"Tsk tsk… Lin Xiao, most people talk about how much girls change as they grow."
"But you've outdone them all!"
Dugu Bo clicked his tongue in amazement as he examined Lin Xiao.
This boy had changed so much, it was like he'd become a different person altogether.
And despite all his years roaming the soul master world and seeing countless strange and rare things, Dugu Bo had never seen a Martial Soul that could switch forms.
Lin Xiao spoke coolly:
"When my Martial Soul shifts form, it does affect my physical appearance. But my mind remains completely clear—just as it normally is."
Ye Qingxian walked up and gave Lin Xiao's arm a firm squeeze.
So hard!
His muscle density had clearly increased. It wasn't just the aftereffect of the immortal herb—most of it likely came from his new Obsidian Divine Phoenix form.
"You said after evolving into the Obsidian Divine Phoenix, you gained the properties of indestructibility and immunity to corruption?"
"Indestructibility is easy to understand—your physical body's toughness increased drastically when using Martial Soul Possession. But what exactly does 'immunity to corruption' mean?"
As she asked, Ye Qingxian ran her hands up and down, inspecting Lin Xiao's physical condition in detail.
She needed to make a systematic evaluation.
Only by fully understanding Lin Xiao's physique could she craft personalized medicinal baths and herbal meals to optimize his cultivation.
Honestly, even Lingling didn't get this level of attention!
Lin Xiao thought for a moment and replied:
"It means I'm immune to corrupting attributes—evil energies, most control effects, elemental attacks like ice, fire, lightning, wind… and a bunch of other random ones."
In short—
After evolving from the Flame of Destruction to the Obsidian Divine Phoenix, he gained two new attributes:
Impervious Body and Damage Nullification.
Off to the side, Dugu Bo felt his scalp tingle.
Lin Xiao might as well list every element in existence while he was at it!
Wait a minute…
Did that mean this brat could now even resist his evolved poison?
Not wanting to give up, Dugu Bo secretly released a trace of venom.
Ahem—not to harm Lin Xiao, of course. Just to test whether he really could resist the toxin.
Better to be safe than sorry.
So he waited.
One minute… two minutes…
Nothing. Lin Xiao showed no reaction whatsoever.
Dugu Bo: "…"
Sure, Martial Soul evolution was supposed to be a joyous event…
But why did it suddenly feel a little depressing?
Just then, Ye Qingxian clapped her hands and exclaimed,
"Lin Xiao, do you have any idea how absurd your body's strength is now? You're almost at the level of a Soul Elder! And that's without even obtaining your second soul ring! In terms of sheer toughness, you've already surpassed most actual Soul Elders!"
"Combined with your immunity to various skills and that terrifying black phoenix fire, you're a high-attack, high-defense, high-agility all-rounder—basically a one-man army!"
"You're a total monster!"
Suddenly, she remembered something and turned to Dugu Bo.
"Oh right! Senior Poison Douluo—you said you wanted to test whether Lin Xiao could resist your poison. Go ahead and try it. Let's see how powerful his anti-corruption ability really is."
Dugu Bo fell silent.
Ye Qingxian: "…?"
What was up with him?
He looked kind of… disappointed. Had she said something wrong?
Even Lin Xiao was puzzled.
Hadn't the old poison man been eager to "settle the score" earlier? Why the sudden hesitation?
Unless—
Lin Xiao's eyes widened.
"Senior Dugu… don't tell me… you already poisoned me secretly?"
"That's cheating!"
Dugu Bo's face flushed with embarrassment as he turned his back to them.
He didn't want to talk. He just wanted silence.
Pfft~
Ye Qingxian couldn't help but laugh out loud.
"Well, if that's the case, it proves your corruption resistance is incredibly high."
"You can switch back to your normal Martial Soul now."
Lin Xiao released the Obsidian Divine Phoenix form.
Instantly, his height shrank, and his body returned to its usual appearance.
Ye Qingxian reached out and ruffled his hair.
"You're cuter when you're smaller."
"You were nearly as tall as me just now—it felt weird."
"I don't want to be cute!" Lin Xiao grumbled.
"Haha. Just wait—one day, you'll want to go back, but it'll be too late. Treasure your youth. Every phase of life has its own unique value."
…Though in Ye Qingxian's heart, she thought:
Every phase has its regrets, too.
But she hoped Lin Xiao wouldn't carry any of those.
Only children wished to grow up fast, right?
She asked:
"Lin Xiao, what's your soul power level now?"
"Level 20. I still have some excess energy inside, but I need to obtain my second soul ring before it can increase further."
By rough calculation, it had been four months since Lin Xiao left Soto City.
Back then, he had gained a five-hundred-year Fire Sparrow soul ring and reached level 12. Later, through training, herbs, and soul ring absorption, he should reach around level 25 or 26.
And thanks to repeated Evil Fire body tempering, his soul power had become incredibly refined. Whether in strength or stamina, he far surpassed others at his level.
"You really are soaring like a great roc on the wind," Dugu Bo muttered in awe.
Most soul masters couldn't even reach Grand Soul Master before age 12. Even talented ones only broke that rank at 8 or 9 years old. At 12, most hovered between levels 25–29.
But Lin Xiao wasn't even seven yet—and already stood at the peak of that bracket.
Ye Qingxian, however, felt a flicker of concern.
Though Lin Xiao had a good temperament, young people could easily become arrogant. And arrogance always came with consequences.
"It's… just average. Still a weakling in the eyes of real powerhouses," she said.
A complete lie—but one meant to humble him a little.
Lin Xiao turned back to the Ice-Fire Yin Yang Well.
He had gone down into it before but hadn't noticed anything unusual. Likely the time wasn't right yet. Still, he planned to check on it regularly.
After all, the well was a perfect place to train in seclusion.
He then looked at Dugu Bo with a bright smile.
"Senior Dugu, Aunt Qingxian and I both need to hunt soul rings. We're counting on you!"
Time to make use of the strongest laborer at their disposal.
Naturally, they had to put him to work!
Dugu Bo grinned proudly. "Very well. Let me show you what this old man can do!"
Truth be told, ever since his own Martial Soul evolved, he'd been itching for a fight.
He really wanted to beat someone up—especially that jerk Chrysanthemum Douluo!
But with Chrysanthemum Douluo now at level 95 and himself only at 93, he wasn't confident yet.
Let this old man grow stronger first!
For now, he'd settle for sparring with some soul beasts.
"Let's start with the Sunset Forest. If we don't find suitable soul beasts there, we'll move on to the Star Dou Great Forest. That place has everything."
"Let's move!"