Rise in Douluo Continent with the help of bean buns

As dusk settled over the branches and leaves of the Ghost Vine Forest, the lingering aura of the soul beasts within the cave slowly dissipated.

Lin Chen stood still, with two soul rings, one yellow and one purple, rotating at a steady pace beneath his feet. The deep purple thousand-year soul ring had a restrained aura, without any violent or aggressive energy, only a calm and enduring vitality.

He lowered his eyes and looked inward, where the Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul in his dantian was undergoing a gentle yet profound transformation.

The original deep green grass leaves deepened in color, and fine dark purple light swirled between the veins, which was the original power of the thousand-year-old ghost vine.

Through precise purification and homogenization with soybeans, there are no foreign impurities, which in turn enhances the resilience, vitality and concealment of the Blue Silver Grass in all aspects.

The silver-blue patterns are several times more intricate than before, spreading along the leaves to the roots. With each breath, it slowly nourishes the origin of the martial spirit.

[Martial Soul Quality Update: Second-tier optimized Blue Silver Grass, with a purity of 98.3%]

Realm: Level 22, 2nd Ring Great Soul Master.

The second soul skill, Life Parasite, fully unlocks all four core characteristics, achieving 100% compatibility.

Mental strength increases in tandem, raising the upper limit of micro-management to 520 units with an accuracy of 0.03 millimeters.

As Doubao's notification sound faded, Lin Chen's mind stirred slightly, and he began to familiarize himself with this brand-new soul skill one by one.

Life Parasite is not an offensive soul skill, but it pushes "concealment" and "control" to the extreme. The four layers of ability advance one after another, which perfectly matches his way of doing things by hiding his strength and keeping a low profile.

The first characteristic is the ability to sow seeds and promote the growth of controllable Blue Silver Grass.

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Ordinary Blue Silver Grass Soul Masters must rely on soil and moisture to cultivate vines; their combat power is greatly reduced once they leave the ground. However, the life-parasitic seed is not bound by terrain or medium.

Lin Chen slightly raised his fingertips, and a few barely perceptible pale green seeds drifted out and landed on the dry, hard rocky cave wall.

Without soil or additional soul power, relying solely on the sparse spiritual energy in the air, the seed sprouts instantly took root in the cracks of the stone, and the fine, dark green vines spread out in the process, weaving a semi-transparent grass net on the stone wall in just a few breaths.

Each vine was connected to his mind, and the precision of his control was no different from that of his first soul skill, but its resilience was even better, and the soul power consumed was 30% less.

With a thought, he sent out even finer tendrils from the tips of the vines, which probed deep into the cracks in the rock wall, clearly transmitting the internal structure of the rock back to his mind.

It combines three functions—reconnaissance, formation, and binding—making it far more practical than ordinary vine-based soul skills.

The second characteristic is parasitic theft.

This is the most crucial and secretive killing move in life parasitism.

Lin Chen raised his hand and waved, and a few seeds silently floated towards a low-level soul insect passing by outside the cave.

The seed landed on the insect's shell and instantly transformed into extremely fine tentacles that pierced into it. Without the slightest fluctuation of soul power, the soul insect continued to crawl slowly, completely unaware of what was happening.

The invisible life force and faint soul power flowed slowly back along the vines, gentle and subtle, like a spring breeze and rain. It would not cause the target intense pain, but would only cause the target's qi and blood to become deficient and their soul power to decline over time. The target might not even be able to find the root cause of the problem until death.

The stolen power will nourish oneself, nurturing one's martial spirit and physical body. Although the effect may be small in a single instance, once accumulated or quietly deployed in a protracted battle, it will become an invisible factor that determines the outcome of the battle.

Its subtle and lingering nature kills without a trace.

The third characteristic is its silent and stealthy nature.

With a thought, Lin Chen caused the vines on the stone wall to wither and shrink instantly, transforming back into seeds that burrowed deep into the rock.

All signs of life and fluctuations of soul power were completely suppressed, as if it had died completely. Even a Soul Master-level soul power scan would only treat it as ordinary plant debris.

In its dormant state, the seed has no energy leakage and can remain dormant for more than three months. It cannot be detected by conventional detection methods below the Soul Master level.

The activation command is unique and can only be triggered by the host's mind; there is no risk of it being detonated by external forces.

This means that he can lay hidden traps in key locations days or months in advance, like deeply buried landmines, which are usually silent, but can be activated at a critical moment to unexpectedly turn the tide of battle.

Whether it's ambushing for self-preservation or setting up surveillance, these are unsolvable trump cards.

The fourth characteristic is fixed-point confinement.

This is the only explosive means of life parasitism, and also the strongest control ability.

Lin Chen's mind stirred slightly, and the seed that had just burrowed into the rock wall was suddenly activated.

The fine vines burst forth, expanded, and locked inside the rock in an instant, forcibly creating several cracks in the hard stone wall and completely jamming its internal structure.

If it parasitizes a living being, at the moment of its eruption, countless vines will grow wildly between the meridians, flesh, and bones, instantly locking down the body's movement and stagnifying the flow of soul power.

Even an opponent who is one or two major realms higher than oneself will be stunned for at least a moment.

In a battle between masters, life and death are decided in a split second. This moment of confinement can be enough to decide the outcome.

To give birth, to steal power, to lurk, to imprison.

It has four functions in one move: reconnaissance, control, endurance, and layout. It does not have flashy but impractical large-scale attacks, but it takes subtlety and concealment to the extreme.

Lin Chen slowly regained his composure, and the vines at his fingertips silently disappeared.

The choice of this thousand-year-old ghost vine soul ring, which is over 1,100 years old, was absolutely right.

Outside the cave, four Soul Venerables were taking turns on guard duty.

Old Chen leaned against the tree trunk, his gaze occasionally sweeping towards the cave entrance, his heart filled with both anticipation and trepidation. Absorbing a thousand-year-old soul ring was no small risk, and although his master was known for his prudence, he couldn't rest easy until the person emerged.

"They're out," Han Chong suddenly whispered.

The four of them immediately stood up straight and turned to look.

Lin Chen slowly walked out of the cave, the twilight falling on his plain blue robe, casting a soft glow.

The four of them were slightly taken aback the moment they saw him.

In just three hours, the young man before them seemed to have undergone a silent transformation.

The Lin Chen of the past was clear and gentle, with the clean and steady demeanor of a young man, like tender grass sprouting in spring, full of vitality but ultimately still carrying a touch of immaturity.

Now that he has absorbed the essence of the thousand-year-old ghost vine and broken through to the second-ring Great Soul Master, the gentle warmth on his body has completely subsided.

Her appearance remained delicate and refined, with relaxed eyebrows and eyes, a straight nose, and soft lips. While not strikingly beautiful at first glance, she was pleasing to the eye the more you looked at her. Her features were devoid of any aggression, clean and graceful, like a bluestone smoothed by a mountain stream—warm, gentle, and intriguing.

What has truly changed is the demeanor and the look in the eyes.

He stood there with his back straight, but there was not a trace of the arrogance and ferocity that comes with a breakthrough in Soul Master. Instead, he was like a tree that had taken root quietly.

Peaceful, reserved, quiet, and not competitive, yet possessing a deep-rooted, steady, and profound quality.

His eyes were clear and clean, like they held shallow spring water. When he looked at people, he had a natural gentleness in them, without the arrogance of a young man who had achieved success, or the shrewd calculation of a businessman.

When an ordinary person looks into those eyes, they will only think that this young man has a gentle temperament and is very easy to get along with, and will unconsciously let down their guard.

Only the four of them knew that this seemingly gentle and harmless young master was already a second-ring Great Soul Master at the age of nine, who single-handedly built the Qinghe Hall's business. He was meticulous and ruthless, far from being as harmless as he appeared.

Gentleness is true, restraint is true, and unfathomable depth is also true.

"Congratulations, Master, on advancing to the second-ring Great Soul Master." The four bowed in unison, their respect even greater than before.

Lin Chen nodded slightly, his tone gentle and calm: "Thank you all for your hard work. Pack your things, we'll be heading back tomorrow."

The voice was as clear and melodious as before, but with a touch of soothing calmness, like the soft rustling of leaves in the wind, bringing a sense of peace to the listener.

No one asked him what his soul skill was, nor did anyone question why he absorbed the thousand-year soul ring so smoothly.

This employer has performed so many miracles that they've become accustomed to it.

The next morning, the group embarked on their return journey.

After breaking through to the second ring, Lin Chen's physical strength, soul power endurance, and perception range all increased significantly. He could clearly perceive every rustle of grass within a kilometer; and he could travel for half a day without showing the slightest fatigue.

On the return journey, he didn't waste a single moment.

He honed his soul skills quietly along the way.

As he passed through the dense forest, he casually scattered parasitic seeds, hiding them among tree trunks, rocks, and grass, creating an invisible detection network. Within a radius of a thousand meters, any appearance of a soul beast or fluctuation of soul power would be immediately detected by him.

When he encounters a low-level soul beast that doesn't know its place and blocks his way, he doesn't need to say a word. He only needs to activate the seeds buried along the way with a thought. The fine vines will instantly wrap around the soul beast's limbs, silently drawing away some of its strength, and the soul beast will retreat on its own.

He remained completely calm throughout, without even noticing the four Soul Masters beside him.

Old Chen was still wondering, "That's strange. Usually, there are a lot of low-level soul beasts on this road, so why is it so quiet today? There hasn't been a single one blocking my way."

Old Zhao scratched his head: "Maybe we were just lucky?"

Han Chong frowned and looked around, but didn't notice anything unusual. He assumed that a high-level soul beast had recently passed by and scared away the low-level soul beasts.

No one expected that the smooth journey was all thanks to the young owner, who seemed to be leisurely enjoying the scenery in the middle, who secretly and quietly took care of everything.

During the more than ten-day return journey, Lin Chen honed the four characteristics of life parasitism to a higher level of proficiency.

From initially sowing dozens of seeds at a time, to later being able to plant hundreds of dormant seeds at once; from imprisoning low-level soul beasts for a breath, to being able to reliably imprison them for more than three breaths.

His soul power refinement was also steadily improving. He firmly suppressed his level 22 cultivation, not rushing to break through. Instead, he repeatedly nurtured his martial soul and tempered his meridians, making his foundation even stronger.

[Knowledge base is updated synchronously:]

Millennium Soul Beast Compendium: 46%

Botanical texts: 88%

Basic Pharmaceutics: 74%

In-depth analysis of mental power (duration: 16 minutes)

Daily high-intensity computation limit: 16 times

It has made steady progress in all aspects, with no shortcomings whatsoever.

That afternoon, in the distance, the majestic city walls of Tiandou City finally came into view at the edge of the horizon.

High walls stretched endlessly, city towers stood tall, and the official road was bustling with carriages and horses, with merchants and travelers coming and going in an endless stream. The lively atmosphere could be felt from miles away.

It's back after nearly a month.

After entering the city, the carriage drove straight to Qinghe Hall in the south of the city.

As soon as I arrived at the alley entrance, I saw three or four horse-drawn carts parked at the door, with workers carrying medicine boxes in and out, some doing accounting, some checking the goods, and some handling orders—a scene of bustling activity.

The faint sounds of machinery could be heard from the workshop in the courtyard. Thirty workers worked in two shifts, and the assembly line ran day and night, but it still couldn't keep up with the speed of order growth.

"Boss, you're back!"

The waiter guarding the door was both surprised and delighted to see Lin Chen, and immediately bowed in greeting.

The news spread quickly, and the accountant and the workshop manager rushed over to pay their respects, their faces beaming with joy.

Old Chen quickly flipped through the account books for the past two weeks and reported to Lin Chen with a smile, "Boss, business has picked up quite a bit while we were away. More than a dozen towns in the surrounding area have come to talk about becoming agents. At this rate, the monthly profit could easily exceed four thousand gold coins next month."

Lin Chen nodded slightly, his expression calm, showing no surprise whatsoever.

He glanced up and swept his eyes across the streets and alleys, his gaze sweeping over a few pharmacies in the distance that displayed signs for other businesses.

Qinghetang expanded too quickly.

It only took a little over six months for his monthly income to go from a few hundred gold coins to three thousand gold coins. Most of the small and medium-sized pharmacies in the south and west of the city have signed exclusive cooperation agreements, and their market share is being eroded more and more.

If you take away someone else's cake, you can't stay safe forever.

The three major pharmaceutical giants of Tiandou City—Baicaotang, Huichunge, and Wanyaotang—have probably already taken notice of Qinghetang, this dark horse.

A business war that will sweep the entire city is about to begin.

However, he is now more confident.

With his mastery of the second-ring Soul Master realm, the hidden trump card of life parasitism, and his steadily growing wealth and connections, he had enough resources to weather the storms to come.

"Disperse, everyone. Go back to your posts," Lin Chen said calmly, then turned and walked into the backyard.

The sycamore trees in the central courtyard have sprouted new branches, and the medicinal herb garden in the courtyard is growing well, with the fragrance of plants spreading in the wind.

He stood on the steps, and two spirit rings flashed past his feet, so fast it was like an illusion.

The Second Ring Road is just the beginning.

The third spirit ring, breaking the deadlock in the business war, the layout of spirit guide materials, and even further plans for the Soul Devouring Carving Knife and Ilex are all waiting ahead.

The road ahead is still long.

He has plenty of patience, taking things one step at a time, steadily and surely.

Just like the blue silver grass taking root, it grows silently, but one day it will spread into a vast forest that no one can ignore.

The evening breeze rustled through the grass and trees in the courtyard.

The young man's gentle figure stood in the twilight, peaceful and reserved, like a tree growing quietly.

The storm in Tiandou City is about to truly break out.