After confirming that the External Spirit Bone – Demon Willow Fluff could indeed replenish life force and spiritual power, Ye Yu conducted a few tests.
Using the Demon Willow Fluff to feed back life force and spiritual energy allowed Yu Xiaogang, who suffered backlash from repeated Martial Soul summoning, to recover quickly.
This prompted Ye Yu to test the maximum number of times Yu Xiaogang could summon his Luo Sanpao Martial Soul per day, allowing it to be devoured by the Blue Silver Jade Tree Martial Soul, while being sustained through feedback from the Demon Willow Fluff.
After repeated trials, Ye Yu found that five times per day was Xiaogang's upper limit.
However, to avoid killing the subject too soon—
Three times a day was safer.
Not that Ye Yu truly cared whether Yu Xiaogang lived or died…
But the man was still useful for now. So letting him drop dead just yet wasn't an option.
Once the tests were concluded, Ye Yu delved deeper into the Star Dou Great Forest. There, he hunted several ten-thousand-year sub-dragon-type soul beasts carrying the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon bloodline. He fed their Soul Power and life force to the Demon Willow Fluff.
Then, activating his Soul Core field, Ye Yu triggered the second Spirit Ability of the Blue Silver Emperor Right Leg Bone: Flight.
Coupled with his self-created Spirit Abilities — Thunder Magnetic Body and Thunderburst Step, Ye Yu ramped up his internal electromagnetic propulsion.
Like a bolt of lightning, he launched himself forward, accelerating at full power to catch up with the convoy heading from Heaven Dou City to Spirit Hall City.
Meanwhile, in Spirit Hall City...
In order to prove to her beloved Xiaogang that she wasn't responsible for the extermination of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, and to win his forgiveness...
Bibi Dong was secretly planning how best to capture Ye Yu and interrogate him for the secret of Martial Soul evolution.
Eventually, she devised a plan:
She would send Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo, along with other elite Spirit Hall Soul Masters, to ambush the convoy traveling from Heaven Dou to Spirit Hall City — during the preliminary stage of the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament.
They would capture Ye Yu and bring him back to Spirit Hall.
That way, once Xiaogang arrived, she could present him with the Martial Soul evolution secret — thus clearing her name and proving her devotion.
Elsewhere, having stuffed Yu Xiaogang into the Wishful Hundred Treasure Purse (just like Tang Hao), Ye Yu turned into a flash of lightning and quickly tracked down the luxurious convoy escorted by the Heaven Dou Imperial Knights.
He didn't immediately rejoin them.
Instead, he waited until the convoy stopped in a city to rest before casually returning to the carriage of Heaven Dou Imperial Academy.
"Ye Yu! Why are you just getting here now?" asked Yufeng, surprised to see him at last.
"I was struck with some inspiration for a self-created Spirit Ability," Ye Yu replied with a relaxed smile. "I didn't want to be disturbed, so I stayed behind."
"You're developing self-created Spirit Abilities too? Like Feng Xiaotian?" Yufeng exclaimed in shock.
Nearby, Ning Rongrong scoffed, folding her arms across her chest. Her expression showed clear pride and disdain.
Feng Xiaotian? Please...
So what if he created a Spirit Ability? It was trash! Ye Yu's self-created abilities would put his to shame!
At this point, no one in Heaven Dou City had seen Ye Yu's Thunderburst Step or Thunder Magnetic Body under his own name — only while using his "An Lan" alias at the Grand Spirit Arena.
So the others still didn't know that Ye Yu had already developed several powerful techniques.
"It's nothing, really — just a spark of insight," Ye Yu said humbly.
After a night's rest, the convoy resumed its journey to Spirit Hall City.
In the blink of an eye, eight or nine days passed.
On the eleventh day, in an attempt to save time, the convoy decided to cut through two hills to shorten their route by dozens of miles.
Hearing this, Ye Yu narrowed his eyes and looked toward the distant twin hills.
According to his knowledge of the original plot, this was where Tang San, after revealing his Clear Sky Hammer Martial Soul, had been ambushed.
Back then, Bibi Dong dispatched Chrysanthemum Douluo Yueguan and Ghost Douluo Guimei to pose as bandits and assassinate Tang San — though the plan ultimately failed.
Would Bibi Dong still pull the same stunt in this altered world?
Earlier in the tournament, Tang San had indeed exposed his second Martial Soul: the Clear Sky Hammer.
As the convoy approached the twin hills...
Thanks to consuming the immortal herb Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew and cultivating the Purple Demon Eye, Ye Yu's enhanced vision caught movement among the slopes.
Sure enough — just like in the original story — black-clad figures were lying in ambush.
Ye Yu smirked.
Looks like Tang San is still fated for a hard lesson.
As the convoy entered the narrow path between the two hills...
Suddenly — boulders tumbled from the slopes with a thunderous rumble!
"It's an ambush!!"
The captain of the Imperial Knights raised his lance and shouted.
"Form up!"
Immediately, the knights rallied to the sides of the convoy in a defensive formation, using their lances to block and deflect the falling rocks like a wall of steel.
Even so, those in the convoy quickly realized...
This wasn't some random bandit attack. Ordinary raiders would never dare strike a convoy under imperial guard.
The Soul Master teams disembarked and began to form defensive battle formations.
As a few boulders broke through the knight's defense, some teams worked together to destroy them mid-air and protect the carriages.
Then — right on cue — waves of black-robed attackers surged down from the hills, yelling war cries:
"Kill them! Rob them all!"
"After this haul, I'll finally be able to marry!"
"Brothers, charge!!"
The black-robed ambushers clashed with the Soul Master teams in an all-out melee.
At first, everyone thought they were ordinary thugs…
Until they engaged — and were shocked to find many of them were actual Soul Masters!
Over thirty of them were Spirit Kings!
Caught off guard, the Soul Master teams faltered.
Among the attackers, several charged straight at Ye Yu's Heaven Dou Royal Team.
"Vigorous Vajra Bear — Possession!"
Zhao Wuji roared as he rushed to the front, activating his Martial Soul Possession.
"Third Spirit Ability: Gravity Increase!"
"Black Turtle — Possession!" ×2
Shi Mo and Shi Mo, the defensive twins, activated their defensive Martial Souls and rushed to the front lines as human shields.
The rest of the team summoned their Martial Souls and prepared to fight like they had in the tournament.
But then—
A terrifying Soul Power fluctuation burst forth from several of the black-robed attackers.
Some transformed with Beast-type Martial Souls, others summoned weapons — all surrounded by seven or even eight Spirit Rings beneath their feet!
One burly Soul Douluo with a bear-type Martial Soul smashed Zhao Wuji aside in a single blow!
"Spirit Saint?! Soul Douluo?!"
Everyone turned pale.
Even Ye Yu frowned.
This isn't right...
Shouldn't Spirit Hall's ambush team be going after Tang San?
Why are they coming for me?!