Lin Yan took a deep breath, focused his mind, raised his right hand, and slowly gathered his Soul Power into his palm. Accompanied by a seven-colored halo, the Illusory Rainbow Blue Silver Grass grew from his palm, emitting a strong life force and swaying gently with the fluctuations of his Soul Power.
Guided by the seven-colored light, the Thousand-Year Heart-Healing Grass Soul Ring slowly flew towards Lin Yan and directly attached itself to the Illusory Rainbow Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul.
The real test has begun!
The instant the Soul Ring was attached, a surge of energy, far more violent and colder than the previous ice ring impact, yet imbued with a tenacious vitality, rushed into Lin Yan's body like a bursting torrent or an erupting ice volcano!
"Ugh--!"
Even though he was mentally prepared, Lin Yan still couldn't help but let out a suppressed groan of pain. That energy was too domineering! The icy part felt like countless ice blades rampaging through his meridians, freezing and tearing them apart inch by inch. The biting cold seemed to be Ice Seal his blood, bone marrow, and even his soul completely. And that life energy, although containing vitality, not only failed to repair the damage in time under such a violent impact, but instead, like an uncontrolled wild horse, it exacerbated the chaos and destructive power of the energy flow.
A thick layer of white frost instantly formed on his body, and his skin turned an unhealthy bluish-purple. In particular, the frostbite on his left shoulder caused excruciating pain, as if ice was being stirred inside the wound.
Lin Yan gritted his teeth, his gums even bleeding from the excessive force, which was instantly frozen by the low temperature. He fully activated the Supreme Purity Breathing Technique, guiding his insignificant Soul Power, like a small boat struggling in a raging storm, desperately trying to channel and guide the violent energy torrent, attempting to refine and absorb it according to a specific cultivation path.
However, the energy of four thousand five hundred years was simply too immense. His meridians were like balloons being forcibly stretched, emitting mournful cries of unbearable strain, with tiny cracks appearing in many places. The extreme cold energy continuously eroded his consciousness, and hallucinations began to appear before his eyes, as if he were in an ancient ice cave, with countless icicles piercing his body, and endless cold threatening to drag him into eternal slumber.
"Don't sleep! Don't give up!" Strong willpower played a crucial role at this moment. Lin Yan guarded the last bit of clarity in his mind, visualizing the Tai Chi diagram slowly rotating, with Yin and Yang complementing each other, and softness and strength in harmony. He no longer tried to forcefully resist the chaotic torrent of extreme cold and vitality, but instead tried to guide it with the "intention" of Tai Chi.
He transformed his Soul Power into a supple ribbon, not to confront it head-on, but to Entanglement and guide the rampaging streams of icy energy, leading them slowly along the path of the Supreme Purity Breathing Technique. At the same time, he diverted some of his attention to capture and soothe the restless life energy, attempting to guide it to the damaged meridians and the wound on his left shoulder.
This process was extremely dangerous and mentally exhausting. His body was sometimes as cold as if he had fallen into an icy abyss, and sometimes it would feel warm as it was washed by the life energy, only to be covered by an even deeper chill. The power of ice and life clashed fiercely within him, as if trying to tear him in two.
Time seemed to stretch on endlessly. Every minute and every second was agonizing. Tiny beads of blood began to seep from Lin Yan's seven orifices, but they froze as soon as they flowed out. His body trembled violently, and the frost on his skin froze and melted, melted and froze again, in a never-ending cycle.
After an unknown amount of time, just as Lin Yan's consciousness was about to be completely frozen and his will was nearing its limit, a turning point finally appeared.
Under his tireless and resilient guidance, the raging torrent of energy seemed to finally be pried open with a crack. The extreme cold energy began to Sisi merge into his Soul Power, slowly refined by the exquisite methods of the Supreme Purity Breathing Technique, while the life energy gradually calmed down and began to truly repair his damaged meridians and body.
The Ice Seal meridians began to revive under the nourishment of life energy, and became wider and more resilient due to the impact and expansion of the extreme cold energy. The stubborn frost damage on the left shoulder melted and healed at a visible speed under the infusion of powerful life force, and even some hidden injuries left over from previous cultivation were smoothed out.
The refining process accelerated. Like the initial stage of Xue Beng, once it began, it was unstoppable. More and more energy was tamed, merging into his Soul Power circulation and transforming into his own power. His Soul Power began to surge, and the bottleneck of level 20 shattered under the overwhelming force!
Level 21! Level 22!...
His Soul Power Level increased rapidly, climbing all the way to the peak of level twenty-three before gradually stabilizing. This was not only due to the enormous energy contained in the Heart-Healing Grass Soul Ring, but also because of the immense benefits brought by absorbing beyond the limit.
When the last trace of violent energy was completely refined and integrated into his dantian, Lin Yan felt as if his body had undergone a complete transformation. His meridians were several times wider and stronger than before, and the total amount and level of his Soul Power far exceeded that of an ordinary level 23 Soul Master, carrying a unique texture that was cool and full of vitality.
He slowly opened his eyes, a glint of light flashing within them, a faint blue-purple glow that then subsided. The frost on his body had long since dissipated, and the injury to his left shoulder had completely healed; in fact, he felt better than ever before.
He succeeded! He successfully absorbed the 4,500-year-old Heart-Healing Grass Soul Ring, bypassing his level!
Ignoring his joy, he immediately turned his attention to his Martial Soul. With a thought, the Blue Silver Grass quietly appeared in his palm.
However, the Blue Silver Grass before our eyes has changed drastically!
The blue grass leaves, which were originally just slightly iridescent, have now become extremely vibrant. The main color is still a deep blue, but among the seven colors, the silver is much more prominent, which is the color of the Heart-Healing Grass.
The shape of the leaves has also changed. They are no longer simple, broad, flat grass leaves, but have become more slender and elegant, with fine and regular serrations along the edges, like the leaves of some ferns, carrying a unique sharp beauty. Upon closer inspection, the surface of the leaves is not smooth, but covered with an extremely fine, scale-like structure that displays a mixture of ice blue and pale green colors, like miniature versions of the scales on the leaves of the Heart-Healing Grass, and has a warm and slightly cool texture to the touch.
The aura emanating from the entire Blue Silver Grass was no longer a simple plant fragrance, but a blend of refreshing and healing scents, seemingly brimming with vitality yet carrying a hint of cool, serene beauty. Just by sensing its aura, Lin Yan felt his mind become clearer, and his physical condition seemed to be slowly improving.
"It really has evolved!" Lin Yan felt an overwhelming surge of excitement. This brand-new Blue Silver Grass was far superior to the old one in both appearance and inner power.
He couldn't wait to try out his newfound power. As his consciousness sank into his Martial Soul, information about his Second Soul Skill naturally surfaced in his mind.
Second Soul Skill: Scale-Leaf Light Rain!
He let out a low shout, and his Second Soul Ring —a deep Purple Soul Ring— suddenly lit up!
The Blue Silver Grass in his palm suddenly shone brightly, and the tiny scale-like structures on its slender leaves seemed to come alive, emitting a shimmering glow. The next moment, the scale-like structures beneath the leaves fell off one by one like fish scales, transforming into a dazzling rain of light that splashed outwards from Lin Yan, centered on an area in front of him!
Within the area covered by the light rain, the air seemed to thicken, and the temperature plummeted. These points of light didn't penetrate directly; instead, as if possessing a life of their own, they clung to the rocks and ice they passed, emitting a faint hissing sound and continuously releasing icy chill and a strange, corrosive life energy that steadily consumed the energy and structure of the objects they clung to. One can imagine that if this light fell on Soul Master, it would not only greatly slow them down, but the continuous freezing and energy erosion would also be extremely unpleasant.
"Area-of-effect slowing and continuous damage! The effect is extraordinary!" Lin Yan's eyes flashed with surprise. This " Scale-Leaf Light Rain " combines control and attrition, and can play a great role in both group battles and one-on-one duels.
At the same time, he carefully experienced the changes in his body. In addition to the increase in Soul Power and physical fitness, he clearly felt that his ability to adapt to cold environments had greatly improved, and his Soul Power seemed to have a natural affinity and resistance to ice-elemental energy.
He walked to the edge of the icy pool and dipped his hand into the frigid water. The chill that he had previously needed to circulate his Soul Power to resist now only felt refreshing, without much discomfort. He could even feel the faint ice-type energy in the pool flowing over his skin, but it was naturally dissolved and absorbed by the Soul Power within him that had been fused with the properties of the Heart-Healing Grass.
"As expected, I've gained a certain degree of immunity to ice-type Soul Skill!" Lin Yan realized. This would undoubtedly give him a significant advantage when facing ice-attribute Soul Master in the future.
Although the process of this Soul Hunting was extremely dangerous, the rewards were also immense. The Second Soul Ring was 4,500 years old, and the powerful Soul Skill " Scale-Leaf Light Rain " was obtained. The quality of the Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul leaped, and the Soul Power rose three levels to the peak of level 23. Ice resistance was also gained.
This trip was definitely worthwhile; my strength has increased once again.