Dugu's Recovery, Choosing a Third Soul Ring

Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.

Yu Mingfei sat relaxed on the shore of the Divine Spring.

One leg was bent, his foot resting on a rock, while the other hung down, his ankle submerged in the spring water.

Under his control, his slender dragon tail, white-scaled and red-maned, was also spread out in the spring water.

The end of his dragon tail curled around a jade vat, which swayed at the meeting point of the Extreme Cold Yin Spring and the Blazing Yang Spring.

At that moment, Dugu Yan lay inside the jade vat carved entirely from Azure Separation Jade. Her eyes were tightly closed, her body curled up, with everything below her neck submerged in a blood-red liquid.

The mist rising from the Yin Spring and Yang Spring enveloped Dugu Yan, helping her absorb the medicinal effects contained within the Immortal Herbs in her body and the bloody liquid.

Dugu Bo slowly walked behind Yu Mingfei.

He crouched down and looked uneasily at the young man beside him.

"Mingfei, is Yanyan really going to be all right like this?"

Yu Mingfei repeatedly rubbed the tip of the dragon horn on his forehead with his index finger. His eyes were half-closed, his Golden Eyes veiled, but his tone was certain.

"Don't worry. My Dragon Blood contains the medicinal effects of the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and Infernal Delicate Apricot. With the Dragon Blood acting as a buffer, the mist from the Divine Spring alone can't harm Dugu Yan."

As he spoke, he flicked his dragon tail, making the Azure Separation Jade vat spin in the spring water and causing the mist from the Yin Spring and Yang Spring to thicken further.

"Under the stimulation of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, she'll absorb the Water Lily Jade Muscle Bone much faster.

"Once she absorbs all the energy contained in the Dragon Blood, it won't be a big deal even if she wants to drink this Divine Spring like water."

Dugu Bo was briefly speechless.

"Uh... I wasn't expecting that much."

Having heard something beyond his understanding, he could not help muttering softly.

"This terrifying spring can be drunk?"

Yu Mingfei chuckled and continued, "After this tempering, Dugu Yan's Martial Soul will also be fully repaired.

"Although the toxins accumulated in her body will be purified.

"The innate poison of her Martial Soul won't disappear. If she still wants to follow the path of a poison Soul Master and inherit your legacy, she can simply cultivate Poison Arts again.

"With the Immortal Herbs tempering her body, she can be considered immune to all poisons. Her toxins won't go out of control like before."

Dugu Bo's expression became somewhat complicated upon hearing that answer.

Having watched his Granddaughter walk the line between life and death, he no longer wanted her to continue cultivating Poison Arts.

But his Granddaughter had been right before. Seventy percent of an Azure Phosphorus Snake Spirit Master's strength lay in poison.

Without poison, they were like tigers and leopards stripped of their fangs and claws.

Yu Mingfei had anticipated this and comforted him.

"What's there to fear? Not to mention she'll be immune to all poisons in the future, even if she doesn't want to take the path of a poison Soul Master, she can develop in other directions.

"Drugs aren't limited to lethal poisons.

"I remember that your Jade Phosphorous Serpent Martial Soul can incorporate external toxins into Soul Skills, right?

"Develop some powerful sedatives, laxatives, or control-type poisons.

"Just like when I used Azure Phosphorus Flower pollen with flames to paralyze the beast horde.

"It'll still be plenty intimidating."

Dugu Bo's eyes lit up, his thoughts instantly racing.

Since Yu Mingfei had guaranteed that his Granddaughter would be fine, he stopped worrying.

He asked eagerly, "There are Azure Phosphorus Flowers in the Star Dou Great Forest?

"What about Azure Phosphorus Seven Absolute Flowers?"

Yu Mingfei thought for a moment, then shook his head.

"There are Azure Phosphorus Flowers, but I've never seen Azure Phosphorus Seven Absolute Flowers. Maybe they're elsewhere."

Dugu Bo was not disappointed. He nodded and said, "No matter. Azure Phosphorus Flowers are good too. When I have time, I'll look for some and transplant them for Yanyan."

Dugu Bo committed the matter to memory, then looked at Yu Mingfei's dragon tail and dragon horns.

"Mingfei, are there any hidden dangers in the changes to your body?"

The poison of those two Immortal Herbs had been far too terrifying. Not to mention that Yu Mingfei had soaked in the spring water for three days and three nights, followed by the phenomenon of Twin Dragons Coil the Sky.

Even now, Dugu Bo still felt lingering fear.

"There are no aftereffects. This is a good change." Yu Mingfei smiled calmly and continued, "My Martial Soul evolved from a worthless dragon into the Ice Flame Dragon King.

"Because the bloodline is too powerful, it permanently altered my body. It's equivalent to being in a constant state of Martial Soul Possession.

"It's no big deal.

"I like it."

Only after hearing Yu Mingfei say that did Dugu Bo finally relax.

The fleeting phantom of the twin dragons still left him with lingering dread.

And he could sense a similar aura from Yu Mingfei.

Yu Mingfei wore a smile of complete satisfaction.

At every moment, he could feel two opposing yet mutually generating forces within his surging blood slowly merging into his body.

It gave him a strange sense of fulfillment.

[Word Spirit: Lord Flame], the Word Spirit he had previously been unable to use independently due to insufficient bloodline, had been completely unsealed and become his Second Soul Skill.

His first Soul Skill, acceleration, had also mutated into [Word Spirit: Instant].

The difference between the two was like heaven and earth.

[Word Spirit: Instant] could greatly enhance the user's speed, with each stage increasing by powers of two.

The first stage doubled his speed, the second stage quadrupled it, and so on.

Once Yu Mingfei developed Instant to higher levels, so long as his thought speed could keep up, he would be unstoppable in close combat.

Besides his Martial Soul Evolution and the mutations of his two Soul Skills.

The Ice Fire Dragon King's power was simply too immense, and Yu Mingfei was temporarily unable to absorb it all.

Most of that power remained dormant within his body.

With the aid of World-shattering Wisdom, Yu Mingfei developed the skill [Blood Rage].

It could use Soul Rings to bear the burden and temporarily unlock some of the power Yu Mingfei could not control.

[Blood Rage] differed from [Bloodline Refinement].

If each stage of bloodline advancement were compared to a flight of ten steps.

Then [Bloodline Refinement] was equivalent to letting Yu Mingfei stand on the first step of that flight.

[Blood Rage], meanwhile, let him place his other foot on the final step, briefly wielding all the bloodline power of that stage.

In other words, each time Yu Mingfei obtained a Soul Ring, he could undergo Bloodline Refinement and release a portion of the Ice Fire Dragon King's power.

And every Soul Ring was also a key to activating Blood Rage.

It was equivalent to each of Yu Mingfei's Soul Rings having one more active enhancement Soul Skill than those of other Soul Masters.

As long as his body could withstand it, one day Yu Mingfei would completely master the Ice Fire Dragon King's power.

He would gather the Dragon King's mighty power into himself.

"Dugu Bo."

Yu Mingfei suddenly spoke.

"Go ahead."

The green-haired old man gathered his thoughts and immediately replied.

"My Soul Power has reached level thirty.

"Help me find suitable Soul Beasts, preferably with ice or water attributes.

"In a few days, come Soul Hunting with me."

Yu Mingfei did not hold back in ordering Dugu Bo around.

It was as though he truly regarded the other man as his subordinate.

And Dugu Bo found it perfectly natural.

He thought seriously for a moment, then looked at Yu Mingfei.

"For ice- and water-attributed Soul Beasts, it's best to go near lakes or the sea.

"There are some in the Sunset Forest too, but they may not suit you.

"We can head north, near Skywater Academy. There are many ice- and water-attributed Soul Beasts there.

"Any other requirements?"

Yu Mingfei lowered his bent leg and submerged it in the spring alongside the other, feeling the stimulation of ice and fire extremes.

He spoke casually.

"The age can be higher. My body has been tempered, so absorbing beyond my level won't be a problem.

"Try to find an attack-type Soul Beast. Strength or speed will do."

Dugu Bo nodded in reply.

"Understood. I'll go ask around at Heaven Dou Royal Academy."

After Dugu Bo left.

At the point where the cold and hot spring waters met.

The girl had absorbed the Dragon Blood that had submerged her body.

A thin layer of blood scab formed across her skin.

She gave a soft moan and opened her eyes.

The first thing she saw was the young man on the shore washing his feet.

Yu Mingfei opened his Golden Eyes, and their gazes met.

Dugu Yan broke into a smile.

"Awake?"