The next day, the sky cleared after the rain.
Soft sunlight filtered through the curtains, illuminating the room. Inside, Meng Hongchen's eyelashes fluttered as her beautiful eyes opened, still misty with sleep.
Her flushed face had lost a bit of its girlish innocence, replaced by a more mature charm. On the bed, there were scattered spots like fallen plum blossoms...
"Wu!"
Last night's madness rushed into her mind like a tide. Meng Hongchen let out a soft cry, and feeling the unusual sensations in her body, she instantly dove back under the covers, hiding her head.
"Hiss, it hurts a bit..."
"But, he really is quite incredible..."
As her thoughts wandered, Meng Hongchen's face grew a few shades redder. Her gaze was filled with a happiness so profound it seemed ready to overflow.
Creak!
Just then, the door opened. Jiang Jue, dressed in a black robe, walked slowly into the room, carrying a breakfast he had prepared from the Illustrious Virtue Hall.
"Feeling better?"
Hearing Jiang Jue's gentle voice, Meng Hongchen cautiously peeked out from under the covers, her eyes darting away shyly. Though things had been a bit wild last night, she didn't regret it for a moment.
Jiang Jue smiled slightly. He set down the breakfast and walked to the bedside, rubbing Meng Hongchen's hair as he spoke softly.
"Get up and eat. Recover your strength; after all, you worked hard last night..."
"Don't... don't say it!"
Hearing this, Meng Hongchen hurriedly reached out her delicate hand to cover Jiang Jue's mouth, stopping him from continuing. Her mouth was actually still a bit sore...
"Alright, alright. Get out of bed."
As Meng Hongchen rose, the silk quilt slipped down. Jiang Jue took the opportunity to pull her into his arms and whispered.
"Mm, okay."
Since the two had been completely honest and open with each other throughout the night, the bashfulness of the past was gone from Meng Hongchen's eyes. She obediently took out a set of fresh clothes, went to the bathroom to wash up, and then sat down beside Jiang Jue, smelling fragrant.
The food produced by the Illustrious Virtue Hall was specially provided for Soul Masters; it was excellent for replenishing energy and restoring physical strength. Furthermore, the items Jiang Jue had bought were all Meng Hongchen's favorites.
In a short while, the two finished the hearty breakfast. Meng Hongchen's red lips parted slightly as she rubbed her belly with her small hand, clearly very satisfied.
"Meng, now that I'm back, I will completely resolve the defect in your Martial Soul."
After tidying up, Jiang Jue's gaze shifted slightly as he spoke.
"Can the defect in my Martial Soul really be resolved?!"
Upon hearing this, Meng Hongchen's beautiful eyes instantly lit up, and she spoke with excitement and anticipation.
Although the Vermillion-Eyed Ice Toad was a high-quality Martial Soul that granted her formidable talent, the toxins formed by the fusion of ice and fire poison had been constantly eroding her body.
Though she took medicine to suppress it, she still couldn't stop the erosion of this terrifying toxin. Even when she infused the toxin into her soul bones, there would still be leaks. Moreover, over years of cultivation, the toxin had continued to accumulate. Every time she cultivated, she had to endure the agonizing torture of the poison.
Most poison-attribute Martial Souls on the continent suffered from this, especially in the later stages of cultivation, where the erosion would become increasingly severe. Hearing that Jiang Jue could solve this, how could Meng Hongchen not be overjoyed?
"Mm."
Jiang Jue nodded slightly. With a flick of his hands, two items appeared: one fiery red and one icy blue.
The red object was a gelatinous mass emitting scorching flames, looking like a fiery red agate, crystal clear. The moment it appeared, the temperature in the room rose rapidly. The blue object was a diamond-shaped crystal with eight corners, like blue crystal, with icy blue halos flowing over it, emitting waves of extreme cold.
These two items were the treasures nurtured over ten thousand years by the Blazing Apricot and the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass: the Blazing Essence and the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Crystal. The two complemented each other, creating a sense of ethereal beauty.
"This is..."
Meng Hongchen's eyes widened. Sensing the surging power coming from the two objects, she asked in surprise.
"These are things nurtured by two Transcendent Herbs over ten thousand years. They can purify the ice and fire attributes in your Martial Soul," Jiang Jue said softly.
The Vermillion-Eyed Ice Toad Martial Soul possessed both ice and fire attributes, but both were "mixed but not pure," being blended with the poison attribute. The Blazing Essence and the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Crystal were perfect for purifying them. Back then, Huo Yuhao had used the Blazing Essence to transform Ma Xiaotao's Phoenix Flames into Ultimate Fire.
"The Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and the Blazing Apricot have other uses, but the treasures they nurtured are enough for this task," Jiang Jue thought to himself, a glint flashing in his eyes.
While the Blazing Essence and the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Crystal might not necessarily evolve Meng Hongchen's attributes into the "Ultimate" rank, they were more than sufficient for purification.
"Then what about my poison attribute? Does it need to be removed?" Meng Hongchen asked after a moment of thought, feeling somewhat confused.
"No need. The poison attribute is the strongest part of your Martial Soul."
Jiang Jue smiled, sealed the two treasures, and placed them aside. He rubbed Meng Hongchen's head and said, "I would never do something as foolish as 'picking up the sesame seed only to lose the watermelon' (focusing on small gains at the cost of the important stuff)."
A white light flashed in Jiang Jue's hand, and a pure white Transcendent Herb appeared. Under the sunlight, it was crystal clear, and every leaf looked as if it were about to drip water. It was slender and curved, looking just like a swan's neck.
But the moment it appeared, a sense of trepidation arose in Meng Hongchen's heart. This herb, which looked harmless to humans and animals, contained a terrifying power.
This was the other Transcendent Herb Jiang Jue had brought back from the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well: the Snowy Swan's Kiss.
Its own toxicity wasn't strong—it was almost non-existent—but it undoubtedly held the title of the most poisonous thing in the world. After all, back in the day, Tang San had destroyed the City of Slaughter, the inheritance ground of the God of Asura, with a single Snowy Swan's Kiss.
This was all due to one medicinal effect of the Snowy Swan's Kiss: it could stimulate poison attributes to the maximum degree, causing the original toxin to grow at an exponential, explosive rate. A single drop of ordinary poison could be stimulated until it was no less potent than the toxin of the Nine-Headed Jade Phosphor Flower.
"Wake up, it's time for you to do your part."
Jiang Jue shook his palm slightly. The Snowy Swan's Kiss woke up gloomily, and upon seeing Jiang Jue, it immediately said respectfully, "Greetings, Young Master!"
"This... this is a hundred-thousand-year Soul Beast?!"
Hearing the Snowy Swan's Kiss speak, Meng Hongchen's body jolted, and her eyes filled with disbelief. A hundred-thousand-year Soul Beast was being held so casually in Jiang Jue's hand, and it even called him "Young Master"? The shock of this scene was immense.
"Oh my, this must be the Mistress. You are truly too beautiful. Xue'er pays her respects to you."
The Snowy Swan's Kiss caught sight of Meng Hongchen and instantly jumped onto her, speaking in a respectful and even somewhat flattering tone.
Hearing this, a blush crept onto Meng Hongchen's face. She didn't refute it but instead stole a secret glance at Jiang Jue.
"Meng, this is the Transcendent Herb prepared for you. It is also the key item to solving your Martial Soul's defect," Jiang Jue said calmly, not minding the Snowy Swan's Kiss's words.
"The key item?"
Meng Hongchen's gaze swept over the Blazing Essence and the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Crystal, then back to the Snowy Swan's Kiss in her hand, as if she understood something.
The first two were to purify the ice and fire attributes in her Martial Soul, while the Snowy Swan's Kiss would elevate the poison attribute of her Vermillion-Eyed Ice Toad to a much higher level.
"Jiang Jue, this is too..."
Meng Hongchen's red lips parted slightly. Her gaze toward Jiang Jue was filled with gratitude and happiness. There was nothing more blissful than being cared for by the person you love.
(End of Chapter)