The Great Elder and Third Elder exchanged a glance, seeing agreement in each other's eyes. Chen Yi's earlier proposal to refine the remaining immortal herbs into pills could indeed maximize their medicinal power and broadly benefit the sect — it was truly the best plan.
The two Elders nodded slightly, tacitly giving their approval to this approach.
Immediately, the Great Elder's gaze passed over the many immortal herbs by the bank and finally landed solemnly on the core area of the Ice and Fire Yin–Yang Well — on those two extremely polar, glowing, peerless treasures: Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and Infernal Delicate Apricot.
Looking at the two immortal herbs, a hard-to-detect hint of regret flashed deep in the Great Elder's eyes. He spoke slowly:
"What a pity.
This Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and Infernal Delicate Apricot, although they are ranked among immortal herbs, their natures are exceedingly tyrannical and contain intense toxins.
Forget about fusing their medicinal properties into a pill — even ordinary soul masters approaching them will have their soul power thrown into chaos and their meridians damaged."
"What a pity… truly a pity…"
His words were steeped in a heavy sigh. After all, these two stalks were world-shaking treasures that would make any soul master green with envy, yet because of their fatal traits, they were so difficult to utilize that even they had no way to use them. They could only give them up.
Following the Great Elder's gaze, Chen Yi was not surprised. He said in a deep voice:
"Elder is right. Trying to refine pills with these two immortal herbs is almost impossible."
Then his tone shifted, becoming incomparably firm:
"However, precisely because their attributes clash, I want to take the opposite path —
Not using external flames to refine them into pills, but instead using my own body as the cauldron, swallowing both immortal herbs at once, drawing out their water and fire forces to temper my body and let my physique rise to a new level!"
"Absolutely not!"
Before Chen Yi had even finished speaking, the Great Elder and Third Elder both shouted sternly in unison. The Third Elder even took a step forward in agitation, his soul power erupting and distorting the surrounding space.
Facing their storm-like opposition, Chen Yi did not retreat. He took a deep breath, glanced at the surging spring, and spoke in a low and steady voice:
"Please don't be anxious. I am not acting on impulse, nor am I blindly imitating others.
When I say I will use ice and fire power to temper my body, I don't mean I will simply swallow the two herbs raw. I will also rely on this Ice and Fire Yin–Yang Well!"
He raised his hand and pointed at that strange spring, clearly divided into halves: one side crimson like bubbling lava, the other blue like ten-thousand-year profound ice.
"Please see, Elders — this natural spring contains both extreme heat and extreme cold, two ultimate forces that restrain and balance one another.
My plan is: at the instant I consume the immortal herbs, I will leap into the intersection point of this spring!"
"What?! Leap into the spring?!"
The Third Elder cried out, his face full of disbelief:
"Are you insane? Do you know how violent the power in that spring is?
Even with our cultivation, stepping into it carries the risk of death, let alone you!"
For a long moment, the Great Elder simply let out a long sigh, heavy with helplessness, worry, and a trace of reluctant acceptance.
Looking at the flames of determination and stubbornness burning in Chen Yi's eyes, the Great Elder knew that more persuasion would not change this youth's resolve. He slowly nodded, his voice slightly hoarse:
"Enough…
Since you have thought this through, and even discovered details that we ourselves never noticed…
Perhaps this truly is an opportunity granted to you by the heavens — or a tribulation.
We… agree."
The Third Elder opened his mouth to object, but with the Great Elder's approval, what else could he say? In the end, his words turned into a powerless sigh:
"Brat… you must be careful."
Chen Yi gave a heavy nod:
"Please rest assured, Elders. I have never fought a battle I had no certainty of winning."
Hearing this, the Great Elder and Third Elder exchanged another look, seeing in each other's eyes the gravity tempered by years and a trace of worry they could not conceal.
Very soon, the Great Elder waved his sleeve. A gentle yet abundant soul power, like an invisible hand, precisely reached out to the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass on the border of the icy spring.
The herb's entire body looked as though carved from ice crystal, its eight blades flaring out and radiating cold so extreme it seemed capable of freezing souls. Even the air around it crystallized into tiny shards of ice.
At the same time, the Third Elder struck like lightning, snatching the Infernal Delicate Apricot by the searing hot yang spring. The bright-red leaves flickered like dancing flames, and the intense heat made even sight itself waver.
The two immortal herbs fell into the hands of the two Elders. Even with their cultivation, they could clearly feel the icy and fiery powers transmitting through their soul power — bone-chilling cold and skin-searing heat. With utmost care, they brought these two stalks, which contained the most extreme forces of heaven and earth, before Chen Yi.
"Xiao Yi, these cannot be taken lightly. There are no records in ancient texts, and the road ahead is unknown. If you want to change your mind now, it's not too late."
The Great Elder's voice was low, his gaze locked onto Chen Yi's young yet resolute face. The Third Elder did not speak, but his tightly pressed lips and worried eyes revealed the turmoil in his heart.
Looking at the two immortal herbs before him, exuding a deadly allure, Chen Yi took a deep breath of the spirit-rich air. He knew full well that the Elders' worries were justified — but such an opportunity was right before him; how could he forfeit it out of fear?
In the original story, Tang San had only been at rank thirty-four when he succeeded. His own soul power was now at rank thirty-seven, and his physical body could rival a Soul Emperor's. There was no reason he couldn't do it.
Thinking this, Chen Yi no longer hesitated. He reached out and firmly took the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass. The instant he touched it, an extreme cold surged along his arm's meridians, as if even his blood wanted to freeze. A layer of white frost instantly coated the surface of his arm.
At the same time, he grabbed the Infernal Delicate Apricot.
The scorching heat immediately flooded in, clashing with the cold inside his body. His face paled, and his body swayed slightly.
On one side, a terrifying cold current from the yin spring rushed down his throat in a torrent. Wherever it passed, meridians, blood, and even his bones felt as if they were instantly sealed in thick ice; even his thoughts seemed to slow and freeze.
On the other side, a blazing torrent from the yang spring turned his internal organs into a refining furnace, burning them with unbearable pain; his blood felt as if it were boiling and evaporating.
Two completely opposite, equally overbearing forces exploded inside Chen Yi's body.
The feeling was like two primordial beasts raging and tearing each other apart within his flesh. Every collision sent waves of paralyzing pain through him. One half of his body was encased in thick blue-white ice crystals, radiating freezing cold; the other half was flushed crimson, steaming white heat, as if it could combust at any moment.
The extreme agony twisted Chen Yi's handsome features. A hoarse growl of pain tore from his throat as every muscle convulsed and trembled uncontrollably.
The terrifying cold from the yin spring was like countless ice needles madly stabbing into the half of his body burned by the Infernal Delicate Apricot.
The scorching flood from the yang spring was like red-hot iron poured into the half frozen by the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass.
Inside and outside, cold and heat assaulted him simultaneously.
Ice and Fire Alchemy Body!
This was not just the tearing down and rebuilding of flesh. It was the cruelest torture in the world. At this moment, Chen Yi felt as though his body had been completely split in two.
On the bank, the Great Elder and Third Elder's hearts leaped into their throats.
They could see Chen Yi's body violently shaking in the spring. Under his skin, icy blue and fiery red energies raged chaotically. Sometimes frost covered his whole body; sometimes flames burst out through his skin. His aura grew extremely weak and chaotic, as if he might shatter completely in the next instant.
PS: Read advanced chapters at patreon.com/AbsoluteCode