Sun True Fire!

Jiang Dongjun played with the golden flame at his fingertips, sensing what special effects the Great Sun True Fire possessed.

Suddenly, he remembered something, slapped his forehead, and looked utterly speechless.

"I'm such an idiot. Why bother racking my brains sensing and experimenting with it myself?"

His thought slipped out through the top of his head again, transforming into an illusory, three-inch-tall Yin Spirit seated in the lotus position, hovering above his head.

A hazy, clear radiance spread from behind its head, spilling over the brilliant golden Fireball Martial Soul.

As he gradually came into the sights of Shrek's upper echelon, Jiang Dongjun decided to avoid using the "Light of Time and Space" on its own from now on. Whenever he "appraised" something in the future, he would use this method instead.

He must not forget that Mu En had done plenty of voyeuristic spying on Huo Yuhao. After watching a few of his matches, he had gone to the Far North to catch an Ice Jade Scorpion for research.

Soon, a stream of information fed back into Jiang Dongjun's consciousness, and the Yin Spirit returned to his body.

Fireball Martial Soul

Classification: elemental type

Physical aspect:

-Density: 4 metric tons/cubic meter (0/10)

Elemental aspect:

-Fire element control: top-tier (1000/10000)

-Light element control: advanced (101/1000)

Five thousand years, then?

Jiang Dongjun nodded slightly, reasonably satisfied with this increase.

Back then, Tang San had completely opened one of his Eight Extraordinary Vessels, along with the benefit of perfectly integrating the Eight Spider Lances, yet his physical attributes had only risen from level 34 to somewhere above level 40.

Coincidentally, physical attributes above level 40 were roughly enough to withstand a Soul Ring more than five thousand years old.

Later, Tang San had relied on the Ice and Fire Golden Body to absorb his ten-thousand-year fourth ring.

Of course, even with physical attributes at level 34, Jiang Dongjun felt that Tang San's starting foundation should have been lower than his own, so Tang San's improvement had been somewhat greater.

Still, he had only opened two-thirds of his Governing Vessel. The massive improvement would only come once he opened it completely, so any comparison now would be uneven.

Shaking his head, Jiang Dongjun turned his attention to the Sun True Fire.

Besides the same old basic stats, the feedback from the "Light of Time and Space" naturally included detailed information about the Sun True Fire, including its temperature, properties... and so on.

The flame's temperature was not fixed. Eating certain special fire-attribute spirit objects, advancing his cultivation and obtaining new Soul Rings... all these would increase its temperature.

Thus, Jiang Dongjun was more concerned with the flame's properties.

"Destroying evil! Purification! The most basic properties."

"Across all the heavens and myriad worlds, anything connected to the sun deals extra damage to evil, dark creatures like negative-energy entities and undead."

"And as long as there's sunlight, the Sun True Fire won't go out and will keep burning? The stronger the sunlight, the more fiercely it burns, and it even seeks out light, burning all the way along the path of a strong beam?"

"...Well, it is the sun, after all. Light and fire belong to the same family. I can understand that."

"Still, thank goodness you don't come with a setting that weakens you at night. That really would've been hard to take."

That was about the extent of the properties possessed by the exclusive flame born from a top-tier martial soul.

If he wanted anything more heaven-defying, he would have to seek out Ultimate Fire.

Jiang Dongjun considered the ten opportunities to add points under "Density," but ultimately restrained himself and did not keep going all in.

He only had thirty-eight drops of soul liquid left.

There were more important explorations ahead, so he had to save them for unforeseen needs.

Gradually, the water in the bathtub grew paler as Jiang Dongjun absorbed all its medicinal properties. Only then did he finally feel alive again, strength returning to his muscles, though his stomach was very hungry.

A rich aroma had long since drifted in from outside the bathroom.

Jiang Dongjun climbed out of the bathtub, hastily dried himself, pulled on the clean pajamas prepared beside him, and ran out.

The living room.

Jiang Ming sat on the sofa, adjusting a handgun-shaped Soul Tool. On the coffee table before him stood two small bowls with lids.

"You're finally out. The medicine seems to have worked pretty well? You've recovered nicely."

Jiang Ming examined his son's condition and nodded in satisfaction, raising a hand to point at the two small bowls on the coffee table.

"Eat while it's hot. Start with the bowl on the left. I managed to make the Immortal Spirit Fungus Soup. The flavor might be a lot worse than what a proper chef could manage, but there's absolutely nothing wrong with its medicinal effects. None of those were lost."

Jiang Dongjun sat opposite his dad and lifted the lid from the small bowl on his right. Inside was a richly fragrant clear broth, with the brown Immortal Spirit Fungus unfurled like an umbrella in the soup, no longer resembling its former little ball shape.

"It's good stuff, but its effects are limited for me."

Holding a small porcelain spoon, Jiang Dongjun gently stirred the soup to let some heat escape.

One misconception needed correcting.

The Immortal Spirit Fungus could only be considered a ten-thousand-year spirit object with unusual effects. Although its name included "Immortal," it was not an immortal-grade spiritual herb.

Its strength lay in the wisps of "Immortal Spirit Qi" nurtured within it, a specialty of the Divine Realm.

It was a precious ingredient, a spirit object for building one's foundation. That was all. There was no need to imagine it was overly heaven-defying.

If it truly were some heaven-defying treasure, Jiang Dongjun could not have casually picked up five beside the Cold Pool, nor could he have so easily turned something worthless into treasure with a few dozen drops of soul liquid.

"Dad, have you and Mom had any?"

"We both have."

Jiang Ming did not behave like the parents in the literature of Jiang Dongjun's previous life, who lied to their sons about having eaten when they actually had not. He spoke frankly, without any hesitation:

"This was my first time making it. Even with a detailed recipe, I still needed trial batches. After two attempts in a row, I finally got the preparation technique down. Your mom and I ate those first two trial batches. The flavor might have been a lot worse, but the effects shouldn't have lost much potency. We weren't eating this Immortal Spirit Fungus to satisfy our taste buds anyway. As long as the medicinal effects were still there, that was enough. The only thing is, eating it makes your body release gas involuntarily. Pretty embarrassing."

Jiang Dongjun nodded lightly and said nothing more, concentrating on the soup in his bowl.

As a mouthful of clear broth entered his stomach, a blissful lightness, as though he might ascend to immortality, washed through his entire body. He felt so weightless that he might take flight the next instant.

Pfft-

It took effect quickly. The Immortal Spirit Qi merging into his body pressed the turbid qi downward, allowing it to be expelled smoothly.

Gas was not expelled only from one particular spot. Jiang Dongjun felt as though every pore on his body had opened and was breathing. With each breath, his body grew lighter. Turbid qi was expelled, clear qi rose, and wisps of Immortal Spirit Qi dispersed throughout his limbs and bones, improving his innate constitution and balancing the yin and yang within him.

Mm, my soul power increased a little.

Why does it feel like my physique improved again too?[Note 1]

His parents were not the only practical ones; Jiang Dongjun followed in their footsteps and likewise did not crave culinary pleasures. Like an ox chewing peonies, he lifted the bowl and drained the clear broth in one gulp, then swallowed the Immortal Spirit Fungus in two or three bites, completing this round of dietary nourishment.

"That tiny bowl of soup really packed a lot of energy. I'm full. Is that meat porridge beside it? I'll pass."

Jiang Dongjun patted his stomach, leaned back, and sank into the sofa.

"You're not having any? All right, then. Stuffing yourself at a time like this wouldn't be good anyway."

As he spoke, Jiang Ming began taking things out, arranging them in a row on the coffee table.

A revolver!

A two-foot-long golden sword!

A two-tone interlocking jade plaque carved with a tiger!

"All right, let's talk business. I've finished making all the Soul Tools you wanted."

--

[Note 1]: In Douluo Dalu III: The Legend of the Dragon King, Tang Wulin ate Immortal Spirit Fungus, gained a trace of soul power, accelerated his integration of the Golden Dragon King's essence, and brought his blood energy to full maturity after breaking through the fourth seal.