A True Nemesis

Tang Yuehua stared fixedly at those three soul rings, especially the purple one, her beautiful eyes filled with disbelief.

Innate soul power of 0.5... could it really break through to level thirty?

This completely overturned her understanding of cultivation.

"You..."

Tang Yuehua's voice trembled violently. She subconsciously took a step back, but then stopped abruptly, taking a deep breath to force herself to calm down.

She looked at Yang Fan, her voice still wavering: "You really aren't lying to me... is there truly a way?"

Yang Fan smiled slightly and retracted his soul rings.

He looked into Tang Yuehua's reddened eyes and said softly: "Lady Yuehua, if you are willing to agree to my conditions, I will certainly do my utmost to assist you."

Tang Yuehua did not answer immediately. She lowered her head, looking at her own slightly trembling hands.

These hands had brushed across the guqin countless times, playing the most beautiful melodies in Heaven Dou City.

Yet only she knew how much she longed, in the dead of night, to use these hands to release her own soul power, even if it were only a tiny bit.

"Fine."

After a long while, she finally raised her head, a flash of determination in her eyes: "I believe you."

Yang Fan nodded, walked up to her, and said softly: "Then... pardon me."

Tang Yuehua was slightly startled. Before she could react, Yang Fan had already reached out and gently grasped her wrist.

His palm was warm, carrying a trace of strange soul power fluctuations. That soul power flowed slowly along her meridians, like a warm current, instantly traveling through her entire body.

"Ah..."

Tang Yuehua could not help but let out a soft cry, her cheeks instantly flushing with a crimson hue.

That soul power was too gentle, yet it carried an indescribable aggressiveness, as if it wanted to envelop her entirely.

She subconsciously wanted to pull her hand back, but found that Yang Fan had not let go; instead, he held her wrist even tighter.

"Your meridians..." Yang Fan spoke in a low voice, his tone carrying a hint of surprise, "are even more fragile and blocked than I imagined."

Tang Yuehua's heart skipped a beat. She subconsciously wanted to hide it, but heard him continue: "If you had used century-old Whale Glue to clear and temper your meridians before the age of ten, before they solidified, you might have broken through. But now..."

She was silent for a moment, then finally said softly: "Thank you... so it really is impossible after all."

Yang Fan then released her hand and stood up. His gaze fell upon her slightly pale face as he said indifferently: "Do not worry, it just requires a more radical method. This place... is not very suitable."

Tang Yuehua considered it. She had already come this far, so she should at least try. Besides, she hadn't given him the Sinking Silver yet, so Yang Fan shouldn't do anything to her.

Thinking this, she turned and walked toward the inner chamber.

Yang Fan was slightly taken aback, not expecting Tang Yuehua to be so decisive, but he saw her lift the beaded curtain and her figure disappear behind the screen.

Yang Fan took a deep breath and followed slowly.

The inner chamber was decorated with extreme elegance. A soft quilt was spread over the sandalwood bed, and the air was filled with a faint, calming incense.

Tang Yuehua was already sitting on the edge of the bed. Seeing Yang Fan enter, she said softly: "Sit. What should we do next?"

"Don't move." Yang Fan's voice sounded by her ear, low and gentle. "Relax, and feel this power."

Tang Yuehua bit her lower lip, forcing herself to close her eyes.

She could feel a scorching, vital soul power traveling through her meridians. Every time it passed a blocked node, it would vibrate gently, shattering those impurities that had been obstructing her for decades, bit by bit.

The process was not painful; instead, it carried a strange, tingling sensation. Her breathing gradually became rapid, and a fine layer of sweat seeped onto her forehead.

Yang Fan's soul power went deeper and deeper. She could feel that power gathering toward her dantian, as if searching for something.

"Your martial soul..." Yang Fan's voice became somewhat low, "is the Noble Halo, a mutation of the Clear Sky Hammer, isn't it?"

Tang Yuehua's body stiffened abruptly, a flash of panic in her eyes. She rarely revealed her martial soul to outsiders; after all, it was a pain in her heart. Yet, Yang Fan actually...

Yang Fan's soul power suddenly became soft, like a pair of gentle hands stroking her heart.

"I am just confirming it to facilitate the subsequent treatment. Next, you will consume this piece of thousand-year Whale Glue."

Tang Yuehua had already missed the optimal time for treatment. A century-old one would be insufficient, and a ten-thousand-year one would be too much of a shock. Even a thousand-year one required a special method to be used.

Tang Yuehua obediently swallowed the warm Whale Glue handed to her by Yang Fan.

Instantly, an extremely domineering heat flow plummeted down her throat. Her skin, originally as white as jade, flushed with a visible crimson, and even her breathing became rapid.

"Ying~"

Tang Yuehua could not help but let out a low, unbearable moan, her forehead covered in fine, fragrant sweat.

"Hold on."

Yang Fan gave a low shout and activated Spring Breeze Blows and Regenerates.

A life force, rich to the extreme, surged from his body like spring rain after a long drought, instantly enveloping Tang Yuehua.

She could feel Yang Fan's breath right by her ear, the warm air brushing against her cheek, making her heartbeat accelerate uncontrollably.

However, life force alone was not enough.

The medicinal properties of the thousand-year Whale Glue were still too fierce for Tang Yuehua. Without external pressure and guidance, this vitality could not be refined at all.

Yang Fan's second soul ring flickered.

In an instant, a crimson flame, extremely pure yet perfectly controlled, rose from his palm. This flame lacked any scorching heat; instead, it carried a strange sense of warmth and gentleness.

These two forces, which should have been mutually exclusive, miraculously merged together under Yang Fan's terrifyingly powerful mental control.

He pressed both hands firmly against Tang Yuehua's soft, flat abdomen, pouring this special soul power—fused with vitality and heat—into her body without reservation.

"Ngh!"

As that special soul power entered her, Tang Yuehua's body suddenly went rigid.

She felt as if two diametrically opposed torrents had surged into her body, frantically repairing and nourishing the meridians that had withered and become blocked due to her martial soul mutation.

Meanwhile, that warm fire element, aided by the medicinal power of the Whale Glue, slammed fiercely against the invisible barrier that had plagued her for over twenty years!

Pain! Pain that reached deep into her marrow!

Her meridians were being forcibly widened and torn, only to be instantly healed under the shroud of life force.

This extreme agony nearly made Tang Yuehua shatter her silver teeth.

She gripped the soft couch beneath her so tightly that her fingernails left deep white marks in the wood, and those beautiful eyes, usually as gentle as water, were now filled with bloodshot veins and involuntary tears.

"Hold on! The medicinal power is breaking through your bottleneck!"

Yang Fan's voice rang in her ears. Sweat also beaded on his forehead; maintaining the fusion of these dual elements was a massive drain on his mental energy.

Amidst the excruciating pain, Tang Yuehua struggled to lift her head to look at the focused man before her. She could clearly feel that the hands pressed against her abdomen were continuously transmitting the power that would change her destiny.

"I... I can do it..."

This is perhaps my only chance in this life to become a soul master.

As a woman, Tang Yuehua had managed the Moon Pavilion in Heaven Dou City with a cultivation level not even reaching that of a soul master; her willpower was clearly not weak. Even though this intense pain made her wish for death, she still gritted her teeth and persisted.