Douluo: Spiritual Sword

After chatting with Dugu Bo for half the night, Tian Lin was woken early the next morning by Dugu Bo's prodding.

"Hey, little monster, look at the alchemy furnace."

Hearing the mention of the alchemy furnace, Tian Lin jolted awake and immediately sat up. He saw the surface of the furnace glowing with flickering purple light.

"This is the sign that the Purple-Gold Pill has been successfully refined. Old monster, help me bring the furnace over here," Tian Lin said excitedly.

Dugu Bo summoned his martial soul, the Jade Snake Emperor, and used its tail to pull the furnace in front of Tian Lin. Tian Lin stepped forward and lifted the lid, releasing a rich medicinal aroma into the air.

"This scent… just smelling it causes my soul power to condense. Without a doubt, little monster, you've succeeded," Dugu Bo exclaimed.

Tian Lin carefully took out the pills from the furnace and counted them. There were six pills in total. Five of them were shimmering with a radiant purple-gold light, exuding an extraordinary and mysterious aura.

Tian Lin sighed. "I only managed to succeed with five pills. The last one is a failure—too much medicinal energy dissipated. Its effects will likely be far inferior to the original Nine-Grade Purple Ganoderma."

"You little monster, you're too greedy. Even Heaven and Earth are not without flaws. Don't let your pursuit of perfection affect your state of mind," Dugu Bo advised. Sometimes, knowing when to stop is wisdom, not mediocrity. Though it may seem like settling for less, it might be the limit of what can be achieved. Insisting on more could lead to diminishing returns.

Tian Lin chuckled and nodded in understanding. "You're right, old monster. I was being greedy. In truth, this alchemy attempt can already be considered a success. Five Nine-Grade Purple-Gold Pills are more than enough to share with many people."

"Old monster, here's one for you. You can also take this failed one. Although it lacks the additional miraculous effects, it still contains a considerable amount of medicinal energy. If you ever find yourself low on soul power, consuming it should restore about 30-40% of your power. It's a good life-saving medicine."

"Thanks," Dugu Bo accepted the pills without hesitation. Since he had already decided to stick with Tian Lin, he felt no guilt in taking some of his pills.

However, he didn't plan to consume them immediately. He was still taking Tian Lin's detoxifying pills, and mixing different pills might cause conflicting effects. It was better to wait until the detoxification process was complete.

With the Purple-Gold Pill successfully refined, Tian Lin wasn't planning to stop. He was now ready to begin crafting the pill he truly desired: the Heaven-Mending Pill.

Using the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum as the base, this was the most luxurious and noble of all pills. It could absorb the essence of Heaven and Earth and the radiance of the sun and moon. Consuming it would not only greatly enhance one's strength and aptitude but also correct all innate flaws, transforming the user into a perfect, flawless being.

According to the alchemy notes in the Grass Valley's Yuheng Herbal Scripture, a single Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum could produce up to three Heaven-Mending Pills. This was Tian Lin's original goal. However, after being enlightened by Dugu Bo, he decided to focus on refining just two pills, leaving the third to fate—whether it succeeded or failed, he would accept it.

Two pills would be sufficient for Ning Fengzhi and Ning Rongrong to achieve the Nine-Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda.

However, refining the Heaven-Mending Pill was far more complex than the Purple-Gold Pill. Both the required ingredients and the time needed for refinement were significantly greater.

The process would take 81 days. Among the many auxiliary herbs needed, there were several top-tier spiritual herbs comparable to the Nine-Grade Purple Ganoderma. Fortunately, being in the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, Tian Lin could find everything he needed.

Following the instructions in the Yuheng Herbal Scripture, Tian Lin carefully proportioned and placed all the herbs into the furnace, then submerged it into the fiery spring. The water of the fiery spring was more effective than any flame, making it an ideal location for alchemy.

...

Time flew by, and 60 days had passed in the blink of an eye. During this time, Tian Lin returned twice to the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy to meet with the members of the Emperor Team and Xue Qinghe, ensuring they wouldn't worry about him.

Additionally, Sword Douluo Chenxin had visited him once. Chenxin didn't oppose Tian Lin learning poison techniques from Dugu Bo. After all, open threats are easier to deal with than hidden dangers. Learning poison would make Tian Lin much safer when traveling the continent in the future.

However, Chenxin was concerned that Tian Lin might neglect his cultivation in favor of studying poisons. But when he saw that Tian Lin's soul power had already reached level 29, he left satisfied.

Today, Tian Lin was preparing to head out again. Over the past three months, he had not only fully assimilated the three levels of soul power gained from the immortal herb but had also broken through to level 30.

At only around nine years old, Tian Lin had reached level 30, three years earlier than Tang San in the original story.

The Sunset Forest was one of the largest soul beast habitats on the Douluo Continent, second only to the Star Dou Forest. It was a convenient place for hunting soul beasts. As for assistance, Dugu Bo was naturally the best choice. With the old monster around, there was no need to trouble Chenxin again.

Dugu Bo's hair had not only returned to the normal gray of an elderly man but was even beginning to turn black. His detoxification process was nearly complete. Though his rank remained at level 92, without the drag of poison and the need to divert soul power to suppress toxins, his actual combat strength was nearly doubled.

"Little monster, what kind of soul beast are you looking for? I've lived in the Sunset Forest for decades and know all the soul beast gathering spots here. Whatever you need, this old man can find it for you," Dugu Bo said. He was deeply grateful to Tian Lin and wanted to repay him whenever possible.

Although hunting soul beasts wasn't a grand gesture, it was a way to show his appreciation.

"Thank you in advance, old monster. I'm looking for a wind-attribute soul beast, preferably with an age of around 5,000 to 6,000 years. Do you know where I can find one?" Tian Lin had long decided on the direction for his third soul ring.

Dugu Bo paused in his steps. "I do, but are you sure you want a soul beast of such high age? You must know that the limit for an average soul master's third soul ring is around 1,700 years. You're aiming for something over 3,000 years above that!"

"Old monster, I know you're worried about me, but rest assured, I won't do anything I'm not confident about. My second soul ring has already surpassed the millennium mark. Back then, with the help of my external soul bone, my spiritual power was already comparable to that of a Soul Ancestor. Now, after tempering my body in the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, my physical strength has caught up. Absorbing a 5,000-6,000-year soul ring won't be a problem!" Tian Lin said confidently.

"Alright, then this old monster will accompany you, little monster, on a crazy venture. Follow me, but be prepared. I'm not like your Master who would pick soul beasts with weak offensive capabilities for you," Dugu Bo said, already forming a plan in his mind.

In a canyon on the western side of the Sunset Forest, there was a type of soul beast that would be perfect for Tian Lin. However, it was incredibly ferocious. Absorbing its soul ring would be far more difficult than the Purple Flame Golden-Eyed Beast.