"Ice Silkworm, I appreciate that you think highly of me, but there's something I need to confirm with you. Right now, are you unable to produce a soul bone?" Tian Lin asked while running.
In the original story, the million-year-old Skydream Ice Silkworm was unable to produce a soul bone, which was truly a pity. A near-million-year soul bone was no less valuable than a million-year soul ring—perhaps even more so.
"That's right. Too much of my essence has been taken by those ferocious beasts. I could have given you an additional martial soul, but you already have two very powerful ones. Adding another recklessly might harm you, or it could just get devoured by your two divine-level martial souls, achieving nothing. So now, all I can give you is a 990,000-year soul ring," the Golden-Patterned Ice Silkworm replied forlornly.
Tian Lin shook his head. "That's such a waste; I can't accept that. Ice Silkworm, I'll take you to a place where we might be able to restore your essence and help you break through your final limit. When that happens, we can fully maximize the power you've given me."
Unlike in the original story, where the Skydream Ice Silkworm was drained for tens of thousands of years by the ferocious beasts at the Lake of Life, Tian Lin had saved it with his Divine Pearl Sword in under a century. Over the past twelve years, it had only absorbed the Darkgolden Terrorclaw Bear and Earthly Behemoth, meaning the loss was limited. Tian Lin was confident he could help it recover.
As for cultivation, while soul beasts' cultivation levels are measured in years, it doesn't mean a hundred-thousand-year soul beast has lived for that long. Its cultivation represents its level of power. The Golden-Patterned Ice Silkworm had only lived for a few hundred thousand years, but its cultivation had reached nearly a million years because it had consumed vast amounts of Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Essence, accelerating its growth.
By the same logic, using other heavenly treasures could help it break through again.
Tian Lin pushed his soul power to its limits, and after a day, he finally escaped the Star Dou Forest. Without stopping, he spent more than ten days traveling from the Star Dou Forest to the Sunset Forest.
"Xiao Tian, take a break. We've already left the Star Dou Forest, and we're safe now. Your soul power is almost completely drained. Overexerting yourself like this isn't good for your body," the Golden-Patterned Ice Silkworm said with concern.
"It's fine, Ice Silkworm. Once we pass through that poisonous forest ahead, we'll be there," Tian Lin replied, taking out the Aromatic Silk Beauty to repel the poisonous mists. He had returned to the Douluo Continent's number one treasure trove: the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
Finally arriving, Tian Lin could relax. This place was like his and Dugu Bo's secret base—no one else would come here. Furthermore, with the poison arrays outside, even hundred-thousand-year soul beasts wouldn't be able to get in. The Golden-Patterned Ice Silkworm leaped out of the Hundred Treasures Pouch, staring in astonishment at the treasure trove before it. "Such dense ice and fire energy! What is this place? Just that icy spring alone can greatly accelerate the restoration of my essence!"
The Ice Silkworm's attributes were spiritual and ice-based, so the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well was immensely beneficial for it. But Tian Lin's goal wasn't just restoration—he planned to refine a pill for the Skydream Ice Silkworm.
Good deeds bring good rewards. Unlike Tang San, who had cleared out the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well completely, Tian Lin had left many precious herbs untouched. As a result, many supreme herbs and even immortal-grade ones remained. With these, Tian Lin was confident he could help the Skydream Ice Silkworm break through its bottleneck.
The alchemy furnace Dugu Bo had prepared for him was still here, and today, Tian Lin was going to refine a pill called the Snow Soul Divine Pill. Using cold-attribute herbs as the main ingredient, this pill could create earth-shattering transformations in ice-element soul masters or soul beasts.
Originally, the octagonal mysterious ice grass was the best main ingredient for the pill. Unfortunately, Tian Lin had already consumed it. However, it didn't matter—there was another comparable herb in the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
The herb was the Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Silkworm. Snow Silkworms were already considered the finest of winter worm-summer grass-type herbs, and the Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Silkworm was the pinnacle of these. Its cold attributes rivaled those of the octagonal mysterious ice grass.
Using this, Tian Lin was confident he could still refine the Snow Soul Divine Pill.
"Hey, Xiao Tian, this place feels amazing. I love it here," the Golden-Patterned Ice Silkworm said.
While Tian Lin was busy gathering herbs, the Golden-Patterned Ice Silkworm was happily frolicking in the icy spring of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. With its near-million-year cultivation level, the icy spring's cold energy couldn't harm it. On the contrary, it was highly beneficial.
"Ice Silkworm, you can cultivate here as much as you like. With this icy spring, your essence will recover in no time," Tian Lin said with a smile.
"Xiao Tian, thank you for saving me and bringing me to such a wonderful place. I promise you, once I become your intelligent soul ring, under my guidance, you'll become the strongest soul master ever—unparalleled in history. Even that old Di Tian will be no match for you!"
"Of course! Ice Silkworm, I promise you—I'll help you ascend the heaven!"
Tian Lin and the Golden-Patterned Ice Silkworm made mutual promises, and these were not empty words. They truly believed in the achievements they would accomplish together.
...
Meanwhile, back in Suoto City, the Shrek Seven Devils had returned, and the Grandmaster had arrived to begin his so-called hell training.
It was essentially running laps. Ning Rongrong couldn't understand why. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect also had physical training, but it never involved running for an entire day. What was the point?
Moreover, if she had come to the academy just to run laps, she could have stayed home for that. Why bother coming here?
Ning Rongrong felt like leaving, but she remembered what Tian Lin had told her. While the Grandmaster might be vain, it didn't mean he was completely useless.
His Ten Core Competencies of Martial Souls included some common knowledge and some errors, but also some insights that only he had mastered.
One of these insights, even Tian Lin valued: the theory of martial soul fusion. This was something that even Ning Fengzhi and Bibi Dong, with their deep knowledge, hadn't grasped.
Ning Fengzhi had even suspected the theory's validity, but Tian Lin, having read the original story, knew it was real. The Shrek Seven Devils used this theory to achieve a seven-in-one fusion technique during the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Tournament.
This allowed Tang San, who was only at the fortieth rank, to momentarily reach the power of a seventieth-rank soul master, enabling him to unleash the Clear Sky Hammer's Avatar and instantly defeat the New Godwind Academy.
If the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect could master this theory, it would be immensely beneficial. Across the continent, apart from the Spirit Hall and the two empires, they had the most soul masters, primarily at the mid-to-low levels of rank thirty to forty.
If they could learn this technique and combine it with soul masters who could fuse rings, they could unleash incredible power. The sect's overall strength would increase dramatically.
The core of this theory was the rare ring fusion talent, and among the Shrek Seven Devils, Ning Rongrong was the only one with it. If the Grandmaster wanted to win the tournament in the future, he would have to teach this technique to Ning Rongrong.
Teaching her was equivalent to giving it to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. Therefore, no matter how tough things were now, Ning Rongrong had to endure. After all, she was the future sect master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. She couldn't rely on Tian Lin for everything—she had to take responsibility herself.
"If it weren't for Sword Brother's advice, I wouldn't put up with this!" Ning Rongrong thought unhappily. She couldn't help but grumble about the Grandmaster's stinginess. If this was supposed to be a sect secret, then fine, she wouldn't covet it. But if he wanted to share it and gain recognition, why only publish the name without explaining the theory? Who could understand it? Who would believe it?
PS: Read advanced chapter at patreon.com/AbsoluteCode