About a month ago, after hearing Dugu Bo's wild claims...
"Is that so? Old Poison, then I must see for myself whether your so-called elder brother truly possesses such capabilities!"
Sword Douluo Chen Xin's sword aura soared to the heavens, his fighting spirit erupting.
These words were no different from issuing a direct challenge.
Given Dugu Bo's personality, would he back down?
"Ahem. My elder brother has been on long-term business trips, battling the earth and the heavens, transcending the realm of human conflict! He has comprehended higher truths through his struggles against nature!"
Recognizing the situation, he swiftly backed down.
"For the sake of you, Sword Douluo Chen Xin, should he travel thousands of miles to return? Do you think your face is that big?"
Dugu Bo coughed lightly, first speaking in a grand manner, then turning to Ning Fengzhi with a stern expression, "Ning Fengzhi, you should know that just as you have someone backing you, I, Dugu Bo, am not without support either! If you want to compete in the business world? No problem! But if you want to flip the table and see whose fists are harder, don't blame me for not warning you in advance!"
Dugu Bo's voice grew stronger as he spoke, exuding confidence by the end: "Don't say I didn't warn you!"
He left with Grace after delivering this final threat, leaving Ning Fengzhi and Chen Xin exchanging solemn glances.
To say they completely believed Dugu Bo's words would be impossible.
But to say it was all bluster also felt a bit excessive.
When in doubt, investigate first.
Without verification, there is no right to speak.
Soon, they discovered that there was no trace of Dugu Bo's so-called elder brother in the entire Beast Soul Commerce.
Not a single trace.
This was to be expected.
After the establishment of Beast Soul Commerce, You Chen had hardly intervened.
The loyalists of the Beast Soul Alliance had also tightly guarded You Chen's information, making it nearly impossible to leak.
The only trace of You Chen that could be found was in the transportation of cultivation resources.
However, this process was precisely handled by Dugu Bo during his escort missions, making it impossible for the Seven Treasure Glazed Pagoda's spies to uncover.
Thus, after a month of fruitless searching, they became even more convinced that Dugu Bo was merely putting on a show!
Didn't you, Dugu Bo, agree that rules are made by the strong? Then let us, the Seven Treasure Glazed Pagoda, verify whether you have any dissatisfaction with our rules!
At first, they only sent people to cause trouble at the branches of Beast Soul Commerce. Seeing that Beast Soul Commerce did not react excessively, they escalated their actions, directly launching an attack during one of Dugu Bo's escort missions, seizing a batch of goods from Beast Soul Commerce.
Dugu Bo was furious. The other party didn't even bother to disguise themselves. How could he not recognize that the attacker was Sword Douluo?
How could he tolerate this?
He immediately sent a distress signal to his elder brother.
In truth, a month ago, after that meeting, Dugu Bo had also been on edge.
He realized that as Beast Soul Commerce grew stronger, the Seven Treasure Glazed Pagoda could no longer restrain itself and was ready to resort to force.
But, as a Titled Douluo, did he not have any face to save?
Although You Chen had initially said to contact him directly if he couldn't handle the situation, and Dugu Bo had agreed, how could he, when the situation was still speculative, say something as embarrassing as, "I feel like they're going to attack me, big brother, come back quickly to protect me"?
Besides Dugu Bo, Grace also had a direct method to contact You Chen.
And she naturally wouldn't consider whether it was embarrassing or not. The reason she didn't report it was very simple.
In Grace's view, Beast Soul Commerce was established for the convenience of You Chen's cultivation. Since the problem hadn't escalated to a truly serious situation, how could they let You Chen waste his cultivation time, abandoning his own training to return and solve Beast Soul Commerce's troubles?
What was the point of their existence as Beast Heads, Soul Arena Beasts, and envoys then?
Wouldn't they just be dragging their leader down?
In fact, Grace's thinking wasn't entirely wrong.
However, even to the Beast Heads, You Chen hadn't fully disclosed his plans. In Grace's eyes, although Beast Soul Commerce was of a different scale, it was essentially the same type of organization as the previous Sky Net.
Neither Dugu Bo nor Grace, the two main responsible persons, reported the situation directly, which led to You Chen, who was far away in the sea, only finding out about the situation about a week later.
"Yare yare, what a troublesome little brother."
After a brief communication, You Chen hung up the emergency communicator and let out a helpless sigh.
This emergency communicator didn't rely on signal base stations for transmission and wasn't based on the same principles as modern telephones or mobile phones. It was a cross-era black tech product, difficult to mass-produce. But You Chen didn't plan to advance the technological level of the Douluo Continent to the information age for the time being, so it didn't matter much. It was enough to be able to contact him in such emergencies.
After learning about the situation at Beast Soul Commerce, You Chen finally decided to leave the North Sea.
Continuing to cultivate in the North Sea until his physical body reached perfection before emerging was indeed an option, but it would likely lead to the decline of the hard-earned Beast Soul Commerce.
Although it wouldn't be a problem to reclaim the deserved share from the Seven Treasure Glazed Pagoda in the future, it would still add unnecessary trouble.
After all, the cultivation resources stored by Beast Soul Commerce over this period shouldn't be too little, enough for him to complete his subsequent breakthrough.
The situation in the North Sea had also stabilized. There were now many Beast Soul Commerce personnel in this sea area, and new buildings had been established on the islands around the Crystal Palace.
Future resource needs could also be transported back through maritime trade routes, so going back once wouldn't be a problem.
"Li Ya, I leave the North Sea to you. I've left a spiritual imprint of 'Mermaid's Protection' on you. If an emergency arises, you can trigger it directly with your spiritual power, and I'll return instantly."
You Chen's divine sense instantly invaded the Crystal Palace, connecting with the current Sea Princess, Li Ya, who was in the middle of her work.
Li Ya immediately stopped her work, bowed to the void, and responded with her spirit, "Thank you for your concern. With your subordinates here, I will report to you monthly under normal circumstances. Unless it's an emergency, I won't disturb you."
You Chen glanced at the dignified and serene Li Ya with his divine sense, and seeing her rigid and restrained demeanor, he couldn't help but feel playful.
With You Chen's current strength, there was hardly anyone who could restrict his thoughts. Thinking it, he acted on it.
With his mastery of spiritual power, You Chen directly condensed a spiritual hand and gave Li Ya a firm pat.
The knowledge of mermaid physiology he had researched from Li Na came in handy, causing Li Ya's body to go soft.
"B-Big Brother..."
Li Ya's face turned red with embarrassment, her body soft, but she firmly said, "If you have that intention, I can—"
"Li Ya, you're too serious."
You Chen chuckled, "I am strict and decisive with my enemies, but with my own people, with my subordinates, it's different. After more than two months of interaction, you should know that I am quite lenient with my subordinates, right? Are you still working for me with the thought that I might kill you and your kin at any moment?"
Li Ya's body trembled, the redness on her face fading, turning pale: "N-No! I absolutely do not have such thoughts!"
Seeing Li Ya's reaction from afar, You Chen felt somewhat helpless.
'It seems her psychological issue can't be resolved in a short time. I'll have to check on her next time I return.'
You Chen thought to himself.
For diligent and meritorious subordinates, You Chen was always magnanimous.
He cared deeply about Li Ya's mental health. Naturally, he could easily detect Li Ya's psychological issues.
In his view, if Li Ya continued to work with such a mindset, she might have a mental breakdown one day, or at the very least, her work efficiency would decline.
She wasn't like that fool Li Jing. How could he sit idly by and let such a useful subordinate suffer?
Unfortunately, before he could find the right opportunity, he had to temporarily leave the North Sea.
Walking out of the cultivation room, You Chen looked at Bo Saixi, who was silently gazing at the sea in the living room.
He reached out and pulled Bo Saixi into his arms from several meters away: "Xi Xi, you haven't set foot on land yet, have you? Come, this time, your master will take you to see the world."
Bo Saixi's body trembled at these words.
Setting foot on land undoubtedly meant that her current appearance would be exposed to more people.
If it had been two months ago, she would have been filled with anger, hatred, and might have even boldly cursed You Chen.
But now, although she should feel humiliated and angry, her body reacted before these negative emotions could surface...
'What's happening to me?'
Bo Saixi's face showed confusion and unease.
You Chen smiled slightly.
Shaking Bo Saixi again wasn't something he had deliberately planned; it was more of a pleasant surprise.
Not leaving Bo Saixi in the North Sea wasn't because he wanted an immediately usable plaything; he wasn't that depraved.
The main reason was that during this period of recuperation, to maximize Bo Saixi's education, it was inevitable to give her a few sweet rewards, which had somewhat restored her vitality.
It was possible that Bo Saixi could recover from level 79 to level 80 in the near future.
Without needing to absorb another Spirit Ring to break through the level barrier, her soul power would naturally reach the Soul Douluo level.
Without his supervision, Bo Saixi might take the opportunity to escape, rendering all previous efforts futile.
Bo Saixi was shaken, but under You Chen's gentle caress, she quickly forgot her fears and forced a smile: "Th-Thank you, Master."
You Chen's deep eyes looked at Bo Saixi, as if seeing through her soul.
Under You Chen's divine sense, the Seagod Spirit once again showed fluctuations.
During this period of training, You Chen still hadn't fully grasped the basis for the Seagod Spirit's creation influenced by memes.
But before that, while observing the Seagod Spirit's structure revealed during Bo Saixi's intense emotional turmoil, he had accidentally gained other insights.
'Such a perfect, stable structure, almost completely proving my conjecture about the perfect realm of Martial Soul Origin control. That Sea God Poseidon, who almost certainly created the Seagod Spirit, must have reached the perfect realm of Martial Soul Origin control.'
Even if Bo Saixi herself couldn't achieve this perfect realm, as You Chen had speculated, entering a state of Spiritual Realm Burst without loss, this passive perfect state also made the burden of the Martial Soul on the body and spirit almost negligible. According to You Chen's Martial Soul six-dimensional rating, it reached a 6-point extraordinary level in endurance.
Bo Saixi's ability to directly invoke the power of nature without a Soul Core might also be due to this factor. After all, controlling the sea, a fluid with actual weight, is much more difficult than Qian Daoliu controlling gas.
The level of tsunami caused by "Sea God's Wrath" was somewhat beyond the mortal level, but Bo Saixi couldn't condense the power, so the damage to a single target was still at the limit level.
If the power of that thousand-meter-high tsunami could be highly condensed, even a newly ascended god like Qian Renxue, with only the strength of a divine official, would be severely injured.
If You Chen's estimation wasn't wrong, once Bo Saixi stepped into the Spiritual Realm, she would likely leap into the perfect realm at an extremely fast speed. Unfortunately, until her battle with You Chen, she hadn't broken through the barrier of the Spiritual Realm.
Previously, You Chen had only a vague concept of the power of gods.
According to the original work, in the timeline of Douluo II, Di Tian definitely possessed the combat power of a divine official, but was defeated by Huo Yuhao, who was at most at the quasi-god level, wielding a super divine weapon.
This proved that the gap between gods and mortals wasn't insurmountable.
The original work clearly stated that in the timeline of Douluo I, when Qian Renxue first became a god, she had the combat power of a divine official.
And after You Chen obtained the system's assistance, he possessed power far beyond his peers, allowing him to achieve limit-level combat power earlier than expected. Moreover, it was foreseeable that his strength wouldn't stop growing before becoming a god!
In other words, even if he ultimately didn't become a god before the original work's several god ascendants, You Chen still had a chance to compete with them when his soul power reached the limit level.
This gave You Chen more room for error.
He didn't have to rush to pursue godhood but could take his time to solidify his foundation.
For the current You Chen, the most important figures were no longer Bibidong or Tang San, but the future opponents at the level of first-grade gods and god kings.
But to say exactly where he currently fell short compared to those top gods? You Chen found it hard to give an accurate answer.
The reason was simple—he had mainly read fanfictions of Douluo in his previous life!
He hadn't read any of the original author's side stories about the divine realm! Who knew where those gods were stronger than mortals or divine officials?
But now, there was another piece of evidence.
Not an unimaginable height, but a level higher than his current self, yet still within the realm of imagination!
Even... gods weaker than Poseidon might not have reached this realm, perhaps only maintaining the Spiritual Realm level like his current self.
And even if Poseidon stood at a level above the perfect realm, You Chen was confident that with his soon-to-be perfect realm, he could still imagine Poseidon's height in terms of Martial Soul!
And he himself, by drawing inspiration and observing the perfect origin of the Seagod Spirit's natural operation, had gained a clearer understanding of his own progress.
This month of cultivation made You Chen feel that he was getting closer and closer to that barrier... Perhaps just one exhilarating battle, and he could smoothly step into the perfect realm!
You Chen looked at Bo Saixi, remaining silent for a long time. This silence instead made Bo Saixi uneasy.
Just as Bo Saixi's unease was about to reach its peak, turning into panic, You Chen smiled slightly and gave her a gentle kiss: "What are you thinking about?"
Bo Saixi's face turned red, her mood calming down again, and she replied somewhat shyly, "I was thinking about what you were thinking about."
You Chen pinched Bo Saixi's cheek and smiled, "Isn't it because you're so cute, Xi Xi, that I got lost in looking at you?"
"Mm..." Bo Saixi's face turned red with embarrassment, and she whimpered without saying anything.
You Chen, with a faint smile, held Bo Saixi's waist with one hand, instantly activated his Martial Soul, and with a flap of his wings, turned into a white meteor and flew away.
For the current You Chen, flying with someone was no longer any pressure.
Flying from the center of the North Sea back to the mainland, and then to the north of Heaven Dou City, didn't even take half a day.
However, You Chen didn't directly enter Heaven Dou City to meet Dugu Bo, who was currently in the city. Instead, he bypassed Heaven Dou City and flew directly towards the direction of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
He was going to retrieve something he had placed there long ago.
"Alliance Leader!"
"Alliance Leader!"...
As You Chen landed at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well with Bo Saixi in his arms, the members of the Beast Soul Alliance greeted him one after another.
You Chen merely nodded in response, but his divine sense quietly swept over everyone.
Since the establishment of Beast Soul Commerce, many members of the Beast Soul Alliance had moved their main cultivation grounds to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, and almost a year had passed.
Although only a year had passed, the cultivation levels of these Beast Soul Alliance members had undergone significant changes.
The main armed force of the Beast Soul Alliance, the Soul Arena Beasts, had gradually seen the emergence of Soul Ancestor-level powerhouses among their elite ranks.
As for the top-tier powerhouses, after using Immortal Herbs, their transformations over the past year had been earth-shattering.
The Beast Heads, Amona and Kui, had both broken through to the Soul King level. With Dugu Bo helping them hunt Spirit Rings, their Spirit Ring ages and qualities shouldn't be too bad. Moreover, their current soul power levels weren't far from the Soul Emperor level. It was likely that within a year, they could start obtaining their sixth Spirit Rings.
Most importantly, after using suitable Immortal Herbs, their qualifications as Soul Masters had improved. When their Martial Souls sublimated in the future, it was no longer a question of whether they could evolve to top-tier quality. With accumulated strength, their Martial Soul qualities would far surpass ordinary top-tier Martial Souls.
As for Dugu Yan, who wasn't present, You Chen had already learned about her situation from her doting grandfather, Dugu Bo.
Spurred by You Xing's encouragement (not mistaken) before he left, and with Dugu Bo's occasional focused guidance, she had smoothly broken through to the Soul Ancestor level. Compared to the Soul Arena Beasts of the same level who had been carefully cultivated by You Chen since childhood, she could now barely hold her own.
With the enhanced qualifications and foundation from the Immortal Herbs, and with the help of a good grandfather, her future achievements would naturally surpass most elite-level Soul Arena Beasts. Although Immortal Herbs couldn't turn a waste into a genius, they were enough to push an ordinary genius further. And at this level, every step made a world of difference.
The most important thing for Dugu Yan was the significant improvement in her soul power control. If she continued to grow smoothly, she should be able to condense a Poison Soul Core by the time she reached the seven-ring level, eliminating her hidden dangers.
As for Ye Lingling, who had actively sought refuge, You Chen didn't stubbornly insist on her earning merits before granting her Immortal Herbs.
He was well aware that the golden age couldn't be delayed. Any merits could be owed for now.
Faced with such immense fortune, Ye Lingling was naturally overjoyed and deeply grateful.
Apart from not wanting to delay such a top-tier talented Soul Master, You Chen also wanted to see if Ye Lingling could, like in many Douluo fanfictions, break the unreasonable numerical limitation of the Nine-Hearted Begonia by absorbing the Seven Treasure Glazed Lily, which was originally allocated to Ning Rongrong to compensate for her Martial Soul's flaw.
Nine-Hearted Begonia Soul Masters are naturally able to sense this through their Martial Soul, so the answer could be obtained simply by asking Ye Lingling, and the answer was obviously—no.
For plant-type Martial Souls, the effect of Immortal Herbs is undoubtedly greater than for other Soul Masters. The Seven Treasure Glazed Lily also has the effect of suppressing other plant-type Martial Souls, and its status among plants is self-evident.
In addition, it possesses the characteristic of discerning spiritual treasures of heaven and earth, and has an endless source of vitality.
Coupled with its effect of compensating for the flaw of the Seven Treasure Glazed Pagoda, it makes one wonder if it has other miraculous effects on compensating for Martial Soul flaws.
All of this proves that if one wants to break the "curse" deeply rooted in the Martial Soul and bloodline of the Nine-Hearted Begonia, the Seven Treasure Glazed Lily is the best choice.
However, although it did significantly enhance the Martial Soul Origin of the Nine-Hearted Begonia, it did not cause a qualitative change in the Martial Soul, nor did it remove the curse.
This proves one thing—the Nine-Hearted Begonia does not have a Martial Soul flaw.
With the intuition of a researcher and a wealth of theoretical knowledge, You Chen boldly made this judgment.
Not wanting to give the disappointed Ye Lingling unnecessary hope, You Chen did not share his analysis and judgment with her at that time.
He planned to find an appropriate opportunity to use Ye Lingling for another research project.
However, this would have to wait until he completed his physical cultivation and obtained his ninth Spirit Ring.
For this reason, he chose to remain silent to Ye Lingling for the time being, only providing her with the knowledge and education that all Soul Arena Beasts possessed.
Soul Arena Beasts value strength above all, but they are not without support-type Soul Masters. Although the Nine-Hearted Begonia Martial Soul has only one soul skill, its power is undeniable.
In the past, Soul Masters in the Soul Arena Beast organization who were not suited for combat would be assigned to the Beast Handler ranks, but Ye Lingling, with her top-tier combat support abilities, could not be said to be unsuitable for combat missions.
Relying on her powerful abilities, Ye Lingling managed to smoothly integrate into the Soul Arena Beast family over the past year.
When mentioning the cultivation changes of the Soul Arena Beasts, how could one overlook Ignis, who has always had the highest cultivation?
After consuming the 100,000-year Dragon Blood Immortal Herb, Ignis's dragon bloodline was greatly enhanced, and her soul power level also increased. Naturally, her subsequent cultivation became even smoother.
Now, Ignis is not far from the Soul Saint level. In as short as a year or as long as two, she will break through to this truly top-tier combat power level in the Douluo Continent.
Unlike other members of the Beast Soul Alliance who simply greeted You Chen, Ignis immediately looked at Bo Saixi, who was being held in You Chen's arms, and frowned.
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