Seeing Chu Tianxiu stop before the two contrasting herbs, Dugu Bo walked up behind him, a note of warning in his voice. "Little rascal, do not say I did not warn you. These two are highly toxic. They are useless to you."
Chu Tianxiu shot him a dismissive glance. "Do not judge me by your own limited understanding." He then removed his outer robe, revealing a torso covered not with the softness of a child, but with the lean, defined muscles of a seasoned fighter. Most striking were the numerous scars from beast claws that crisscrossed his upper body.
Dugu Bo stared in shock. "You… how did you get all these scars?"
"Nothing major. Just a year of hand-to-hand combat with soul beasts in the Soul Beast Forest before my spirit awakening," Chu Tianxiu replied, his tone matter-of-fact as he looked down at the marks. They were a map of his survival, each one a lesson learned the hard way.
He unleashed his soul power, forming two chains of energy that snatched the Eight-Cornered Mystic Ice Grass and the Fiery Apricot Blossom. The instant the two herbs touched his hands, a violent reaction occurred. The hand holding the Ice Grass began to freeze, a layer of ice crawling up his arm. The hand holding the Fiery Blossom turned scorching red, the skin blistering from the intense heat.
Ignoring Dugu Bo's stunned presence, Chu Tianxiu activated the
The two opposing forces, one of extreme cold and one of extreme heat, took root within him, turning his body into a battlefield. His cells were continuously damaged by the violent clash, only to be instantly repaired by the miraculous fusion of the energies.
Despite his immense willpower, forged in the fires of the Soul Beast Forest, the agony of merging absolute opposites was excruciating. Veins bulged on his forehead, yet he endured in complete silence.
Dugu Bo watched, a newfound respect dawning on his face. 'This child's will is terrifying. He already possesses the heart of a true powerhouse.'
As the absorption progressed, the benefits manifested. His damaged skin shed, revealing new, fairer, and more resilient tissue beneath. His soul power churned, its level pushing aggressively towards level twenty.
An hour passed, and the process reached its most critical stage. The pain increased exponentially. Finally, his physical body could no longer contain the raging energies. His two soul imprints lit up, and the two-meter-tall phantom of his true form appeared, the Nine Nether Demon Chains coiling around it.
Dugu Bo was horrified. 'Twin martial souls! Such talent, such will… It is both a tragedy and a blessing for Yan Yan to live in the same era as this monster.'
With the enhancement of his martial soul, Chu Tianxiu finally pushed through the final, most painful barrier. His soul power level broke through to level twenty-one under the immense strain. He was now ready to become a true two-ring Great Soul Master.
Feeling the breakthrough, he thought, 'It seems I will need to stay in Sunset Forest a while longer to hunt my second ring.'
A sudden change occurred. As he broke through to level twenty, a second Nine Nether Demon Chain grew from the base of the first, affectionately coiling around him.
'So, a new chain grows with each major breakthrough? Would that mean nine chains eventually? That would truly live up to the name 'Nine Nether Demon Chains'.'
Looking at the two glowing chains and the barely-contained ice and fire power within him, a bold idea formed. He separated the two intertwined forces and directed them towards the two Nine Nether Demon Chains. He would use the power of ice and fire to temper his weapons.
As soon as the energies entered the chains, a transformation began. The two originally identical demon chains started to change under the influence of the contrasting powers.
The chain tempered by the power of the Eight-Cornered Mystic Ice Grass grew more slender, its entire body turning a ghostly, translucent blue. The spikes along its length transformed into sharp icicles, and the cone-shaped blade at its tip gleamed with a chilling, razor-sharp cold.
The other chain, forged by the Fiery Apricot Blossom, maintained its thickness but its entire body deepened to a profound red. Intricate patterns, like flowing magma, covered its surface from base to tip, which now radiated an aura of pure, violent aggression.
Two hours passed. Chu Tianxiu finally completed the refinement. His muscles, compressed and refined by the two forces, became even more defined and powerful. His previously tanned skin was now flawless. The two newly tempered Nine Nether Demon Chains hovered around him, one icy blue, one fiery red.
He exhaled a long breath and stood up. He seemed sharper, more focused, his entire being radiating controlled power.
Seeing the process was complete, a still-shocked Dugu Bo stepped forward. "Little rascal, now that the fusion is successful, will you detoxify me?"
Chu Tianxiu smiled. "I will detoxify you after I obtain my second spirit ring." He released a surge of his soul power.
Dugu Bo was incredulous. A child of six or seven was already at level twenty! His own granddaughter, Dugu Yan, with innate level nine soul power, was ten years old and only at level fifteen. The gap was staggering.
The desire to secure this prodigious talent for his family, to ensure his granddaughter's future, burned even brighter within him.