After his body was enhanced by the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and Infernal Delicate Apricot, what further transformation might occur if it were reforged by the soul ring of the Ice and Fire Dragon Kings?
Once his physique grew stronger, would his core martial spirit—Shadow—evolve once more?
And after that evolution, upon absorbing his ninth soul ring, could the Shadow Spirit undergo a third awakening?
As these thoughts ran through his mind, Lu Buliang held the red-and-blue gem in his hand. The gem glowed in response to the extreme ice and fire energies within his body.
He could clearly sense that the energy contained in this Ice and Fire Dragon Kings' inner core wasn't overwhelming—likely a fragment of what remained from the twin Dragon Kings, condensed into this orb.
Lu Buliang surmised that once the medicinal effects of the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and Infernal Delicate Apricot completely fused with his body, the elemental energy he contained would surpass even that within the dragon core. At that point, his body—immune to both fire and ice—could endure the stat boosts brought by the inner core.
Then, he could attempt to absorb the inner core and condense the soul ring of the Ice and Fire Dragon Kings.
After storing the red-and-blue gem into his soul tool ring, Lu Buliang activated his second soul skill, Shadow Attack, and turned toward the water's surface of the Ice and Fire Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well.
As his Shadow Grave Domain unfolded, Lu Buliang's speed surged. Bursting from the depths of the abyss, the chaotic fire and ice energies within him finally balanced out. The searing pain consuming his body subsided. Using the momentum from his acceleration, he continued his ascent.
A long while later...
The surface of the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well boiled violently. Lu Buliang shot out from the waters like a phoenix rising. Scarlet and milky-white liquid splashed to the shore.
The moment he landed safely, the opposing energies in his body completely harmonized. Fire and ice, two extremes, returned to a peaceful coexistence, calm and obedient.
Exhaling deeply, Lu Buliang's terrified expression faded, and his nerves—once crushed by the Dragon Kings' lingering aura—finally relaxed. His whole body felt weightless.
During the prolonged exposure to the elemental aura emanating from the Dragon Kings' corpse deep below, Lu Buliang had come to recognize how insignificant he truly was. Had he lingered just a few seconds longer, he would have ended up like those twenty-plus Ghost Shadow Soldiers—shattered into dust by the raw forces of fire and ice.
What right did a mere thirty-seventh-rank Soul Elder have to covet the power of Dragon Kings?
Still, this near-death experience had given him a new goal.
Having obtained the immortal herbs, his next pursuit was the Ice and Fire Dragon Kings' corpse beneath the abyss.
That corpse was far more valuable than any herb. For one, it likely contained soul bones—those of a Dragon King, no less—each probably no younger than a million years.
Secondly, there might be remnants of a Dragon Soul.
But what intrigued Lu Buliang the most was the shadow of the corpse.
If he could seal the shadow of the Ice and Fire Dragon Kings within his Shadow Grave Domain, then the Dragon Kings could be reborn as a Shadow General, allowing Lu Buliang to create a Black Shadow Army modeled after the Ice and Fire Dragon Kings—a force that would be nearly unstoppable.
His current shadow army could be called the Ghost Shadow Legion, with himself as the Shadow General.
But an army led by the Dragon Kings? That would be the Shadow Dragon Legion.
If the Ghost Shadow Legion handled internal missions, then the Shadow Dragon Legion would be pure battlefield dominance.
Once Lu Buliang reached his peak, and all nine Black Shadow Armies had been assembled, perhaps not only would the Douluo Continent fall into eternal darkness—even the Douluo Divine Realm might not be able to escape.
"I wonder how long I was in the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well."
His gaze swept through the misty waters ahead. Currently in a martial spirit possession state, his heterochromatic eyes enhanced his vision, allowing him to see clearly through the dense mist.
LooKings at the numerous holes in the ground, Lu Buliang smiled. All of them were his doing. Every herb mentioned in the original story had already been carefully uprooted and stored in his magical pouch. The plan to harvest the immortal herbs had been a complete success.
Next, he had to plan how to use the Fragrant Silk Beauty Immortal Herb to make a deal with the Breaking Clan.
Once the Breaking Clan learned how to refine medicine and concoct poison, he could return to the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well to harvest all the unmentioned and unclaimed herbs in the area—leaving not a single plant for the pure-hearted Third Brother.
With the ability to refine and poison, Lu Buliang could even help Dugu Bo and Dugu Yan overcome their serpent poison backlash, boosting their power in return.
Power first. As for helping others? That depended on the relationship—or his mood. With strength, one could live as freely as they pleased.
"Wealth shouldn't be flaunted. After returning to the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy, I'd better not reveal anything about the immortal herbs. After all, the academy is filled with nobles of considerable influence—Yu Tianheng of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, other clan scions, and even agents from the empire and Spirit Hall. Revealing the herbs would be asKings for trouble."
With that thought, Lu Buliang placed his treasure pouch into the soul tool ring on his left index finger. At the same time, he began thinKings about how to explain his disappearance—and the dramatic changes to his Shadow Spirit—to Dugu Yan and Yu Tianheng.
Just then, a terrifying pressure erupted near the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well, carried on a rank, pungent wind. Lu Buliang's heart trembled. A chill ran down his spine.
The mist was suddenly blown away by the foul wind, revealing an old man with dark green hair.
Seeing this figure, Lu Buliang's face filled with terror and confusion. He had seen this man before—once at the Heaven Dou Academy and once at the auction house. It was Dugu Bo.
He should've been at home in Heaven Dou City on his rest day, supervising Dugu Yan's poison training. Why had he appeared here?
Suddenly, it clicked. Lu Buliang had passed out for a long time due to the pain of his body cleansing process, and had remained deep in the abyss of the well for an extended period.
Now, with moonlight and starlight reflected in the waters—it was already night.
Dugu Yan had likely returned to the academy, and Dugu Bo had come to the Sunset Forest to use the extreme yin and yang energy of the Ice and Fire Well to suppress his serpent poison.
Suppressing his fear, Lu Buliang's three soul rings lit up as he activated Shadow Grave Domain.
A faint black ripple expanded outward, enveloping a 300-meter radius in a transparent, imperceptible field.
Inside, Lu Buliang could teleport instantly between shadows, and with Shadow Attack, he could suppress his aura and avoid spiritual detection. If Dugu Bo attacked, he'd escape immediately.
But something was strange—Dugu Bo seemed… off. He scratched wildly at his ribs and neck, as if tormented.
It looked like needles or electric shocks. The harder he scratched, the worse the unbearable itch became. His body convulsed, and he groaned in pain.
Lu Buliang frowned. Was Dugu Bo self-harming?
As rain began pouring down through the mist, Lu Buliang recalled something from the original story.
The poison of the Jade Phosphor Serpent martial spirit was incredibly vicious. So vicious, in fact, that it would periodically backfire on the user.
Whenever it rained or late at night, the poison would flare up, leaving Dugu Bo in agony—trapped in a cycle of life and death.
And now, under the night sky and in the rain, Dugu Bo was clearly suffering from a poison flare-up.
According to the original story, Dugu Bo had reached Titled Douluo rank by relying heavily on the extreme cold and heat of the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well to suppress the backlash of his poison.
Now it all made sense. Of course he would come here at night.
Lu Buliang, too, had once suffered the torment of extreme fire and ice when he consumed the twin herbs. He understood this kind of poison-induced torment—worse than death.
Unlike him, Dugu Bo hadn't taken the herbs, so he couldn't simply jump into the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well for relief.
However, the extreme fire and ice within Lu Buliang's body could also suppress poison.
If he could help Dugu Bo now, he might win his favor. And with a Titled Douluo as an ally, who in the Breaking Clan would dare to cross him?
Elated at the opportunity, Lu Buliang gathered his spiritual power and summoned ten Ghost Shadow Soldiers. Ten inky shadows squirmed on the ground, morphing into masked, black-clad figures.
"Restrain the enemy."
With that command, the Ghost Soldiers leapt into action—cold and unfeeling. They showed no fear toward Dugu Bo's terrifying aura and each used Shadow Attack to emerge from the shadows of nearby plants.
Dugu Bo, consumed by pain, had no focus to spare on his surroundings—especially not on beings using soul skills to hide their presence and suppress detection.
The soldiers pounced—two clung to his legs, two to his arms, another two gripped his throat and waist. The leg-holders toppled him, and the rest pinned him down.
But he was still a Titled Douluo.
No matter how coordinated the Ghost Soldiers were, they were based on Lu Buliang's thirty-seventh-rank soul power. At best, they matched a junior Soul Master. They couldn't restrain him for long.
As Dugu Bo howled in agony, his soul power burst outward in a violent shockwave that instantly shattered the Ghost Soldiers.
The sudden attack only enraged him further. His emerald eyes gleamed with murderous intent.
But at that exact moment, Lu Buliang had already poured his soul power and extreme elemental energy into his third soul ring.
The third soul skill—Shadow Control: Strangulation—activated.
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