LIGHTNOVELSTORY Chapter 28: Ah, together?
"Master!" Ye Feng called out earnestly.
"No. This is no trivial matter. If you're careless, it could cost you your life," Sword Douluo Chen Xin responded firmly.
"Master, please let me try. Every strong individual must endure trials to achieve greatness. If I succeed, it will be a complete transformation for me," Ye Feng persisted.
"No means no," Sword Douluo reiterated resolutely.
"Master, how about this—we experiment with a soul beast first. If there are no adverse effects, you can allow me to attempt the method myself," Ye Feng proposed, his eyes sparkling with a clever solution.
After a brief pause, Sword Douluo nodded. "Fine."
Not long after, Chen Xin captured a soul beast for the experiment—a small rabbit no older than ten years.
Following Ye Feng's instructions, Sword Douluo utilized his Fifth Soul Skill, Myriad Swords Returning to One, to extract both the Star Anise Mysterious Ice Grass and the Fiery Apricot Delicate Shrub. Once placed together, the extreme cold and heat emitted by the herbs neutralized one another. Standing just a meter away from the herbs, there was no longer any trace of their originally dangerous temperatures.
Ye Feng carefully plucked a leaf from each herb, opened the rabbit's mouth, and fed the leaves to it.
Xiao Wu, watching from the side, felt a twinge of guilt. "Ye Feng, isn't this... too cruel?" she asked softly.
Ye Feng smiled gently. "Don't worry, it'll be fine."
As the rabbit ingested the leaves, its body began to exhibit alternating symptoms of extreme cold and heat. Ye Feng carried the struggling creature to the edge of the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well and dropped it into the highly toxic spring.
What happened next could only be described as miraculous.
Though the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well was famously lethal, combining the toxicity of the Star Anise Mysterious Ice Grass and the Fiery Apricot Delicate Shrub, the rabbit displayed no signs of harm. Instead, it appeared to be in pain and discomfort, but alive.
After about twenty minutes, Sword Douluo fished the rabbit out of the spring. Seeing it unharmed, he turned to Ye Feng with a contemplative expression. "This Tang Jia San Shao you mentioned—is he really just a beggar?"
Even Sword Douluo, one of the most experienced experts in the Douluo Continent, was astonished. He had never considered that the Yin-Yang Well and these herbs could interact in such a manner. This mysterious "Tang Jia San Shao" had piqued his curiosity.
Ye Feng grinned slyly and rubbed his nose. "Master, can we proceed now?"
Sword Douluo sighed and finally nodded. "Yes."
Ye Feng's excitement bubbled over. "Xiao Wu, it's your turn!"
"You want me to bathe with you?" Xiao Wu's face flushed crimson, her tone filled with a mixture of embarrassment and disbelief.
"Of course. This place wasn't discovered by us alone, and we might not have much time. It's best to act quickly. Besides, tempering your body here will strengthen you significantly. As a soul beast, the age of your condensed soul ring directly depends on your physical strength. With this method, your next soul ring could potentially be a thousand-year purple ring—or even a ten-thousand-year black ring!" Ye Feng's voice was filled with excitement as he explained.
Xiao Wu hesitated, but Ye Feng's words were undeniably tempting.
"Are you serious? A ten-thousand-year soul ring as my second ring?" she asked, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
"Exactly. So what are you waiting for? Let's begin!" Ye Feng urged.
"But... but... men and women are different," Xiao Wu murmured shyly, her voice barely audible.
Ye Feng chuckled and shrugged. "What does it matter? We're just kids, and you're already like family to me. This is a rare opportunity we can't pass up!"
With that, Ye Feng decisively plucked leaves from both the Star Anise Mysterious Ice Grass and the Fiery Apricot Delicate Shrub, chewed them thoroughly, and swallowed.
As the potent herbs entered his system, Ye Feng felt as though an icy glacier had descended into his stomach, immediately followed by the sensation of swallowing molten lava.
"Cold!" he gasped, shivering as his body was rapidly covered in a thin layer of ice crystals.
The next moment, the ice crystals melted, and his skin turned a fiery red, radiating heat like a furnace.
"Hot!" Ye Feng exclaimed, his body trembling as if it would burst apart. His soul power instinctively surged, shredding his clothing to tatters.
"Ah!" Xiao Wu shrieked, covering her eyes with her hands but peeking curiously through her fingers. Her cheeks flushed an even deeper red.
Ignoring the awkward moment, Ye Feng endured the alternating waves of extreme heat and cold, each more excruciating than the last. Gritting his teeth, he leapt into the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well.
As he submerged himself in the spring, the volatile powers within his body began to stabilize under the spring's influence. Though the pain persisted, it was now tolerable.
Sword Douluo turned to Xiao Wu and said gently, "Whether to proceed is entirely your decision."
He then fell silent, standing guard to ensure their safety.
Xiao Wu hesitated, glancing at Ye Feng, who was enduring the transformation within the spring. Her gaze shifted to the Star Anise Mysterious Ice Grass and the Fiery Apricot Delicate Shrub. Finally, she clenched her fists, her resolve firming.
Without further hesitation, Xiao Wu plucked the leaves of both herbs and swallowed them. Immediately, her body began to alternate between waves of heat and cold. Suppressing the pain, she leapt gracefully into the spring, joining Ye Feng in this arduous yet transformative process.
In her heart, a single thought fueled her determination: If this truly allows me to condense a thousand-year soul ring—or even a ten-thousand-year soul ring—then it's all worth it.