Zhao Liuyun refused decisively. "Wait another day or two; I need to digest the Whale Glue first."
At this moment, his cheeks were flushed deep red, as if he were heavily intoxicated. His entire body was scorching hot, radiating intense heat in all directions. Even though the seventy-thousand-year Whale Glue was not complete, its effect remained gentle, yet the energy contained within was far too vast, carrying a destructive, surging force. Zhao Liuyun had to circulate his Body Tempering Art with all his might just to barely digest this torrent of power.
"I'll put you back in that cave." Dugu Bo picked him up and took to the air. His own toxins would flare up at night, so he had to stay at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well to suppress them; he was not comfortable staying with a young brat during that time.
"If you need to relieve yourself or anything, speak up now."
"No need. I prepared for everything before coming." Zhao Liuyun signaled for him to go about his business. For the past twenty-four hours, he had only consumed large amounts of water and some Whale Glue, effectively emptying his digestive tract. Now, this seventy-thousand-year Whale Glue was releasing a massive amount of physical energy. Absorption was difficult, but even a small amount was enough to sustain his body's functions.
Dugu Bo flashed away.
Zhao Liuyun did not lose focus. While circulating his Body Tempering Art, his mind began to wander and reflect. From Whale Glue, he thought of physical energy, and from there, to his future ascent to the divine throne. If he chose to inherit a godhead like the Sea God, there was no need to worry; the Sea God's trials would naturally complete everything. The godhead would be passed down, soul power would sublimate into divine power, the soul would elevate into a divine soul, the body would transform into a divine body, and divine rings would be condensed. All the energy would be provided by the Sea God.
However, Zhao Liuyun was unwilling to simply inherit a godhead that was completely ill-suited for him!
The [Dream Master] profession was mysterious, and he had a profession panel capable of accommodating various class advancements from countless sources. His future path required early planning. As a spiritual-type Soul Master, his mental foundation was nothing to worry about. Soul power could be provided by the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. The worldly essence converted from the remnant instincts of the Dragon Kings' corpses was sufficient to support a Soul Master's ascension to godhood.
As for the physical body... Zhao Liuyun did not dare approach the Dragon Kings' divine corpses. The Lake of Life in the Star Dou Great Forest was not yet the vibrant source of life it would be ten thousand years later. The Life Gold, a supreme treasure condensed over countless eons in the forest, was likely being used by the Silver Dragon King for her healing.
There was only Whale Glue—the whale from the deep sea, the Deep Sea Demon Whale King! There was no other way; he could only bully this "weakest" beast on the verge of godhood. When the time came, he would devour it to fill the final puzzle piece needed for ascension!
Zhao Liuyun fantasized as he closed his eyes. Amidst his visions, his eyes remained shut while the surging energy crashed within him, making him feel as though he couldn't quite contain it. Had he opened his eyes, he would have discovered they had turned blood-red. Out of necessity, Zhao Liuyun pushed his Body Tempering Art to its absolute limit. His muscles twitched and writhed like living snakes, struggling through the pain to devour every ounce of energy.
The next morning, when he opened his eyes again, the high fever had receded. Zhao Liuyun lay flat on his back, calmly gazing at the hard granite ceiling above. After circulating the Body Tempering Art for the entire night, he had finally refined the effects of the seventy-thousand-year Whale Glue completely.
[Physique: 40]
Despite being only a small piece of Whale Glue and being affected by drug resistance and diminishing returns, an increase of six to seven hundred years in his limit was still an excellent result. Zhao Liuyun was not greedy. He slowly sat up, stretched his limbs, and completely cleared his mind, waiting for the moment to consume the immortal herbs.
Before long, Dugu Bo drifted down unhurriedly. "Little brat, are you ready?"
"I'm ready, Senior."
Dugu Bo said no more. Grabbing him, his figure took to the sky once again. All preparations were complete. His soul power was slightly inferior to Tang San's when the latter had consumed the herbs. However, the two immortal herbs from the spring were intended solely for tempering the physique. Tang San had the Eight Spider Lances external soul bone, but Zhao Liuyun had Whale Glue, a secret body tempering technique, and two Physique-related professional traits. In terms of physical strength, the two should be nearly equal.
In terms of willpower and resilience, Zhao Liuyun had been forged by the Dragon Blood Tree medicinal baths and had the assistance of [Hypnosis] to forcibly maintain consciousness if necessary. The probability of success was high.
"What do you need to prepare the medicine?" Seeing his empty hands, Dugu Bo suddenly remembered this detail.
"I need to personally consume those two overbearing immortal herbs."
Now that the moment had arrived and his plans were coming to fruition, Zhao Liuyun was exceptionally calm. He handed over the picking tools he had prepared long ago. "The Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass must be picked with iron or metal, and the Infernal Delicate Apricot requires jade tools to avoid weakening its efficacy. Senior, it's up to you. Pluck them, and I will eat them!"
Tang San had relied on Blue Silver Grass to pick them, but Zhao Liuyun couldn't even get close. He had to rely on the help of Dugu Bo, a Titled Douluo.
"Have you lost your mind, kid? You can't die, at least not before the detoxification!" Dugu Bo's eyes twitched wildly as he pressed down hard on Zhao Liuyun's shoulder.
"I haven't lost my mind! This medicine cannot be prepared without this step." A flash of determination crossed Zhao Liuyun's face; he had already cast aside concerns for life and death. "Senior, you had better pray that I survive. Otherwise, no matter how good the 'Superior Method' is, if the Soul Core technique is real, the crucial step of drawing in the toxins cannot be completed."
Dugu Bo's lips thinned into a tight line. He took the tools but did not act immediately.
"I am braving fire and water for you and your granddaughter; I am the one who will die first! And you, Senior, gain the inheritance of the Soul Core for nothing." Zhao Liuyun gave him a gentle nudge.
He then broke free from the hand on his shoulder, which had already loosened its grip, and walked to the edge of the pool where the ice and fire divided, making it easier to plunge in later. Taking off his clothes and storing them in his soul tool, Zhao Liuyun gently set the star-blue sapphire ring aside.
Dugu Bo gave him a deep, long look. Without saying another word, he relied on his profound soul power to help retrieve the two immortal herbs in sequence. Once the auras of the herbs converged, there was an optimal window of ten breaths to consume them.
Zhao Liuyun snatched them from the ground and, without hesitation, stuffed the herbs into his mouth. The herbs dissolved instantly, turning into a mild, fragrant liquid that slid down his throat. He did not rush into the water—the medicinal power needed time to permeate his body. Entering the pool was meant to balance the forces with the spring water, not to turn himself prematurely into a frozen corpse.
Soon, red and blue light erupted around him. Waves of extreme cold and extreme heat crashed against him in turns. The agony of the intertwining ice and fire nearly tore apart the steadfast willpower he had forged in the Dragon Blood Tree baths. But Zhao Liuyun gritted his teeth and endured the first wave of the impact!
Without a moment's delay, he closed his eyes and leaped into the confluence of the icy and fiery springs. Although he had experienced an energy surge when absorbing the seventy-thousand-year Whale Glue yesterday, it was nothing compared to the violent force brought by the immortal herbs. The conflicting powers of ice and fire crashed wildly within him, and the sudden explosion of energy nearly shattered his sanity.
He clung to a single shred of clarity in his mind, struggling to maintain consciousness on the brink of blacking out, and circulated the Body Tempering Art with all his strength. From the shore, Dugu Bo could only see the muscles on the boy's body twitching violently. After bobbing a few times, he gradually sank into the spring and vanished.
"He didn't turn to ash on the spot; there is still a chance..." Feeling slightly more at ease, Dugu Bo turned to tend to his medicinal garden. Plants could not normally survive the Yin Yang Well, and if the poisonous seedlings he had planted withered under the surge of elemental force, they would need replacing. The truth was, he was so worried that he simply had to find something to do.
He waited for two days and one night. The sun and moon cycled; the sun rose and set again. When Zhao Liuyun finally surfaced, the water from the spring dripping from his hair turned into wisps of cold mist in the air.
He laughed out loud, his voice piercing through the dense vapor: "Senior, I survived!"
[Physique: 47]
Absorbing the medicinal power while remaining conscious had yielded a bountiful harvest. The circulation of the Body Tempering Art had refined even more of the energy. His [Physique] had surged by 7 points, and his soul ring absorption limit was now nearing ten thousand years.