NOVEL NEXT Chapter 40: Chapter 40
As soon as Tang Lan returned to his body,
the first thing he did was summon the Ice Jade Scorpion Tail.
A long, emerald-green scorpion tail ripped through his pants, its hooked tip curving in front of him, held at the ready.
Unlike ordinary scorpion tails—
the Ice Jade Scorpion Tail had five segments, each a rich, translucent green.
The segment closest to his body was the widest, gradually narrowing toward the tip.
At the very end—
a hook embedded with gleaming diamond-like crystals, its razor-sharp tip shining with a silver-white mirror finish.
Luxurious and regal!
At first glance—
it didn't even look like a weapon.
It was a work of art.
'This level of aesthetics—definitely worthy of me.'
Tang Lan nodded in satisfaction.
Testing the Ice Jade Scorpion Tail
He attempted to coil it around a forging hammer—
but failed.
The Ice Jade Scorpion Tail had a unique structure—its five segments spanned two meters, making flexibility difficult.
However—
"Whoosh—"
"Bang—"
As he stabbed the air, the tail's piercing motion created a powerful detonation sound!
It traded flexibility for sheer force!
Even a basic attack with the tail carried the destructive power of a third soul skill!
Soul Bone Skill—Blazing Frost Poison Needle!
The extreme cold of the Ice Jade Scorpion Tail
collided with the extreme Yang energy of his Nine Yang Divine Skill—
Instead of counteracting each other,
they generated a forceful explosion,
propelling the scorpion tail forward like a needle,
striking with pinpoint accuracy.
It penetrated any defense!
Upon piercing the enemy, the rampaging extreme cold and extreme Yang
would erupt inside their body,
causing instant destruction.
A one-hit kill move!
Tang Lan's eyes shone with excitement!
Though the Blazing Frost Poison Needle had some drawbacks—
high energy consumption, short range, and difficult control—
its advantages were undeniable—
overwhelming attack power!
Since the Ice Jade Scorpion Tail had twice Tang Lan's physical strength,
if he closed the distance and struck with this skill…
Anyone less than 20 levels higher than him wouldn't be able to block it!
"Not bad! Another trump card in my arsenal!"
Tang Lan sensed his body's changes—
his soul ring ages had increased by about 5,000 years, and his physical strength had grown proportionally.
A massive boost!
Taking Whale Gelatin for Body Enhancement
Without wasting time—
Tang Lan took out a piece of thousand-year Whale Gelatin and placed it on his Thunderflame Clear Sky Hammer.
Using the Yang fire attribute, he melted it into golden liquid, filling the room with a faint, rich aroma.
He downed it all in one go.
Immediately—
a wave of burning heat surged through his body, igniting his primal instincts.
However—
with a single circulation of Nine Yang Divine Skill,
he neutralized the effects completely.
Within minutes, it was fully absorbed.
Tang Lan checked his condition—
only a 120-year increase?
Well—
his body was already extremely powerful.
The effects of the Whale Gelatin were naturally less noticeable.
—I should have taken the Whale Gelatin before absorbing the external soul bone.
Got too excited. Rookie mistake.
He ate two more pieces, gaining +70 years and +30 years respectively.
But after that, the effect was negligible.
So he stored the remaining four pieces—
planning to feed them to Xiao Wu later.
Browsing Chen Xin's Swordsmanship Insights
Tang Lan pulled out Chen Xin's notes and flipped through them.
"When the Seven Kill Sword roars, thunder shatters the heavens."
"A single verse upon thirteen strings, through storm and hardship, all returns to the blade."
"At Yanping River, the peak stands sharp; the sword cuts through, leaving only the endless flowing waters."
…The hell?!
Are these sword insights—or a poetry collection?!
Though the calligraphy strokes carried a sharp sword aura,
Tang Lan used a hammer—
so he couldn't care less about understanding it.
He flipped straight to the end.
Tang Lan flipped to the final pages of Chen Xin's notes and found a passage titled—
"Condensing Rings into Reality."
Since it was a personal insight rather than a structured technique, the writing was fragmented and disorganized.
But the core principle was clear—
When a soul ring expands before a soul skill is released,
there exists a brief "malleable phase" where the soul ring's form can be altered.
During this moment—
one could shape the ring into an object and embed it directly into their martial soul.
Not Just a Fancy Trick
This wasn't just for show.
Because this transformation happens after the soul ring is already expanded,
if the user wanted to activate a soul skill,
they wouldn't need to expand the soul ring again—they could instantly trigger the ability.
Though the time saved was minimal—around 0.01 seconds—
"A step ahead means total control."
Chen Xin's Seven Kill Sword was faster than other Titled Douluos of his level,
allowing him to launch relentless attacks and disrupt the enemy's rhythm,
forcing them to expose openings.
"Interesting concept."
Tang Lan summoned his Life Martial Soul—Blue Silver Emperor and immediately activated his Blue Silver Domain.
Using an "omniscient" perspective, he searched for that malleable phase.
As expected—
once he focused with a clear goal,
his spiritual energy quickly locked onto that brief instant.
A bit of fine control,
and he lifted the soul ring from beneath his feet—
shaping it into a black leaf and attaching it to the Blue Silver Emperor.
Repeating the process,
he soon had three black leaves decorating his martial soul.
"That was pretty easy."
Tang Lan stretched lazily,
only to realize—
It was already nighttime.
"Damn, time flies."
Just then—
"Knock, knock, knock—"
"Brother!" Xiao Wu called softly. "You've been at it all day—aren't you done yet?"
Tang Lan opened the door, meeting Xiao Wu's concerned gaze.
Once she confirmed he was alright,
she beamed and leapt into his arms.
"Brother, you're amazing!"
"That Sword Douluo looked at me like I was some kind of soul ring at first…"
"His gaze was terrifying!"
"But he actually didn't make a move against me! Brother, you're too strong!"
Xiao Wu's admiration was undeniable.
Tang Lan chuckled, ruffling her braided hair.
He had full confidence in this outcome.
Even if Ning Fengzhi had lost his mind,
Tang Hao was nearby—
after six years of recovery, his internal injuries were nearly healed thanks to Nine Yang Divine Skill.
Taking down Chen Xin would be easy for him.
And if Ning Fengzhi tried to intervene?
That "combat zero" weakling wouldn't last three minutes against Tang Lan.
As for Tang San—
his martial soul might be lackluster,
but with a Barrett sniper rifle and hidden weapons,
he could hold off other enemies temporarily.
That's why Tang Lan had let Xiao Wu face a Titled Douluo directly—
to help her adapt.
But in the end—
Ning Fengzhi gave him an unexpected surprise.
Taking Out the Crystal Blood Dragon Ginseng
Tang Lan flicked his wrist, summoning the 70,000-year-old Crystal Blood Dragon Ginseng.
Xiao Wu's nose twitched as she sniffed the air.
"What is that? Smells amazing!"
"Something I took from Ning Fengzhi." Tang Lan grinned. "A 70,000-year-old Crystal Blood Dragon Ginseng—it can speed up your transformation into human form."
Xiao Wu stiffened in shock!
"70,000 years?!"
She herself hadn't even lived that long!
(—A "100,000-year soul beast" refers to cultivation, not actual age.)
"Something this valuable… you're just giving it to me?" Xiao Wu asked hesitantly.
"Nope. Just showing it to you. Hand it back." Tang Lan teased.
Tang Lan pretended to take back the Crystal Blood Dragon Ginseng—
but Xiao Wu dodged with a swift movement and snatched it away,
sticking out her tongue mischievously.
"I don't care!"
"Once it's in my hands, it's mine!"
"Thanks, Brother~"
With a giggle, she bolted into the inner room of the dorm.
Tang Lan chuckled and closed the door.
Then, with a thought,
he controlled the Blue Silver Grass to completely seal off the dorm.
Tonight—
he was standing guard over Xiao Wu.
A Dangerous Transformation!
A 70,000-year immortal herb!
The medicinal power was incredibly potent.
Even though Xiao Wu had practiced Nine Yang Divine Skill,
her meridians had already been expanded,
it was still too much for her body to handle.
So—
Tang Lan first melted the remaining four pieces of Whale Gelatin
and fed them to Xiao Wu.
Her physical strength increased,
and her cultivation age grew by around 1,100 years.
Only then—
did she consume the Crystal Blood Dragon Ginseng.
But even with these preparations—
her entire internal energy went into chaos, her body on the verge of explosion!
The Best Support System—Tang Lan's Absorption!
At this moment,
Tang Lan stepped in, pressing his palm against her back.
Using the "Same Source Absorption" ability, which only appeared at the perfected stage of Nine Yang Divine Skill,
he drained some of Xiao Wu's internal energy into himself.
As her meridians emptied out,
the risk of her body breaking down disappeared.
Again and again—
he absorbed and released, maintaining a perfect cycle.
Just like that—
the entire night passed.
Tang Lan's internal energy grew even denser, though he wasn't sure exactly how much.
But Xiao Wu's level skyrocketed visibly!
And—
her presence felt increasingly 'human.'
Xiao Wu's Excited Breakthrough!
Xiao Wu's eyes snapped open—
then, with a burst of excitement, she jumped onto Tang Lan!
"Brother!"
"I reached Level 37!
"And my full human transformation requirement dropped to Level 50!
"This is amazing!"
"Hahahaha—!"
Xiao Wu's "Fireplay"… Again!
"Muah! Muah! Muah!"
She attacked Tang Lan like a woodpecker, planting a storm of rapid kisses on his face.
Tang Lan's entire body tensed up—
Damn it!
This little rabbit only knows how to light the fire—doesn't know how to put it out?!
Sensing a change in the atmosphere,
Xiao Wu's expression shifted instantly!
In a flash—
her third soul ring glowed.
"Teleport!"
She fled.
Leaving behind—
Tang Lan, teeth clenched, body burning with frustration.
Tang Lan's Internal Struggles
Damn it!
This little troublemaker!
Setting fires everywhere and leaving him to deal with it?!
At times like this—
he really wanted to just throw away this 'Pure Yang Energy Multiplier' and handle things on the spot!
Cooling Off & A New Challenge
"Hoo—"
Tang Lan took a cold shower to calm himself down.
Only then did he step out of the dormitory.
To his surprise—
Ning Rongrong was waiting at the door.
The moment she saw him, she rushed forward eagerly.
"Sect Master, you're finally out!"
"It's time to fulfill your promise, right?"
Previously, Tang Lan had promised that if the trade deal with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect succeeded,
Ning Rongrong could choose any technique to learn.
Of course, he wouldn't go back on his word.
—Other than the full version of Nine Yang Divine Skill,
he had no reason to hide anything else.
As long as she didn't leak it, it was fine.
"Which one do you want to learn?" Tang Lan asked.
He had assumed she'd pick "Undying Seal".
But instead—
(End of Chapter)
Notes-Read advanced chapters in patreon.com/Shadow_D_X