Tempering the Golden Body with Ice and Fire (1)
He can't even understand how to cultivate his own Martial Soul, yet he insists on calling himself a theoretical Grandmaster, relying on his petty cleverness to gain fame.
What disgusted him even more was that this person had an inextricable entanglement with his mother, which made him feel irritated every time he thought about it.
He's nothing but a clown.
"His disciples are all outstanding?" Xue Qinghe asked calmly, his tone revealing neither joy nor anger.
"They are all geniuses," Ye Weiyang replied. "Especially the leader, Tang San. His Martial Soul is the Trash Martial Soul Blue Silver Grass, yet he can challenge opponents of higher levels and has extremely strong crowd control. The others are also top-tier talents, some with Beast Martial Soul for strong offense, some with Food System support, and even the little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect School, Ning Rongrong, is among them."
"And Ning Rongrong?" Xue Qinghe raised an eyebrow slightly.
Ning Fengzhi's daughter.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect is one of the Upper Three Sects, and Ning Fengzhi is his own nominal Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince, making his influence deeply entrenched. It's rather interesting that Ning Rongrong is in such a shabby academy.
His fingertips lightly traced the tabletop, his thoughts racing.
Even if Yu Xiaogang is utterly incompetent, the disciples he has taught are quite remarkable. He can make the most of the Blue Silver Grass and gather so many geniuses, so he can't be entirely dismissed as a waste.
"They should also participate in the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament," Xue Qinghe said slowly. "We'll see how things go then. If they're really good prospects, we'll recruit them. The main hall also needs some fresh blood."
It was called recruitment, but in reality it was also a test.
With members of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect inside, and Yu Xiaogang having a past connection with the Spirit Hall, the true background of the Shrek Academy will be revealed on the field.
He paused, then changed the subject. "Any news about that boy named Lin Chen lately?"
When he mentioned this name, a subtle increase in attention appeared in his tone.
Ye Weiyang bowed slightly. "Your Highness, it has been over a month since we last heard from you. The Heaven Dou Royal Academy has announced that Lin Chen has become a disciple of Poison Douluo, Senior Dugu, and has been taken away for training and cultivation; his return date is uncertain. The three academic committee members of the academy are all keeping quiet, and we cannot obtain any further details."
"Dugu Bo?"
Xue Qinghe frowned slightly, and his fingers, which were tapping the table, stopped.
Dugu Bo? That reclusive old poison master who lived his whole life?
He lived for nearly a hundred years, always keeping to himself, and even raised his own granddaughter carelessly. When had he ever taken on any disciples? Not to mention nominal disciples, even descendants from collateral branches would find it difficult to benefit from his influence.
Xue Qinghe leaned back in his chair, his fingers lightly tapping the armrest, a hint of contemplation flashing in his eyes.
What's the old drug lord up to?
Given his personality, he wouldn't accept a disciple for no reason. Lin Chen may be talented, but he's not worth Titled Douluo lowering himself like this.
Unless... there's something about this kid that he wants.
Or is it that Dugu Bo is planning something using this prodigy?
Seeing Xue Qinghe remain silent, Ye Weiyang suddenly said, "Your Highness, while reviewing the old files of the Heaven Dou Temple today, I discovered something interesting."
Xue Qinghe looked up. "Oh?"
Ye Weiyang took out two thin scrolls from his sleeve and presented them with both hands. "These are two Martial Soul registration files from the Nuoding City branch of the Heaven Dou Temple that I retrieved today. Your Highness, please take a look."
Xue Qinghe took the files, unfolded the first one, and his gaze swept over it, then paused slightly.
Martial Soul: Chaos Pearl.
Soul Power: Innate Full Soul Power.
He paused slightly on the line of text with his fingertip, said nothing, and continued unfolding the second copy.
Martial Soul: Blue Silver Grass.
Soul Power: Innate Full Soul Power.
Xue Qinghe's gaze lingered on the names on the file for a moment— Lin Chen and Tang San. He slowly placed the two files side by side on the table, scanning them back and forth twice, his eyes gradually deepening.
"Two Innate Full Soul Power?" He spoke slowly, his voice carrying a hint of unfathomable coldness. "And they're both from the same village. Why weren't they recommended to the Spirit Hall?"
Ye Weiyang bowed his head and replied, "Your Highness is wise. In the branch hall's judgment report from back then, both Blue Silver Grass and Chaos Pearl were classified as Trash Martial Soul, lacking stable value for training Battle Soul Master. According to the old rules of the Spirit Hall, although Innate Full Soul Power is an exception, if Martial Soul itself is judged to be Trash Martial Soul, the branch hall has the right not to list it as a priority for reporting, and can simply keep its file as that of an ordinary genius, without needing to send it to Spirit City."
Ye Weiyang paused, "Back then, the Nuoding Branch Hall judged the Blue Silver Grass to be Trash Martial Soul, believing that the Innate Full Soul Power was merely a coincidence of abundant Soul Power, insufficient to offset the inherent defects of the Martial Soul itself. The Chaos Pearl was similar— its Martial Soul identification was questionable, its attack power was questionable, and its growth potential was questionable, so it was only kept on file for future reference and directly recommended to the local Nuoding Academy for study."
Xue Qinghe remained silent for a long time. His gaze lingered on the two files, not shifting for Jiujiu.
After a long pause, he slowly spoke, his voice revealing neither joy nor anger. "Two geniuses with Innate Full Soul Power were easily suppressed by the branch hall's people simply because their Martial Soul were ' Trash Martial Soul '."
"Trash Martial Soul? That's utterly laughable." Xue Qinghe said calmly, "The lower levels of the Spirit Hall really need a thorough overhaul."
Ye Weiyang bowed and said, "Your subordinate understands."
"I almost forgot, we also have people keeping an eye on Sunset Forest. Don't get too close; Dugu Bo's poison array isn't just for show. Report any unusual activity immediately," Xue Qinghe said calmly.
"Yes." Ye Weiyang bowed in response, her figure flickered, and she disappeared back into the shadows, as if she had never appeared at all.
Xue Qinghe picked up the file on the table, his gaze returning to the words "Trash Martial Soul"...
Lin Chen, Tang San...
A faint, meaningful smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
Sunlight fell on his face, and he still had the gentle and refined appearance of a prince.
Twelve days have passed since the first instance of poison being stored in the Soul Bone.
With the daily drainage work progressing steadily, nearly 20% of the toxins that had accumulated in Dugu Bo's meridians over the years have been sealed into the Medusa Soul Bone between his eyebrows.
The Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor Poison and Medusa Poison were intertwined and nurtured within the Soul Bone. Far from going out of control, they showed signs of fusion, and even the poisonous aura around him became more restrained, no longer as sharp and aggressive as before.
Lin Chen wasn't idle either.
Nourished by the spiritual energy of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, the compatibility between the Void Divine Eye and the Divine Soul is steadily improving.
But he was not satisfied—the physical body is a container for Soul Power, and the more resilient the container, the stronger the power it can bear. As early as the beginning of his journey into the valley, he had a complete tempering plan.
That morning, Lin Chen was holding three things in his hands.
On the far left is an Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass, no bigger than a palm. Its stem is carved from the purest ice marrow, and it is translucent, Sisi wisps of ice-attribute patterns visible inside.
A chill emanated from the blades of grass, condensing into Sisi thin white mist in mid-air. Even a meter away, one could feel the biting cold, and the surrounding air felt brittle with cold.
The Infernal Delicate Apricot in the middle is quite the opposite; its flower stems resemble solidified crimson lava, with a flowing, fiery glow on their surface, so hot to the touch that they would probably burn your hands.
At the top blooms a flower the size of a bowl, its petals layered upon each other, like Lie Yan frozen in time, transitioning naturally and intensely from the deep crimson of the center to the bright red of the edges. A scorching heat emanates from the flower, distorting the surrounding air.
Finally, there was a mutton-fat jade bottle with a warm, smooth jade stopper.
Uncork the bottle, and inside is a clear, white liquid with tiny golden glitter floating on the surface. With a gentle shake, layers of shimmering light appear in the bottle, as if countless stars have been crushed into water.
It was the Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew"that Lin Chen had collected these past few days that nourished his eyes and honed his pupil power, having an excellent catalytic effect on a perception-type Soul Bone like the Void Divine Eye.
"Brother Lin Chen, these two herbs look amazing!" Xiao Wu sat on the rock, swinging her legs and tilting her head to look. "Can they really temper the body?"
As she spoke, her little feet kicked at the surface of the water, splashing water that reflected tiny rainbows in the dual light of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, landing on her fair insteps, glistening and translucent.
"Hmm." Lin Chen nodded, then turned to look at Xiao Wu, but paused again upon seeing her.