Two Extremes Tempering Martial Souls, Such Potent Poison

Su Chen had thought the God of Destruction would have him use the immortal herbs whose effects he already knew. Instead, he had chosen two herbs that looked utterly ordinary.

These two herbs stood in a corner of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, with no other immortal herbs growing around them.

One was a palm-sized flower that emitted a faint white glow.

The other looked like a dried branch bearing a fist-sized fruit. The fruit was entirely black, with faint golden patterns running across it.

"This fruit is called the Magic Rune Evil-Engraving Fruit, and that flower is called the Sacred Heart Flower. Do you think they both look ordinary, without the distinctive qualities of the immortal herbs I told you about?"

Knowing that Su Chen was bound to have doubts, the God of Destruction took the initiative to ask.

"They do seem rather unremarkable."

Not only did these two plants lack the unique auras of those immortal herbs, even harvesting them was simple. He could just pluck them directly.

"If these two plants are used separately, their effects are indeed mediocre."

"The Sacred Heart Flower merely calms the mind and eases the spirit, producing pleasant emotions."

"The Magic Rune Evil-Engraving Fruit, on the other hand, causes one's blood and qi to become unsettled and breeds evil thoughts."

Su Chen knew there had to be a "but" coming next.

Sure enough!

"But when combined with different immortal herbs and used together, they can produce miraculous effects. In particular, given the traits of your two Martial Souls, they may cause extraordinary changes in them."

Seeing that the God of Destruction was about to launch into a lengthy explanation of the principles involved, Su Chen hurriedly said,

"You can tell me all that slowly later. First, please tell me how to use these two herbs."

"Very well."

The God of Destruction paused before continuing, "Bring the Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid and Black Jade Divine Bamboo you harvested earlier."

Following the God of Destruction's instructions, Su Chen took out the Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid and Black Jade Divine Bamboo he had prepared earlier.

The Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid was to be used with the Sacred Heart Flower. He placed the petals of the Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid inside the Sacred Heart Flower.

The Sacred Heart Flower actually closed on its own, returning to the state of a flower bud. Amid its pale white glow, seven-colored light emerged.

The use of the Magic Rune Evil-Engraving Fruit and the Black Jade Divine Bamboo was even stranger.

Su Chen poured the juice of the Magic Rune Evil-Engraving Fruit over the Black Jade Divine Bamboo. Before long, the Black Jade Divine Bamboo actually bore a deep, dark fruit.

Once the fruit had fully grown, the Black Jade Divine Bamboo completely withered away.

In the end, Su Chen obtained only a seven-colored flower bud ready to bloom and a pitch-black fruit.

The seven-colored flower gave off a fragrant scent. It was not strong, but it lingered for a long time.

The black fruit, meanwhile, was like a black hole, actively drawing in the surrounding mist and energy.

"Good. Now go to the springs of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well."

"Alright."

Dugu Bo had originally been carefully using the Snowy Swan Kiss to temper and increase the toxins within his body.

He should not have allowed himself to be distracted, but when he caught sight of Su Chen handling the Sacred Heart Flower and Magic Rune Evil-Engraving Fruit, he could no longer remain calm.

Was that how those herbs were supposed to be used?

No wonder he had never figured out their methods of use. They were so complicated, it was practically like performing magic.

Especially when the seven-colored flower bud and black fruit came into being, Dugu Bo's face darkened.

However, he was not upset because precious herbs had been wasted. It was entirely because he had held back too much poison.

Sure enough, one could not afford to be distracted while doing something important.

When his concentration had lapsed just now, he had converted too much poison with the Snowy Swan Kiss and could not absorb it all at once.

He hurriedly circulated the poison arts from the Poison Nerve Scripture. Only after quite some time did he manage to suppress the poison.

Then, he saw Su Chen walking toward the springs.

Dugu Bo quickly put away the Snowy Swan Kiss and stopped converting the Green Phosphorus Snake Poison.

He was worried that if he was startled again later, he would absorb even more poison and poison himself to death.

"Su Chen, those two springs contain powers of extreme cold and extreme heat. Even I do not dare approach them. Whatever you intend to do, you must think it through carefully."

Thunder God's task for him was to protect Su Chen.

Before other soul masters could hurt Su Chen, Su Chen must not get himself killed first.

"I know what I'm doing."

Su Chen replied and continued toward the springs.

Of course, he knew how dangerous the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well was, but he believed the God of Destruction would not harm him.

Dugu Bo also walked over.

He could not continue cultivating for the moment. If he stayed closer, then should anything happen to Su Chen, he could pull him back in time and prevent him from falling into the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.

Su Chen stopped near the springs, which made Dugu Bo breathe a sigh of relief.

He had nearly thought Su Chen was going to jump into them.

"Summon both your Martial Souls. Throw the Life-Killing Spear and the Magic Rune Evil-Engraving Fruit into the Yin Spring, and the Life-Protecting Shield and Sacred Heart Flower into the Yang Spring."

With a hissing sound, Su Chen threw the two Martial Souls and the two herbs into the two springs separately.

That hissing sound did not come from the Martial Souls falling into the springs. It came from Dugu Bo.

He stood rooted to the spot with his eyes wide, staring at the two Martial Souls in the springs.

"No wonder, no wonder!"

Dugu Bo muttered to himself in a voice only he could hear.

"So he has Twin Martial Souls. No wonder he has earned Thunder God's favor."

Realizing that Su Chen was doing something extremely important, he silently retreated farther away before darting out of the basin containing the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.

He would stand guard above and prevent soul beasts from accidentally entering the area.

Although a poison formation protected the place, if flying soul beasts fell from the sky, even if they were poisoned to death in midair, their bodies might still crash down below and disturb Su Chen.

Beside the springs, Su Chen sat quietly in meditation.

Martial Souls were tied to a soul master's life. If a Martial Soul was damaged, the soul master would also suffer injury.

With his two Martial Souls having fallen into the Yang Spring and Yin Spring respectively, Su Chen was caught in the interweaving of extreme cold and extreme heat.

Though his body had not entered the springs, his sensations were even clearer than if he had been inside them himself.

Besides the assault of extreme cold and extreme heat, Su Chen's consciousness was also undergoing the intertwining of supremely holy and supremely evil powers.

His awareness of the outside world dropped to its lowest point.

Within the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, the Martial Souls he had cast into the two springs had surfaced after initially sinking.

However, it was not because their weight had become lighter. The Sacred Heart Flower and Magic Rune Evil-Engraving Fruit were supporting them from below.

Gradually, the Sacred Heart Flower and Magic Rune Evil-Engraving Fruit melted away.

A white sphere of light and a black sphere of light appeared over the Yang Spring and Yin Spring, while Su Chen's Life-Killing Spear and Life-Protecting Shield floated unsteadily within them.

Time passed second by second, minute by minute, day by day.

Dugu Bo gradually relaxed after being tense and anxious at the start.

Still, he did not enter the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. Instead, he remained atop the cliff, tempering his poison power.

His Soul Power, stagnant for many years, entered a period of rapid growth. His enthusiasm for cultivation returned to how it had been when he had first become a soul master.

God Realm, Forest of Life.

Ever since returning alone, the Goddess of Life had been somewhat despondent.

The apology from the God of Destruction that she had been waiting for had still not come. It was as if the God of Destruction had forgotten there was such a place in the God Realm.

After struggling with it for a long while, the Goddess of Life decided to seek out the God of Goodness and confide the grievances in her heart.

Perhaps the God of Goodness and the God of Evil could help persuade the God of Destruction and make him understand his mistake.