Douluo: The Peerless King of Beast Tamers

Chapter 369 Forty-Five Roots of Ten-Thousand-Year-Old Profound Ice Marrow, Absorbed by Ling Luochen

As the cold spring water seemed to be drawn by an invisible hand, it slowly overflowed the bottom of the cave where the Ice Extreme Divine Crystal was located. Zhou Sichen stared at the water surface gradually becoming level with the top of the cave before turning to look at Ling Luochen beside him.

"Let's go, this matter is settled," he transmitted telepathically.

Ling Luochen nodded gently, his gaze sweeping over the area covered by the cold spring one last time, before he followed Zhou Sichen out of the cave.

After leaving, Zhou Sichen sealed the cave using the same method as before. Unless one saw it with their own eyes, it would be extremely difficult to detect that there had once been a passage here.

This move was not only to prevent others from accidentally entering, but also to isolate the flow of the cold spring and prevent the energy of the ancient ice marrow below from being affected.

After doing all this, Zhou Sichen turned around first and dived deeper into the cold spring.

Ling Luochen followed closely behind. The two figures moved like two nimble ice shadows in the dark, cold spring. Their clothes swayed, creating tiny eddies in the water, yet they made almost no extra sound.

Beneath the cold spring, the light had long been swallowed by the thick body of water, and all around was pitch blackness.

But for Zhou Sichen and Ling Luochen, two Soul Masters with the ultimate ice attribute, darkness was not an obstacle.

They could clearly sense the ice elements contained in the surrounding water, which, like leaping fireflies, outlined the surrounding terrain in their perception.

The deeper you dive, the more pronounced the water pressure becomes, as if an invisible giant hand is squeezing in from all directions, and your bones are groaning softly.

What's even more unsettling is the ever-increasing chill.

If the chill of the Ice Crystal could still be blocked, then the chill here carried an aggressive edge.

Every drop of water felt like it was being scraped by fine ice shards as it touched their skin. Even with their mastery of ice elements, they had to use their soul power to form a protective shield to resist the bone-chilling cold.

"How much longer?" Ling Luochen's voice, enveloped in soul power, clearly reached Zhou Sichen's ears, carrying a slight, almost imperceptible tremor.

This is not fear, but a physiological reaction to extreme cold.

Zhou Sichen sensed the increasingly dense fluctuations of ice elements below and said in a deep voice, "It's almost here. The ice elements in the spring have begun to form a tangible flow of air. We're not far from our target."

The existence of the Myriad-Year Profound Ice Marrow was already within his expectations. The Ice Extreme Divine Crystal was merely a byproduct of this trip. The real highlight, from beginning to end, was the ice-attribute treasure hidden beneath the spring.

After diving down another thirty meters or so, the surrounding water flow suddenly became turbulent, and a powerful suction came from below, as if all the water in the cold spring was converging here.

Zhou Sichen's eyes narrowed, and he transmitted his voice to Ling Luochen, "Hold my hand tightly, we've reached the spring!"

Ling Luochen reached out without hesitation and firmly grasped Zhou Sichen's hand.

Although the temperature of his palms was equally cold, it carried a reassuring power.

The next second, the two were pulled by that suction force, like fallen leaves caught in a vortex, falling into an even deeper darkness.

"thump--"

Two soft sounds rang out almost simultaneously. The expected immense water pressure did not arrive; instead, a sudden feeling of weightlessness and lightness came over them.

Zhou Sichen and Ling Luochen staggered a few steps before regaining their balance, only to find themselves in a small space.

It was pitch black all around, and even the perception of soul power was greatly suppressed, as if it were wrapped in thick ink.

"This is... beneath the spring?" Ling Luochen's voice carried a hint of surprise.

She could feel that the temperature around her was several times lower than in the cold spring, and the air seemed to be frozen solid.

There was no water flowing here, but every breath was like a sharp, icy shard, and when inhaled, it felt as if even the blood was freezing.

Zhou Sichen did not answer immediately. He raised his right hand, and a cluster of icy blue flames slowly rose from his palm.

Unlike ordinary flames, this cluster of flames had no warmth whatsoever; instead, it emanated a purer chill than the surrounding environment.

It was the ultimate ice he possessed, the extreme cold power that existed in the form of flames.

The moment the flames rose, the icy blue light spread out like a tide, illuminating the entire space.

Ling Luochen then saw the scene before him clearly and couldn't help but gasp.

This is an extremely small cave, with an estimated area of ​​no more than ten square meters and a height of less than one and a half meters. Two people have to bend over slightly to stand up, and if they are not careful, they will bump into the rock wall above their heads.

The cave walls are dark black rock, covered with a thick layer of white frost.

Those white frosts were not ordinary ice crystals, but were formed from the condensation of extreme ice elements, shimmering with a metallic cold light.

In the center of the cave, there are more than a dozen strange ice pillars crisscrossing each other.

These icicles are pure white, like the finest mutton-fat jade. Even under the illumination of the icy blue flames, they do not reflect any extra light, but instead exude a restrained warmth.

What is most shocking is that inside these ice pillars, liquid can be faintly seen flowing slowly, like frozen spiritual nectar. Each flow exudes a terrifying chill that can freeze the soul.

"This is... the Ten Thousand Year Profound Ice Marrow?" Ling Luochen's voice trembled with disbelief.

She could clearly sense that the chill emanating from these icicles was not a chaotic rage, but an extremely refined purity, as if it contained the most primal laws of ice in the world.

Just standing here, the ice-attribute soul power within her body began to stir uncontrollably, as if it were both fearful and yearning.

Looking at the pure white ice pillars, Zhou Sichen's eyes flashed with admiration: "That's right, this is the Ten Thousand Year Profound Ice Marrow. Compared to it, the by-product of Ice Extreme Divine Crystal is like the difference between a firefly and the bright moon."

He stretched out his hand, his fingertips hovering in front of a thin icicle, feeling the chill that almost froze the air.

"Take a closer look. The concentration of ice elements here has reached the physical limit, and it's even starting to affect the stability of the space."

"Even an ordinary ice-attribute soul master would be frozen into an ice sculpture instantly if they came here, and their soul would be completely frozen."

Ling Luochen focused his mind and sensed the sensation as instructed, his face turning slightly pale.

She discovered that the surrounding ice elements did not exist in a gaseous or liquid state, but rather condensed into nearly solid "particles," and each breath felt like swallowing tiny ice blades.

Although the extreme ice soul power within her body could resist this coldness, she also felt an unprecedented suppression, as if her own power had suddenly become insignificant in the face of the ten-thousand-year-old profound ice marrow.

"Why... is its chill so peculiar?" Ling Luochen asked, puzzled. "I've absorbed the Extreme Cold Ice Marrow before, and although it was very cold, I've never had this... feeling of being assimilated."

“Because they are fundamentally different,” Zhou Sichen explained. “Although the Extreme Cold Ice Marrow is rare, it is still a naturally formed energy crystal.”

"And the Myriad-Year-Old Profound Ice Marrow is more like a concrete manifestation of the ice laws of heaven and earth."

“Did you see the liquid flowing inside the ice pillar? That’s a primordial power comparable to the Law of Ice. Ordinary Soul Masters, let alone absorb it, will be eroded by this power even if they come into contact with it for a long time, and eventually become part of the Xuanbing Marrow.” He paused and continued, “That’s why only ice-attribute Soul Masters can get close to it.”

"When facing it head-on, only the ultimate attributes can barely resist the erosion of ice elements that are close to the level of laws."

Ling Luochen suddenly realized, and when he looked at the ice pillars again, his eyes showed more awe.

She finally understood why Zhou Sichen said that the Ten Thousand Years of Profound Ice Marrow was a true treasure.

This is no longer a simple energy body, but a treasure containing the energy of heaven and earth.

Ling Luochen was unaware that the Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm had broken through the million-year mark with ease because it had consumed countless millennia-old Xuanbing marrow without any restrictions.

If it weren't for the restrictions imposed by the divine realm, the Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm would likely have been the first anomaly in the world to become a god-level being simply by eating and sleeping.

This alone is enough to show the level of the Myriad Years of Profound Ice Marrow and the energy it contains.

"So what do we do now?" Ling Luochen looked at Zhou Sichen, her eyes filled with expectation.

Zhou Sichen smiled slightly: "You can cultivate here first."

"This cave is small, so very little energy from the Ten Thousand Years of Profound Ice Marrow leaks out. Although the ice elements that permeate the surrounding area are not as good as the Profound Ice Marrow itself, their purity far exceeds that of the Extreme Cold Ice Marrow."

"Absorbing and refining this energy is comparable to absorbing a ten-thousand-year-old Xuanbing marrow, which will raise your soul power by at least two to three levels, and will also greatly temper your ultimate ice attribute."

Ling Luochen nodded: "Then these Xuanbing Marrow..."

Zhou Sichen replied, "You focus on your cultivation, leave the rest to me."

Ling Luochen nodded, no longer hesitating, and found a relatively flat spot to sit cross-legged.

She took a deep breath, slowly closed her eyes, and immediately released her martial spirit to begin cultivating.

Within his spiritual sea, the soul spirit Qingzhang was equally excited, even though it had become a soul spirit and could not directly absorb the ten-thousand-year-old profound ice marrow.

However, it is now one with Ling Luochen, and its master's improvement will also bring it progress, from which it will benefit greatly.

Moreover, with these millennia-old profound ice marrow, Qingzhang could be certain that Ling Luochen's future achievements would not be low.

With so much Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice Marrow, even an ice-attribute pig could take flight, let alone Ling Luochen now?
However, when Ling Luochen tried to guide the surrounding ice elements, he found that these solidified ice elements were unusually "stubborn," like rocks that had taken root, and were difficult to move.

"Don't use conventional methods." Zhou Sichen's voice came at the right time: "Relax your mind and let your ultimate ice soul power resonate with the surrounding ice elements."

“Remember, you are not ‘absorbing’ them, but ‘integrating’ into them.”

Upon hearing this, Ling Luochen immediately adjusted his state of mind.

She calmed her mind and stopped actively guiding the energy, instead letting the extreme ice soul power within her rise and fall naturally like breathing.

Gradually, she sensed that the surrounding ice elements seemed to "notic" her presence; the solid particles began to tremble slightly, as if they had found a kindred spirit.

A wisp of pale blue ice element entered her body with her breath, instantly transforming into an extreme chill that flowed through her limbs and bones.

Unlike the energy she absorbed before, this chill felt completely natural, as if it were an integral part of her, directly merging into her soul power.

Ling Luochen was overjoyed and quickly increased the rhythm of the resonance. More ice elements, like guided streams, flowed continuously into her body.

Seeing that a faint white frost began to surround Ling Luochen, Zhou Sichen knew that she had entered the state, so he stopped disturbing her and turned to walk towards the crisscrossing Xuanbing marrow.

He counted carefully and found that there were a total of forty-five strands of extremely cold ice marrow in the entire Ten Thousand Years Profound Ice Cave. Each strand corresponded to the million-year-old primordial energy left behind by the Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm, and each strand was roughly equivalent to ten thousand years of energy.

This means that the entire Ten Thousand Year Ice Cave possesses nearly 500,000 years of the most refined ice-attribute energy source.

Once absorbed, a single stalk can increase an ice-attribute soul beast's cultivation by at least ten thousand years, and greatly enhance its ice elemental power.

If the Snow Empress and Ice Empress had discovered this cave beforehand, they would have faced virtually no pressure regarding their next tribulation.

Even this nearly 500,000 years of pure ice-attribute energy can help them quickly break through the next Heavenly Tribulation!

Unfortunately, they didn't have that good luck.

If Ling Luochen absorbs and refines all the energy dissipating from the entire cave, it will be equivalent to absorbing ten thousand years' worth of pure energy.

It's roughly equivalent to absorbing the power of a ten-thousand-year soul ring, enough to easily increase one's soul power by at least two or three levels.

Moreover, this upgrade is an absolute top-tier attribute, requiring no refining whatsoever. The absorption and enhancement speed is extremely fast, and there will be no instability in the foundation.

On the contrary, absorbing this energy can enhance her ultimate ice power, allowing her to continue transforming step by step.

Extreme attributes also vary in strength. When they reach a certain level, extreme ice can freeze even time and space.

Zhou Sichen's mastery of the [Time Capsule] reached the pinnacle of his mastery of ultimate ice, which was of course inseparable from the help of the Snow Emperor and the Ice Emperor.

After all, his Heavenly Fire Three Transformations were acquired later through cultivation, not innate. He had to make a huge sacrifice to achieve the ability to freeze time and space.

Besides, that's something you can only do after you have a soul core, and it won't take long, at most a few seconds.

However, given Ling Luochen's current state and strength, the use of these ten-thousand-year-old Xuanbing marrows is enough for her to quickly break through level eighty and condense the prototype of her soul core ahead of schedule.

She will have no pressure to break through level 90 in the future, while it may take an ordinary Soul Master ten or even several decades to break through level 90 and condense a Soul Core.

Even for an average genius, it would take several years to condense a soul core.

However, with the help of the Ten Thousand Year Profound Ice Marrow, Ling Luochen will find it just as easy to condense a soul core and break through to level ninety in the future as he is now.

This was her own incredible opportunity. She didn't have Ye Guyi's Lovesick Heartbreak Red Seed Body, nor Ma Xiaotao's Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower Seed, but she did have the Ten Thousand Years of Profound Ice Marrow, which was comparable to a celestial treasure!

Moreover, the Extreme Cold Ice Marrow she absorbed before was considered a half-step immortal grade, so in a sense, although Ling Luochen's opportunities in the early and middle stages were not as good as Ye Guyi and Ma Xiaotao, she has now definitely surpassed them.

After all, the three women now possess ferocious beast spirits, so this step has basically leveled the playing field.

While Ling Luochen meditated and absorbed the extreme cold energy within the cave, Zhou Sichen slowly began collecting the millennia-old Xuanbing marrow.

When Xue Di and the others see treasures at this price, I wonder if they'll immediately treat Zhou Sichen like a revered deity.

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(End of this chapter)