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Bai Baoshan, seeing that the battle was decided, instantly appeared on the battlefield and loudly announced:
"Yu Tianheng versus Ye Lan! The victor is Ye Lan!"
"Let's all welcome the new member of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy's first team: Ye Lan!"
After Bai Baoshan's announcement, the blue-haired girl didn't join her teammates in applause. Instead, she quickly walked to the center of the battlefield. A flicker of purple light enveloped her slender body, and a Nine-Heart Begonia flower, composed of white and pink petals, emerged from her palm. The begonia had an elegant color and graceful branches. One by one, the pale pink petals slipped from Ye Lengleng's hand. The soft vines swayed in the wind, their drooping blooms resembling a graceful lady with her beautiful hair veiling her face, conveying a sense of tender affection and delicate charm.
These petals gently drifted into the bodies of Ye Lan and Yu Tianheng. Ye Lan felt the fatigue in his body quickly dissipating, as the hidden wounds from the earlier Thunderous Might attack were rapidly healing. His Blue Silver Grass martial soul experienced a violent fluctuation, and his spirit power became extremely active. The Blue Silver Grass's innate self-healing ability—a product of its Ultimate Life attribute—was further enhanced by the Nine-Heart Begonia petals. But the intense fluctuation of his Blue Silver Grass martial soul didn't cause a ripple in Ye Lan's heart.
What truly captured his attention was the blue-haired girl in front of him, her long blue hair cascading down to her waist like a waterfall. A black veil obscured the beautiful girl's face. Through the black veil, Ye Lan seemed to see a pair of crystal-clear blue eyes. Aside from the black veil, what most captivated Ye Lan was the girl's aura. It was a loneliness hidden beneath a chilling purity. Her blue-silk hair cascaded to frame a delicate face, as a cold moon and starlight reflected off her simple dress. Like a lonely specter walking a cold flower path, she possessed a detached and elegant grace, known only to the moon.
After casting her thousand-year soul skill, Ye Lengleng silently retreated to the side of the Heaven Dou first team. It wasn't until Ye Lengleng turned away that Ye Lan snapped back to reality, sensing the changes within his Blue Silver Grass. The Nine-Heart Begonia petals had elevated his Blue Silver Grass's life force to a new level. This was significant, as Ye Lan's Blue Silver Grass already possessed the Ultimate Life attribute. The only thing that could further enhance an Ultimate Life attribute was another Ultimate Life martial soul. Ye Lan hadn't expected the Nine-Heart Begonia to also be an Ultimate Life martial soul. However, recalling the healing effect of its petals, he no longer found it surprising. Truly worthy of being the Nine-Heart Begonia—a martial soul dedicated purely to healing!
Compared to the life energy converted by his Blue Silver Grass, the Nine-Heart Begonia's was superior in both quality and quantity. Aside from the healing effect of the Nine-Heart Begonia petals, what surprised Ye Lan most were the fluctuations they generated inside his body. He surmised that the blue-haired girl's martial soul could also perform a spirit fusion skill with his. He wondered whether a spirit fusion skill with Qian Renxue or with this blue-haired girl would be more powerful. Even though he had only interacted with Qian Renxue once, Ye Lan was certain that their martial souls had achieved a perfect, one-hundred percent fusion. However, the fusion degree between his martial soul and the blue-haired girl's would certainly exceed one hundred percent, reaching a staggering one hundred and twenty percent.
After the blue-haired girl finished casting her soul skill, the two brothers, Shi Mo and Shi Mo, immediately ran to Yu Tianheng's side. Shi Mo helped Yu Tianheng up and said, "Captain, are you okay? I think you really hit a wall this time. Was that really Blue Silver Grass? It looked even thicker than Spirit Douluo Zhi Lin's Azure Vine!" Shi Mo added, "How could there be so many thick Blue Silver Grass vines? I feel like my brother and I couldn't handle being bound by them, even together."
Yu Tianheng's dominant eyes now looked a little defeated. He coughed and said, "There's no doubt about it. Not even Thunderous Might with a hundred percent boost could break through that Blue Silver Grass cage. As defense-type spirit masters, you wouldn't stand a chance. I lost this time, and I admit my defeat wholeheartedly." In the past, none of the other Spirit Elders Yu Tianheng fought in soul battles could handle even a portion of his Thunderous Might. Not to mention the version with a hundred percent boost—lightning is arguably the most violent elemental attribute. Yu Tianheng's soul skills were all energy attacks, as he hadn't focused on close combat. The fact that his strongest amplification skill combined with his strongest attack skill still couldn't break through Ye Lan's defense left him stunned. This made Yu Tianheng feel resigned to his fate; he couldn't even imagine just how durable Ye Lan was. Shi Mo suddenly realized, "Hearing the captain say that, Ye Lan's Blue Silver Grass martial soul is probably even more durable than my Xuanwu Turtle."
Meanwhile, the boyish Yu Feng and the charming Oslo walked up to Ye Lan and said, "Hello, Ye Lan. We are Yu Feng and Oslo from the Heaven Dou first team." Yu Feng then asked curiously, "Oslo and I are both agility-type spirit masters. We want to know how you managed to evade our captain's Thunder Dragon Claw in a single instant?" Oslo also looked at Ye Lan with a curious gaze, as he knew that even with their soul skills activated, neither he nor Yu Feng could match the burst of speed Ye Lan had just displayed!
Ye Lan explained, "That was a self-created movement soul skill of mine, called Instant Step. It can instantly boost my burst speed." Yu Feng and Oslo suddenly understood. It turned out Ye Lan was a genius spirit master who could create his own soul skills. On the Douluo Continent, any spirit master capable of creating their own soul skills was considered a true genius.
Standing in the distance, Dugu Bo watched as most of the team members gravitated toward Ye Lan. He then looked in Ye Lan's direction and said to Dugu Yan: "Yanyan, why aren't you going to greet your new teammate?"
At this moment, Dugu Yan's face and ears began to turn red. She covered her flushed face with her hands and hid behind Dugu Bo. Dugu Yan couldn't believe that Ye Lan was the real deal! The moment Ye Lan's martial soul appeared, Dugu Yan instantly recognized the 'Golden-Patterned Blue Star Jade Vine' appearance of the Blue Silver Grass, realizing it was the real Ye Lan's martial soul. As a die-hard fan, Dugu Yan had gone to great lengths to collect a complete set of illustrations for the real Ye Lan's Blue Silver Grass martial soul. The first time she saw such a beautiful Blue Silver Grass, Dugu Yan had already etched the image of Ye Lan's martial soul into her mind.
Dugu Yan recalled what she had just said to the real Ye Lan, and her face grew even hotter. She had actually told the real Ye Lan that she hoped he was worthy of his name. He probably guessed she was his fanatical admirer right then and there, didn't he!? She was going to die of embarrassment! Dugu Yan wished she could burrow into a crack in the ground and bury her head. The carefree and extremely bold Dugu Yan, who had been that way since she was a child, showed her girlish shyness for the very first time.
Dugu Bo, seeing no movement from Dugu Yan, muttered, "That's not right. Does Yanyan not approve of Ye Lan? I promised Ye Lan I would marry Yanyan to him. What am I going to do now?"
"Grandpa, what did you say?!" Dugu Yan instantly became a blushing, steaming girl. She had no idea that her first meeting with Ye Lan was actually a matchmaking session! She was actually promised to her idol, Ye Lan, by her own grandfather!!! Does that mean the real Ye Lan came to see me because he agreed to my grandpa's proposal!? Ahhh! Ahhh! Ahhh! Ahhh!! Dugu Yan completely fell into a state of wild fantasy.
"Nothing, nothing at all," Dugu Bo quickly said. He certainly didn't dare to openly tell Dugu Yan that he had essentially sold her to Ye Lan. A blush covered Dugu Yan's fair cheeks, making her look even more alluring. Dugu Yan silently squatted down, hugged her knees, and buried her head completely.
After a long while, Dugu Yan's shoulder was gently patted twice. Dugu Yan looked up, and her flushed face was immediately noticed by the blue-haired girl. "Yanyan, do you have a cold?" The blue-haired girl made a motion to summon her Nine-Heart Begonia to treat Dugu Yan. Dugu Yan repeatedly waved her hand, knowing that even the Nine-Heart Begonia couldn't cure her current state.
"Lengleng, I don't have a cold!"
"That's good then," Ye Lengleng said, retracting the Nine-Heart Begonia that was about to emerge.
"Is it because Ye Lan is the 'Scholar'?" Ye Lengleng had heard Dugu Yan talk about Ye Lan's deeds many times. She had never seen her best friend in such a state before.
"How did you know?! Did Ye Lan tell you that he was the 'Scholar'?" Dugu Yan asked in great surprise.
"I knew the moment I saw you," Ye Lengleng said calmly.
Dugu Yan covered her flushed face again. Even Ye Lengleng, who was always so calm, could tell something was off about her. She had to get ahold of herself, or she would surely make a fool of herself in front of her idol. Although she had already embarrassed herself once, Dugu Yan didn't want to make a second fool of herself! After taking several deep breaths, Dugu Yan finally managed to calm her nerves.
Dugu Yan turned to Dugu Bo and said, "Grandpa, Lengleng and I are going to go find Ye Lan now." Dugu Bo's face was full of smiles, as if his granddaughter had finally come to her senses. He nodded repeatedly and said: "This old man won't get in the way of you young people. Tell Ye Lan to come to me first if he ever needs anything."
With that, a flash of green spirit power appeared on his hand, and he summoned a token from his spirit tool. The token was engraved with the ancient Douluo character for 'poison.' "Help me give this token to Ye Lan as well. Tell him to take it out whenever he encounters someone difficult to deal with." "I'd like to see who dares to bully Ye Lan from now on. If he gets killed, I will release my poison and wipe out their entire sect!" Dugu Bo said, a sharp glint in his emerald pupils.
Dugu Yan pursed her lips. Although Ye Lan was her idol, he seemed to be more of her grandfather's grandson than she was. Still, Dugu Yan accepted Dugu Bo's token and watched him leave. Then, Dugu Yan pulled Ye Lengleng and started walking toward Ye Lan.
Halfway there, Dugu Yan's hand was suddenly gripped a little tighter by Ye Lengleng. "Yanyan, can Ye Lan really solve the Nine-Heart Begonia's flaw?" A slight ripple appeared in Ye Lengleng's blue eyes.
Dugu Yan nodded decisively and said, "Of course! He is the 'Scholar' Ye Lan, the foremost master of theory on the Douluo Continent right now!" Part of the reason Dugu Yan so admired Ye Lan was her hope that he could help solve Ye Lengleng's martial soul flaw. Dugu Yan had only ever seen Ye Lengleng's face in private, when they bathed together. Even Dugu Yan, a beautiful woman herself, was awestruck by Ye Lengleng's stunning beauty. One could only imagine the breathtaking features hidden behind that black veil. As Ye Lengleng's best friend, she didn't want her to spend the rest of her life wearing a veil.
Although Dugu Yan had already adjusted her mindset, the closer she got to Ye Lan, the more she started to get nervous and hesitate. Ye Lengleng noticed Dugu Yan's change and didn't urge her on. Instead, she silently kept her company. She knew that Yanyan was very nervous at that moment. The two of them walked a mere hundred meters, but it felt like they had walked a thousand. As they approached Ye Lan, Dugu Yan tightened her grip on Ye Lengleng's hand and strode boldly toward Ye Lan.
At this moment, Ye Lan was chatting happily with Yu Feng and Oslo about topics related to speed. Oslo was bragging that when he got serious, not even Captain Yu Tianheng could touch a single thread of his clothes. Yu Feng was also boasting about how invincible he was when flying in the air, claiming that almost no one could hit him. The three of them suddenly noticed Dugu Yan and Ye Lengleng's presence. Oslo and Yu Feng immediately became well-behaved and said, "Hello, Sister Yan!"
Dugu Yan didn't respond to either Oslo or Yu Feng. Instead, she looked at Ye Lan's neck and said, "Let's reintroduce ourselves. My name is Dugu Yan! My hobbies are sleeping, shopping, cultivating, cooking... " Just as Dugu Yan was about to reveal more of her hobbies, she suddenly felt her hand being tightly held by Ye Lengleng's ice-cold one. It was then that Dugu Yan realized she was losing her composure. She had almost exposed all of her hobbies to Ye Lan! Dugu Yan, having lost her footing, didn't know how to handle the situation.
"I'm Ye Lengleng. It's a pleasure to meet you, Ye Lan." Ye Lengleng's self-introduction successfully helped Dugu Yan out of her embarrassment. Oslo and Yu Feng looked bewildered, wondering why their Sister Yan seemed like a completely different person. If Dugu Yan were always like this, she wouldn't be the vice-captain, as Oslo would definitely have fought for the position.
Ye Lan glanced at Dugu Yan and Ye Lengleng, his gaze lingering on them for a moment before he said, "It's a pleasure to meet you both. I'm Ye Lan." With a mix of anticipation and nervousness, Dugu Yan asked, "Excuse me, are you the 'Scholar' Ye Lan? Your martial soul looks very similar to the illustration I saw!"
"No need to be so formal," Ye Lan said. "If there isn't a second 'Scholar' out there, then I suppose I am the one you're looking for."
Oslo and Yu Feng's faces instantly showed their shock. "What?! Not only is your combat strength so high, but you're also the top master of theory, the 'Scholar'?!" It was only then that they understood why Dugu Yan had changed so much. It turned out Ye Lan was the 'Scholar' that Sister Yan so often talked about.
Dugu Yan's eyes immediately turned into stars. She instantly grabbed Ye Lan's hand and held it tightly. "I've finally met you! I've read your 'New Martial Soul Core Theory' over and over again! I never thought my idol would be so young." Another blush appeared on Dugu Yan's cheeks as she said shyly, "I'm so sorry I didn't recognize you just now. Please don't take it to heart! I'm not usually like this."
Ye Lan looked at the charming Dugu Yan, her face now even more enchanting, like an otherworldly enchantress. It was the first time Ye Lan had met someone so captivating. Even in his previous life, where the internet was highly developed, Ye Lan had never encountered such a unique woman. Ye Lan quickly withdrew his right hand from Dugu Yan's soft, boneless hands.
Dugu Bo, is this how you test me?
Which official could withstand such a test?
After pulling his hand away from Dugu Yan's, Ye Lan came back to his senses and said, "It's fine. I didn't take it to heart. But don't tell anyone else besides the members of the Heaven Dou first team that I am the 'Scholar.'" Dugu Yan, Oslo, and Yu Feng all nodded repeatedly. They couldn't even imagine what would happen if the news of the 'Scholar' joining the Heaven Dou first team got out. How many people would flock to the Heaven Dou Academy every day just to see him! At that point, the Heaven Dou first team wouldn't need to train anymore; they'd be holding meet-and-greets all day!
Ye Lengleng's blue eyes, filled with anticipation, stared into Ye Lan's pupils. "Ye Lan, can you solve the Nine-Heart Begonia's inheritance flaw?" Dugu Yan, standing beside her, also chimed in, "Ye Lan, Lengleng's martial soul is the Nine-Heart Begonia. Only two Nine-Heart Begonia martial souls can exist in the world at the same time. Whenever a new one appears, it means the other owner of the Nine-Heart Begonia has passed away." "Lengleng's grandmother voluntarily gave up her life before Lengleng was born, just so Lengleng could be born safely." "Is there any way you can solve Lengleng's martial soul flaw?!" Dugu Yan looked at Ye Lan with eyes full of anticipation. In Dugu Yan's eyes, it was as if Ye Lan could solve any problem.
Ye Lan saw the two pairs of expectant eyes and was also eager to learn more about Ye Lengleng and her Nine-Heart Begonia martial soul. "Miss Lengleng, please extend your hand so I can learn more about your Nine-Heart Begonia martial soul," Ye Lan said.
Ye Lengleng extended her slender, jade-like hand, and Ye Lan reached out and grasped it. It was very cold, but unexpectedly soft. Dugu Yan, watching Ye Lan tightly hold Ye Lengleng's hand, felt a pang of jealousy for a moment. But for the sake of Ye Lengleng's martial soul flaw, Dugu Yan suppressed the jealousy in her heart and didn't let any emotion show on her face.
When her hand was held by Ye Lan, Ye Lengleng felt her small hand being completely enveloped by his warm, large one. Besides the warmth, what surprised Ye Lengleng even more were the continuous fluctuations coming from her Nine-Heart Begonia martial soul. At that moment, she had an overwhelming desire to embrace Ye Lan tightly. Her Nine-Heart Begonia seemed to want to float out of her body and merge with his. A ripple appeared in Ye Lengleng's azure eyes as she asked in surprise, "Did you feel that?"
Dugu Yan, hearing Ye Lengleng's question, was confused and asked, "Lengleng, feel what?"
Ye Lan said, "Yes, I felt it too. It's a connection between our two martial souls. My Blue Silver Grass is also a plant-type martial soul. I think there's a high probability that Miss Lengleng's Nine-Heart Begonia possesses the Ultimate Life attribute!"
"Ultimate Life?! Ye Lan, does Lengleng really have an ultimate attribute, just like you mentioned in your 'New Martial Soul Core Competitiveness' theory?" Dugu Yan asked curiously.
"That should be the case. However, the Nine-Heart Begonia's soul skills are purely for mass healing; it has no offensive skills. That's why its ultimate attribute is so difficult to discover. If the Nine-Heart Begonia did have offensive soul skills, their power would be absolutely terrifying—even stronger than Yu Tianheng's Thunderous Might." Ye Lan said.
"So, are you saying that your Blue Silver Grass also possesses the Ultimate Life attribute?" Ye Lengleng asked.
Ye Lan nodded, neither confirming nor denying it. Oslo, Yu Feng, and Dugu Yan were suddenly enlightened. No wonder the Blue Silver Grass of this monster, Ye Lan, was so massive. This was an Ultimate Life attribute! As mentioned in the 'New Martial Soul Core Competitiveness' theory, any martial soul with an ultimate attribute is, at the very least, a super martial soul! Its quality is a level higher than even the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon.
Besides being shocked by Ye Lan, they also had a newfound respect for Ye Lengleng's Nine-Heart Begonia. It was no wonder that no matter what kind of injury they suffered, Ye Lengleng could always heal them completely. So the Nine-Heart Begonia was a super healing-type martial soul!
"Miss Lengleng, please restrain the fluctuations of your martial soul. I need to focus to truly feel its condition!" Ye Lan said, closing his eyes.
"Okay." Ye Lengleng nodded, forcefully suppressing her impulse to merge with Ye Lan. This feeling, Ye Lengleng, who had never been in love, had never experienced before. It wasn't just the fusion fluctuations coming from her martial soul, but also the warmth of her hand being tightly held by Ye Lan's. It was the first time Ye Lengleng had ever held hands with a man.
On the other side, Ye Lan suppressed the martial soul fluctuations within his body and began to immerse himself in his Blue Silver Consciousness. The Nine-Heart Begonia was also a plant. Maybe his Blue Silver Consciousness would have a solution.
Inside Ye Lan's Blue Silver Consciousness, the first thing he perceived was the multitude of plant stars within the Heaven Dou Royal Academy. These stars, of various colors and sizes, were slowly beginning to approach the sun within his Blue Silver Consciousness. Ye Lan furrowed his brow. He hadn't expected to not be able to sense Ye Lengleng's Nine-Heart Begonia. But Ye Lan didn't give up. After all, the Nine-Heart Begonia wasn't a real plant, but Ye Lengleng's martial soul, so it wasn't surprising that he couldn't sense it.
Ye Lan whispered, "Miss Lengleng, please summon your Nine-Heart Begonia. I'll try to sense it again!"
Ye Lengleng nodded, and an elegant white and pink begonia flower slowly drifted out of her body. Inside Ye Lan's Blue Silver Consciousness, a faint blue star appeared. Unlike the fiery sun at the center, the flame on this blue star was very cold. Within the Blue Silver Consciousness, besides being a bit smaller than the golden sun, this blue star was a veritable Lunar Star. After the Lunar Star appeared, Ye Lan forcefully suppressed the urge for the Sun and the Lunar Star to merge.
He began to sense the 'true self' of the Lunar Star. However, to Ye Lan's surprise, the 'true self' of the Lunar Star suddenly poured all of Ye Lengleng's life information into Ye Lan's mind. In just a few seconds, countless memories surged into Ye Lan's mind. Ye Lengleng's world felt like countless film reels being forcefully crammed into Ye Lan's mind. Just as his spiritual power was about to collapse under the massive information flow, Ye Lengleng voluntarily merged the Lunar Star into the Sun. The two of them were spiritually linked, and Ye Lan's spiritual power instantly increased.
After a few seconds, Ye Lan finally finished sensing Ye Lengleng's world. It turned out that Ye Lengleng had a very passionate heart, but unwilling to accept her mother's death, she had sealed it off and started wearing a black veil. In her subconscious mind, Ye Lengleng had also yearned for the kind of innocent love that all young girls dream of. Ye Lengleng had also fantasized about what her destined one would be like. But Ye Lengleng was even more afraid of her mother passing away. She was worried that her mother would sacrifice her life to ensure her own happiness. Despite possessing a stunning beauty that would make even Dugu Yan pale in comparison, Ye Lengleng resolutely wore the black veil to hide her captivating face. Ye Lengleng didn't want to attract the pursuit of others by showing her face, fearing that one day she might waver. Thus, she decided not to give herself a chance to be tempted. In the mirror within Ye Lengleng's memory, Ye Lan was the first man to have ever seen her true face. That breathtaking, moon-eclipsing beauty was now etched in Ye Lan's mind, impossible to forget.
After Ye Lan had processed all of Ye Lengleng's memories, he forcefully suppressed the image of her beautiful face in his mind. He began to check the 'true self' information of the Nine-Heart Begonia.
Plant: Nine-Heart Begonia.
Attributes: Ultimate Life, Twin.
(End of Chapter)