Before long, ripples suddenly spread across the surface of the ice and fire spring at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
Luo Chen was delighted at the sight. He ran to the edge of the spring and gazed expectantly at its surface.
A few breaths later, a crimson figure slowly emerged from the water and leaped out of the ice and fire spring. It was the Karmic Fire Scorpion Emperor. Water droplets still clung to its shell, and its crimson coloring was even more vivid than before, like a pool of magma.
Seeing the Karmic Fire Scorpion Emperor emerge, Luo Chen hurried over, picked it up, and examined it thoroughly in his hands, asking worriedly, "Karmic Fire Scorpion Emperor, are you hurt?"
"I'm fine."
Although the Karmic Fire Scorpion Emperor said so, Luo Chen still did not believe it. He carefully inspected every inch of its shell, even checking its legs and stinger. Only after finding no wounds did the heart suspended in his chest finally settle.
"As long as you're all right! As long as you're all right..." Luo Chen let out a long breath. His taut nerves finally relaxed, and his body went limp all at once. He lay on the ground, unable to collect himself for a long time.
A moment later, the Karmic Fire Scorpion Emperor's voice rang out in Luo Chen's mind, carrying a trace of shame:
"Luo Chen, I'm sorry..."
"I'm still too weak to retrieve that opportunity for you."
Luo Chen looked puzzled at its words. "Opportunity? Just what opportunity are you talking about?"
"Alas..." The Karmic Fire Scorpion Emperor sighed inwardly before explaining to Luo Chen:
"Luo Chen, there's something you don't know. The Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well only formed thanks to the fallen Water Dragon King and Fire Dragon King."
"After long ages of settling and shifts in the mountain, the origin power leaking from them mixed with the soil here. Over time, it formed the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well."
"And the reason the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well can nurture so many immortal herbs is that the Water Dragon King and Fire Dragon King's origin power nourishes them. You could say that everything in the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well came from the Water Dragon King and Fire Dragon King."
Hearing this, Luo Chen feigned sudden understanding:
"So that's how it is... But I picked all the immortal herbs inside it. There aren't many treasures left here now."
At this point, Luo Chen had thought he would earn the Karmic Fire Scorpion Emperor's praise. Instead, what it said next went completely beyond his understanding.
"What do these few immortal herbs amount to?" the Karmic Fire Scorpion Emperor said. "The most precious things in the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well are the Fire Dragon King and Water Dragon King's Million-Year Soul Bones buried beneath the ice and fire spring."
"Those were the opportunity I said I'd give you."
At this point, a rare look of life's unpredictability appeared in the Karmic Fire Scorpion Emperor's eyes. "Who would have thought... Hundreds of thousands of years have passed, yet the Fire Dragon King and Water Dragon King's souls still haven't completely disappeared."
"I thought they'd kicked the bucket and I could loot their corpses, but who would have thought..."
"Alas, two fists still can't beat four hands!" The Karmic Fire Scorpion Emperor's voice was thick with bewilderment. "I tried three times, but I couldn't break through their souls' blockade. After hundreds of thousands of years, their souls are still so powerful. It really goes against everything I know!"
After hearing the Karmic Fire Scorpion Emperor's words, Luo Chen froze completely.
"The Fire Dragon King and Water Dragon King's Million-Year Soul Bones are actually buried beneath the ice and fire spring?"
At the thought, his heartbeat suddenly quickened. "Good heavens, there are even Million-Year Soul Bones down there! Am I dreaming?"
Soul Bones were truly rare on the present-day Douluo Continent. Even the Titled Douluo Dugu Bo, for instance, only had a single Ten Thousand Year Medusa Head Soul Bone. Yet beneath this ice and fire spring lay two sets of million-year Soul Bones, and they belonged to the Water Dragon King and Fire Dragon King.
"If I could obtain these two Soul Bones, I wouldn't even dare imagine how strong I'd become!"
Just as Luo Chen's imagination ran wild, he suddenly noticed the Karmic Fire Scorpion Emperor's ashamed expression and hurriedly suppressed his excitement.
"The Karmic Fire Scorpion Emperor must be blaming itself for failing to retrieve the Soul Bones. I have to comfort it."
With that thought, Luo Chen picked up the Karmic Fire Scorpion Emperor, rubbed his cheek against its head, and said softly:
"Karmic Fire Scorpion Emperor, you don't need to blame yourself. All that matters is that you came back safely."
"Soul Bones may be precious, but compared to you... they're not worth mentioning."
"To me, nothing... is more important than you."
Although Luo Chen's voice was very quiet, he believed from the bottom of his heart that the Karmic Fire Scorpion Emperor was part of him, his most loyal companion.
At his words, the Karmic Fire Scorpion Emperor's deep eyes trembled slightly. It said nothing more, merely lying quietly in Luo Chen's palm and rubbing against his skin, feeling that warmth.
A moment later, seeing that the Karmic Fire Scorpion Emperor was no longer blaming itself as much, Luo Chen quickly took two immortal herbs out of his Soul Tool.
The first immortal herb was a cockscomb phoenix sunflower. It was fiery red all over, its petals rising high like a rooster's comb as it radiated scorching heat. The other was an infernal delicate apricot, also fiery red all over, with leaves as tender as cabbage that likewise radiated scorching heat.
He placed the two immortal herbs before the Karmic Fire Scorpion Emperor and said:
"Karmic Fire Scorpion Emperor, you were formed from heavenly fire and earthly soil, two of the four great elements of creation. Both these immortal herbs have the fire attribute, matching your own."
"I think that after you absorb them, you might gain some unexpected benefits. Devour them now. I'll protect you."
Hearing this, the Karmic Fire Scorpion Emperor hurriedly waved its pincers and said anxiously:
"No, no!"
"I'm only your Martial Soul. Absorbing them won't do any good. Besides... if I absorb them, what will you absorb?"
The Karmic Fire Scorpion Emperor spoke with great sincerity. Deep in its heart, it truly believed that it was Luo Chen's Martial Soul. Although it possessed self-awareness, it was ultimately only a Martial Soul. Something as good as immortal herbs should be absorbed by Luo Chen himself.
Hearing those words, Luo Chen revealed faint dimples, then took all the other immortal herbs out of his Soul Tool and laid them before the Karmic Fire Scorpion Emperor.
"Look," Luo Chen said proudly. "I still have plenty of immortal herbs to absorb."
"I set aside these two fire-attribute immortal herbs especially for you. If you won't absorb them, you're refusing to give your master face."
His tone held a hint of teasing, but his gaze upon the Karmic Fire Scorpion Emperor was unusually firm.
The Karmic Fire Scorpion Emperor looked at the row of immortal herbs on the ground, then at Luo Chen's resolute gaze, and smiled helplessly:
"In that case, obedience is better than standing on ceremony."
"That's how it should have been from the start. You and I are one to begin with."
On the grass at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, the Karmic Fire Scorpion Emperor first crawled over to the cockscomb phoenix sunflower.
It opened its pincers and made a wound in the cockscomb phoenix sunflower, then immediately brought its mouth close and began absorbing the origin power within the plant.
As the cockscomb phoenix sunflower's origin power flowed continuously into the Karmic Fire Scorpion Emperor's body, its shell began to grow more vivid, and its flame patterns became clearer.
After absorbing all the cockscomb phoenix sunflower's origin power, the Karmic Fire Scorpion Emperor turned and crawled over to the infernal delicate apricot, beginning to absorb its origin power.