Huo Yu'er felt the ice-blue dragon shadow within her and remained somewhat dazed.
A year ago, she had been a good-for-nothing with only one rank of Innate Soul Power, unable even to meet Shrek's admission standards.
In just one short year, she had become a peerless genius with Twin Martial Souls. And one of those Martial Souls was the Water Dragon King, a super Martial Soul. Before, she wouldn't even have dared dream of any of this.
"Big Brother Lin, I..."
"Take a couple of days to adjust. We'll talk once your Martial Soul has stabilized." Lin Shuo withdrew his gaze and took a pale-blue Soul Bone from his Storage Soul Tool. The instant it appeared, the air around them turned sharply colder, and a fine layer of frost spread across the ground. It was the 60,000-Year Ice Dragon Torso Bone.
"This Soul Bone is just right for you now."
Huo Yu'er stared blankly at the Soul Bone radiating cold air. Her lips moved, but no words came out. She recognized it at a glance as the Soul Bone they had won in the freshman assessment. Back then, Lin Shuo hadn't let them stand guard while he absorbed it, so she had assumed Big Brother Lin had already taken it.
She hadn't expected him to keep it instead.
From the Mystic Water Pill and Soul Ascension Pill to the Water Dragon King Martial Soul and this 60,000-Year Ice Dragon Torso Bone, she could say with certainty that she wouldn't be where she was today without Big Brother Lin.
She didn't say, "It's too precious," because she knew Big Brother Lin didn't like hearing that. She simply nodded firmly and accepted the Soul Bone with both hands.
"Absorb it now," Lin Shuo said succinctly.
Huo Yu'er sat down as instructed and pressed the Soul Bone to her chest. Ice-blue light surged from it, flowing slowly along her meridians. The Water Dragon King's bloodline blended with the power of the Ice Dragon Soul Bone inside her. There was no rejection, only a natural, seamless fit.
Gu Yuena stood to one side, quietly watching.
While Huo Yu'er absorbed the Soul Bone, Lin Shuo turned around and looked at the Aromatic Silk Beauty in the valley. The large pink flower still lay prostrate on the ground, its petals pressed close to the earth in the utmost humility.
"Aromatic Silk Beauty," Lin Shuo said. His voice was calm, yet carried unquestionable authority.
"H-here!" The Aromatic Silk Beauty shuddered, its petals trembling. "What does Your Majesty command?"
"Someone left something behind at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well back then, didn't they? If so, hand it over."
The Aromatic Silk Beauty looked at Lin Shuo in surprise, but didn't hesitate. It immediately produced a snow-white book. As for Tang San's old demand—please, this was the future of the Soul Beast Clan.
It held the book high, its manner utterly respectful.
"Your Majesty is wise," the Aromatic Silk Beauty said carefully. "This was left here by Sea God Tang San. Only those who pass the assessment and join the Tang Sect may read it."
Lin Shuo took it and casually flipped through a few pages. Once he had confirmed it was the right book, he put it away.
"Well done." Lin Shuo's gaze swept over the Immortal Herbs in the valley again. "You may get up. Also, I need to take a few Immortal Herbs with me."
The Aromatic Silk Beauty bowed. "Your Highness, please call me Xiao You. You may take anything you like from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well."
Lin Shuo gave a slight nod and walked into the valley. This time, he only planned to take some Immortal Herbs that had not gained intelligence. As for these hundred-thousand-year-old Immortal Herbs, there was no hurry. He could take them after Electrolux had worked out the Soul Spirit Method.
"Na'er, can these Immortal Herbs help heal your injuries?" Lin Shuo picked up an Immortal Herb and looked at Gu Yuena.
Gu Yuena shook her head gently. "My injuries were mainly caused by Asura Divine Power. These Immortal Herbs are precious, but they can do next to nothing for injuries at the God King level." She paused, her violet eyes settling on Lin Shuo as her gaze softened. "You should pick and absorb them yourself. Don't worry about me."
In the distance, Huo Yu'er finally opened her eyes. A glimmer of ice-blue light flashed through her deep-blue eyes, then they were clear again. She stood up and moved her limbs. Her body felt several times lighter than before, and the Soul Power within her flowed several times faster.
She was still at level twenty, but she had already undergone a tremendous transformation.
"Big Brother Lin, I've finished fusing with it!" Huo Yu'er excitedly hurried over to Lin Shuo. She believed that once she absorbed her Second Soul Ring, she would become far more than an ordinary level-twenty-one Soul Master.
"Good." Lin Shuo handed her the Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew he had just picked. "Yu'er, absorb this. It's Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew. After you take it, it'll greatly improve your eyesight and increase your spiritual power. It's perfect for your Spirit Eye."
Huo Yu'er took the emerald-green herb and tipped the few drops of liquid, clear as dew, into her mouth. A cool sensation washed over her. Not daring to delay, she immediately sat cross-legged.
Seeing Huo Yu'er begin to absorb it, Lin Shuo turned to Gu Yuena and asked softly, "Na'er, which ones should I absorb?"
Hearing this, Xiao You, Infernal Delicate Apricot, Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass, and the other hundred-thousand-year-old Soul Beasts looked at Lin Shuo eagerly, their eyes all saying the same thing: Your Majesty, look at me!
Gu Yuena gave the Immortal Herbs a cold glance, then turned back to Lin Shuo with a gentle expression. "Whether it's Infernal Delicate Apricot or Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass, any Immortal Herb that enhances a Martial Soul will have almost no effect on you."
Lin Shuo wasn't surprised.
The Seven-Colored Dragon King was the Dragon God's son. Across the entire Douluo Continent, there was no one who could match his bloodline. His bloodline was already perfect.
These Immortal Herbs were precious; for an ordinary Soul Master, they offered the chance to shed their old self and be reborn. For him, they would only be icing on the cake.
"Still, they aren't entirely without value." Gu Yuena changed tack and looked at the distinct halves of the ice-and-fire lake in the valley. "These Immortal Herbs contain abundant world energy and vitality. They can still help improve your Soul Power and benefit your future cultivation. You can start by absorbing that Star Luo Spirit Pearl. It should help you condense a Soul Core later."
"Besides, no one from the outside knows about this place, so you can refine them slowly. Once you've refined the energy inside you, you can take the next one."
Lin Shuo followed her gaze. There stood an herb with black branches and a golden fruit at its crown. Countless golden specks had gathered across the fruit's surface.
The Plant-type Soul Beasts that had gained intelligence watched Lin Shuo eagerly. When they saw him approach the Star Luo Spirit Pearl, they looked at it enviously.
His Majesty was all but certain to ascend to godhood in the future. If they could follow him, they too might gain eternal life.
Though the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well had granted them the ability to grow rapidly, it had also greatly shortened their lifespans. They had been isolated from the outside world for so long that they lacked combat ability. When faced with the 200,000- and 300,000-year tribulations in ten or twenty thousand years, their deaths would be all but certain.
Lin Shuo walked up to the Star Luo Spirit Pearl. The Immortal Herb seemed to sense something and trembled excitedly from root to tip. Lin Shuo reached out and picked the fruit without hesitation.