Douluo: Emerald Poison Emperor

Chen Ming first returned to the largest blacksmith shop in Heaven Dou City, where Lou Gao had already been waiting for him for three to four days. Upon seeing Chen Ming, Lou Gao immediately rushed over excitedly. Chen Ming spent an entire day explaining the concept of spirituality to Lou Gao. Then, he instructed Lou Gao to hammer metals while he observed from the side, carefully noting and explaining the changes in the metals' spirituality.

Lou Gao had been stuck before reaching the stage of spiritual forging because the system of this era had not yet developed to this point. However, with Chen Ming's guidance, Lou Gao naturally crossed that threshold and was now able to awaken the spirituality of most metals.

Afterward, Chen Ming did not rush Lou Gao further. Instead, he advised Lou Gao to return to the blacksmith association and continue his research with trusted confidants. At the same time, Chen Ming wrote a letter to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan in his name, ensuring that the blacksmith association would be able to acquire metals from them at more stable and affordable prices in the future.

Before leaving, Chen Ming returned to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. There, he patiently used his essence to nourish and assimilate the metallic bracers he had, letting them first absorb the Colorless Spirit Crystal. He then carefully observed the condition of the Snow Swan Kiss.

Three days later, Chen Ming removed the Aromatic Silk Beauty and approached the Snow Swan Kiss. By this time, the metallic bracers on his hands had been thoroughly refined and had become as flexible as his fingers.

Using strands of golden thread, he delicately uprooted the Snow Swan Kiss from the ground. The fine golden threads then began to pierce into the exposed roots and stems of the Snow Swan Kiss. Under Chen Ming's careful manipulation, the threads fused with the roots of the Snow Swan Kiss.

The Snow Swan Kiss attempted to resist, but Chen Ming had already prepared for this. With the aid of the Spirituality Eye and the golden threads, he continuously imprinted his mark onto the Snow Swan Kiss.

The Snow Swan Kiss had a deep reserve of essence but was now like a drifting rootless plant. Meanwhile, Chen Ming had two soul cores as support, providing him with an endless supply of energy.

After a day and a night, the Snow Swan Kiss was completely infiltrated by the golden threads. These threads assimilated most of the key structures of the Snow Swan Kiss and formed a network resembling meridians within it.

At this point, the Snow Swan Kiss had transformed from an immortal herb into a special magical artifact forged by Chen Ming.

Still unsatisfied, Chen Ming retrieved a large jar from his Hundred Treasures Pouch. Inside was a vibrant scorpion tail—specifically, the tail of the Netherworld Scorpion that Dugu Bo had harvested. Because it had not been severed long ago and had been preserved in a special medicinal liquid, the scorpion tail retained much of its vitality.

Chen Ming reshaped part of the Snow Swan Kiss into a short staff, allowing the golden threads to slowly merge with the scorpion tail.

After half a day, the Netherworld Scorpion's tail was completely assimilated by the golden threads. No trace of the original scorpion tail remained—it now resembled a staff.

Chen Ming linked the Snow Swan Kiss to the staff. Through the golden threads, which formed a meridian-like structure, the two parts were seamlessly connected.

As a large amount of soul power, life force, and even part of his martial soul's essence and spirituality were consumed, a golden staff appeared in Chen Ming's hands.

The staff was about 1.5 meters long and slender, roughly as thick as one and a half fingers. It bore no decorations, and if not for the unique design at its head, one might mistake it for a plain golden rod.

When touched, it emitted a faint warmth. Upon closer inspection, one could sense the staff slowly absorbing the energy of heaven and earth, as though it were a living being.

Chen Ming wiped the sweat off his forehead and tried injecting a bit of soul power and spirituality into the staff.

As his will surged, a massive amount of venom erupted from the staff's tip, transforming into a terrifying dark purple poisonous cloud that enveloped Chen Ming. The cloud carried a deadly toxin and the power of death, capable of instantly claiming the lives of tens of thousands.

Chen Ming raised the staff and lightly tapped its tail on the ground. The poison cloud surrounding him was instantly absorbed by the staff's tail, leaving no trace of toxins in the air.

"Not bad. It has inherited the abilities of both the Snow Swan Kiss and the Netherworld Scorpion's tail."

Satisfied with the result, Chen Ming nodded in approval.

All his effort and energy had not been in vain. The staff he had forged perfectly met his expectations. The Snow Swan Kiss amplified toxins hundreds or even thousands of times, while the Netherworld Scorpion's tail could absorb poison and death energy. The special metal possessed properties of growth and assimilation.

Together, these three elements formed a perfect cycle. The Snow Swan Kiss extracted poison from the Netherworld Scorpion's tail and amplified it exponentially. The scorpion tail then absorbed the poison and death energy back into the staff. Meanwhile, the golden threads, with their growth capability, used the absorbed energy to further stimulate the growth of the Snow Swan Kiss and the scorpion tail.

Although there were still imperfections and areas for improvement, this was undoubtedly a piece of equipment with true growth potential.

"My first weapon should have a name that commands respect. The Angel God has the Angelic Sacred Sword, the Sea God has the Sea God's Trident, and the Rakshasa God has the Rakshasa Scythe."

"I aim to become a god. So my weapon shall be called... the Poison God Staff."

To match his words, Chen Ming subtly controlled the staff to tremble slightly, pretending that the staff itself was pleased with its name.

Unlike other weapons, the Poison God Staff could be considered an extension of Chen Ming's body. Even if it became a super divine weapon, it wouldn't develop independent intelligence. Thus, Chen Ming could only play along with himself this time.

After putting everything away, Chen Ming hugged the staff and lay on the ground unceremoniously, preparing to close his eyes and take a nap.

The process of forging the staff had consumed a great deal of his energy. While his soul cores could provide life force and soul power to sustain his body, his mental and spiritual exhaustion was very real.

Since there was nothing urgent to handle, he decided to sleep for a while.

Chen Ming closed his eyes and drifted into slumber.

...

Ever since arriving in this world, thanks to his cheating ability, he had never dreamed. Yet this time, during his sleep, he found himself in a mysterious realm.

An intangible presence manifested before Chen Ming, and with his constant study of the laws of the Douluo World, he immediately recognized it as the instinctive manifestation of the Douluo World's will.

A map of the Douluo Star appeared before him, with the locations of the four continents marked.

The map quickly zoomed in—first to the Douluo Continent, then to the Heaven Dou Empire, and finally to the northwestern region of the empire, focusing on several cities.

These cities were shrouded in a blood-red power. The world's consciousness attempted several times to narrow the scope further but failed each time.

"Please... save... the Angel God," the Douluo World's limited consciousness pleaded with Chen Ming.

"Do not bring... others. They will become... his pawns..."

The world consciousness tried to say more, but the blood-red power seemed to detect its prying and erupted violently, shattering Chen Ming's dream.