We are up to 'Chapter 36: Ice and Fire Body Tempering' on Patreon!
There's something for free patrons too! Free Patrons receive 1 chapter in advance :)
------------------------------------------------------
That night, Yang Xiong was ready to begin executing his recently devised body-tempering plan.
Over the past few days, Yang Xiong had purchased a variety of medicinal herbs from Seven Treasures City, one of the most prosperous cities on the Douluo Continent. The city was home to countless herbal shops, offering nearly every type of herb imaginable.
In Yang Xiong's room stood a large iron bathtub. It was already filled with water, and beneath it, charcoal fires burned, causing the water to heat up and begin boiling.
Yang Xiong retrieved several herbs from his soul-guidance device and placed them into the bathtub. The once-clear water turned a deep red, resembling blood.
Standing nearby, Yang Lin wore a look of concern. "Xiao Xiong, you're still young—there's no need to rush this. Though body tempering is beneficial and suits your martial soul, you're starting too early."
Yang Xiong replied confidently, "Father, I'm absolutely certain this won't harm my body. Besides, this formula isn't something ordinary."
Recently, Yang Xiong had discovered Bone Elder's cultivation notes in the seventh floor of the library—a work titled The Way of Defense. As the continent's foremost defensive expert, Bone Elder not only relied on defensive-type soul rings but also used external substances to push his body to its limits.
True defensive masters were impervious to fire, water, and even poison—this was the pinnacle of defense.
Following the methods outlined in The Way of Defense, Yang Xiong had purchased numerous herbs. Today marked his first attempt, focusing on fire-attribute tempering.
Though the herbs weren't expensive, they were all fire-attribute plants with mild toxicity. The process would be excruciating, but it formed the foundation of defense training.
Without further hesitation, Yang Xiong stripped and jumped into the bathtub.
He immediately felt as though he were submerged in an ocean of flames. His skin burned intensely, and the crimson liquid seeped into his body, scorching every muscle and bone. Even summoning his martial soul provided little relief—the heat and toxins overwhelmed him, leaving his body scorched. Despite his robust physique, Yang Xiong clenched his teeth and grimaced in agony.
After a full hour, the blood-red liquid in the tub began to fade. The medicinal potency seemed to have been absorbed into Yang Xiong's body and dissipated.
Yang Lin quickly pulled Yang Xiong out of the tub. He looked pitiful—his body covered in burn marks, resembling someone severely injured by fire.
His mother Sun Yu was deeply distressed. "Xiao Xiong, why put yourself through this? I'll take you to see a healing-type soul master."
Yang Xiong shook his head. "Mother, I feel this is working well. There's no need for treatment. My martial soul should heal these wounds soon."
This was the greatest advantage of a Body Martial Soul—it could rapidly heal injuries through the martial soul itself. In terms of recovery, Body Martial Souls were among the best of all martial soul types.
---
Over the next nine days, Yang Xiong continued to immerse himself in fire-attribute herbs. His body became flushed, but miraculously, after meditation and rest each night, he recovered significantly.
Of course, Yang Xiong had adjusted the dosage of the herbs to the minimum. If he had followed the advanced stages of The Way of Defense, the herbs would likely have melted an ordinary person within moments. Only mid-to-high-level soul masters could endure such intensity.
After nine days, Yang Xiong moved on to another set of herbs. This time, the water in the bathtub boiled fiercely, but upon adding the herbs, it quickly turned a deep blue. The bubbling, boiling water suddenly cooled, emitting waves of icy cold air.
When Yang Xiong submerged himself, his body felt as though it were encased in ice. An endless chill seeped into his body, freezing every inch of his skin. He felt like a pillar of ice, the pain rivaling that of the fire-attribute herbs.
Not only his body but even his martial soul and soul power seemed to freeze. However, under such extreme conditions, he gained better control over the flow of his soul power.
This was the cold-attribute tempering described in The Way of Defense.
After another nine days in the icy bath, Yang Xiong transitioned to yet another method.
By now, the water in the bathtub boiled violently, turning a vivid green. This time, Yang Xiong had added toxic herbs.
Compared to fire and ice, poison caused far greater damage to the body and inflicted immense suffering. It felt as though countless insects were gnawing at his flesh, and the venom seeped into his bones, threatening to shatter them.
The toxins wreaked havoc on his cells and tissues, clinging to his body like parasites, difficult to expel.
Once again, the advantage of a Body Martial Soul became evident. Since his martial soul was tied to his body, it could absorb and gradually utilize the toxins. Surprisingly, the effects surpassed those of fire and ice. No wonder practitioners like Du Busi favored poison-based paths.
---
From then on, Yang Xiong alternated between these three tempering methods—fire, ice, and poison—each lasting nine consecutive days before switching to the next.
As time went on, Yang Xiong felt his body being repeatedly broken down and rebuilt under the intense tempering. With each cycle, his body grew stronger and more resilient.
Moreover, his martial soul seemed to grow stronger, and both his physical strength and soul power improved. After each session, his meditation became noticeably faster and more effective than after ordinary medicinal baths.
Yang Xiong even sensed that his meridians were strengthening under the combined trials of fire, ice, and poison. Perhaps his innate soul power level had increased slightly as well.
All of this was preparation for his future. His Body Martial Soul was unique but relatively weak in its early stages. Only through relentless body tempering and pursuing the path of defense did he hope to achieve a second awakening someday.
Of course, achieving a second awakening would be far more difficult—it required life-and-death pressure far beyond the current level of pain.
Despite searching the entire library, Yang Xiong found no methods for cultivating spiritual power. It seemed that apart from Tang San's Purple Extreme Demon Eye, there were no similar techniques in the world of Douluo.
According to Yang Xiong's plan, body tempering would drastically enhance his physical prowess, which could also be referred to as strengthening his life force. Among all soul ring attributes, strength-oriented rings were the most effective at boosting both soul power and life force.
Yang Xiong aimed to cultivate his blood essence, soul power, and spiritual power to their peak, while incorporating elemental attributes. Doing so would undoubtedly propel him to unprecedented heights.
------------------------------------------------------
Double Daily Chapters Until We Are 40 Chapters Ahead: patreon.com/EphemeralShadow