[DD]: 42 

"No matter if it's a snake or a dragon, you should rename your martial soul. Jade Phosphor Serpent doesn't seem fitting anymore," Guang Ling interjected with a smile as he listened to their conversation.

"That's true."

The grandfather and granddaughter exchanged a look and nodded simultaneously.

"Why not let Xiao Li help with the new name? My martial soul's evolution is thanks to him anyway. Grandpa, what do you think?" Dugu Yan glanced at Han Li, who was quietly watching from the side and turned to seek Dugu Bo's opinion.

"Letting Xiao Li name it? That could work, but I'm afraid you might not be satisfied," Dugu Bo thought of the casual way Han Li had renamed his martial soul before and couldn't help but chuckle.

Guang Ling also stifled a laugh, clearly finding the idea of Han Li naming it quite amusing.

Seeing their expressions, Dugu Yan seemed to understand something but didn't mind. She waved her hand dismissively and looked at Han Li. "Xiao Li, what do you think? What should we name the new martial soul?"

"How about 'Flame Winged Serpent' or 'Flame Winged Snake'? How does that sound?"

Han Li sensed the two elders' lack of trust in his naming abilities and decisively abandoned the name "Fire Snake," which he preferred. Instead, he opted for a more conventional naming approach.

"Flame Winged Serpent Spirit, Flame Winged Spirit Snake, Spirit Snake, Serpent Spirit. They all sound pretty good."

Dugu Yan repeated the names a couple of times, looking satisfied.

"It does seem quite fitting."

Guang Ling and Dugu Bo exchanged glances, both seeing surprise in each other's eyes. Han Li's naming skills had significantly improved from before.

"Alright then, you'll be called Flame Winged Serpent Martial Soul from now on, little one."

Dugu Yan shrunk her martial soul to the size of her right palm and, knowing it couldn't respond, happily spoke to it and even waved her left hand in front of its eyes.

"By the way, Sister Yan, you mentioned that after your martial soul evolved, you could sense that any poison originating from you would be completely immune to both your martial soul and yourself, right?" Han Li suddenly thought of something and looked at Dugu Yan, who was playing with her martial soul.

"That's correct," Dugu Yan nodded, somewhat puzzled.

"Do you still plan to use poison in the future?" Han Li asked the most crucial question.

"A little bit. After all, my martial soul still has poison."

Dugu Yan glanced at Han Li and Dugu Bo's expressions before cautiously responding.

She thought she would face opposition, but instead, she saw both of them nodding in agreement without any intention of stopping her.

Little did she know, their thoughts were not aligned at all.

From Dugu Bo's perspective, he subconsciously thought of Han Li's Aromatic Silk Beauty Immortal Herb. Since Yan-yan would be staying by his side in the future, it would be fine. He had always taught Dugu Yan about poisonous plants, and insects, and how to use poison. Now that she was immune to her toxins, continuing this as a hobby was no big deal, especially with this safeguard in place.

For Dugu Yan, having been influenced by Dugu Bo since childhood, she naturally liked using poison. Although she had been somewhat fearful due to her grandfather's situation, after her martial soul evolved, she felt it was no longer an issue. She planned to prioritize fire-attribute soul beasts when attaching soul rings in the future, and if they had some poison, even better, since she could be immune.

As for Han Li, he was merely confirming the situation. He had already prepared to help her acquire the Eight Spider Lances. If Dugu Yan decided to give up using poison, he would have to reconsider whether to find someone else. After all, this was a growth-type external soul bone, and not using poison would be a waste. But since Dugu Yan intended to continue using poison, there was no problem. Regardless of her martial soul's immunity, with the Eight Spider Lances, it wouldn't be an issue.

"Alright, since everything is settled, we should leave now," Guang Ling suggested, seeing that no one had anything more to say.

"Yes, we should leave. We've been here so long it feels like we're detached from human society," Han Li said, looking around and nodding in agreement.

"Let's go then. There's nothing much to pack. I've grown tired of this place. Ordinary people can't come in here anyway. When we leave, I'll reinforce the poison array so not even a mosquito can get in," Dugu Bo urged, eager to leave. He had frequented this place to suppress his toxicity, but now that he was free from that burden, he had no desire to stay in the mountains any longer. If it weren't for Dugu Yan's unresolved issue, he would have left the day he recovered.

"By the way, Yan-yan, you're at level 30 now. Do you want Grandpa to help you get your soul ring? You should be able to handle a 5,000-year-old soul ring now, right?" Dugu Bo asked, smiling at Dugu Yan before turning to Han Li for confirmation.

"That should be fine," Han Li replied. He had tested Dugu Yan's physical limit, which was around 5,500 years.

"Let me think, what fire-attribute snakes are suitable for Yan-yan in the Sunset Forest?" Dugu Bo began contemplating what soul beast to hunt.

"No need to rush, senior. If you trust me, we can wait a bit. Sister Yan will be coming with us to Martial Soul Hall anyway, and I need to get my third soul ring from the Star Dou Forest," Han Li said, pausing before continuing.

"Sometimes, waiting a little can lead to better choices. This is the guidance of fate."

Han Li spoke with a smile on his face, but his demeanor was different from usual, giving off an air of mysticism.

"Uh..."

It was the first time Dugu Bo and Dugu Yan had seen him like this. They couldn't help but look at Guang Ling, who appeared very serious.

Seeing their gazes, he nodded heavily at them.

They didn't understand, but Guang Ling seemed to recall that when Xiao Li was tossing books around in the carriage looking for immortal herbs, he had the same expression. It wasn't as obvious back then, and he wasn't as mystical.

This time, there might be another significant gain. Thinking of Han Li's almost eerie luck, an abrupt thought popped into Guang Ling's mind.

Also, after Han Li had talked to him about certain matters, Guang Ling had secretly observed him for a few days. Han Li seemed perfectly normal, showing no signs of corruption and behaving the same as before.

So, the criminals and fallen soul masters that Xiao Li had asked to be prepared for absorbing soul rings—could they have nothing to do with Dugu Yan?

Could this be Xiao Li's secret?

Guang Ling's mind quickly connected all the details, coming up with a plausible explanation.

"Alright, we won't hunt for soul rings for now. Let's go back first. Ha, let's return to the city and have a good rest," Dugu Bo replied, licking his lips nervously.

He sensed something was off. The master and disciple's behavior seemed a bit strange.

"Alright, let's go," Han Li interjected again. Guang Ling and Dugu Bo turned to look at him, only to find that he had returned to normal. He looked at them innocently, as if asking what was wrong.

Only Dugu Yan stood there, puzzled, looking at the three of them. She didn't understand what had happened. Why did her grandfather and Senior Guang Ling act so strangely after Han Li said there was no rush to get the soul ring immediately?

Wasn't it just that Xiao Li spoke like one of those fortune-tellers in the city? What's the big deal? She sometimes did the same when tricking people. It was an overreaction.

Around noon, the four of them finally exited the Sunset Forest and arrived at an open area.

They looked back at the forest behind them and then at the endless plain ahead. No one spoke. Instead, they closed their eyes, tilted their heads slightly, and felt the breeze and sunlight.

After a long time, they slowly opened their eyes and exchanged smiles.

"It finally feels like we're back to reality."

It was Dugu Yan who spoke. Although she had spent the least time in the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, the impact on her was the greatest. In just half a month, she felt like years had passed.

When she went in, she was a level 26 spirit master with the Jade Phosphor Serpent martial soul, and with a grandfather who seemed on the brink of death.

But upon coming out, she was at level 30. After obtaining a soul ring, she would level up several more times. Her martial soul had evolved into the top-tier Flame Winged Serpent Martial Soul. The poison was no longer a concern, and her grandfather, far from dying, had regained his youth and even increased his strength.

In such a short time, her life seemed completely transformed, with everything around her moving in a positive direction—all because she had met one person.

Thinking of this, she looked at Han Li beside her and gave him a sweet smile.

"Hmm?"

Han Li noticed her gesture and looked back, wondering what she was thinking, but he quickly returned a smile. This was his secret trick—smiling was always the right response, even if he didn't know what was going on.

Sure enough, seeing his smile, Dugu Yan felt even happier, her eyes narrowing in delight.

The two Title Douluos nearby noticed their interaction but said nothing. Matters between young people were best left unmeddled, lest they be resented.

"Alright, Xiao Li, Yan-Yan, since we're out, we should celebrate a bit," Dugu Bo said, pausing as he took out a pocket watch to check the time.

"If we head back to the city now, we'll be starving. You two prepare the things for a barbecue. When I came out earlier, I saw some good ingredients not far from here. Get ready, and Guang Ling and I will go fetch them."

With that, he dragged a bewildered Guang Ling off to the side.

What kind of ingredient needs two Title Douluos to acquire?

Guang Ling wanted to refuse, but seeing Dugu Bo frantically signaling with his eyes, he relented and let himself be pulled along.

"Grandpa and his Excellency are strange, right?" Dugu Yan said affectionately, wrapping her arms around Han Li's neck and leaning on his back as she watched them walk away.

Hearing her, Han Li's mouth curved into a slight smile. He didn't argue with her but replied, "Yeah, a bit."

Unlike Dugu Yan, Han Li's mental strength was now comparable to a Soul Sage, bolstered by his external spirit bone. He habitually kept his senses alert and naturally noticed Dugu Bo's odd behavior.

If he guessed correctly, Dugu Bo was probably spooked by his earlier act and Guang Ling's reaction and was now off to investigate.

After all, his previous conversations with his master had taught him that some things needed to be disguised as precognition. Guang Ling's mention of a secret conveniently served as an excuse, so he displayed a bit of mysticism when leaving the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.

Of course, he was so blatant about it because aside from Guang Ling, the other two had sworn a martial soul oath. These two would be by his side in the future, and it was impractical to come up with excuses every time. It was better to turn this "secret" into a specific act. The Douluo Continent had many strange occurrences; one more wouldn't matter.

Once they reached the Star Dou Forest and witnessed the "secret's" power, they would naturally stop doubting its validity.

As he and Dugu Yan were almost done preparing, the two who had left returned with a bird in hand.

Guang Ling looked the same as when he left, nodding at Han Li to indicate that everything was fine and he had resolved the issue.

Dugu Bo, however, kept glancing at Han Li every now and then, as if observing some rare creature. Yet, he seemed more relaxed, free from the previous tension.

A meal, well, it wasn't great. In the end, it was Han Li who took out the remaining ingredients from his wristband to make do.

Mainly, it was because Dugu Bo was inattentive. The bird he hunted was not only small, but the meat was also a bit tough, which led Dugu Yan to complain a few times, saying she would never trust his food recommendations again.

After eating, the four of them set off on their journey back to Heaven dou City.

Guangling and Han Li didn't want to reveal their identities and attract attention, so the four of them parted ways outside the city.

Dugu Bo specifically left Han Li his address and a token to find him, saying to wait for his news. Then he took Dugu Yan, who was about to say something more and headed into the city first.

"Alright, let's head back to the Spirit Hall for now. Later, you can go straight to rest, and I'll go ask Salas about the Greenshadow Godly Eagle and see if he's prepared the people we need. If possible, I'll have him send them over early."

Seeing that the grandfather and granddaughter were out of sight, Guangling and Han Li finished their disguises and headed toward the city.

"Okay, I'll leave it to you, Master."

Han Li didn't refuse. Now that he had relaxed a bit, all he wanted was to go back and take a good bath, throw himself onto a soft bed, and sleep like there was no tomorrow.

"Also, Dugu Bo asked about you earlier. I revealed a bit of information. Anyway, you don't need to worry about that anymore," Guangling said after a few steps, turning his head slightly.

"Alright, whatever you say," Han Li replied nonchalantly, waving his hand.

Seeing his 'I just want to sleep' look, Guangling smiled and quickened his pace slightly.

Back at the Spirit Hall, after bidding farewell to his master, Han Li headed straight to his room.

He took a comfortable bath, sent the maid away, and instructed not to disturb him, then collapsed onto the bed and fell into a deep sleep.

The next day, Han Li, for the first time in ages, missed his morning training. It wasn't until near noon, when his stomach growled, that he got up from bed.

After washing up and eating, he felt alive again.

After resting for a while, he headed towards Guangling's room.

After knocking and receiving a response, Han Li pushed the door open and went in.

Guangling was reading some documents. Seeing Han Li enter, he nodded and continued reading.

Only after finishing did he push the documents towards Han Li.

"Take a look. The general area of the Greenshadow Godly Eagle has been determined. I've also noted the soul beast the young lady needs; it's not hard to find."

"Oh, by the way, the information on the Man-Faced Demon Spider you mentioned earlier is also in there. It was already documented, so I won't elaborate. You can read it yourself."

"As for the preparations you asked for, they set off this morning. According to your requirements, three were selected: two Soul Elders and one Soul Grandmaster. Such people are hard to find; most were eliminated. It's already lucky to have found three alive."

Guangling briefly explained the situation.