Poseinan stepped into the spring, and a searing, stinging sensation surged through his body.
"Hiss... That's intense. No wonder this spring is where ice and fire converge."
Without another thought, he quickly tore off the Infernal Delicate Apricot and ran to the icy spring on the other side to pluck the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass. Then he swallowed them both.
He sat right there in the spring and began absorbing and refining them.
The instant the two Immortal Herbs entered his stomach, scorching heat and bone-piercing cold crashed against each other inside him. Poseinan shuddered violently and clenched his teeth.
The Infernal Delicate Apricot's flames spread through his veins, scorching every inch of his bones, muscles, and flesh, as if they meant to burn his body to ash.
The Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass's chill followed close behind, sealing his boiling blood in ice and making his whole body tremble.
The two opposing forces tore at him like mad.
Yet, nourished by the spring, they gradually began to merge.
They became a gentle yet domineering tempering force, washing over Poseinan's body again and again.
His flesh grew tougher under its nourishment. The impurities hidden between his muscles were driven out little by little, then dissolved into the spring water.
The stinging pain caused by the force's impact gradually faded.
In its place came a lightness that left his whole body feeling refreshed. His physical strength improved at a visible pace, his bones and muscles grew ever more resilient, and even his skin glimmered faintly.
An hour passed.
Poseinan completed the initial refinement. His body had undergone a tangible improvement, and his aura had grown much steadier.
Unlike Tang San, who used Ice Fire Body Tempering,
Poseinan had no intention of wasting these precious medicinal properties on this battered body.
The merging of ice and fire, the union of yin and yang—
the body was not what mattered most.
The most important thing was purification and cleansing!
Put simply, Marrow Cleansing.
Poseinan urged the medicinal power onward, flushing out the impurities in his body again and again.
Another hour passed.
He slowly opened his eyes and sensed the changes in his body.
He felt lighter, and stronger.
Not only that, even his Martial Soul's perception of water elements had grown sharper.
"How strange..."
This truly surprised Poseinan.
The Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass was an ice-type Immortal Herb. By all rights, it had nothing to do with his Sea God.
Could it be because ice and water were inseparable?
After all, ice was simply a variant of water, and the two had always been linked.
Just as Poseinan was about to continue consolidating his gains, an excited, jubilant laugh rang out in the distance.
"Ha ha ha ha! I finally... I finally broke through to Titled Douluo!"
Dugu Bo threw his head back and laughed. As he laughed, he began to cry.
Tears of joy.
The Dugu clan was born with deadly toxins in their blood, and every increase in rank was like walking a tightrope over a cliff.
For him to have cultivated to this point felt like a dream.
Only Dugu Bo knew how difficult the journey had been.
Most importantly, Dugu Bo's father had once told him, "Once you reach Titled Douluo, there'll be a way to solve the poison in our Dugu clan!"
Still, something felt off to Dugu Bo.
He didn't seem to feel that his poison had been cured.
Poseinan walked up, clapping his hands. "Old Monster, congratulations on breaking through to Titled Douluo!"
Caught up in his joy, Dugu Bo stopped dwelling on it. A smile tugged at his lips as he couldn't help exclaiming, "I think you're the real Little Monster!"
Only after reaching level 90 could he finally see Poseinan's true cultivation.
At six or seven years old, he had already reached a full 25 levels!
This was surely unprecedented, and likely to remain unmatched for generations to come.
Dugu Bo finally understood why Poseinan had been so confident when speaking to him earlier.
Simply terrifying!
"Likewise."
Poseinan didn't deny Dugu Bo's teasing.
After all, to outsiders, he truly was a monster.
Poseinan clasped his hands behind his back and smiled. "Don't fall for me. I'm just a legend."
Dugu Bo's mouth twitched. Then, unable to wait any longer, he respectfully cupped his hands and said, "Young Master, I'd like to head out for a while..."
"To hunt for a Soul Ring? Go ahead. I never restricted your movements."
Poseinan turned around and waved him off casually.
Dugu Bo looked a little surprised.
He was just letting him leave like that?
Once he came back to his senses, a faint smile curved his lips. "If that's the case, having another force backing me doesn't seem so bad."
The reason he'd always disliked joining forces was that he couldn't stand all the troublesome rules and restrictions in sects.
Not long after Dugu Bo left,
Sea Witch, not far away, finally finished absorbing the Water Immortal Jade Bone.
After absorbing the Immortal Herb, she had already undergone a complete transformation. She looked like a different person from before.
Her skin was as smooth and snowy as jade, and her cheeks had grown even more delicate and rosy, as if a light pinch would draw water. Her figure had become even more graceful.
Especially her long, slender legs, which were so fair and luminous they practically reflected the light.
Sea Witch sprang up and rushed over, wrapping her arms around Poseinan and planting several kisses on him. "Hee hee... Little Nan Nan! You're amazing!"
"Look! I actually broke through by two whole levels of Soul Power. I'm level 94 now!"
After all, at the Titled Douluo level, gaining even one rank usually took years.
Some people could remain stuck for decades just trying to advance by one level.
But what about Sea Witch?
After absorbing a single Immortal Herb, she'd gone straight from level 92 to level 94.
And she could clearly feel that the medicinal power inside her hadn't been fully used up.
Her cultivation would surely speed along from now on. Maybe she'd even have a chance to reach level 99 in her lifetime!
"Mmph, mmph... Let... let go of me!"
Good grief, what a pair of deadly weapons!
Poseinan's face flushed red as he struggled to breathe.
Sea Witch quickly let him go, smoothed her hair, and smiled sheepishly. "Little Nan Nan, um... sorry. I got a little too excited."
Poseinan cast an exasperated glance at the pale softness before her.
Damn, he'd almost been taken out by a World Cup!
What a disgrace!
To ease the awkwardness, Poseinan said, "Sister Hai, since you're awake, help guard me for a while."
Sea Witch gave him a serious look and patted her chest in promise. "Don't worry, Little Nan Nan. Leave everything to me! No one will dare disturb you."
Poseinan walked to the side, took the Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew he'd prepared earlier, and dripped it into his eyes. Then he began absorbing and refining it.
Of all the Immortal Herbs, this was the one he valued most, so he had to be careful—very careful.
Treasures that could increase Spiritual Power were nearly nonexistent across the entire continent, aside from Spirit-type skull bones and Immortal Herbs.
And the Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew was a precious Immortal Herb that could greatly increase Spiritual Power!
Sea Witch quietly walked over, sat down beside him, and silently stood guard.
At the same time,
Dugu Bo, who had just broken through to level 90, hurried home, eager to share the good news with his family.
But the moment he stepped through the door, he sensed something was wrong.
Where were the household servants?
Why wasn't a single one of them around?
As he wondered about it,
a purple-haired little girl came running out of the inner room, sobbing uncontrollably.
She was none other than Dugu Bo's beloved granddaughter, Dugu Yan.
When she saw Dugu Bo, Dugu Yan's eyes were red-rimmed. Choking back sobs, she tugged at him and tried to lead him inside. "Grandpa! Dad seems to have fallen ill again. He's rolling around on the bed right now. Please, save him!"
Dugu Bo's heart clenched. This was bad.
Had Xin'er's poison flared up again?
But even after breaking through to Titled Douluo, he hadn't gained a way to cure the poison...