Ice and Fire Body Tempering, Immune to Water and Fire!

The reason Dugu Bo was able to live at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well was because the toxins throughout his body were suppressed here.

Thus, the environment of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well had instead become Dugu Bo's protection.

Dugu Bo said, "All right, Xia Yuan. All my herbs are planted here, so you may use them as you please."

"But you are not allowed to damage my herb garden, and do not touch the spring water over there."

"Even I cannot endure that scorching heat and extreme cold for too long."

"With your physique, once you touch it, there will be only death awaiting you."

After saying that, Dugu Bo gave Xia Yuan another look, then leaped into the air and departed toward the mountaintop.

Xia Yuan watched Dugu Bo leave before beginning to survey the herbs around him.

He did not have Tang San's Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record, but he could still identify some of the more important Immortal Herbs by their appearance.

Moreover, his Martial Soul could roughly sense their effects.

The most important ones at present were naturally the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and the Infernal Delicate Apricot.

Only by consuming these two Immortal Herbs could he survive within the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.

Xia Yuan looked around and soon spotted a large pink flower.

The flower itself was a full foot long. It had no leaves, while its stalk was three feet long. Its petals looked crystal-clear, like crystal.

It grew on the shore at the boundary between the vermilion and milky-white springs.

This was the Immortal Herb Aromatic Silk Beauty. As long as one remained near it, it could suppress all poisons and keep them from approaching.

Of course, the prerequisite was not being poisoned before entering the range of its fragrance. Otherwise, it could at most delay and suppress the onset of the poison.

Next, Xia Yuan took out two daggers, one iron and one jade. He released his Martial Soul and activated his First Soul Skill, Rock Scale.

Two Blue Silver Emperors each gripped one dagger and extended toward either side.

Xia Yuan focused completely, channeling his spiritual power, Soul Power, and senses into the two Blue Silver Emperors. He soon found his targets.

Beside the milky-white Cold Extreme Yin Spring on the left, one Blue Silver Emperor swung its dagger and swiftly sliced beneath a white herb.

In an instant, the large white flower, shaped like an octagon with ice-crystal-like stamens at its center, fell from its stalk.

As the flower dropped, a chill rapidly spread outward, coating the surrounding ground in frost.

This was the highly poisonous Immortal Herb, the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass.

On the right, beside the vermilion Blazing Yang Spring, Xia Yuan's target was a plant that resembled a cabbage yet was fiery red from top to bottom.

This plant was likewise a highly poisonous Immortal Herb, named the Infernal Delicate Apricot.

The Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass possessed supreme cold poison, while the Infernal Delicate Apricot possessed supreme fire poison.

Both were deadly poisons, yet once they came into contact, their effects would cancel each other out.

Xia Yuan used the same method to cut down the Infernal Delicate Apricot.

Although the two Blue Silver Emperors had already gained considerable strength at their Martial Soul source and were reinforced by the Rock Scale Soul Skill, they were still nearly destroyed by the respective effects of the two plants.

Xia Yuan swung both Blue Silver Emperors at once, having them coil around the Immortal Herbs and throw them toward him.

At the same time, he severed the two Blue Silver Emperors on his own initiative at the fastest speed possible.

Yet when the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and Infernal Delicate Apricot landed before Xia Yuan, their extreme cold and extreme heat mysteriously vanished.

Xia Yuan did not dare linger for even a moment and immediately stuffed both Immortal Herbs directly into his mouth.

Though they had been solid before he ate them, the two Immortal Herbs melted the instant they entered his mouth, turning into juice that flowed into his stomach.

Almost in the next instant, Xia Yuan's body had completely changed color. Icy blue and red alternated over his skin, and the agony brought by the two extreme energies was not diminished in the slightest.

Yet at the same time, a faint green glow representing life also vaguely emerged.

Feeling the medicinal effects of the two Immortal Herbs beginning to take effect, Xia Yuan removed his clothes, drew in a breath, and jumped directly into the boundary between the Cold Extreme Yin Spring and the Blazing Yang Spring.

The unbearable pain caused Xia Yuan to lose consciousness the moment he fell into the spring waters of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.

Yet that faint trace of green never disappeared.

Heaven Dou City, imperial palace.

"What? Dugu Bo took Xia Yuan away?" Xue Qinghe abruptly rose to his feet.

"What exactly happened? Tell me everything truthfully."

"Yes, Your Highness." The messenger recounted in meticulous detail everything the three education committee members had encountered.

After hearing the full account, Xue Qinghe waved the man away and slowly paced through the hall.

"Dugu Bo is an imperial court enshrined expert, and his granddaughter studies at Heaven Dou Royal Academy."

"Logically speaking, there should be no conflict between him and Xia Yuan."

"And judging by Dugu Yan's behavior, Dugu Bo truly seemed to harbor no ill intent."

"But... could it be that Dugu Yan likes..." Xue Qinghe stopped walking, shook his head, and laughed.

"What am I thinking..."

"Still, I really should go and find him."

Xia Yuan could voluntarily leave with Dugu Bo, but as the person who had recruited Xia Yuan, he could not simply disregard him.

Even if there was truly nothing unpleasant between Xia Yuan and Dugu Bo, and Xia Yuan had merely gone to help Dugu Bo, he should still make his position clear and let Xia Yuan see that he cared about him.

Xue Qinghe looked toward the door. "Guards, prepare gifts. Go to Seven Treasures City and invite my teacher here."

He had originally intended to wait for a suitable opportunity and slowly draw Xia Yuan into becoming one of his trusted confidants.

Yet plans could not keep up with changes. Xia Yuan had unexpectedly formed a connection with Dugu Bo first.

For now, he had to let Xia Yuan see his attitude.

A night passed. When light returned to the sky, Xia Yuan opened his eyes within the spring waters of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.

He had also returned to his peak condition.

The medicinal effects of the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and Infernal Delicate Apricot would not increase Xia Yuan's Soul Power. (Original setting)

But even though they did not directly raise Xia Yuan's Soul Power, the two Immortal Herbs brought him a considerable improvement in physical constitution.

In particular, his meridians, bones, and the rest of his body had accumulated the medicinal power of the two Immortal Herbs, which was slowly being digested and absorbed under the stimulation of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well's spring water.

The current Xia Yuan no longer felt any pain at all within the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.

To him, the Cold Extreme Yin Spring was merely cool water, while the Blazing Yang Spring was merely warm water.

This state could already be called immunity to water and fire.

Naturally, that applied only to energy-based forms.

Solid ice and flames could still freeze and burn him, but they could no longer make him feel cold or hot, nor could they cause frostbite or burns to his body.

And Xia Yuan's Second Soul Ring had now undergone another increase, surging to the level of nine thousand years.

As for his Third Soul Ring, if he did not take soul shock into account, he could even attempt to directly absorb a Soul Ring of over ten thousand years!