Qian Renxue Lays Her Cards on the Table, Ice and Fire Golden Body

After giving her name, Qian Renxue paused for a moment, as if waiting for it to settle in the air.

She glanced at Lin Chen's expression. Although he looked somewhat surprised, his reaction was not nearly as strong as she had expected.

"You don't seem very surprised?"

"Uh... I am, I am." Lin Chen nodded, looking a little bewildered. "It's because I'm so surprised that I'm like this."

Qian Renxue paid his words no mind and continued, "I came to the Heaven Dou Empire for the identity of Xue Qinghe. As for my ultimate goal, it's simple: I want to become the emperor of the Heaven Dou Empire. In other words, I intend to seize power."

After explaining her mission, Qian Renxue told Lin Chen many other things, including some of the arrangements she had made in Heaven Dou City, and promised him certain benefits.

But although she said a great deal, it was all information Lin Chen already knew, so after listening for quite a while, he wasn't particularly shocked.

"That's all I have to say. I hope you'll keep your promise. Don't forget your current position. If I'm exposed, I can return to Spirit Hall, but the same may not be true for you."

Qian Renxue stood up, walked over to him, and looked down at him. "In short, I'm telling you all this because I want you to understand one thing: we're grasshoppers tied to the same rope now."

"If you dare reveal my identity, I won't need to kill you. Emperor Xue Ye will have you arrested first. When that happens, the words 'I didn't know' won't be enough to explain yourself."

With that, Qian Renxue had finally revealed everything. She gave Lin Chen a smile. "Is there anything else you want to ask?"

"N-no, nothing." Lin Chen shook his head like a pellet drum.

Seeing the pitiful look on Lin Chen's face, Qian Renxue finally curved her lips into a faint smile, as if he had amused her.

She stood up, brushed the bits of grass from her robes, and spoke with a smile. "Now that you know who I am, I'll say this again. In public, you'll still call me Brother Xue. I need to use the identity of Xue Qinghe for a few more years."

She turned her head and gave Lin Chen a serious look. "Did you hear me clearly?"

"Ah... yes, I did." Lin Chen nodded, then shook his head. "Then from now on, I'll call you Sister Xue in private."

"You!" Qian Renxue glared at Lin Chen, looking somewhat helpless. "Forget it. In private, call me whatever you like. Anyway, if you dare reveal my identity, I'll make sure you wish you were dead."

"Then I'd better not. I still want to live a few more years." Lin Chen shook his head and looked at Qian Renxue pitifully. "Sister Xue, since I'm one of your people now, could you find me a few Immortal Herbs to eat?"

Qian Renxue looked at Lin Chen, a strange expression all over her face. "Why do I get the feeling you're not afraid at all?"

"Hehe, because I know that as long as I behave, Sister Xue won't do anything to me."

Lin Chen scratched his head and spoke with a smile, as though nothing had happened. "Then I'll go refine the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and the Infernal Delicate Apricot first. Sister Xue, could you help me look for a suitable Immortal Herb?"

Qian Renxue froze for a moment and sighed helplessly. "Go on, then. The Ice and Fire Golden Body is very dangerous. Are you sure you'll be all right?"

Lin Chen nodded. "I've already absorbed a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring, so my body should definitely be strong enough to withstand it. Besides, with the two Immortal Herbs protecting me, there shouldn't be too much danger."

"Then give it a try. If you can't bear it, I'll do my best to fish you out of the lake." Qian Renxue nodded and spoke helplessly.

Lin Chen scratched his head. "It's a deal, then. After I come out, I still want to absorb an Immortal Herb."

Qian Renxue froze and looked at him with an expression that seemed to say, "Aren't you being a little too carefree?" Even so, she said, "First survive the Ice and Fire Golden Body. Then we'll talk."

"Phew... here I go, then." Lin Chen let out a breath. Under Qian Renxue's gaze, he picked the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and the Infernal Delicate Apricot at the same time, then swallowed both Immortal Herbs in one mouthful.

The two Immortal Herbs had counteracted each other, losing their earlier overbearing force. They melted the moment they entered his mouth, turning to liquid that flowed down his throat. Lin Chen felt his mouth water as a delicate fragrance filled it.

"They taste pretty good. I just hope everything goes smoothly from here." Before Lin Chen could react—

His body shuddered violently. Immediately afterward, a layer of icy blue rose straight up from his feet.

In the blink of an eye, his entire body had turned blue. Then a layer of red rose up in its place. As red and blue alternated, they cast a wondrous light over Lin Chen.

"Damn... I really did underestimate this stuff."

A wave of intense pain tore through Lin Chen's body, far surpassing any pain he had ever experienced. While he could still control his body, he staggered forward and leaped.

The Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well lay ahead. Lin Chen closed his eyes slightly, and under Qian Renxue's worried gaze, he fell toward the point where the Extreme Cold Yin Spring met the scorching Yang Spring.

With a splash, Lin Chen plunged into the spring and sank beneath its waters in an instant.

"He should be all right, shouldn't he?" Qian Renxue watched Lin Chen fall into the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, feeling somewhat uncertain.

"But Lin Chen really is strange. He's clearly just a child, yet he's unexpectedly rather mature." Qian Renxue watched his figure disappear into the lake, her thoughts once again churning.

Inside the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well

"Damn, why does it hurt so much?! The original did say it hurt, but it never said the pain was this ridiculous!"

Having read the original, Lin Chen knew about the immense pain brought on by the Ice and Fire Golden Body, but knowing and experiencing it were two entirely different things.

Only after eating the two extreme medicinal herbs did Lin Chen learn just how immense the pain he had to endure was.

Although the two forces of ice and fire had partially neutralized each other earlier, they began to churn wildly again after entering his body.

The medicinal power contained in immortal-grade herbs was terrifying. Ice and fire counteracted each other, and the force that erupted in an instant nearly overwhelmed Lin Chen and knocked him unconscious.

Fortunately, his physical constitution was extraordinary. Another Soul Master would probably have been knocked unconscious by the medicinal power in their body the moment they entered the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.

Within moments of falling into the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, where cold and heat mingled, Lin Chen was nearly driven senseless by the pain.

Because he had not passed out, Lin Chen could clearly feel the intense pain coming from within his body. It was beyond words, impossible to describe.

"No... this fucking hurts too much." As Lin Chen felt the intense pain in his body, his features twisted in agony.

But once an arrow left the bow, there was no turning it back. Even if Lin Chen regretted it now, there was nothing he could do but give it his all and absorb the immense medicinal power within him.