Deep in Ice Valley, an utterly one-sided hunt had come to an end.
The thirty-five-thousand-year-old Extreme North Ice Spirit Deer was elegant as if sculpted from ice and snow. Its antlers resembled branches of ice crystals, glowing with a faint blue light.
It was indeed difficult to deal with, especially its soul attack that was impossible to guard against and the lifelike frost illusions it created. They were enough to leave even a Soul Douluo expert lost and wandering.
However, the one it faced was Sword Douluo Chen Xin, famed as the greatest attacker under heaven.
Beneath the Seven Kill Sword, nothing could withstand a single strike.
No matter how many illusions you conjured or how fiercely your soul attacks surged, Chen Xin needed only one sword to shatter the falsehood and steady the spirit.
In the end, with Lin Yi's precise finishing blow, the mighty Soul Beast fell with unwillingness in its eyes. A Soul Ring appeared, so dark it was almost black, its edges faintly haloed in blue.
The absorption process was still perilous. The energy surge from thirty-five thousand years and the lingering power of its soul far exceeded anything before. But Lin Yi's physique, the resilience of his meridians, and his spiritual power had all been utterly transformed by the baptism of the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's million-year origin.
He held firm, guiding the vast energy into his Snow Lotus Martial Soul. It poured in like a great river rushing into the sea. Though there were waves, there was no danger of being overturned.
Once the Soul Ring had fully stabilized, Lin Yi opened his eyes. His Soul Power had firmly reached level sixty, and had even improved slightly.
With a thought, he sensed the new Sixth Soul Skill granted by his Snow Lotus Martial Soul—Ice Lotus Blessing: it instantly released the Snow Lotus's origin power, bestowing a ten-minute Ice Lotus blessing on a target (a single person or a group, with the maximum range covering all allies). While the effect lasted, the targets' speed increased by fifty percent, and their Soul Power recovery speed increased by fifty percent!
It was an immensely powerful support skill that enhanced a target's state! Whether pursuing an enemy, escaping, or fighting a battle of attrition, this skill could turn the tide. Paired with his earlier Soul Skills, his Snow Lotus support system was already nearing perfection: healing (First Soul Skill), converting a shield into healing (Second Soul Skill), an area domain (Third Soul Skill), passive defense and counterattack (Fourth Soul Skill), group healing and Soul Power recovery (Fifth Soul Skill), and now a powerful enhancement to a target's state (Sixth Soul Skill)!
Now, all six Soul Rings of his Snow Lotus Martial Soul were in place:
First Soul Ring (three-hundred-year-old White Jade Snow Lotus King): Healing Light (single-target healing, dispels negative conditions)
Second Soul Ring (five-hundred-year-old Mystic Ice Turtle): Ice Lotus Protection (condenses an ice lotus shield that absorbs attacks and converts them into healing)
Third Soul Ring (one-thousand-five-hundred-year-old Ice Plains Bear): Extreme Cold Domain (continuous, mild area healing, increased resistance to ice, and slows enemies)
Fourth Soul Ring (four-thousand-five-hundred-year-old Extreme Ice Scorpion): Breath of Ice Sealing (increases the user's defense; those who make contact are frozen or slowed)
Fifth Soul Ring (eleven-thousand-year-old Titan Ice Ape): Pure Lotus Bloom (heals the group for 70% of their injuries and restores 70% of their Soul Power)
Sixth Soul Ring (thirty-five-thousand-year-old Extreme North Ice Spirit Deer): Ice Lotus Blessing (increases all movement speed by 40% and Soul Power recovery speed by 50% for ten minutes)
The configuration of his Sixth Soul Ring was practically a legend among support-type Soul Masters!
"How effective is your Sixth Soul Skill?" Chen Xin asked, a glimmer of anticipation in his eyes.
Lin Yi explained the effects of Ice Lotus Blessing.
A flash of light passed through Chen Xin's eyes. He nodded. "Good. It combines enhancement with sustained fighting ability, and has tremendous strategic value."
He paused, then said, "Now that things are settled here, I'll take you back to Shrek."
"Teacher, please wait." Lin Yi stopped him.
He calculated the timing. After Shrek's group suffered a "narrow victory" in the upcoming exchange match at the Soul Fighting Arena, they would head to Heaven Dou Royal Academy. But the prince's interference would prevent them from joining. Tang San would then be captured by Dugu Bo and taken to Sunset Forest, where he would obtain the Immortal Herbs.
Lin Yi thought for a moment before saying, "This disciple still needs a Storage Soul Tool. Also... I'd like to ask you to accompany me somewhere."
"Where?" Chen Xin asked, puzzled. A Storage Soul Tool was easy enough; the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had plenty. But where else would require him to personally accompany Lin Yi?
"Sunset Forest." Lin Yi spoke the four words.
Chen Xin furrowed his brows slightly. "Sunset Forest? The quality of the Soul Beasts there is generally inferior to those in Star Dou Great Forest. It's of little use to you now. What do you want there?"
Lin Yi had already prepared his explanation. His expression turned "grave" as he said, "A few years ago, while reading some ancient sect records, this disciple came across a fragment mentioning that somewhere near the center of Sunset Forest, there might be a treasure trove where the world's energy converges. It may contain rare treasures.
"It could very well be a suitable place for me to cultivate. I want to try my luck.
"But the depths of Sunset Forest are also home to many ten-thousand-year Soul Beasts. To be safe, I'd like to ask you to protect me along the way."
He had brought up the ancient sect records and his search for an opportunity. It was a perfectly reasonable explanation.
He said nothing about Dugu Bo, only mentioning the potential danger of ten-thousand-year Soul Beasts.
Chen Xin looked at Lin Yi and pondered for a moment.
He remembered that his disciple did indeed enjoy reading ancient texts. If he said so, he must have some reason to believe it. A trip to Sunset Forest would be no more than a simple favor for him.
"Fine." Chen Xin nodded and tossed Lin Yi a high-quality Storage Soul Tool bracelet. "Let's go."
The two wasted no time. Sword light flared once more, tearing through the clouds as they flew on their swords, changing course toward Sunset Forest within the Heaven Dou Empire.
Along the way, Lin Yi's thoughts raced.
He had to find the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well before Tang San and the others from Shrek reached Dugu Bo's medicinal garden! Tang San had relied on the knowledge in the Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record and the Aromatic Silk Beauty to draw Dugu Bo's attention. But Lin Yi had a more direct advantage—Sword Douluo Chen Xin!
With a level-ninety-six Super Douluo personally escorting him, all he had to do was find the place and force his way in!
Though Dugu Bo was an expert in poison, his direct combat strength was no match for Sword Douluo. What was more, Lin Yi's spiritual power was now astonishingly strong, and his perception far surpassed that of ordinary people. He had an even greater advantage in finding the treasure trove.
He recalled the description of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well in the original story. It was located in the center of Sunset Forest, where a volcano and an icy mountain met, surrounded by poisonous miasma...
"Teacher, please sense whether there's a place in the central region of Sunset Forest where extremely dense energies of ice and fire intertwine, accompanied by poisonous miasma," Lin Yi said to Chen Xin.
Chen Xin didn't understand, but still spread his vast spiritual power downward like a tide, blanketing Sunset Forest below. The spiritual perception of a Titled Douluo covered an enormous area with exceptional precision.
After a moment, a trace of surprise flashed in Chen Xin's eyes. "There really is! It's inside a valley just east of the forest's center. The valley is shrouded in multicolored poisonous miasma. Inside, the energies of ice and fire are unusually active and opposed, forming some kind of strange balance... How curious."
They had found it! Lin Yi's heart settled. "Teacher, that's the place! Let's head straight there!"
Chen Xin asked no more questions. His sword light turned, and he plunged toward the strange valley he had sensed.
A moment later, the two hovered above a valley shrouded in dense, multicolored poisonous miasma.
The miasma was dazzlingly colorful, yet gave off a sickly-sweet scent that made one's heart shudder. It was clearly highly poisonous.
From within the valley, they could vaguely sense surging energy, one side scorching hot to the extreme, the other freezing cold.
"What formidable poisonous miasma. Anyone below Soul Douluo would be poisoned on contact. The energy inside the valley is even more violent," Chen Xin observed, then looked at Lin Yi. "What do you intend to do?"
"Please clear a path, Teacher. We'll go straight in!" Lin Yi replied without hesitation. He knew Dugu Bo was most likely not in the valley at that moment. This was a once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity.
Chen Xin nodded and brought his fingers together like a sword, making a light slash forward.
There was no earth-shattering boom. Only a silver sword light, condensed to the utmost, as if capable of cleaving heaven and earth apart, silently cut into the dense multicolored miasma like a hot knife through butter!
Sss—!
Where the sword light passed, the poisonous miasma was shoved aside by an invisible force, rolling back in both directions. It forcibly carved out a temporary passage to safety! At the end of the passage, the scene inside the valley was just visible: red and white spring water converged like a Taiji symbol, surrounded by countless exotic flowers and herbs. Spiritual energy swirled in the air, making it seem like an immortal paradise!
The Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well! The treasure trove of Immortal Herbs!
A blazing light burst from Lin Yi's eyes. Without waiting for Chen Xin's orders, he spread a pair of wings formed from condensed Soul Power behind his back. A level-sixty Soul Emperor could fly for short periods. He shot rapidly into the valley along the passage carved out by the sword intent!
Chen Xin followed close behind. A wisp of sword intent pushed back the miasma as it tried to close in again, and he too entered this wonder of the world.
As soon as he entered the valley, the dense world energy, almost liquefied, surged toward him. Combined with the alternating extremes of cold and heat from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, it left even Lin Yi feeling refreshed.
His gaze quickly swept over the famous Immortal Herbs from the original story.
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, Aromatic Silk Beauty, Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower, Lovesick Heartbreak Red...
Every single one contained medicinal power potent enough to completely transform a Soul Master!
"These are the ones!" Lin Yi suppressed his excitement and said to Chen Xin, "Teacher, these flowers and herbs are all rare treasures found nowhere else in the world. They can greatly benefit Soul Masters like us! Please guard me while I pick them!"
Without hesitation, he first headed for the white Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and the scarlet Infernal Delicate Apricot.
He had come prepared and possessed the utmost attribute of ice. When it came to picking these two top-grade Immortal Herbs, he had an even greater advantage than Tang San in the original story!
He first circulated the extreme cold of his Ice Dragon Martial Soul to resist the heat of the Infernal Delicate Apricot, then carefully picked the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass. After that, he swiftly turned and, relying on his formidable physique and Soul Power, withstood the extreme cold of the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and picked the Infernal Delicate Apricot.
The two opposing medicinal forces clashed in his hands. But he had been prepared. He immediately swallowed both Immortal Herbs, then hurried to the side of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, drawing a trace of energy from the Ice Spring and the Fire Spring to guide their medicinal power.
Pain struck as ice and fire alternately tempered his body. But with his powerful physique, transformed by the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, and his immense spiritual power regulating the process, it was painful but posed no threat to his life.
Instead, he could clearly feel his body being further tempered, his resistance to both ice and fire rapidly increasing!
Chen Xin quietly watched from the side, his eyes shining with admiration.
Though he didn't recognize these Immortal Herbs, he could sense the vast energy they contained. He was even more astonished that Lin Yi seemed extremely familiar with the place, choosing his targets decisively and acting without hesitation.
Once his Ice and Fire Golden Body was complete, Lin Yi felt that his physical strength had risen another level.
He didn't dare delay. He immediately began picking the other Immortal Herbs he had set his sights on.
Aromatic Silk Beauty (the bane of all poisons), Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum (strengthens the body and makes it impervious to harm), Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid (strengthens the foundation and nourishes the body), Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew (increases spiritual power), Narcissus Jade Muscle Bone (increases speed and nourishes the meridians), Aromatic Silk Beauty (absorbs the essence of the sun and moon, suitable for Ning Rongrong, and can solve the flaw in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda!), Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower (a powerful pure-yang tonic), Lovesick Heartbreak Red...
He carefully picked them one by one, quickly encased them in ice, and put them into the Storage Soul Tool bracelet.
His hands moved like a whirlwind sweeping fallen leaves. Guided by his spiritual perception, he had collected all the good Immortal Herbs...
He knew time was precious. He had to take as many of these opportunities as possible before Tang San arrived!
Just as he put the last Immortal Herb he wanted—the Aromatic Silk Beauty—into the bracelet and was about to call for Chen Xin to leave,
A cold, domineering, terrifying pressure, carrying a strong stench, suddenly blanketed the entire valley like dark clouds pressing down on the mountaintop!
A sinister voice, raging with boundless fury, exploded at the entrance to the valley:
"Which little rat dares to trespass in my medicinal garden and steal my spirit herbs!"
Before you continue