Chapter 132: A Month Passed in a Flash
Ling Yi gently held the reins of Treading Snow, stroking its sleek, strong neck. The dark coat felt as smooth as silk under his hand. His eyes met those of the poised Dugu Bo standing before him, and with a sense of melancholy, he said:
“Senior, the mountains are high and the roads are long. As we part here, who knows when we shall meet again…”
Dugu Bo’s eyes flickered with an unusual light, yet he remained as calm as ever and said, “The Douluo Continent is vast, yet also small. Once I have settled my affairs, when I have spare time, I will visit your ‘Blue Silver Domain’ to see if it is truly as remarkable as Longyin and the others claim—”
“That would be wonderful!” Ling Yi’s face lit up at the words, and he quickly replied, “If you come, Senior, I will be sure to give you a warm welcome!”
“I still need to learn much from you in terms of herbal knowledge!”
“Enough!” Dugu Bo glanced at the sky, gestured at Ling Yi, and said, “What teaching? I’ve learned more from you! Without your brains, that upgraded ‘Concentrated Earthly Dragon Pill’ couldn't have been developed by me alone!”
“It might take as long as a year and a half, or as short as two or three months, for my matters to be resolved. Then, we shall talk again—!”
As he spoke, his gaze swept over Jiang Yuan and the others who stood several meters away. Without waiting for Ling Yi to respond, Dugu Bo turned and headed down the southern road.
Though on foot, in just a few breaths, he had already walked dozens of meters away.
Watching Dugu Bo's figure fade into the distance, Ling Yi called out loudly, “Senior, I will wait for you in the Water Wood Duchy. Until then, we shall meet again—!”
The north wind howled, carrying Ling Yi's words south toward where Dugu Bo was traveling.
Suddenly, a chill spread across Ling Yi's forehead. He looked up at the grayish sky; snowflakes began to fall gently to the ground.
With a swipe of his hand across his forehead, Ling Yi mounted his horse, pulling the reins he waved to Jiang Yuan and the others, calling out loudly, "Let's go! It's time we head back—!"
"Hyah—!"
Facing the wind and snow, a group of six riders made their way north along the main road.
By now, the time had reached the end of January in the year 2608 according to the Douluo calendar.
It had been over a month since the chance encounter and burgeoning friendship with Dugu Bo in Shabak City.
Over this month, the ties had rapidly strengthened, bolstered by the purchase of the "Silver Armor" for ten thousand gold soul coins under friendly terms, initiated by Ling Yi.
Having been tempered by many mentors in his past life, Ling Yi's social capabilities ensured he could easily win someone's favor.
What he emphasized was sincerity!
With unmatched excellence and a solid background, from time to time, their behavior and speech reflect insights beyond ordinary people.
When it comes to aptitude, excluding those whose potential is hard to judge like Ling Yi and the already matured Jiang Yuan, whether it’s Li Zhishu or Zhang Mufeng, reaching at least the rank of Soul King is a certainty. With effort and favorable external conditions, becoming a Soul Emperor isn’t out of reach.
With such strength, on the continent of Douluo, this kind of soul master family could dominate a major city like 'Shabak City.'
The phrase 'insights beyond ordinary people' doesn't refer to gold soul coins, but to knowledge that can endlessly produce them.
To Ling Yi, Dugu Bo has come to see a not-so-new perspective: Knowledge is power! Knowledge is wealth!
A month ago, upon learning that besides his Soul Emperor-level prowess, Dugu Bo also had a keen interest in poisonous flowers and plants, Ling Yi seized the opportunity to cater to his tastes, producing a yellow sphere the size of a pigeon egg.
The "Tongxi Dilong Pill," primarily composed of the gallbladder stone of the "Tongxi Dilong," is refined with various herbs.
Its effect, well, is quite adequate.
The efficacy depends on the quality of the main ingredient. The four pills that Ling Yi and Zhang Mufeng have come from an eight-hundred-year-old "Tongxi Dilong."
Worn on the body, it wards off toxins generated by soul beasts and soul rings under a century old. Even venomous snakes and insects below this age show respect from afar to Ling Yi and others.
Dugu Bo's interest was piqued for the first time upon encountering such an effective little gadget.
In the month that followed, their journey was shared; Ling Yi occasionally exchanged and refined the formula for the "Ox Dragon Pill" with Dugu Bo. At other times, he led Zhang Mufeng and others to engage with blacksmith shop owners in towns they passed, discussing crafting techniques. Sometimes, he and Li Zhishu would savor local delicacies, exploring the nuances of various ingredients and dishes. Occasionally, he would visit with Jiang Yuan, reconnecting with former comrades he met back when he was stationed in the Heaven Dou Empire’s military.
For Ling Yi and his six companions, the past month was exceptionally fulfilling.
In stark contrast to Ling Yi’s bustling days, Tang Xiao and Tang Hao, floating somewhere thousands of miles away at sea, found their journey dull and monotonous.
The earlier land journey was enjoyable enough; the major cities they passed through, with their bustling auction houses and grand arenas, fascinated Tang Hao, who didn’t travel much.
Moreover, the diverse cities, varied souls, and changing sceneries bedazzled him.
At thirty-five, Tang Xiao was a Soul Emperor, whereas twenty-year-old Tang Hao was a Soul King. In the broader continent, as long as they didn’t recklessly venture into perilous places like the core areas of the Star Dou Forest or the Mystical Rift Valley, they faced little threat.
Regular Soul Saints wouldn’t easily take down Tang Xiao, the Soul Emperor. Faced with the brothers’ Haotian Hammer martial spirit, even Soul Douluos and Titled Douluos had to consider the intimidating presence of Tang Chen.
In this era, anyone above the Soul Douluo level knew the significance of the name Tang Chen.
Yet all of this came to a halt once the two boarded the ship and ventured into the vastness of the sea.
Eight years ago, in the year 2600 of the Douluo Calendar, the Spirit Hall dispatched two thousand soul masters to sail across the sea, intending to bring the soul masters from the isolated Sea God Island into their fold.
At that time, the Spirit Hall, backed by the 99th level 'Angel Douluo', the elder priest Qian Daoliu, dominated every force across the Douluo Continent. Only the Tang Clan, with the 99th level 'Haotian Douluo' Tang Chen, could match its power.
However, despite this arrogance, less than a hundred members of the Spirit Hall returned alive to the mainland!
Even the two accompanying titled Douluos met their demise on Sea God Island!
Those who returned brought back a message: the one who defeated them was the legendary Grand Priestess serving the Sea God!
Qian Daoliu, who also served the Angel God, knew well the implications of this news.
On one hand, he felt apprehension towards the Sea God worshiped by the Sea God Island, while on the other, he was curious about the Grand Priestess of the Sea God Island who might be on par with himself and Tang Chen in terms of power.
Thus, Qian Daoliu invited Tang Chen to explore Sea God Island together!
From Tang Chen, Tang Xiao and Tang Hao learned that the recipient of their message on Sea God Island, the Grand Priestess Bo Saixi, was a 99th level peerless Douluo like their grandfather. Utilizing her advantageous position, she had separately defeated both their grandfather Tang Chen and the elder priest of the Spirit Hall, Qian Daoliu.
Overcome with curiosity about the sea spirit masters and the legendary 'Sea God Douluo' Bo Saixi, the two brothers suppressed their discomfort with the maritime environment and waited silently aboard the ship.
抱歉,卡文,下一章晚上更新~
(End of Chapter)