Lin Yang stayed at the Breaking Clan for a full ten days.
During those ten days, he thoroughly studied all the herbology books the clan had collected over generations. Although much of the content overlapped with what he already knew, it allowed him to verify his knowledge and gain many new insights.
What interested him most were the records about magical herbs.
Besides the well-known immortal herbs like the Fragrant Silk Immortal, Lin Yang also found descriptions of other immortal herbs in ancient texts — including one he had obtained from the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect.
The Crystal Pure Soul Flower.
The name was truly beautiful, and it was also the original name of the glass seed he possessed.
The book recorded in detail: "The Glazed Glass Pure Soul Flower is born from glazed glass and grows in moist soil. When mature, its petals are transparent with a glass-like luster, and a glass bead grows at its center. The glass bead is crystal clear, and its fragrance spreads for miles. Consuming the glass bead can purify impurities in a martial soul and maximize its potential. This effect is extremely powerful for all types of martial souls.
For example, if Dugu Yan consumed it, the faint dragon attribute within the Jade Phosphor Snake Dragon could be triggered, allowing it to evolve into a true Jade Phosphor Dragon. A Soul Master of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda could evolve it into the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda.
In other words, the treasure that could break the level limit of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda had always been right in front of Ning Fengzhi. They simply hadn't noticed it and had instead given it to Lin Yang as a bonus.
If Ning Fengzhi ever found out, he would probably vomit three liters of blood on the spot.
Without a word, the two Titled Douluo — Jian Gu and Du — had taken it back.
Indeed, people could not earn money beyond their own understanding. They had kept this treasure for years without realizing its true value, leaving it to gather dust.
How pitiful!
Lin Yang shook his head lightly, but inwardly he was overjoyed. The stronger the effect of the Crystal Pure Soul Flower, the greater his benefits.
Even though it was nourished by the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, the Glazed Pure Soul Flower still required considerable time to fully mature. But he could wait. If he started preparing now, he would be able to maximize its effects the moment it matured.
Besides gaining much from reading the classics, Yang Wudi visited Lin Yang's residence every day for the past ten days to discuss pharmacology.
The old man usually studied in solitude, but now that a more capable Lin Yang had appeared, he naturally wouldn't miss this opportunity.
Although they had taken different paths, they had ultimately arrived at the same destination. Through mutual exchange and verification, both had gained tremendously.
Lin Yang learned a great deal from him — especially the relationships between principal, assistant, and supplementary herbs, as well as the principles of yin-yang balance. This already touched upon the core of the Breaking Clan's alchemy traditions.
Lin Yang also generously taught Yang Wudi all the refinement and extraction techniques he had summarized.
Both sides were extremely satisfied with the exchange.
Ten days later, Lin Yang bid farewell. Under Yang Wudi's reluctant gaze, he departed.
He had been away for quite a long time. If he didn't return soon, the maids at home would start to worry. At this rate, Ah Da might even quit.
...
Half a month later.
Lin Yang rushed back to Heaven Dou City in just half a month.
The moment he appeared at the Butterfly House, he naturally incurred the wrath of the three girls.
"Tell us — were you out playing around?"
Lin Yang was at a loss. What kind of ridiculous thing were they imagining?
"Don't tell me he fell in love with some stunning beauty?"
Lin Yang broke into a cold sweat. What on earth was going on?
Even Ye Lingling stared at him with her beautiful eyes, her gaze lingering.
To avoid being wrongly accused, Lin Yang recounted everything that had happened at the soul hunting ground in detail.
When Xiao Wu heard that Lin Yang had actually encountered a Dark Demon Evil God Tiger that had lived for over forty thousand years, her eyes narrowed.
Of course she knew the origins of this infamous soul beast. What she hadn't expected was that Lin Yang had actually killed the evil tiger.
Notably, even though the evil tiger had only cultivated for ten thousand years, its power was in no way inferior to that of a Titled Douluo. Even if the two emperors of the Ming clan had acted, defeating it would have been extremely difficult.
Fortunately, Lin Yang had survived. That could already be considered fortunate amidst misfortune.
Although Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling didn't know the true identity of the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger, they were still shaken when they heard that a Titled Douluo from the Spirit Hall had been killed.
After confirming that Lin Yang was safe, they breathed sighs of relief.
"Next time, why don't you take Grandpa with you?" Dugu Yan said worriedly.
Lin Yang smiled and gently patted her hand.
"Don't worry. It was just an accident. I'm not always this unlucky."
Lin Yang then changed the subject.
He took out many items from his storage bracelet. They were all local specialties from the Star Luo Empire, along with small gifts he had bought for them.
Although they weren't worth much money, what the girls truly wanted was the sentiment behind them.
After distributing the gifts, the girls turned their attention to Aura.
In the next moment, the unfortunate soul beast was attacked and trampled one after another.
Aura looked extremely dejected as it was tossed around and rubbed by them, having lost even the will to resist.
"I really want a spirit ring like that too."
Dugu Yan stared at Lin Yang. Beside her, Ye Lingling nodded with shining eyes.
Lin Yang could only shake his head helplessly. There was nothing he could do.
Aura's mutation was entirely due to his fourth Demon God Body skill and his bloodline characteristics. This wasn't some magic array that anyone could learn. Even if there really was a method, he had no intention of making it public.
In Douluo Dalu Season 2, Huo Yuhao had established the Spirit Pagoda and soul spirits to ease conflicts between humans and soul beasts.
In the end, they had underestimated humanity's greedy and plundering nature.
Soul spirits were essentially a compromise between soul beasts and humans — and that very compromise became the root cause of soul beasts being driven to the brink of extinction tens of thousands of years later.
Lin Yang was someone who had at least received nine years of compulsory education.
Peace sought through compromise would perish. Peace sought through struggle would endure.
He understood this basic principle.
Soul spirits? Hmph. What nonsense.
...
That night, Lin Yang sat cross-legged in his room. Xiao Wu sat opposite him.
Between them lay a black pearl — the Birth Pearl left behind by the Dark Demon God Tiger.
Lin Yang felt an instinctive urge to swallow the pearl, as if something was urging him.
But he managed to suppress it.
After obtaining the Birth Pearl, he had originally planned to use the energy within it to condense the fifth spirit ring of his Demon God Body.
He had struggled for a long time, but no matter what method he tried, he could not absorb the internal energy. It was like a rock — impossible to break or absorb.
It made no sense at all.
The only remaining path was to swallow it whole.
In the original story, this pearl had traveled across time and space to a vast continent, where it was swallowed by Zhou Weiqing. That marked the beginning of his turbulent and extraordinary life.
However, swallowing it would cause one to lose their sanity, become extremely bestial, and turn extremely evil.
After swallowing it, Lin Yang wasn't sure whether his spiritual power could withstand it.
This was also one of the reasons he couldn't make a decision.
There were many girls around him, and he didn't want to accidentally seduce one of them.
That would be truly despicable.
But having this object right in front of him — something he could see but not eat — was truly unbearable.
So he decided to ask Xiao Wu if she had any ideas.
...