Half an hour later.
The dark gold glow slowly receded.
Ye Linyuan's right palm looked no different from before.
But when he activated the Soul Bone—
Clang!
The five short dagger-like claws that had originally belonged to the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger were now more than twice as long.
Each one was a full foot long and even more robust.
The originally black claws had also turned dark gold, their surfaces gleaming with a metallic luster.
They were so sharp that they seemed capable of tearing through anything!
Du Busi stared at the five claws, his eyes burning.
Just looking at them, he could sense the terrifying attack power contained within those claws.
A thought crossed Ye Linyuan's mind.
The five dark gold claws instantly retracted, then sprang out again in an instant, astonishingly fast.
He suddenly thought of something and murmured, "If I activate my first Soul Skill, Wind Thunder Flash Strike, while using the Dark Gold Terrorclaw..."
Before he could finish speaking—
Ye Linyuan suddenly vanished.
Boom!
A streak of bluish-purple lightning flashed past.
With a crisp clang, the enormous boulder beside them, wide enough to require two people to encircle it, suddenly let out a clear scraping sound.
Before Du Busi's stunned gaze, it gradually separated into five layers and slid to the ground.
The cuts were smooth as mirrors, as though they had been made by a divine weapon.
Du Busi's pupils contracted slightly.
The power of Ye Linyuan's attack was likely already comparable to that of a four-ringed assault-type Soul Ancestor!
And his speed was enough to rival that of a four-ringed agility-type Soul Ancestor!
Seeing the results of his attack, Ye Linyuan was equally thrilled.
Was this the legendary double A in strength and speed?
That felt amazing!
Du Busi gave him a long look and sighed. "A six-year-old Soul Grandmaster, Twin Martial Souls, a thousand-year second Soul Ring, Life Gold, and an External Soul Bone from the Dark Gold Terrorclaw."
"Lin Yuan, the harvest from this trip may well surpass what many Soul Masters gain in an entire lifetime!"
Ye Linyuan modestly replied, "It was all thanks to your accurate intelligence, Teacher."
Du Busi burst into laughter. "Let's go. Time to head back and forge your body!"
With a flash of green light, the two figures instantly vanished from the canyon, heading straight for the Heaven Dou Empire.
Sunset Forest.
Ice Fire Yin Yang Well.
"Lin Yuan, have you made up your mind?"
"Although Life Gold can replenish your losses and help you recover from injuries quickly."
"With the temperatures of this Ice Fire Spring, the pain produced during body forging will be far from as simple as you imagine."
"If your mind collapses during the process of body forging, then..."
Du Busi did not finish his sentence.
But the gravity in his eyes had already made the danger of the matter clear.
Ye Linyuan's gaze was firm as he said in a low voice, "The Dark Demon Evil God Tiger has always been regarded as an ominous beast by Soul Masters across the continent."
"The dangers I may face in the future will certainly not be any easier than forging my body in the Ice Fire Yin Yang Well."
"If I cannot overcome even the difficulties before me, how will I face the dangers outside in the future?"
Du Busi fell silent for a moment.
He did not know that Ye Linyuan's true hypothetical enemy was actually a certain Lord Buddha, so he found it difficult to understand why Ye Linyuan was driving himself so desperately.
But since his disciple possessed such resolve, he naturally would not pour cold water on him.
"Every disciple of our Body Sect follows a different path of cultivation."
"Since you have made up your mind, then do it. As your teacher, I will naturally support you with everything I have."
Ye Linyuan nodded heavily. "Thank you, Teacher!"
He turned to look at the spring at the center of the Ice Fire Yin Yang Well.
Thick mist hung above the ice spring, making it resemble a tranquil piece of cold jade.
The fire spring was the exact opposite. Every so often, a gurgling bubble rose and burst, releasing steam-like heat that distorted the air above it.
Ye Linyuan took a deep breath, then suddenly leaped into the center of the Ice Fire Spring!
Splash!
Red and white water erupted at the same time.
An odor like scorched flesh immediately spread through the air.
Du Busi's eye twitched slightly, and his fists unconsciously clenched.
Because he could clearly see that the half of Ye Linyuan's body submerged in the fire spring was turning red all over at a visible rate, like a boiled shrimp.
A scorched-black color immediately surfaced across his skin.
That strange odor was coming from this half of his body.
The other half of his body, meanwhile, was swiftly covered by a layer of frost.
It seemed that if this frost were shattered, the flesh beneath it would break apart like an ice sculpture.
At the instant he entered the spring, Ye Linyuan had not actually felt intense pain.
He had only felt the right side of his body suddenly stiffen and lose all sensation, while the left side merely felt slightly hot.
But three seconds later, the terrifying cold and heat contained in the Ice Fire Spring surged through every pore of his body and began invading him violently!
At that instant—
Even with Ye Linyuan's mature soul from two lifetimes, he had the urge to scream himself hoarse.
The half of his body immersed in the cold spring felt as though countless black iron needles buried in ice were continuously stabbing and gouging him from within, causing unbearable piercing pain.
The half in the fire spring felt like it had been thrown into the oil cauldron of the legendary eighteen levels of hell.
The blazing sensation bored through every inch of muscle and bone, making him feel as though he were being roasted alive.
The two utterly different forms of pain crashed into his mind like a tsunami, trying to destroy his will.
But at that moment, a dazzling cyan light suddenly shone from Ye Linyuan's chest.
Thump! Thump!
Dense life energy erupted and instantly engulfed his entire body.
This life energy was like a combination of potent nutrient solution, sedatives, and healing medicine, rapidly repairing Ye Linyuan's ravaged body.
His turbulent spiritual space also quickly stabilized with the replenishment of this life essence, restoring clarity to the consciousness that had grown hazy from the agony.
Ye Linyuan opened his eyes, intense lingering fear flashing through them.
What a terrifying Ice Fire Spring!
The temperatures and energy within it were even more violent than he had anticipated!
Fortunately, he had entered only after obtaining Life Gold. Without a massive amount of life energy to replenish his losses—
Forget forging his body. The moment he entered, he would have been seriously injured!
After confirming that he would not die in there, Ye Linyuan endured the intense pain and began recalling the methods of the Cold Sun Forging Heart Art:
"Let the heart be as clear as ice; even if heaven falls, remain unshaken. Let the body be like a furnace; even if the earth boils, remain unmoved..."
As Ye Linyuan began circulating his Soul Power according to the method, his Nine-Orifice Exquisite Heart was gradually guided by that force.
Its originally rapid and powerful beating suddenly paused, then began changing its rhythm.
Thump! Thump-thump! Thump-thump-thump!
Under this unique rhythm, the blood and vitality within Ye Linyuan that had been suppressed by the ice and fire powers seemed to gather and concentrate once more before being pumped throughout his limbs and body.
And during this process, Ye Linyuan's tendons, bones, and flesh, which had passively endured burning and freezing—
Began, under his active control, to absorb the spiritual energy contained in the Ice Fire Spring and strengthen themselves.
Electrolux's voice quietly rang out with a sigh. "No matter which world it is, the wisdom of cultivators is always the greatest creation!"
Before you continue