Three hours later, the door of the wooden cabin slowly opened. Dugu Yan, dressed in a jade-green gown, stepped out. Her entire being radiated freshness and vitality, carrying a faint, ethereal aura as if she had transcended the mortal dust.
The instant her eyes met Oscar's, who had been waiting outside the whole time, excitement burst forth from her face. With a light step of her toes, her figure blurred like a phantom, and in the blink of an eye, she was already in Oscar's arms.
"Xiao Ao, thank you. Without you, I might never have had such an opportunity in this lifetime." Her soft voice murmured against his ear.
Oscar was about to respond when Dugu Yan pressed her lips against his.
With her kiss sealing his mouth, Oscar instinctively wrapped his arms around her slender waist. No words were needed—their emotions poured into that embrace.
After a long while, their lips parted.
Still holding her in his arms, Oscar gently asked:
"There's no need for thanks between us. As the saying goes, husband and wife are one body. Even though we haven't formally pledged ourselves yet, in this life, having you alone is enough for me."
Then he asked softly, "So… how much have you improved?"
"I know now," Dugu Yan replied with a sweet smile. "Xiao Ao, this Lovesick Heartbreak Red truly deserves its title as the Emperor of Immortal Herbs. The improvement it brought me is astonishing."
Hearing this, Oscar inwardly confirmed his predictions. He had always suspected the herb would give her extraordinary gains.
Dugu Yan continued:
"After consuming it, my soul power has smoothly reached level 40. But since I've hit the bottleneck, the increase doesn't show outwardly—otherwise, I'd have risen at least five levels more."
"Beyond that, my physical constitution and spiritual strength have doubled. Originally, they were at the level of an eight-thousand-year soul beast. Now, they've reached Soul King-level standards. I can sense that my fourth soul ring, while not as insane as yours, will at least allow me to absorb a fifteen-thousand-year ring."
Oscar frowned slightly. Though impressive, such growth alone still seemed underwhelming compared to the reputation of the "Emperor of Herbs."
Noticing his furrowed brow, Dugu Yan's smile deepened. By now, she understood Oscar well enough to guess his thoughts.
She gently stepped back, slipping from his arms. After retreating a few paces, she slowly said:
"Of course… that's not the extent of it. The most surprising thing is—my martial soul has evolved."
Oscar's expression brightened instantly. Yes, only such a miracle was worthy of the Lovesick Heartbreak Red.
As she spoke, emerald light surged around her. At her brow, a crystalline green rhombus appeared, and atop her head grew a pair of jade-like dragon horns—still small, like those of a young wyrm, not yet exuding majesty but instead carrying a mischievous charm.
Her legs, which once transformed into a serpent's tail under martial soul possession, now remained unchanged. Instead, her arms transformed—slender jade arms sprouting dense emerald scales, her hands becoming razor-sharp crystal dragon claws that gleamed with chilling brilliance.
Then her waist twisted, and a green dragon tail sprouted behind her, covered in the same crystalline scales, about 1.2 meters long, its tip just brushing the ground.
From her lips came a low dragon's chant, laced with innate pressure, reverberating in Oscar's heart.
Oscar stared blankly, dumbstruck. The gentle beauty before him had now taken on majesty and dominance, though her small jade horns lent a touch of playful cuteness.
"Your… martial soul evolved into a dragon?" he murmured.
Seeing Oscar's dazed gaze fixed upon her, Dugu Yan's smile grew even more dazzling.
"How is it, Xiao Ao? Quite a change, isn't it?"
Oscar nodded dumbly. He had expected evolution, but not to such a degree.
"Big change."
Laughing, Dugu Yan said:
"The evolution of my martial soul is the true transformation. Even my soul skills have undergone positive changes."
"My martial soul can no longer be called the Jade Phosphor Serpent. From now on, it should be called the Jade Phosphor Poison Dragon. Still, this isn't the final form. I sense that when I break through level 70 and again at level 90, it will evolve further each time."
Oscar's eyes lit with understanding.
"So this herb opened the path of evolution for your martial soul. You can't complete it yet, but as your strength grows, it will gradually advance until it reaches its ultimate form. Your future achievements will depend entirely on how far you go—am I right?"
Dugu Yan nodded excitedly. Oscar had guessed perfectly. Though she imagined future forms like "Jade Phosphor Dragon King" at level 70 or "Jade Phosphor Dragon Emperor" at level 90, she couldn't yet know for sure.
Oscar, however, was left speechless. Wait a minute… who's the transmigrator here, her or me? How is she even more broken than I am? Am I really destined to live off my wife's strength?
In the original, it was Ning Rongrong and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect that carried him. Now it seemed he was leaning on Dugu Yan instead…
Shaking his head, he forced away the thought and asked seriously:
"Then how have your soul skills changed?"
Dugu Yan smiled mischievously.
"Xiao Ao, why don't you test them yourself? We're both level 40 now, and your physical and spiritual strength are still higher than mine."
Her lips curved in a sly, enchanting smile that nearly made Oscar lose his composure. Right now, she was a perfect blend of regal "older sister" charm and cute youthfulness—a combination lethal to any man.
"Besides," she teased, "even if you lose, it's nothing shameful. After all, I've never once beaten you before."
Oscar frowned. "Never beaten me?"
She pouted adorably. "Don't think I don't know you were letting me win all those times—just to make me happy."
Oscar's mouth twitched. So you knew all along? Suddenly, he felt like he was the one being toyed with.
In truth, many hunters first disguise themselves as prey, only to seize their target when least expected. Perhaps he had been "hunted" without even realizing it.
But Oscar shook his head, smiled, and summoned his weapon. With a wave of his left hand, a celestial azure jade sword materialized.
Beloved Miss Dugu Yan, he declared playfully, Oscar challenges you.