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--- Chapter 250 ---
Han Yuan didn't know that he had aroused a new side of Queen Medusa, and if he knew, he wouldn't have left her shimmering in such a state.
After all, she is no ordinary woman.
He unknowingly made the queen even thirstier. And if she left untended for too long, when all that suppressed 'feeling' burst at once, hehe, let's say his body wouldn't be safe.
Of course, that is an affair of the future.
Currently, Han Yuan has focused the majority of his attention on dealing with Han Feng and adopting another younger sister.
Han Yuan arrived at the small courtyard and saw a green-clothed girl sitting on the rock, humming and waving her little legs as she gazed at the starry sky.
After a week of recovery, the malnourished girl has grown into a healthy young girl. According to her bone age, she is only ten, which means she is two years younger than Han Yuan.
Even then, at ten, she has shown her delicate beauty like a pure white lily under the night sky.
"Master," A maid who had taken care of Qing Lin's health kneeled as soon as she sensed Han Yuan's presence.
She was one of the elite Dou Fighters that Martial Union's branch near the Tager Desert cultivated; of course, her loyalty is 'naturally' guaranteed.
"Good work, Leng Yi. Take a rest, leave her to me." Han Yuan smiled in satisfaction, patting the maid's shoulder and giving her a pill that allows one to break through to the Dou Spirit realm. Then, he resumed his steps into the courtyard.
"Yes, Master," Leng Yi replied as she retreated to the shadows. Yet, inside, she was screaming joyfully. 'Oh, my god, Master is patting my shoulder and giving me a cultivation pill! I'd never betray him!'
"Qing Lin." He called the little girl.
The young girl turned her head, and her adorable face instantly beamed with joy. Her green hair gleamed due to the moonlight, and her gem-like green eyes shone as she hurriedly jumped from the rock and hugged Han Yuan like a needy koala.
"Big Brother, Qing Lin, missed you!" said the girl, rubbing her cute head against his chest.
"We literally met yesterday." Han Yuan helplessly rubbed the little girl's head, which reminded him of when Xiao Yixian was still cute. This adorable look is so memorable.
It made Han Yuan realize just how tragic this little girl's childhood had been. She has no one to rely on; her mother died giving birth to her, and her despicable father is a snake-man who is 'extremely' disgusted by her very presence.
She didn't ask to be born into this cursed world, but here she is.
Although Han Yuan had saved Qing Lin from the slave merchant, when she woke up for the first time, she jolted instinctively and covered her head as if she was ready to receive a beating.
It took Han Yuan three days to calm this little girl and teach her how to cope with her childhood experience. Of course, it doesn't solve the root cause.
What Qing Lin needed was a pillar of support. Thankfully, Han Yuan came at the darkest moment in Qing Lin's life and became her support and pillar of faith.
Naturally, Han Yuan also adopted Qing Lin as his younger sister.
So, her name is actually Han Qinglin now, though she preferred to be called "Qing Lin" by him.
"Hehe, Qing Lin just missed you so much." Qing Lin wistfully said.
"After a week, your body has recovered greatly." Han Yuan pinched Qing Lin's skin playfully. "Mm, my young sister is no longer thin, good."
Qing Lin pouted, "Sister Leng Yi has been feeding me meat and milk, Qing Lin is a big girl now!"
"Yes, you are." Han Yuan chuckled.
"Now, you can start cultivating."
"R-Really?" Qing Lin was excited. She has listened to Leng Yi's bedtime story for a week about Han Yuan's deeds and the legend of the Dou Qi Continent, so she wanted to become a powerful Dou Fighter, too.
If she could grow stronger, she could help her brother!
Han Yuan pinched Qing Lin's cheek this time, "Have I ever lied to you, little girl?"
"However, I have to ask you a question first."
"What path did you want to choose? Is it just Dou Fighter or Dual Cultivation?"
"D-Dual Cultivation?" Qing Lin's cheeks flushed. Leng Yi has also taught her about the world's evil, and a young girl getting forced to be a furnace to dual cultivate with a pervert Dou Fighter is one of them.
Leng Yi warned Qing Lin not to trust a random guy. Her body should only be for her most trusted partner, her future husband.
Yet, Qing Lin felt that if Han Yuan actually wanted her, she wouldn't refuse him because she believed her body wasn't worth much. She is just a slave girl, and being Han Yuan's wife, no, even a concubine, is her honor.
If Han Yuan knew what Qing Lin was thinking, he would sigh and lament that this girl's self-esteem is too low.
She underestimated herself too much when her talent could have allowed her to become one of the strongest figures in the Dou Qi Continent.
Girl, you have a literal cheat: Snake Dominion Eye - Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils!
Not to mention, Han Yuan also felt Qing Lin's snake bloodline had mutated due to her birth. Even though the bloodline has yet to reveal itself, after a certain level of concentration, it should reach the same level as the Nine-Colored Heaven Swallowing Python.
But for now, Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils are more than enough for Qing Lin.
"What were you thinking, little girl?" Han Yuan flicked Qing Lin's forehead gently, causing her to cover her forehead in slight pain.
"Uugh..." Qing Lin gave Han Yuan a teary look.
Han Yuan sighed, "When I said Dual Cultivation, I don't mean it literally, you little pervert."
"Q-Qing Lin is not a pervert!" Qing Lin protested with a red face.
"Hmm..." Han Yuan stopped teasing her verbally, though his gaze still left her embarrassed. "Anyway, the Dual Cultivation I talked about is a brand new path I've discovered."
"On top of becoming the Dou Fighter, you will also cultivate another force, and I call this Spirit Master Cultivation."
"Spirit Master Cultivation is a method of cultivation that requires one to awaken their 'Martial Soul', which is a twin existence to yourself. It can grow stronger alongside your cultivation, and depending on the type of spirit, it can be a weapon, a beast, or your own body part."
Qing Lin's eyes lit up. "If I choose this path, will I become stronger quickly?"
"Yes, but it will be much more difficult. After all, cultivating Dou Qi alone is already time-consuming." Han Yuan replied honestly.
Don't look at the bright side when Queen Medusa, Hai Bodong, and Yafei awaken their spirits because they have built a sturdy foundation to become a spirit master.
Two is Dou Emperor, and one is Dou Spirit, who has consumed many rare foundation-building medicines refined by Han Yuan, and even trained a cultivation technique he made.
If one starts cultivating two paths from scratch, the difficulty is not just doubled, but tripled!
"I still want to try!"
The little girl balled her hand into a fist, showing a determined look.
"Alright, let's awaken your martial soul first, then." Han Yuan nodded in return, feeling pleased by the little girl's determination.
Han Yuan manipulated the void with his spiritual power, forming the awakening circle as he instructed Qing Lin to put her hand on it and slowly awaken her martial soul.
Qing Lin's little body trembled under the influence of the awakening circle and was 'thoroughly' shrouded by golden light. And like Queen Medusa, her awakening triggered the change in the sky.
Thunderclouds appeared above Desert City, but passersby couldn't see them as Han Yuan had already made several layers of barrier around the city, and one barrier in particular could absorb lightning energy and store it for attack in the future.
Han Yuan watched as a blurry shadow appeared behind Qing Lin, which constantly warped between human and snake silhouettes. Yet, these silhouettes can't settle down as one and are 'forcibly' separated from each other.
"Twin Spirits? No, in essence, it is still one martial soul."
Han Yuan recalled some information about the latter era of Douluo Dalu and then snapped his fingers, "Ah, I remember, this should be called Companion Martial Soul."
Companion martial souls are an inferior version of twin martial souls of the same level because their absorbed soul rings are 'naturally' divided between the two.
Still, they offer advantages, such as the ability to use both martial souls at once. While each martial soul is individually weaker than a single martial soul of a regular soul master, their combined power exceeds that of a single martial soul.
If Twin Martial Soul is two, then Companion Martial Soul is one and a half in power, which is better than a single Martial Soul.
"But why do I feel Qing Lin's companion martial souls aren't inferior to Twin Martial Souls?" Han Yuan rubbed his chin.
Is it because the law of this world is different than that of the Douluo Plane?
No, this stems from Qing Lin's lineage. Her birth into this world is already an anomaly.
In fact, Qing Lin's background is suitable as a protagonist's backstory.
Unfortunately, luck is intangible. While Han Yuan knew Qing Lin was a lucky one, he didn't know how much fortune she was.
Under Han Yuan's observant gaze, the shadow of the snake transformed into a green-scaled serpent with majestic yet sinister purple eyes. The figure of the human shifted into a familiar blade, a straight, one-edged sword with no guards.
"Snake aside, isn't this Sasuke's sword in Shippuden?" Han Yuan said in disbelief. "Sword of Kusanagi, or Grass-Cutting Blade."
"According to the legend, it is connected to Yamata-no-Orochi, a multi-headed giant serpent that strikes terror into humankind."
"Yamata-no-Orochi also has another name, Hydra."
He glanced at the green-scaled snake, "Doesn't that mean this little fellow might turn into Hydra in the future?"
Qing Lin awakened. She opened her eyes, which had turned similar purple to the snake martial soul she awakened, and mumbled, "Big Brother, Qing Lin feels... Amazing."
"What's next?" She asked with her excited tone.
Han Yuan stared at Qing Lin's eyes before asking calmly, "Do you feel uncomfortable?"
"No, I have never felt better. No, that's a lie, staying on Big Brother is the best feeling!" Qing Lin said with fervor. Her shy temperament has taken a complete 180-degree turn, becoming more energetic.
"Okay, then." Han Yuan noticed the slight personality change, but that is normal because Qing Lin just awakened her martial soul. She hasn't gotten used to it yet.
"Calm yourself down first. Feel the change in yourself, and then exit this state first."
Qing Lin pouted but still nodded, following Han Yuan's instruction as she returned to her usual shy self. Yet, once her eyes returned to green, something happened.
In Qing Lin's green eyes, the pupils changed and manifested three petal-like patterns.
"Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils..." Han Yuan was speechless.
At first, Han Yuan thought Qing Lin needed another mental stimulation to awaken this power, but no, the Spirit Awakening Ceremony triggered it naturally.
...
[Name: Qing Lin]
[Age: 10]
[Race: Half-Human/Half-Snake People]
[Talent: Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils]
[Physique: None]
[Spiritual Power: None]
[Martial Soul: Heavenly Serpent and Grass-Cutting Blade (Companion)]
[Dou Qi Cultivation: None]
[Spirit Master Cultivation: Level 10 (Full Innate Spirit)]
[Description: A girl was born with an anomaly, and as a result, she was 'extremely' scorned by both snake-people and humans because of her origins. However, what they didn't know was that she possessed great powers due to her unusual birth. Her bloodline had mutated, granting her the dormant abilities of a long-extinct ancient serpent and strange eyes that can dominate nearly all snakes.]
[Qing Lin's life changed when she got rescued by a kind and strong older brother, who adopted her as his younger sister and became her pillar of support.]
[She is a loyal, kind, and adorable younger sister who would do anything for her beloved big brother!]
["Qing Lin wished to become stronger to help Big Brother Han Yuan. Big Brother Han Yuan is the truth, and anyone who said otherwise is a bad guy!" is her life motto.]
...
[Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils]
[An innate power that manifests in a pair of green eyes with three flower petals marks on the pupils, which possesses the power to dominate the will of nearly all snakes, making them subservient. Once developed to the highest level, this power can swallow the tamed serpent's powers and make it part of the wielder's own strength.]
...
[Heavenly Serpent]
[A manifestation of a long-extinct ancient serpent triggered by Qing Lin's mutated bloodline, this snake might be weak at the early stage and has no obvious advantage, but once grown, it will grant the user immense strength.]
...
[Grass-Cutting Blade]
[A sharp sword that manifested due to Qing Lin's human lineage, which balanced the heavenly serpent's bloodline. This straight, one-edged sword might appear ordinary, but once wielded and mastered, it slays lives no different than mowing grass.]
...
Han Yuan's mouth twitched in awe, 'I thought Queen Medusa was a cheat character, but who would have thought Qing Lin has better cheats?!'