Conditions for Keeping a Secret
Deep within the Sunset Forest, the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well continues to surge day and night.
Three hours passed in the blink of an eye.
The swirling vortex of ice and fire above the spring gradually subsided, and the light from the two Martial Soul faded.
The Chaos Pearl transformed into a gray light and sank into Lin Chen's dantian, Heaven-Slaying Sword transformed into a black light and disappeared into Lin Chen's left palm.
Lin Chen slowly opened his eyes.
Two pale blue beams of light flashed from the depths of his eyes before disappearing into the void.
The light was extremely faint, yet it seemed to contain an entire galaxy—upon closer inspection, tiny points of light could indeed be seen slowly moving deep within his pupils, as if he had captured the entire sky in his eyes.
He clenched his fist slightly, feeling the surging, abundant power within his meridians.
Every inch of its skin, flesh, tendons, and bones exudes a solid, weighty texture, as if refined steel had been repeatedly forged and finally taken shape.
Upon internal inspection, his Soul Power remained steadily at the thirty-sixth level of Soul Elder. The Chaos Pearl within his dantian was warm and lustrous, its surface swirling with misty chaotic energy. Its compatibility with his physical body had steadily surpassed eighty percent. The circulation of his Soul Power was smooth and unimpeded, without the slightest stagnation.
The most surprising thing was the Void Divine Eye.
Lin Chen's mind stirred, the mark between his brows felt slightly warm, and his eyes once again glowed with a pale blue light.
The view changed instantly.
Every spatial fold in the air, every trace of the flow of spiritual energy, is clearly presented before my eyes.
He looked up at the valley entrance and could clearly see the subtle spatial fluctuations caused by the movement of the Soul Beast several miles away, even through the thick forest. Looking down at the spring, he could clearly see the direction of the undercurrents beneath the surface and even the swirling eddies of spiritual energy deep within the spring.
Not just Teleportation and invisibility, but anything related to space—disguise, fissures, fluctuations—is exposed before these eyes.
"Brother Lin Chen!"
Seeing that he had finished his practice, Xiao Wu immediately ran over, holding a clean cloth in her hand, and handed it to him, her eyes sparkling, "You're finally awake! I was so scared just now, I thought the medicine had gone out of control."
She looked Lin Chen up and down, and seeing that his complexion was rosy and his eyes were bright, she finally felt relieved. Her fingertips touched his arm and she could feel that his skin was warm and his muscles were even firmer than before, which meant that his body tempering had been very successful.
"It's nothing, I'm sorry to have worried you." Lin Chen took the towel, wiped the water droplets from his face, and said with a smile, "The effect is better than expected."
"It's more than just good."
Dugu Bo walked over with his hands behind his back, his emerald eyes sweeping over Lin Chen, his tone tinged with a hint of amazement.
"You're incredibly reckless, kid. The water in the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well is extremely potent. Even Soul Emperor would suffer burns and meridian damage if they dared to soak in it for half a quarter of an hour. But you, you soaked in it for three hours straight. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed it."
Having lived for nearly a hundred years, this was the first time he had ever seen anyone use the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well like this. This place was usually only used to assist in cultivation and nourish medicinal herbs; Lin Chen was the only one who had used it directly to temper his body.
He paused, then couldn't help but ask, "How did you manage to hold on? Just with those two Immortal Herb?"
"Senior has keen insight." Lin Chen nodded slightly. "The Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and the Infernal Delicate Apricot are both immortal Immortal Herb of extreme ice and fire, sharing the same origin as the spring water. I took them beforehand, allowing the medicinal power to dissolve in my meridians and form a buffer layer. In addition, my Chaos Soul Power is attribute-free and highly inclusive, which can gradually neutralize the violent power of the spring water, guiding it to temper my body instead of being overwhelmed by it."
That's half true and half false.
The Immortal Herb and Chaos Soul Power were one aspect, but the more crucial factor was the automatic protection of the Heaven-Slaying Sword Martial Soul, which withstood the most violent wave of impact.
Dugu Bo nodded, as if acknowledging the explanation.
His tone suddenly shifted, his gaze falling on Lin Chen's left palm, his voice tinged with inquiry. "What about the Second Martial Soul? And that sword, what's its origin?"
Buzz--
Lin Chen's heart skipped a beat, and alarm bells rang.
He instinctively stepped to the side, reached out and pulled Xiao Wu behind him, his fingertips slightly tense, his eyes instantly becoming wary.
He was completely focused on tempering his body and didn't notice when Dugu Bo arrived. Had his Twin Martial Souls been exposed?
This is one of his biggest trump cards. Having Twin Martial Souls is too eye-catching. Once word gets out, the Spirit Hall will never let such a genius go; they will either recruit him or eliminate him. With his current strength, he simply cannot stop them.
He looked up at Dugu Bo, his mind racing.
Dugu Bo stood there, showing no intention of making a move, his aura calm. Since he had arrived long ago, he hadn't attacked during the most crucial moment of his body tempering, nor had he done anything to Xiao Wu, clearly indicating no malice.
But you can't see into someone's heart; who can truly understand the thoughts of Titled Douluo?
"Brother Lin Chen..." Xiao Wu tugged at his sleeve and whispered, "Senior Dugu arrived a long time ago and has been watching from the side for quite some time. He didn't want to disturb you. He... he didn't mean anything by it." Lin Chen's tense nerves relaxed a little.
He knew there was no way to avoid it. With Dugu Bo's strength, if he really wanted to harm him, he could have easily succeeded when Dugu Bo was cultivating at the most crucial moment. The fact that he didn't make a move meant that he had other plans.
He slowly released Xiao Wu's hand, forcing himself to remain calm, and bowed slightly to Dugu Bo: "Senior has discerning eyes; this junior does indeed possess Twin Martial Souls. This was the case when I awakened them—one Tool Martial Soul, and the other Control System Martial Soul."
"Then who are your parents?" Dugu Bo pressed. "Twin Martial Souls aren't something that can be obtained casually; most have a family tradition."
Lin Chen shook his head, his tone calm. "I am an orphan, raised in Holy Soul Village since childhood, and adopted by the village chief. I have never met my parents, nor do I know who they are. As for why I have Twin Martial Souls, I don't know myself."
This statement is half true and half false. His background is real, but even he himself can't explain the origin of his Twin Martial Souls. The Heaven-Slaying Sword Martial Soul seems to have arrived along with the Chaos Pearl.
Dugu Bo stared at him for a long time.
From the moment of alertness when their secret was exposed, to quickly regaining composure and handling the situation calmly.
This kid's composure is even more remarkable than that of an adult. If it were any other twelve-year-old boy, he would have panicked long ago after Titled Douluo had stumbled upon his biggest secret.
"Good, what a fine orphan." Dugu Bo suddenly smiled, his tone full of admiration.
Lin Chen bowed again, his tone solemn. "Senior, Twin Martial Souls are of great importance. My strength is currently too weak to let outsiders know. Please keep this a secret for me. I will remember this kindness."
"It's a secret..."
Dugu Bo stroked his chin, his emerald eyes darting around, and suddenly a wicked smile appeared on his face.
The smile no longer held its usual aloofness, but instead carried a mischievous, childlike slyness.