With the support of Su Qing'er's third Soul Skill, Dugu Xin swiftly reached the vicinity of the infernal delicate apricot. At that moment, towering currents of heat from the Yang Spring surged fiercely toward him.
Even with the emerald healing effect surrounding him, Dugu Xin felt a slight scorching sensation.
"Brother Xin, hurry and pick it. I've already used up more than half my Soul Power."
Although Su Qing'er had suffered little of the heat's assault, she was panting heavily. Even though her Martial Soul had now undergone a transformation, her Soul Power still could not sustain the continuous output of her third Soul Skill.
"All right, I'll pick it right now."
Without the slightest hesitation, Dugu Xin gripped the jade blade and swiftly cut through the very bottom of the infernal delicate apricot's main stem. Even though he deliberately wrapped the infernal delicate apricot in his clothing, the extreme heat it emitted rapidly scorched the fabric.
Quick of eye and hand, he pulled with all his might, flinging the entire infernal delicate apricot away. It landed directly within the outer ring of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
Dugu Xin swiftly retreated. After the two recovered some Soul Power, they used the same method once again to harvest the octagonal mysterious ice grass.
Looking at the two poisonous herbs lying on the ground, Dugu Xin and Su Qing'er asked Long Qianming beside them,
"Brother Ming, what do you want these two poisonous herbs for, one hot and one cold?"
"Although these two herbs are highly poisonous, if they're taken together, they can greatly benefit a Soul Master, provided they can withstand the power of cold and heat within them!"
To Long Qianming, these two herbs were the key to tempering his body. He had already cultivated his earth attribute to perfection and his fire attribute to major accomplishment. If he could undergo further tempering with the fire power contained in the infernal delicate apricot,
then the fire attribute within his body would surely reach great perfection. But taking the infernal delicate apricot alone would be no different from seeking his own death. Only by taking it together with the octagonal mysterious ice grass could he neutralize some of the toxicity.
However, according to the restraining relationships of the five elements, water and fire were incompatible, so doing this would not help his future Soul Power cultivation. But so what? My main goal is body tempering. Increasing my Soul Power cultivation speed comes second.
With that thought, Long Qianming risked burns and freezing to swallow the two herbs almost simultaneously.
When the other two realized what had happened, they first felt fear, then asked tentatively,
"Will this really be all right?"
"It's fine, I'm very-"
In an instant, Long Qianming's heart pounded violently. Then alternating sensations of extreme heat and extreme cold swept through his entire body, leaving him in great discomfort.
Forcing himself to endure the sensation, Long Qianming hurriedly instructed them,
"I'm fine. You can rest assured. Next, I'll jump into the spring to neutralize this overbearing medicinal power. I haven't picked that earth dragon golden melon. If Senior Dugu wants to evolve his Martial Soul, it would be best for him to come to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well."
After saying this, Long Qianming could no longer endure the alternating cold and heat. Like a fish out of water, he rushed toward the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. With a sweep of his right hand, he stripped off his upper garments and flung them away.
Splash-
He leaped, a carp plunging into the water, and landed where the Yang Spring and Cold Spring of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well met.
Watching Long Qianming successfully enter the water, Dugu Xin shook his head and sighed with a hint of helplessness.
"Heaven watches over good people like Brother Ming. He should be all right."
As he prepared to leave the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well to fetch Dugu Bo, he looked at Su Qing'er, who stood rooted to the spot with a besotted expression, and said,
"Let's go. While Brother Ming is neutralizing the medicinal power, we can notify Father to come here and resolve the backlash from his Martial Soul's poison."
"Qing'er, let's go."
"Qing'er-"
He called several times in succession, but Su Qing'er did not respond at all. Instead, she murmured under her breath,
"The scars on Qianming's back and the exposed muscles on his arms are simply perfect. If I could see him from the front, that would be even better."
"Little Sister Dong'er has a discerning eye. He's simply a top-tier man!"
Gradually, she noticed a familiar presence right beside her, and abruptly changed her tune.
"He may be a top-tier man, but he's still not as handsome as my Brother Xin."
Hearing this, the look in Dugu Xin's eyes, as though he wanted to stab someone, softened considerably. He was quite satisfied with Su Qing'er's assessment.
"Qing'er, let's go!"
"Mm!"
Su Qing'er knew she had done something she should not have and felt somewhat ashamed before her Brother Xin. As she walked, a faint blush colored her cheeks.
"Brother Xin, where are we going?"
At that moment, submerged in the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, Long Qianming wore an expression of extreme pain. As he continued sinking deeper, a surge of Soul Power within his body lifted him, allowing him to sit steadily cross-legged in the spring.
With his chest facing the Yang Spring and his back facing the Cold Spring, Long Qianming circulated his Soul Power amid the agony of alternating heat and cold, separating out a portion of the combined medicinal power produced by the infernal delicate apricot and octagonal mysterious ice grass.
He guided the infernal delicate apricot's hot currents toward his heart and small intestine, which corresponded to the fire attribute, for them to absorb. In an instant, both places felt as though they were about to burst.
His heart in particular was pounding even harder, and his blood circulated faster. Several orderly golden patterns emerged on his heart, which had turned a fiery red.
Long Qianming was delighted by this, filled with excitement.
"The heart is also the most important part of the human body. Its fire attribute has finally reached great perfection."
As faint golden patterns appeared on his heart, the fire attribute of his small intestine also reached great perfection. This in turn caused his blood, blood vessels, and other tissues to resonate, stirring the true dragon essence his body had just absorbed and further strengthening his physique.
Seeing this, Long Qianming immediately directed the separated water and cold attributes toward his kidneys and bladder to strengthen their attributes, while most of the herbs' power followed the flow of Soul Power and was absorbed throughout his body.
Xiao Tian, within his sea of consciousness, also felt a faint, profoundly mysterious connection of strengthening.
As time passed, minute by minute and second by second, three days later, Dugu Xin and Su Qing'er were midway through their journey and had just passed Jialing Pass when they spotted several carriages belonging to the Dugu Family's convoy.
Inside the carriage at the very front of the convoy, a world-weary man in his fifties, with green hair and green robes, suddenly opened his tightly shut eyes, delight appearing on his face.
The carriage stopped, and Dugu Bo leaped out in great excitement, walking toward Dugu Xin with a face full of resentment.
"Xin'er, you've been away from home for four years, yet you never thought to come back and see whether your old man was dead or alive, you unfilial son."
"Dad, I was also-"
Just as Dugu Xin tried to explain, Dugu Bo pushed him aside and looked curiously at the somewhat nervous Su Qing'er beside him.
"You may be unfilial, brat, but for my daughter-in-law's sake, your old man won't hold it against you."
"Daughter-in-law, where are you from?"
This gave Su Qing'er quite a fright, and her face flushed an even deeper red. When she spoke, her words did not match the question at all.
"Uncle, that still depends on Brother Xin's wishes. I have no objections."