The mountain wind blew past the edge of the stone beam, bringing up the rich spiritual energy of heaven and earth below.
Bing Hanxue stood atop the rock, gazing down at the strange lake below, its waters a striking mix of red and white.
A flicker of understanding crossed her pale blue eyes, and she spoke softly, "The Dual Eyes of Ice and Fire."
Huo Yuhao turned to look at her, his expression somewhat surprised.
The icy snow did not stop; his gaze swept along the rock walls surrounding the valley, his fingertips making virtual taps in the air.
"Fiery Apricot Blossom, Eight-Cornered Ice Grass, Extraordinary Chrysanthemum Reaching Heaven, Eight-Petaled Fairy Orchid, Narcissus with Jade Skin and Bones, Dew-Scented Autumn Water, Brocade Tulip Fragrance, Ink Jade Divine Bamboo, Phoenix Cockscomb Sunflower, Nine-Grade Purple Ganoderma, Golden Dragon Sweet Potato Vine..."
Her clear, even voice echoed in the mountain breeze as she rattled off the names of more than a dozen top-grade medicinal herbs in one breath, her words clear and without the slightest hesitation.
Huo Yuhao stood to the side, completely stunned.
Huo Yuhao: ...
This is perhaps a bit too erudite.
It should be noted that the top-secret records concerning the Ice and Fire Dual Eyes and immortal herbs are extremely rare throughout the entire Douluo Continent.
Ten thousand years ago, the Tang Clan did retain a few scrolls, but with the decline and internal strife of the Tang Clan at that time, those ancient books were lost in the long years.
Even today, in Shrek Academy's Seagod Pavilion, which boasts a millennium-old collection of books, a complete search of the entire library yields no record of any book containing the complete list of rare and precious herbs.
Even if Huo Yuhao were to identify them, this transmigrator wouldn't be able to recognize them all. After all, relying on written descriptions and seeing the actual objects are two completely different concepts.
Seeing Huo Yuhao's unusually surprised expression, Bing Hanxue's lips curled up slightly, and a faint hint of smugness appeared on her cold face.
In terms of reading and recognizing characters, she was indeed no match for this human freak whose mind was full of complex calculations.
But she is a natural-born ice and snow goddess, a creature born from the snow and wind of the far north over millions of years.
From the moment she was born, information about such rare treasures and natural wonders was deeply imprinted in her bloodline.
There's no need to look through any books written by humans; just seeing the actual object will naturally bring to mind the deepest imprints of your memory.
Just then, a majestic and ancient voice suddenly echoed deep within the icy, snowy sky of consciousness.
"I sensed the remnants of the two Dragon Kings' essence..."
"This confluence of springs is the result of the earth's energy merging when the bodies of the Water Dragon King and the Fire Dragon King fell to this place."
The lingering echo of the Ice God emerging from the depths of her consciousness made the smile in Bing Hanxue's eyes even more intense.
Today's trip to the Sunset Forest was truly a double blessing.
Not only did they bump into Huo Yuhao without any problems, but they also easily found out the exact location of the Water Dragon King's remains, which they needed to find in the fourth test of the Divine Trial.
Since the target of the divine test was right beneath their feet, the two of them did not delay any longer. They lightly touched the rock face with their toes and leaped down from the towering stone beam.
It landed lightly on the soft grass at the entrance of the valley.
As soon as the two stepped into the heart of the valley, a wonderful and unique fragrance wafted towards them on the breeze.
The fragrance was extremely faint, yet it refreshed the mind and even calmed the soul power flowing within the body.
Huo Yuhao looked up and saw an enormous pink flower growing in the clump of medicinal herbs in front of him.
The petals are delicate and vibrant, and without the usual foliage to set them off, the large, bare corolla sways gently with the air currents.
Bing Hanxue recognized the plant's origin with just one glance: "Fragrant Silk Immortal Item, and... it has already cultivated into a 100,000-year-old soul beast."
Sensing the approach of a living being, the stamen of the large pink flower trembled slightly.
A clear, lively, and slightly childish voice rang in their ears, carried by their mental focus: "Huh? Someone actually managed to get through the poisonous array outside and into here?"
The pink flower crown swayed from side to side in mid-air, and a smiling face outlined by light and mist condensed in the center of the flower's stamen, its gaze falling directly on Huo Yuhao.
The next moment, the large flower suddenly stretched its branch forward, its tone full of uncontrollable surprise and affection.
"Wow! What a rich and comforting life force!"
"You are a child of nature, aren't you? Absolutely! I can smell this scent of being blessed by heaven and earth from a great distance!"
As if seeing a long-lost relative, the big flower excitedly patted its petals and started talking on its own.
"Let me introduce myself. Everyone calls me Youyou. I am a very powerful and fragrant fairy flower!"
"It's incredible that you managed to get this far! Those flowers and plants outside are extremely poisonous; even a bird that flies in would turn into a pile of mud!"
"But I'm different from them. I don't hurt people. My job is to guard this valley safely!"
"Ten thousand years ago, the immortal who ascended left me a task, instructing me to stay here and wait for a specific destined person to arrive."
"But I waited and waited by this broken pool for a full ten thousand years. My bones were about to rust, even though I don't actually have any bones anymore!"
"I wonder what that so-called destined person looks like, and when they'll slowly creep over..."
The large pink flower petals opened and closed, and a torrent of words poured out of its mouth, speaking at a rapid pace like beans being poured from a bamboo tube.
Huo Yuhao stood still, his facial muscles slightly tense.
This magical herb that has become a spirit talks way too much.
He raised his hand and rubbed his temples, patiently waiting for the large flower to catch its breath, before calmly interrupting, "I came here intending to pick a few mature medicinal herbs to take with me."
Upon hearing that Huo Yuhao wanted to pick herbs, Youyou was not angry at all. Instead, her pink flower plate lit up with a layer of light, and she excitedly spun around halfway.
"Picking herbs? Great, great!"
The large flower swayed its enormous flower head and leaned forward without hesitation, its tone exceptionally eager.
"Pick me! Pick me now!"
"Let me tell you, I'm the most intelligent and compassionate herb in this valley! I'm incredibly powerful!"
"As long as you keep me by your side, no snakes, insects, rats, ants, or poisonous miasma can get near you. I can control all the toxins in the world. Choosing me will definitely be a good deal for you!"
Huo Yuhao looked at the big pink flower that was frantically promoting itself to him, and without even a second's hesitation, he shook his head decisively.
"don't want."
Youyou stiffened, her floral crown drooping: "Why?"
The core function of this celestial flower is to prevent and detoxify poison, but for me, it's just a space-consuming decoration.
With the blood of the end flowing through his body, he even chewed up and swallowed the phlegm-filled sea of poison that had accumulated for ten thousand years outside, treating it like a snack. There was nothing in this world that could poison him.
Having such a talkative person by your side is of no use other than causing headaches.
Huo Yuhao ignored the large flower that was still whining in place, stepped across the muddy path, and turned his gaze to the radiant immortal plants all around him.
Not far from him, Bing Hanxue had already removed her shoes and socks from her ankles and silently slid into the extremely cold and bone-chilling icy spring to the left of the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Eye.
A biting white fog surrounded her as the girl leaned against the green rocks by the pool, stretching out her snow-white arms with a contented expression.
She turned her head, her pale blue eyes piercing through the swirling white mist as they fell upon the boy. A slight smile played on her lips as she softly called out, "Yuhao, the spring water here is so soothing. Want to come down and soak for a while?"
The rising mist churned above the frosty white spring water, obscuring the edges of the pool.
Bing Hanxue leaned against the blue stone by the pool, her long, snow-white hair soaking in the icy spring, like scattered clouds.
Ripples danced gently in the breeze, and through the floating white mist, one could vaguely glimpse the snow-white outline that appeared and disappeared beneath the clear spring water.
The girl's expression was extremely calm. She slightly raised her chin, and her pale blue eyes looked straight at him through the swirling mist.
Huo Yuhao stood in the grass on the shore, his gaze lingering on the water for a moment before he looked away with a hint of helplessness.
This woman is definitely seducing me.
She usually acts like an aloof and ethereal beauty at Minghuang Academy, but her actions in private are so direct that they are hard to handle.
Huo Yuhao pondered for a moment, then strode towards the edge of the spring.
He certainly wasn't driven by lust to go on a romantic getaway; rather, he had his eye on this unique and advantageous environment and planned to take the opportunity to complete a long-stalled experiment.
The soles of the boots made a very faint rustling sound as they stepped on the damp mud.
Huo Yuhao walked to the edge of the ice spring and stood there, looking down at the white-haired girl in the pool.
"Let's put the hot spring bath on hold for now."
Huo Yuhao squatted down by the pool, looking directly into her eyes, and asked bluntly, "Snow Empress, do you want to master the Ultimate Flame?"
Bing Hanxue paused slightly, her fingers, which had been resting on the edge of the bluestone, stopped.
Before she could respond, Huo Yuhao raised his right hand and lightly drew a line in the air in front of him with his index finger.
A soft "poof" sound.
A tiny, pale blue flame, no longer than a thumb, rose into the air above his fingertips.
The flame looked completely translucent, a deep blue, like a piece of burning, cold jade.
But the moment it leaped and danced, the surrounding air seemed to distort in a strange way.
Extremely high temperatures and bone-chilling cold intertwine and flow within the small flame, interlocking seamlessly to maintain a delicate dynamic balance.
Feeling the familiar fluctuations emanating from that cluster of ghostly flames, Bing Hanxue's breath hitched slightly.
She was indeed somewhat tempted.
Two years ago, during the All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Battle Competition, Huo Yuhao had privately and without reservation transmitted to her the core deduction data on Yin-Yang complementarity and ultimate attribute transformation.
She was well aware that this boy possessed methods to defy common sense.
However, knowing something is one thing, having the deduction data in one's mind is another, and actually putting it into practice is a completely different matter.
She was not a monster like Huo Yuhao after all, and there was no way for her to forcibly reverse her attributes through that almost self-destructive and desperate method.
Moreover, she has gone far and deep down the path of extreme ice.
As a being nurtured by the ice and snow of the far north core for millions of years, when her cultivation broke through the million-year barrier, the ultimate ice essence within her body had already condensed to the point of qualitative change. Her domain was almost transformed into a law, and she achieved godhood.
The deeper the accumulation, the more terrifying the resistance to turning back.
To cross the vast dimensional barrier from the extreme of cold to the extreme of heat, the chasm between them is immense and cannot be easily traversed by human power.
But now, immersed in the icy spring, Bing Hanxue looked at the leaping icy blue flame in front of her, and her thoughts instantly became completely clear.
She lowered her head, her gaze passing over the swirling white mist and landing on the vast lake that stretched across the entire valley at her feet.
To the left is an extremely cold icy pool that freezes everything, and to the right is a fiery, molten spring as turbulent as boiling molten lava.
The two springs intertwine and intertwine under the invisible gravitational pull of the earth's veins, forming a naturally evolved yin-yang cycle.
This place is a naturally formed Tai Chi spring.
Huo Yuhao's meaning was crystal clear: he intended to use the natural power of the entire Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Eye to catalyze her internal origin with external force, helping her to forcibly reach the critical point of qualitative change from adversity to prosperity, thereby completing the attribute transformation!
Bing Hanxue straightened up from the pool, a hint of decisiveness and sharpness flashing in her pale blue eyes.
In his pursuit of power, this former ruler of the far north has never backed down.
Huo Yuhao extinguished the small, eerie blue flame at his fingertips, took out a brand-new moon-white robe from his storage soul tool, and handed it to the edge of the pool. He gently reassured him, "Go ahead and do it boldly. I'll be here to protect you. Even if you experience rejection, I can stabilize your martial soul and physical body. You don't need to worry about anything."
Hearing the boy's firm guarantee, Bing Hanxue's lips curled up slightly, and the worries in her eyes quietly disappeared.
She reached out and took the robe, draping it over her shoulders. Her long, fair legs emerged from the icy spring, her toes lightly touching the water's surface, like a snow lotus blooming gracefully on the water.
The next moment, two figures simultaneously swept through the air and landed in the very center of the vast lake.
There was a narrow, elongated blue stone, only about ten feet in diameter, which was right at the dividing line between the ice spring and the fire spring.
A cold mist swirled on the left, while a scorching heatwave raged on the right.
Bing Hanxue sat cross-legged in the center of the blue stone, her hands resting on her knees, and slowly closed her pale blue eyes.
Boom!
The pure and domineering essence of ice erupted from the girl's body without reservation.
The thick, condensed, frosty white air surged and spread outwards like a tidal wave, its biting cold forcefully suppressing the churning, scorching steam around them.
As the cold wave intensified, a series of creaking sounds emanated from the void within a radius of several feet. The water vapor floating in the air was directly frozen by this terrifying freezing air, condensing into tiny, crystalline, ice-blue powders that fluttered down.
Huo Yuhao stood three steps away from her, his divine sense fully released, his eyes flashing with divine light as he closely monitored the flow of every meridian in her body.
Bing Hanxue took a deep breath and began to fully circulate the Yin-Yang transformation method that Huo Yuhao had taught her.
With the reverse flow of internal energy, the extreme frost, which had already been compressed to its limit, was forcibly pushed towards the opposite extreme.
Buzz—
The primordial energy of heaven and earth suddenly trembled, and the anticipated turn of events from adversity to prosperity successfully materialized.
The extremely cold aura, at its peak, underwent a subtle change the instant it reached its zenith.
However, this reversal of the natural order brings equally devastating backlash.
The nature of the soul power within Bing Hanxue's body began to fall into an unprecedented chaotic and intertwined state, and a huge and noble phantom of the Ice and Snow Maiden suddenly appeared from behind her back.
As soon as the Snow Maiden's Dharma Form appeared, a violent storm of laws arose around her, with two completely opposite attributes clashing wildly inside the Martial Soul Core.
Click!
A crisp, muffled cracking sound emanated from the surface of the Snow Maiden's body.
The violent energy repulsion almost caused her martial soul to shatter and collapse on the spot!
The intense backlash caused Bing Hanxue to furrow her brows, turn as pale as paper, and tremble violently as her entire body was torn apart by the excruciating pain.
Huo Yuhao's eyelids twitched, but without the slightest hesitation, he flipped his hand, raised his arm, and pressed forward as if to strike.
The second martial soul, the Blood of the End, hidden deep within his bone marrow, was activated. Drops of viscous, deep, dark red blood shot out from his palm, landing precisely on the cracks that had opened up in the Snow Maiden's Dharma Image.
The dark red blood energy, like living clay, spread wildly along the damaged edges of the martial soul, forcibly binding and pulling together the cracks that were about to disintegrate.
Body and soul were repeatedly tormented by two laws, the whole process filled with pain that was hard for ordinary people to endure. Bing Hanxue clenched her fists silently, relying on her tenacious will to maintain her spirit.
Finally, under the powerful merging of the Blood of the End, the extreme ice deep within the Martial Soul, which had been forced into a corner, completely overcame the obstacle.
puff!
A cluster of pure, intense blue flames quietly ignited from the depths of the Snow Maiden's palm.
All the coldness vanished at this moment. The churning fire spring that had been entrenched on the right side of the valley seemed to be summoned by a king, transforming into two crimson torrents of energy that frantically converged and poured into Bing Hanxue's body.
The surging flames flowed upstream along the meridians, stirring up layers of scalding heat waves throughout the body.
Sitting cross-legged on the bluestone dividing line, Bing Hanxue could clearly feel that the attributes within her body had been initially transformed.
The tiny, leaping blue flame in his palm possessed genuine, pure fiery power.
Back when she was at Minghuang Academy, she had Ju Zi mobilize a lot of resources and use various high-precision soul tools to try to overcome this obstacle many times.
Each time the extreme cold is pushed to its peak in the opposite direction according to the deduction, it is often possible to barely touch this threshold.
However, if one wants to break through the critical point and continue to transform further, one must risk the enormous danger of shattering one's martial spirit and breaking one's origin.
The extreme yin and extreme yang in the universe are inherently incompatible, and the violent backlash brought about by forcibly reversing the law is enough to tear the essence of any living being to shreds.
However, this time, the Snow Maiden's martial spirit floating behind her remained intact.
The fine cracks that Huo Yuhao had forcefully repaired with the blood of the End have been completely healed, and the Dharma form that was originally on the verge of collapse has become as stable as ever.
The raging ice springs and fire springs on the left and right sides transformed into two thick pillars of air connecting heaven and earth.
Two external forces of extreme cold and extreme heat, originating from the duality of ice and fire, flowed into the girl's body through her outstretched arms, balancing and binding each other to help her maintain the balance of her internal essence.
The intense external fire poison continuously washed over the meridians, constantly strengthening this newly formed extreme fire.
At this moment, the natural yin-yang terrain of the entire ice and fire dual-eye was completely turned around, and a unique power of heaven and earth swept across the sky, helping her to successfully complete this miraculous transformation from adversity to prosperity.
Huo Yuhao, standing three steps away, watched this scene and calmly nodded.
Every flow of soul power within Bing Hanxue's body, and every leap of microscopic particles, was clearly presented in his double pupil vision.
At the very moment the ice and fire springs on both sides converged, the threads of cause and effect had already intertwined and extended deep within the void, and the fruits of success subsequently manifested.
The faint blue halo in his right eye had already observed and pinpointed the inevitable cause and effect of this success at a microscopic level.
This means that Bing Hanxue will be able to safely overcome the upcoming attribute transformation, and there will be no unexpected variables such as the collapse of her martial soul along the way.
The overall situation is settled; all that's needed now is to patiently wait for time to pass.
However, by continuing to deduce the subtle details of cause and effect, Huo Yuhao was able to see that this former ruler of the far north had grand ambitions.
She was clearly not content with merely mastering one ultimate fire technique.
She planned to take advantage of the rare opportunity of the Yin-Yang convergence of the Heaven and Earth Treasure Basin, and with the help of external forces, to condense her own Yin-Yang complementary dual soul cores in one go.
This is indeed an extremely audacious idea.
Even ordinary Soul Masters face a near-death experience when condensing a Soul Core of the same position and resonance; directly stepping into the path of Yin-Yang complementarity is tantamount to dancing on the edge of a knife.
However, Bing Hanxue's willingness to take this risky move was not due to blind arrogance.
The other party was originally a naturally born spirit with a cultivation level of millions of years. During the long period of 700,000 years, it had secretly tried to condense a dual soul core that complemented each other.
Although she failed to succeed completely that time due to her single attribute, she had already accumulated a wealth of practical experience in understanding the key points and details of the collision and operation of two soul cores.
Now that I have returned to the path of cultivation as an adult, and with this yin-yang landscape of ice and fire as a ready-made testing ground, I am certainly qualified to take a chance.
Huo Yuhao lowered his eyes slightly, not continuing to use the Eye of Destiny and Cause to observe the subsequent core condensation process.
The microscopic laws at the quantum level have always been mysterious and unpredictable. Once they are directly observed at the macroscopic level by an omniscient perspective, all the branches of future probabilities will collapse and disintegrate instantly, and will only follow the observer's established cognition toward the only certain outcome.
If even the twists and turns and insights that others experience in overcoming obstacles are forcibly arranged, then the essence of cultivation loses its meaning of exploring the unknown.
Leaving a sliver of suspense, full of variables, and letting her rely on her own will to break through the barrier is the best choice.
Now that the work of protecting the Dharma and anchoring has been completed, Huo Yuhao no longer focuses all his energy on the white-haired girl beside him, but instead begins to take care of his own affairs.
The boy took two steps back and sat down cross-legged steadily on one side of the bluestone.
He raised his right hand, joined his index and middle fingers together to form a sword gesture, and gently placed it on the center of his forehead.
A gentle golden ripple spread from the depths of his consciousness, and his first martial soul pulsated softly in response.
A third vertical eye slowly emerged from beneath the skin on the forehead, its narrow slits smoothly parting to reveal a pure vertical pupil within, brimming with boundless vitality and the fluctuations of destiny.
A bluish-gold radiance slowly emanated from the depths of his pupils, illuminating the boy's face with a luminous glow.
Subsequently, under the precise guidance of Huo Yuhao's divine consciousness, the skin and flesh of the Eye of Life, which combined the Gold of Life, the Time Dragon King's God-level Dragon Pill, and the Authority of Destiny, gradually began to ripple with spatial refraction like water.
Layer upon layer of micro-dimensional rules were peeled away one by one.
With a faint sound of the law, the illusory martial soul that originally relied on the physical body gradually broke free from the confinement of the forehead bone and transformed into a real, crystalline entity, steadily emerging and peeling out from between the eyebrows.
It was a long, narrow eye, its surface shimmering with a warm, lapis lazuli hue, as if carved from fine jade. It floated quietly between the boy's palms, radiating a vast and profound aura of life.
In the traditional framework of Soul Master theory, Martial Soul has always been regarded as a special organ that is innately extended from the human body.
However, if viewed from a higher-dimensional perspective of laws, the essence of a martial soul can be seen as the culmination of a soul master's lifelong cultivation and spiritual beliefs, forming their own Dao fruit.
Ordinary Soul Masters are limited by their vision and the upper limit of their Soul Power, and can only use their Martial Soul as a tool to release Soul Skills throughout their lives.
However, once one's cultivation and realm are honed to the pinnacle, and one touches upon the underlying logic of the laws of heaven and earth, the martial soul can transcend the constraints of the void dimension, break the boundary between flesh and spirit, and transform into a truly substantial objective creation manifesting in the world, just like the method Huo Yuhao casually displayed at this moment.
If one can completely transcend the limits of mortals in the future and refine these rules to the level of gods, the status of the martial soul itself will undergo another qualitative change.
At that time, one's own martial spirit can even naturally transform into a supreme divine weapon that carries the divine authority of heaven and earth and whose power reaches the heavens and the earth.
Not only can it be given as a token to fellow practitioners to comprehend the Great Dao, but it can also break free from the constraints of bloodline and transform into a divine foundation passed down through generations of sects or families, ensuring its stable continuation from generation to generation.
Of course, this is almost impossible. After all, being able to cultivate to the god level means that one can become a god. Rather than passing it down from generation to generation, it is better to keep it in one's own hands and nurture it, since it is the manifestation of one's own Dao fruit.
The azure-gold eyes, floating directly above the palm, were crystal clear and warm, radiating a vast and profound aura of life.
Huo Yuhao lowered his gaze, staring at the martial soul creation he had just personally separated, his fingertips lightly tracing the smooth, jade-like edge of its eyelids.
"Since it carries the power of time and space and can see through the changes in the fate of all things and spirits, then I shall call you the Eye of Maha Eternal Truth."
The boy muttered something to himself and immediately decided on the name of this creation.
In terms of its inherent material and essence alone, this eye has already transcended the limits of what the mortal world can comprehend.
It was originally based on the supreme treasure of heaven and earth, the Gold of Life, and incorporated the divine dragon pill left by the Dragon King of Time. It also incorporated the laws of destiny and the authority of cause and effect. In terms of material, it has already firmly entered the category of divine creation.
However, if it is to be truly transformed into a supreme artifact capable of standing alone and possessing boundless power, there is still one crucial step missing.
That is to thoroughly imprint the complete and flawless laws of heaven and earth into its interior.
If a weapon is made of divine material but has no regular inscription, it is at best a hard stone with astonishing hardness. Only when it incorporates the complete laws of the Great Dao can it be called a true divine weapon.
Looking across the entire Douluo Continent, the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Eye, which combines the raging fire poison from the earth's core with the extreme cold of the abyss's profound ice, is undoubtedly the best natural furnace.
Huo Yuhao, supporting the narrow eye with his right hand, slowly stood up from the edge of the bluestone.
As the boy's thoughts stirred, the Eye of Maha Eternal Truth between his palms emitted a low, rhythmic pulse, spontaneously detaching from his hands and slowly rising into the void directly above the valley.
His eyes hovered in mid-air, a hundred feet above the dividing line between red and white.
Buzz—
With a muffled tremor in the void, the eye of Maha Yongzhen, suspended in the sky, suddenly opened a tiny slit.
An immensely powerful gravitational field suddenly expanded from the eyes, causing the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Eyes below the entire valley to be drawn in an unprecedentedly strong manner.
On the left, the once calm and still icy pool was now churning with towering white waves, while on the right, the bubbling and churning crimson spring was spewing forth jets of liquid dozens of feet high.
The two forces of yin and yang, which had been maintaining a delicate balance deep within the earth's veins, transformed into two thick, long dragons that rose from the ground and soared into the sky, frantically circling around the Eye of Maha Eternal Truth.
Driven by these two extreme forces, the laws of the Great Dao within a radius of tens of miles were completely revealed in that instant.
In the vast, empty sky, countless fine rays of light appeared, each ray representing a microscopic rule governing the operation of heaven and earth.
At this moment, the countless rays of light transformed into the sharpest, invisible carving knives, continuously striking the surface of the Eye of Maha Eternal Treasure, accompanied by the surging and gushing of the Ice and Fire Spring.
Ding! Ding!
A clear and ethereal tapping sound echoed in the void, and the manifested laws of heaven and earth were gradually carving Dao patterns on the surface of the blue-gold eyes.
The entire process of refining and ascending was vast and orderly, but its progress was unusually slow.
Huo Yuhao activated his microscopic vision to meticulously observe the energy flow above. His cosmic brain was operating rapidly, drawing up a deduction progress bar in his mind.
At the current rate of absorption and inscription of the Dao patterns, it would take at least a full year for the Eye of Maha Eternal Treasure to fully transform and take shape.
Despite the long process, Huo Yuhao showed no sign of impatience.
Divine artifacts are products of the creation of heaven and earth; if they could be casually conjured up in a few minutes, that would be truly the greatest absurdity.
Moreover, this creation is the manifestation of his own martial soul and Dao fruit. As long as he is within the coverage area of the Sunset Forest and the Ice and Fire Dual Eyes, he can still mobilize the full power of this eye at will with a slight movement of his divine sense.
Leaving the Eye of Maha Yongzhen in mid-air to temper itself, Huo Yuhao patted the hem of his robe and turned his gaze back to the bottom of this treasure basin.
Looking out, the cliffs and ridges of the valley are covered with countless rare and exotic plants, shimmering with light and exuding a refreshing medicinal fragrance.
However, with his powerful mental detection, Huo Yuhao was able to clearly distinguish that although there were dozens of immortal plants growing in the entire herb garden, only three of them had truly developed complete self-awareness.
Aside from the large pink flower, the fragrant Qiluo Fairy Plant, which had been touted to me for ages on the shore, the remaining two plants grew on the core of the array at the Ice Spring and Fire Spring, respectively.
Growing at the very center of the frigid Yin Spring is a peculiar grass with leaves shaped like an eight-pointed star, and a crystal-clear flower stamen in the center—this is the Eight-Pointed Ice Grass.
Above the boiling lava of the scorching Yangquan, floats a large, fiery red flower, with scalding flames flowing along the edges of its petals—this is the Fiery Apricot Blossom.
When the icy snow stirred up the ice and fire spring, these two immortal herbs had already sensed the power of the outsider. At this moment, they were each hiding deep in the spring, concealing their aura and observing in secret.
As for the renowned medicinal herbs around it, such as the Qirong Tongtian Chrysanthemum, Wangchuan Qiushui Dew, and Qiluo Tulip Fragrance, although their medicinal power is equally abundant and astonishing, there is not a trace of spiritual flame inside their bodies. They are still just inanimate plants without independent thought.
Huo Yuhao strode back to the grassy bank. As he approached, the large pink flower swayed its enormous flower head.
"Your big eyes were so scary just now!"
With two large petals waving gently, her clear voice rang in Huo Yuhao's mind, "You've made a complete mess of the pool! Little Eight and Little Fire were so scared they didn't dare to come out!"
Huo Yuhao stopped in front of it and casually asked, "Why can't the other herbs in this valley speak like you?"
"They're so stupid!"
Youyou swayed her flower crown, her tone tinged with pride and boastfulness, "They're still just one step away from truly becoming soul beasts!"
"Just one step away from victory?" Huo Yuhao raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, yes, as a human Soul Master, you certainly don't know the secrets of our plant-type immortal herbs."
As if she had finally caught up with her audience, Youxiang Qiluo Xianpin swayed her flower tray from side to side and poured out a whole bunch of inside information.
"Those ordinary soul beasts outside have it much easier to cultivate. As long as they reach 100,000 years, they can easily acquire the intelligence and strength of a 100,000-year-old soul beast."
"After crossing the threshold of 100,000 years, the laws of nature will give them a safety buffer period of 1,000 years."
"After a thousand years have passed, they will face a hundred thousand years of heavenly tribulation and lightning strikes. If they are lucky enough to survive the heavenly tribulation, they can live steadily for another hundred thousand years."
At this point, Youyou drooped her petals with a hint of grievance and sighed.
"But we, these rare and precious treasures, are utterly unlucky. Heaven is incredibly harsh on us!"
"We can't naturally develop our intelligence like ordinary soul beasts; we can only honestly absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth in this muddy ground."
"Only when the medicinal power of a celestial being accumulates to its limit, and it survives a 100,000-year heavenly tribulation without any intelligence, and miraculously survives being struck by lightning, can it truly develop its own intelligence and become a 100,000-year plant-type soul beast!"
Huo Yuhao stood by the edge of the field and nodded thoughtfully.
This is completely different from the evolutionary logic of beast-type soul beasts.
One option is to first gain sentience after 100,000 years, and then enjoy a 1,000-year buffer period before undergoing the tribulation; the other option is to first withstand the heavenly tribulation in a state of ignorance before one can awaken consciousness and transform into a soul beast.
No wonder this unique treasure basin has been growing for tens of thousands of years. Under the catalysis of a tenfold growth rate, among all the immortal herbs in the valley, only these three have truly overcome the death hurdle.
Huo Yuhao continued to speak, asking the talkative fairy herb about the details of harvesting and consuming the immortal herbs.
After a detailed conversation, Huo Yuhao had a complete grasp of the ins and outs.
If a Soul Master wants to obtain the benefits of ordinary immortal herbs that have never undergone heavenly tribulation and have not developed sentience, they must pick the entire herb, root and all, and swallow it directly.
Once the main body is extracted and consumed, this celestial plant completely disappears from the world, essentially becoming a purely disposable item.
However, the situation is completely different for beings like Youyou, the Eight-Cornered Ice Grass, and the Blazing Apricot Blossom, who successfully transcend tribulation and transform into 100,000-year-old soul beasts.
They have already built a stable energy cycle. They only need to consume their own essence to condense a highly compressed celestial essence on their body surface. This essence has the same efficacy as the plant itself, and there is no need to harm the plant's life.
In a sense, only immortal items that reach the level of a 100,000-year-old soul beast can be considered truly renewable resources.
Of course, this claim of renewable energy is not absolute.
Because condensing such a primordial essence containing all the medicinal power would cause great damage to the immortal beast itself, even relying on a natural treasure land with a flow rate ten times that of the outside world, such as the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Eye, it would still take at least ten thousand years to precipitate a new essence fruit.