Six and a Half Years Old, Level 20!

Just as Zichuan had sensed before, the atmosphere of the Body Sect was exactly like this: straightforward, valuing strength, but placing even greater importance on camaraderie. Competition existed for mutual improvement, not for internal attrition.

"Senior Brother Long is too kind; I merely took advantage of my soul bone and domain." Zichuan smiled, sensing the sincerity in Long Aotian.

"Who cares about advantages? A win is a win!" the surrounding disciples jeered. "Little Junior Brother is amazing! Even Aotian lost! We must have an extra meal to celebrate tonight!"

"Right! Extra meal! The Sect Master is paying!"

"Let Little Junior Brother tell us, what does it feel like to have two heartbeats?"

The atmosphere turned warm and harmonious once more. Surrounded by the crowd, Zichuan was peppered with questions, and he was happy to answer, quickly bonding with these diverse yet equally forthright fellow disciples.

The slight sense of detachment he had felt earlier due to "cheating" and being "spoon-fed" gradually melted away in this pure enthusiasm. This place, it seemed, could truly be called "home."

In the days that followed, Zichuan completely integrated into the life of the Body Sect.

During the day, he would either follow Du Busi to practice the Body Sect's secret body-tempering techniques, honing his physique and tapping into the potential of his two hearts, or he would spar with Long Aotian and the other senior brothers and sisters.

He polished his combat techniques through real battles, familiarized himself with the switching and application of his Destruction and Life forms, and occasionally visited the sect's library to browse through classics on martial souls, soul beasts, and the history of the continent, cramming to fill the gaps in his knowledge of this world.

His rate of cultivation growth, however, left everyone in the know completely dumbfounded.

All of this stemmed from the "apprenticeship gift" given by Du Busi.

In the quiet room, two jade bottles sat before Zichuan. He pulled the stopper from the Mystic Water Pill, poured out a deep blue pill with swirling ripples, and swallowed it without a moment's hesitation.

The pill melted upon contact with his tongue, turning into a cool yet majestic torrent that surged into his limbs and bones.

This energy was pure and gentle, yet vast; for an ordinary soul master, it would take at least several days or even longer to carefully refine and absorb it, converting it into soul power while cleansing their meridians.

But Zichuan was different.

Inside his chest, both hearts began to beat powerfully in unison! The Heart of Destruction pumped out a torrent of scorching soul power, while the Heart of Life surged with gentle, nourishing energy.

The two forces intertwined like a highly efficient digestive furnace, crazily breaking down, absorbing, and converting the energy released by the Mystic Water Pill! The efficiency was far beyond what anyone could imagine!

In just half an hour, the medicinal power of one Mystic Water Pill was completely absorbed.

Zichuan could clearly feel that his soul power had increased by a small margin, his meridians had become more transparent and resilient, and his perception of water-elemental energy had sharpened slightly.

His Soul Power Level had increased by a full rank!

"As expected, a double heart brings double efficiency in all aspects, including digestion and absorption."

A sharp glint flashed in Zichuan's eyes. Without a moment's pause, he poured out a Soul Raising Pill and swallowed it.

The medicinal power of the Soul Raising Pill was more direct, purely focused on increasing soul power. The emerald-green energy surged in, only to be quickly divided and refined by the two hearts once again. His soul power level climbed upward at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Just like that, Zichuan treated the Mystic Water Pill and the Soul Raising Pill as his daily "extra meals."

These top-tier pills, which others treated as treasures and could only take once every long interval, were things he could consume almost back-to-back.

The terrifying metabolism and endurance brought by his two hearts allowed him to completely ignore the issues of drug resistance and side effects.

His soul power level was like a rocket taking off.

Level 13... Level 14... Level 15...

"Kid, you're cultivating quite fast." In the Sea of Consciousness, the voice of the God of Destruction carried a hint of satisfaction.

"It seems I was right to lower the difficulty of your divine trials; the time saved is perfect for improving your strength. Once you reach level 20, we will go and claim an opportunity that should have been yours."

"That is the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well!"

"The Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well?... One of the three great treasure basins of the Douluo Continent?" Zichuan asked in his mind. He had already guessed it.

"Correct." The voice of the God of Destruction turned colder, carrying undisguised disgust.

"The Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, one of the three great treasure basins naturally nurtured by the Douluo Continent, is a gathering of the world's spiritual essence—a masterless blessed land, a place of opportunity born of heaven and earth! But what happened in later generations? After that Tang San discovered it, it became the private property of his Tang family!"

"He set up poison arrays, marked it as a forbidden zone, and allowed only his Tang family and their lackeys to use it! The Shrek Seven Devils, his son's friends... Bah! A bunch of robbers, occupying the latrine without doing any business, yet calling it 'protection'!"

His tone became increasingly intense:

"That place was meant for you! Your Destruction and Life attributes subtly resonate with the yin-yang convergence and the cycle of life and death at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well! Cultivating there would yield twice the result with half the effort! The immortal herbs there could lay an unparalleled foundation for you! Why should the Tang family have it all to themselves?"

Zichuan remained silent. When he read the books in his previous life, he had already been critical of Tang San for claiming the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well as his own and only benefiting his own people.

Now, hearing this "aggrieved party," the God of Destruction, denounce it, he felt it was only natural to take it back. Should resources belong to those with virtue (or the biggest fists)? No, now they belong to those with "Old Zi."

"However, a treasure basin like that shouldn't be easy to enter... and as a soul master who hasn't even reached two rings, traveling thousands of miles is a hassle."

Zichuan raised a practical issue.

"I need the teacher's help."

"That little fellow who practices body tempering?" The God of Destruction was dismissive.

"But you are indeed a bit weak right now. Letting that green-haired one go with you is fine; having a thug around will save trouble."

The plan was set.

Three months later, in Zichuan's quiet room.

A distinct ripple of soul power surged outward, then slowly subsided. Zichuan opened his eyes, feeling the surging, robust soul power within him—far exceeding that of an ordinary level 20 Soul Grand Master—and a smile touched the corners of his lips.

Level 20, achieved. At this moment, he was still a few days away from turning six and a half.

The door to the quiet room was kicked open, and the tall figure of Du Busi rushed in with a gust of wind, his face a mix of surprise and disbelief.

"Level 20? Really level 20? My senses aren't playing tricks on me, are they?"

He grabbed Zichuan's wrist, probing with his soul power, and his eyes widened until they were larger than copper bells.

"Hiss! It really is 20! It's only been three months! You brat... are you actually eating medicinal pills like they're meals? No, that's not right—even if you were, you shouldn't be this fast! Two hearts, are they really that absurd?"

He circled Zichuan twice, clicking his tongue in wonder as if he were looking at a rare treasure.

"A monster, you're truly a little monster! Back in my day, it took me nearly two years to go from level 10 to 20! Your speed... if word got out, it would scare a whole crowd to death!"

Zichuan chuckled, offering no explanation. He waited for Du Busi's excitement to subside, then a hint of hesitation and nervousness appeared on his face; he rubbed his hands together, wanting to speak but holding back.

"Hm? What is it?" Du Busi keenly sensed his abnormality and raised a thick eyebrow.

"Did your soul power rise too fast, causing issues? Or is there something you don't understand about your cultivation? Speak up! Your teacher is here!"

"No, it's not about cultivation." Zichuan shook his head. Seeming to have made a difficult decision, he carefully pulled an oilcloth-wrapped object that looked quite old from his bosom.

He held it out with both hands toward Du Busi, his eyes darting away and his voice dropping low.