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At the outskirts of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, the Ninth Elder of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect was filled with deep concern.
Since Yang Xiong had left the sect, the Ninth Elder had been secretly guarding him. However, his role was limited to driving away or intimidating ten-thousand-year spirit beasts; ordinary challenges were left for Yang Xiong to face on his own. Ninth Elder would only intervene in life-threatening situations.
But after observing Yang Xiong throughout this journey, Ninth Elder was deeply surprised. In the Great Spirit Arena of Tian Dou City, Yang Xiong had effortlessly achieved thirteen consecutive victories without using any soul skills—relying solely on his physical prowess and combat techniques.
Yet, upon entering Sunset Forest, Yang Xiong seemed to let loose, constantly being chased by spirit beasts or fighting relatively average ones. Despite this, it was evident that Yang Xiong's combat experience had grown significantly, and his personality had become more resolute. As a Soul Douluo-level expert, Ninth Elder understood that to become a high-level soul master, one must endure life-and-death trials, especially the kind of intense mental strain found in Sunset Forest.
Moreover, Ninth Elder grew increasingly astonished by Yang Xiong. Through his covert observations, he realized that Yang Xiong's strength surpassed even his expectations.
At such a young age, Yang Xiong not only mastered teleportation but also possessed rapid recovery abilities. Most impressively, he concealed an external soul bone—the Xuan Ming Armor. Its defensive capabilities were extraordinary.
However, what shocked Ninth Elder even more in recent days was Yang Xiong's audacity to enter a massive poison trap wearing peculiar equipment. Furthermore, Ninth Elder sensed Dugu Bo's presence nearby—it was clear this was Dugu Bo's hidden lair within Sunset Forest.
Dugu Bo was notoriously unpredictable and served as a guest elder of the Tian Dou Empire's imperial family. Even the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect avoided offending him lightly. If Yang Xiong's actions were discovered, it could lead to significant trouble, even endangering his life.
At this moment, Ninth Elder was extremely anxious. Yang Xiong had been inside the poison trap for two full days without any sign of emerging. Yet, despite being a Soul Douluo, Ninth Elder himself couldn't penetrate the trap.
When he finally saw Yang Xiong emerge from the poison trap, Ninth Elder breathed a sigh of relief. As long as Yang Xiong could leave unnoticed, Dugu Bo wouldn't be able to trace this back to the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, right?
Still, something about Yang Xiong seemed off. It was as if his body had undergone some profound change.
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After leaving the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, Yang Xiong hurried toward the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect. He had no time to examine the changes in his body now. He didn't know how long he had spent in the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, and encountering Dugu Bo would spell disaster. Everything would have to wait until he returned to the sect.
In just half a day, Yang Xiong had already returned to the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect. Having thoroughly explored Sunset Forest during this time, his speed was exceptionally fast.
Once back at the sect, Yang Xiong carefully examined the changes in his body.
After undergoing Ice and Fire body tempering, Yang Xiong felt his body had become extraordinarily powerful. This wasn't merely about increased physical toughness; the very foundation of his body had been transformed.
Originally, Yang Xiong's recovery ability was already exceptional due to his Body Martial Soul. But after the Ice and Fire tempering, his fundamental constitution had been upgraded, even improving his innate cultivation potential. Though he still couldn't match prodigies with full innate soul power, he was now on par with those possessing eight or nine levels of innate soul power.
From another perspective, Yang Xiong's resilience had skyrocketed. Even severe injuries could now heal rapidly without treatment—this was the greatest benefit of Ice and Fire body tempering.
Secondly, his martial soul had undergone significant changes. When Yang Xiong summoned his Body Martial Soul again, a silvery aura enveloped his body. His strength, speed, and even spiritual power had greatly improved. By Yang Xiong's estimation, his Body Martial Soul had reached the silver-tier secondary awakening, doubling—if not tripling—his combat strength.
Thirdly, after the Ice and Fire tempering, his entire body had been fundamentally altered. He was now completely immune to water and fire attacks. When he awoke in the twin springs of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, the scorching yang spring felt like lukewarm water, while the freezing yin spring carried no chill.
From this point forward, Yang Xiong's body was impervious to ice and fire. Any ice- or fire-attribute soul masters would lose their greatest advantage against him.
Furthermore, since both the Infernal Delicate Apricot and Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass were toxic herbs, their extreme cold and heat toxins had rendered his body immune to all poisons. He was now invulnerable to any toxin.
Compared to Tang San's experience in the original story, where he consumed the two herbs for Ice and Fire tempering, Yang Xiong's results were even more pronounced. Since his entire body was his martial soul, his brain evolved alongside his body during the process. His spiritual power underwent a transformation, which was the most exaggerated aspect of having a Body Martial Soul—it evolved alongside the body.
The brain, being part of the body, endured immense pain during the Ice and Fire tempering. This pain also stimulated his mind, leading to the secondary awakening of his entire Body Martial Soul—including his brain. Yang Xiong felt a significant boost in his spiritual power, allowing him to perceive his surroundings with greater clarity and detail.
When Yang Xiong summoned his Xuan Ming Armor, he was astonished by its transformation.
The Xuan Ming Armor had undergone a dramatic change. Instead of forming a turtle shell on his back, it now tightly adhered to his torso as armor. It could still transform into a massive turtle shell to protect his entire body, but its color had shifted from gray to silver—even the summoned giant shell was now silver.
Upon closer inspection, Yang Xiong realized that the Xuan Ming Armor had fully integrated with his body, becoming akin to one of his bones. No one could take it from him anymore, reducing others' covetousness. Moreover, he no longer needed to hide it and could use it openly. Its age had also advanced from a thousand-year soul bone to nearly a ten-thousand-year level.
External soul bones that could be taken were treasures coveted in the soul master world, often attracting powerful enemies. Now, Yang Xiong no longer had to worry about this.
Yang Xiong was highly satisfied with his gains from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. Not only had he obtained a wealth of immortal herbs, but he had also achieved the secondary awakening of his Body Martial Soul, ensuring he had a fighting chance against any future challenges.
Beyond the changes to his body, Yang Xiong also experienced an unexpected surprise: progress in his cultivation research. The meditation technique passed down by the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect was among the top methods in the Douluo Continent, though it paled compared to Tang San's Xuan Tian Gong.
This was an unexpected gain from his trip to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
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