Ice and Fire Tempering the Golden Body (II)

The strange light of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well reflected on Xiao Wu's face. Half of her face was tinged with crimson by the warm light of the Red Spring, while the other half was plated with a layer of cold silver by the cold light of the Ice Spring. The interplay of warmth and coldness made her large eyes appear even clearer and brighter, as if they held a sky full of stars.

The hem of her skirt was slightly damp from the rising steam of the icy-hot spring water, clinging to her fair and slender calves. It was an unintentional gesture, yet it made her look incredibly graceful.

She tilted her head, her hands resting on the rocks behind her, her face upturned, and the morning light filtered through her eyelashes, shattering into a soft halo.

Even a calm and collected transmigrator like Lin Chen couldn't help but feel that if there were truly people in this world as beautiful as fairies in paintings, this would probably be the scene before him.

Fortunately, he remained calm and quickly looked away, his fingertips tracing the herbs laid out on the rock, a smile unconsciously appearing on his lips.

"The Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, with its contrasting temperatures of cold and heat, is the most extreme body-refining ground in the world. Combined with these two Immortal Herb, which resonate internally and externally, it can temper a physique impervious to water and fire, and immune to all poisons. It can also steadily enhance the fusion between the Chaos Pearl and the physical body. This bottle of 'Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew' will be perfectly suited to be deposited into the eye aperture using the power of ice and fire, helping the Void Divine Eye advance even further."

He had planned this all along. Dugu Bo's poison-clearing treatment was done every other day, and the intervals in between were perfect for soaking in the spring to temper his body. Two hours a day, over time, both his physical body and Soul Bone would steadily improve.

"But Xiao Wu, you need to leave for a moment." With that, he reached to untie the ties of his robe. "I'm going to soak in the spring water; it's not appropriate for a girl like you to be here alone."

Xiao Wu, who had been intently staring at the few Immortal Herb, was taken aback by these words: "Huh? Why?"

"No reason." Lin Chen glanced at her, his tone tinged with helplessness. "You can't exactly watch me take my clothes off, can you?"

"Who, who wants to see you!" Xiao Wu's face flushed red instantly. She jumped up from the rock like a startled rabbit, not even bothering to put on her shoes. She grabbed her shoes and socks and headed into the thatched hut.

She took two steps, then stopped and hesitantly turned her head to look back.

Lin Chen had his back to her, his outer robe had fallen to the ground, revealing his lean but firm shoulders and back.

His shoulders were sharp, his waist and abdomen were taut, and his skin still bore faint traces of old wounds, marks left from previous training and battles.

The boy's figure, bathed in the morning light, was sturdy and upright, exuding a vibrant energy.

Xiao Wu suddenly turned her head, her face burning. She muttered softly, "Then... don't soak for too long," and then grabbed her shoes and socks and dashed inside.

Lin Chen's cheerful voice came from behind. "Understood."

Xiao Wu sat on the straw mat and muttered in a voice so soft it was almost inaudible, "Hmph, I don't want to see..." She paused, then added, "But... Brother Lin Chen's physique seems pretty good."

Lin Chen stripped down to only a pair of plain shorts, took a deep breath, and walked to the confluence of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.

On the left is a scorching hot spring, the heat waves hitting you and burning your skin; on the right is an icy cold spring, the chill biting to the bone and making your hair stand on end. The two extreme forces collide at the point of intersection, turning into fine white mist that surges endlessly.

Without the slightest hesitation, he stepped into the water.

"Hiss."

Extreme cold and intense heat simultaneously assaulted me from the soles of my feet, coursing through my veins throughout my body. On one hand, it felt like being thrown into a fiery pit, my skin and flesh about to be scorched; on the other hand, it felt like falling into an ice cellar, my very marrow about to freeze.

The two forces collided violently within his body, causing Lin Chen to shudder violently and even his teeth to chatter.

He gritted his teeth, sat cross-legged in the middle of the spring, the water just reaching his chest.

With a thought, the medicinal effects of the three herbs he had already ingested instantly dissipated.

The extreme cold power of the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and the extreme yang power of the Infernal Delicate Apricot exploded in the meridians, one cold and one hot, resonating with the ice and fire spiritual energy in the spring water. The medicinal power of the Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew transformed into a clear stream, flowing along the meridians to the center of the brow, nourishing the Void Divine Eye.

"Chaos, open."

Lin Chen let out a low shout, and the Chaos Pearl in his dantian began to spin wildly.

A pale gray, attribute-less Soul Power spread throughout his body, enveloping, neutralizing, and refining the forces of ice and fire, gradually seeping into his flesh, meridians, and bone marrow.

The skin and flesh were repeatedly torn and repaired under the power of ice and fire, becoming more resilient with each cycle.

However, the spiritual energy of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well was too vast, and the medicinal power of the two Immortal Herb was far more domineering than expected. In just a moment, Lin Chen felt the power in his meridians becoming more and more violent, and even his Chaos Soul Power could not suppress it.

"Um?"

His left palm suddenly felt hot.

A black sword light burst forth uncontrollably from his palm.

Buzz--

A jet-black ancient sword appeared out of thin air beside him.

Xiao Wu was hesitating whether to take another look when she suddenly heard a sword's cry. Startled, she quickly turned to look outside, and her gaze was immediately drawn to the sword.

She had only glimpsed Lin Chen's Second Martial Soul a few times before, but she had never examined the entire Heaven-Slaying Sword in such detail before. But now, this sword seemed different.

The sword was about four feet two inches long, and its entire body was an extremely deep black, neither reflecting nor dazzling, as if it had absorbed all the light around it.

Upon closer inspection, the surface of the sword is covered with dark red patterns, the lines of which are both rugged and mysterious, winding from the hilt all the way to the tip, like magma flowing slowly across the cracked black earth.

The patterns weren't just floating on the surface of the sword; they seemed to be light seeping out from the inside of the blade, pulsating slightly, as if the hot blood of some ancient Ferocious Beast was flowing through the entire body of the sword.

A natural, all-consuming aura emanated from the sword. Although it was just floating there quietly, it inexplicably made people feel oppressed.

The sword guard was a fully unfolded, dark-colored wing, symmetrical on both sides, with sharp lines. The edges of the wing were neatly decorated with a ring of dark red bone spikes, each one sharp and gleaming coldly. It didn't look like it was cast, but rather like a remnant feather that had been plucked from the wings of an ancient demon god.

What's most captivating is the sword pommel. There, a half-open, dark red vertical pupil resides, with a crimson light pulsating deep within it, like the heart of a living creature, beating rhythmically.

When you stare at it, you might have the illusion that it's not a sword decoration, but an eye, silently gazing at you through the void.

Immediately afterwards, the Chaos Pearl in Lin Chen's dantian also detached from his body on its own and floated above his head.

The gray bead slowly rotated, emanating a powerful suppressive force.

One for offense, one for defense; two Martial Soul.

One on the left and one on the right, they slowly circled around Lin Chen.

The two Martial Soul exerted their power simultaneously, frantically devouring the ice and fire spiritual energy in the spring water, as well as the immense medicinal power of the two Immortal Herb.

The once calm spring suddenly surged, with crimson and icy blue water shooting into the sky, transforming into two jets of water that crashed down, splashing up a cloud of mist.

"Brother Lin Chen!"

Xiao Wu was so startled that she stood up and exclaimed in surprise.

She looked at Lin Chen, who was surrounded by two Martial Soul spirits in the spring. His body was covered in water, his black hair was stuck to his forehead, his eyebrows and eyes were closed, and his Soul Power was fluctuating violently.

She wanted to go forward, but was afraid of disturbing him, so she could only clutch the hem of her clothes and stand not far away with a worried expression.

Amidst the misty haze, Lin Chen's figure appeared and disappeared intermittently.

The two Martial Soul spun faster and faster, like two bottomless vortexes, drawing all the spiritual energy of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well towards this side.

At the entrance to the valley, a figure in a green robe had just darted in when he abruptly stopped.