Douluo: My Clone Is Groudon

"Alright, let's get back to the topic."

In Gu La's "eyes," the defect in Yu Xiaogang's martial soul was a minor issue—anyone who had received basic education could come up with several ways to solve it.

What truly showcased his mastery as a god-tier cultivator was stabilizing and evolving Xiao Wu's bloodline into an even stronger form.

"As I mentioned earlier, Xiao Wu is suited for the energy evolution route."

Xiao Wu snapped out of her daze, but as she looked at Gu La, she couldn't shake the feeling that he had seen through her. A mix of shame and unease twisted in her heart. She nodded lightly to show she was listening.

"Energy evolution is more challenging, but unlike bloodline evolution, it doesn't have the drawback of being suppressed by those with stronger bloodlines."

"In my planned energy evolution system, the first step requires one or two soul rings specifically designed to absorb corresponding attribute energies. Ideally, the spirit beast should have some connection to the martial soul—whether it be species, attributes, or even specific traits."

"For example, for the Soft Boned Rabbit, I've chosen a rare celestial attribute for Xiao Wu—not a common elemental attribute—but rather the power of the moon."

"The moon, which rivals the sun as a celestial body symbolizing day and night, lacks the sun's ferocity but possesses many unique abilities. It also represents the yin aspect, making it a perfect match for Xiao Wu, who is female."

"For soul rings, there are several options: the Moonlight Bug, which carries the bloodline of the ancient supreme Lunar Insect; the Silver Moon Rabbit, another rabbit-type spirit beast; and the invincible Moon Crescent Bear… all could serve as potential soul rings."

"The most crucial point is that the Soft Boned Rabbit martial soul must have a certain affinity with the lunar attribute; otherwise, completing the final evolution will be nearly impossible."

Gu La spread his arms wide, as if embracing the heavens and earth.

"Our cultivation isn't just about strengthening our soul power—it's also about cultivating our martial souls. If our martial souls have the potential to evolve, why not unlock that potential?"

"I have a feeling that the top soul masters of the future will undoubtedly be those who have an intimate understanding of their own martial souls. If your martial soul isn't strong enough, find a way to evolve it. Innate soul power doesn't determine everything."

Gu La spoke with half-truths, deliberately omitting the importance of opportunity. Without the right circumstances, evolving a martial soul would be exceedingly difficult.

Take Dugu Bo, for example. If he hadn't encountered a Medusa and absorbed other snake-type soul rings, his bloodline would have been just shy of evolving into the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor martial soul.

Xiao Wu seemed somewhat confused: "Moonlight? So does that mean my martial soul won't be called the Soft Boned Rabbit anymore?"

"It's up to you. Moon Rabbit, Moonlight Rabbit, or the Lunar Jade Hare —all are fine."

Moreover, Gu La wasn't entirely sure whether a spirit beast transformed into human form could fuse soul rings before reaching the Soul Sage level. If push came to shove, he'd have to rely on the system as a last resort.

But that was only for emergencies. If possible, Gu La still preferred to use the knowledge in his mind to help Pokémon evolve.

After finishing Gu La's little lecture, Yu Xiaogang returned to his dormitory, shocked, and began writing a letter to Flender.

Tang San, having absorbed Gu La's theories, felt even more confident about evolving into the Blue Silver Emperor. Filled with anticipation, he went under the sunlight to practice Photosynthesis.

According to Gu La's judgment, plant-type martial souls that could absorb sunlight would undoubtedly benefit from it. The Sunflower, capable of utilizing sunlight, was considered a top-tier plant-type martial soul.

The Blue Silver Grass, after absorbing sunlight, would surely increase its chances of evolution.

Gu La's training for the day wasn't over yet. He activated the gravity field and continued to strengthen his physique.

He had a feeling that the formation of Aura was just around the corner.

Xiao Wu lingered behind, hesitating and glancing around to ensure no one was watching. She then approached Gu La and asked, "When did you figure it out?"

Gu La's movements paused for a moment, realizing belatedly that he had let slip a clue. Pretending to be confused, he replied, "Figure out what? Are you thinking of having extra tonight? No way!"

Xiao Wu glared at him, frustrated. "You're changing the subject again—you clearly figured it out."

Her heart was gripped by the fear of her identity being exposed, and she almost burst into tears. Seeing Gu La still feign ignorance, she inexplicably felt a wave of relief.

"I'm going home for a bit. Do you want me to bring anything back for you?"

Xiao Wu knew Gu La was greedy and planned to bribe him with gifts while also testing whether he would try to stop her from leaving.

As for returning to the Star Dou Forest and not coming back—that was out of the question. Spirit beasts needed human energy to stabilize their transformation into humans. In the Star Dou Forest, true cultivation as a human was nearly impossible.

Gu La gave Xiao Wu a strange look, unable to fathom her thought process. "Whatever you decide is fine with me."

"Hmph, just wait." Xiao Wu sniffed and took a step back, deciding to give herself some space for now. Eventually, she'd find a way to turn the tables and become the one in control.

Comforting herself with an 'wait and see' mentality, Xiao Wu quickly cheered up and went to ask the principal for leave.

---

The next day, Xiao Wu left the academy. Tang San came to Gu La and handed him a piece of paper.

"Gu La, this is the list of medicinal herb prices you asked me to keep track of. Today's prices rose by another ten percent—it seems they're reaching their peak. Other types of herbs have also been hoarded by various merchant guilds, causing prices to rise by at least thirty percent across the board."

Gu La took the paper listing the herb prices and skimmed through it quickly. He couldn't help but chuckle: "Truly, no businessmen are without greed. Herbs that were once ordinary have now become strategic resources."

Tang San nodded in agreement: "I never expected the two empires and the major sects to act so in sync, collectively controlling the market supply of herbs."

"If they weren't afraid of driving all the civilian soul masters into the Spirit Hall, I bet they'd completely monopolize the herbs and give no one else a chance to make ointments."

Gu La shook his head and sneered: "Even so, the Spirit Hall has definitely taken advantage of the situation to recruit more civilian soul masters. Even if the two empires and sects know about it, they wouldn't be willing to give up the profits they've gained."

"After all, nobles are inherently beneficiaries of the status quo. If the empire's rule becomes unstable, it doesn't concern them—it's such short-sightedness."

"Unintentionally, I've done the Spirit Hall a huge favor. Hopefully, they'll reward me generously when the time comes."

Tang San: "So, should we sell the herbs we've collected? We've gathered too much—even with storage soul tools, we can't preserve them for six years without risking loss of potency. It's best to sell some quickly."

Gu La considered it. The prices of herbs related to the Bone-Fortifying Ointment had increased several times over—they'd already made a fortune. But prices would eventually stabilize.

"Sell! Greed is the greatest taboo in business. We don't have the means to take risks, and earning five times the profit is more than enough."

"Also, sell off some of the herbs we looted from the bandits. Find those weak, kidney-deficient nobles—they'll pay a fortune. Hmm, I'll handle this part."

Based on the principles of herbal properties, the herbs Gu La had collected weren't just aphrodisiacs—they also nourished blood essence and enhanced physical strength. However, some herbs were truly useless, so selling them off was the better option.

Gu La felt a pang of regret: "It's a shame I can't reveal my identity. If I sold these herbs as ointments and potions under the name Oak, I could make even more gold coins."

Tang San chuckled: "If you do that, your reputation might suffer. It's fine to earn less—we've already earned plenty."

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