Having just gone through a battle, neither of them felt like continuing to rest.
Sitting by the campfire, Lin Yang treated Dugu Yan's wounds. He first cleaned the dirt from the wounds, then sprinkled medicinal powder, and finally bandaged them with gauze. He had gone through these steps countless times and was extremely familiar with them.
Dugu Yan simply stared at his calm and unhurried movements.
They say a serious man is the most handsome. That phrase seemed to have materialized at this moment. In her eyes right now, Lin Yang was enveloped in a special radiance.
Especially when Lin Yang accidentally touched her. Just occasional skin contact made her heart skip a few beats for no reason. Her cheeks felt faintly hot, and an inexplicable wave of heat spread through her body.
This unfamiliar feeling was something she had never experienced in her more than ten years of life. She tried hard to calm herself, but the heat only grew stronger, making her feel restless all over.
"Done!"
Lin Yang clapped his hands, his eyes full of satisfaction with his work.
The sound instantly pulled Dugu Yan back to reality. Looking at her neatly bandaged arms, she actually felt a trace of reluctance.
The moment that thought emerged, Dugu Yan fiercely scolded herself in her heart. How shameless. Lin Yang is several years younger than you.
She quickly forced those messy thoughts down and tried to act as if nothing had happened.
"Thanks, Little Brother Lin Yang!"
"You're welcome, Senior Sister."
Lin Yang nodded and began packing up the remaining medicinal powder and bandages. He hadn't noticed Dugu Yan's rather colorful inner turmoil at all.
"Tch, blockhead!"
Dugu Yan muttered softly.
Lin Yang looked up. "What?"
"Nothing," Dugu Yan straightened her expression and said with some expectation, "Lin Yang, we've gone through hardships together now. Calling each other 'Senior Sister' and 'Little Brother' feels too distant. From now on, just call me Yan'er. People close to me all call me that."
Lin Yang paused, then smiled. "Alright, then I'll take advantage of that."
Although his physical age was younger, his mental age was much older than Dugu Yan's, so calling her "Yan'er" carried no psychological burden.
Seeing that Lin Yang didn't refuse at all, Dugu Yan's eyes curved into crescents, clearly in a very good mood.
Although it was just a form of address, it at least reduced the "generation gap" caused by their age difference.
As for why she did this? Of course it was because she liked him!
Although this was only their second meeting, it didn't stop her from falling for the youth before her. Handsome, powerful, steady, attentive—even her stubborn old grandfather greatly approved of him. All these qualities concentrated in one person—what reason did she have not to be moved?
If she liked him, she would boldly pursue him. Being coy wasn't her style.
However, she had to be bold strategically but proceed gradually tactically. Otherwise, if she scared Lin Yang away, it would be more loss than gain.
The night was long. Dugu Yan took the initiative to chat with Lin Yang, and he was happy to talk with her. They talked about many things—from the past to the future, from ideals to reality. They said whatever came to mind, and the atmosphere between them was light and cheerful.
The campfire crackled, and moonlight sprinkled through the trees. If not for the battle traces left around them, one might truly think the two were here for a camping trip.
Unknowingly, the eastern sky began to show the first light of dawn.
Lin Yang stood up and stretched. "It's about time. We should get moving and try to find a suitable soul beast today."
Dugu Yan also stood, stretching lazily. Her slender waist drew a perfect curve.
"Let's go!"
The two extinguished the fire, packed their things simply, and set off again toward the depths of the forest.
An hour later, the sun had fully risen. The once quiet forest seemed to awaken from slumber, radiating vitality.
The two continued searching for soul beasts. After walking for a while, Lin Yang suddenly stopped.
"What's wrong?" Dugu Yan stopped as well.
Lin Yang didn't answer. Instead, his nose twitched slightly. Soon, as a light breeze blew over, Lin Yang detected a faint sweet, fishy scent in the air.
The scent was very faint, but it was undoubtedly some kind of toxin.
Activating Clear World, Lin Yang could clearly "see" strands of extremely fine energy fluctuations being "blown" over along the direction of the wind.
"Yan'er, we've found something."
With that, Lin Yang's figure flashed and he shot off in one direction. Dugu Yan followed without a word.
The two shuttled through the forest for about four or five kilometers before stopping in front of a marsh. The air here had already turned a faint green, filled with poisonous miasma. If an ordinary person stayed in such an environment, they would soon bleed from their seven orifices and die.
Lin Yang's Demon God Body was completely unafraid of deadly poisons. Dugu Yan was even less worried—poison was her foundation, and she had already taken an anti-poison pill.
Soon, as if sensing intruders in its territory, the rotting swamp began to churn. A massive head emerged from the mud.
As the head rose higher, a long body was pulled out of the swamp. The upright upper body alone was seven or eight zhang tall, its cold gaze looking down at the two below.
Only then could Lin Yang and Dugu Yan clearly see the full appearance of this soul beast.
The soul beast resembled a giant python. Its dark green vertical pupils radiated cold killing intent. When it opened its mouth, it was filled with dense, sharp fangs. Its body was even sturdier, covered in emerald-green scales with faint purple patterns visible between them. Most notably, a single horn grew on its head. It looked somewhat mismatched.
Still, Lin Yang recognized its identity. "This should be… a Bone-Eroding Viper Dragon."
Although called a dragon, the Bone-Eroding Viper Dragon was actually more like a python. It possessed a trace of dragon bloodline and was considered a sub-dragon species with thin blood.
Below ten thousand years, Bone-Eroding Viper Dragons had green scales with purple patterns—the more purple patterns, the higher the age. At ten thousand years, the scales became purple with black patterns—the more black patterns, the higher the age.
The one before them was clearly a green-scaled Bone-Eroding Viper Dragon. Judging by the patterns, it was roughly between 3,200 and 3,500 years old.
This age was already an over-limit soul ring for a third ring, but for Dugu Yan, it was just right.
Before Lin Yang could explain, the Bone-Eroding Viper Dragon impatiently launched its attack. Its long body suddenly thrust forward like a moving train, carrying terrifying momentum. It opened its bloody maw and pounced at the two.
Lin Yang frowned, stomped heavily on the ground, instantly blasting a deep pit and sending mud flying. Using the recoil, Lin Yang soared into the air like an arrow leaving the string, charging straight at the Bone-Eroding Viper Dragon's head.
Mid-air, Lin Yang clenched his right fist and smashed it solidly onto the green-scaled Bone-Eroding Viper Dragon's head.
Bang!
A heavy impact exploded. The Bone-Eroding Viper Dragon's head was struck so hard that stars spun before its eyes, and its long serpentine snout let out a painful hiss.
A second punch followed, and the Bone-Eroding Viper Dragon's eyes rolled back as it fainted.
Casually tossing the Bone-Eroding Viper Dragon aside, Dugu Yan now understood Lin Yang's intention.
"You want me to absorb its soul ring?"
"Mm," Lin Yang nodded. "Although this Bone-Eroding Viper Dragon's age is a bit high, the Earth Dragon Golden Melon you took gave you a trace of dragon prestige. Dragon prestige naturally suppresses Bone-Eroding Viper Dragons. The soul ring you obtain can further release the potential of your martial soul, so…"
"Alright, let's go with it," Dugu Yan nodded without hesitation.