Chapter 37: Getting Stronger and Gaining Rewards

Around the Ice‑Fire Dual‑Aspect Eye's outer rim, the Ninth Elder of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect was unusually anxious at this moment.

Since Yang Xiong left the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, the Ninth Elder has been guarding in secret, but he only drives away and deters some Ten‑thousand Year Soul Beasts; ordinary situations still require Yang Xiong to face them personally, and he will not truly intervene unless there is a life‑threatening danger.

However, from his observations along the way, Yang Xiong greatly surprised him; in the Great Soul Battle Arena of Heaven Dou City, Yang Xiong easily achieved thirteen consecutive victories, without even using any soul skill, relying solely on pure physique and combat technique.

But after entering Sunset Forest, Yang Xiong seemed to go on a solo rampage: either being chased by Soul Beasts or chasing them, and even fighting some relatively ordinary Soul Beasts.

What could be seen with the naked eye was that during this stretch, Yang Xiong's combat experience clearly grew richer, and he also became more hot‑blooded; as a Soul Douluo‑level expert, the Ninth Elder knows well that to become a High‑level Soul Master one must undergo life‑and‑death trials, especially the mentally taxing ordeals of Sunset Forest.

Moreover, the Ninth Elder grew increasingly amazed at Yang Xiong, because his covert observations revealed that Yang Xiong's strength was even more formidable than his own.

Despite his young age, Yang Xiong not only mastered Teleportation, but also possessed a rapid body‑recovery skill, and astonishingly concealed a piece of Xuanming Armor external soul bone, whose defense was truly impressive.

What surprised him even more these past days was that Yang Xiong, using his strange equipment, ran into a massive Poison Array, and he even sensed Dugu Bo's presence; it was clear this was Dugu Bo's lair hidden in Sunset Forest.

Dugu Bo is notoriously capricious, and he is an Imperial Guest Minister of the Heaven Dou Empire; even the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect is reluctant to offend him. If Yang Xiong's actions become known, they could bring considerable trouble, even endangering his life.

At this moment the Ninth Elder was extremely anxious; Yang Xiong had been inside the Poison Array for a full two days with no sign of emergence, yet his own Soul Douluo‑level strength still could not breach the array.

However, when he saw Yang Xiong emerge from the Poison Array, he breathed a sigh of relief; as long as Yang Xiong can leave silently, Dugu Bo shouldn't be able to come after the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, right?

Yet watching Yang Xiong, he felt something was off, as if Yang Xiong's body had undergone some change.

…

After leaving the Ice‑Fire Dual‑Aspect Eye, Yang Xiong headed straight toward the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect at a rapid pace; he now has no time to observe any changes in his body, and he doesn't know how long he stayed inside the Ice‑Fire Dual‑Aspect Eye. If he were to encounter Dugu Bo, it would be troublesome, so everything will be dealt with after returning to the sect.

In just half a day, Yang Xiong had already returned to the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect; during that time he had become very familiar with the entire Sunset Forest, which is why his speed was so great.

After returning to the sect, Yang Xiong finally examined the changes in his own body.

After undergoing Ice Fire Tempering Body, Yang Xiong felt his body become extraordinarily robust; this robustness is not merely a hardened physique but a fundamental transformation.

Originally, Yang Xiong's recovery ability was already great because his Full Body Soul was extremely strong, but after Ice Fire Tempering Body he can essentially improve his foundation at its core, even enhancing his innate cultivation aptitude; although he still cannot match the geniuses with Innate Full Soul Power, he is no longer inferior to Soul Masters with Innate Soul Power of eighth‑grade and ninth‑grade.

From another angle, Yang Xiong's endurance is now extremely high; even when severely wounded, he can recover quickly without treatment, which is the greatest benefit of Ice Fire Tempering Body.

Secondly, his martial soul changed; when Yang Xiong summoned his Full Body Soul again, a silver‑hued phantom seemed to overlay his body, greatly boosting his strength and speed, and even his spirit power increased noticeably. By Yang Xiong's estimate, this should have reached a Silver Grade Second Awakening of his Full Body Soul, raising his combat power by at least double.

Thirdly, after Ice Fire Tempering Body, his entire body seems to have changed; he is now completely unafraid of water or fire attacks. When he first awoke in the spring water of the Ice‑Fire Dual‑Aspect Eye, the scorching Yang Spring felt like warm water, and the icy Yin Spring no longer carried any chill.

From now on, Yang Xiong's body is impervious to water and fire; any Soul Master of Ice or Fire attribute facing him has lost their greatest advantage.

Moreover, because Blazing Fire Apricot Tender and Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass are both poisonous herbs, under the combined effects of extreme cold poison and extreme heat poison, he will no longer fear any toxin; his body has become immune to all poisons.

Furthermore, compared with the original Tang San who used two Immortal Herbs for Ice Fire Tempering Body, Yang Xiong's effect is even more pronounced; since his entire body is his own martial soul, his brain evolved in tandem during bodily evolution, and purely in terms of spirit power a metamorphosis has occurred. This is the most astonishing aspect of the Full Body Soul—it can evolve as the body grows.

Since the brain is also part of the body, the Ice Fire Tempering Body process inflicted immense pain, but that pain also stimulated his brain; the Full Body Soul's Second Awakening naturally includes a second awakening of the brain. Yang Xiong feels his spirit power has risen sharply, and he can observe his surroundings with greater detail.

When Yang Xiong summoned his Xuanming Armor, he was also taken aback.

The Xuanming Armor has undergone a massive change: after summoning, it no longer appears as a turtle shell on his back, but becomes armor tightly hugging his torso, yet it can still expand into a huge Xuanming Turtle Shell to protect his whole body. Moreover, the armor has shifted from gray to silver, and even the summoned massive turtle shell is now silver.

Through careful observation, Yang Xiong found that the Xuanming Armor has fully merged with his body, as if it were a bone of his own; others can no longer take it from him, reducing enemies' covetousness. He no longer needs to hide it, can use it openly, and its duration has evolved from the thousand‑year soul bone he entered the Ice‑Fire Dual‑Aspect Eye with to a near Yi Wan Nian level soul bone.

It should be known that an external soul bone that can be taken is an absolute treasure of the Soul Master World, often attracting formidable foes, but now he has no such worries.

Yang Xiong is very satisfied with the gains from this Ice‑Fire Dual‑Aspect Eye; he not only obtained a large amount of Immortal Herb, but also achieved a second awakening of his martial soul, giving him a solid chance of success against any future challenges.

Moreover, aside from his bodily changes, Yang Xiong also had an unexpected delight: his research on cultivation. He has always practiced the Meditation Method passed down by the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, which, while among the top techniques on the Douluo Continent, is far inferior to Tang San's Mysterious Heaven Skill.

This, too, counts as an unexpected gain from visiting the Ice‑Fire Dual‑Aspect Eye.

Still decides on a Silver Grade Second Awakening.

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(End of Chapter)