Half a month passed in the blink of an eye. Beside the Yin-Yang Well of Ice and Fire, Lin Mu had several jade bottles lined up before him, each containing pills brimming with immense energy. With the aid of the Qilin Fire, he had refined most of the immortal herbs, preserving their medicinal power to the maximum extent and even fusing them together to produce superior effects.
"Little San, this pill is for you." Lin Mu picked up one of the jade bottles and handed it to Tang San. "Absorbing this should grant your Blue Silver Grass total immunity to ice and fire."
"Thank you, Master." Tang San excitedly accepted the pill. During these past two weeks, he had constantly observed his master's alchemy process, so he was well aware of the ingredients. The main components were the Eight-Cornered Profound Ice Grass and the Blazing Apricot Blossom, with the Eight-Petaled Immortal Orchid added for neutralization.
Without his master's alchemy skills, Tang San wouldn't have known how to safely absorb such volatile herbs; he likely would have had to jump directly into the Yin-Yang Well of Ice and Fire to survive the process. Now, with the herbs refined into a stable pill, that risk was gone.
Lin Mu then handed another pill to Xiao Wu. This one combined the properties of the Eight-Petaled Immortal Orchid and the Narcissus Jade Bone, making it mild and easy to refine. Tang San and Xiao Wu took their respective pills and sat cross-legged in the clearing to begin the absorption process.
Once they were settled, Lin Mu stored the remaining jade bottles in his storage bracelet and took out the pill he had carefully prepared for himself. This particular medicine used the Fiery Apricot Blossom, Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower, and Extraordinary Sky-Piercing Chrysanthemum as primary ingredients, supplemented with several herbs to harmonize the properties.
Upon entering his stomach, the pill instantly transformed into a surge of heat. A scorching, powerful force impacted his entire body. Suddenly, Lin Mu's form burst into flames. The originally crimson Qilin Fire took on a noble golden-red hue, and a phoenix phantom seemed to coil within the flames, undergoing rebirth.
Any other Soul Master absorbing such a pill would likely have been incinerated by the extreme heat and Yang energy. Fortunately, Lin Mu not only possessed abundant Soul Power but also a physique already at the Title Douluo level. Furthermore, his perfect fusion with the Qilin Fire prevented him from exploding.
Half a day passed. Tang San was the first to open his eyes, his gaze blazing with purple light. In the pill he had consumed, Lin Mu had incorporated the "Looking Through Autumn Water Dew," allowing Tang San's Purple Demon Eyes to break through to the Mustard Seed Realm. Although the other three immortal herbs were processed, they still allowed his Soul Power to break through to Level 40!
"Master!" Tang San stood up and immediately looked at Lin Mu. Seeing his master's aura was stable and the flames around him more wondrous than ever, he felt relieved. Then, his gaze shifted to Xiao Wu.
Under the piercing light of the Mustard Seed Realm Purple Demon Eyes, Xiao Wu's figure became translucent. Within that blurry outline, he saw a pure white rabbit phantom with pink eyes.
"A Soul Beast... Xiao Wu is actually a Soul Beast?!"
Tang San stood frozen, his mind going blank as if his entire world had collapsed. Under his master's tutelage, he knew that Soul Masters and Soul Beasts were sworn enemies. If a Soul Beast matched one's Martial Soul, few Soul Masters would spare its life. He finally understood why the Poison Douluo had attacked Xiao Wu without warning.
She was a transformed Soul Beast. The girl he had lived with for years was not human. How could he accept this?
Just as Tang San was spiraling, Xiao Wu finished her absorption. The pill had increased her Soul Power and made her temperament appear more ethereal and alluring. She opened her eyes to see Tang San standing there, pale and dazed.
"Brother, are you alright?" she asked, rushing over in concern.
Tang San took a sharp step back, slapping away her outstretched hand. "Why!" he shouted, his voice thick with anger and confusion.
Xiao Wu froze, her face full of shock and hurt. "Brother, it's me, Xiao Wu!"
Looking at her tearful, innocent face, Tang San hesitated, his heart a battlefield of conflicting emotions.
At that moment, Lin Mu finished his own refinement. Under the tempering of the ultimate fire, his physique was even stronger and his Qilin Fire had reached a new level of destructive power and self-healing. His Soul Power had even jumped three levels in one go, an astonishing feat for a Soul Saint.
"Master!" Tang San turned to Lin Mu as if seeking a pillar of support. He whispered, "Master... Xiao Wu... she seems to be a Soul Beast."
A hint of knowing flashed in Lin Mu's eyes. He knew the "Looking Through the Autumn Water Dew" would reveal the truth. He patted Tang San's shoulder. "Little San, do you think the Xiao Wu standing in front of you right now is a human or a Soul Beast?"
Tang San was taken aback. He looked at the bewildered, grieving Xiao Wu and thought of their years together. "She should... be considered human," he whispered.
"Then does it matter if she was born a Soul Beast?" Lin Mu said meaningfully. "It depends entirely on how you choose to see her."
Tang San fell into deep thought. She had a human form and a human heart. Seeing this, Lin Mu took out the final immortal herb, one that hadn't been refined into a pill. It was a white flower shaped like a peony, connected to a black boulder. A faint red light enveloped it, radiating an aura that was both sorrowful and fierce.
It was the Acacia Heartbreak Red, an herb capable of completely isolating the aura of a Soul Beast.
"Take this to Xiao Wu," Lin Mu commanded.
Tang San took the herb, walked to Xiao Wu, and recounted its legend. Without a moment's hesitation, Xiao Wu bit her tongue and spat a mouthful of blood onto the petals. The flower trembled and detached from the black stone, landing perfectly in her hand.
Tang San stared at her. The Acacia Heartbreak Red only recognized those with unwavering, absolute love. If the flower accepted her, her heart was as human as any. More importantly, she was his Xiao Wu.
Lin Mu walked over and patted Tang San's shoulder. "Isn't this enough?"
Tang San finally understood. He pulled Xiao Wu into a fierce embrace. "Xiao Wu!"
Feeling that familiar warmth, Xiao Wu's fear and hurt vanished. She sobbed into his chest, clutching him tightly. "Brother!"