Cold Traces, Fiery Theme

"An Ice Extreme Divine Crystal? Perhaps not quite."

The first thing Ouyang Ling did after returning was tear off his human-skin mask and take the sapphire-blue crystal in his hand to examine it. When he placed it on the stone disk, frost formed across the disk's surface from the cold emanating from the crystal in just a single breath.

Ouyang Ling paid it no mind and spread out the map.

"The northern part of the Heaven Dou Empire..."

This location, coupled with the crystal resembling an Ice Extreme Divine Crystal, tugged at Ouyang Ling's heartstrings. His thoughts had already flown to the era of The Unrivaled Tang Clan ten thousand years in the future.

He vaguely remembered that the Earth Dragon Sect should have been located in what was now the northern part of the Heaven Dou Empire, though Dragon City did not yet exist.

That was right—Ouyang Ling had set his sights on the Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Cave.

More precisely, the Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Marrow within it.

The idea had surfaced in his mind when he first heard the introduction to this auction item. Based on his deductions, the Earth Dragon Sect's Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Cave had likely already been brought into Heaven Dou Empire territory by the continent's past tectonic movements.

A crystalline metal with attributes close to Ultimate Ice, despite not bordering the Far North, was compelling evidence.

"Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Marrow..."

Although his martial soul was Extreme Water, his ice attribute was not weak in the slightest. If he could obtain the Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Marrow, perhaps his ice attribute could also undergo a transformation into an ultimate attribute.

Even if that failed,

it would still be an invaluable cultivation aid for ice-attribute Soul Masters!

Just then, knock, knock, knock—

Someone knocked on the door.

"Little Ling."

"I'm coming."

At the sound of the familiar voice,

Ouyang Ling set aside his thoughts and rose to open the door.

"Big Sis, you're here."

Qian Renxue walked into the room. Seeing the crystal and map, she casually picked up the crystal and inspected it. "Do you want to cultivate with this ice-attribute crystal?"

"Not that."

Ouyang Ling shook his head. "What's beneath it."

Hide it?

He had no such intention.

Not to mention that Qian Renxue had helped him purchase the item, he did not have the ability to excavate it by himself.

However, he would not directly mention the Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Cave either.

After all, how could he be so certain and specific?

Ouyang Ling took back the map and pointed at the red-marked area, carefully explaining his thoughts to Qian Renxue. "To sum it up, there's a seventy percent chance that an extremely high-quality ice-attribute treasure ground lies beneath this place. Otherwise, it would be difficult for such a crystal to form."

"Seventy percent?"

Qian Renxue raised a brow. "That's enough."

She took the map. "Since you need it, I'll have people investigate it and see whether they can find this so-called treasure ground."

Ouyang Ling's eyes lit up, though he did not forget to remind her.

"Keep it low-key."

"Don't worry."

After giving it some thought, Qian Renxue already had an idea.

Then, seemingly recalling something, she put away both the map and crystal before asking, "When do you plan to consume the Whale Glue?"

"The sooner, the better."

Ouyang Ling took three pieces of Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Glue from his Ruyi Hundred-Treasure Pouch and handed them to Qian Renxue. "Sister Xue'er, please find someone to process them for me. One piece should be enough for me. You can use the extras; they'll improve your physical condition too."

Ouyang Ling had a rough idea of the effects of Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Glue. One piece was enough to let his second Soul Ring reach the thousand-year level.

As for the rest...

He could not possibly swallow it all himself.

Qian Renxue accepted the dark-gold Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Glue and shook her head. "I don't need it. Whale Glue would only provide limited improvement to my physique, and as a Soul Ancestor, I have no desire to absorb Soul Rings beyond my level. The risk is simply too great. An accident would not be worth it."

"So you should use it all."

Ouyang Ling pretended not to understand Qian Renxue's implication.

"You really don't want it?"

Qian Renxue shot him a look. "No need. Besides, there's no need to find someone to process this Whale Glue. I'll melt it for you."

Turning a piece of Whale Glue into a gelatinous substance was simple enough for Qian Renxue. Under the scorching heat of Angel Flame, the piece of Whale Glue gradually changed, though the speed left much to be desired.

This Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Glue was seriously hard!

Qian Renxue's expression darkened as she immediately increased her soul power output.

Gradually, a strange fragrance wafted from the Whale Glue. The scent was rich, yet it did not disperse, lingering only within a radius of about one meter around Qian Renxue's hand.

Before long,

a lump of soft gelatin formed in her palm.

"It smells pretty nice. Seems tasty."

Qian Renxue held the Whale Glue before Ouyang Ling.

"How do you plan to eat it?"

Ouyang Ling had naturally prepared for this long ago.

A flash of blue light passed by as he summoned his martial soul.

When he opened his mouth, a layer of Jade Waves wrapped from his mouth all the way down his esophagus, continuously extending deeper.

"See? As long as I wrap it in water, it won't hurt me."

With that, he reached out to take the Whale Glue.

Who would have thought that Qian Renxue would pull her hand away?

"How about I help you instead?"

"Huh?"

Ouyang Ling immediately waved his hands. "Sister Xue'er, you should leave. I'm using Whale Glue to improve my physique, but that doesn't mean its aphrodisiac effect will disappear."

"What are you thinking?"

Qian Renxue rolled her eyes. Then a teasing smile appeared at the corner of her lips as she gently tapped Ouyang Ling's forehead with her index finger.

"And what are you thinking, kid? You're only eight. What do you think you could possibly do? You may have the heart, but not the ability."

In an instant, Ouyang Ling's face turned scarlet.

That joke had gone way too far!

Before Ouyang Ling could refuse again,

"Enough nonsense. I'll help you."

Before she even finished speaking, Qian Renxue moved. She pried open Ouyang Ling's mouth before he could react, pinched off a small piece from the scorching Whale Glue, and aimed it at his mouth and esophagus, wrapped in Jade Waves. "Here it comes. Careful, it's hot."

Seeing that he could not resist, Ouyang Ling simply lay sideways across Qian Renxue's lap and enjoyed his sister feeding him.

The moment the Whale Glue entered his mouth, a strong fishy odor hit him.

However, his mouth and esophagus were wrapped in Jade Waves, so the instant he closed his mouth, the fishy odor weakened considerably. It became a warm current flowing into his stomach, leaving only a faint fragrance lingering in his mouth.

Even with Jade Waves protecting him, Ouyang Ling felt heat rise in his chest and abdomen after swallowing the first bite of Whale Glue. It was not caused by the Whale Glue's temperature, but by his blood and vitality beginning to boil.

As the older sister fed him, bite after bite of Whale Glue entered his stomach, and streams of heat flowed through his limbs and bones.

The Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Glue truly deserved to be called a heavenly treasure.

As Ouyang Ling thought this, the entire piece of Whale Glue had already entered his stomach. The warmth gradually became scorching, while the currents of heat continued to flow. Sweat soon began to seep from his body.

Agitated by his blood and vitality, Ouyang Ling's body gradually turned red. Even his sweat was dyed reddish-brown, and before long, his clothes were stained dark red as well.

Feeling the surging vitality in his body, Ouyang Ling rose from Qian Renxue's lap as soon as he began sweating.

To allow the Whale Glue's medicinal power to flow freely through his body, he even voluntarily dismissed his martial soul possession.

"What dense fluctuations of blood and vitality."

A flicker of emotion passed through Qian Renxue's eyes.

No wonder he was confident that he could absorb a thousand-year Soul Ring as his second one.

The effects of Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Glue truly were extraordinary.

Seeing steam seemingly rising from Ouyang Ling's entire body, Qian Renxue calmed herself and focused all her attention.

"Guard your mind and circulate your soul power to absorb the medicinal effects. I'll stand guard beside you."

Ouyang Ling said nothing, merely nodding gratefully. Then, as the medicinal power flowed through him, he began circulating his soul power.

As time passed, his body temperature steadily rose.

The potent pure-yang effect of the Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Glue began causing an excess of yang energy within him, repeatedly battering Ouyang Ling's mind.

For a moment, his entire consciousness became hazy.

His body swayed, and just as he was about to fall, Qian Renxue hurriedly reached out to support him, feeling the astonishing heat.

So hot!

Qian Renxue furrowed her brows slightly.

It was too high. She needed to lower his external temperature first.

Qian Renxue made her judgment in an instant. Without the slightest hesitation, she swept Ouyang Ling up and held him in her arms.

Then, with one stride, she burst straight through the door.

Meanwhile, through his muddled state, the scorching heat of Ouyang Ling's body made him instinctively tear at his clothes with force. He kept struggling, wanting to escape Qian Renxue's embrace.

After all, the human body was like a furnace.

"Can't you just stay still?"

Left with no choice, Qian Renxue tightly held Ouyang Ling to prevent him from breaking free. Yet such a position inevitably resulted in far too much intimate contact.

She appeared calm and unconcerned on the surface, but the blush on her face and the trembling of her eyelashes had already betrayed her.

The residence's pool was now right before them.

She loosened her arms. "Off you go!"

With a forceful throw, Ouyang Ling's entire body plunged into the water.

After seeing half his body submerged and his burning heat ease considerably, Qian Renxue did not leave. Instead, she stood guard nearby.

Only after Ouyang Ling's blood and vitality had calmed and he had fallen into a deep sleep did Qian Renxue pull him from the pool.

She took him back to his room, personally changed his clothes, and settled him on the bed... Only after finishing all that did Qian Renxue close the door and leave.

As the sky gradually darkened, the night passed without incident...

```