After passing through the last layer of nauseating poison miasma, the view before them suddenly opened up.
It was as if they had stepped out of a dark, damp hell and into a dazzling, otherworldly paradise.
Before them, there were no longer withered vines and ancient trees, but strange flowers and rare herbs growing unchecked throughout the valley.
Some resembled jade, their entire forms a lush, dripping green.
Others looked like blazing flames, burning with a crimson radiance.
Some exhaled purple clouds, while others shimmered with silvery light like the stars.
Every plant seemed to pulse with a life of its own, radiating a treasure-like glow of varying intensity. They illuminated the valley floor, which should have been dim, as brightly as day.
A riot of color, shimmering and radiant, beautiful to the point of seeming demonic.
But what shocked them most wasn't the riot of flowers and plants competing for attention. It was the lake they encircled at the center, like stars surrounding the moon.
It was an extraordinarily bizarre spring, yet so breathtakingly beautiful that it stole the breath away.
The spring was sharply divided into two parts that did not mingle.
One side was an icy, pure white. A faint mist of cold drifted over its surface, and even the light seemed to freeze the moment it entered the water. It emanated a chilling, lifeless aura.
The other side was a searing crimson. Ripples glimmered across the surface, as though lava were flowing beneath it. The air above twisted violently from the heat, blurring anything seen through it.
Red and white, extreme heat and extreme cold.
It was as if two enormous jade stones had been set into the earth—or like a giant eye of red and white, gazing coldly at the sky.
The life force in the air, so dense it was almost viscous, filled every inch of the valley. It was born from the collision, rising vapor, and blending of these two extremes of ice and fire.
"Just as I thought. This is the place."
Looking at the familiar sight before him, Gu Yuejin's lips curled into an amused smile.
"One of the legendary three great treasure basins: the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eyes."
"Or, to put it more simply—a natural hot pot."
Huo Yuhao: "..."
His master's description was certainly down-to-earth, but how could anyone look at this place and think it was meant for hot pot?
"Wow! The heaven and earth essence here is so dense!"
Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, who had been lying low in the Sea of Consciousness, was the first to pop out. His voice brimmed with astonishment, and he was practically drooling.
"If I'd slept here back then, I might've slept my way to two million years of cultivation!"
Right after him, two aloof figures appeared.
A deep look of surprise flickered in Snow Empress's icy blue eyes. She felt the unique chill in the air and furrowed her brow.
"How is this possible? How could a place in the mortal world give rise to such pure Extreme Ice and Extreme Fire..."
"And yet these two utterly opposed forces haven't exploded. Instead, they've reached a bizarre balance that nourishes all things."
Ice Empress was equally shocked. She took a deep breath, and even her spiritual body felt refreshed. "The energy density here is absurd! If that blockhead Yuhao could cultivate here, his physical strength would improve by leaps and bounds!"
"Don't just stand there marveling."
Gu Yuejin cut off the "Wisdom Soul Ring trio's" conversation and headed straight toward the spring with Huo Yuhao.
"Yuhao, stay close to me."
"This place looks beautiful, but danger lurks at every step."
The two followed a narrow path and soon reached the shore where the red and white springs met.
At the very heart of the area grew a peculiar, enormous flower.
It was pink, with pale purple stamens. It had no leaves, and its stem was three chi long. The flower itself was huge, a full chi in diameter. Each petal was translucent, as if carved from the finest rose quartz, and gave off a faint fragrance.
It grew there quietly, swaying gently in the water mist with an air of elegance and nobility.
Strangest of all, there was nothing else growing within a ten-zhang radius of it. The area was completely barren.
In a valley packed with vegetation, where every inch of soil was precious, that empty space stood out like a sore thumb, as if it were some kind of... untouchable territory.
"Master, that flower..."
Huo Yuhao activated Spiritual Detection and immediately sensed something amiss.
It wasn't just the enormous pink flower. Several plants in nearby spots were the same way.
Some were pitch-black all over, shaped like ghosts and radiating a chilling aura.
Others were as scarlet as fire, shaped like blazing suns, with the air around them burning.
They all had one thing in common: no weeds grew nearby, and the treasure-like radiance they gave off far surpassed that of the other plants, accompanied by a powerful spiritual fluctuation.
Those were the auras of hundred-thousand-year-old plant-type soul beasts!
"That's what we came to find."
Gu Yuejin fixed his gaze on the enormous pink flower, a glint flashing in his eyes.
Aromatic Silk Beauty.
Tang San's representative who stayed here. Her name was "Youyou."
In the Original Work, Huo Yuhao had to endure some ridiculous "Heart-Seeking Valley" trial, chat with these flowers and plants, and win their approval before he could get a few scraps.
But Gu Yuejin didn't have that kind of time.
He was here to stock up, not make friends.
"They're easy enough to spot. Saves me having to search for them one by one."
Gu Yuejin sneered. Without another word, he took a step forward.
Boom—!
Without warning, a terrifying Bloodline Power erupted from within him, so overwhelming it took one's breath away.
Body Martial Soul—activated!
"Crush them!"
Gu Yuejin gave a low shout. Golden light surged around him, the manifestation of Bloodline Power concentrated to its utmost.
An invisible field of force spread out from him in an instant, like Mount Tai bearing down from above, crushing toward the entire valley.
This wasn't a soul skill, but the pressure that formed when the Body Martial Soul reached an exceptionally high level, resembling a domain.
Gu Yuejin liked to call it—Bloodline Domain!
Under the heavy pressure, dense as lead and mercury, the air within a hundred meters seemed to solidify.
The Immortal Herbs, which had been stretching freely and vying for attention, were now so overwhelmed by the sheer physical pressure that they could barely lift their heads. Their branches and flowers trembled as though shivering in fear.
Even the enormous pink flower standing proudly in the Core Zone couldn't help but shudder. Its crystalline petals quivered violently, and it nearly bent under the weight.
"Who's there?!"
A panicked shriek rang out.
The pink flower, which had been swaying leisurely moments before, clearly hadn't expected anyone to break in—much less for them to skip all pleasantries and launch an attack right off the bat!
"How dare you, human! You dare cause trouble at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eyes!"
Youyou's voice sounded soft and sweet, but now it was filled with fear and anger.
As the "big sister" around here, she had never suffered such an indignity.
Worse still, the Bloodline Power radiating from her opponent filled her with instinctive fear, despite being a hundred-thousand-year-old Immortal Herb.
"What terrifying Bloodline Power... Did this guy grow up eating dragon meat?!"
Youyou was horrified. Her stamens shook violently.
Her enormous petals snapped shut, and a pink shield sprang into existence, attempting to withstand the domineering pressure.
At the same time, she swayed sharply, sending a pink glow straight toward the scorching Yangquan behind her.
"Don't think I'm an easy target! Take this!"
Splash—!
Under Youyou's control, the tranquil lake of fire instantly boiled.
A thick pillar of crimson light, carrying the aura of Extreme Fire, was drawn from the spring. Like an enraged fire dragon, it streaked through the air in a blazing arc and rushed straight toward Gu Yuejin!
This was a counterattack using the power of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eyes themselves!
"Oh, so you know how to use the terrain?"
Before you continue