Black Jade Divine Bamboo.
Yin Xuan almost forgot about this gem—a perfect match for martial souls that lean toward plants.
He headed over, only to have Dugu Bo grumble behind him, "What's the plan, kid? You feeling hungry for some bamboo?"
"Yeah, actually. Can I use this black jade bamboo? If I can tap into its power, my martial spirit could get as tough as black iron—or stone, even."
The excitement in Yin Xuan's eyes was impossible to miss.
"Do whatever you want," Dugu Bo said, waving it off like it was nothing, then added with a smirk, "You're not just gonna bite into it, right? Your teeth strong enough?"
"That's not how you use it," Yin Xuan shot back. "You just wrap your soul power around it to refine the medicinal essence. Plus—I've got an even better way."
He opened his palm, and the Dark Blue Silver Emperor martial spirit appeared. In a flash, his first and second spirit rings glowed, a dark golden spear formed, and it split the black jade bamboo clean in two at the root.
Those dark golden vines whipped like earth dragons, coiling around the fallen bamboo, draining its power like their lives depended on it.
Dugu Bo wasn't done—he turned to his granddaughter. "Yanyan, try the Grade Nine Purple Ganoderma and this Ten-Thousand-Year Ginseng King. The kid's got brains. If he says you can use them, you'll get results you didn't expect."
He handed them over, eyes shining with hope.
At this point, Dugu Yan had already shaken off the Jade Phosphorus Serpent's poison, turned practically immune to everything, and even transformed into a dragon. Now, with these rare herbs to boost her strength and vitality, she couldn't help but look forward to what would come next.
She tore her gaze from the Narcissus Jade Skin and grabbed the ginseng and Ganoderma. After a bit of thought, she started with the Ten-Thousand-Year Ginseng King.
Just a short while later, the black jade bamboo had withered to nothing—brown, lifeless, and dull.
Yin Xuan sat down cross-legged, focusing on absorbing and refining the medicinal effects he'd pulled from the Black Jade Divine Bamboo.
Dugu Yan was busy too, working on the Ten-Thousand-Year Ginseng King. Both the ginseng and the ganoderma were meant to boost her natural strength from the ground up.
Even though her Jade Phosphorous Serpent Martial Soul had turned into a dragon, it wasn't the real deal yet—the quality just wasn't there.
Hopefully, those herbs would help fix that. Dugu Yan's innate soul power wasn't that high, and she was slow to cultivate—not sure why, but the facts were clear. Rare herbs like these could overhaul her pace, maybe even push her to the top.
Over by Yin Xuan, his dark blue silver emperor had turned even darker—sleek and glossy like a proper piece of jade, cold and tough instead of fragile.
That black jade bamboo had packed a heavy punch, pushing his physical development forward. Yin Xuan grew taller, more commanding, his aura sharper and chillier than ever.
The green robe he wore suddenly fit a lot better. Dugu Bo watched all this happen, feeling a mix of nostalgia and gratitude.
Yin Xuan glanced at the Autumn Dew. This magical herb could give him "fiery eyes." Sure, the phrase was exaggerated, but the effects were still pretty useful.
He tried to build a disguise skill using his Blue Silver Domain but ran up against the limits of his own mental strength.
"Go ahead, use it if you want," Dugu Bo said, puffing himself up. "Ask anyone—Dugu Bo's got a spotless reputation! Famous for his virtue, every corner of the continent knows his name. I don't hold back with people I trust."
Yin Xuan snorted, barely listening to Dugu Bo brag. Title Douluos… always such show-offs. Dugu Bo was just a little more obvious than the rest.
Yin Xuan didn't bother picking the whole "Looking Through Autumn Waters" plant. He knew only the dew from the flower stamens mattered, so he gathered just that, dripped it into his eyes, sat up, and closed his eyes to let the medicine take effect.
"Grandpa!" Dugu Yan suddenly called out. Her soul power had surged, jumping two levels to hit level 30.
Dugu Bo rushed over, worried. "You alright, Yanyan? Any pain?"
She smiled, "No, Grandpa, I feel amazing. My soul power's up two levels—I'm at level 30 now!"
"Two levels in one go! That's a year's worth of training saved." Dugu Bo nodded, satisfied. "Once Ah Xuan's done, I'll take you both for your third soul ring. He used two herbs too—his soul power's probably way up. Maybe level 30 for him, too."
"Thanks, but I've got my own plans for the third spirit ring," Yin Xuan said as he opened his eyes, golden light flashing.
There was a hint of "sharp eyes," but nothing earth-shattering. Still, his mental strength jumped, his vision clearer and wider.
"Level 30, huh?" Dugu Bo looked surprised.
Yin Xuan grinned, "The Ink Jade Divine Bamboo did more than toughen my martial spirit. It bumped me from level 26 to 30."
Dugu Yan turned to him, confused. "Ah Xuan, how are you handling your third soul ring?"
He answered right away, "I once ran into a plant-type soul beast perfect for my third ring, but couldn't absorb it back then. Now I'm ready—level 30's got me covered."
Dugu Bo offered, "After I help Yan Yan, want me to come along?"
"Yeah!" Dugu Yan added, a hint of worry in her voice. "Grandpa makes everything safer. Hunting's easier, too!"
Yin Xuan shook his head. "Let me go solo. Yanzi, cover for me—tell them I'm on leave. I'll be back in ten days, maybe a month."
Dugu Bo backed off. "If you've decided, I won't push. After Yan Yan gets her soul ring, I'll take you shopping so you're ready before you leave Heaven Dou City."
Yin Xuan thanked him.
Then Dugu Yan piped up, "Grandpa, Ah Xuan doesn't have a storage soul tool. He's always lugging that backpack around—it's a pain. Why not give him your Ruyi Hundred Treasures Pouch? You've got plenty of storage soul tools anyway."
Dugu Bo froze. That pouch—his absolute favorite, matched his "elegant" style perfectly. Was he really supposed to just hand it over…