Getting Stronger and Reaping Rewards

Outside the Ice Fire Yin Yang Well, the Ninth Elder of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect looked exceptionally worried.

Ever since Yang Xiong had left the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, the Ninth Elder had secretly guarded him the entire time. However, he had only driven away and intimidated some ten-thousand-year soul beasts; Yang Xiong had to handle ordinary situations himself. Unless his life was truly in danger, the Ninth Elder would not actually intervene.

Yet throughout this journey, Yang Xiong had greatly surprised him. At the Great Soul Arena in Heaven Dou City, Yang Xiong had effortlessly achieved thirteen consecutive victories. He had not even used a soul skill, relying solely on his physical body and combat techniques.

But after entering Sunset Forest, Yang Xiong seemed to have completely let himself go. He was either being hunted by soul beasts or on his way to being hunted by soul beasts, and he even fought some relatively ordinary soul beasts head-on.

Still, it was clear to the naked eye that Yang Xiong's combat experience had grown considerably over this stretch of the journey. Even his temperament had become more ferocious. As a Soul Douluo-level expert, the Ninth Elder understood even better that becoming a high-level Soul Master required tempering through life-and-death trials, especially an ordeal like Sunset Forest, where one's nerves were constantly stretched taut.

Moreover, the Ninth Elder had become increasingly astonished by Yang Xiong, because from his covert observations, he discovered that Yang Xiong was even more formidable than he had imagined.

At such a young age, Yang Xiong had not only mastered Teleportation, but also possessed a skill that rapidly restored his body. Most notably, he had hidden an External Soul Bone made from a Dark Tortoise shell. Its defensive power was truly astounding.

But what shocked him even more over the past few days was that Yang Xiong had actually relied on a set of strange equipment to enter a massive Poison Array. He had especially sensed Dugu Bo's aura, making it obvious that this was Dugu Bo's hidden lair in Sunset Forest.

Dugu Bo had always been moody and unpredictable, and he himself was a royal guest of the Heaven Dou Empire. Even the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was unwilling to offend him lightly. If Yang Xiong's actions were discovered, they would likely bring considerable trouble, perhaps even mortal danger.

At this moment, the Ninth Elder was extremely anxious. Yang Xiong had entered the Poison Array for a full two days, yet there was still no sign of him coming out. Worse still, despite his Soul Douluo-level strength, he could not force his way into the Poison Array.

However, when he saw Yang Xiong run out of the Poison Array, he finally let out a sigh of relief. As long as Yang Xiong could leave quietly, Dugu Bo surely could not come knocking on the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's door, could he?

Still, the more he looked at Yang Xiong, the more something seemed off. It was as though Yang Xiong's body had undergone some kind of change.

After leaving the Ice Fire Yin Yang Well, Yang Xiong headed swiftly toward the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. He had no time at all to inspect the changes in his body now. He had no idea how long he had stayed at the Ice Fire Yin Yang Well; if he ran into Dugu Bo, things would become troublesome. Everything could wait until he returned to the sect.

In just half a day, Yang Xiong had returned to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. During this period, he had become thoroughly familiar with all of Sunset Forest, which was why he could travel so quickly.

Only after returning to the sect did Yang Xiong carefully sense the changes in his body.

After the Ice Fire Body Tempering, Yang Xiong felt that his body had become incomparably powerful. This strength was not simply a matter of his body becoming harder—it was a transformation from the very foundation.

Yang Xiong's recovery ability had already been extremely strong because of his body martial soul. But after the Ice Fire Body Tempering, his foundation had essentially been improved at its core, even enhancing his innate cultivation aptitude. Although he still could not compare to those geniuses with Innate Full Soul Power, he was no weaker than Soul Masters with Innate Soul Power at ranks eight or nine.

From another perspective, his endurance had become extraordinarily strong. Even if he suffered severe injuries, he could recover quickly without treatment. This was the greatest benefit of the Ice Fire Body Tempering.

Second, his martial soul had changed. When Yang Xiong summoned his body martial soul again, a layer of silver phantom seemed to appear around his body. His strength and speed increased dramatically, and even his spiritual power improved significantly. By Yang Xiong's estimation, he had likely reached the Silver Grade Second Awakening of his body martial soul this time, raising his combat power by at least more than double.

Third, after the Ice Fire Body Tempering, his entire body seemed to have changed. He no longer feared attacks of water or fire. When he had awakened in the spring waters of the Ice Fire Yin Yang Well, the scalding Yang Spring had felt like warm water, while the freezing Yin Spring had contained no chill at all.

From now on, Yang Xiong's body would be impervious to water and fire. It could be said that any Soul Master with an ice attribute or fire attribute would lose their greatest advantage against him.

Moreover, since the Infernal Delicate Apricot and Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass were both Poisonous Herbs, the effects of their extreme cold poison and extreme heat poison meant that he would no longer fear any toxin. His body had become immune to all poisons.

Furthermore, compared with Tang San in the Original Work, who had consumed two Immortal Herbs for Ice Fire Body Tempering, Yang Xiong's gains were even more pronounced. Since Yang Xiong's entire body was his martial soul, his brain had evolved alongside his body during the process. In terms of spiritual power alone, he had already undergone a transformation. This was the most outrageous aspect of a body martial soul—it could evolve as the body grew.

The brain was also part of the body. Although it had endured immense pain during the Ice Fire Body Tempering process, that pain had likewise stimulated his brain. The second awakening of the Full-Body Body Martial Soul naturally included a second awakening of the brain. Yang Xiong felt that his spiritual power had greatly increased, and he could even observe his surroundings in much finer detail.

When Yang Xiong summoned his Dark Tortoise Armor, he was equally astonished.

The Dark Tortoise Armor had undergone enormous changes. After being summoned, the tortoise shell no longer appeared on his back. Instead, it became armor tightly fitted to his torso. However, it could still transform into a massive Dark Tortoise shell as before to protect his entire body. Furthermore, the Dark Tortoise Armor had changed from its original gray to silver, and even the massive tortoise shell it summoned had become silver.

After carefully examining it, Yang Xiong found that the Dark Tortoise Armor had completely fused with his body as one whole, like a bone of his own. No one could ever take it from him again. This would reduce the covetous attention of enemies, and he would no longer need to conceal it in the future—he could use it openly. Its age had also evolved from the thousand-year soul bone it had been when he first entered the Ice Fire Yin Yang Well into a soul bone approaching the ten-thousand-year level.

One had to know that an External Soul Bone that could be taken from its owner was an absolute treasure in the world of Soul Masters, one that could even attract powerful enemies. Now, he no longer needed to worry about that.

Yang Xiong was extremely satisfied with the gains from this trip to the Ice Fire Yin Yang Well. Not only had he obtained a large number of Immortal Herbs, but he had also achieved the second awakening of his martial soul. No matter what problems he encountered in the future, he would have a certain chance of victory.

And compared with the changes to his body, Yang Xiong had another unexpected surprise: his research into cultivation. All this time, he had practiced the Meditation Method passed down by the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. Although it was considered one of the finest cultivation methods on the entire Douluo Continent, it was still far inferior to Tang San's Mysterious Heaven Skill.

This also counted as an unexpected gain from going to the Ice Fire Yin Yang Well.

It was still determined to be a Silver Grade Second Awakening.