For the next few days, Du Busi remained by the Ice Fire Yin Yang Well without taking a single step away.
As he watched Ye Linyuan progress from enduring only a few minutes in the Ice Fire Spirit Spring to lasting the time it took an incense stick to burn, the amazement in his eyes grew ever stronger.
The Ice Fire Spirit Spring truly placed an enormous burden on the body.
Every time Ye Linyuan emerged from the spring, half his body was scorched black, while the other half was frozen stiff and mottled blue and purple, a horrifying sight to behold.
Yet it never took long.
With the powerful pulsing of the Nine-Orifice Exquisite Heart, vast life essence surged from his chest, seeping into every inch of damaged flesh and bone like spring rain nourishing all things.
The charred dead skin fell away, and the blue-purple frostbite faded.
In its place came newly regenerated flesh that was tougher and more resilient.
Du Busi could clearly sense that with every round of body tempering, Ye Linyuan's muscles, bones, and flesh became slightly stronger than before.
If he accumulated progress like this for decades, or even centuries, just how terrifying would he become?
One had to know that even now, after being transformed by the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum and Life Gold, Ye Linyuan's body was already as sturdy as that of a four-ringed Soul Ancestor!
"Good kid," Du Busi clicked his tongue inwardly. "With the immense life force of Life Gold as a foundation, this Cold Sun Forging Heart Art is practically tailor-made for him!"
He watched Ye Linyuan, who had just leaped out of the spring and sat cross-legged to heal, and quietly counted his blessings.
Fortunately, Ye Linyuan bore the Evil God's inheritance and had received divine guidance.
Otherwise, the Ice Fire Yin Yang Well was hidden far too deeply.
Without risking one's life to break through the poison formation outside, it would have been impossible to discover.
Such a tremendous opportunity would have gone to waste.
Once Ye Linyuan finished regulating his breath, Du Busi finally spoke. "Linyuan, at your current rate of progress, it won't be long before you reach the minor achievement stage of the Cold Sun Forging Heart Art."
"At that time, your physical body will undergo a qualitative leap, which will also greatly benefit your subsequent second awakening."
Ye Linyuan opened his eyes, light glinting within them as he smiled. "It's all thanks to Teacher's protection."
After a pause, his gaze settled on Du Busi. He suddenly asked, "Teacher, you've already reached rank ninety-eight as a Super Douluo, right?"
"You're only one step away from becoming a rank ninety-nine Limit Douluo."
"There are countless Heavenly Treasures within the Ice Fire Yin Yang Well. Is there no Spirit Herb among them that can help you break through your bottleneck?"
Du Busi was taken aback, then smiled and shook his head.
"How could rank ninety-nine be so easy to break through?"
With his hands behind his back, he gazed into the sky. A trace of melancholy flashed through his dark green eyes. "At my level, advancing further has long ceased to be a matter of merely accumulating power."
"What I need even more is a deeper understanding of the power I command, as well as the condensation of a second Soul Core."
"Throughout my life, I have cultivated the path of poison."
"To break through to the limit, I must further deepen my understanding of the poison attribute."
"Ordinary spiritual medicines, even immortal-grade ones, can only provide a quantitative supplement at my current realm. It is difficult for them to bring about a qualitative change."
At this point, a rare hint of helplessness entered Du Busi's voice. "To find a poison so potent that even a rank ninety-eight poison-path Douluo like me cannot withstand it, and use it to stimulate my potential and break through the limit—how could that be easy?"
Ye Linyuan's eyes suddenly shifted.
He thought of a strange immortal herb that had appeared in Douluo Continent I.
"Teacher, I once read a description of a strange herb in an ancient text."
"That herb was snow-white all over, with long, curved leaves shaped like a swan's neck. Thus, it was called the Snowy Swan's Kiss."
Du Busi's gaze narrowed. "Snowy Swan's Kiss? What is so special about it?"
Ye Linyuan said solemnly, "According to the ancient text, the Snowy Swan's Kiss is not poison itself, but its properties are exceptionally domineering."
"Any highly toxic substance that comes into contact with it will have its toxicity multiplied hundreds or thousands of times, becoming far more potent than before. It can also stimulate a soul master's potential."
Du Busi's body jolted, and his dark green pupils abruptly contracted. "What? It can multiply the potency of poison hundreds or thousands of times?!"
"There is actually such a strange immortal herb in this world?"
Ye Linyuan nodded. "That was what the ancient text recorded."
"What you need now isn't a greater quantity of poison, Teacher, but some external force to stimulate a deeper understanding of the poison attribute's laws and break through your own limits."
"The Snowy Swan's Kiss can multiply the potency of poison hundreds or thousands of times. Perhaps it can create precisely such an opportunity for you."
Du Busi's breathing quickened slightly, and a brilliant light flashed in his eyes.
With his experience, he instantly understood what Ye Linyuan meant.
His control over the path of poison had long reached its pinnacle.
Ordinary poisons would be assimilated by his Soul Power the instant they entered his body and posed no threat whatsoever.
Even the poison formation outside the Ice Fire Yin Yang Well could only continuously erode him; it could not be used to stimulate his potential.
But if he deliberately drew that poison, enhanced hundreds or thousands of times, into his body and used it as a whetstone to temper his control, resistance, and absorption of the poison attribute—
Perhaps he truly could shatter that final barrier and glimpse the dawn of breaking through to rank ninety-nine!
"Good kid, your head really is full of all sorts of strange things."
Du Busi took a deep breath and suppressed his excitement. Then he turned to the Aromatic Silk Beauty beside him. "Youyou, is there a Snowy Swan's Kiss in this valley?"
The enormous blossom of the Aromatic Silk Beauty swayed gently, and a ripple of spiritual intent emerged. "Yes. That person did plant one here back then. I will fetch it for you two at once."
A moment later, several vines slowly brought over a strange immortal herb.
The herb was only about a foot tall and snow-white from top to bottom. Its leaves were long and elegantly curved, drooping slightly at their tips.
From afar, it truly resembled a white swan resting upon a lake with its neck curved.
Du Busi carefully accepted it. Sensing the faint yet peculiar aura within it—an aura that made even a poison-path grandmaster like him feel a trace of unease—he was overjoyed. "It truly is a wondrous treasure!"
"Linyuan, with this, my breakthrough is within reach!"
However, he did not use it immediately. With a flick of his hand, he carefully stored it away. "Before that, though, I must return to the sect and make a few arrangements."
"This place is rich in spiritual energy and overflowing with life force. It is an ideal place for secluded cultivation."
"Once I have taken care of those mundane matters, master and disciple will enter seclusion here together."
Ye Linyuan smiled and nodded. "That was my thought as well."
"The Life Gold I fused with contains nearly endless pure life energy. When you use the Snowy Swan's Kiss to stimulate your potential, Teacher, I may be able to help somewhat."
Thinking of Ye Linyuan's terrifying recovery ability, Du Busi's eyes lit up. "Indeed. The life essence within you is inexhaustible. With it, I can be even more uninhibited in fighting for that sliver of opportunity to break through."
Ye Linyuan swept his gaze over the dazzling array of Spirit Herbs and immortal-grade plants throughout the valley and smiled. "Teacher, there are an enormous number of Spirit Herbs in the Ice Fire Yin Yang Well, and their quality is difficult to find in the outside world."
"You might as well select some to bring back and distribute among our sect brothers. They should greatly aid their cultivation."
Before you continue