"Combo?"
"What combo?"
Dugu Bo raised an eyebrow, looking pretty interested. He was honestly just waiting to see what Yin Xuan had up his sleeve this time.
Yin Xuan closed his eyes for a moment—no dramatic gestures, not even a flash from his spirit rings. Suddenly, these dark blue-silver vines shot up from the ground, sharp as spears. He controlled them perfectly; not a single vine grazed Dugu Bo's clothes, just sliding right through the gaps in his limbs.
Dugu Bo's eyes lit up. "Is this… some kind of instant-cast control skill?"
He caught it this time. None of Yin Xuan's spirit rings even glowed, so that meant this wasn't a typical soul skill. Moves that look like soul skills but don't actually use spirit rings? People call them self-created soul skills. Pretty impressive, but pulling something like that off isn't easy.
Dugu Bo slapped his palm against the "spear" vines holding him. They shattered instantly. Even with the Dark Blue Silver Emperor, boosted by the Ink Jade Divine Bamboo, it didn't really make a difference against a Title Douluo. Unless Yin Xuan had reached that level himself—which he hadn't.
But after Dugu Bo broke the vines, the Dark Blue Silver Emperor's ability kicked in. It just grew back, restoring the "spears" in a flash. The self-renewing thing? Classic Dark Blue Silver Emperor, and totally not the same as Yin Xuan's second or third abilities. This was its own thing: always growing, always ready.
Dugu Bo nodded, a little impressed. "Your martial spirit's really something. Is this your mini-combo? Trap me first and then hit me with your first soul skill?"
Yin Xuan grinned. "That's it. If someone's not ready, this can catch them off guard and hit pretty hard."
"Don't underestimate these vines," he added. "They're sharp enough to pierce black iron, and they can easily break through a Soul Master's defenses. Plus, with my second soul skill, I can control them wherever I want."
"Once someone gets hit, they can't escape my follow-up attacks. Their only choices are defeat or death."
That second soul skill? It's got a parasitic effect. Once the Dark Blue Silver Emperor lands a strike, you've got its seeds stuck in you—unless you're powerful enough to rip them out completely. Otherwise, you're always on Yin Xuan's radar, and those vines will chase you down whenever he wants.
The vines are tough, immune to water and fire, and almost impossible to destroy. If we get past challenges like thunder someday, the Dark Blue Silver Emperor's gonna be unstoppable—vitality, control, attack, all of it.
Suddenly, someone shouted from the courtyard. "Ah Xuan!"
Both Yin Xuan and Dugu Bo glanced over. Dugu Yan was there, smiling as she hurried up. Dugu Bo tried to call her over, arms wide, but she just brushed past him and stopped in front of Yin Xuan.
"Ah Xuan, you're finally back!" Her grin was infectious.
Yin Xuan smiled. "Told you I'd come back. I got here as soon as I finished my business."
She looked him up and down, eyes sparkling. "You really got more handsome in just a month! Did you get your third spirit ring?"
"Yeah, everything went well. I even hit level 32, learned a few new skills," he replied.
Dugu Yan blinked. "Minor skills? What kind of skills?"
Yin Xuan explained, "Self-created soul skills—not super powerful, but really practical. Fits my style right now."
"Can you show me? I'm dying to see!" she said, full of excitement.
Yin Xuan thought about it, then nodded. He glanced at Dugu Bo. "If Yanzi wants to see, I'll need you again."
He focused, locking his mental energy onto Dugu Bo. The soil at Dugu Bo's feet shifted, and in a split second, sharp dark blue-silver vines erupted around him.
Dugu Bo stared, annoyed but a good sport. Yin Xuan was really just showing off for Dugu Yan, so he went with it.
"This is the little skill I made. It's called 'cutting.'"
"It controls, defends, and attacks. If you're not careful, it'll catch you out and you won't have time to react."
Yin Xuan shifted his mental energy onto himself. The vines swept around him, building a protective shell. They were incredibly tough—almost as strong as a defensive-type Soul Master's own skills, and immune to ice or fire.
He removed the vines, then a single dark blue-silver vine appeared by the wall nearby, silently piercing right through. The power was just as strong as an attack-type Soul Master. And none of Yin Xuan's three spirit rings ever lit up; it was all the Dark Blue Silver Emperor's own strength.
Dugu Bo grumbled, "You've really gotten the hang of it."
Even so, he couldn't help feeling proud. Most Title Douluos like himself just use their soul skills; nobody really tries to push their martial soul's limits.
"My martial spirit doesn't excel at attacking," Yin Xuan admitted quietly. "So I have to come up with these small skills if I want to keep up with the strong Soul Masters."
The sadness was hard to miss.
Dugu Yan caught it right away. She comforted him, "You're already amazing, Ah Xuan. Don't sell yourself short."
Maybe she got through to him, because that spark inside Yin Xuan suddenly burst out. For the first time, his own spirit—not just the martial one—showed its strength.
It was contagious. Dugu Yan found him even more charming, so she hugged his arm, rubbing her cheek against him with a sweet smile.
Dugu Bo watched them, sighed, and felt like a third wheel.
Night started to fall. Yin Xuan just felt like he belonged, almost part of their family, thanks to Dugu Bo's easy-going nature and his respect for Dugu Yan's choices.
"Kid, you're young but you've got guts. Come have a drink with me!" Dugu Bo laughed. "I brewed this specially for Yanyan's wedding. Now's the perfect time!"
Dugu Yan blushed, ducked her head, and stole glances at Yin Xuan every now and then.