Reforging His Original Body

Why was this man here? Had he happened to pass by, or had he come for the spring in the mountain hollow?

He could already defeat the Pope of Spirit Hall three years ago. How powerful must he be now?

And if Li Changqing really had come for the spring, what should I do?

If I refused and Li Changqing seized it by force, I would be absolutely no match for him.

But without the spring's ice and fire energies suppressing it, sooner or later my own poison cultivation would turn on me and kill me.

Dugu Bo immediately found himself caught between two impossible choices. He could not advance, because he could not defeat Li Changqing.

Nor could he retreat. Without the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, he would surely die.

Li Changqing found the look of fierce inner conflict on Dugu Bo's face rather amusing and took a step forward.

That single step gave Dugu Bo a terrible fright, and he stepped back.

He thought Li Changqing intended to seize it outright without even bothering to ask.

The corner of Li Changqing's mouth curled upward as he said with a smile:

"Dugu Bo, it seems you've guessed what I came for. Good. I'll be direct, then. Surrender the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. Don't cling to any hope of being able to defend it. You're no match for me, and you should know that perfectly well."

As he spoke, the Thunderblade Sword appeared in Li Changqing's hand, flickering with lightning. Nine Soul Rings rose beneath his feet in succession: yellow, yellow, purple, black, black, black, black, red, red.

At the sight of the two vivid red Soul Rings beneath Li Changqing's feet, Dugu Bo lost all desire to resist.

Li Changqing had been able to defeat a Titled Douluo even as a Soul Douluo. Now that he had become a true Titled Douluo, defeating Dugu Bo, the weakest of them all, would be simplicity itself.

Yet Dugu Bo still clung to a sliver of hope and forced himself to ask:

"You can have everything in the mountain hollow, but the ice and fire energies there are extremely important to me. Please allow me to cultivate beside the spring at regular intervals."

"As for the various medicinal herbs growing there, I won't take so much as a leaf."

Li Changqing frowned. He naturally knew why Dugu Bo had made that request: he wanted to use the ice and fire energies to suppress the deadly poison carried by his own Martial Soul.

But Li Changqing intended to drain the entire Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well dry. By then, it would be nothing more than an ordinary spring.

Since Dugu Bo had been so sensible, Li Changqing would not have minded giving him an immortal herb that could completely resolve the flaw in his Jade Phosphor Snake Martial Soul. After all, compared with the entire Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, a single immortal herb was merely one hair from nine oxen. The problem was that Li Changqing knew absolutely nothing about immortal herbs.

Seeing Li Changqing frown, Dugu Bo assumed he was unwilling and hurriedly said, "I can promise to do one thing for you. If you don't believe me, I can swear an oath on my Martial Soul."

Li Changqing shook his head. "Dugu Bo, all you're trying to do is suppress the deadly poison produced by your Martial Soul. I can point you toward a way out."

"Force the poison in your body into a Soul Bone and use it as a vessel to store the poison. That way, you won't have to worry about it eating away at your body anymore."

Dugu Bo did not seem surprised that Li Changqing knew he was poisoned. Instead, he became interested in the method Li Changqing had proposed. It certainly sounded feasible.

He was just about to ask about the specific procedure and precautions when Li Changqing cut him off.

"Don't expect me to know any more. It's only an idea. I don't know whether it will work either. Also, a word of warning: there should be a limit to how much poison a Soul Bone can store."

With that, Li Changqing sent him away.

Dugu Bo dared not linger. He hurriedly flew beyond the poisonous mist, intending to test Li Changqing's method as soon as he returned.

Li Changqing flew into the mountain hollow. Looking at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well before him, he felt a surge of excitement.

"I can finally restore my original body. Wearing someone else's body all this time has never felt quite comfortable."

Li Changqing intended to begin immediately. As for whether Dugu Bo might return and interrupt the reforging of his body?

Li Changqing was not worried. He believed Dugu Bo lacked the courage, and at this moment, Dugu Bo should be rushing home to test the method he had suggested.

Li Changqing landed beside the spring, took out the flowerpot containing the Blue Silver Emperor, and set it to one side.

He planned to let the Blue Silver Emperor regain a rudimentary consciousness first. After all, once he had drained the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well completely dry, there would truly be no chance for the Blue Silver Emperor to regain consciousness.

That would take much of the fun out of tormenting Tang Hao.

Li Changqing sat cross-legged beside the spring and entered a meditative state, seeming utterly unaware of the outside world.

A short while later, an illusory figure drifted out of his body. Its appearance was completely different from that of the body sitting cross-legged on the ground.

That illusory figure was Li Changqing's soul.

Li Changqing's soul floated above the very center of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. He activated the Kunpeng Method, absorbing the boundless life essence within the well.

Vast amounts of essence gathered around Li Changqing's soul. Even the various powers contained within the immortal herbs were forcibly drawn in by the Kunpeng Method and converted into pure vitality.

The once-priceless immortal herbs lost their vitality and crumbled into handfuls of drifting ash.

The spiritual qi surrounding the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well also began thinning at a rate visible to the naked eye.

Above the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, where Li Changqing's soul hovered, boundless vitality and essence used his soul as their foundation to reforge his original body.

His bones were reforged first, followed by his internal organs, flesh, skin, and hair.

After an entire day, the newly formed body and Li Changqing's soul fused completely together.

Li Changqing controlled it smoothly, without the slightest resistance. He let out a long breath and looked at the unconscious body sitting cross-legged beside the spring. "My own original body really is better. Unlike that one, it doesn't always feel sluggish when I use it."

By now, the various medicinal plants and immortal herbs growing around the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well had all withered because Li Changqing had absorbed so much vitality.

The once-thriving landscape throughout the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well had become a barren wasteland.

Although Li Changqing's newborn body had neither a Martial Soul nor Soul Rings, he could feel that it was immensely powerful, far surpassing his previous one.

Moreover, Li Changqing had finally fused completely with the Kunpeng True Blood. This deepened his understanding of the Kunpeng Method, allowing him to begin manifesting the Kunpeng Profound Meaning.

Even without the Kunpeng Martial Soul, he could rely on the Kunpeng Profound Meaning to manifest a phantom of Kun Peng and wield Kun Peng's powers. Abilities such as Kunpeng Ultimate Speed and lunar and solar power now came to him with even greater ease.

Li Changqing raised his hand and beckoned. The Storage Soul Tool ring on his former body's finger flew into his hand. He took out a fresh set of clothes and dressed his newborn body.

His body had been reforged. Next, he would give the Thunderblade Sword Martial Soul a physical form.