Days unfurled like the delicate leaves of a rare herb, each one carrying the promise of growth and knowledge. The twins, Yoriichi and Qian Renxue, spent their afternoons with Yue Guan, their curiosity blossoming under his expert guidance. Twice or thrice a week, they would go to his elegant mansion, and the air would hum with their shared enthusiasm.
He taught them not just the names of plants, but their intricate soul properties—which ones could be used to heal, which ones were poisonous, and which ones pulsed with pure elemental energy.
He taught them about the balance of nature, a lesson Yoriichi absorbed with analytical precision and Renxue with a boundless wonder that filled the room. Bibi Dong would watch them, her heart swelling with pride, knowing they were in the best hands.
In her own chambers, Bibi Dong had finally harmonized with the Tidal Pearl, its essence now a seamless part of her. The process had been a meditation in itself, a delicate dance of soul power and natural energy.
The pearl, a gem said to resonate with the ebb and flow of tides, had absorbed her chaotic soul power and returned it to her in a calm, focused current. Her cultivation became not a turbulent river but a placid lake, deep and still.
The subtle, disruptive surges from her dual martial souls were gone, replaced by a smooth, powerful flow. She had waited a few days for her body to fully adjust, and when she was ready, she went to Dugu Bo's estate, her form cloaked in her concealment technique.
The air at his home still held a faint trace of medicinal herbs, a testament to his decades of struggle. He greeted her at the door, a rare look of anticipation on his face. He led her to a quiet study, where he sat, his breathing still shallow, his skin a faint, unhealthy green. Dugu Bo knew the method and the risks, but the hope in his heart was boundless.
Bibi Dong began the process, her movements confident and precise. She drew upon the same technique she used on Dugu Xin, a meticulous weaving of her Soul Devouring Spider Emperor's energy to pull the insidious poison from his meridians.
But this time, the process was dramatically different. With the Tidal Pearl's power, her soul energy flowed effortlessly, a harmonious stream that found and extracted the poison with surgical accuracy.
The soul bones she had brought glowed as they absorbed the toxin, a vibrant green light pulsing with the stolen venom. Where it had taken her a full week of painstaking work to heal Dugu Xin, the process for Dugu Bo took a mere three days.
On the third day, Dugu Bo felt the last tendrils of the curse leave his body. He opened his eyes, and for the first time in his life, he saw the world without the sickly green haze that had always clouded his vision.
His body felt light, a stark contrast to the constant, bone-deep ache he had known since childhood. He stood, his movements free, and he looked at Bibi Dong with a gratitude so profound it transcended mere words.
"You have freed me," he said, his voice raw with emotion. "You have undone what I thought was impossible. My life... my legacy... I owe it all to you." He knelt, a grand gesture of respect from a man who prided himself on his pride. "From this day forth, my life is yours to command. I am yours to use as a shield or a blade. Your enemies are my enemies."
Bibi Dong met his gaze and gave a simple, firm nod. "Your loyalty is all I ask, Dugu Bo." She then told him that she would now be focusing on her own cultivation for a while, as she had finally harmonized with the Tidal Pearl. "It will now allow me to heal you even faster," she explained. "This will ensure no residual damage to you. I will return in a few days to begin your treatment."
Dugu Bo was stunned by her efficiency. "A few days wait is nothing, Saintess," he said. "You have kept your promise, and I trust you with my life." He then reiterated again with his warning about the sanctuary. "Come and go as you please. It is now yours to use, but please be careful not to involve any other person, as it could put us at risk and create wars with other Titled Douluos. The less they know, the better."
Bibi Dong nodded, her expression serene. "The secret is safe with me," she said, her voice holding a silent vow that the information was hers and hers alone.
After a brief chat with Ye Xiaoling, Bibi Dong said her goodbyes and returned to Spirit Hall, her heart soaring with a sense of accomplishment. She felt not just the triumph of having won a new, powerful ally, but also the subtle shift in her own soul power.
It was no longer level 89. In the midst of the healing process, with the Tidal Pearl stabilizing her energy and the concentrated poison of Dugu Bo's body giving her a unique opportunity, she had broken through the barrier. A powerful, serene aura now radiated from her body, a testament to her new power. She was now a level 90 Soul Douluo.
She returned home as the sun set, the sky a breathtaking canvas of orange and purple. She merged with her clone, and the familiar, comforting warmth of her children's presence washed over her. She knew that her continuous exposure to poison, both in her daily life and in healing Dugu Bo, had been the catalyst.
Her affinity for the element had deepened, and the breakthrough felt not just earned, but destined. Her past life had taken ten years to achieve this, but this time, with her foresight and meticulous planning, she had done it in just a few years.
Her level was now at a peak, and she knew what she had to do next. The time for caution was over. Her plan for revenge, for absolute control of Spirit Hall, had begun. She needed a 100,000-year-old soul ring.
After her breakthrough, Bibi Dong spent the next two days preparing meticulously. She had already mapped out the most likely locations for a suitable beast in the Star Dou Forest. She was more powerful now than she had been at the same stage in her previous life.
Her dual martial souls were in perfect harmony, her cultivation had been boosted by the jade amulet and the Tidal Pearl, and she had trained tirelessly. She was confident that she could face any challenge, and if she found herself in a losing battle, her perfected concealment technique would allow her to escape and return another day.
On the third day, with the twins safely under her clone's care, Bibi Dong left Spirit Hall before dawn, a determined fire burning in her maroon eyes. The air of the Star Dou Forest was thick with ancient energy, and she felt a sense of belonging there. She navigated the dense foliage, her senses on high alert, her mind sifting through the auras of the various soul beasts.
She fought a few higher-tier beasts—a 20,000-year-old Demon Wolf, a 30,000-year-old Golden Bear—but their auras were not what she was looking for. She needed a beast with a pure, powerful essence, one that would give her a soul ring worthy of a level 90 Soul Douluo and one that would aid her in a fight against Qian Xunji. She rested for a brief while, using her spirit sense to explore the surrounding area for a more suitable target.
After hours of searching, she felt a powerful aura in the distance, a pure, unblemished source of energy. As she drew closer, she found a serene, sparkling lake, its surface a mirror reflecting the sky. This was it.
This was the same lake that was the primary base of Da Ming, the Sky Blue Bull Serpent, in her previous life. Her heart skipped a beat, her mind racing. The lake was as she remembered it, peaceful and ancient. But she sensed no aura of a powerful beast, just a quiet, serene energy.
She cautiously approached the lake, her guard up, her senses on high alert. She searched the perimeter, looking for any signs of a struggle or a change in the environment. After some time, her eyes landed on a small, unassuming hut nestled deep within the foliage, hidden by ancient vines and blooming flowers.
Her eyes widened, a chilling smile spreading across her lips. It's here, she thought, a sense of foreboding and triumph washing over her. She knew this hut. It was the same one she had found in her previous life, a disguise used by the 100,000-year-old Soft Boned Rabbit spirit beast that had been her Ninth soul ring.
She approached it with a lethal caution, her entire body cloaked in her concealment technique. She could feel a powerful, yet dormant, aura coming from inside. It was here, likely sleeping or deep in meditation.
She was a hunter, and the prey was right where she needed it to be. A dangerous thrill pulsed through her veins, a cold and calculated pleasure at the sight of her prey. The King was here, and she was going to claim it.
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Author's Note:
Hope u are all good, i know i am being lazy and delaying to release the chapters and i will not argue on it. It's true and i will try to release more. Haah, writing a new novel is no easy task and it take hours also, side by side doing my college works and other activities makes me lazy for writing a fanfic.