Luck was on Lin Jie's side—he had acquired not just one, but two Spirit Bones, both stored safely in his spatial ring. These were trophies from his recent battles while testing and refining the use of his railgun—Spirit Beast kills born of precision and power.
One was a right leg bone from a ten-thousand-year Nether Shadow Wolf. That beast had been incredibly fast, but Lin Jie was even faster. Still, it had taken considerable effort to bring it down. The bone granted extreme speed—an ideal enhancement for an agility-type.
The second was a left arm bone from a ten-thousand-year Earthbeast. It provided a balance of power and defense—enhancing Spirit Power and allowing the user to manifest a defensive light barrier to block attacks.
But Lin Jie didn't plan to absorb either of them. They didn't suit his martial path, and frankly, he thought they were a bit too weak for him.
His intention? The speed-enhancing leg bone would go to Zhu Zhuqing. He hadn't seen her in over a month—this would be a nice gift to make up for it. (Not that he'd ever admit the real reason—especially not the author, who clearly liked Zhu Zhuqing best.)
As for the arm bone, Lin Jie considered gifting it to Ning Rongrong. The two had already opened their hearts to each other, and besides, it might help down the line if he ever needed the support of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan. Lin Jie had never been one to shortchange the women around him. Ning Rongrong wasn't his woman yet—but who could say what might happen in the future?
Two days later, Lin Jie finally saw a streak of green lightning bolt away in the direction of Heaven Dou City—there was no mistaking it. Poison Douluo, Dugu Bo, had left.
Just to be safe, Lin Jie lingered for another day, periodically activating his spiritual net to check for Dugu Bo's return. Once he was confident the Titled Douluo was truly gone, he moved in.
Before entering the poisonous miasma zone, he carefully activated his Lightning Sheath—covering his body in a thin membrane of Spirit Power-charged lightning. This would instantly neutralize any incoming toxins.
As expected, the venomous fog didn't affect him. The innate poison resistance granted by the Spotted-Eye Giant Lizard's racial ability was genuine.
With his spiritual net open, Lin Jie made his way toward the place where Dugu Bo usually lingered. That was where the true treasure lay.
Soon, he reached a cliff. Below it was a narrow valley—and what he saw ignited a fiery hunger in his chest.
There it was—just as described in the ancient texts—the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
A pair of hot springs, joined in a single oval-shaped basin, one side milky white and the other deep crimson. Steam rose in thick columns where the two polar energies met, yet the waters remained perfectly divided, never mixing.
He had found it—the legendary Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, a once-in-a-million-years treasure. A spring born of two opposing forces—extreme yin and yang. It could nurture spirit herbs to unprecedented levels and refine the body in ways no other natural phenomenon could.
Lin Jie's gaze shifted to the edge of the spring where two vibrant plants grew—one red, one blue. The red was the Infernal Delicate Apricot, the blue the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass—two of the most famous immortal herbs.
Further off in a darker corner of the valley, he spotted a faint pink glow—nearly invisible under the dense vegetation. A massive blossom stood at the center of a pale pink energy field. Consulting the ancient herbal manual he carried, Lin Jie's eyes widened.
It was the Fragrant Delicate Immortal, one of the rarest immortal herbs—capable of neutralizing all poisons. It didn't cure venom, but within its aura, all poisons were rendered inert.
As Lin Jie explored further, he identified more than a dozen immortal herbs—some he recognized, others not. But their powerful auras left no doubt about their rarity.
He began collecting them with care, placing each into pre-prepared high-grade jade boxes from his spatial ring. These specialized containers preserved medicinal efficacy to the highest degree. Fortunately, the Lightning Sheath covering his hands kept the herbs from being damaged during collection.
When he had gathered everything that could be picked without disturbing the balance of the area, Lin Jie turned his gaze toward the center of the spring.
This place was far more than a treasure trove—it was a baptismal ground. He planned to enter the Yin Yang Well itself and refine his body. Though he wasn't entirely certain he could withstand the extreme energy, he was confident it wouldn't kill him.
He glanced one last time at the two herbs he hadn't picked—Infernal Delicate Apricot and Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass—and steeled his resolve.
With a swift motion, he plucked both, popped them into his mouth, and leapt into the heart of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
Sitting cross-legged in the center, Lin Jie floated atop the water, unmoving.
Instantly, he felt it—searing heat and bone-chilling cold wracking his body in turn. Crimson and azure light flickered over his skin. His handsome face twisted in pain, as if trapped in endless cycles of fire and frost, but he gritted his teeth and endured.
Time passed slowly.
Finally—he burst up from the water with a triumphant shout, eyes glowing with unrestrained joy. He stared at his hands in wonder.
"It worked. The Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well… this isn't something just anyone can survive. But the result—my body's on a whole new level. I can't believe how much stronger I've become. I'm completely immune to both fire and ice now!"
His eyes flicked down to the depths of the spring. He murmured to himself, "Should I go deeper? I remember something… the Icefire Dragon Kings' remnants are said to lie below…"
He hesitated.
He didn't fear the remnant soul of a god-beast—but a creature once counted among the Nine Dragon Kings, once divine… Even a soul fragment could be dangerous.
Still, Lin Jie was never one to back down.
"Fortune favors the bold. If it gets dicey, I can always retreat."
Decision made, he dove into the spring's depths.
Thanks to the herbs he had consumed, his body easily resisted the elemental extremes. Despite suppressing his spirit power to avoid leveling up too quickly, the surge in energy had already pushed him to Rank 44.
He swam deep, lungs steady and eyes sharp. Darkness swallowed him, but he pressed onward. A faint glow appeared ahead.
He followed it—and suddenly, he passed into a hidden cavern. Roughly a hundred meters in diameter, and dominated by two enormous skeletal remains.
These were the bones of the Ice and Fire Dragon Kings.
Even after tens of thousands of years, the divine beast corpses still occupied half the space. Though most of their essence had faded, their final gift remained:
Spirit Bones.
Each skeleton cradled a shimmering, multicolored aura—within which floated two crystalline objects, half-spirit, half-bone, suspended in midair.
Lin Jie's gaze locked on them instantly. These were no ordinary Spirit Bones.
They were divine.
Cautiously, he stepped forward toward the legacy of the Dragon Kings.