Zi Ji felt as though her entire being—flesh, blood, bones, and soul—had been frozen solid.
Lin Feng's gaze landed on her for only an instant, yet that single glance was enough to make every instinct within her scream in terror. It was as if the eyes looking at her were not those of a human, but of some ancient calamity given form. Her dragon body stiffened, her mind went blank, and even breathing became an unbearable burden.
Run.
That was the only thought left.
"Scram."
Lin Feng waved his hand casually, the motion lazy and indifferent, as though he were brushing away a speck of dust that had drifted onto his sleeve.
But to Zi Ji, those two words were nothing short of divine amnesty.
The pressure crushing her soul vanished in an instant. Her pupils shrank violently, and before her rational mind could even process what had happened, her body had already reacted.
She sprang up from the ground.
Boom!
The ground beneath her feet cracked as her two long, slender legs—beautiful yet faintly covered in purplish-black scales—erupted with explosive power. Without even thinking to transform back into her dragon form, she bolted forward like a frightened deer, sprinting with all her might toward the distance.
Her posture was ungainly. Her movements were frantic. There was no dignity, no composure befitting a Fierce Beast that had lived for tens of thousands of years.
Anyone watching might have thought she was being chased by a hundred-thousand-year spirit beast.
No.
How could a mere hundred-thousand-year spirit beast compare to that man?
"Thud!"
In her blind panic, Zi Ji failed to notice a slightly raised stone slab in front of her. She tripped, her body flying forward, and smashed face-first into the ground in an utterly miserable heap.
Dust billowed.
Yet she didn't even let out a cry of pain.
She scrambled up with both hands and feet, her movements awkward and desperate, not even bothering to brush the dirt from her clothes. She glanced back over her shoulder again and again, her heart pounding wildly, terrified that Lin Feng might suddenly regret his mercy and strike her down from behind.
Only after she had run far, far away did her figure finally disappear from everyone's sight.
"..."
The entrance of Feng Ran Pavilion fell into a strange silence.
The Titled Douluos present exchanged glances, their mouths twitching in unison.
Devil Bear Douluo scratched the back of his head, his thick brows knitting together as he muttered in a low, muffled voice, "I was thinking… wouldn't it have been faster if she transformed back into her dragon form and flew away?"
Ghost Leopard Douluo turned his head slowly, looking at him as if he were staring at an idiot.
"Are you stupid?" he said flatly. "In that state, all she could think about was running for her life. You think she still had the presence of mind to remember she could fly?"
He paused, then added dryly, "Frankly speaking, with her mental fortitude, it's already impressive she didn't wet herself."
The others nodded solemnly.
Indeed.
If it were them standing there earlier, facing Lin Feng's "momentary loss of composure," let alone activating their Martial Soul True Body, they might not even have been able to take a single step.
Lin Feng was simply too terrifying.
Lin Feng himself couldn't be bothered with Zi Ji's fate. To him, that Fierce Beast was no more important than a leaf blown away by the wind. He turned around, his gaze finally settling on the three people who had been tense and uneasy from the very beginning.
More precisely—
His eyes fell on the young girl standing behind Dugu Bo.
Dugu Yan.
The moment Lin Feng looked over, Dugu Bo's heart leapt into his throat. Cold sweat instantly soaked his back.
Without thinking, he hurriedly pushed his granddaughter forward, then bent his aged body deeply, bowing with utmost respect. His voice trembled with urgency, excitement, and heartfelt pleading.
"Senior! This… this is my granddaughter, Yan Yan. I beg you, Senior, please show mercy and save her life!"
Caught off guard, Dugu Yan was pushed into the open.
She raised her head and met Lin Feng's deep, unfathomable eyes. Her heart thumped violently, as if it were about to burst from her chest. Her small face turned pale, and her emerald-green pupils were filled with nervousness and awe.
She had long heard her grandfather speak of this mysterious Senior—of his unfathomable power and godlike means.
But hearing was one thing.
Seeing it with her own eyes was something else entirely.
The scene just now, where even Fierce Beasts fled like dogs with their tails between their legs, had already shaken her worldview to its core.
Lin Feng looked at her calmly.
He didn't ask questions. He didn't say anything unnecessary.
He merely raised his hand—and snapped his fingers.
"Snap."
The sound was crisp and light, almost casual.
Yet in that instant, Dugu Yan's body stiffened.
She felt a violent surge of energy erupt within her, something that had been suppressed deep inside her bloodline suddenly losing all restraint. A sharp pain shot through her veins, followed by an indescribable sense of release.
A jade-green snake shadow burst forth uncontrollably from behind her back!
It was her Martial Soul—the Jade Phosphorous Serpent!
At the same time…
Far away, Zi Ji—who had already run to the edge of everyone's vision—subconsciously glanced back one last time.
And what she saw made her dragon pupils contract violently.
The jade-green serpent shadow twisted in agony in midair. Its body rapidly expanded at a visible speed, scales growing denser and brighter. A single, formidable horn bulged out from its forehead, and ferocious claws extended from its belly.
An overwhelming pressure surged forth like a tidal wave!
"This… this is…" Zi Ji's breathing stopped. "Spirit evolution?! And not just any evolution—this is divine-rank! Instant evolution to the Divine rank?!"
Her mind went blank for a split second.
But the next moment, her survival instinct roared back to life.
She gritted her teeth hard, tore her gaze away, and no longer dared to look back. Instead, she ran even faster than before.
Are you kidding me?!
Compared to staying alive, who cares about spirit evolution? That has nothing to do with me!
Back at the entrance of Feng Ran Pavilion, the transformation was complete.
Behind Dugu Yan stood no longer a Jade Phosphorous Serpent, but a Flood Dragon over ten meters long. Its body was covered in azure-green scales, dragon might rolling off it in powerful waves.
A true Divine-ranked Martial Soul!
"This… this…"
Dugu Bo stared at the majestic Flood Dragon behind his granddaughter, feeling the powerful, pure aura radiating from it. His entire body trembled violently.
Tears streamed uncontrollably down his weathered face.
"Yan Yan! Your poison… it's cured! And your Martial Soul has evolved!"
"Grandfather…"
Dugu Yan felt the changes within herself as well. The long-standing pain and weakness caused by her poison constitution had vanished without a trace. She looked at her grandfather, who was crying tears of joy, and her own eyes instantly reddened.
Moved beyond words, Dugu Bo pulled her along and was about to kneel down and kowtow to Lin Feng.
Dugu Yan, her heart filled with gratitude and reverence, had no intention of stopping him.
But before their knees could touch the ground—
Lin Feng's gaze had already shifted.
It fell upon another figure standing quietly nearby.
A girl wearing a black veil, who had remained silent from beginning to end.
Noticing Lin Feng's attention, Dugu Bo's movements froze. He quickly explained, his tone respectful.
"Senior, this is Yan Yan's companion. Her name is Ye Lingshuang."
He gestured toward the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well near the restaurant entrance, where mist swirled around countless rare Immortal Herbs. A trace of embarrassment appeared on his face.
"Junior is deeply honored to receive Senior's favor, but I truly lack skill in tending these Immortal Herbs. I fear I might accidentally damage Senior's treasures."
"However, this child comes from a family with deep roots in botanical studies. Her ancestors have worked with plants for generations. They are true experts in this field. Junior took the liberty of bringing her here, hoping she could be of some help…"
He hadn't even finished speaking.
Among the crowd, Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan's expression changed abruptly.
A nameless fire surged from the pit of his stomach straight to the top of his head!
His hand, held in its habitual orchid-finger pose, trembled slightly with barely restrained rage.
Damn it, Old Poison!
He cursed inwardly without reservation.
Such a good opportunity—and you didn't call me?!
I, Yue Guan, possessor of the Qirong Tongtian Chrysanthemum, the number one botanist on the Douluo Continent (self-proclaimed), am I somehow inferior to this little girl?!
Who exactly are you looking down on?!
Unable to contain himself any longer, Chrysanthemum Douluo let out a cold laugh, glaring at Dugu Bo as he spoke with unmistakable sarcasm.
"Oh, Elder Dugu, how… thoughtful of you."
"I just wonder—how deep can this young lady's understanding of Immortal Herbs truly be?"
The sourness in his tone was so thick it could practically drip onto the ground.
Dugu Bo's face stiffened.
Only then did he remember that Chrysanthemum Douluo himself was, indeed, an expert in this field. Had he overdone things by bringing Ye Lingshuang?
For a moment, his old face flushed with embarrassment.
Yet what no one expected was that Ye Lingshuang—who had previously shown only mild shock at Dugu Yan's spirit evolution—trembled violently the instant the words "Immortal Herbs" reached her ears.
Her delicate body stiffened.
Behind the black veil, her clear, cold eyes suddenly burst forth with an intense, terrifying light.
She ignored Chrysanthemum Douluo entirely.
Instead, she lifted her head abruptly, her gaze sweeping around like a precision instrument, scanning everything in her surroundings.
And when her eyes finally settled on the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well, shrouded in mist, where countless rare Immortal Herbs grew in chaotic harmony—
Her entire body froze.
Her pupils shrank to pinpoints.
Shock.
Fanaticism.
Reverence.
All of it flooded her eyes at once.
Her breathing became rapid and heavy, her chest rising and falling sharply, as though she were standing before a sacred land she had only ever seen in legends.
In that instant, even Chrysanthemum Douluo felt an inexplicable sense of unease rise in his heart.
A bad premonition crept in.
…Why did it suddenly feel like his position as "chief gardener" was in danger?