Within the Sea of Spirit, Tian Meng and Elder Yi watched Zhou Sichen's performance. When they saw him successfully receive the Heart of Qiluo, both couldn't help but show satisfied smiles.
Wasn't this a treasure gained effortlessly?
Flattering words cost nothing, and with just a few clever lines, Zhou Sichen had those two gullible immortal plants wrapped around his finger, managing to obtain such a rare treasure.
Although seven immortal herbs might seem a little few in number, getting even that much without lifting a finger was a net gain no matter how you looked at it.
And just because he could only take seven now didn't mean he couldn't take more in the future.
Once his strength grew sufficiently, would these immortal herbs even be capable of stopping him? At that point, he could take whatever he wanted.
Even Elder Yi believed these herbs were of tremendous value. With such resources, Zhou Sichen's rate of cultivation would see a massive boost.
Having carefully stored the Heart of Qiluo, Zhou Sichen still had six immortal herbs left to claim.
Feigning deep thought, he finally looked toward Youyou and asked, "Youyou, the book says that consuming both the Eight-Petal Ice Crystal Grass and the Fiery Apricot Delicate Leaf can forge the Alchemical Ice-Fire Body, granting immunity to all poisons. Is that true?"
Youyou nodded softly. "Of course. That's how that person once achieved the Alchemical Ice-Fire Body. Their foundation and strength increased drastically, and only because of that did everything else follow."
Zhou Sichen's eyes lit up with a sharp gleam. "I want to forge the Alchemical Ice-Fire Body too."
His main martial soul was simply too powerful. Achieving a second awakening would require an extraordinary effort—something few could ever hope to accomplish.
And the Alchemical Ice-Fire Body was undoubtedly the best method to enhance physical constitution and elevate the potential of his main martial soul.
The All-Seeing Autumn Dew had already enhanced and refined his spiritual power, fusing his soul to create the Eye of the Soul.
If he could now raise his body's strength, enhancing both spirit and body simultaneously, there was a real chance his martial soul could reach the threshold for a second awakening.
Youyou, in truth, also supported Zhou Sichen's decision. After all, he could pick seven herbs—using two on himself wasn't unreasonable.
Moreover, the All-Seeing Autumn Dew was gentle and easy to absorb. The Alchemical Ice-Fire Body, which focused on improving physical attributes, was more akin to purifying and refining the body.
So even taking the All-Seeing Autumn Dew and undergoing the Alchemical Ice-Fire process wouldn't overburden his body, nor would it cause a breakdown due to excessive energy.
Youyou turned to Jiaojiao. "Jiaojiao's true body is the Fiery Apricot Delicate Leaf. I can't help you with that one—you'll need to speak with her."
Hearing that, Zhou Sichen's eyes lit up, and with a beat of his wings, he soared toward Jiaojiao.
Sensing his intense gaze, that strange feeling from before welled up inside her once again.
Watching him approach, Jiaojiao unconsciously suppressed her high temperature, worried she might accidentally harm him.
Zhou Sichen noticed this small gesture and smiled subtly before coming to a stop in front of her.
He asked eagerly, "Jiaojiao, I want to complete the Alchemical Ice-Fire Body. Have you condensed any essence I could use?"
Feeling Zhou Sichen's enthusiasm and the heat in his eyes, Jiaojiao wanted to act aloof. But thinking of how Youyou had given hers freely, she couldn't bring herself to play hard to get.
She didn't speak—maintaining the air of a cool and distant goddess—as a branch extended from her large flower and retrieved a piece of fiery red, transparent gel.
As the gel appeared, the surrounding temperature spiked dangerously, but Jiaojiao actively suppressed it. Her branch gently kneaded the gel until it formed a fiery red sphere the size of an egg.
Holding the blazing gel delicately, Jiaojiao boasted, "This is Blazing Resin, a top-tier immortal treasure. It took me ten thousand years to condense this essence."
"Plus, it contains none of the extreme fire poison I normally absorb from the Yang Spring. If a fire-element soul master were to absorb this, their fire element would reach the level of Ultimate Flame."
"How about it? My Blazing Resin isn't inferior to Youyou's Heart of Qiluo, right?"
Zhou Sichen's face lit up with excitement as he listened. "You're amazing, Jiaojiao. That's incredible."
Then, in typical dramatic flair, he added, "But… to think something this precious took ten thousand years to form… it feels like too much."
"Heehee~" Jiaojiao giggled proudly. "That was the past! Nowadays, with my cultivation, I can condense a drop every year. Something this big? I can produce one in just a thousand years!"
While Jiaojiao gloated, Zhou Sichen was secretly ecstatic. A thousand years for one of these? That's practically mass production!
He clapped. "Jiaojiao, you're amazing!"
Flattered by his praise, Jiaojiao was clearly pleased. She handed the Blazing Resin to him, saying, "Take it. I've already sealed away the heat. When you take it with the Eight-Petal Ice Crystal Core, just unseal it together."
Then, worried he might get too excited and mess up, she warned him seriously, "You must take it together with the Ice Crystal Core. Then jump into the Ice-Fire Yin-Yang Well to refine it. Don't go getting yourself killed, okay?"
Zhou Sichen took the warm, jelly-like resin, finding it squishy and oddly satisfying in his hand.
He smiled at her words. "Thank you, Jiaojiao. You're so kind when you care—it's really sweet."
Jiaojiao flared up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. "I'm not worried about you! I just don't want my Blazing Resin going to waste!"
Still holding the resin, Zhou Sichen gently patted her flower. "I get it. Thanks."
Whack! A vine whipped over.
"I said stop touching my head!"
Even though the vine struck him, Zhou Sichen didn't feel any pain. This only confirmed that he'd truly won them over—they wouldn't hurt him anymore.
He couldn't help but feel a little sentimental. While these immortal herbs might not mean much to others, once accepted, their attitude toward him changed significantly.
Would he become merciful because of this one day?
That's a problem for later. For now, the priority is to collect everything I can.
With a faint smile, Zhou Sichen spread his Phoenix wings and once again flew toward Youyou.
When he landed beside her, a soft violet glow bloomed before her, carrying an ice-blue octagonal crystal the size of an egg.
This was clearly the Eight-Petal Ice Crystal Core, the refined essence of the Eight-Petal Ice Crystal Grass. All the extreme ice poison absorbed from the Ice Spring had been removed—this was pure essence.
Just like the Blazing Resin, this core alone could elevate a typical ice-element soul master to the level of Ultimate Ice.
And without the deadly poison, its effects were identical to the original—but safer.
Youyou handed it over. "Here you go. That makes two herbs. Including my Heart of Qiluo, that's three."
Zhou Sichen nodded. "I understand."
The chill of the Ice Crystal Core had also been sealed. As he received it, its cold surface felt smooth and elastic—almost like jelly.
Youyou repeated Jiaojiao's warnings, emphasizing the importance and danger, urging him to be extremely cautious.
Holding the Blazing Resin in one hand and the Ice Crystal Core in the other, Zhou Sichen's expression grew serious. "Don't worry. I value my life. Besides, didn't I promise to stay a few days and spend time with you two?"
Youyou smiled and nodded. "Good. Go ahead—I'm looking forward to seeing your progress."
Zhou Sichen nodded, removing his soul tool equipment and transforming his core into a cube, storing everything safely on the shore.
At the same time, a radiant golden book—his Martial Soul, the Book of Contracts—appeared before him. His armor dissolved into three streaks of light, returning to their respective volumes.
Watching his martial soul manifest, both Youyou and Jiaojiao stared intently. What kind of unique martial soul is this?
Could Zhou Sichen's strength come from his martial soul? Ultimate Ice, soul-shaking power, flight, and those terrifying dark-gold claws…
It didn't seem like the abilities of a single martial soul. Was he perhaps a Twin Martial Soul wielder?
Their minds raced, but Zhou Sichen remained silent as he dismissed the Book of Contracts.
With everything ready, he moved to the edge where the boiling Yang Spring met the freezing Yin Spring.
Without hesitation, he tossed the two jelly-like essences into his mouth.
Not only did they feel like jelly, they tasted like jelly.
But the moment they entered his throat, the clash of Ultimate Ice and Ultimate Flame began.
Within three breaths, Zhou Sichen's entire body trembled violently. A wave of blue ice rose from beneath his feet.
In the blink of an eye, he was completely blue. Then, a wave of red followed—making him look like a freshly boiled shrimp.
Youyou and Jiaojiao watched without blinking. His body flickered red and blue, shifting in a mystical, mesmerizing pattern.
But this seemingly simple alternation nearly shattered Zhou Sichen's spirit.
The clash of two ultimate forces brought pain beyond anything he had endured during his countless trials and bitter cultivation.
Yet his powerful spirit allowed him to barely maintain control. Taking a deep breath, Zhou Sichen hurled himself into the Ice-Fire Yin-Yang Well.
With a splash, he vanished beneath the water, quickly sinking deep within.
He hadn't jumped in immediately after consuming the essences because he needed the effects to activate. If he had jumped too early, his body would've been reduced to ashes.
But now, with the effects fully active, he felt nothing from the water itself. The agony from the essences had numbed his senses entirely.
At that moment, Zhou Sichen had no mind to consider anything else. He focused all his soul power on absorbing and refining the two immortal essences, relying on the Yin-Yang Well's power to aid the process.
With the external amplification from the well, his body's ability to absorb the energy surged.
Bit by bit, he began converting the immense, terrifying energies of Ultimate Ice and Ultimate Flame into his own strength.
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