Chapter 54: Ice and Fire Alchemy Body Awakens
The radiant wings of the Holy Spirit of the Ice and Fire Alchemy Body unfolded behind Qin Chuan, spreading out like divine banners across the sky.
Brilliant light surged from them, bathing the entire herb garden in sacred luminance. As the feathers shimmered, they began to fall off one by one—each one transforming into a gleaming arrow of divine energy.
In an instant, the air was filled with deadly feathers, all aligning perfectly. Their sharp tips pointed forward while the tail feathers faced back, forming a devastating barrage locked onto the Green Phosphorus Snake King.
"Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh—"
The whistling sound of projectiles tearing through the air echoed across the canyon.
The Green Phosphorus Snake King's body surged with emerald light. His countless scales vibrated in unison and opened like a blooming flower of armor, forming a dense shield over his serpentine form.
This scale defense was Dugu Bo's pride—a life-saving technique he had cultivated over decades.
But in front of Qin Chuan's Ice and Fire Alchemy Wings, it was as flimsy as rice paper.
The barrage of feathered arrows pierced through the snake's body without resistance.
Dugu Bo's expression twisted in agony as he struggled, his soul power draining rapidly.
Moments later, his body was riddled with bloodied holes, utterly helpless and barely recognizable.
"Pathetic. As expected of the weakest Title Douluo."
Qin Chuan scoffed.
Once the snake venom was rendered useless, Dugu Bo was nothing but a frail old man.
Black blood spewed from Dugu Bo's lips. His spirit flickered in despair.
"Y-You…"
He never imagined that Qin Chuan would be this powerful, nor that his martial spirit would completely neutralize his poison—essentially rendering his cultivation path meaningless.
"You can die now."
Qin Chuan raised his hand. With a simple motion, the Holy Spirit Sword, which Ye Lingling had previously stabbed into the stone wall, tore free and flew straight back into his palm.
Without hesitation, he swung the blade down.
A single stroke decapitated Dugu Bo.
One more unstable variable—erased.
Meanwhile, Ye Lingling had used the Holy Spirit Sword earlier to eliminate the Wall Ghost Vines hiding deep within the mountain wall. Now, from the cracked stone, a circle of deep black soul rings emerged and floated in the air.
"Absorb it quickly," Qin Chuan urged. "This soul ring suits you perfectly."
"…Thank you, Your Majesty," Ye Lingling said, her voice layered with emotion.
Just moments ago, he had risked a priceless treasure—the Immortal Longevity Ganoderma—to save her life. That alone was enough to shake her perception of him.
She had expected him to leave her behind. After all, she was burdened with dangerous secrets he might want buried. In such situations, many would rather kill than protect.
But Qin Chuan had done the opposite. He had chosen to save her.
"You saved me first," Qin Chuan said calmly, "so it's only fair."
Ye Lingling's eyes widened slightly, then lowered. So… that was all. He was simply repaying a debt. No deeper reason.
She didn't speak further. Instead, she took a deep breath, sat down cross-legged, and began to absorb the black soul ring.
With nothing more to do, Qin Chuan turned his attention back to the herb garden.
Now that he had experienced the benefits of exploring hidden corners, he became more thorough. He swept through each crevice with growing interest.
Sure enough, he soon stumbled upon another immortal herb.
Lycoris Radiata.
The Red Spider Lily.
A flower whose name alone evoked sorrow and despair.
"When the flower blooms, the leaves do not appear. When the leaves appear, the flower does not bloom."
This strange phenomenon made it a symbol of tragedy—of lovers forever missing each other in life and death.
The effects of this herb were unique. Unlike others that extended life, restored vitality, or enhanced physique, this flower…
Could allow one to remember their past life.
Legend claimed that when the banks of the River of Styx bloomed with red spider lilies, the dead crossing it would recall their former lives—and perhaps even awaken remnants of old powers.
But this was only one plant. Its full effect was uncertain. Qin Chuan wasn't even sure how to activate it.
Still, he carefully picked it and stored it away.
In addition, he found several other high-quality herbs and collected them all.
As he moved, he noticed that Ye Lingling was nearing the final stage of her soul ring fusion.
She would soon be a true Level 50 Soul King—or perhaps beyond.
Suddenly, a thought struck Qin Chuan.
His gaze turned to Dugu Bo's decapitated body.
On the old man's thumb, he wore an emerald green ring—its hue vibrant and glowing faintly with soul power.
A storage soul guide!
Qin Chuan's eyes narrowed.
And at that moment, he remembered something he'd completely overlooked.
Since the chaos of that day, after he'd awakened—
He hadn't seen Tang San.
Not his body. Not his soul guide. Nothing.
No one had mentioned his name either. But now, the memory struck him like lightning.
Where was Tang San?
A sense of unease crept up his spine.
He bent down and opened Dugu Bo's storage ring.
As expected, the man was a poison master. Inside were countless venom samples, antidotes, and boxes of deadly insects.
Qin Chuan browsed briefly, uninterested.
But then—two white jade boxes caught his eye.
He opened them.
Inside were two familiar herbs:
Fiery Apricot and the Eight-Angled Mysterious Ice Grass.
These were the same immortal herbs that Tang San had once consumed to build a dual-polarity golden body.
"…So that's where they went."
Qin Chuan's surprise was quickly replaced by realization.
Dugu Bo had spent decades here. Of course he had studied these herbs. Even if he didn't know their true effects, he would've known how to preserve them.
"This is a real windfall," Qin Chuan muttered to himself with satisfaction.
These two herbs together—fire and ice—could forge an incredibly durable physique. A perfect way to overcome the innate frailty of a soul master's body.
With this power, next time he encountered a Haotian Sect disciple threatening to self-destruct a soul ring… he wouldn't need to retreat.
He stored the herbs away with a pleased look.
Not long after, Ye Lingling completed the soul ring absorption. Her aura surged.
She had reached Level 51—a true Soul King.
"This is for you."
Qin Chuan handed her the green jade ring.
"Dugu Bo's storage soul guide. I don't need it, so take it."
Ye Lingling glanced once more at Dugu Bo's lifeless corpse, then slowly nodded.
"…Thank you, Your Majesty."
Qin Chuan smiled and gave a friendly warning.
"Stay back. I have something to do, and you must not come too close. Understood?"
Though puzzled, Ye Lingling nodded and quickly retreated to the far edge of the garden, her eyes fixed anxiously on him.
Qin Chuan took a deep breath.
In each hand, a white jade box appeared.
With a flick of his wrists, he opened both.
In an instant, an overwhelming surge of extreme cold and searing heat burst forth.
Ye Lingling's face went pale. The pressure hit her like a tidal wave. She staggered back a few more steps.
"This is…"
Her eyes darted toward the Yin-Yang Eyes of Ice and Fire not far behind them.
There was no mistaking it.
The Ice and Fire Alchemy Body—was awakening.
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