Chapter 202: Reunion Once More

Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.

Ning Feiliu, Dugu Bo, and Dugu Yan were all standing before that Spirit Blossom Tree, which had sprouted from dead wood; it had to be said that the powerful growth-inducing effect of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, this basin of gathered treasures, was truly formidable.

In just one month's time, the Spirit Blossom Tree had grown rapidly; its trunk was thick and twisted, its gullies crisscrossed, and its branches and leaves were tall and upright, piercing straight into the clouds as if to contend with the sky, manifesting its tenacious and vigorous vitality.

The texture of the bark resembled ancient seal script, every curve containing the secrets of time.

They intertwined, telling a silent story.

The canopy was broad, like a large umbrella, shading nearly a quarter of the sky above the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.

Who could have imagined that this towering tree was actually, until recently, just an unremarkable, ordinary old tree.

This naturally relied entirely on the powerful efficacy of this precious land, the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well; after all, it was a treasure land created by the fall of two of the nine great Dragon Kings—the Water Dragon King and the Fire Dragon King—into the Sunset Forest.

Their corpses contained extremely powerful and vigorous vitality, buried ten thousand fathoms beneath this Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, which was the only reason the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well possessed the ability to nourish all things and promote the growth of Heavenly Material and Earthly Treasure.

However, the reason the Spirit Blossom Tree could grow so rapidly was actually also because it was different from the other plants growing in the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.

It had now birthed self-awareness, and it was not weak; under this self-awareness, it absorbed the nutrients of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well very rapidly.

Just like A Yin in the original plot, it would likely reach the realm that ordinary Soul Beasts needed hundreds of years to reach in just a few years.

However, A Yin was, after all, a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Beast, while the Spirit Blossom Tree was still nothing right now; it certainly could not be like A Yin, who could exaggeratedly grow back to the level of a ten-thousand-year Soul Beast in a few years. (Original plot)

Of course, in the original plot, if Tang San hadn't infused A Yin with life force, it would have been impossible for her to re-humanize in just about ten years.

It was also impossible for the Spirit Blossom Tree to defy logic and grow into a ten-thousand-year or even hundred-thousand-year Soul Beast in just ten years like A Yin, but Ning Feiliu did not pin such hopes on it.

What he wanted was the Blooming Spirit Flower that the Spirit Blossom Tree would bloom.

And at this moment, on its two highest branches, winding like large snakes, two flower buds as white as precious jade stood drooping at the ends of the branches.

"Is it going to bloom... Spirit Blossom, will I finally be able to see Xin'er and the others again?" Even though Dugu Bo was a Title Douluo, his emotions could not help but be somewhat stirred at this moment.

Because of this, he had been taking meticulous care of the Spirit Blossom Tree during this time.

This was the first time he had ever treated a plant this way; after all, this was his hope of seeing his son again, and even if the hope was slim, he had to protect it well.

Dugu Yan also kept her beautiful eyes fixed tightly on the two budding flowers on the Spirit Blossom Tree.

"Dad... Mom..." she whispered, her eyes seemingly filled with an indescribable agitation.

Facing the agitated emotions of Dugu Bo and Dugu Yan, Ning Feiliu did not say that he wasn't entirely certain, but instead said firmly, "It will. When the Spirit Blossom blooms... it can make the souls of the departed appear once more."

Just then, upon seeing Ning Feiliu arrive, the Spirit Blossom Tree, filled with excitement, continued to urge the energy it had accumulated to pour into those two Spirit Blossom buds.

"Thank you, Spirit Blossom..." Ning Feiliu said gently to the Spirit Blossom Tree.

The next moment, under their gaze, the two budding flowers on the Spirit Blossom Tree slowly bloomed; the petals gradually changed from jade-white buds to pink, and the pink-and-white petals released a faint light from their stamens like lamps, while a peaceful and tranquil fragrance spread throughout the entire Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well along with the moment they opened.

"The flower... has bloomed," Dugu Yan said softly.

And just at this moment, the two branches of the Spirit Blossom Tree, adorned with the two fully bloomed Spirit Blossoms, slowly lowered like human arms, placing the two Spirit Blossoms in front of Ning Feiliu.

Ning Feiliu nodded, plucked the two Spirit Blossoms with ease, and then turned to the grandfather and granddaughter, Dugu Bo and Dugu Yan, saying, "Teacher, Sister Yan, let's go."

Dugu Bo and Dugu Yan were still unable to hide their excitement.

Dugu Bo even took out a... mirror from his Soul Guidance Device.

He looked into the mirror, grooming his hair and clothes, then looked at Ning Feiliu and Dugu Yan with a serious expression, saying, "Feiliu, Yanyan, do you think I look like this... will your dad and mom not recognize me? I need to tidy up and look good; I can't let Xin'er and the others worry."

"Yes... I'll go change my clothes," Dugu Yan also said hurriedly, somewhat flustered.

After tidying up for a long time, Dugu Bo and Dugu Yan followed Ning Feiliu once again to the... cemetery where Dugu Xin and his wife were once buried.

It was night, and the moonlight shone down on the cemetery, making it appear exceptionally tranquil.

Beside the cemetery was a small, trickling stream; Ning Feiliu sorted through the Ionia customs of spirit communication using the Spirit Blossom in his mind, then handed the Spirit Blossoms in his hand to Dugu Bo and Dugu Yan first.

"Teacher, Sister Yan, take the Spirit Blossoms and enter the stream first; you need to pass through the water to communicate with the spirits," he instructed earnestly.

"Okay." At the thought of being able to see Dugu Xin and his wife again, Dugu Bo and Dugu Yan were willing to do whatever Ning Feiliu said.

They entered the small river, fully clothed, holding the Spirit Blossoms.

"Sit cross-legged and let the flowing water wash away your distracting thoughts..." Ning Feiliu said softly.

Dugu Bo and Dugu Yan immediately sat cross-legged in the water, letting the current wash over their bodies, while the Spirit Blossoms in their hands bloomed with pink light, and the many distracting thoughts in their hearts were miraculously and slowly cleared away.

"In your heart... think of the person you want to see," Ning Feiliu said again.

Dugu Bo and Dugu Yan immediately tried hard to recall... the memories they once had of Dugu Xin and his wife.

Dugu Bo had lost his wife in his youth, and Dugu Xin was his only reliance after his wife passed away; he had always regarded his son, Dugu Xin, as his greatest pride.

He believed that Dugu Xin would definitely be able to surpass him in the future and go further on the path of poison.

Only, he hadn't expected... that on that day, Dugu Xin and his daughter-in-law would both succumb to the poison, and that the violent toxin had come from him, from the toxin he, Dugu Bo, had passed down to Dugu Xin while he was still in his mother's womb.

Dugu Bo watched his son Dugu Xin and daughter-in-law Duan Zilin die in agony just like that, yet he could do nothing.

In the end, Dugu Xin said to him in his arms, "Dad... I don't blame you, I really don't blame you... You must take good care of your health in the future, and also... take good care of Yanyan, don't let Yanyan end up... like... me..."

Then Dugu Bo just watched as they lost their vitality.

Pain, self-reproach, regret... these negative emotions had always entangled Dugu Bo.

Even though Ning Feiliu later helped him and Dugu Yan cure the poison, he had still been powerless to watch his son and daughter-in-law die from the poison back then.

"Xin'er... Lin'er... Dad... Dad really wants to see you one more time..." Dugu Bo's eyes were streaming with old tears at this moment, and for the first time, tears welled up on his aged face, tear tracks covering his old face.

Dugu Yan also recalled the happy and short time she had with her mom and dad during her childhood.

"Yanyan... you are Mom and Dad's pride..."

"As expected of my Yanyan! Hahaha, you actually have innate level eight soul power! Yanyan! Do you want this? Okay, okay, Dad will buy it for you..."

Those memories were even somewhat blurry; after all, she was still young at the time, so she didn't remember anything.

She only remembered that one day, her grandfather told her that her mom and dad were gone, and after that, she didn't see her mom and dad for a long time.

As she gradually grew up, she seemed to understand what her grandfather meant when he said "Mom and Dad are gone."

It meant a final farewell, never to see them again.

That "I love you" that would never have another chance to be spoken...

But...

She still has a chance now, because Ning Feiliu, she can still have the chance to see her father and mother and say those words to them.

"Father... Mother, Yanyan wants to see you, I beg you, see Yanyan one more time." Dugu Yan said, her voice choked with sobs.

And under the intense longing of the two, the Blooming Spirit Flower held in their hands erupted with an even brighter light, and then the next moment...

The Blooming Spirit Flower suddenly dissipated; a gentle breeze blew by, and countless petals, as if ignited by flames, released a pink fiery glow, but in an instant, they turned into flying ash and vanished into the air.

Only the bare, no longer glowing stamen of the Blooming Spirit Flower remained in their hands.

And just at this moment, they suddenly heard two familiar voices...

"Dad! Yanyan!"

Dugu Bo and Dugu Yan opened their eyes to look, and discovered that before them had appeared... two somewhat illusory figures!

They were a man and a woman; the man had green hair reaching his waist and a handsome face, and one could tell he had a few similarities to both Dugu Bo and Dugu Yan.

And the woman beside the man had purple hair, an enchanting and beautiful face, and a curvaceous figure.

It was just that they both seemed to have tears in their eyes at this moment, looking excitedly at the grandfather and granddaughter, Dugu Bo and Dugu Yan.

Dugu Bo and Dugu Yan also immediately recognized these two illusory shadows, and they shouted excitedly—

"Father! Mother!"

"Xin'er! Zilin!"

Ning Feiliu, who was to the side, saw that the Spirit Souls of Dugu Xin and Duan Zilin had truly appeared once more, and he immediately revealed a gratified smile.

Fortunately... the Spirit Souls of Dugu Xin and Duan Zilin were truly still in this world, or even still within or near their remains.

That was why the Blooming Spirit Flower was still able to summon them out.

Regardless of anything else, being able to let the Spirit Souls of Dugu Xin and Duan Zilin appear and reunite with Dugu Bo and Dugu Yan was a good thing.

And the Dugu Bo family was also extremely excited.

The two people and the two spirits were all streaming with tears as they met, their emotions stirred.

Dugu Xin looked at Dugu Bo with a smile, and he said excitedly, "Dad, your... complexion has improved quite a bit, and Yanyan has also grown up a lot; my Yanyan has grown up to be so beautiful, but... what is going on with Zilin and me, didn't we... die?"

He and Duan Zilin both had somewhat dazed expressions, as if their memories were still stuck at the moment before they died.

"It was... Feiliu." Dugu Bo immediately said joyfully, shouting to Ning Feiliu at the side, "Feiliu!"

Only then did Dugu Xin and Duan Zilin see Ning Feiliu on the riverbank.

"It was Feiliu who used an ancient secret technique so that we could meet again." Dugu Bo said gratefully, "And Feiliu... is a student I took in, and also Yanyan's..."

Ning Feiliu felt a bit embarrassed, but he still bowed to the Spirit Souls of Dugu Xin and Duan Zilin and said, "Junior Ning Feiliu greets Uncle and Aunt."

Dugu Xin's eyes were immediately filled with smiles, and after exchanging a glance with Duan Zilin at his side, he nodded and said, "No matter what, I must thank you for allowing my wife and me to wake up once more and see Father and Yanyan and the others."

"Father, Feiliu also helped Grandpa and me solve the poison problem of our Jade Green Clan." Dugu Yan said to Dugu Xin at this time, her tears turning into smiles.

Dugu Xin's expression immediately turned serious; he exchanged another glance with Duan Zilin at his side, and then the two of them actually bowed solemnly to Ning Feiliu.

"Eh, eh, eh..." Ning Feiliu was somewhat at a loss, but he could not stop Dugu Xin and Duan Zilin, who were in spirit form.

Dugu Xin said solemnly to Ning Feiliu, "Thank you for helping us save Father and our daughter; although you are Father's student, this kind of kindness... we must repay it."

"Teacher has also helped me a lot; this was just a small effort." Ning Feiliu said hurriedly.

"It is a pity that my wife and I are now dead people and cannot repay you for anything." Dugu Xin said with a bitter smile.

As a Spirit Soul like him, if not for Ning Feiliu's help, he wouldn't even be able to meet Dugu Bo and Dugu Yan again, let alone repay Ning Feiliu.

Ning Feiliu shook his head and said, "Junior does not need repayment, and helping Teacher and Sister Yan and the others fulfill their wishes is also something I am willing to do."

"Besides... the time for you, Uncle, to reunite with Teacher and Sister Yan and the others is limited, so don't worry about me for now." He said sternly.

He remembered that the time for each Blooming Spirit Flower to communicate with spirits was limited, only the time it takes for one incense stick to burn.

"It's fine, once the Blooming Spirit Flower blooms, we will be able to meet again every year from now on." Dugu Bo said with a smile at this time.

However...

Ning Feiliu shook his head with a bitter smile and said, "Although the Blooming Spirit Flower is miraculous, given the current situation of Uncle and Aunt, I am afraid it won't be able to be used many more times..."

Dugu Bo and Dugu Yan were both stunned upon hearing this, and then they looked at Ning Feiliu and asked curiously, "Feiliu, what... do you mean by that?"

Ning Feiliu looked at Dugu Xin and Duan Zilin, looked at their rather illusory spirit bodies, sighed, and said, "Uncle and Aunt, can you feel your spirit bodies gradually dissipating?"

Dugu Xin hesitated for a moment, then he nodded and said, "Yes... actually, if we continue like this, sooner or later our Spirit Souls will also dissipate completely."

(End of this chapter)