Within the small underground plaza, a cyan-blue barrier radiated bone-chilling cold. Around it, frigid mist churned violently. Looking in from outside, one could only vaguely make out the outline of a slight figure.
Hun Han's consciousness had already entered an unconscious, profoundly mysterious state. Even with his formidable soul perception, he was utterly exhausted at this moment. It felt as though his soul was about to drift out of his body.
As for that tiny cyan-blue ice crystal, it began circulating through his meridians as if no one were controlling it. Since the Nine Nether Wind Ice had already been refined by Hun Han, it did not release its terrifyingly low temperature.
At the same time, something seemed to break free from the earth within Hun Han's bloodline. Then, a warm force flowed out from his blood, nourishing his frost-cracked meridians.
Nourished by that warm force, the meridians within his body were like land after winter, slowly releasing threads of vitality. New meridians were born where the old ones had frozen and cracked. These meridians were remarkably unusual, displaying an icy blue color.
As that energy repaired him all the way through, his skin, bones, and organs were all filled with vitality once more. Their toughness far exceeded what it had been before he absorbed the Exotic Water.
"Next, I'll store the core water of the Nine Nether Wind Ice within the Nine-Orifice Spirit Nurturing Stone. The Exotic Water will then completely become my source water seed!"
At a certain moment, Hun Han's consciousness was finally able to gather again. With a thought, he controlled the tiny ice crystal moving through his meridians and drew it into the Nine-Orifice Spirit Nurturing Stone.
"It worked!"
Hun Han was overjoyed. With this, he had truly entered the ranks of the strong.
Looking inward at his qi vortex, it had now taken on the form of ice crystals. At first glance, it resembled an icy crystal cloud shaped like a qi vortex. It was exceptionally beautiful.
"Little fellow, it's time for me to say goodbye!"
The Exploding Heaven Gang's leader stared at Hun Han, regret in his eyes. What a pity. He would still not live to see the day Hun Han completely refined the Exotic Water.
Suddenly, ripples of energy appeared across the cyan-blue barrier that had remained quiet all this time. Immediately afterward, a powerful aura spread outward from within it.
"Huh? Why has his aura grown stronger? Could refining Exotic Water raise one's level?"
The Exploding Heaven Gang's leader looked at Hun Han in astonishment. Then something even more surprising happened. Centered around Hun Han, heavy snow actually began to fall. The surrounding temperature plummeted in an instant.
In fact, it was not only within this underground cavern. Even within ten miles outside, heavy snow began to fall. Heavy snow in the hottest days of summer—those unaware of the truth might have thought someone had died an unjust death!
"A phenomenon?"
The Exploding Heaven Gang's leader was stunned. He had consulted ancient texts, yet none of them recorded that absorbing Exotic Water could trigger a phenomenon of heaven and earth.
Faintly, the sound of a shackle breaking came from Hun Han's body.
The anomaly lasted a full ten minutes. After ten minutes, Hun Han opened his eyes. His pupils had actually turned cyan-blue, giving him a uniquely captivating charm.
"You are... Master?"
Rather than immediately displaying the Exotic Water, Hun Han first studied the old man seated before him. The old man's face was covered in wrinkles, while ice crystals had formed over his beard and hair. From his features, Hun Han could tell that this person was indeed the Exploding Heaven Gang's leader. However, the gang leader had completely changed his appearance. His snowy-white hair was neatly tied up with a hairpin, and instead of his beggar's clothes, he wore a pale moon-white robe.
"Mhm."
The Exploding Heaven Gang's leader nodded, looking at Hun Han with satisfaction. "I can see that you've grown much stronger. Release your aura and let me sense your current cultivation!"
"Alright."
Hun Han nodded slightly and tensed his body. Then, an aura many times stronger than before surged out from within him.
"Huh?" The Exploding Heaven Gang's leader raised his brows and said in surprise, "Your aura has actually reached the level of an eight-star Dou Zhe."
"An eight-star Dou Zhe?" Hun Han froze briefly before delight surfaced on his face.
After refining the Exotic Water, his cultivation had risen even more terrifyingly than Xiao Yan's. In the original story, after Xiao Yan refined the Green Lotus Core Flame, his cultivation rose from a two-star Dou Zhe to a four-star Dou Zhe. Hun Han, meanwhile, had risen from a one-star Dou Zhe to an eight-star Dou Zhe.
For a talented Dou Zhe, advancing from a one-star Dou Zhe to an eight-star Dou Zhe would be impossible without three to five years. Yet Hun Han had done it in merely three days.
"Not only that, Master. My body has also been strengthened!" Hun Han said joyfully.
"Your body?" The Exploding Heaven Gang's leader was slightly taken aback, then instructed, "Show me a couple of punches!"
"Yes, Master!"
Hun Han scanned his surroundings, spotted a remaining corner of the elevated platform ahead, and walked over. Raising his fist, he threw a punch at the ruined platform.
Overlord Fist
The entire cavern shook violently. The ruined platform was instantly smashed into powder by Hun Han's fist. Even the air was rubbed into dazzling sparks.
At this point, the power of the growth-type Overlord Fist in his hands was already comparable to an Earth-tier Low-grade combat technique.
"A Dou Wang!" The Exploding Heaven Gang's leader clicked his tongue in amazement.
"A Dou Wang? Master, do you mean my physical strength now possesses the combat power of a Dou Wang?" Hun Han asked excitedly. Of course, he had no idea that his Primordial Sacred Body had already broken through its first shackle.
The Primordial Sacred Body was humanity's strongest battle physique. In the primordial era, it was a physique favored by heaven and earth, easy to cultivate and capable of challenging supreme beings once fully developed. After the primordial era, however, the laws of heaven and earth changed, and the Sacred Body was no longer suited for cultivation. It was cursed by heaven and earth, making cultivation extremely difficult. To cultivate, one had to break through nine shackles. At present, Hun Han had only broken through the first.
"Mhm. Cough, cough, cough!" The Exploding Heaven Gang's leader nodded before coughing violently several times.
"Master, what's wrong?" Hun Han asked with concern.
"Alright, try out your Exotic Water!" The Exploding Heaven Gang's leader did not answer him, instead urging Hun Han on curiously.
"Mhm." Unconcealable excitement rose on Hun Han's face. With a flip of his empty right hand and a thought, he called softly, "Nine Nether Wind Ice, appear!"
As Hun Han's cry fell, a transparent cyan-blue ice crystal floated above his palm. The surrounding temperature abruptly dropped.
"In my lifetime, I've finally lived to see someone refine this beast! Cough... cough... cough!" The Exploding Heaven Gang's leader coughed violently several times. Ice crystals rapidly condensed over his body at a rate visible to the naked eye.
"Master!" Hun Han cried out anxiously and hurriedly withdrew the Nine Nether Wind Ice.
"Little fellow, don't be sad. Everyone has a day when they die!" the Exploding Heaven Gang's leader consoled him.
"Die?"
Hun Han furrowed his brows deeply and asked solemnly, "Master, who are you? Are you about to die?"
The Exploding Heaven Gang's leader nodded faintly, though the movement appeared rather difficult for him.
Hun Han questioned in disbelief, "How could that be? You're a Dou Emperor!"
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