As Zhou Sichen leapt into the Ice-Fire Yin-Yang Well, both Tianmeng and Elder Yi were stunned within his spiritual sea.
That was the Ultimate Ice and Ultimate Flame, and he just jumped in without hesitation?
They could clearly feel the violent clash and fusion between the external ultimate elements and the ones within Zhou Sichen's body. The pain he was enduring right now was unimaginable.
Zhou Sichen was already a body-type martial soul user, akin to being born with a flawless, indestructible physique. Now, with the addition of the Alchemical Ice-Fire Body, not even Tianmeng dared to speculate how powerful Zhou Sichen's martial soul would become after this transformation.
Elder Yi, meanwhile, was grinning ear to ear. The more fortunate Zhou Sichen was, and the stronger he became, the more meaningful Elder Yi's investment in him proved to be. Greater investment meant greater returns in the future.
Right now, there was nothing either of them could do to help. But the extreme torment Zhou Sichen was undergoing also served as a powerful form of tempering.
There was also no need to worry about his life being in danger in the well. Every time the well's terrifying energy threatened to destroy his body, the two immortal essences within him would release their power to restore and sustain him.
Zhou Sichen had closed his eyes tightly. The moment he plunged into the well, his clothing was instantly reduced to ash.
Sinking into the very core of the Ice-Fire Yin-Yang Well, he felt as if his body were being reforged from the inside out.
Although the ultimate ice and fire within him had begun to harmonize, their entry into his body caused them to stir violently. The medicinal energy contained within two immortal herbs was unimaginably powerful.
Ice and fire, opposing elements, clashed and erupted within him. Under the sudden impact of that energy, Zhou Sichen could rely on nothing but his willpower to endure.
He was like a lump of raw iron, now being forged into refined steel by the essences of the Eight-Petal Ice Crystal Grass and the Fiery Apricot Delicate Leaf, aided by the transformative power of the Yin-Yang Well.
The internal and external forces bombarded him from all directions—refining, tempering, reforging him entirely.
Meanwhile, watching Zhou Sichen sink into the well, Youyou turned to Jiaojiao. "Jiaojiao, were you blushing earlier?"
Though Zhou Sichen could no longer hear them, Youyou's teasing question sent Jiaojiao into a fluster, like a startled cat with its fur on end.
"I—I was not! What nonsense are you talking about? Why would I be embarrassed?" she retorted righteously.
But even she didn't notice that her tone had lost its usual fiery edge.
Youyou merely smiled, not pursuing the matter further. After all, she wasn't exactly one to talk.
"He's a good guy," Youyou said softly. "We haven't known him long, but I can sense his sincerity. It's been so long since anyone's spoken to us. It'll be nice to finally have someone around to ease the boredom."
Jiaojiao agreed cheerfully. "Then how about we wake up our sisters and introduce them to our new friend?"
Youyou gave a sly, plant-only-understands smile. "You dummy. If we wake them up, won't they just compete with us for him? Since they're all still asleep, let's not disturb them. Don't you think?"
Jiaojiao hesitated, then giggled. "You're right. It's rude to wake people up from their beauty sleep!"
And so the two immortal herbs kept chatting back and forth. Time passed slowly. Soon, an entire day had gone by.
Just when the two were starting to feel a bit bored, Zhou Sichen finally opened his eyes within the Ice-Fire Yin-Yang Well, accompanied by a thunderous crackle, like the roar of lightning.
His entire being had undergone a tremendous change. The waters of the Yin-Yang Well no longer posed any threat to him. The Cold Yin Spring felt like cool water, and the Blazing Yang Spring like a warm bath.
After a full day of refinement—accelerated by the Yin-Yang Well—he had absorbed a third of the terrifying energy and medicinal power from both the Eight-Petal Ice Crystal Grass and the Fiery Apricot Delicate Leaf.
His body had undergone full-body reforging. The remaining medicinal energy now lay dormant within his meridians, bones, or more precisely—within his martial soul itself.
However, due to the overwhelming potency of the herbs, it was impossible to absorb them completely in such a short time. Even so, the energy he had refined thus far already pushed his physical limits to the edge.
Going forward, the remaining energy would need to be slowly refined over time.
Despite only absorbing one-third, the benefits he gained were enormous. First and foremost was the astonishing enhancement of his physical constitution.
Thanks to the Alchemical Ice-Fire Body, his body had undergone a massive transformation. Although the process was still ongoing, he had already acquired a special new physique.
This was the Poison Immunity Constitution. Under the effect of the two immortal essences, he would no longer fear any toxins or poisons. His very body had become a perfect detoxifier.
Even a single drop of his blood could now serve as a universal antidote. Zhou Sichen had, in essence, become a living treasure.
And yet, this wasn't the most significant gain.
The true harvest was the elevation of his body martial soul itself.
Through the Alchemical Ice-Fire Body, the strength of his martial soul had risen to an entirely new level—similar to the evolution his soul had undergone through the Eye of the Soul, but this time it was his entire body.
Even within the red-and-blue springs, his bare skin now emitted a faint golden glow. Beneath that light were strange flame-like patterns—red and blue tattoos intertwined in arcane shapes.
The crimson and ice-blue flame markings shimmered together, as though containing mysterious power.
But soon, these patterns faded, their light dimming until they vanished completely, as if they had never existed.
In Zhou Sichen's spiritual sea, Tianmeng cried out in astonishment, "Sichen, you—! You—! Was that a Second Awakening of your Body Martial Soul?!"
Having spent years as a glorified energy bank, Tianmeng had heard plenty of gossip from other soul beasts and had learned much about the developments on the continent. A second awakening of a body martial soul was no trivial matter.
Clenching his fist, Zhou Sichen felt the dull thunder of power rumble within his body.
Even he wasn't entirely sure if this truly counted as a full second awakening. But he had clearly obtained new powers.
For example, the red-and-blue flame tattoos weren't mere decoration. During the forging process, the dual immortal essences and the Yin-Yang Well had imbued his martial soul with a new ability.
When using his martial soul, he could now channel this power—either enhancing his body with Ultimate Ice or Ultimate Flame.
Most importantly, he could also wield both Ultimate Attributes simultaneously.
Though he hadn't yet tested it, Zhou Sichen already understood that using this ability would drastically increase soul power consumption—making it a trump card rather than something for casual use.
He gave this new ability a stylish name: The Threefold Heavenly Flame Transformation.
First Transformation: Ice-blue flame markings cover his body, granting the power of Ultimate Ice. Each strike of his martial soul carries the devastating chill of pure ice.
Second Transformation: The ice markings fade, replaced by crimson flames. He gains the power of Ultimate Flame, and every attack is imbued with scorching, destructive heat.
Used separately, these forms did not significantly tax his soul power. He could use them occasionally in battle.
Third Transformation: Red and blue flame markings appear together, covering his entire body. Both Ultimate Ice and Ultimate Flame are merged through his martial soul, granting him the power to wield them simultaneously.
When combined, their power and effects multiplied—not just added. The destructive force became more than double.
However, this form also had a cost. The soul power consumption was likewise doubled, and the strain on his body—his martial soul—was immense.
If used for too long, and his martial soul reached its limit, his body could collapse entirely.
Therefore, Zhou Sichen considered this third transformation his ultimate trump card—one that he would never use unless absolutely necessary.
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