Icefire Tempering the Golden Body! Countless Immortal Herbs! Azure Lotus Sword Evolution!

The purple-haired woman stepped half a pace closer, her red lips pursing gently.

"Why does Rongrong always call you Brother Chen Feng?"

Chen Feng released her wrist.

"She's called me that since we were children."

Dugu Yan continued to press him.

"Then can Yan Yan call you that too?"

"That wouldn't be appropriate."

"How is it inappropriate?"

Chen Feng turned and headed toward the back mountain.

"You're older than me."

Dugu Yan stood there blankly for a moment before quickly catching up to the white-clad figure.

"So being older means I can't call you that?"

"Brother Chen Feng."

"Brother Chen Feng?"

"Why don't you answer me?"

The two figures gradually disappeared down the forest path.

An autumn breeze swept across the Soul Fighting Arena.

Sword marks covered the ground, still bearing witness to the battle where one person had suppressed the Seven Monsters.

Several days later.

Heaven Dou Royal Academy.

Back mountain.

Chen Feng stood beneath an ancient tree, the Azure Lotus Sword floating before him.

Golden-green lotus patterns slowly circulated, and fallen leaves around him were held aloft by sword intent.

A dark green figure swept out from the mountain forest.

The newcomer was tall and thin, with green hair and beard, his emerald eyes filled with scrutiny.

Dugu Yan followed closely behind him.

"Grandfather, this is Chen Feng."

"The group leader said Chen Feng can solve the Dugu Family's problem."

Dugu Bo stopped ten paces away.

The soul power pressure of a Titled Douluo descended with him.

The ancient tree's branches and leaves shook violently, while the fallen leaves on the ground rolled outward.

Chen Feng remained where he stood, his white robes not the least bit disheveled.

The Azure Lotus Sword let out a cry.

Golden-green sword energy swirled around him, splitting apart the incoming pressure.

A trace of surprise appeared in Dugu Bo's eyes.

"With only level fifty soul power, you can actually withstand this old man's pressure."

"No wonder Yan Yan keeps praising you in front of me."

Dugu Yan's cheeks reddened slightly.

"Yan Yan was only telling the truth."

"Grandfather, quickly withdraw your soul power."

Dugu Bo did not continue testing him.

"I heard from Yan Yan that you know about the Immortal Herbs in my medicinal garden and can also solve the Jade Phosphor Serpent Poison?"

Chen Feng put away the Azure Lotus Sword.

"Whether I can solve it or not, we'll know once we reach the Icefire Yin-Yang Well."

"This old man has studied Jade Phosphor Serpent Poison for decades and can only temporarily suppress the toxins."

"Why do you think a few herbs can solve a problem that has plagued the Dugu Family for generations?"

Chen Feng looked at the green-haired elder before him.

"The Jade Phosphor Serpent is founded on poison, yet it leaves its innate venom within its body while cultivating."

"The stronger one's soul power, the more toxins accumulate."

"Whenever it is cloudy or rainy, your ribs go numb. You suffer an episode once at noon and once at midnight."

"Each episode forces you to endure half an hour of agony as ten thousand poisons gnaw at your body."

Dugu Bo's expression changed at once.

Not even Dugu Yan knew these things.

Yet Chen Feng had described them without the slightest error.

Chen Feng continued.

"You have survived until now because you fused with a Medusa Head Soul Bone."

"As long as you channel all the toxins into the Soul Bone and then use Immortal Herbs to reshape your meridians, the Jade Phosphor Serpent Poison will naturally stop harming your body."

Dugu Bo fell silent for a moment.

"You even know about the Medusa Soul Bone."

"It seems the group leader Yan Yan encountered truly did not deceive this old man."

Dugu Yan immediately stepped forward.

"Grandfather, can you trust Chen Feng now?"

"If this drags on, the poison in Yan Yan's body will only grow worse."

Dugu Bo looked at his granddaughter's fair cheeks.

Beneath her skin, wisps of jade-green poison slowly drifted.

"Follow me."

"The Icefire Yin-Yang Well lies deep within Sunset Forest."

"Without this old man to guide you, soul masters below the rank of Titled Douluo cannot even pass through the outer poison array."

Chen Feng nodded lightly.

The three left the Imperial Academy and headed straight for Sunset Forest.

Sunset Forest.

Poison mist shrouded a vast valley.

The deeper they went, the denser the toxins in the air became.

Many trees had been corroded by the poison mist, their trunks taking on an eerie purplish-black color.

Dugu Bo walked at the front.

Jade-green soul power spread from his body, driving away all the surrounding poison mist.

"This is the Jade Phosphor Poison Array this old man set up."

"If a Soul Douluo barged in rashly, they might not be able to leave unscathed."

Chen Feng raised a hand and caught a wisp of poison mist.

Golden-green sword energy flashed across his palm.

The purplish-black poison mist was instantly cut in two, dissolving into faint currents of air.

"Jade Phosphor Snake Emperor Poison mixed with seven kinds of miasma poison. Not bad indeed."

"Unfortunately, the various toxins conflict with one another, weakening the overall power instead."

Dugu Bo's steps halted.

This poison array had indeed been refined from seven kinds of miasma poison.

Even Dugu Bo could only maintain the toxins' balance through years of experience.

Chen Feng had only just arrived, yet he had seen through the poison array's flaw at a glance.

"You understand poison as well?"

"A little."

Dugu Yan gave a soft laugh.

"Grandfather, when Chen Feng says he understands a little, it's best not to take him literally."

Dugu Bo glanced at Chen Feng and did not refute her.

After passing through the Jade Phosphor Poison Array, the three arrived at an inverted-cone-shaped mountain hollow.

Rich heaven-and-earth energy rushed toward them.

With just one breath, the soul power within their bodies became noticeably more active.

At the center of the hollow, a spring of two colors churned continuously.

Milky white and crimson waters each occupied half of it, distinctly separated from one another.

Extreme cold and extreme heat converged here at once.

A great number of strangely shaped herbs grew around the spring.

Every herb gave off a rich medicinal fragrance.

Dugu Bo was the first to descend into the valley.

"This is the Icefire Yin-Yang Well."

"This old man discovered this place many years ago, yet I have never been able to approach the spring."

"I can only identify a few of the herbs growing around it."

Chen Feng and Dugu Yan followed close behind.

The moment he landed, the Azure Lotus Sword appeared beside Chen Feng of its own accord.

Golden-green lotus patterns lit up one after another.

The surrounding Immortal Herbs swayed gently as a rich medicinal fragrance drifted on the wind.

Dugu Yan looked around.

"Are these the Immortal Herbs the group leader spoke of?"

"That's right."

Chen Feng raised a hand and pointed into the distance.

"That entirely golden Immortal Herb, with petals like a chrysanthemum, is called the Heaven-Piercing Velvet Chrysanthemum."

"After consuming it, one's qi flows through the limbs, blood courses through the eight meridians, and the body becomes indestructible as diamond."

His finger shifted to the other side.

"That crystal-white orchid is called the Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid."

"Its medicinal properties are gentle and rich, making it most suitable for support-type soul masters."

"And that Immortal Herb giving off the fragrance of tulips is called the Qiluo Tulip."

"If consumed by a Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda soul master, it would be enough to break the martial soul's seven-layer limit."

The more Dugu Bo listened, the more shocked he became.

These herbs had grown in the medicinal garden for many years.

The green-haired elder had searched through countless poison manuals, yet he had never been able to determine their exact effects.

Chen Feng only needed one glance to name every one of them and describe their medicinal properties.

"If I had not seen it with my own eyes, this old man would never believe that someone in this world could identify all these rare treasures."

The admiration in Dugu Yan's eyes grew even stronger.

"The group leader truly chose the right person."

"As long as Chen Feng came here, the Dugu Family's poison could be cured."

Chen Feng did not immediately deal with the Jade Phosphor Serpent Poison.

His gaze passed over the many Immortal Herbs before finally settling on both sides of the Ice-Fire Spring Eye.

Beside the crimson spring water grew a scarlet Immortal Herb.

Its leaves resembled burning flames, and the soil around it had already turned dark red.

On the other side of the milky-white spring was an eight-angled white herb.

Bone-piercing cold continuously radiated from it, and thick frost covered the area around its leaves.

Blazing Apricot Delicate.

Eight-Angle Mysterious Ice Grass.

The two immortal-grade herbs, one supremely yang and one supremely yin.

Dugu Bo noticed Chen Feng's gaze.

"These two herbs are extremely dangerous."

"This old man once tested them on soul beasts."

"A hundred-year soul beast was reduced to ashes simply by approaching the scarlet herb."

"The other one is even stranger. The moment a soul beast touched its leaves, its entire body froze."

Chen Feng walked toward the two Immortal Herbs.

"Taken separately, they are indeed no different from seeking death."

"But Blazing Apricot Delicate and Eight-Angle Mysterious Ice Grass counter each other."

"If consumed together, the extreme cold and extreme heat will temporarily neutralize each other within the body."

Dugu Yan immediately blocked his path.

"Only temporarily neutralize each other?"

"What are you planning to do?"

Chen Feng looked toward the continuously churning two-colored spring at the center.

"Use the Ice-Fire Spring Eye to temper my body."

Dugu Bo frowned deeply.

"The power of the Ice-Fire Spring Eye is even more domineering than those two herbs."

"Even as a Titled Douluo, I would not dare touch it directly."

"You are only level fifty. Entering the spring would mean nine chances of death out of ten."

Chen Feng pointed forward with two fingers.

The Azure Lotus Sword turned into a stream of golden-cyan light.

Two streaks of sword qi swept across the herb garden at once.

The roots and stems of the Blazing Apricot Delicate and Eight-Angle Mysterious Ice Grass were severed simultaneously.

The two Immortal Herbs flew into his palm.

Heat and cold immediately spread up his arms.

His left sleeve was stained crimson.

His right sleeve was covered in a thick layer of frost.

"Since I recognize these two Immortal Herbs, I naturally know how to use them."

As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Feng swallowed both Immortal Herbs at once.

The two Immortal Herbs melted the moment they entered his mouth.

The next instant.

Extreme cold and extreme heat erupted at the same time.

The left half of Chen Feng's body turned crimson, as though lava flowed beneath his skin.

The right half was swiftly covered in frost, and even the tips of his hair were dyed white.

The two forces collided madly within his meridians.

Even his originally tough meridians continuously swelled beneath the impact of ice and fire.

Dugu Yan hurried forward.

"Chen Feng!"

"Don't go over there!"

Dugu Bo raised a hand to stop his granddaughter.

"Extreme cold and extreme heat are alternating within Chen Feng's body."

"If you touch Chen Feng now, you will also be eroded by the medicinal power of the Immortal Herbs."

Chen Feng did not pause.

With a tap of his foot, his white-clad figure leaped directly into the Icefire Yin-Yang Well.

The two-colored spring water instantly surged.

Vermilion and milky-white energies converged toward the center at once, completely swallowing Chen Feng.

Dugu Yan stood by the spring, her emerald eyes filled with worry.

"Grandpa, Chen Feng will be all right, won't he?"

Dugu Bo stared fixedly at the center of the spring.

"I do not know either."

"I have never seen anyone consume them this way."

Deep within the Ice-Fire Spring Eye.

Chen Feng sat cross-legged.

The medicinal power of the Blazing Apricot Delicate flowed through the meridians on his left side.

The medicinal power of the Eight-Angle Mysterious Ice Grass occupied the meridians on his right.

The spring water outside constantly washed over his body.

With every wash, his flesh, blood, and bones were tempered once by the power of ice and fire.

Scorching heat.

Biting cold.

The two kinds of pain appeared in alternation.

The Azure Lotus Sword hovered before him.

The golden-cyan lotus patterns on the blade continuously lit up, guiding the violent medicinal power into his martial soul.

The originally jade-green blade gradually gained two faint lines.

One crimson.

One snow-white.

The three colors intertwined along the sword ridge before finally converging within the lotus patterns.

The soul power within Chen Feng's body began to compress.

His level fifty soul power repeatedly struck his meridians beneath the tempering of the ice-fire medicinal power.

The total amount of soul power did not continue to grow, but its purity rapidly increased.

Meridians that had originally been able to hold only one strand of soul power could now contain three.

The strength of his flesh and blood continuously increased.

Washed by the spring water, his bones gave off a faint golden-cyan radiance.

Half an hour passed.

The two-colored spring water gradually returned to calm.

Dugu Yan had remained at the spring's edge the entire time.

Her purple hair streamed behind her in the heat waves.

"It has been so long already."

"Why has Chen Feng still not come out?"

Dugu Bo did not answer.

The green-haired old man released his soul power, attempting to sense the situation deep within the spring.

The moment his soul power touched the water's surface, it was torn apart by extreme cold and extreme heat.

Just then.

A clear sword cry sounded from deep within the spring.

The entire valley trembled lightly.

The surrounding Immortal Herbs all leaned toward the spring.

Golden-cyan sword light shot into the sky from beneath the water.

Vermilion flames and snow-white chill wound around the sword light, splitting the poisonous mist above the valley in two.

Chen Feng slowly rose from the spring water.

His white robes had already been dried anew by soul power.

His black hair fell behind his back without a single drop of water on it.

Three purple and one black, four Soul Rings emerged in sequence.

A faint golden-cyan radiance had appeared on the surface of every Soul Ring.

Level fifty soul power spread outward.

The herbs in the valley bent low one after another.

Feeling that soul power, Dugu Bo's expression quickly turned grave.

"His soul power level has not changed."

"But the pressure is several times stronger than before he entered the spring."

Chen Feng slowly landed on the shore.

The instant he opened his eyes, crimson and snow-white light flashed through them.

The Azure Lotus Sword flew into his palm on its own.

Crimson flames ignited along one side of the blade.

The other side was covered in snow-white frost.

The flames and frost did not conflict, eventually flowing together into the lotus patterns.

Dugu Yan immediately went up to him.

"How do you feel?"

"Very good."

Chen Feng wrapped his fingers around the hilt.

Pure soul power poured into the Azure Lotus Sword.

A golden-cyan sword qi swept across the valley.

The stone wall a hundred meters away split down the middle.

Crimson flames burned along the cut on the left, and the rock swiftly turned into dark-red lava.

The cut on the right was covered in a thick layer of ice, with fine frost spreading outward.

The entire stone wall cracked apart with a thunderous boom.

Dugu Bo looked at the sword mark dozens of meters long, his expression turning solemn.

"That strike is already enough to threaten a Soul Sage."

"Are you truly only level fifty?"

Chen Feng recalled the Azure Lotus Sword.

"My soul power remains at level fifty."

"The excess medicinal power is temporarily suppressed within my body by the bottleneck of the fifth Soul Ring."

"Once I absorb my fifth Soul Ring, my soul power will continue to rise."

After the ice-fire tempering, his physical strength had increased by at least fifty percent.

The width of his meridians had increased severalfold.

The purity of his soul power far surpassed what it had been before.

Most importantly, the medicinal power of the Blazing Apricot Delicate and Eight-Angle Mysterious Ice Grass had completely fused into his flesh and blood.

Ordinary flames and cold could no longer harm Chen Feng.

The Azure Lotus Sword had likewise gained the power of ice and fire.

Every streak of sword qi could carry both extreme heat and extreme cold.

Even against a high-level Soul Sage now, Chen Feng was confident he could defeat one head-on.

Dugu Yan extended a slender hand and lightly touched the Azure Lotus Sword.

Crimson flames swept past her fingertips.

She felt no burning pain, only a wave of warmth.

Snow-white frost immediately covered the blade afterward.

Her fingertips remained completely unaffected.

"Why is it that Yanyan is not hurt by the power of ice and fire when she touches the Azure Lotus Sword?"

"The Azure Lotus Sword is under my control."

"If I do not wish to hurt you, the power of ice and fire naturally will not hurt you."

Dugu Yan lifted her eyes to Chen Feng.

"Then from now on, can Yanyan touch your sword whenever she wants?"