19)Small improvement

Everyone marveled at the changes, the spirit beasts were happier than ever because they knew how difficult it is to increase two thousand years of power.

Dugu Bo is very sensitive to changes in his Martial Soul. Although he didn't mutate, he improved by 5%.

Yin Xia was thrilled because this change helped her break through from level 55 to level 56.

Dugu Xin clearly felt the difference in his Martial Soul and also sensed that his body was a little stronger about 15% stronger. Although it didn't cure his poison, it made it easier to bear for now.

"Erym, this is extraordinary, but what does it cost you to do this?" Dugu Bo asked Erym calmly, his expression serious. This question snapped everyone out of their excitement, and concern filled the air.

Although everyone desired to become stronger, they wouldn't accept more power at the expense of Erym's life (His Holiness).

Seeing everyone's gaze, Erym smiled. "Don't worry, this is just spiritual energy. Although those six energy rays depleted my reserves, if it weren't for my Semigod body's inherent strength, I'd be taking a nap right now." He chuckled, though fatigue showed in his eyes.

Everyone sighed in relief. If it was only spiritual energy, the price was acceptable. However, they understood that if Erym were an ordinary person, he'd be nearly dead.

Yin Xia approached Erym and hugged him affectionately. "Erym, my dear, don't do this again. Even though your powers are extraordinary, you can't push your body too hard, you're still a boy." Erym was surprised; few times in his life had he received such care and affection from someone. It made him happy to have died and been chosen by Arceus.

"Don't worry. From now on, I'll only use three Rays and only when I'm full of spiritual power." Erym returned the hug and reassured her.

He didn't feel good being empty of spiritual power either; his body felt heavy, and he was incredibly tired.

"You should rest. We'll continue talking tomorrow," Dugu Xin said, placing his hand on Erym's head. Erym glanced at him and nodded slightly before allowing sleep to carry him away.

After a few seconds, Dugu Bo noticed that Erym had fallen into a deep slumber. He looked at Yin Xia. "Take him to bed. He's exhausted. Despite acting tough, he's still just a child." Yin Xia nodded and carried Erym to one of the tents.

"Will His Holiness be okay?" Huándì Chòng asked with genuine concern, touching the edge of Dugu Bo's cloak.

Dugu Bo met his gaze and nodded expressionlessly. "He'll be fine. He's just tired. We should all rest. I can sense that there's still some residual energy from that ray that I haven't absorbed." After speaking, Dugu Bo stepped away to meditate and try to absorb the Essence Force Ray.

Following Dugu Bo lead, everyone checked their bodies and felt the same, with this understanding, they all settled down to meditate. Yin Xia sat in front of Erym tent, and Dugu Xin positioned himself about five meters away.

The spirit beasts formed a triangle around the camp and meditated. While absorbing the Essence Ray was important, protecting Erym took precedence.

Two hours later, Yin Xia was the first to open her eyes. Her spiritual power had grown significantly, saving her months of training. She was confident she'd reach level 57 in a few weeks.

Dugu Xin woke up a few minutes later, reaching level 55. The poison in his organs had calmed down, and the intense pain had greatly reduced. His pale skin even took on a slight rosy, he felt better than ever.

Dugu Bo arrived ten minutes later. Although he didn't level up, his body became 10% stronger. The poison in his veins and organs receded slightly, and his Venom Core absorbed a bit, though it didn't continue.

The spirit beasts continued meditating; changes in them were slower as they focused on strengthening their weaker parts.

The small family chatted for a while, and after noticing that Erym was still sound asleep, they decided to cook something to eat. The recent progress and improvements had whetted their appetites, and they were sure Erym would wake up when he smelled the food.

Half an hour later, a delicious aroma spread through the area. The spirit beasts had some reactions but didn't stop their meditation.

In contrast, Erym, sleeping like a baby, began to sniff the air and opened his eyes wide.

"What a delightful smell!" His voice revealed both hunger and sleepiness. Calmly, he crawled to the tent entrance, sticking his head out to catch more of the scent.

"Look, he's awake," Dugu Xin, who was watching Erym, said calmly, a smile on his face.

"How did you sleep, Erym?" Yin Xia spoke affectionately as she prepared the plates and utensils they would use.

Erym stood up and stepped out of the tent. "I slept well, thank you. Even though I didn't get much rest, my divine body grants me natural regeneration. A couple of hours of good sleep are enough to recover my previous fatigue."

The young couple chuckled at this, and the not-so-old Dugu playfully sighed. "Well, you won't have to wait long; it'll be ready in a few minutes." Following Yin Xia's words, young Erym took a sip of water from a nearby bucket and washed his face and hands.

After drying off, he returned to the campfire. "Does anyone have something I can write on?" His question surprised everyone; they hadn't expected that. However, Dugu Xin waved his hand and produced a diary from his storage bracelet.

"Here, I use this diary to record information about plants, poisons, and beasts." After Erym took the diary, Xin handed him a pen and inkwell.

Erym settled down to write in the diary. Since about a third of the pages were already filled, he started writing from the middle of the book.

Five minutes later, the food was ready, and Yin Xia got Erym's attention.

He stopped writing and went to eat. After a fifteen-minute meal and ten minutes of rest to let the food settle, Erym resumed writing in the diary.

An entire hour passed, and then he stopped, sighed, and began tearing out pages from the diary, dividing them into ten parts.

He handed a stack of fifteen pages to Dugu Bo. "This is for you." Dugu Bo accepted them without reading, turning his gaze back to the young man. "What is this?"

Erym smiled, showing his teeth, and gave a thumbs-up. "It's the way to cure your poison and increase your power."