"Besides its fierce attack power, my Blood Jade Corrosion Claw can also siphon a bit of the target's spirit power and life force back to me."
"Mm… and any wound I inflict will develop a petrifying effect, slowing recovery."
After the demonstration, Dugu Yan explained the details of her First Soul Skill.
"Not bad at all—damage plus a touch of self-healing. Even at Titled Douluo rank that'll still be useful."
The Titled Douluo Dugu Bo evaluated his granddaughter's brand-new ability.
"Mm, truly impressive."
Yu Yan's praise applied to the skill itself—and to Dugu Yan's evolved Spirit.
By the way, her Spirit Power Level had smoothly risen to rank 20; she could go claim her second spirit ring at any time.
From then on the matter had little to do with Yu Yan: Dugu Bo's full attention stayed on his granddaughter while she answered one question after another.
After a dozen minutes Dugu Bo bade Yu Yan farewell and, unable to wait, took Dugu Yan off to secure a thousand-year second spirit ring.
Watching them leave, Yu Yan looked forward to the day his Ice and Fire Twin Fish would fully become Ice and Fire Twin Dragons; since the transformation wasn't yet complete he saw no need to rename it.
Once they were gone he replanted the Crystal Blood Dragon Ginseng rootlets he had trimmed beside the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well; in ten millennia a new ginseng would grow.
Life beside the well followed a steady rhythm—fourfold cultivation speed meant that even without purple qi or moonlight his progress never slackened; in fact it accelerated.
He avoided those two energies simply because some secrets aren't for sharing—purple qi and moonlight were secrets he preferred to keep.
To better identify the herbs within the well, he selected three superb, high-year rare plants and asked Dugu Bo to trade them to the Breaking Clan for their herbal codex—his first request of the Senior.
Though puzzled, Dugu Bo agreed.
Half a month later he returned with the codex obtained from Yang Wudi and handed it to Yu Yan.
A Titled Douluo arriving in person, bearing rare high-year herbs—under pressure and enticement Yang Wudi had finally surrendered his clan's heirloom manual.
The Breaking Clan's herbal codex let Yu Yan recognize more Immortal Herbs and pushed his utilization of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well to a new level.
After four or five failures he successfully refined a pill that accelerated cultivation—a clear step forward.
Besides pills, he also created a terrifying poison: Seven-Colored Brilliance.
Seven-Colored Brilliance—the Breaking Clan's most forbidden toxin—was formed by mixing seven originally harmless ingredients.
It hides perfectly: administered in set proportions, even the most cautious victim unknowingly absorbs it; once all seven components have been ingested the poison erupts.
At first symptoms are mild, but with time the victim suffers excruciating agony as life force erodes unto death.
The clan had spent years perfecting this compound; outsiders cannot cure it, and even Heaven And Earth Treasure antidotes can only suppress it briefly before a fiercer rebound.
This perfect poison's sole flaw is the rarity of its ingredients—without the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well's garden, gathering even one of the seven would be daunting.
Dugu Bo judged it far more terrifying than his own Jade Phosphor Serpent Poison and, shamelessly, pocketed a small vial the moment Yu Yan succeeded.
Time flew; in half a year most of the accumulated Jade Phosphor Serpent Poison in Dugu Bo's body had been forced into his Spirit Bone, his spirit power had risen, and for the first time he felt truly light and well.
Free from torment, relatively healthy, with his granddaughter's Spirit evolved, he had every reason to be content.
With fourfold speed, Immortal Herb residue, and various pills, Yu Yan reached rank 39; another month or two would bring him to 40 and a ten-thousand-year fourth spirit ring—Spirit Ancestor rank.
Dugu Yan had also advanced: the cultivation boost from her evolved Spirit plus Yu Yan's pills brought her to rank 26—a six-rank gain in half a year felt like a dream.
The Crystal Blood Dragon Ginseng and Nine-Grade Purple Ganoderma's main effect had been her Spirit's evolution; otherwise she could have climbed even higher.
"Senior Dugu, try condensing all your Jade Phosphor Serpent Poison into that bead of yours."
Just before departure Yu Yan offered a new suggestion.
"Mm… I considered it before, but back then the poison was uncontrollable; now that it's manageable I can risk the attempt."
"Right, brat—brew me more of those secret pills. Their effect has waned, but swallowing a handful still helps."
After reflection Dugu Bo judged the idea feasible.
The bead had formed when his Spirit evolved into the Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor; half his spirit power dwelt within it. In desperation he had once tried channeling poison there, nearly dying when the toxin rioted.
Now, with nine-tenths of the poison gone, any riot could be forcibly suppressed.
Thanks to the Ice and Fire Twin Fish Martial Soul, Yu Yan absorbed the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and blazing apricot cactus more perfectly; even after half a year his blood still carried medicinal power useful to Dugu Bo.
By contrast, Tang San's residual efficacy had long since ceased to affect him.
"Fine—I'll brew you an extra batch these next two days."
After six months Yu Yan was on familiar terms with Dugu Bo and did not refuse the simple request.
Dugu Yan sat nearby, listening to topics she could barely follow, with no idea how to join the conversation.