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Yang Xiong summoned his martial soul and soul rings, activating his second soul skill, Golden Heart, and even summoning the Xuan Ming Armor. Though the turtle shell on his back looked awkward, his chest and abdomen were fully covered by thick layers of shell, pushing his physical condition to its peak.
Yang Xiong gripped an iron dagger and approached the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass. Even with his body at its maximum potential, the overwhelming icy aura seeped into his body, freezing him to the core.
Gritting his teeth, Yang Xiong swiftly cut the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass at its base. As he grasped it with his left hand, the entire limb felt like it was turning into ice—no amount of protection could shield him from the extreme cold.
At this moment, Yang Xiong's expression hardened. There was no turning back now; he had to endure the excruciating pain, no matter how severe.
He quickly moved to the Infernal Delicate Apricot and used a jade knife to sever it at the root. With his right hand, he swiftly grabbed the fiery herb.
As soon as the Infernal Delicate Apricot touched his hand, the iron gloves began to glow red-hot, as if melting. Even the Heavenly Silkworm silk gloves couldn't withstand the intense heat, and the scent of burning flesh filled the air.
Though Yang Xiong activated his second soul skill, Golden Heart, to rapidly heal his body, both hands were subjected to unbearable agony. His left hand felt like it had turned into a block of solid ice, while his right hand burned as if submerged in molten lava.
Clutching his teeth, Yang Xiong quickly brought the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and the Infernal Delicate Apricot together. In the collision of extreme cold and heat, the icy and fiery energies seemed to neutralize each other momentarily, like red and white forces clashing.
Without hesitation, Yang Xiong shoved both herbs into his mouth, chewing and swallowing them as quickly as possible. The opposing cold and heat energies were only suppressing each other temporarily; in just ten breaths' time, they would erupt with even greater ferocity.
The moment the two herbs entered his body, the cold and heat energies exploded violently. A burst of icy energy surged through him first, freezing his entire being. His body turned blue, from his flesh, skin, cells, to even his bone marrow—every cell seemed frozen solid. He became like a block of ice, far colder than anything he had experienced during previous body tempering.
In an instant, the icy energy vanished, and his body turned blazing red, as if submerged in magma. Waves of heat radiated from his body, and his hair nearly caught fire.
His body alternated between icy blue and fiery red—sometimes as cold as eternal ice, other times as hot as molten lava. Even his soul power fluctuated under the influence of these two forces, threatening to tear him apart.
Yang Xiong endured unimaginable pain, his body seemingly beyond his control, as if being subjected to countless cuts and burns.
Summoning the last remnants of his rationality, Yang Xiong staggered toward the twin springs of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. Without hesitation, he leapt directly into the water.
Instead of easing the pain, entering the spring intensified it. The extreme cold and heat could not escape outward, leaving him in unbearable torment. His body began to twist and contort as if being torn apart by two opposing forces.
Though Yang Xiong's second soul skill could repair his body and mitigate negative effects, it was negligible compared to the overwhelming power of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well's waters and the conflicting energies within him.
Unlike Tang San from the original story, who possessed the ceaseless energy of the Xuan Tian Gong, Yang Xiong had undergone years of rigorous training, making his body far stronger than Tang San's. Moreover, his Body Martial Soul made his body itself his martial soul.
In Yang Xiong's understanding, ice and fire represented the two extremes of the world. To truly endure their forces, he had to let them merge and rotate within him.
Using meditation techniques and the last vestiges of his consciousness, Yang Xiong directed his soul power to surge through his body, particularly forming a closed loop in his torso.
Amidst the excruciating pain, Yang Xiong glimpsed the essence of his martial soul—the intricate pathways of his body through which his soul power surged and flowed endlessly.
Unbeknownst to Yang Xiong, as he guided his soul power, the waters of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well also began to react. The previously distinct red and blue streams started to intertwine and rotate.
If someone from Earth were to observe, they would see a clear pattern forming in the water—a symbol resembling the Taiji (Yin-Yang) Symbol.
As Yang Xiong's consciousness faded, his soul power continued to flow uncontrollably, surging like a mighty river. The icy and fiery energies of the two herbs formed a massive cycle within him.
Meanwhile, the corrosive waters of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well began to dissolve the Xuan Ming Armor on his back. However, this external soul bone had become akin to part of his skeleton, continuously dissolving and regenerating. Eventually, it transformed into segmented armor covering his torso.
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After an indeterminate amount of time, Yang Xiong gradually regained consciousness. Though still submerged in the twin springs, he no longer felt the pain of the icy and fiery forces. Instead, he felt invigorated, as if the energies of the two herbs had fused into every cell of his body.
Yang Xiong couldn't help but roar in triumph. At great personal risk, he had succeeded—not only completing the Ice and Fire body tempering but also achieving true transformation. Even the experiments he had envisioned had worked.
Without hesitation, Yang Xiong quickly climbed out of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, changed into fresh clothes, gathered his belongings, and ascended the steel cable to escape. This was Dugu Bo's lair, and he didn't know how long he had been inside. Encountering Dugu Bo upon his return would spell disaster.
After undergoing Ice and Fire body tempering, Yang Xiong was no longer afraid of any toxic mist. He swiftly exited the poison traps and hurried toward the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect. For now, hiding within the sect was the safest option.
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