Outside the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, dense energy mist permeated the air, enveloping the entire valley in a magnificent halo of interwoven red and blue light. The energy surged like tides, each wave causing the surrounding space to tremble faintly. Deep within the well, it was as though an ancient behemoth were sleeping, exhaling low, rhythmic breaths.
The Grand Elder stood alone atop a jagged black boulder, his long gray hair whipping wildly in the chaotic energy winds. Days of waiting had etched deep weariness onto his once-vigorous face. His formerly bright, insightful eyes were now bloodshot like spiderwebs. He stared unblinkingly at the spring below—like a fusion of a blazing furnace and an icy hell—unable to muster even the courage to blink.
Five days. A full five days had passed.
Since the moment Chen Yi had leaped into the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well, a place known as the forbidden land of life, he had vanished without a trace, as if a stone had sunk into the ocean.
The Grand Elder's fingers pierced his own palms from excessive force. Drops of bright red blood silently slid down between his fingers, blossoming into tiny crimson flowers on the black rock beneath his feet, rock that had long been eroded by the energies of ice and fire.
"If only… if only I had been more resolute then… and stopped him…"
The Grand Elder muttered to himself, his voice hoarse like a broken bellows, sounding especially weak in the empty valley.
The boy's resolute gaze surfaced again in his memory. In that moment, he had somehow softened, inexplicably allowing Chen Yi to sneak into this place of certain death.
Endless regret, like the venom of a viper, gnawed at his heart day and night, bringing excruciating pain.
The Third Elder had already been sent to Gengxin City to forge the alchemy furnace. Outside this perilous land, the Grand Elder was the only one enduring this ever-growing torment.
If Chen Yi were to truly perish here, the Grand Elder didn't know how he would face the sect, how he would face Chen Zhen and his wife—or even how he would face himself.
Just as despair was about to completely devour his soul—
"Roar—!!!"
Two dragon roars, seemingly emanating from primordial antiquity, suddenly rang out without warning!
These were not the roars of any ordinary soul beasts. They weren't deafeningly loud, yet within them lay a majesty that made the very laws of heaven and earth tremble and submit—like the first thunderclap that shattered chaos at the dawn of creation, exploding deep within the Grand Elder's soul.
The Grand Elder trembled violently. His mighty soul power as a level 95 Titled Douluo began to boil uncontrollably. His protective soul light flared to life, but under the pressure of those dragon roars, it flickered and fluctuated wildly, as though it would shatter like glass at any moment.
He forcibly suppressed the trembling of his soul and looked up in horror.
Above the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, two colossal dragon phantoms, each hundreds of meters long and seemingly solid, slowly emerged from the void. One blue, one red, their bodies coiled and intertwined. Their enormous forms nearly obscured the sunlight above the valley, dyeing the sky in a dreamlike, yet deadly and magnificent hue.
The ice dragon's entire body looked like it had been carved meticulously from eternal ice. Each crystal-clear scale refracted a bone-chilling light that seemed able to freeze even the soul. Wherever it passed, water vapor in the air was instantly stripped of all heat, condensing into countless tiny ice crystals that fell like a shower of dazzling yet icy diamond dust.
The fire dragon was wreathed in inextinguishable divine flames, as if born from the deepest part of the earth's core. It radiated a terrifyingly high temperature that could incinerate all things. Even the surrounding space was slightly warped from the heat, and light itself blurred as it passed.
"This is… a god?!"
The Grand Elder's pupils contracted to the size of pinpoints. His intuition as a Super Douluo and the knowledge he had accumulated all his life screamed in unison, telling him that the essence of these two phantoms far surpassed anything mortals could comprehend or resist!
A primal survival instinct urged him to flee immediately. But the instant that thought rose in his mind, his gaze suddenly locked onto the tiny figure between the two towering dragon shadows.
Chen Yi!
The boy's eyes were shut, his face deathly pale, seated cross-legged in mid-air. His whole body was wrapped in red and blue energy that seemed at once repelling and merging, forming a huge cocoon of light—as if something new was being nurtured and conceived within.
"Let him go!"
Without the slightest hesitation, the Grand Elder roared almost instinctively.
His body, slightly hunched from exhaustion, suddenly straightened like an old dragon awakening from its slumber. The soul power of a level 95 Super Douluo erupted without reservation. The mighty soul pressure he released made the air around him hum and tremble.
Behind his head, a complex brain phantom shimmering with silver light appeared. This was his trump card, cultivated over many long years—his Brain Martial Soul's second awakening at the Silver level!
Although he looked small and insignificant beneath the overwhelming oppressive might of the two dragon shadows, like a small boat in a raging storm, he still stubbornly raised his head, eyes burning with an unyielding flame.
He knew all too well that his actions were futile, no different from a mantis trying to block a chariot. Facing beings that might truly be gods, he might not even have a one-in-ten-thousand chance of victory.
But Chen Yi was someone he had brought here, the future of the sect, a junior he regarded as grandson.
Even if it cost him his old and weathered life, he had to draw his sword and stand in the way!
"Interesting."
The Ice Dragon King lowered its mountain-like head slightly, amusement glinting in its enormous dragon eyes as it studied this tiny figure that dared bare its fangs at a god. Deep within those eyes, as fathomless as a glacial abyss, a faint hint of approval flickered.
How long had it been since he'd last seen a mortal with such courage?
"Roar!"
The Fire Dragon King beside him let out an even deeper, more challenging roar, and the divine flames around him surged violently. In an instant, the giant boulder beneath the Grand Elder's feet was covered in spreading cracks like a spiderweb. With a sharp crack, his legs sank deep into the rock up to his knees.
His entire skeleton creaked with a grinding, teeth-aching sound. Under the immense pressure, countless capillaries ruptured, and bright red blood slowly oozed from his eyes, ears, mouth, and nose, making his face appear especially savage and terrifying.
"So this… is the power of a god?"
Yet amid this crushing pressure and pain, the Grand Elder actually grinned. His bloodstained teeth formed an almost crazed smile.
For thousands of years, gods had vanished from the Douluo Continent. He had only ever read fragmented descriptions of their power in ancient, faded texts; no one had ever truly faced divine might.
Now, however, he personally witnessed the vast chasm that lay between the mortal and the divine—and the terrifying nature of that divine power.
Looking at these two unfamiliar and mighty gods, a thought flashed through his mind like lightning in the darkness—
Chen Yi is the successor of Thunder God.
The Grand Elder was no naive youth. He understood very well that the Divine Realm was far from peaceful. Where inheritance existed, conflict followed; even Thunder God would inevitably have rivals.
Could these two dragon-form deities before him be…?
That possibility was chilling, but more than anything, it filled him with an iron resolution to stake everything on the line.
"Break—!!!"
The Grand Elder's roar echoed throughout the valley!
Under the extreme pressure of that god-level power—containing both destruction and creation—the stagnant soul power within his body began to circulate wildly at an unprecedented speed, like a chain of explosive charges igniting all at once.
Crack!
The incredibly sturdy bottleneck at level 95 shattered with a crisp sound that only he could hear.
A surge of soul power as mighty as a bursting river roared through his expanded meridians, and an even more terrifying aura exploded from his aged body.
Level 96!
At this critical juncture between life and death, the Grand Elder finally broke through the realm that countless soul masters could never cross, stepping into the ranks of the Super Douluo.
"Ninth Soul Skill—Heart Spear Shatters the Sky!"
"Condense for me—!"
The Grand Elder's eyes were bloodshot, and his roar carried a fearless determination to die if need be.
The nine soul rings on his body—two yellow, two purple, five black—symbols of the highest honor a soul master could attain, shone brilliantly. Their lights merged into one, like rivers flowing into the sea.
This was the legendary Soul Ring Fusion talent among soul masters.
The next moment, the Grand Elder's vast spiritual power, which had soared after his martial soul's second awakening, mixed with the surging soul power of his newly broken-through cultivation. Together, they were frantically compressed and gathered in front of him in an unprecedented way!
A nearly fully materialized spear of spiritual power, its whole body flowing with brilliant silver light, with its tip condensing a point of extremely dangerous, dark cold radiance capable of tearing souls apart, took shape in the air.
This was a strike that embodied all of his life's cultivation and his unwavering will.
Even though reason clearly told him that this strike still couldn't harm a god, his pride and sense of duty drove him to release it anyway.
A test of the gods' sword!
Whoosh—!
The spiritual spear tore through the air with a sharp crack, carrying an indomitable, suicidal momentum as it transformed into a silver bolt of lightning, shooting straight toward the Ice Dragon King's enormous dragon eye!
But…
Facing this blow that could instantly cripple or even kill any peerless Douluo, the Ice Dragon King merely raised a frost-covered dragon claw and casually pinched at the air, as if brushing away an insignificant speck of dust.
Bang!
The spiritual spear—containing all the Grand Elder's power, belief, and determination—failed even to touch the dragon's claw. Before it could reach, that invisible divine pressure shattered it silently like a bubble under the sun, dispersing it without leaving a trace.
"The courage of mortals who dare brandish their blades at gods is commendable."
The Ice Dragon King's voice rang out again, still as cold as clashing icebergs, but this time, there was undisguised praise within it.
The playful look in his enormous dragon eyes vanished, replaced by a rare, solemn focus—this mortal had been deemed worthy of being taken seriously.
From the side, the Fire Dragon King spoke, his voice like molten lava surging from the earth's core, scorching the very air around them.
"Little one, there's no need to be so nervous, let alone fight to the death. We and Thunder God are old acquaintances."
His gaze swept over Chen Yi, who was still unconscious on the shore, and he continued,
"Today, we sensed the aura of an old friend's successor, so we came to take a look… and to bestow a little opportunity, and look after him in passing."
Upon hearing this, the Grand Elder froze on the spot. The surging soul power from his recent breakthrough still roiled within his body, but his will to fight to the death instantly lost its target and collapsed.
He didn't know how to react. The scene turned awkward.
He didn't think these deities were lying—because there was no need for them to.
"Chen Yi is currently absorbing the primal power we bestowed upon him. When he awakens, he will undergo a complete rebirth and gain immense benefits," the Fire Dragon King continued, then gently waved his enormous dragon claw.
Chen Yi, who had been suspended in mid-air, was lifted by a gentle yet irresistible force and slowly floated down to the shore.
The boy's complexion had regained a healthy flush, his breathing long and steady, his aura harmonious and stable. He was clearly in the midst of profound transformation.
Seeing this, the Grand Elder hurriedly stepped forward and carefully placed two fingers on Chen Yi's wrist.
After a detailed check, he indeed felt two immense energies within the youth's body gently tempering and transforming him. At the same time, an extremely powerful force of ice and fire was being nurtured behind his back.
Only then was the Grand Elder finally convinced that the two Dragon Kings were telling the truth, and the crushing boulder on his heart was at last set down.
"This junior was reckless and offended the divine might. I thank the two gods for your mercy—and for granting Chen Yi a second chance."
The Grand Elder took several steps back, straightened his tattered robes, and then bowed deeply. His voice was filled with genuine gratitude and respect.
Just then, the Ice Dragon King let out a soft exclamation. A hint of surprise flashed in his enormous dragon eyes as his gaze, almost tangible in its focus, locked onto the Grand Elder's upper dantian.
"This is… a dragon core? No, it's even more precise than that. Its core structure shares the same origin as the dragon cores of my race, yet its operation and energy channels are perfectly compatible with a human body."
The Fire Dragon King's attention was also drawn. Lowering his head with great interest, his burning gaze seemed as though it could pierce flesh and bone.
"Interesting. Little fellow, how did you manage to condense such a wondrous object? As far as I know, the human body theoretically cannot withstand the initial condensing power of a dragon core."
The Grand Elder dared not be negligent and immediately replied respectfully,
"Reporting to the two High Gods, this method of condensing a soul core was not created by me, but is the core of a secret technique passed down from Lord Thunder God."
"I see."
Upon hearing this, both Dragon Kings' eyes flashed with sudden understanding. With Thunder God's unparalleled talent and ability, it was not impossible for him to deduce a method of developing dragon cores suitable for the human race.
The Ice Dragon King and Fire Dragon King exchanged another glance. A silent conversation was completed in that instant, as if they had reached some sort of tacit understanding.
"Young man, you're quite good," the Ice Dragon King spoke again, his tone carrying even greater praise. "To break through under our pressure—your mental fortitude is truly rare. Even more remarkable is that, in order to protect the younger generation, you dared to stand against beings far stronger than yourself. Such courage and sense of responsibility have been rare through the ages."
The Fire Dragon King picked up the thread, his booming voice like a great bell resonating over heaven and earth.
"Since you have already received Thunder God's inheritance and condensed this soul core originating from my dragon clan, you and we share a certain fate. Today, seeing you pleasing to the eye, we'll give you another push—and plant another foundation for your path toward the soul core."
As soon as he finished speaking, before the Grand Elder could even respond, the two Dragon Kings simply pointed their dragon claws toward him.
Two beams of divine light—one blue and one red—condensed to the extreme and containing endless profound laws, shot from their claws and plunged straight into the Grand Elder's chest.
"Urgh—!"
The Grand Elder trembled violently. He felt two completely opposite, yet miraculously coexisting pure energies surge through his limbs and bones—one bone-chillingly cold, the other blazing hot like molten lava.
The extremes of cold and heat alternately washed over his body, tempering every corner of his flesh. His meridians, which had grown somewhat dry and sluggish with age, were visibly rejuvenated and widened under the nourishment and cleansing of these two divine powers. Even his outward appearance seemed several years younger.
But an even more shocking change occurred in his middle dantian.
Under the guidance and infusion of the two divine lights, the vast soul power and spiritual power within his body were rapidly being compressed and refined, condensing into the phantom of a soul core that slowly took shape there—resonating faintly with the soul core in his upper dantian.
The Grand Elder was stunned, knowing that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. He no longer had the luxury of being polite. He immediately sat down cross-legged, focusing all his mind and will, guiding his soul power.
He channeled the surging power within him, using the transformation brought by the divine light to condense his second soul core.
High in the air, the two Dragon Kings hovered silently, watching the Grand Elder—now in deep meditative focus, his aura rising steadily. A trace of indescribable satisfaction flickered in their majestic dragon eyes.
"The seed has been planted, and the opportunity has been given," the Ice Dragon King's ethereal voice echoed faintly in the air. "From here on, how far they go depends on their own perseverance and fate."
The Fire Dragon King nodded slightly, divine light flickering in his dragon eyes.
"The old chapters will eventually close. The new era… may very well change because of them."
As his voice faded, the two mountain-like dragon phantoms gradually grew illusory. The red and blue divine powers around them slowly receded like the tide, finally merging completely into the void—as if they had never appeared at all.
Only the Yin-Yang Well, where ice and fire eternally intertwined and rotated, remained, still radiating immense energy and silently witnessing all.
Silence briefly returned to the valley. Only the surging soul power around the Grand Elder continued to rise and fall like waves, as the light of the second soul core in his middle dantian grew ever brighter.
Meanwhile, Chen Yi remained asleep. Beneath the cloth of his robes, at the slight bulge on his back, faint red and blue light flickered alternately.
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