hand dismissively and looked at Han Li. "What do you think, Han Li? What should my new martial soul be called?"
"Let's go with Flame Winged Spirit Serpent or Flame Winged Serpent Spirit. How about that?"
Han Li could tell the two old troublemakers didn't trust his naming abilities, so he decisively abandoned the name "Teng Snake" he had originally considered. Although he personally preferred it, he opted for a more conventional choice.
"Flame Winged Spirit Serpent… Flame Winged Serpent Spirit… Spirit Serpent… Serpent Spirit… That actually sounds pretty good," Dugu Yan muttered, repeating the names a few times with satisfaction.
"Surprisingly decent."
Guang Ling and Dugu Bo exchanged glances, each seeing the surprise in the other's eyes. Han Li's naming ability this time was on a completely different level compared to before.
"Alright then, from now on, you'll be called Flame Winged Serpent Spirit, little one," Dugu Yan said happily to her martial soul, shrinking it down to her palm. Even though she knew it wouldn't respond, she still playfully waved her fingers in front of it.
"By the way, Yan , you mentioned earlier that after your martial soul evolved, you became immune to any poison originating from yourself, both through your martial soul and your own body, right?" Han Li suddenly asked, his eyes shifting to Dugu Yan.
"That's right," Dugu Yan nodded, slightly puzzled.
"Are you still planning to use poison in the future?" Han Li asked the most important question.
"A little, I suppose. My martial soul still carries poison, after all."
Dugu Yan glanced at both Han Li and Dugu Bo, then carefully answered. She had expected them to object, but to her surprise, both of them nodded in agreement without any hesitation.
What she didn't know was that all three of them were thinking on completely different wavelengths.
Dugu Bo immediately thought of Han Li's Youxiang Qiluo Immortal Herb. Since Dugu Yan would be staying by Han Li's side in the future, there was no need to worry. After all, the poison techniques he had taught her were mostly about poisonous herbs and venomous creatures. Now that her body was immune to poison, it was perfectly fine for her to continue using it as a hobby.
Dugu Yan, on the other hand, had always enjoyed using poison due to her grandfather's influence. Although she had been wary of it because of what happened to Dugu Bo, her martial soul evolution had completely removed that concern. She planned to prioritize fire type soul beasts when obtaining soul rings, and if they had poison attributes, even better. After all, she was immune.
As for Han Li, he was merely confirming something.
He had already prepared to help her acquire the Eight Spider Lances. If Dugu Yan had given up on poison, he would have had to reconsider and find another candidate. After all, external soul bones with growth potential were too valuable to waste.
But since she still intended to use poison, there was no issue. Regardless of her martial soul's immunity, the Eight Spider Lances would ensure she could handle any poison related power.
"Alright, since everything's settled, it's time for us to leave," Guang Ling suggested once he saw that no one had anything else to add.
"Yeah, we should get going. After staying here for so long, I feel like I've lost touch with society," Han Li agreed, glancing around before nodding.
"Let's go then. There's nothing to pack up anyway. I've had enough of this place. Normally, I only come here to suppress my poison. Now that I'm free from that, why would I stay in the mountains any longer?"
Dugu Bo was the most eager to leave. He had spent way too much time here over the years, always fighting off his own poison. Now that he was finally free, he wasn't going to linger. If it weren't for Dugu Yan's evolution, he would have left the day he recovered.
"Oh, right! Yan Yan, you've reached level 30. Do you want Grandpa to help you get a soul ring before we go? You should be able to handle a 5,000 year soul ring now, right?"
Dugu Bo first looked at Dugu Yan with a smile, then turned to Han Li for confirmation.
"She should be fine."
Han Li had already tested it earlier Dugu Yan's physical endurance could handle a soul ring up to 5,500 years old.
"Hmm… Let me think. What fire type snake soul beasts live near Sunset Forest that would be suitable for Yan Yan?"
Dugu Bo was already mulling over potential targets.
"There's no rush, Senior. If you trust me, why not wait a little longer? Yan will be coming with us to Martial Soul City, and I also need to go to Star Dou Forest for my third soul ring."
Han Li suddenly paused, then continued.
"Sometimes, waiting a little can lead to better opportunities. It's fate's way of guiding us."
As he spoke, his usual smile remained, but his demeanor changed slightly giving off an almost mystical air.
"Uh…"
Dugu Bo and Dugu Yan were taken aback by his sudden change in tone. They instinctively turned to Guang Ling, only to find that his expression had grown unusually serious.
Seeing their gazes, Guang Ling gave them a firm nod.
They might not know, but Guang Ling suddenly recalled how Han Li had acted similarly when he had randomly tossed books to find immortal herbs in the carriage. Back then, it hadn't been so pronounced, but now, his demeanor was completely different almost eerie.
Maybe… this was another sign of a great discovery?
Thinking of Han Li's uncanny luck, Guang Ling suddenly had a strange realization.
And then, something else came to mind.
After Han Li had told him about his plans before, Guang Ling had secretly observed him for a few days. Everything seemed completely normal no signs of corruption or any adverse effects. His behavior was the same as always.
Then… could the criminals and fallen soul masters Han Li had asked him to prepare for soul ring absorption have nothing to do with Dugu Yan?
Could this… be one of Han Li's secrets?
Guang Ling's mind raced, connecting all the dots and crafting a logical explanation for everything.
"Alright, then we won't rush it. Let's head back first and get some proper rest in the city," Dugu Bo said, licking his lips slightly as he responded.
He had a nagging feeling that something was off. This master and disciple duo… were a bit too mysterious.
"Okay, let's go."
Han Li spoke up again, prompting Guang Ling and Dugu Bo to turn toward him only to see him looking at them with an innocent expression, as if asking, What's wrong?
Meanwhile, Dugu Yan simply looked at the three of them in confusion.
What just happened?
Why did Grandpa and Senior Guang Ling suddenly act so weird when Han Li said they shouldn't rush getting her soul ring?
Wasn't he just talking like one of those fortune tellers in the city? What was the big deal?
She even used that kind of tone herself when scamming people sometimes! They were overreacting!
(End of Chapter)
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