Lu Feng subconsciously turned his head. His eyes met Dugu Bo's slightly stooped figure. In an instant, Lu Feng's pupils shrank violently, and astonishment flooded his heart.
The Dugu Bo before him seemed like a completely different person from the awe-inspiring Poison Douluo of before.
His face was ashen, like lingering snow in winter, completely devoid of color. His originally robust features were now exceptionally gaunt. In his sunken eye sockets, his eyes, though still sharp, held a trace of exhaustion.
He now looked like an ordinary old man.
More importantly, Lu Feng couldn't feel a single trace of soul power fluctuation from Dugu Bo.
"Old man, you... what's wrong with you?" Lu Feng's lips trembled slightly, his voice unconsciously carrying a tremor.
An ominous thought spread through his mind like a dark cloud.
Did Dugu Bo fail to absorb the Immortal Herb?
"Ahem." Dugu Bo coughed lightly, his voice dry and hoarse, like sandpaper rubbing together.
He frowned slightly, a trace of confusion in his eyes. "Kid, what's with that expression? You look like you've seen a ghost."
Lu Feng took a deep breath, his words still laced with worry. "Old man, why can't I feel your soul power? Could it be that the herb's effect was too strong, and you failed to absorb it?"
"Hmph!" Dugu Bo immediately snorted coldly.
"You kid, you really were up to no good! No wonder this old man felt so much pain when absorbing the herb, I almost didn't make it. So you weren't completely sure either!"
As he spoke, the air around Dugu Bo suddenly rippled. Soul power, like a raging tide, surged forth.
A brilliant seven-colored light slowly rose from his dantian, then traveled up his throat and was slowly spat out from his mouth.
The light flowed into his palm, spinning and flashing, illuminating the surrounding night in a dreamlike way.
"Kid, look!" The corners of Dugu Bo's mouth tilted up, his eyes full of smugness.
Lu Feng looked closely and saw that Dugu Bo's Soul Core had undergone an earth-shaking change.
The originally distinct diamond shape had now become a smooth, spherical shape. The emerald-green, transparent texture had also turned into seven colors.
Radiance flowed continuously over the Soul Core, shining in the dark night sky like a brilliant star fallen from the heavens.
"This is?" Lu Feng's face was full of confusion, staring intently at the Soul Core in Dugu Bo's palm, which was emitting a strange light.
"Hahaha!" Dugu Bo threw his head back and laughed, his laughter hearty, shaking the very air.
But in an instant, he reined in his smile and said seriously, "After consuming that herb, the toxins in this old man's body erupted several-fold. Even with my abundant level 94 soul power, I barely managed to hold on."
Speaking of this, a trace of a daze still lingered in his eyes, as if he had returned to that heart-stopping moment.
At that time, the toxins were like a surging tide, rampaging through his body. He held on bitterly with his soul power, every second feeling like a brush with death. If not for his firm will, he probably would have departed on the spot.
"However, under the stimulation of this powerful toxin, this old man's 'Dan Zhu' (Soul Core) also underwent a mutation," Dugu Bo continued, his eyes shining with excitement.
"That massive amount of toxin was absorbed and refined by the Dan Zhu, and the soul power it converted was even greater. This soul power not only nourished my body but also, in turn, polished the Dan Zhu itself."
"Now, this Dan Zhu has been polished to perfection. The poison and soul power can be converted into each other, and it no longer needs to be supplemented with poison."
Dugu Bo's words were filled with pride. He gently stroked the Soul Core in his hand, as if caressing a rare treasure.
Hearing this, Lu Feng's eyes widened. He couldn't help but exclaim, "Holy crap, isn't this a perpetual motion machine?"
Are we not even following science?
Oh, this is a fantasy world. Never mind then.
"Perpetual motion machine?" Dugu Bo repeated, a trace of wonder in his eyes. "That's quite a fitting name."
At this, Lu Feng finally sorted out Dugu Bo's experience. To put it simply, there was too much poison, and the quantitative change led to a qualitative change, causing the Soul Core to evolve.
However, a new question immediately followed.
Lu Feng looked at Dugu Bo's haggard appearance and wondered, How did he end up looking like this?
As if guessing Lu Feng's confusion, Dugu Bo explained, "At the same time the Dan Zhu evolved, this old man's body of poison was completely sucked dry. Even a lot of my vital energy was sucked away. But it's not a big problem. I can just pop some medicine to replenish it."
As he spoke, he waved his hand, looking completely unconcerned.
"Old man, does this mean your Martial Soul's poison is completely resolved?" Lu Feng's eyes lit up instantly as he asked in pleasant surprise.
Although the Soul Core could convert Dugu Bo's poison into soul power, in essence, he was still a poison man.
If he married again in the future, his descendants' bloodline would most likely still carry the toxin, just like Dugu Yan.
The Soul Core cultivation method only ensured the poison wouldn't erupt and endanger himself.
Dugu Bo slowly nodded, his voice carrying a hint of relief. "Yes, the poison that has plagued me for most of my life is finally, completely resolved."
As his words fell, he sighed softly, a trace of desolation in his expression.
In this life, he had appeared infinitely glorious on the surface, but only he knew the bitterness in his heart.
His wife, his son, his daughter, his grandchildren... more than ten of his closest relatives had perished from his life, one by one. The feeling of his loved ones dying in his arms while he was powerless to help was like a sharp blade, repeatedly stabbing his heart.
If not for Dugu Yan, he felt he would have long since become numb, losing all emotion.
"Ai." Lu Feng also sighed and gently patted Dugu Bo's shoulder.
"Old man, don't be sad. How about this, tomorrow I'll go to the Heaven Dou City gate and post a marriage proposal notice for you. Even though you're getting on in years..."
"Pa!" Before he could finish, Dugu Bo slapped him on the head.
"Kid, are you trying to piss me off so you can seize my family fortune?"
"Hehe." Lu Feng rubbed his head, his face full of a cunning smile.
"You saw right through me. By the way, old man, what's your soul power level now?"
Lu Feng was just trying to cheer Dugu Bo up, seeing him so sad. If outsiders saw Dugu Bo looking so forlorn, they might think he was bullying the elderly.
Hearing this, Dugu Bo instantly stood tall and proud, his eyes full of arrogance as he announced, "This old man has broken through the level 95 bottleneck and advanced to Super Douluo!"
He paused, then added, "And I'll have no bottlenecks all the way to level 98!"
With that, he stood against the breeze, his robes fluttering. Although he pretended to be calm, the irrepressible smile at the corners of his mouth betrayed his inner pride.
Lu Feng bowed slightly, cupped his fists respectfully, and asked, "May I ask, Senior, what is the difference between a Super Douluo and an ordinary Titled Douluo?"
Dugu Bo shot him a sidelong glance, the corners of his mouth curling even higher. He thought to himself: This kid really knows how to play to my tastes.
He clasped his hands behind his back, faced the wind, and said in a resonant voice, "A so-called Titled Douluo is one whose soul power has accumulated to level 90, then absorbed one final soul ring to break through that shackle."
"Generally, those who can reach this step have extremely high requirements for their aptitude, comprehension, Martial Soul quality, and diligence in cultivation."
"Those stuck at level 89 are mostly lacking in one of these three."
"From level 91 to 94, the main difference is just the accumulation of soul power. Among them, it's not uncommon for those with outstanding talent to fight above their level."
Lu Feng nodded earnestly, cupped his fists again, and said with a solemn expression, "Listening to Senior's words is better than ten years of study. Then, what exactly is a Super Douluo?"
"Tch, you kid. You're so insincere!"
Dugu Bo snorted coldly, but the upward curve of his lips became even more exaggerated. He was clearly enjoying Lu Feng's flattery.
"Ahem." Dugu Bo cleared his throat, his expression full of pride as he spoke eloquently, "The key to a so-called Super Douluo lies in one word: 'Momentum' (Shi)."
"A Soul Master's soul power, even one as strong as a Titled Douluo, is limited. But a Super Douluo can borrow the 'momentum' of heaven and earth, directly calling upon the world's spiritual energy for their own use."
"The spiritual energy of heaven and earth is on a much higher level than ordinary soul power, so its might is naturally greater. Moreover, it is inexhaustible. Therefore, a Super Douluo can fight continuously for ten days or half a month without any effort at all."
Lu Feng listened intently. A sharp light suddenly flashed in his eyes, and he asked with some uncertainty, "Senior, I have heard that there is a special battle tactic in the imperial army. By forming a military formation, they can also call upon the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. Can this also be considered 'momentum'?"
Dugu Bo turned to look at Lu Feng, his eyes full of gratification, and nodded lightly.
Lu Feng's ability to draw parallels in such a short time showed an insight and comprehension that most Soul Masters could not hope to match.
Dugu Bo said seriously, "Correct. It is precisely because of this that the two great empires can maintain their current positions in the present situation. Otherwise, based on the number of Titled Douluo alone, Spirit Hall would have unified the continent long ago."
"I see." Lu Feng was enlightened and nodded heavily.
At this moment, he finally understood why the continent's situation in the original work was the way it was.
In the end, the top-tier combat power in the Douluo world was still relatively weak. Although a Titled Douluo could slaughter a city on their own, they could not fight an entire country alone.
Immediately, Lu Feng felt doubtful again and asked, "Senior, you just mentioned you'll have no bottlenecks all the way to level 98. What about level 99?"
In the original work, this realm was called Limit Douluo. There were only three recorded Limit Douluo on the Douluo Continent: Tang Chen, Qian Daoliu, and Bo Saixi.
And Tang San's path to godhood, although he absorbed soul rings and soul bones all the way and went through the divine trials, eventually succeeding in becoming a god... there was no detailed record of how he broke through to level 99 Limit Douluo.
Now, listening to Dugu Bo, could it be that level 99 had its own separate bottleneck?
But Dugu Bo slowly shook his head, a helpless look on his face. "Although I have broken through to level 95, I still cannot see the path ahead. It is like a vast white chaos before my eyes. There is no path at all."
When Lu Feng heard this, his face immediately darkened. He grumbled in his heart: This old man... why is he speaking in riddles?
Dugu Bo saw Lu Feng's expression and couldn't help but smile, teasing, "Kid, it's far too early for you to be thinking about these things. You should first focus on getting to Soul King. Hmph, you can't even match your own woman's soul power. Aren't you ashamed?"
Lu Feng immediately snorted in defiance, puffed out his chest, and said, "I was born with a weak stomach. I'm just suited for eating soft rice!"
Just as the two were bickering, Dugu Yan's eyelashes trembled slightly, and she slowly opened her eyes.