Deep in the Sunset Forest, at the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well.
The red and white spring waters converged in the pool, sending up two distinctly different mists. The air here was extremely volatile. Ordinary plants couldn't survive, and only the Immortal Herbs, blessed by the heavens and earth, could flourish here in all their glory.
Yu Tianyu stood by the spring, bare-chested. His muscles were sharply defined, and he exuded a faintly ferocious aura.
It was the lingering might left behind after he absorbed the six-hundred-year Iron-Armored Poison Flood Dragon Spirit Ring.
"Phew..."
He let out a long breath, his gaze fixed on the two Immortal Herbs at the center of the spring.
On the left was a snow-white, eight-pointed plant that radiated bone-chilling cold: the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass. On the right was a plant that resembled a fiery spirit, with an apricot-like fruit at its tip flickering with flames: the Infernal Delicate Apricot.
"Even with my poison resistance maxed out, there's still some risk in taking the brunt of these two Ultimate Attributes."
Yu Tianyu narrowed his eyes, then curled his lips into a defiant smile.
"But if I'm not even willing to take this little risk, how can I talk about slaying dragons in a world full of cheats?"
A Dragon Slayer Mage's body was made to devour extreme elements!
Without a moment's hesitation,
Yu Tianyu's hands were instantly covered in dark red dragon scales. He reached out with both hands and, without even using jade tools, yanked both Immortal Herbs out of the ground with his bare hands!
Extreme cold and extreme heat surged into his palms.
His left hand froze over, while his right turned black and charred.
"Eat!"
He roared and shoved both Immortal Herbs into his mouth. He barely chewed before forcing them down.
"BOOM—!!!"
Two wildly potent medicinal forces erupted in his belly, like an ice bomb and a fire bomb going off at the same time.
Yu Tianyu's expression became a sight to behold.
In an instant, frost covered his eyebrows and hair, as if he'd been thrown into an ancient ice cavern. The next moment, his skin turned red as a boiled shrimp, and the sweat that surfaced evaporated into white steam.
Red and blue light surged through his body in a frenzy, as if trying to tear his organs to pieces.
"Ugh—"
Yu Tianyu groaned and dropped to one knee, gritting his teeth as blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.
It hurt!
The pain cut to the bone!
But he didn't retreat. Instead, he forced the Soul Power in his body to circulate, guiding the raging energy through him.
"Refine... it all!!!"
Before his consciousness could fade, Yu Tianyu gathered the last of his strength and leapt—
"SPLASH!"
He plunged straight into the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well!
The spring water entered his body, and its extreme properties clashed perfectly with the medicinal power within him.
The violent energy that had threatened to tear him apart began to grow docile under the spring water's suppression. Bit by bit, it seeped into Yu Tianyu's bones, meridians, muscles, and even every cell in his body.
It was a transformation that remade him from the inside out.
This wasn't just a strengthening of his body. It was also a baptism for his Dragon Slayer Magic Martial Soul.
Time passed slowly.
Bubbles rose from the spring, and after a long while, everything fell still.
Who knew how much time had passed?
"SPLASH!"
A rush of water broke the valley's silence.
A figure shot out of the spring and landed steadily on the rocks by the bank.
It was Yu Tianyu.
He looked completely different now.
His once-pale skin had become as smooth and resilient as jade, with a faint gleam of treasure. His build hadn't grown exaggerated, but every muscle seemed to hold explosive power.
His eyes were the most striking feature.
His left eye was as deep as an icy abyss, and his right burned like the blazing sun. The vertical pupils at their centers had grown even sharper, as if a true Dragon King were looking down upon the world.
"So this is... the Ice and Fire Golden Body?"
Yu Tianyu clenched his fist, feeling the power surging through him like a mighty river.
He casually picked up a sharp rock and dragged it across his arm.
"Screee—"
Sparks flew! It hadn't even left a white mark!
"Immune to water and fire, impervious to all poisons."
Yu Tianyu smiled with satisfaction. "From now on, I could probably bathe in lava without a problem."
His body wasn't the only thing that had grown stronger. He could feel that his Dragon Slayer Magic Power had also undergone a subtle transformation. Though he hadn't awakened Ice and Fire Dual Dragon Mode yet, his resistance to fire and ice had already reached its peak.
"Now that my physical strength has improved this much, I should try that move..."
Yu Tianyu looked at a massive granite boulder nearby. Dugu Bo usually used it to test his moves. It was incredibly hard.
He slowly lowered his center of gravity and took a deep breath.
His First Spirit Ring—the deep yellow, six-hundred-year ring—rose slowly from beneath his feet.
"ROAR—"
A low Dragon Roar sounded within him.
It wasn't Fire Dragon's Roar, but a growl tainted with a foul, frigid aura.
The resentment and power of the six-hundred-year Iron-Armored Poison Flood Dragon had long since been tamed by Dragon Slayer Magic, becoming his sharpest fangs.
"First Spirit Skill..."
Yu Tianyu's right leg tensed abruptly.
The Soul Power covering his body rushed toward his right leg. Purple-black poison mist burst out, instantly enveloping it.
The mist wasn't an illusion. It condensed into what looked like solid Dragon Scale Armor, as if a massive Poison Dragon's claw had attached itself to his leg.
Poison!
Power!
Pierce!
"Poison Dragon's—"
Yu Tianyu stamped down, and the ground split apart. He shot into the air like an arrow loosed from a bow, then spun sharply, using the power of his waist and abdomen to lash his poison-wreathed right leg at the granite boulder!
"SPIRAL JAW!!!"
This was Cobra's signature move from Fairy Tail, and also the most powerful single-target attack the Poison Flood Dragon had granted him in this life.
"BOOM!!!"
A deafening explosion rang out.
The several-meter-high granite boulder burst apart beneath Yu Tianyu's foot as if it were made of tofu!
But that wasn't all.
The shattered stones didn't scatter in every direction. The moment they touched the force of his kick, the purple-black energy corroded them into black dust!
Even the fragments that flew away sizzled as they hit the ground, burning little pits into it.
"Phew..."
Yu Tianyu landed steadily and dispersed the Soul Power around his leg.
Looking at the wreckage before him, he raised the corners of his mouth.
"Not bad."
"The Poison Dragon Factor's energy is highly concentrated in the leg. It grants tremendous physical destructive power and adds a potent corrosive poison."
"Anyone hit by this kick—even a defensive Soul Elder—would have their bones go soft in an instant, then have the poison attack their heart."
That was the quality of a six-hundred-year Sub-Dragon Spirit Ring!
The Spiral Jaw perfectly transformed the flood dragon's formidable tail strength into a leg technique. Combined with the properties of Dragon Slayer Magic, it was far more powerful than an ordinary hundred-year Spirit Skill.
"Now, even if I run into a powerful Strength-type Spirit Master, I can give them a run for their money with nothing but hand-to-hand combat. I won't even need Fire Dragon's Roar."
Yu Tianyu rolled his ankle, pleased with how it felt.
Just then, a rush of wind sounded.
"Tianyu?!"
Dugu Yan's anxious voice came from the valley entrance.
A green figure rushed over right after, moving like the wind. It was Dugu Bo.
It was the weekend, and they had come to pick Yu Tianyu up as promised. They'd heard an explosion as soon as they reached the entrance, and feared something had gone wrong.
But when they rushed into the valley and saw the boy standing amid a pile of rubble, bare-chested and unharmed, the grandfather and granddaughter both froze.
Yu Tianyu's skin was now clear and jade-like. His aura was restrained, but he gave off an intensely dangerous feeling, like a young dragon dozing before it suddenly pounced on its prey.
"Y-you ate those two plants?!"
Dugu Bo spotted the empty place at the center of the spring, and his eyes nearly bulged out of his head.
Those were poisons even he wouldn't dare touch!
"I did."
Yu Tianyu turned around, casually picked up his clothes, and draped them over his shoulders. He looked completely unbothered. "The taste was a little strong. Remember to bring some sugar next time."
"..." Dugu Bo opened his mouth, but found himself at a loss for words.
Was this kid really complaining that they tasted bad?
"Grandpa, look at his aura..." Dugu Yan noticed something was different. "He seems... stronger than last week. And his skin..."
Dugu Yan instinctively reached for Yu Tianyu's arm, but he caught her hand.
"Careful."
Yu Tianyu gave her a teasing smile. "I've just refined the Ice and Fire Power inside me. If you touch me carelessly, you might burn those pretty hands of yours."
Dugu Yan blushed and quickly pulled her hand back, glaring at him with feigned annoyance. "W-who said I wanted to touch you? You're so full of yourself!"
Watching them, Dugu Bo shook his head helplessly. He could feel that the Poison Dragon aura within Yu Tianyu had grown purer, even making the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor inside him feel a hint of fear.
"A monster... You really are a monster."
Dugu Bo sighed, but he was also relieved. "Since you're still alive, pack up and let's go. The academy's been lively these past few days. That girl Ye Lingling seems to have been asking about you."
At the sound of that name, a glint flashed through Yu Tianyu's eyes.
"Ye Lingling, huh..."
"Looks like it's time to make my second move."
He straightened his clothes and headed for the valley entrance.
His First Spirit Ring was set, and he'd cultivated the Ice and Fire Golden Body.
Next, he'd show those so-called geniuses what true—Dimensional Reduction Strike looked like!
Before you continue