Low-Grade Ice-Fire Body Tempering

After giving Xue Wu rescue breaths, Jiang Lan hurriedly raised his head. The hand that had been pinching Xue Wu's high nose bridge shifted to cover her mouth and nose, preventing her from choking on water.

Jiang Lan raised a hand to wipe the saliva from the corner of his mouth, then held Xue Wu's scorching, soft, fragrant body as he continued diving.

Before long, the four of them arrived before the mine tunnel of the Ice Extreme Divine Crystal Mine.

Holding one person in each arm, Shui Qinghan plunged directly into the Ice Extreme Divine Crystal Mine.

Jiang Lan followed close behind, carrying Xue Wu as he entered as well.

The instant they entered the cave, a strange force instantly filtered away all the Cold Spring water on Jiang Lan and Xue Wu, leaving their bodies completely dry.

Immediately afterward, waves of fierce cold currents, carrying ice-attributed natural energy so dense it was nearly visible to the naked eye, surged toward Jiang Lan and the others.

Jiang Lan immediately withdrew his innate domain. Without its protection, everyone instantly felt an extreme chill, and a layer of pale frost formed over their bodies.

Fortunately, Shui Qinghan had absorbed two Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Marrows, greatly strengthening the origin of her martial soul. Though the cold currents of the Ice Extreme Divine Crystal Mine were bone-piercingly cold, they would not overwhelm her in the short term.

The mine's frigid currents also instantly suppressed the side effects of the Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Glue, allowing the two girls to regain complete clarity.

"So cold!" Shui Yue'er shivered violently.

At the same time, Xue Wu, who was tightly wrapped around Jiang Lan like an octopus, slowly came to. She and Jiang Lan stared wide-eyed at each other.

"Guh..." As Xue Wu gradually recalled what she had done to Jiang Lan after losing consciousness, a despairing whimper escaped her throat. She covered her flushed face with both hands, and her normally heroic features were filled with utter hopelessness.

It seemed she had touched everything she should and should not have touched.

And when Jiang Lan had given her rescue breaths underwater, she seemed to have taken the initiative to stick out her tongue and even suck on his...

The more she remembered, the more embarrassed and ashamed she became. She practically wanted to die.

Although she had already regarded Jiang Lan as her future husband, after doing such outrageous things, she had no idea how to face him.

I'm tired. Destroy everything.

It feels like a part of me has died.

Was it funny? All he saw was a despairing miner.

Seeing Xue Wu's hopeless expression, Jiang Lan could only try his best to hold it in.

If he failed to hold back and laughed now, this tomboyish senior sister would probably be embarrassed enough to want to die.

Jiang Lan: Just hold it in. Easily hold it in. Happily hold it in.

"Ahem. Senior Sister, could you get off me now?" Jiang Lan coughed lightly and asked.

This big-chested tomboyish senior sister was still wrapped around him.

"Wah... sorry." At his words, Xue Wu climbed down from Jiang Lan with her entire face crimson. She was so embarrassed that she could not even feel the cold in her body.

"No, I'm the one who should apologize. I took advantage of you, Senior Sister." Jiang Lan shook his head apologetically.

"It's... it's fine. I don't mind." Xue Wu was both shy and touched. She hurriedly shook her head and spoke softly.

"Yue'er, Xue Wu, hurry up and sit down to meditate. Use the ice-attributed natural energy here to refine the medicinal power of the Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Glue. It will be greatly beneficial to you." Shui Qinghan glanced at Jiang Lan and Xue Wu, a faint smile curling at her lips as she spoke.

Plan successful!

Only after physical intimacy occurred would the relationship between the two become closer.

"Yes, Dean!" Xue Wu gave Jiang Lan an apologetic look, then ran to Shui Yue'er's side, sat cross-legged, and began refining the medicinal power of the Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Glue.

Although Shui Yue'er shivered from the cold here, she obediently sat down cross-legged and circulated the Soul Power within her body to refine the medicinal power of the Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Glue.

While Shui Yue'er and Xue Wu refined the Whale Glue's medicinal power, Jiang Lan did not remain idle.

He gradually compressed the range of his innate domain until it was just large enough to encompass Shui Qinghan and Shui Bing'er. He constantly observed their physical condition. The moment he noticed they were about to fail to endure, Jiang Lan's innate domain would cover them, dispelling the cold from their bodies until the side effects of the Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Glue flared up again.

At that point, Jiang Lan would withdraw his innate domain and use the ice-attributed natural energy of the Ice Extreme Divine Crystal Mine to suppress the Whale Glue's medicinal power, allowing them to refine it in peace without being affected by its side effects.

Extreme heat within their bodies, extreme cold outside.

Amid the alternating cold and heat, Shui Bing'er and Xue Wu could be said to have undergone a low-grade version of Ice-Fire Body Tempering. (Note 1)

For Shui Yue'er and Xue Wu, this was no small opportunity.

The domineering medicinal power of the Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Glue tempered their bodies and widened the meridians within them, while also enabling their bodies to absorb the ice-attributed natural energy in the Ice Extreme Divine Crystal Mine to the greatest extent possible.

Not only did this greatly raise their Soul Power, but their physiques were further tempered as well. The age limit of soul rings they could withstand had increased by at least five to six hundred years.

Half an hour later, Shui Yue'er and Xue Wu successfully refined the medicinal power of the Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Glue.

"Level twenty-seven?!" Xue Wu slowly opened her eyes, a flash of delight passing through them.

A piece of high-quality Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Glue and one round of low-grade Ice-Fire Body Tempering had directly increased Xue Wu's Soul Power by more than a level. She had skipped past level twenty-six from level twenty-five and leapt straight to level twenty-seven, saving herself nearly half a year of arduous cultivation.

Shui Yue'er slowly opened her eyes, excitement filling them as she sprang up from the ground.

However, Shui Yue'er had clearly misjudged her current strength. She shot forward and crashed headfirst into Jiang Lan's arms.

"Senior Sister Yue'er, be careful." Jiang Lan swiftly caught Shui Yue'er.

"Hehe~ My strength suddenly increased so much that I didn't react in time." Shui Yue'er gave a playful smile, looking especially adorable.

"You really are always so rash." Shui Bing'er said helplessly.

"Hehe~" Shui Yue'er stuck out her tongue sheepishly, then turned and ran before Shui Qinghan. Looking up at her, she impatiently asked, "Auntie, how old a soul ring can I absorb now?"

"I'll test you." Shui Qinghan smiled faintly. Her aura suddenly changed, and surging Soul Power immediately pressed down on Shui Yue'er before her.

Soul Power pressure was the best method of testing a Soul Master's physical strength.

Before long, the test results were out.

Shui Yue'er's physical strength could withstand the Soul Power pressure of level thirty-seven, two levels higher than Shui Bing'er's had been at level twenty.

"Level thirty-seven. Not bad." Shui Qinghan withdrew the Soul Power pressing down on Shui Yue'er and nodded in satisfaction.

Shui Yue'er immediately felt her body lighten. She dropped onto the ground on her butt and gasped heavily, her forehead covered in sweat.

"Yue'er, your second soul ring should be able to absorb a soul ring between three thousand five hundred and three thousand eight hundred years old," Shui Qinghan estimated.

"Three thousand eight hundred years?! That's great!" Shui Yue'er was overjoyed.

Shui Yue'er and Shui Bing'er had received exactly the same cultivation resources; there had been no favoritism.

It was simply that Shui Yue'er's first soul ring had been absorbed beyond her limit, and she had also undergone a low-grade version of Ice-Fire Body Tempering.

That was probably how the gap of eight hundred years had been created, Jiang Lan quietly mused.