The Power of the Thunder Fire Phoenix Tree-Gu Qing Actually Used It to Temper His Body?

Gu Qing nodded and silently made a note to himself: with Light of Life and Earth Vein Rejuvenation working together, Tang San now possessed both sustained recovery and burst healing. Combined with the defensive power of Blue Silver Rampart and the offensive power of Blue Silver Tyrant Body, her role as a support had long surpassed that of a traditional healing-type soul master.

Dugu Bo watched from the side, stroking his beard in amazement. "A forty-thousand-year soul ring absorbed so smoothly... This is the first time I've seen such a thing in all my life. Even when I absorbed my seventh soul ring back then, it wasn't this easy."

He glanced at Gu Qing again, a complicated gleam flashing through his emerald eyes. This youth could shatter a five-thousand-year soul beast's massive claw with one punch, while his younger sister could absorb a forty-thousand-year soul ring without harm. Just who were these two?

Gu Qing ignored Dugu Bo's gaze and turned toward the southeast. "Let's go. The next target—the Thunder Fire Phoenix Tree! Senior Dugu, I'll have to trouble you to lead the way."

Dugu Bo nodded. After the group passed through the dense forest behind the hot spring area, the air grew drier the farther southeast they went. The damp black soil beneath their feet gradually turned into cracked dark-red earth, while a pungent sulfurous odor filled the air.

A low rumble of thunder came faintly from the distance. It was not coming from the sky, but a muffled roar rising from deep underground. Every boom made the gravel beneath their feet tremble and jump slightly.

Dugu Yan followed behind the group, occasionally sneaking glances at Gu Qing's back ahead of her before quickly looking away and pretending to focus on the road.

After walking for roughly two hours, the trees ahead became increasingly sparse. At last, a wide basin appeared before them. Thick storm clouds blanketed the sky above it, and silver lightning constantly struck down from the clouds, crashing onto a massive crimson tree at the center of the basin.

The Thunder Fire Phoenix Tree stood dozens of yards tall, its trunk so thick that it would take three to five people to encircle it. Every leaf burned with crimson-gold flames, and its canopy crackled continuously under the twin baptism of lightning and fire.

Every bolt of lightning caused the flames to surge fiercely, while every surge of fire drew even more lightning from the clouds. Thunder and flame intertwined in an endless cycle, turning the entire basin into a natural furnace.

The ground around the basin's edge was covered in charred cracks, with magma faintly flowing within them. The high heat warped the air, making the giant tree look like a demonic god rising from hell.

Dugu Yan stood at the edge of the basin as a wave of heat washed over her, blowing the loose strands of hair before her forehead straight up. She instinctively took half a step back, her throat bobbing. "Grandpa, is this the thing that nearly struck you to death back then?"

"Ahem."

Dugu Bo coughed dryly, his old face reddening slightly as he stubbornly replied, "I was only at the Soul Douluo rank back then!"

"Judging from the Thunder Fire Phoenix Tree's aura, it should be approaching ninety thousand years. Its attack range likely covers this entire basin. Lightning paralysis combined with blazing fire—the gaps between switching its dual attributes are almost nonexistent."

Gu Qing rolled his wrist, his joints cracking sharply. "Third Sister, Teacher Erlong, Senior Dugu, wait here. I'll go test its strength first."

Dugu Bo nearly thought he had misheard him. "What did you say? You're going to test it by yourself?"

Tang San's brows furrowed slightly as well. She hurriedly reached out and grabbed Gu Qing's wrist. "Brother Gu Qing, let me do it. I'll use the hidden weapon, the Buddha Wrath Tang Lotus, to cripple it at close range. Then Brother Gu Qing can just kill it and absorb its soul ring.

"My Light of Life can help offset the explosion's burning damage. I might get hurt, but I can recover. As long as Brother Gu Qing doesn't get hurt, that's all that matters!"

"No need."

Gu Qing gently patted the back of Tang San's hand and removed it from his wrist. "Your Buddha Wrath Tang Lotus is our trump card. It would be too wasteful to use it here. I'll first test just how powerful its lightning-and-fire attacks really are. My Mystic Jade Body has elemental immunity, so ordinary elemental attacks are ineffective against me.

"If its lightning and fire can penetrate that immunity, then I can use its power to temper my body. Relax. When has your Brother Gu Qing ever done something he wasn't sure of?"

"But..."

Tang San still wanted to persuade him, but Gu Qing cut her off as soon as she opened her mouth.

"No buts. You're not even listening to your Brother Gu Qing now?"

Tang San fell silent for a moment, then slowly loosened her fingers one by one. She knew Gu Qing was right: the Buddha Wrath Tang Lotus's one complete eruption as a martial soul had to be saved for the most critical moment. It could not be wasted on a mere test.

Yet as she withdrew her hand, Blue Silver Grass silently spread beneath her feet. The tips of its vines lifted slightly, ready to receive Gu Qing at the first instant should he retreat.

Gu Qing walked alone toward the center of the basin. Behind him, Dugu Bo's emerald snake eyes narrowed slightly as his withered fingers unconsciously stroked his beard. He wanted to see what abilities this youth, who had shattered a five-thousand-year soul beast's giant claw with a single punch, could bring out against a nearly ninety-thousand-year lightning-and-fire dual-attribute plant soul beast.

Dugu Yan stood beside her grandfather, her hands unconsciously tightening around her sleeves.

Liu Erlong folded her arms across her chest, her red lips pressed into a thin line. Though she had said, "Don't regret it later," the Fire Dragon martial soul within her was already quietly gathering power. If Gu Qing suffered even the slightest mishap, she would rush in to save him without hesitation.

The moment Gu Qing took his first step into the basin, the Thunder Fire Phoenix Tree sensed the intruder. Every burning leaf in its canopy turned toward him at once, as though countless blazing eyes had opened in an instant.

Then, a silver lightning bolt as thick as a water barrel crashed down from the canopy. It moved so quickly that the air was ionized, producing a sharp scorched smell. Close behind the lightning came a crimson-gold blast of flame, gushing from a gaping tree-mouth on the trunk. The lightning was responsible for instant paralysis, while the flames inflicted sustained burning—this was the Thunder Fire Phoenix Tree's battle-hardened attack pattern!

The lightning arrived in an instant, but Gu Qing did not dodge. He wanted to see just how much elemental assault the Mystic Jade Body's elemental immunity could withstand against an eighty-thousand-year soul beast.

The silver lightning struck his chest squarely. Mystic jade-colored light flickered violently several times as the Mystic Jade Glazed Body absorbed most of the lightning's energy, but a small portion still penetrated its defense.

The muscles in his chest twitched slightly, and a dense stinging sensation spread across his skin. Then the fiery breath struck him head-on, and crimson-gold flames instantly engulfed his entire body.

The flames' searing heat penetrated the Mystic Jade Body's defense and scorched his skin. He could feel the fine hairs on his body curling and charring in the flames, while a faint layer of redness appeared around his collarbones and shoulders.

This phoenix tree could break through his elemental immunity. Though it only caused minor burns and paralysis, the fact that it could inflict actual damage through the Mystic Jade Glazed Body's defense made it the strongest elemental attack he had encountered so far.

Gu Qing lowered his head and looked at the reddened skin on his chest. The corner of his mouth slowly curved upward. This phoenix tree's flames were extremely hot, and its lightning carried a paralyzing effect. Together, they could inflict just enough minor damage upon his body—and that kind of minor damage was precisely the ideal condition for tempering his physique!