Erosion from the ice and fire forces?
Su Ming didn't care in the slightest.
So what if it erodes? I have a Body Martial Spirit.
Any injury, as long as it isn't instantly fatal, can be transferred to the Martial Spirit, which then rapidly digests it, transforming it into nourishment for his own progress!
The cultivation method Su Ming had pioneered back in Nuoding City was still effective to this day.
The ice and fire forces here were not a threat to him, but rather an opportunity, a tremendous opportunity!
He opened himself up, actively swallowing large amounts of Life Vital Energy, the mixed-in ice and fire forces also integrating into his body along with it.
Seeing this, Dugu Bo showed a look of surprise.
This kid can actually withstand it?
Then, his face darkened.
Back at the Blacksmith Association, Su Ming had shown clear caution upon sensing the ice and fire forces.
Damn it, now that he's here, he's not even pretending, and is starting to inhale it madly.
"Senior, the ice and fire forces here are beneficial to my cultivation," Su Ming said, feeling himself grow stronger, both physically and mentally pleased.
The nature of a Martial Spirit was very peculiar; it was based on the Spirit Master, yet also separate. When it suffered damage, it would feedback to the Spirit Master's main body, but it could also recover rapidly.
Su Ming transferred the damage from his main body to his Martial Spirit. Although the Martial Spirit would quickly feedback the injury back to him, it could also instantly recover a portion of the damage in that split second.
As long as this conversion was maintained continuously, Su Ming could enjoy the Martial Spirit's recovery speed.
It was precisely because of this cultivation method that Su Ming's actual resistance to the ice and fire forces far exceeded what his physical body's innate resistance would suggest.
Was his main body weak?
No.
A three-ringed Spirit Elder, with three four-thousand-year Spirit Rings, a Body Martial Spirit, and a Spirit Soul like the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear, a super Spirit Beast—his physical quality was inherently strong.
Superb innate body resistance, plus an excellent cultivation method, meant that at the very least, the ice and fire forces in the outer perimeter of the Ice Fire Two Eyes valley posed no threat to him.
"Senior, no need to worry about me. I can go deeper."
Dugu Bo didn't say a word, bringing Su Ming to the valley's core.
Su Ming now began to struggle.
He did not possess Extreme Ice or Fire attributes, so here at the valley's core where the Ice Fire Two Eyes were located, he had to constantly endure the erosion of the intertwined ice and fire forces at the Extreme level.
Su Ming didn't complain about the hardship, instead choosing to report the good news first.
"Senior, although the environment around these twin springs seems harsh, all sorts of rare and exotic grasses grow here. This clearly shows that the ice and fire forces contain the principles of life gestation. It's perfectly suited for forging."
Dugu Bo raised an eyebrow.
Su Ming had summarized the advantages of this place in just a few words.
That's right. The environment here was harsh. The longer a Spirit Master stayed, the more severe the damage to their body. But this was also a form of selection.
As long as one could endure this tempering by the ice and fire forces, they could then enjoy the nourishment of the Life Vital Energy. Thus, while being tempered by the ice and fire, they could simultaneously digest the Life Vital Energy, achieving a growth rate dozens of times faster than the outside world.
This was true for plants, and also true for humans.
However, human Spirit Masters' absorption of Life Vital Energy couldn't compare to plants. To enjoy the benefits here, one first had to withstand the erosion of the ice and fire forces.
Su Ming didn't mention this drawback, instead first considering whether the environment was suitable for forging. This pleased Dugu Bo greatly.
This kid, at the very least, was prioritizing their cooperation.
Or, to be more precise, this kid was prioritizing forging.
The cooperation might just be incidental.
"Are you sure you can forge in this kind of environment?"
"Senior, rest assured. I will overcome the difficulties as quickly as possible," Su Ming's attitude was very correct.
He asked Dugu Bo to give him some time, at most half a month, and he would be able to adapt to the environment here.
"Moreover, I won't be idle during this half month. I'll have my Spirit Soul attempt forging first, to understand the impact of this environment on the process."
Dugu Bo's eyebrow twitched.
Spirit Soul?
Wasn't that just a tool for forging?
From the way Su Ming spoke, it sounded like the Spirit Soul could forge independently?
While Dugu Bo was puzzled, Su Ming had already released Little Gold.
"Little Gold, you heard what I just said, right?"
"Roar!"
(Got it!)
Little Gold seemed completely unaffected by the erosion of the ice and fire forces.
The Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear was most adept at using its pair of dark claws, but their physical defense and strength were also top-tier among top-level Spirit Beasts.
He looked around, and when his gaze met Dugu Bo's, he even cupped his hands in a human-like gesture of greeting.
After the greeting, he found a suitable spot and swiftly cleared the weeds and rocks from the ground with his Dark Gold Claws.
"Roar."
(Here. Place the forging platform here.)
Su Ming took the forging platform from his storage Spirit Tool and placed it on the cleared spot Little Gold had prepared.
Dugu Bo watched this scene from the side, finding it quite novel.
This Spirit Soul's sentience was remarkably high.
Was this really the level of sentience a thousand-year Spirit Beast could possess after being converted into a Spirit Soul?
His gaze swept over the dark claws Little Gold had just used to clear the ground, his mind rapidly trying to match Little Gold's species.
At the moment, Little Gold wasn't in his original form; he had shrunk his size to that of an adult and planned to forge in this form, so Dugu Bo didn't immediately identify his race.
But Dugu Bo's theoretical knowledge was no joke; his foundation was very solid.
After observing Little Gold, he quickly pinpointed his species.
"Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear!"
Hisss—
Dugu Bo never expected that Su Ming's Spirit Soul would be a Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear.
This was a bloodline on the same level as those two kings in the Great Star Dou Forest's Fierce Beast Area!
In the deepest part of the Great Star Dou Forest, one was the Titan Giant Ape, the other was the Azure Bull Python. These two hundred-thousand-year Spirit Beasts dominated the entire Great Star Dou Forest.
These two bloodlines were reputed to be able to fight a hundred-thousand-year beast at just ten-thousand years of cultivation.
And with their hundred-thousand-year cultivation, it was only natural that they suppressed other hundred-thousand-year Spirit Beasts to become the uncrowned kings.
"This also explains why this Spirit Soul's sentience is so strong."
A thousand-year cultivation equivalent to ten-thousand year, its intelligence, if not matching a ten-thousand-year Spirit Beast, would certainly surpass that of a thousand-year beast.
After setting up the forging platform, Su Ming took out a large amount of Heavy Silver.
"Just forge five times a day to get used to the forging environment here."
While saying this out loud, Su Ming also used their mental connection to communicate privately, warning Little Gold that he absolutely must not attempt Spirit Refinement.
"Thousand Refined One Peak is enough. Just treat it as practice, understand?"
Little Gold patted his chest in assurance.
"Roar!"
(Bear handle it, you rest easy!)
Su Ming turned back to Dugu Bo. "Senior, I need to cultivate for a while first."
Only after receiving Dugu Bo's nod of approval did he sit down and begin to meditate.
Little Gold gave Dugu Bo a simple-minded wave and also began forging.
He turned on the forging platform's furnace.
"Roar."
(As expected, there's an effect. The fire element here is so dense.)
Dugu Bo watched as Little Gold methodically started the forging platform and adjusted the
furnace's power output according to the current environment. His expression grew increasingly strange.
"This Spirit Soul... it really knows how to forge?"
(Chapter End)