Chapter 12: Self-Strategy

With Dugu Bo’s assistance, Dugu Yan successfully absorbed the Eight Spider Lances.

As miraculous as an external soul bone might be, this one was only a hundred-year level bone, making it easier to absorb compared to the Man-Faced Demon Spider’s soul ring.

After Dugu Bo withdrew his hands, the skin on Dugu Yan’s back began to writhe and twist unnaturally, as if something was trying to grow out of it.

Seeing this, Dugu Bo quickly stepped back a few paces and observed cautiously.

The writhing intensified, and eight bulges emerged on Dugu Yan’s back, which was clad in a tight-fitting qipao.

With a sudden burst of blood, a cloud of blood mist exploded, and the eight bulges continued to grow, forming eight spider legs identical to those of the Man-Faced Demon Spider. They extended slowly from Dugu Yan’s back.

Each spider leg had three segments, each about sixty centimeters long, totaling nearly two meters. The lower four legs supported Dugu Yan’s body, while the upper four brandished menacingly in front of her. The dark purple legs, adorned with barbs, looked extremely dangerous.

The Eight Spider Lances had been successfully absorbed!

Dugu Bo sighed heavily with relief.

He saw that the moment the Eight Spider Lances were absorbed, the pain on Dugu Yan’s face vanished, replaced by a serene and peaceful expression. The slightly swaying lances were continuously drawing toxins from her body.

With the help of the Eight Spider Lances, the soul ring absorption process, which was already near completion, finished entirely. The deep yellow soul ring settled around Dugu Yan, then slowly merged into her body.

Breakthrough success!

Dugu Yan’s aura surged past the usual twenty-first level of a breakthrough to Grandmaster, continuing to rise until it stopped at the twenty-fifth level.

This level of advancement stunned even Dugu Bo.

But it wasn’t surprising. Dugu Yan, like Dugu Bo, had inherited the toxin from the Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor. Not only had the toxins restricted Dugu Bo to the ninety-first level, but they also prevented Dugu Yan from focusing during her cultivation.

Every time she cultivated, the toxins grew, sapping her soul power to strengthen themselves.

After the toxins were extracted by the Eight Spider Lances, not only did it accelerate the growth of the lances, but the toxins also converted into soul power, feeding back to Dugu Yan.

Reaching level twenty-five at twelve years old was, therefore, normal.

This was a ticking time bomb—a terrifying toxin that could have ended her life at any moment. The Eight Spider Lances perfectly transformed this bomb into a beneficial battle power, elevating her level by three in addition to the one level each from the lances and the soul ring.

“Grandpa, I’m at level twenty-five!” Dugu Yan exclaimed joyfully, opening her eyes and sensing her soul power.

Before Dugu Bo could respond, Dugu Yan screamed in horror.

“Ah! What are these things?!”

She looked in terror at the four spider legs in front of her, thinking the Man-Faced Demon Spider had come back to life and was clinging to her back.

But she soon realized she could control these spider legs.

“Huh, what’s this?” Dugu Yan’s initial fear turned to curiosity. She felt as if she had eight new limbs. Though not yet skilled at controlling them, she found she could indeed direct them.

Without moving her hands, the eight spider legs acted like extensions of her arms. The lower four legs supported her off the ground, while the upper four moved slightly at her command. One of the legs struck out sharply to the side.

The sharp leg easily pierced a nearby tree, encountering no resistance.

The dark purple poison mist spread across the tree trunk, quickly corroding it until it collapsed.

Dugu Bo watched with a smile, his eyes filled with affection as Dugu Yan experimented with her new soul bone.

“Grandpa, what are these?” Dugu Yan asked, hopping over to Dugu Bo, full of curiosity.

“My dear granddaughter, this is an external soul bone!” Dugu Bo avoided the Eight Spider Lances and gently patted Dugu Yan’s head. “With this, you won’t have to worry about the toxin’s backlash anymore!”

Hearing the term “external soul bone,” Dugu Yan was shocked.

Unlike the Shrek Academy kids who hadn’t received much education, Dugu Yan, with her Titled Douluo grandfather, had access to knowledge beyond the reach of ordinary people, including about soul bones.

Even though she was still young, Dugu Yan understood the rarity of an external soul bone.

“But Grandpa, you need this more than I do. Why don’t you use it?” Dugu Yan asked, puzzled.

“Haha, because this external soul bone is a gift from Jie’er for you. Grandpa wouldn’t take it from his granddaughter!” Dugu Bo laughed heartily.

“Jie’er… Oh, Brother Jiang Jie!” Dugu Yan finally snapped out of her joy from absorbing the soul ring and soul bone and looked around for Jiang Jie. “Grandpa, where is Brother Jiang Jie?”

Dugu Bo sighed and led Dugu Yan to Jiang Jie, lifting him off the ground. “Your Brother Jiang Jie nearly lost his life for you. He was reckless in creating this soul bone.”

Dugu Bo then recounted the process of Jiang Jie forming the soul bone, leaving Dugu Yan shocked and tearful.

Since her parents died, Jiang Jie was the only one besides Dugu Bo who treated her so well. The people at the academy either feared her toxins or her Titled Douluo grandfather and kept their distance.

The only one who occasionally talked to her was Yu Tianheng, but Dugu Yan knew he was mainly trying to win over her grandfather.

Yu Tianheng had a younger brother, Yu Tianxin, who wanted to inherit the leadership of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. It wasn’t easy, and having a Titled Douluo’s support would greatly aid his bid.

Dugu Yan understood this but didn’t want to dwell on it. Despite knowing Yu Tianheng’s intentions, her loneliness made her reluctant to distance herself from him.

Now, it seemed there really was someone who genuinely cared for her…

“Grandpa, please save Brother Jiang Jie!” Dugu Yan pleaded, tugging on Dugu Bo’s sleeve, her eyes red with worry.

“Alright, alright. Put away your external soul bone first, then I’ll take Jie’er for treatment!” Dugu Bo reassured her. “Don’t worry. Not only is he my disciple, but he also risked his life for you. Grandpa won’t neglect him!”

(End of Chapter)