Three days later.
At the exit of the poisonous miasma surrounding the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Eyes.
Xiao Lin stood on one side, while Tang San and the others stood on the other. Tang San and Xiao Wu had no intention of staying long and were about to return to the Tiandou Royal Academy.
"Alright, Brother Lin, you should head back. When Sister Xiaogui comes to Tiandou City, we'll come to the Sunset Forest to hunt soul rings."
"Brother Lin, we're leaving."
"Xiao Lin, while I'm away, help me take care of Ah Yin."
"Don't worry."
Tang San and Xiao Wu waved goodbye to Xiao Lin several times, then followed behind Tang Hao and left.
After Tang San and the others departed, Xiao Lin once again returned to the vicinity of the spring waters of the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Eyes.
With Tang Hao around recently, Xiao Lin hadn't dared to use any overly perverted methods.
For example, violently absorbing the Ice-Fire spiritual energy to rapidly increase his soul power, and so on.
Soon, Xiao Lin began to grow curious about what kind of existence Ah Yin actually was.
At last, the opportunity had arrived.
A chance to observe up close what a ten-thousand-year soul beast looked like during a certain stage of its existence.
Xiao Lin moved quickly, immediately prostrating himself on the ground and using his Fiery Golden Eyes to observe Ah Yin.
As he watched, Xiao Lin finally discovered the fundamental difference between Ah Yin and Tang San's Blue Silver Emperor.
Although both possessed powerful vitality, Ah Yin and Tang San were clearly walking completely different paths.
First was Ah Yin's form—it possessed far stronger camouflage capabilities. Ordinary soul masters and soul beasts were completely unable to notice her existence.
Even though Ah Yin's body carried golden patterns.
"Interesting… it feels like a kind of unity between heaven and man."
The corners of Xiao Lin's mouth lifted slightly. Ah Yin's unremarkableness might very well be the reason she was able to become a ten-thousand-year soul beast—and the Blue Silver Emperor.
Xiao Lin knew that Tang San had once said that Blue Silver Kings were all huge, as large as trees.
With a tree-like form like that, even if a Blue Silver King had camouflage abilities, in the eyes of powerful soul beasts it would probably still be extremely conspicuous.
Or it could be accidentally affected by the attacks of powerful soul beasts.
Looking at the entire history of soul beasts on the Douluo Continent, it probably spanned hundreds of thousands of years.
If Blue Silver Grass could rely on its enormous population to produce ten-thousand-year soul beasts, then the number of hundred-thousand-year soul beasts should definitely not be small either.
As long as they could survive the heavenly tribulation, becoming a ferocious beast wasn't impossible.
After all, the vitality of the Blue Silver Emperor was indeed terrifying.
Yet the reality was that there were no Blue Silver Emperors at the level of ferocious beasts.
Did this mean that the Blue Silver Emperor lacked the ability to survive the hundred-thousand-year heavenly tribulation?
So then—was Ah Yin a newly born hundred-thousand-year soul beast?
Or was she a hundred-thousand-year soul beast who had revived and re-cultivated several times?
Regardless of which type Ah Yin was, there was one thing Xiao Lin could clearly see.
For example—Ah Yin possessed powerful offensive abilities.
Such as the Blue Silver Overlord Spear.
This was an ability that the vast majority of Blue Silver Kings did not possess.
This might also be the reason why Ah Yin's body was far smaller than that of other Blue Silver Kings.
Her bodily density far exceeded that of ordinary Blue Silver Kings.
By that logic, Tang San should have developed in the same direction.
Yet Xiao Lin's theories had caused Tang San to completely walk a different path.
Speaking of which, was the Blue Silver Emperor's vitality really that strong?
At most, the Blue Silver Emperor could be considered extremely resilient, rather than having an overflowing, inexhaustible supply of vitality.
The Blue Silver Emperor's vitality relied heavily on the support of the entire Blue Silver Grass collective.
Thinking about it this way, guiding Tang San to switch cultivation to the food-type system actually allowed Tang San's individual abilities to be pushed to the extreme.
After all, Tang San couldn't always rely on Blue Silver Grass to help him fight.
And the assistance of Blue Silver Grass wasn't as powerful in the later stages as one might imagine.
I kind of want to tug at the Blue Silver Emperor.
Xiao Lin pursed his lips, thinking to himself.
If even the Blue Silver Emperor was like this, then what about the other immortal herbs?
Soon, Xiao Lin gave up the thought of offending Ah Yin and turned his gaze toward the other immortal herbs.
The Looking-Through-Autumn-Water Dew—just revived by Tang San—was a perfect subject to observe, especially to see why its dew could enhance a soul master's spiritual power.
Xiao Lin moved over to the Looking-Through-Autumn-Water Dew once again.
From the perspective of his Fiery Golden Eyes, the Looking-Through-Autumn-Water Dew didn't yet have much dew, but some tiny water molecules looked exceptionally clear and transparent, without the slightest impurity.
Smack!
Xiao Lin slapped himself.
Water molecules—what impurities could they even have?
But thinking about it this way, the Looking-Through-Autumn-Water Dew seemed capable of isolating the intrusion of foreign matter.
Besides that…
Xiao Lin could even see that the "dew" of the Looking-Through-Autumn-Water Dew was resonating with the Ice-Fire spiritual energy, thereby bringing it to the balance it required.
This wasn't just something Xiao Lin observed—more importantly, it was what the Two Dragon Kings told him.
"Xiao Lin, this immortal herb is simply lucky to have grown beside the spring, in the most balanced area of Ice and Fire spiritual energy. If it were anywhere else, it would be absolutely impossible for it to grow."
"Xiao Lin, the roots and stems of this immortal herb can absorb Ice and Fire spiritual energy, circulate it through its emerald-green stem and snow-white three leaves, and in the end it even gains purification abilities."
After hearing what the Two Dragon Kings observed and explained, Xiao Lin instantly understood.
So it wasn't that the Looking-Through-Autumn-Water Dew could isolate dust or anything like that—it was that the herb itself possessed purification abilities.
"Huh? Do you think there's a way to force-ripen it?"
As soon as Xiao Lin said this, the Two Dragon Kings looked completely dumbfounded.
"We don't know how to grow vegetables."
Hearing their reply, Xiao Lin shook his head helplessly. Looks like he'd have to rely on his own crooked wisdom.
If he wanted to force-ripen the Looking-Through-Autumn-Water Dew, then the best method would be to give it intelligence—just like Ah Yin.
That way, the Looking-Through-Autumn-Water Dew could actively absorb Ice-Fire spiritual energy and accelerate its own growth.
This was called the "workhorse method." Why find a cow and a horse to work for you when you could make the cow-horse work overtime on its own?
And if the cow-horse got sick, it would even find medicine by itself.
Moreover…
Xiao Lin glanced at Ah Yin and noticed that she was surrounded by specially cultivated Blue Silver Grass.
So if he wanted to increase the efficiency of the Looking-Through-Autumn-Water Dew, he would have to strengthen the herb itself.
A high-school graduate earns three thousand a month and still needs training. A college or university graduate also earns three thousand—but undergraduates know more and have stronger theoretical foundations.
The Looking-Through-Autumn-Water Dew needed soul power nourishment.
A considerable amount of early investment would be required.
While Xiao Lin was silently thinking, the corners of his mouth slowly rising, the Two Dragon Kings grew curious.
"Xiao Lin, don't tell me you've really found a way to force-ripen it?"
"Heh heh, of course."
Xiao Lin smiled confidently and then explained enthusiastically.
"First, to give the Looking-Through-Autumn-Water Dew sentience, we must disperse the dragon aura around it. The powerful dragon aura suppresses these immortal herbs, preventing them from developing intelligence."
"Remove all the dragon aura. After that, set up an Ice-Fire spiritual energy gathering formation. This will merely assist the Looking-Through-Autumn-Water Dew in absorbing spiritual energy and force-ripening itself."
"Then we invest some soul power into it. I think we can find the corpse of an earth-attribute soul beast to help it grow—and preferably add some fertilizer as well."
Before Xiao Lin finished speaking, Lei Lei in the consciousness space asked curiously,
"Xiao Lin… are you going to look for poop?"
"What kind of language is that? That sounds awful."
Xiao Lin snorted coldly.
"But who's going to poop for you?"
Lei Lei remained curious.
"Damn it, is poop the only thing you remember?"
In such a magical world as Douluo Continent—where soul power and soul skills exist—and all you can think about is poop.
Xiao Lin felt utterly speechless and directly blocked out the ill-behaved Lei Lei.
After that, he walked alone out of the poisonous barrier of the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Eyes, preparing to search for a suitable soul beast.
(End of Chapter)