Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well (II)
"Who says otherwise?" Zhi Lin smiled and stroked his beard, his face full of satisfaction. "With Senior Dugu personally guiding him, Lin Chen's cultivation will definitely reach another level. Let's just wait and see. When he returns, our academy might truly shock the entire continent in the Continental Advanced Soul Master Elite Tournament."
The three exchanged a glance and nodded.
He has talent, opportunity, and the favor of Titled Douluo.
This child has a limitless future.
Dugu Bo returned to the valley when the sun was nearing noon.
He was carrying two large food boxes in his hands, and he landed very quietly, without disturbing Lin Chen, who was meditating.
"Senior!" Xiao Wu quickly stood up and whispered, "Brother Lin Chen is still meditating."
"Hmm." Dugu Bo placed the food box on the rock and opened the lid.
Inside was steaming hot food: tender braised meat, warm porridge, several delicate side dishes, and a bowl of thick ginseng soup; the aroma instantly filled the air.
"It's from the academy's kitchen, it'll do." He said casually, "He just woke up, his meridians are weak, he needs something soft."
As they were talking, Lin Chen slowly opened his eyes.
After a morning of recuperation, his Soul Power had recovered somewhat. Although his body was still weak, he was able to sit up on his own. He smelled the aroma of food, and his stomach unexpectedly growled.
"Come and eat when you wake up." Dugu Bo glanced at him.
Xiao Wu quickly helped Lin Chen over and served him a bowl of porridge.
Lin Chen didn't stand on ceremony and picked up the bowl to drink. After a bowl of hot porridge, his stomach felt warm and cozy, and he felt a bit more alive. He picked up his chopsticks and ate the meat and side dishes one bite after another, eating quickly and deliciously. Before long, he had finished more than half a box.
"Eat slowly, no one's going to take it from you." Dugu Bo sat to the side, watching him wolf down his food, a faint smile playing on his lips. "You've been starving for a day and a night, aren't you afraid of stuffing yourself?"
"You flatter me, senior." Lin Chen put down his chopsticks and smiled sheepishly. "I was really starving. By the way, what about the academy..."
"Everything's arranged." Dugu Bo waved his hand casually. "I said I'd take you on as a disciple, to be taught by my side. That way, the academy won't bother with any more questions, and outsiders won't pry."
Lin Chen's heart skipped a beat.
He certainly understood this intention.
"Thank you for your thoughtfulness, senior." Lin Chen bowed slightly, his tone sincere.
"Don't give me that." Dugu Bo snorted and pushed the bowl of ginseng soup towards him. "It's for replenishing your qi and blood. After you finish this, you'll have the strength to regulate your breathing. The sooner you recover your cultivation, the sooner you can start treatment. I don't have that much time to waste with you."
They talk a big game, but their actions are anything but.
After the meal, Lin Chen leaned against a rock to rest, while Xiao Wu tidied up the food box.
Dugu Bo took out an oilcloth and rope from his Wishful Hundred Treasure Purse and walked to a sheltered spot on the side of the valley. He glanced up at the terrain and released a wisp of emerald Soul Power from his fingertips.
"Jade Phosphorous Serpent Vine"
Several dark green snake vines burst forth from the ground, Entanglement the ancient tree trunks like living creatures, intertwining to form a roof-like structure.
With another wave of his hand, the oilcloth unfurled along the snake vine, pressed down by his Soul Power, and firmly stretched onto the frame, its four corners secured with ropes.
In less than the time it takes to burn an incense stick, a temporary thatched hut about ten feet wide was erected.
With snake vines as the frame and oilcloth as the roof, it sheltered from the wind and rain, and a layer of dry grass was laid inside, making it look warm.
"Alright, this will serve as a temporary place to stay." Dugu Bo clapped his hands.
"Thank you for your trouble, senior." Lin Chen stood up and bowed slightly.
Dugu Bo waved his hand, turned around and walked to the rock at the entrance of the valley, sitting down with his back to the valley, as if he were on guard duty, or perhaps cultivating.
The figure in green robes appeared somewhat lonely in the autumn wind, yet it gave the two people in the valley a great sense of security.
For the rest of the day, Lin Chen spent his time meditating in the thatched hut.
The spiritual energy from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well drifted in through the crack, one warm and one cool, nourishing the damaged meridians.
He sat cross-legged on the hay, the Chaos Pearl slowly rotating, drawing upon the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to repair the cracks in his meridians. The Thousand-Year Soul Ring beneath his feet grew increasingly solid, and his Soul Power steadily increased.
Xiao Wu sat beside him, cultivating alongside him.
As dusk once again enveloped the valley, Lin Chen finally finished his practice.
He let out a long breath, and the gray aura around him slowly receded.
"Brother Lin Chen, how are you?" Xiao Wu quickly handed him some warm water.
"Much better." Lin Chen took the water and drank a sip. He felt the stinging pain in his meridians had subsided by more than half, and his Soul Power had recovered to about 30%. "At this rate, I'll be back to level 30 in less than a month."
"Really?" Xiao Wu's eyes lit up.
"Hmm." Lin Chen nodded, looking outside.
Dugu Bo remained seated on the rock at the valley entrance, his silhouette resembling a statue in the twilight.
He knew in his heart that although Dugu Bo didn't say it, he was actually more anxious than anyone else. He was anxious to recover, anxious to verify the Soul Bone Poison Storage Method, and also anxious about Dugu Yan's poison.
"Don't rush," Lin Chen said softly, as if speaking to Xiao Wu, but also as if speaking to himself, "Three months, and I will definitely give you an explanation, senior."
As night deepened, the firelight in the valley illuminated the windows of the thatched huts.
The light of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well flickered in the distance, like an unchanging lighthouse since ancient times.
Life in this valley has only just begun.
The news that Lin Chen and Xiao Wu were training with Dugu Bo was only vaguely known within the Heaven Dou Royal Academy. The official statement was that Lin Chen had gained the favor of Poison Douluo, was accepted as a disciple, and taken to a secret realm for training, with his return date uncertain.
The popularity of the Heaven Dou City Great Soul Arena did not diminish despite the protagonist's departure.
In teahouses and restaurants, people still talk about that team battle where they turned the tide against a much stronger opponent, and about the twelve-year-old genius with a ten- Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring. As a result, the name of the Imperial Fighting Team is becoming more and more well-known.
Many Soul Master bought tickets specifically to see this dark horse team's matches, but unfortunately, Lin Chen's solo match, the "Chen Wu" duo's duo match, and the team match were all temporarily suspended.
The remaining members of the Imperial Fighting Team, however, were not idle.
Qin Ming led the team, continuing their routine at the Great Soul Arena. Singles and doubles matches were played as usual.
As the vice-captain of the team and a powerful attacker with the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul, Yu Tianheng was the second core of the Imperial Fighting Team after Lin Chen. Now, with his cultivation at the peak of the level 35 Soul Elder, the thunderous power of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, and the physical enhancement brought by his Martial Soul, he is rarely matched in head-on attacks in the Bronze Soul Fighter Division.
Dugu Yan returned to the team. After absorbing the Third Soul Ring of the three-thousand-year-old Jade Scale Illusion Serpent, her Soul Power stabilized at level thirty-three. Her poison control range was nearly twice as large as before, and she also gained a new Soul Skill, "Illusion Serpent Clone," making her much more unpredictable.
The Shi Mo and Shi Mo brothers were also busy, their teamwork growing stronger and their shields becoming more solid with practice. Ye Lingling's Nine Heart Begonia had also improved considerably; with increased pressure came faster progress, and the accuracy and speed of her healing had increased significantly.
Over the past two weeks, the Imperial Fighting Team's Bronze Soul Fighter points have steadily increased.