"Mmph! Mmph!"
Gu Wuchen struggled for a moment, but when he found it was no use, he could only give up.
After a while, the Snow Empress finally released Gu Wuchen, satisfied.
"Not bad, not bad. You know how to fight back now."
"Little Wuchen, Sister Xue is much stronger than Bing'er. The next time we return to the Far North, Sister Xue will introduce you to the Ice Bear King and the Titan Snow Demon King."
The Snow Empress smiled, feeling deeply fulfilled.
Over the past few years, she had learned from Gu Wuchen what the human world was like, including such marvelous places as the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
Now it seemed that Little Wuchen was her lucky star, making her life more exciting, while all she had to do was keep him safe.
If Little Wuchen was happy one day, perhaps he would finally see the light.
Of course, she absolutely could not let a bad woman lure him away.
If a bad woman appeared one day and bewitched Little Wuchen, she had to step in and stop her.
Gu Wuchen looked at the brilliant ice crystals filling the room and summoned the extreme cold within him.
With a thought, the snowflakes dancing through the air instantly froze in place. Every ice crystal and icicle in the room dissolved into a glowing blue ice mist and returned to his body, like weary birds returning to their nests.
In the blink of an eye, the room returned to normal, without even a trace of cold left behind.
The Snow Empress watched his smooth, flowing movements, her eyes full of gratification. Smiling, she ruffled his hair:
"Not bad, Little Wuchen. You've already learned to control it so freely. You're even more impressive than I expected."
Just then, Golden Crocodile Douluo's deep voice suddenly came from outside the room:
"Wuchen, are you asleep?"
The Snow Empress's expression changed. Afraid that an outsider would discover her presence, she hurriedly pinched Gu Wuchen's cheek, turned into a streak of blue light, and slipped into his Sea of Consciousness.
What had Golden Crocodile Douluo come to talk to him about so late at night?
Gu Wuchen took a deep breath and calmed himself. He jumped off the bed, hurried to the door, and raised a hand to open it.
Golden Crocodile Douluo's tall, sturdy figure stood outside, a hearty smile on his face.
He showed none of his usual authority as Second Worship.
Gu Wuchen looked up and smiled. "Grandpa Golden Crocodile, what brings you to see Wuchen so late?"
Golden Crocodile Douluo laughed and reached out to pat him gently on the shoulder:
"Why, I came to have a chat and, while I'm at it, pass on the best of what I've learned in my lifetime."
Gu Wuchen was taken aback, his face full of surprise.
Golden Crocodile Douluo stepped into the room and casually closed the door behind him. His tone grew more solemn:
"It's the Golden Crocodile King Body Tempering Technique, which I poured my heart and soul into refining and perfecting. Apart from me, no one on the entire continent has ever learned it.
"I can see that your talent for the sword is heaven-defying, but there's still room to improve your physical foundation. This technique is just right for you."
He had long had his eye on this child. Qian Daoliu had taken a personal disciple, so he naturally had to bring out something substantial as well, to help the child walk a steadier path.
Gu Wuchen's eyes lit up at once, and he blurted out, "The Golden Crocodile King Body Tempering Technique?"
As a level 98 Peak Douluo, Golden Crocodile Douluo possessed a physique whose toughness was unmatched across the continent.
If he could cultivate this technique to great mastery, his physical foundation would surely rise to a whole new level, completely resolving his worries about sword intent overload and absorbing Soul Rings beyond his level.
Golden Crocodile Douluo nodded with a smile. "That's right. The full name of the technique is the Golden Crocodile King Body Tempering Technique, though you can also call it the Golden Body Tempering Technique.
"I based it on the Martial Soul Origin of my own Golden Crocodile King and combined it with ancient body-refining secret methods. It took me a long time to refine and perfect it. Apart from myself, I've never passed it on to another person."
Hearing this, Gu Wuchen hurriedly stepped aside and bowed to Golden Crocodile Douluo:
"Grandpa Golden Crocodile! Please, come in!"
Golden Crocodile Douluo did not stand on ceremony and strode into the room.
Gu Wuchen deftly fetched a tea set and brewed a cup of hot tea with Ice Lotus tea he had brought back from the Far North. He presented it to Golden Crocodile Douluo with both hands.
Golden Crocodile Douluo took the cup and sipped.
The tea's cool, mellow fragrance slipped down his throat, and even the Soul Power circulating through his body flowed a little more smoothly. He immediately praised it:
"Good tea!"
Gu Wuchen smiled and replied:
"As long as you like it, Grandpa Golden Crocodile. When you leave, I'll pack a couple of bags for you to take back. When you're tired from cultivating, a cup can help calm your mind and focus your thoughts."
Golden Crocodile Douluo laughed heartily and reached out to pat him gently on the shoulder, his voice full of admiration:
"As expected of Wuchen. You're so thoughtful at such a young age. I like your openhearted nature."
When he finished laughing, he put down his cup. His expression gradually grew solemn, and he began explaining the detailed uses and wonders of the Golden Body Tempering Technique to Gu Wuchen.
"The core of this technique comes down to twelve words: temper the body with strength, refine the flesh with the soul, and fortify the foundation with intent."
"It has five cultivation realms in all, from the introductory Bronze Skin Realm to the final Indestructible Ultimate Realm. You've already absorbed the eighty-thousand-year-old Ice Saint Wuchen Right Arm Bone, so your foundation is strong enough. You can get started with ease."
"Once you enter the Bronze Skin Realm, your basic strength and physical defense will immediately double, and the power of all your sword-related Soul Skills will permanently increase by fifty percent as well."
"The deeper you cultivate, the more benefits you'll gain. Not only can it bring your body to a realm where no poison can invade and no evil or filth can stain it, but it can also transform your ability to heal, allowing even the gravest wounds to close quickly.
"More importantly, it can continuously widen your meridians, doubling the maximum age of the Soul Rings you can absorb."
"Besides that, the technique has three core moves."
"The basic Golden Crocodile King Armor lets you take a direct hit from a Soul Master of the same realm. The Golden Prison Suppressing Fist makes up for your weakness in close-quarters offense outside of swordsmanship. Then there's the ultimate trump card, the Myriad Tribulations Golden Body. Once you use it, even a Titled Douluo won't be able to hurt you in the slightest for a short time."
Gu Wuchen sat beside him, listening with rapt attention, the light in his eyes growing brighter and brighter.
Even the Snow Empress, hidden in his Sea of Consciousness, could not help speaking up. "That old crocodile does have some skill. This technique really is quite good, and it's just what you need to make up for your current weaknesses."
He had poured his life's effort into refining and completing the Golden Body Tempering Technique, yet even he had not cultivated it to the true ultimate realm.
He had no children, so passing it to Gu Wuchen to cultivate meant he would have someone to carry on his legacy.
Otherwise, when the day came for him to truly depart this life, all his skills would go unpassed, and the legacy would end with his generation. That would be the greatest taboo.
He had spent his life searching for someone who could cultivate his technique, but had never found anyone.
Whether in his conduct, cultivation, bearing, or personal charisma, Gu Wuchen was an utterly perfect individual.
Only then did Golden Crocodile Douluo have the idea.
"Grandpa Golden Crocodile, have you cultivated it to the ultimate realm yet?"
Golden Crocodile Douluo shook his head. "I only fully perfected the Golden Body Tempering Technique after reaching Peak Douluo, and reaching the ultimate realm is no easy matter."
"So, Wuchen, if you cultivate it, you'll certainly need a great deal of time to comprehend it. But you're different from others. With your comprehension, perhaps you can cultivate it to the ultimate realm."