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At the convergence of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, the flames within the Medicine Cauldron danced and flickered, casting eerie, claw-like shadows on the surrounding mountain walls. Tang Chuan's pale face was slick with sweat as he stared intently at the churning fire, his expression weary.
Refining medicine was an exhausting process, requiring immense spirit power and mental force. Since this was his first time, Tang Chuan lacked experience and was already feeling the strain.
"That's enough for now, I'll rest a bit," he murmured to himself. "After a day of trying, I can finally use my mental force to extract impurities and harmful substances from the ingredients. It's a small victory."
He exhaled a long, shaky breath and stopped his movements. As soon as he did, his body went limp, and he collapsed onto the cool ground behind him, his chest heaving as he gasped for air.
Just then, a figure appeared, stepping through the air from a distance. In a few strides, the person was standing before him.
"Oh? Why are you on the ground?" Senior Dugu Bo asked, a faint smile on his lips as he looked down at Tang Chuan with his hands clasped behind his back. "It seems like refining medicine is a lot of work."
Tang Chuan quickly propped himself up and sat upright, forcing a sense of renewed energy into his voice. "Senior Dugu, what brings you here? Is something wrong?"
Dugu Bo nodded, his expression turning serious. "I have something urgent to handle and need to return to Heaven Dou City. I've already spoken with Dugu Yan; she won't wander off, so you can continue refining medicine without worry."
"Understood," Tang Chuan said, giving a slight nod. "Senior, you have my word. I will complete the medicinal pill to regulate your granddaughter's physique before you return."
"Good. I trust you won't let me down." Dugu Bo nodded in satisfaction. A green light flashed around him, and he ascended into the air, tapping his feet against the mountain wall as he flew toward the top of the pass.
Just as he was about to disappear, his voice echoed down clearly. "Remember, kid, don't touch those two hot springs. Even I can't withstand their extreme heat and cold for too long. If you touch them, you'll only find death."
As he watched Dugu Bo's figure vanish into the mist, a slow smile spread across Tang Chuan's lips. "The old poisoner is finally gone," he thought. "Now I can freely carry out my plan."
Having read the original story, Tang Chuan knew that the spring water of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well was incredibly dangerous. But he also knew that if he absorbed the Blazing Apricot Cabbage and the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass at the same time, he could use the spring water for body refining. In the original work, Tang San had done this, which was how his Blue Silver Grass spirit became resistant to both fire and water.
How could Tang Chuan pass up such a huge opportunity?
He walked slowly toward the milky-white spring water of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. Immediately, an intense cold washed over him, as if the air itself had frozen. Amidst the swirling white mist, his eyes landed on a unique plant growing in a rock crevice.
This plant was completely ice-blue with eight sharp, blade-like leaves as transparent as ice. Each leaf shimmered with cold light, and a faint blue mist wafted from them, causing the surrounding temperature to plummet. It was the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass from the "Immortal Herb Treasure Record."
Without a moment's hesitation, Tang Chuan took a deep breath, pulled out a small, gleaming dagger from his robe, and knelt down. With quick, precise movements, he severed the root of the Mysterious Ice Grass from the rock.
A wave of cold energy permeated the air, coating the nearby medicinal plants with a thin layer of white frost.
After cutting the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass, Tang Chuan didn't stop to pick it up. Instead, he quickly ran to the other side of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, to the center of the scorching Yang Spring. He even used the flight ability of his 100,000-year blue silver emperor right leg bone to get to the Blazing Apricot Cabbage almost instantly.
The "Immortal Herb Treasure Record" stated that iron tools should not be used to pluck the Blazing Apricot Cabbage as it could affect its medicinal properties. Following this, Tang Chuan knelt down and began to dig the plant out with his bare hands. In just a moment, his palms were scorched, his skin torn and bleeding.
However, his 100,000-year blue silver emperor right leg bone came to the rescue. The spirit bone skill, "Wildfire never burns out, spring wind blows it to life again," activated, and his palms instantly healed.
According to the original story and the "Immortal Herb Treasure Record," both of these immortal herbs contain potent toxins. However, if they are consumed simultaneously, their poisons counteract each other.
Tang Chuan knew that with his current strength, it would be impossible to refine them first to remove the harmful substances. He could barely approach and touch them, let alone refine them. Therefore, his only option was to swallow them at the same time, just as Tang San had in the original work.
Thinking this, Tang Chuan held out both hands, and two Blue Silver Grasses shot out like silk, simultaneously reaching for the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and the Blazing Apricot Cabbage. The moment the Blue Silver Grasses wrapped around the two immortal herbs, he pulled them toward him with lightning speed.
As soon as the Blue Silver Grasses delivered the herbs, Tang Chuan reached out and firmly gripped both of them. An explosion of extreme cold and scorching heat erupted at once, as if two completely opposing forces were tearing at his palms. Even with his strong physique, Tang Chuan couldn't help but tremble, his face contorted in pain.
"I'll risk it!" he roared softly. Without a second thought, he opened his mouth and crammed both immortal herbs inside.
Instantly, the powerful medicinal toxins surged through his body like a tidal wave. Tang Chuan's body shook violently, his face turning crimson and icy blue, as if burning flames and freezing frost were coursing through his veins. The torment of both ice and fire felt like it was tearing him apart from the inside.
"Alternating extreme cold and extreme heat?!" he thought, his pupils constricting slightly. His face was grim, and his body convulsed. He felt as if he were being roasted in a scorching flame while being frozen in a frigid ice bath.
Still barely able to control himself, he took a deep breath, then jumped into the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well with a loud splash.
Time flowed on, and by the time Tang Chuan finally crawled out of the spring, his body had undergone an incredible transformation.
Water droplets slid down his upper body, and every inch of his muscles appeared to have been forged by the tempering of intense flames and the quenching of ice. His physique looked incredibly robust.
"My body is definitely much stronger than before," he said, slowly clenching his fist. He swung it forward, and a faint sonic boom echoed through the air. He could feel that the blood in his body was now more turbulent and powerful, his meridians were wider, and his spirit power circulated more than twice as fast.
"This is great. I can absorb a spirit ring with a much higher age limit now," he thought, then wondered, "I wonder if my Blue Silver Grass has changed?"
With a thought, he opened his palm, and a Blue Silver Grass quietly emerged. The originally clear blue-gold leaves now had faint dark red and icy blue edges, and a subtle red and blue light glowed faintly at the center of each leaf.
"The Blue Silver Grass seems to have become tougher, and it's gained resistance to both fire and water. Now, when I face Blazing Academy and Tian Shui Academy, I won't have to worry about being countered." He smirked. "As for how Tang San will deal with those two academies now? Only heaven knows. Maybe he'll be forced to cultivate the Clear Sky Hammer earlier!"
A slight smile played on his lips as he considered this. "Next..." He turned to look at the cave not far away, his expression becoming serious. "I need to quickly refine the medicinal pills to improve Dugu Yan and Dugu Bo's physiques."
He immediately went to the medicinal garden beside the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well and began to pluck immortal herbs, including the Phoenix Cockscomb Crest, the Love-Struck Heartbreak Red, the Qiluo Tulip, the Narcissus Jade Bone, the Autumn Water Dew, the Qirong Tongtian Chrysanthemum, the Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid, and the Snow Silkworm, among many others.
After some research, Tang Chuan realized that giving an entire immortal herb to a single person, as in the original story, would be a complete waste of a heavenly treasure.
Not to mention, consuming it without first removing the harmful substances could reduce its effectiveness. The medicinal effect of a single immortal herb was simply too powerful.
For example, the Qiluo Tulip, which evolves a spirit, could be divided into several portions and then refined into a medicinal pill with other immortal herbs. This would make it easier to absorb and would allow the user to gain multiple medicinal effects at once.
If he refined it into a medicinal pill with the Qirong Tongtian Chrysanthemum, which is a neutral immortal herb that helps cultivate an indestructible body, the user could both evolve their spirit and strengthen their body.
If he also added the Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid, a gentle herb that can strengthen the foundation and remove impurities, the user's cultivation speed could also be improved. It was similar to increasing one's innate spirit power rank.