Chapter 399: Elder Zhu Yin's Eight Star Dou Saint Challenge!
On the throne, Zi Yan rested her delicate chin on her hand, a faint smile playing on her lips as she watched Lu Bu engage in lively conversation with the assembled Dou Saint elders.
If it were any other six turn Dou Venerate facing so many Dou Saint powerhouses, they would have been trembling with fear. Even Half Saints, such as Elder Zhu Li, would struggle to maintain composure in such an intimidating environment.
But Lu Bu?
Not only was he unshaken, but he even seemed to be taking the lead in the discussion.
Zi Yan quietly observed Lu Bu, her beautiful eyes gleaming with a smile. She couldn't help but admire him. As expected of Lu Bu truly remarkable.
"Lu Bu, how strong is the Nine Nether Earth Python Clan?" Zhu Tao asked curiously, licking his swollen lips that now resembled sausages.
As the strongest figure of East Dragon Island on the surface, Zhu Tao naturally couldn't get involved with the Nine Nether Earth Pythons directly, but that didn't stop his battle spirit from surging. He was intrigued by the clan that claimed to descend from the ancient Heavenly Snake, a creature he had heard much about but never encountered.
"They're alright," Lu Bu replied, his tone nonchalant, before elaborating, "The strongest member of the Nine Nether Earth Python Clan is a two star Dou Saint. At most, the entire clan has three or four Dou Saints."
Lu Bu had included Yaoming, the current clan leader, and the Great Elder in his count.
Hearing this, the elders smirked, disdain written all over their faces.
"Heh, the Nine Nether Earth Pythons aren't much…"
"A single Dragon King could wipe out their entire clan. Weaklings!"
"Well, it's no surprise. Their bloodline limits their potential. If it were the Sky Demon Phoenixes instead, their ceiling would be a bit higher."
"In that case, how about we leave the task of subduing the Nine Nether Earth Pythons to Zhu Huo?" Zhu Yin said after a moment of contemplation. "Bringing them into submission will help us gather intelligence for the clan's eventual return to the Dou Qi Continent."
At his words, all eyes turned to Zi Yan, who sat on the throne.
"We await the Dragon Emperor's decision!"
"Not a bad idea," Zi Yan said with a nod of approval. However, her tone suddenly shifted, her rosy lips curving into a mischievous smile. "But… why not have Lu Bu handle it?"
"What?"
The elders were stunned. Hand this matter over to Lu Bu?
The idea hadn't even crossed their minds.
From a status perspective, Lu Bu was someone no Dou Saint could afford to dismiss. As a peak eighth tier alchemist, he was a rare and sought after figure in the world of magical beasts. However, in terms of strength, Lu Bu was simply too weak. A mere six turn Dou Venerate wouldn't stand a chance against the Nine Nether Earth Pythons without external help.
"This girl…" Lu Bu sighed, realizing what Zi Yan was up to.
"Then it's settled!" Zi Yan said decisively. "The task of subduing the Nine Nether Earth Pythons will be assigned to Lu Bu. Elder Zhu Huo and Elder Zhu Xuan will assist him. If Lu Bu needs help, you two are to respond immediately."
"This… as you command!"
Zhu Huo and Zhu Xuan exchanged glances and nodded solemnly.
Zi Yan's eyes sparkled with a sly glint as a fleeting smile crossed her face. How about that, Lu Bu? I even found you two bodyguards!
"This girl…" Lu Bu thought, now understanding Zi Yan's intentions. With this order, he would have the authority to summon Zhu Huo and Zhu Xuan at any time.
These two were three star Dou Saints. On the Dou Qi Continent, such figures were near invincible, with only the most powerful imperial clans posing any real threat to them.
"Hold on a moment," Zhu Yin interjected with a light cough. "I have no objection to assigning this task to Lu Bu, but I do have one condition."
"Please, speak," Lu Bu said with a confident smile. He already had a plan for dealing with the Nine Nether Earth Pythons and wasn't particularly concerned about Zhu Yin's stipulation.
Zi Yan raised an eyebrow. Was this old man trying to make things difficult for Lu Bu?
"It's simple," Zhu Yin said, his expression serious. "I hope that within one hundred years, you will have fully subdued the Nine Nether Earth Python Clan."
Lu Bu: "..."
What a… harsh condition.
Zi Yan: "..."
Well, this could be considered a challenge, couldn't it?
"The timeframe is tight, and the task is heavy. I hope you will devote yourself fully to this mission," Zhu Yin said gravely.
"Rest assured, Elder. Within one hundred years, the Nine Nether Earth Pythons will undoubtedly serve as our vanguard," Lu Bu replied earnestly.
Hearing this, Zhu Yin, Zhu Tao, Zhu Huo, and the others smiled in satisfaction. Zhu Gang and Zhu Xuan, however, exchanged a glance, unsure of what to say.
Of everyone present, they were the most familiar with Lu Bu. At his current rate of progress, he probably wouldn't even need fifty years to accomplish the task.
"That's settled. Carry on with your discussion. Lu Bu, come with me," Zi Yan said, rising from her throne and taking Lu Bu's hand. With a single step, they disappeared into the void, leaving the elders to continue their meeting.
…
In a forest on Dragon Island, Zi Yan stretched lazily and grumbled, "Ugh, that armor is so uncomfortable!"
As she spoke, her body shimmered, and her golden armor vanished, replaced by a flowing white dress.
"You've got a pretty handy outfit," Lu Bu said, eyeing her with a smile.
"Of course. It's made from dragon scales why wouldn't it be convenient?" Zi Yan replied smugly.
"Oh?" Lu Bu's eyes lit up. He reached out, pulling Zi Yan's soft, delicate body into his arms. "Heh… does that mean right now…"
"Why don't you find out for yourself?" Zi Yan's beautiful eyes sparkled with mischief as she wrapped her arms around Lu Bu's neck. Her playful yet teasing gaze sent a wave of warmth coursing through him.
Smack!
"Little rascal!" Lu Bu swatted her lightly on the bottom.
"Ah! You're so annoying!" Zi Yan's composure broke, and she glared at Lu Bu with a pout. "I'm not a little kid anymore I've grown up!"
"I'm definitely older than Yun Yun, Medusa… oh, and even Xiao Yi Xian and Qing Lin!" she added, puffing out her cheeks.
"Is that so?" Lu Bu replied with a faint smile, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.
Zi Yan huffed in frustration, rolling her eyes at him.
Lu Bu chuckled softly. For now, he wasn't ready to engage in dual cultivation with Zi Yan. Such practices yielded the greatest benefits when both parties were at higher cultivation levels rushing into it would only waste its potential.
"Alright, kiddo, find me a place to train," Lu Bu said, tapping her lightly on the head.
"Come with me!" Zi Yan grabbed his hand and led him toward a mountain peak. Soon, they arrived at a spacious cave.
"This is where I used to train. You can use it now," Zi Yan said with a smile before patting her hips and leaving the cave to Lu Bu.
Watching her graceful figure fade into the distance, Lu Bu couldn't help but muse, "She's really grown up…"
Shaking off his thoughts, his eyes gleamed with determination. With a wave of his sleeve, countless radiant orbs of Soul Origin appeared, illuminating the vast cavern.
These were the soul essences that Lu Bu recently obtained from the Di Sha Hall of the Soul Hall by taking advantage of the chaos… or rather, "acquired" through clever means.
The Soul Hall is divided into ordinary branches, the Di Sha Hall, and the Tian Gang Hall. Among them, the Tian Gang Hall consists of only three halls Heaven, Earth, and Man each ruled by the Soul Hall's Hall Master, Deputy Hall Master, and the Great Heavenly Sovereign, respectively.
In the original story, Xiao Yan broke through to the Dou Saint realm and led his allies to destroy the "Man Hall" of the Tian Gang Hall, where he obtained a massive soul essence formed from millions of souls, helping him achieve the Heavenly Realm Soul's Perfected Stage in one go.
Currently, Lu Bu does not have the power to challenge the Tian Gang Hall. The fifteen soul essences before him were taken from the Di Sha Hall during its destruction.
Although they seemed numerous, they were on an entirely different scale compared to the soul essence that the Great Heavenly Sovereign commanded in the Man Hall of the Tian Gang Hall.
"This should allow me to break through to the Heavenly Realm Soul…" Lu Bu murmured as he stared at the fifteen soul essences before him. With a wave of his sleeve, flames surged forth wildly.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
In the blink of an eye, fifteen enormous cauldrons made of purple black fire dropped heavily onto the ground, their dull thuds reverberating throughout the cave.
Condensing fire into objects, condensing objects into elixirs. This was the essence of the Artifact Refinement Technique, a method typically reserved for crafting ninth tier pills. This technique was among the gifts Lu Bu had received from Xuan Kong Zi.
However, this method placed immense demands on the user's soul strength and fire control. A slight mistake could result in the elixir being ruined, rendering all efforts futile.
While Lu Bu had mastered this technique, his control was not yet flawless. Still, this wasn't a problem after all, he wasn't refining pills but purifying soul essences.
These soul essences were laced with traps and hidden dangers left behind by the Soul Hall. Without thorough purification, they would pose significant risks.
"Rise!"
With a commanding shout, Lu Bu's hand seal shifted, and the roaring purple black flames erupted within the fire cauldrons. The cool atmosphere inside the cave immediately transformed into one of scorching heat and suffocating dryness.
Crack! Crack!
After a full day, faint cracking sounds began to echo from within the cauldrons as streams of eerie black mist slowly rose into the air. The foul stench quickly spread throughout the cave.
"As expected of the Soul Hall…" Lu Bu curled his lips in disdain. With a flick of his sleeve, a strong gust of wind swept through the cave, scattering the foul air.
A layer of black light appeared on Lu Bu's body as a powerful suction force erupted, drawing all fifteen soul essences toward him in an instant.
"Time to begin…" Lu Bu sat cross legged, opened his mouth, and swallowed all the soul essences. Immediately, an ocean like surge of boundless soul power roared into his soul.
Simultaneously, waves of invisible, overwhelming pressure emanated from Lu Bu as he refined the essences. The waves spread across the entirety of East Dragon Island, causing the many ancient Taixu Dragons to sweat profusely, utterly incapable of resisting the oppressive force.
"Hm?"
Zhu Yin, Zhu Tao, and the other elders' expressions shifted, their faces showing astonishment as they looked toward the distance.
"What immense soul power!" Zhu Gang said gravely.
"That direction… It's the Dragon Emperor's seclusion site!" Zhu Huo stroked his beard, speaking in a low voice. "It seems it's Lu Bu."
"This level of soul strength is far beyond that of an eighth tier alchemist…" Zhu Tao muttered. After reaching the Dou Saint realm, a cultivator transcended their mortal limits, gaining extraordinary resilience and strength in both body and soul.
The gaps between star levels were enormous, and while soul strength and physical advantage might be significant at lower levels, these differences would naturally diminish as one advanced.
Unless one possessed formidable soul techniques, the strength of one's soul would usually serve as little more than a supporting factor. Yet… Lu Bu's soul had been tempered to a point where it could contend against Dou Saints.
Zhu Tao twitched his lips in frustration, feeling as if the laws of cultivation no longer applied. "How can anyone progress like this?"
"I recall that humans have classifications for soul realms," Zhu Yin mused. "If I'm not mistaken, Lu Bu's soul seems to have reached an extraordinarily high level…"
The Heavenly Realm, Zhu Yin concluded silently, sensing the immense pressure.
If this young man were to step into the Dou Saint realm in the future, he would undoubtedly become a ninth tier alchemist. At this thought, Zhu Yin's eyes lit up with anticipation.
The Dragon Emperor was truly blessed. A ninth tier alchemist was as rare as a phoenix feather or qilin horn, and to have one by her side was a stroke of unimaginable fortune.
The Dragon Emperor's fortune was also the fortune of the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan.
"Is that even possible?" Zhu Tao exclaimed, his eyes widening. "Why have I never heard of this before?"
"Me neither," Zhu Xuan added with a nod.
"Same here!" Zhu Gang chimed in hastily.
"You lot aren't alchemists or humans. Why would you care about these things?" Zhu Yin rolled his eyes. "Besides, when was the last time any of you visited the Dou Qi Continent?"
The group exchanged embarrassed glances. Ever since Dragon Island was established, they hadn't set foot on the Dou Qi Continent. At the time, they hadn't been particularly powerful and paid no mind to matters like soul realms.
"I'll go rescue those younglings trembling under his soul pressure," Zhu Gang offered, glancing at the younger dragons who were shaking uncontrollably.
"No need. This level of soul pressure is rare. Let them use this opportunity to train it'll serve as a valuable tempering experience," Zhu Tao replied calmly.
"Even so… Some of the weaker ones should be brought out. Overdoing it won't help them," Zhu Huo said, taking a step forward and vanishing into the air.
"Elder, could you tell us more about these soul realm classifications?" Zhu Xuan asked curiously. "I'd like to understand what level Lu Bu's soul has reached."
"Same here!" Zhu Gang quickly echoed.
"It's no big secret, so I suppose I can share," Zhu Yin said with a nod. He then began explaining the classifications of soul realms to the group of curious Dou Saints.
Time passed as the oppressive soul force gradually receded and condensed. Zhu Yin and the others realized that Lu Bu was about to succeed.
Inside the cave, the fifteen massive orbs of soul essence had long since disappeared. Lu Bu slowly opened his eyes, which now gleamed like polished crystals, radiating brilliance akin to starlight.
His vast, oceanic soul power surged beneath the surface, deep and unstoppable like undercurrents in the sea.
Even within the cave, Lu Bu could perceive everything across East Dragon Island the countless young Taixu Dragons training in the mountains, the elders watching from the peaks, and Zhu Yin, who briefly glanced at him with a faint smile.
Beyond the cave, Zi Yan was meditating, while Yun Yun and Medusa cultivated within the manor.
"Not bad…" Lu Bu smiled faintly, stretching lazily as he retracted his gaze.
"Next, it's your turn…" With a flick of his sleeve, Lu Bu summoned four palm sized, yellowed parchment fragments, which slowly assembled into a single map.
The parchment exuded a faint, decayed scent. On it, a lotus flower wreathed in flames appeared lifelike, as though it were gently spinning.
Lu Bu's eyes gleamed with anticipation. The Purifying Lotus Demon Flame wasn't a concern, but whether he could obtain the Heavenly Refining Ancient Array… that would depend on this venture.
(End of Chapter)
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