Intercepting the Immortal Herb Opportunity

Deep in the ice valley, an unequal hunt had already drawn to a close.

The thirty-five-thousand-year-old Extreme North Ice Spirit Deer was elegant, as if carved from ice and snow, its antlers resembling crystal branches that emitted a soft, glowing blue light.

It was indeed troublesome, especially its soul-shaking attacks that were impossible to guard against and the lifelike frost illusions it created, which were enough to leave even a Spirit Douluo lost.

However, it was facing Sword Douluo Chen Xin, known for having the greatest offensive power in the world.

Under the Seven Kill Sword, nothing remained unbroken.

No matter how many illusions it conjured or how tidal its soul-shaking attacks were, Chen Xin needed only one strike to shatter the falsehoods and stabilize his spirit.

In the end, under the precise finishing blow from Lin Yi, this powerful soul beast collapsed in unwillingness, and a soul ring, deep and nearly black with a faint blue halo at its edges, emerged.

The absorption process remained perilous; the energy impact and lingering soul power of a thirty-five-thousand-year beast far exceeded anything he had faced before. But Lin Yi's current physique, the resilience of his meridians, and his mental strength, having been baptized by the million-year origin of the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, had long since been reborn.

He kept his mind steady, guiding the surging energy into his Snow Lotus martial soul like a great river flowing into the sea; though there were waves, there was no risk of being overwhelmed.

When the soul ring was completely stabilized, Lin Yi opened his eyes; his level sixty soul power was now solid, and had even improved slightly.

With a flick of his mind, he sensed the sixth soul skill newly acquired by his Snow Lotus martial soul—Ice Lotus Blessing: Instantly release the origin power of the Snow Lotus to apply an Ice Lotus blessing to the target (can be a single unit or a group, covering all allies within maximum range) lasting for ten minutes. During the effect, the target's speed increases by fifty percent, and soul power recovery speed increases by fifty percent!

An extremely powerful status-buffing soul skill! Whether for pursuit, escape, or a war of attrition, this skill could turn the tide of any battle! Combined with his previous soul skills, his Snow Lotus support system was now approaching perfection: healing (first soul skill), shield-to-healing conversion (second soul skill), area domain (third soul skill), passive defense counter (fourth soul skill), group healing and soul power recovery (fifth soul skill), and now, powerful status amplification (sixth soul skill)!

Today, his Snow Lotus martial soul had all six rings gathered:

First Soul Ring (300-year White Jade Snow Lotus King): Healing Light (Single-target healing, dispels negative status effects)

Second Soul Ring (500-year Mystic Ice Turtle): Ice Lotus Protection (Condenses an ice lotus shield, absorbs attacks and converts them into healing)

Third Soul Ring (1,500-year Ice Plains Bear): Extreme Cold Domain (Area-of-effect continuous minor healing, ice resistance boost, enemy deceleration)

Fourth Soul Ring (4,500-year Extreme Ice Scorpion): Breath of Ice Sealing (Increases self-defense, freezes or slows those who make contact)

Fifth Soul Ring (11,000-year Titan Ice Ape): Pure Lotus Bloom (Group healing for 70% of injuries, restores 70% soul power)

Sixth Soul Ring (35,000-year Extreme North Ice Spirit Deer): Ice Lotus Blessing (Increases all speed by 40%, soul power recovery speed by 50%, lasts 10 minutes)

This sixth soul ring configuration was a myth among support-type soul masters!

"How is the effect of the sixth soul skill?" Chen Xin asked, his eyes filled with a hint of anticipation.

Lin Yi stated the effects of "Ice Lotus Blessing."

A flash of light crossed Chen Xin's eyes, and he nodded, "Not bad. It combines amplification and sustainability; its strategic value is extremely high."

He paused, then said, "Now that things here are settled, I will send you back to Shrek."

"Teacher, wait a moment," Lin Yi said, stopping him.

He was calculating the time. The Shrek team would soon achieve a "bitter victory" in the soul arena exchange match, then head to the Heaven Dou Royal Academy, only to be barred from joining due to the prince's interference. This would lead to Tang San being captured by Dugu Bo and taken to the Sunset Forest, where Tang San would obtain the opportunity of the immortal herbs.

Lin Yi thought for a moment and said, "Disciple still needs a storage soul tool, and besides... I would like to ask Teacher to accompany me to one place."

"Where?" Chen Xin was somewhat puzzled. A storage soul tool was easy; the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was not short of those, but what place could possibly require his personal escort?

"Sunset Forest," Lin Yi uttered the four words.

Chen Xin frowned slightly, "Sunset Forest? The quality of soul beasts there is generally inferior to the Star Dou Great Forest, and it is of no use to you anymore. Why go there?"

Lin Yi had already prepared his excuse. He said with a "solemn" expression, "A few years ago, while browsing the sect's ancient records, I saw a fragment mentioning that somewhere in the center of the Sunset Forest, there might exist a treasure land where the essence of heaven and earth gathers, perhaps containing rare treasures.

It is highly likely to be a treasure land suitable for my cultivation, and I want to try my luck.

But the depths of the Sunset Forest are not without ten-thousand-year soul beasts. To be safe, I would like to ask Teacher to protect me for the journey."

He brought up the sect's ancient records and the search for opportunity as his reasons, which were reasonable and logical.

He did not mention Dugu Bo, only the potential risk of ten-thousand-year soul beasts.

Chen Xin looked at Lin Yi and pondered for a moment.

He remembered that this disciple did indeed love reading through classics. Since he said so, he must have some certainty. A trip to the Sunset Forest was nothing more than a small effort for him.

"Fine," Chen Xin nodded and tossed a high-quality storage bracelet to Lin Yi, "Let's go."

The two did not delay any longer. Sword light rose again, tearing through the clouds as they flew on the sword, changing course to speed toward the Sunset Forest within the Heaven Dou Empire.

Along the way, thoughts raced through Lin Yi's mind.

He had to find the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well one step ahead of Tang San's arrival at Dugu Bo's herb garden! Tang San relied on the knowledge from the Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record and the Aromatic Silk Beauty to attract Dugu Bo's attention, but he possessed a more direct advantage—Sword Douluo Chen Xin!

With a level ninety-six Super Douluo personally escorting him, once they found the place, they could simply force their way in!

Although Dugu Bo was a master of poison, his direct combat power was simply not worth mentioning in front of the Sword Douluo. Moreover, his own mental strength was now incredibly powerful, and his sensory abilities far exceeded those of ordinary people, giving him an even greater advantage in finding that treasure land.

He recalled the description of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well from the original work: located in the center of the Sunset Forest, at the intersection of a volcano and an ice mountain, surrounded by poisonous miasma...

"Teacher, please sense if there is a place in the central area of the Sunset Forest where extremely dense ice and fire energy interweave, accompanied by highly toxic miasma," Lin Yi said to Chen Xin.

Although Chen Xin was puzzled, he still followed his request, spreading his vast mental power like a tide over the Sunset Forest below. A Title Douluo's mental perception had an extremely wide range and high precision.

A moment later, a flash of surprise crossed Chen Xin's eyes: "There actually is! It is located in the center of the forest, slightly to the east, within a valley. The valley is shrouded in colorful poisonous miasma, and the ice and fire energies within are unusually active and opposing, forming some kind of strange balance... It is quite peculiar."

Found it! Lin Yi felt a sense of certainty in his heart: "Teacher, that's the place! Let's go directly!"

Chen Xin did not ask further; the sword light turned, and they dove down toward the strange valley he had sensed.

A moment later, the two hovered above a valley shrouded in dense, colorful poisonous miasma.

The poisonous miasma was multicolored, yet it emitted a nauseating, fishy sweetness that made one's heart palpitate; it was clearly lethal.

One could vaguely sense the surging energy fluctuations emanating from within the valley, one side possessing extreme heat, the other extreme cold.

"Such formidable poison. Anyone below the rank of Soul Douluo would be poisoned upon contact. The energy within the valley is even more violent," Chen Xin remarked, then looked at Lin Yi. "How do you intend to proceed?"

"Please clear the path, Teacher, we shall go straight in!" Lin Yi did not hesitate. He knew that Dugu Bo was most likely not in the valley at this moment; it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Chen Xin nodded, pointing his fingers like a sword as he made a light sweeping motion forward.

There was no earth-shattering roar, only a silver sword light, condensed to the extreme and seemingly capable of cleaving the heavens, which sliced into the thick, five-colored miasma as silently as a hot knife through butter!

Hiss--!

Where the sword light passed, the miasma was pushed aside by an invisible force, rolling and retreating to both sides, forcibly carving out a brief, safe passage! At the end of the path, the scene inside the valley was vaguely visible—red and white springs intertwined like a Taiji diagram, surrounded by countless rare flowers and grasses, the spiritual energy swirling as if in a fairyland!

The Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well! A treasure trove of immortal herbs!

A fiery light erupted in Lin Yi's eyes. Without waiting for Chen Xin's instructions, he unfurled a pair of wings condensed from pure soul power behind his back—a level sixty Soul Emperor could already fly briefly—and followed the path opened by the sword intent, rushing rapidly into the valley!

Chen Xin followed closely behind, his sword intent spitting slightly to force back the miasma that attempted to close in, and stepped into this wonder of the world.

Upon entering the valley, the heaven and earth essence, so dense it had almost liquefied, rushed toward him, accompanied by the baptism of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well's alternating extreme cold and heat, making even Lin Yi feel a sense of refreshment.

His gaze swept rapidly over those immortal herbs that were famous in the original work.

Aromatic Silk Beauty, Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass, Infernal Delicate Apricot, Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum, Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid, Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew, Narcissus Jade Muscle Bone, Tulip, Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower, Lovesick Heartbreak Red...

Each stalk contained enough medicinal power to allow a Soul Master to be reborn!

"These are the ones!" Lin Yi suppressed the excitement in his heart and said to Chen Xin, "Teacher, these flowers and grasses are rare treasures of the world, and they have immense benefits for Soul Masters like us! Please guard me while I harvest them!"

He did not hesitate, walking first toward the white Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and the crimson Infernal Delicate Apricot.

He had come prepared, and possessing the extreme ice attribute, he had an even greater advantage in picking these two top-tier immortal herbs than Tang San did in the original story!

He first circulated the extreme chill of his Ice Dragon Martial Soul to resist the scorching heat of the Infernal Delicate Apricot, carefully plucking the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass. Then, he turned quickly, relying on his formidable physique and soul power to withstand the extreme cold of the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass, and plucked the Infernal Delicate Apricot.

The two extreme medicinal powers clashed in his hands, but he had long been prepared; he immediately consumed both immortal herbs simultaneously and walked quickly to the side of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, absorbing a wisp of the ice spring and fire spring energy respectively to guide the medicinal power.

Excruciating pain arrived as the ice and fire alternately tempered his body, but under the control of his formidable physique—already transformed by the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm—and his vast spiritual power, the process, while painful, posed no threat to his life.

Instead, he could clearly feel his physical body being further refined, and his resistance to both ice and fire attributes was rising rapidly!

Chen Xin watched quietly from the side, a series of brilliant lights flashing in his eyes.

Although he did not recognize these immortal herbs, he could feel the majestic energy they contained, and he was even more surprised that Lin Yi seemed extremely familiar with this place, with clear goals and decisive methods.

Once the tempering of his body by ice and fire was complete, Lin Yi felt his physical strength had risen to another level.

He dared not delay and immediately began to harvest the other target immortal herbs.

Aromatic Silk Beauty (nemesis of all poisons), Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum (indestructible diamond physique enhancement), Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid (consolidating the foundation and cultivating the origin), Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew (enhancing spiritual power), Narcissus Jade Muscle Bone (speeding up and moisturizing the tendons), Tulip (absorbing the essence of the sun and moon, suitable for Ning Rongrong, capable of resolving the defects of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda!), Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower (pure yang tonic), Lovesick Heartbreak Red...

He carefully plucked them one by one, quickly sealed them in ice, and placed them into his storage bracelet.

His movements were extremely fast, like a gale sweeping away fallen leaves; through his spiritual perception, he had collected all the good immortal herbs...

He knew time was precious and had to take away as many of these opportunities as possible before Tang San!

Just as he placed the last target immortal herb—the Tulip—into his bracelet and prepared to call for Chen Xin to leave, a cold, overbearing, and terrifying pressure carrying a thick, fishy stench suddenly shrouded the entire valley like dark clouds pressing down!

A sinister voice, carrying boundless fury, exploded at the entrance of the valley:

"What kind of rats dare to trespass into this old man's herb garden and steal my spiritual medicine!"