Chapter 45 Chrysanthemum Douluo Martial Soul Evolution, Crimson Flame Vajra Chrysanthemum
Yue Douluo was dressed in a dusty, drab servant's uniform, his face covered in charcoal ash.
Upon hearing Fama's words, he shuddered in fright and instinctively covered his chest.
"President...?"
"What do you want to see my Chrysanthemum?"
"Stop talking nonsense! Just release it when I tell you to!"
Fama impatiently urged, "I suspect the material of your martial soul is perfect for using as a filter!"
A filter?!
Yue Douluo was stunned.
His supreme immortal herb martial soul, the Chrysanthemum, which could grant an indestructible body upon consumption, was merely used by this old man to filter out medicinal dregs?!
"Hurry up! Stop dawdling!"
"You've delayed my alchemy process; even if I refine you, it wouldn't be enough to compensate me!"
And so, under the oppressive power of the five-star Dou Huang, Yue Douluo, with tears in his eyes, tremblingly released his martial soul.
Buzz!
Soon, a large chrysanthemum with purple-gold petals slowly bloomed in his palm.
Although its light was dimmed considerably due to the pressure from the dimensional plane, its unique aura of a celestial treasure still remained.
"Great! This is good stuff!"
The moment Fama saw this flower, he was so excited that he slapped his thigh:
"The texture of these petals is like a natural sieve of spiritual energy!"
"Moreover, these metallic veins are perfect for absorbing the fire poison of the Crimson Dragon Fruit!"
"It's practically a natural filter for medicine residue!"
After saying that, Fama grabbed Yue Douluo's wrist and dragged him directly to the scorching hot alchemy furnace.
"Come on, put your hand in!"
"Activate your martial soul! Place it in front of the fire vent!"
"I need to borrow your martial soul to filter out the impurities in this medicinal liquid!"
Reaching into the alchemy furnace?!
Yue Douluo's face turned green as he looked at the raging beast fire:
"No, Guild Master! This is beast fire!"
"Even though my martial soul is plant-based, it can't withstand this kind of heat!"
"And that's my natal martial soul, connected to my soul! If it gets burned, I'll become an idiot!!"
"Oh dear, enough with the nonsense!"
At this moment, Fama was only focused on alchemy and didn't care about the life or death of a slave.
He unleashed a burst of Dou Qi, forcibly controlling Yue Douluo's arm.
Then he forcefully pressed that rare and precious chrysanthemum into the scalding hot furnace!
"Aaaaaaah!!"
Sizzle!
In an instant, a shrill scream echoed throughout the alchemy room!
The moment the delicate Chrysanthemum came into contact with the high-temperature medicinal liquid and flames, Yue Douluo felt as if his soul was being roasted on a red-hot iron plate!
That kind of pain is ten thousand times more intense than physical pain!
"Hold on! Don't shake!"
Fama completely ignored his screams and instead gave a serious order:
"Open the petals a little wider! Yes! Just like that!"
"Hold this position! The fire poison is being absorbed!"
"Tsk tsk tsk, this effect is even better than the Heavenly Silkworm Net that I bought for hundreds of thousands of gold coins!"
And so, under the horrified gazes of the entire Douluo Continent.
Yue Douluo, who was once second only to Spirit Hall and cherished flowers and plants the most, is now like a living funnel!
The scalding red liquid repeatedly washed over his martial soul.
The fire poison was forcibly absorbed by his petals, while the pure medicinal liquid flowed down the flower's stamen.
The once purplish-gold Chrysanthemum began to rapidly turn charred black and wither under the corrosive effects of the fire poison...
"My flowers, my flowers."
Yue Douluo was in so much pain that tears and snot streamed down his face. Watching his beloved martial soul slowly turn into charcoal, his heart was bleeding.
"That's about it!"
Half an hour later.
As the last wisp of black smoke was absorbed by the Chrysanthemum, Fama was overjoyed and slammed his hand on the alchemy furnace:
"Condensing Pill!!"
Boom!
A round, plump red pill, exuding a rich fragrance, flew out of the furnace and landed steadily in the jade bottle.
"It's done! A peak fifth-grade, top-quality Spirit Fusion Pill!"
Fama looked at the pill that was without a single impurity and couldn't stop smiling.
Meanwhile, Yue Douluo, having exhausted his abilities, lay slumped on the ground like a tattered rag.
His right hand remained outstretched, but the once beautiful chrysanthemum in his palm had now turned into a black, foul-smelling lump of charcoal.
His aura also instantly plummeted from the Title Douluo level to the Soul Saint level!
His martial soul was damaged, and his foundation was destroyed!
"Yes, you've done a great job in this alchemy."
In a great mood, Fama casually grabbed a handful of leftover alchemy scraps from the table and threw them in front of Yue Douluo:
"Here are some leftover dregs from the Qi-restoring powder; you can have them."
"Go back and take good care of it, and bring your flowers back to life."
"I will need it again next time I refine a sixth-grade pill."
Do you still need to use it?!
Upon hearing these three words, Yue Douluo's eyes rolled back, and he foamed at the mouth, completely losing consciousness.
...
Meanwhile, on the other side...
Douluo Continent.
Spirit Hall, from Gui Mei's perspective.
"Yue Guan!!!"
Looking at the chrysanthemum turned to charcoal, looking at his old partner lying on the ground convulsing.
Gui Mei also unleashed an unprecedented ghostly aura.
"How dare they..."
"That's his life, the thing he cherished most in his entire life!"
"Used as a filter?"
"After using it, should we let it recover so we can use it again next time?"
"This is hell!!"
Gui Mei knelt on the ground, his fingernails digging deep into his flesh.
He hates it!
But he was even more afraid!
Because he knew that if it were him, with his ghostly martial soul, who went there, he probably wouldn't be used as a filter, but would be captured by those alchemists and used to refine the Myriad Soul Banner or the Heavenly Demon Puppet.
...
Sunset Forest, Lonely Bo.
Seeing Yue Douluo's fate, Poison Douluo subconsciously touched his own Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor Martial Soul.
"Thank goodness, thank goodness I'm a drug dealer..."
"But if I go, will I be used as a catalyst for poison?"
"Or the kind where you just throw it into the pot and stew it?"
Thinking of this, Dugu Bo couldn't help but shudder.
He suddenly realized that although he was being hunted down in Douluo Continent, at least no one was using him as a funnel!
...
Battle Through the Heavens world, the Jia Ma Empire.
Alchemists' Guild, corner of the alchemy room.
In the dimly lit corner, the air was filled with a burnt smell and a strange medicinal fragrance.
"Cough cough cough..."
Yue Douluo curled up on the cold floor, his whole body aching as if all his bones had just been removed.
He raised his right hand with trembling hands, looking at the once beautiful and noble Martial Soul in his palm, which had now turned into a lump of black charcoal and emitted a pungent sulfur smell. Tears once again flowed uncontrollably.
"It's ruined, completely ruined."
"Old Ghost, I can't go back..."
"My Chrysanthemum, my pride, is now not even as good as the wild chrysanthemums by the roadside."
At this moment, his soul power had fallen to the Soul Saint level, and his meridians were corroded by fire poison, making his body so weak that he could not even stand steadily.
Just then, his gaze fell on the pile of trash that had been carelessly tossed aside in front of him.
It was a pile of dark, sticky medicinal dregs, mixed with some broken pill fragments, emitting a pungent, strange smell.
"Gurgle..."
Suddenly, Yue Douluo's stomach let out a disapproving growl.
In this world where spiritual energy is abundant but extremely depleting, he, a Title Douluo who could normally abstain from grains, was now feeling a hunger that originated from the depths of his soul.
That hunger was telling him: Eat! Eat and you'll live!
"This, this is medicine dregs."
"It's the waste material left over from that old man's alchemy..."
"I, Yue Guan, have lived a life of refinement, drinking only dew and eating only flower petals. How could I possibly eat something that looks like excrement?"
Yue Douluo was resisting and struggling in his heart.
But when the warm scent of the residual fifth-grade pill wafting from the dregs entered his nostrils, his damaged meridians let out a longing groan!
"Never mind!"
"I'll eat it, to survive, and so I can get revenge later!!"
Thinking of this, Yue Douluo gritted his teeth, closed his eyes, and with trembling hands reached out, grabbed a handful of sticky black medicine residue, and stuffed it into his mouth!
Smack, smack.
It tastes bitter at first.
It was so bitter it made him want to vomit.
That was the smell of fire poison and impurities.
But the next second!
Boom!!!
A surge of energy, as hot as magma and as powerful as a flood, exploded instantly in Yue Douluo's mouth!
"Ugh!!!"
Yue Douluo's eyes widened suddenly, and his face instantly turned a deep liver color!
That was the residual medicinal power of the fifth-grade pill, the Fusion Spirit Pill, mixed with the fire poison essence of the fifth-grade medicinal herb, the Crimson Flame Dragon Fruit!
For the alchemist, this is an impurity, garbage that must be removed.
But for the Douluo people who had never come into contact with such a high concentration of energy, even if it was just a mouthful of excrement, it was still excrement from a divine dragon!
Sizzle!
The violent medicinal power rushed down his throat into his stomach, instantly spreading to every part of his body!
"Aaaaaah, it's hot! So hot!"
Yue Douluo rolled around on the ground frantically, his skin turning bright red and even starting to emit white smoke!
He felt as if he had swallowed not medicine residue, but a sun!
However, this domineering fire-attribute medicinal power did not destroy him. Instead, it began to frantically repair and reshape his burned martial soul!
Click! Click!
The charred chrysanthemum in his palm began to crack inch by inch with its blackened surface.
From within that crack, a chilling crimson-gold light emanated!
"This is..."
Yue Douluo endured the excruciating pain, staring intently at his martial soul.
The originally weak plant-type martial soul underwent an incredible mutation after absorbing the fire poison residue!
The dark skin is peeling off!
A brand new, fiery red chrysanthemum with gold-edged petals slowly blooms!
Each petal looks like it was carved from a ruby, with flowing patterns of molten lava!
Martial Soul Evolution: Crimson Flame Vajra Chrysanthemum!
"Roar!!"
With the reshaping of his martial soul, Yue Douluo's soul power began to erupt explosively!
Level 70, Level 75, Level 80...
Level 90, Level 95...
Level 96!
Level 97!
Boom!
A terrifying aura, even more powerful than when he was at his peak, suddenly emanated from his body!
Although he is still at the level of a Title Douluo, his soul power is now filled with the attributes of ultimate fire and ultimate metal!
That's a fire attribute!
And it's indestructible!
"I...I've broken through?"
Yue Douluo sat blankly on the ground, feeling the power within him that seemed capable of burning everything.
He's been stuck at level 95 for decades!
He dreams of breaking through level 96!
As a result, he broke through to level 97 after eating a handful of medicine dregs?
The martial soul has evolved into a top-grade fire-attribute mutated martial soul?
"Ha ha ha ha!"
Yue Douluo looked at the remaining half-handful of medicine dregs in his hand and suddenly let out a maniacal laugh.
He laughed and cried at the same time, grabbing every last bit of the black medicine residue on the ground and stuffing it into his mouth like a starving ghost reincarnated!
"Delicious! So delicious!"
"This is hardly medicine dregs."
"This is an elixir of immortality!!"
"My Chrysanthemum is nothing but a divine herb! This pile of garbage is the real wonder!!"
...
Meanwhile, in the Douluo Continent.
Spirit Hall, Gui Mei.
Gui Mei looked at his old partner on the light screen, who was kneeling on the ground, frantically devouring black waste, and leveling up as he ate.
His expression changed to one of existential doubt.
"Level 97."
"Yue Guan reached level 97 by eating shit?"
"And the martial soul has evolved? It's no longer afraid of fire?"
Gui Mei looked at the precious medicinal herbs he was holding in his hands and suddenly found them utterly tasteless.
"We used to fight tooth and nail for resources."
"In that world, are we really not even as good as trash?"
"I want to eat garbage too."
In an instant, an absurd longing spread through Gui Mei's heart.
...
Inside the alchemy room of the Battle Through the Heavens world.
Squeak.
Just then, the door was pushed open.
President Fama walked in with a new prescription and immediately saw Yue Douluo, who was radiating red light and whose aura had changed drastically.
"Um?"
Fama paused for a moment, then twitched his nose:
"What happened? Where's that pile of medicine dregs?"
"You ate it?"
Upon hearing the sound, Yue Douluo turned around abruptly.
At this moment, he no longer felt the fear and timidity he had before.
But he didn't resist!
Thump!
Yue Douluo immediately slid to his knees and rushed to Fama's side, tightly hugging Fama's thigh. His face, now flushed and alluring, was filled with fawning.
"President! You're like a second parent to me!"
"Those dregs are so delicious! So nutritious!"
"Thank you so much for the gift, President!!"
Fama was taken aback by this sudden enthusiasm and kicked his leg in disdain:
"Let go! You reek of medicine residue!"
"You didn't die from eating it? Looks like you're pretty tough as a flower demon."
"Huh?"
Fama suddenly noticed the swaying Crimson Flame Vajra Chrysanthemum behind Yue Douluo, and his eyes lit up again:
"Mutated?"
"Fire resistance has increased? And the metal attribute is purer?"
"Tsk tsk tsk, not bad, not bad!"
Fama nodded in satisfaction, as if he had seen some upgraded tool.
"I was worried that your lousy flower wouldn't last long, but I didn't expect it could evolve after eating some garbage."
"Perfect! This batch of sixth-grade pills, the Tribulation-Breaking Pill, needs to be refined using a fraction of the strange fire, which will result in higher temperatures and more potent fire poison!"
"I'm just worried about not being able to find a durable filter!"
"Come on! Now that you've recovered, let's get back to work!"
Upon hearing the words "continue working."
In the past, Yue Douluo would have been terrified and wet himself.
But now, an unprecedented glint of light flashed in Yue Douluo's eyes!
Keep working = keep acting as a filter = keep absorbing the essence of fire poison = keep consuming higher-level medicinal residue = keep getting stronger!
"Yes, President!"
Yue Douluo suddenly jumped up and rushed to the scorching hot alchemy furnace, even impatiently extending his Crimson Flame Vajra Chrysanthemum into the fire outlet:
"President! Hurry!"
Burn me! Burn me badly!
"Even if it's a strange fire, it doesn't matter! I'm not afraid of pain!!"
"Just give me all the dregs after you finish refining the pills!!"
Looking at Yue Douluo, who seemed like a masochist, actively begging to be burned.
Fama was stunned, then burst into laughter:
"Good! You've got the awareness!"
"Such a top-tier tool can only be found in another world!"
"Ignite the fire! Begin the refining!!"
Boom!!!
The purple beast fire rose once more!
[end of the chapter]