The wind that moved through the ancient trees of theSunset Forestcarried a strange stillness.
It was the kind of forest where the air itself seemed older than the kingdoms surrounding it. Towering trees stretched high into the sky, their branches forming a dense canopy that filtered the sunlight into scattered rays of pale gold.
Spirit beasts roamed this forest.
Powerful ones.
Predators that had survived for centuries.
Yet on this day, something unusual was happening.
They were retreating.
A massive tiger-like spirit beast with silver stripes slowly backed away from a clearing, its eyes locked on a lone figure walking calmly through the forest.
It did not roar.
It did not attack.
It simply turned and disappeared into the shadows.
High above the forest floor, a flock of spirit birds abruptly changed direction, abandoning the area entirely.
Even the insects seemed strangely quiet.
At the center of this silent disturbance walked a young man in dark robes.
His pace was unhurried.
Calm.
As if he were merely taking a casual stroll through a garden rather than crossing one of the most dangerous forests on the continent.
Perched lazily on his shoulder sat a small fox with flowing crimson fur and ten elegant tails.
The fox yawned softly.
Tushan Honghong stretched slightly, glancing around the forest with mild curiosity.
"…Everything here is running away."
Her golden eyes followed the movement of several spirit beasts fleeing deeper into the woods.
"…You're scaring the locals."
The young man beside her smiled faintly.
"Instinct."
His voice carried no arrogance.
It was simply a statement of fact.
Powerful spirit beasts possessed keen survival instincts. They could sense danger long before humans could.
And the aura surrounding Lin Huang was not something ordinary creatures wished to challenge.
Honghong flicked one of her tails lazily.
"…You're ruining the ecosystem."
Lin Huang chuckled quietly.
"They'll survive."
He continued walking, his gaze occasionally scanning the surrounding forest.
The spiritual energy in theSunset Forestwas dense.
Rich.
But chaotic.
Unlike the carefully structured cultivation environments he had created within his own territory ten thousand years in the future, the energy here flowed freely, shaped only by nature and time.
It was wild.
Untamed.
Honghong tilted her head slightly.
"So… this place you're looking for."
Lin Huang nodded.
"Yes."
She glanced ahead.
"You're sure it's here?"
Lin Huang stopped walking for a moment.
His eyes closed briefly.
Spiritual perception spread outward like invisible ripples through the forest.
Trees.
Soil.
Water.
Life.
Energy.
Everything within several kilometers became clear to him.
Then his eyes opened again.
"…Not far."
Honghong's ears twitched.
"Oh?"
Lin Huang looked toward the distant mountains rising above the forest canopy.
Those mountains were strange.
Even from afar, the energy around them felt different.
Sharp.
Toxic.
Honghong followed his gaze.
"…That direction smells terrible."
Lin Huang nodded slightly.
"Yes."
The faint scent carried by the wind was unmistakable.
Poison.
Not the natural poison of spirit beasts or toxic plants.
But something far more concentrated.
Artificial.
Organized.
A faint smile appeared on Lin Huang's face.
"Looks like we're getting close."
Honghong stretched lazily across his shoulder again.
"…Good."
One of her tails flicked lightly.
"I'm curious what kind of treasure is worth walking through this forest for."
Lin Huang's eyes remained fixed on the distant mountains.
Hidden somewhere beyond them lay the place he had come to find.
A location spoken of in legends.
A natural formation where two opposing forces existed in perfect balance.
Fire.
And ice.
The legendary valley known as theIce and Fire Yin Yang Eyes.
Lin Huang resumed walking.
And deep within the forest ahead…
A faint green mist slowly began to appear between the trees.
The deeper Lin Huang walked into theSunset Forest, the stranger the environment became.
The ancient trees gradually thinned.
The dense canopy above opened, allowing more light to fall onto the forest floor. Yet the air itself grew heavier with each step.
Something sharp lingered in the wind.
Not merely spiritual energy.
But toxin.
Honghong wrinkled her nose immediately.
"…There it is again."
Her golden eyes scanned the surrounding mountains ahead.
"This place smells even worse now."
Lin Huang did not slow his pace.
Instead, his gaze remained fixed on the rocky ridge rising beyond the trees.
A faint green mist drifted between the cliffs.
At first glance it looked like ordinary fog.
But Lin Huang could see the truth immediately.
"Poison."
Honghong tilted her head.
"Natural?"
Lin Huang shook his head.
"No."
If it had been natural poison, the flow would be chaotic and uneven. But the toxic mist ahead was moving with subtle rhythm.
Circulating.
Flowing along invisible lines between the mountains.
That meant only one thing.
"Someone arranged it."
Honghong flicked two of her tails.
"So this place has an owner."
Lin Huang smiled faintly.
"Yes."
He had expected that.
After all, the legendary valley hidden within these mountains was not an unknown location to him.
He had visited it once before.
Not in this era.
But ten thousand years later.
Back then, the valley had already become an important place for certain events in the future of the continent.
And Lin Huang remembered it very clearly.
The unique balance of fire and ice.
The rare environment capable of nurturing some of the most extraordinary spiritual herbs in existence.
TheIce and Fire Yin Yang Eyes.
But in this era, that place still had a guardian.
Honghong glanced toward the mountains again.
"…You've been here before."
It wasn't a question.
Lin Huang nodded calmly.
"In another time."
Honghong blinked once.
"…Right."
Time travel still felt ridiculous even after everything that had happened.
She stretched again lazily.
"So the poison belongs to whoever lives here?"
Lin Huang nodded.
"Yes."
His eyes moved across the green mist drifting between the cliffs.
The toxin was not merely a defensive measure.
It formed a structured network.
A barrier.
A camouflage.
A trap.
"A formation."
Honghong's ears twitched.
"Oh?"
Lin Huang continued walking toward the mountains.
"The poison isn't random."
"It's circulating."
The toxic mist shifted slowly as the wind moved through the valley entrance.
But beneath the movement of the wind…
There was another current.
Invisible lines guiding the poison through the terrain.
Honghong watched the mist carefully now.
"…So someone hid something here."
Lin Huang nodded.
"Yes."
His gaze lifted toward the rocky slopes ahead.
Hidden somewhere beyond those poisonous mountains lay the valley he was searching for.
And guarding that valley…
Was a man whose name was well known even ten thousand years in the future.
A Titled Douluo feared for his mastery of poison.
Dugu Bo.
Honghong flicked her tail once.
"…So what's the plan?"
Lin Huang stepped forward without hesitation.
"We walk in."
Honghong stared at him.
"…That's it?"
Lin Huang smiled faintly.
"For me…"
"…this formation is just a garden fence."
Ahead of them, the poisonous mist thickened.
And the mountains of toxin slowly closed in around the hidden valley.
The green mist thickened as Lin Huang approached the mountains.
What had looked like a faint haze from afar now filled the air like a silent sea of poison.
The ground itself had changed.
The soil was darker.
Cracked in places.
Several strange plants grew between the rocks—twisted vines and pale flowers whose petals released faint toxic vapor.
Ordinary spirit masters would not have lasted more than a few breaths in such an environment.
Yet Lin Huang walked forward calmly.
The poisonous mist drifted toward him.
Then… parted.
The toxin seemed to avoid him instinctively.
Perched on his shoulder,Tushan Honghong watched the phenomenon with mild curiosity.
"…The poison isn't even touching you."
Lin Huang's voice remained relaxed.
"It can't."
The poison in this area was indeed potent.
But compared to the countless energies circulating within his body—divine energy, celestial energy, dragon essence, and multiple elemental laws—it was insignificant.
To him, the toxic mist was nothing more than weak spiritual energy.
Honghong glanced around the mountains.
"…Still."
Her ears twitched slightly.
"This formation is actually pretty clever."
Lin Huang nodded.
"Yes."
The poisonous mist was not simply scattered randomly.
It flowed through the mountain range in a precise pattern.
Invisible currents moved the toxins through narrow valleys and rocky corridors.
Anyone who entered without understanding the structure would quickly lose their sense of direction.
And eventually…
They would die from the accumulated poison.
"It hides the valley."
Honghong flicked one of her tails.
"And kills intruders."
Lin Huang continued walking.
The poison currents shifted slightly as he moved forward.
But he did not break the formation.
Instead, his spiritual perception extended outward.
Tracing the flow.
Reading the structure.
Every formation had logic.
Even one built from poison.
Honghong watched him carefully.
"…You're not destroying it."
Lin Huang shook his head.
"No reason to."
Destroying the formation would immediately alert its creator.
And more importantly—
There was no need.
Lin Huang stepped slightly to the left.
Then forward again.
The poison currents shifted naturally around him.
As if the formation itself were opening a path.
Honghong blinked.
"…You're adjusting the flow."
Lin Huang nodded faintly.
"I'm following it."
Rather than forcing his way through, he simply aligned his movement with the natural rhythm of the formation.
To an outside observer it might have looked like nothing more than casual walking.
But each step was perfectly placed.
Every movement avoided the dangerous convergence points where the poison concentrated.
Honghong stretched lazily.
"…This really is like a walk in the park for you."
Lin Huang smiled slightly.
"More like someone else's garden."
Ahead of them, the poisonous mist grew thicker.
The mountains closed in on both sides.
The entrance to the hidden valley was near.
Honghong glanced around.
"…So when does the owner show up?"
Lin Huang didn't answer immediately.
He took one more step forward.
The poisonous currents suddenly shifted.
The entire formation trembled slightly.
Someone had noticed.
Lin Huang stopped walking.
A faint ripple spread through the green mist.
Then a powerful aura surged from deeper within the mountains.
Cold.
Sharp.
Filled with deadly poison.
Honghong sighed softly.
"…There he is."
The green mist swirled violently.
And a figure slowly emerged from within the poisonous fog.
A tall man with deep green hair and cold snake-like eyes.
The owner of this deadly mountain.
Dugu Bo.
His gaze locked instantly onto Lin Huang.
The surrounding poison surged.
"You…"
His voice was cold.
"…dare interfere with my formation?"
The poisonous mist swirled violently around the mountains.
At the center of it stood a tall man with long green hair and cold snake-like eyes.
His presence alone seemed to poison the air itself.
The surrounding toxin obeyed his will like an extension of his body.
The owner of this deadly mountain.
Dugu Bo.
His gaze locked instantly onto Lin Huang.
Sharp.
Suspicious.
Dangerous.
The poisonous currents of the formation shifted around him as if greeting their master.
"You…"
His voice carried a chilling calm.
"…dare interfere with my formation?"
The pressure in the air increased immediately.
A Titled Douluo's aura was not something ordinary spirit masters could endure.
The surrounding forest seemed to recoil.
The poison in the air thickened.
Yet Lin Huang simply stood there.
Unmoved.
Perched on his shoulder,Tushan Honghong glanced lazily at the green-haired man.
"…You're the gardener?"
Dugu Bo's eyes narrowed.
His gaze shifted briefly toward the fox.
Then back to Lin Huang.
"You brought a spirit beast with you."
His tone grew colder.
"…Are you here to steal my herbs?"
Lin Huang shook his head calmly.
"No."
His voice was relaxed.
"I was just passing through."
Honghong snorted softly.
"Passing through his secret poison mountain."
Dugu Bo's expression darkened.
The poisonous mist around the cliffs suddenly surged forward.
Toxic currents formed sharp green waves that rushed toward Lin Huang.
"You should not be here."
The venomous cloud struck—
And dissolved instantly.
The poison never even touched Lin Huang.
Invisible currents of water condensed in the air around him, dissolving the toxic energy before it could approach.
Dugu Bo's pupils contracted.
That had not been luck.
Lin Huang had neutralized the poison effortlessly.
Honghong flicked one of her tails.
"…That was weak."
Dugu Bo's killing intent flared.
The mountains trembled slightly.
The poison formation reacted to its master's anger.
Streams of venom surged from the cliffs and rocks like living serpents.
"Arrogant brat."
The poisonous aura intensified.
Dugu Bo stepped forward.
"Do you know where you are?"
Lin Huang smiled faintly.
"Yes."
His eyes briefly scanned the surrounding mountains.
"The hidden entrance of theIce and Fire Yin Yang Eyes."
For the first time—
Dugu Bo's expression changed.
His pupils shrank.
"You…"
His voice dropped dangerously.
"…how do you know that name?"
The poisonous mist surged again.
But Lin Huang only raised one hand slightly.
The moisture in the air condensed.
Water gathered silently around him.
The toxic energy dissolved the moment it touched the liquid barrier.
Lin Huang looked at Dugu Bo calmly.
"I didn't break your formation."
"I simply walked through it."
Dugu Bo stared at him.
A long silence followed.
Then the Titled Douluo suddenly attacked.
His aura exploded.
Green venom surged like a storm across the mountains.
A massive poisonous pressure descended toward Lin Huang.
The earth cracked beneath the energy.
Yet Lin Huang did not move.
He simply raised his hand slightly.
The surrounding moisture condensed instantly.
The poison in the air collapsed.
The entire toxic cloud froze in place.
For a moment—
Even the poisonous currents of the formation stopped moving.
Dugu Bo's eyes widened.
That was not brute force.
It was control.
Absolute control.
The poison that had dominated this mountain for decades had been neutralized in an instant.
Honghong glanced between the two men.
"…This is embarrassing."
Lin Huang lowered his hand.
The poison dispersed harmlessly into the wind.
He looked at Dugu Bo calmly.
"Your poison is impressive."
Then he added casually:
"But it's killing you."
The words landed like thunder.
Dugu Bo froze.
The venomous aura around him trembled slightly.
That sentence…
Should have been impossible for a stranger to say.
Lin Huang continued calmly.
"And if nothing changes…"
"…it will eventually kill your granddaughter as well."
A dangerous silence fell over the poisonous mountains.
The poisonous mist hanging between the mountains suddenly grew still.
Even the wind seemed to stop.
The name of his greatest weakness had been spoken so casually that for a momentDugu Bo did not react.
But the killing intent surrounding him did not disappear.
If anything, it became colder.
More dangerous.
His snake-like eyes narrowed as he stared at Lin Huang.
"…Say that again."
The venomous aura around him surged faintly.
Lin Huang did not move.
His expression remained calm.
"You heard me."
Dugu Bo's voice dropped.
"…Explain."
Behind the old Poison Douluo, the poisonous mist slowly gathered like a coiling serpent ready to strike.
But Lin Huang spoke as if none of that pressure existed.
"You cultivated poison your entire life."
"That itself isn't the problem."
He looked briefly at the poisonous currents flowing through the mountains.
"The problem is that you absorbed too much of it."
Dugu Bo's pupils shrank slightly.
Lin Huang continued.
"You stored it inside your body."
"At first it strengthened you."
"But poison always has a price."
Honghong stretched lazily on his shoulder, listening.
"…You're basically telling him he poisoned himself."
Lin Huang nodded slightly.
"Yes."
He looked directly at Dugu Bo again.
"The toxin accumulated in your meridians."
"Your bones."
"Even your organs."
His gaze sharpened slightly.
"And eventually…"
"…your soul."
Dugu Bo's expression darkened.
Everything Lin Huang had just described was correct.
Pain.
Cold poison that erupted through his body during cultivation.
The feeling that something inside him was slowly corroding his life.
He had experienced all of it.
But he had never told anyone.
Lin Huang continued calmly.
"The same poison also exists in your bloodline."
"Which means…"
"…your granddaughter inherited it."
The name was not spoken again.
But both of them knew who he meant.
Dugu Yan.
Dugu Bo's aura surged again.
But this time…
There was hesitation within it.
"How do you know this?"
Lin Huang shrugged slightly.
"I understand poison."
That was technically true.
Through his understanding of laws, elements, and spiritual perception, the structure of Dugu Bo's poison was painfully obvious.
Honghong glanced toward Dugu Bo.
"…He's right, you know."
She flicked one of her tails.
"You smell like a walking poison swamp."
Dugu Bo ignored the fox.
His gaze remained fixed on Lin Huang.
"You said you can solve it."
Lin Huang nodded.
"Yes."
Dugu Bo's eyes sharpened instantly.
"…How?"
Lin Huang answered calmly.
"You don't remove the poison."
"You control it."
Dugu Bo frowned.
"…Control?"
Lin Huang gestured toward the poisonous mist surrounding the mountains.
"You already did something similar here."
"You gathered poison."
"You organized it."
"You built a formation."
Dugu Bo's eyes flickered slightly.
Lin Huang continued.
"You simply need to do the same thing…"
"…inside your body."
Silence.
Even Honghong raised an eyebrow.
"…You're telling him to build a poison formation in his body?"
Lin Huang smiled faintly.
"Something like that."
He folded his arms.
"The poison isn't the enemy."
"It's just uncontrolled."
"If you condense it into a stable core…"
"…it stops destroying your body."
Dugu Bo stared at him.
A core.
The concept sounded absurd.
Yet at the same time…
Strangely logical.
Lin Huang added calmly:
"It will also prevent the poison from spreading through your granddaughter's body."
That sentence alone made Dugu Bo's expression change.
For the first time since appearing…
The killing intent around him began to fade.
Slowly.
"…And what do you want in return?"
Lin Huang's gaze shifted toward the mountains behind Dugu Bo.
Hidden beyond the poisonous mist.
Hidden behind the formation.
The place he had come here to find.
The legendary garden of immortal herbs.
TheIce and Fire Yin Yang Eyes.
Lin Huang smiled slightly.
"Just a few herbs."
Honghong immediately added from his shoulder:
"…And maybe permission to sit in the lake."
Dugu Bo stared at them in silence.
For several long seconds.
Then he slowly turned his head.
Looking toward the poisonous mountains behind him.
The hidden valley beyond them.
Finally he spoke.
"…Follow me."
The poisonous mist parted.
And the entrance to the hidden valley slowly opened.
The poisonous mist slowly parted.
Like a curtain being drawn aside, the toxic fog that had hidden the mountains for decades began to separate under the will ofDugu Bo.
"Follow me."
His voice remained cold, but the killing intent that had filled the mountains earlier had mostly disappeared.
Lin Huang simply nodded and stepped forward.
Beside him,Tushan Honghongstretched lazily across his shoulder.
"…Finally."
She glanced around at the poisonous cliffs.
"I was starting to get bored of all this green fog."
Dugu Bo did not respond.
He simply turned and walked deeper into the mountains.
Lin Huang followed calmly.
The path wound through narrow rocky corridors where the poisonous mist grew thicker and thicker.
Ordinary spirit masters would have collapsed within seconds.
Yet the venom avoided Lin Huang as if it possessed its own instincts.
Dugu Bo noticed.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
The poison of these mountains was something he had cultivated for decades.
Even powerful spirit masters struggled to endure it.
Yet the young man walking behind him did not even bother defending himself.
The toxin simply dissolved around him.
That alone was enough to make Dugu Bo wary.
After several minutes of walking through the poisonous mountain range…
The mist ahead suddenly thinned.
Then vanished entirely.
The mountains opened.
And the hidden valley appeared.
For the first time since entering the poison mountains, Honghong's lazy expression changed.
"…Oh."
Her golden eyes widened slightly.
"Now that is interesting."
Before them lay a valley unlike any other place in the world.
At its center rested a lake divided into two halves.
One side burned with intense crimson light.
The other radiated pale blue frost.
Fire and ice.
Heat and cold.
Perfectly balanced.
The legendaryIce and Fire Yin Yang Eyes.
Steam drifted above the surface where the two energies met.
The surrounding ground was covered in spiritual vegetation.
Rare herbs.
Precious plants.
Some of them radiated spiritual light so dense that the air itself shimmered around them.
Honghong slowly looked around the valley.
"…You didn't tell me it would look like this."
Lin Huang's gaze quietly scanned the entire environment.
The moment he stepped into the valley…
He felt it.
The balance.
The powerful flow of opposing energies.
Fire essence surged from one side of the lake.
Ice essence from the other.
Yet neither side overwhelmed the other.
Instead they formed a natural cycle.
A perfect yin-yang equilibrium.
Honghong tilted her head slightly.
"So this is the famous place you mentioned."
Lin Huang nodded faintly.
"Yes."
His eyes moved toward the plants surrounding the lake.
Several of them were immediately recognizable.
Immortal herbs.
Treasures capable of transforming a cultivator's fate.
Even someone like Dugu Bo treated this valley like a personal treasure vault.
But Lin Huang did not move toward the herbs.
Not yet.
Instead he stepped closer to the edge of the lake.
The air grew warmer.
Then colder.
Then warm again.
The two forces collided constantly in the center of the valley.
Honghong watched him carefully.
"You're analyzing the energy."
Lin Huang nodded.
"This place is perfect."
The environment here was far superior to anything he could recreate artificially.
The natural balance of extreme elements created an ideal environment for cultivation.
Not only for refining herbs.
But also for refining the body.
And stabilizing powerful energies.
Lin Huang's spiritual perception expanded outward.
He felt the flow of energy inside the lake.
The fire spring deep beneath one half of the water.
The ice spring beneath the other.
Two primordial forces locked in eternal balance.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"…Even better than I remember."
Dugu Bo glanced at him.
"You've been here before?"
Lin Huang smiled faintly.
"In a different time."
Dugu Bo frowned slightly, unsure whether the answer was a joke.
Honghong ignored the conversation.
Her attention had shifted elsewhere.
"…There are a lot of good herbs here."
She looked toward a cluster of plants glowing faintly with spiritual light.
"Some of those are probably worth entire cities."
Dugu Bo snorted.
"They are."
His gaze remained sharp.
"And you will not touch them without my permission."
Lin Huang nodded calmly.
"That was the agreement."
Dugu Bo studied him carefully.
The young man's calmness still bothered him.
Most people who entered this valley would have been overwhelmed by the treasures around them.
Yet Lin Huang seemed far more interested in the lake itself.
Finally Lin Huang stepped forward.
He stopped exactly between the two halves of the lake.
One step closer and the heat from the fire spring would burn ordinary flesh.
One step back and the cold from the ice spring would freeze blood instantly.
Yet he simply sat down.
Cross-legged.
Dugu Bo's eyes widened slightly.
"What are you doing?"
Lin Huang closed his eyes.
"Cultivating."
The moment he said the word…
The energy of the valley reacted.
The fire essence on one side surged slightly.
The icy energy on the other trembled.
The balance of the entire valley shifted almost imperceptibly.
Honghong watched with mild amusement.
"…You didn't waste any time."
Lin Huang's voice remained calm.
"The environment here is too good to ignore."
Around him, the opposing energies of fire and ice slowly began circulating.
Not violently.
But naturally.
Drawn toward the center.
Toward him.
EvenDugu Bonoticed it.
His gaze sharpened instantly.
For decades he had cultivated beside this valley.
Yet the energies of the lake had never reacted like this before.
The fire essence surged slightly.
The ice essence answered.
And the two forces slowly began circulating around the figure sitting between them.
Dugu Bo's eyes narrowed.
"…What exactly did I just let into my garden?"
Far from the poisonous mountains of theSunset Forest,life within Tianshui Academy had already begun to change.
The academy that once prided itself on elegance and discipline now felt strangely alive.
Students moved between the newly constructed training halls.
The gravity chamber.
The perception hall.
The soul power control room.
Even the instructors had begun experimenting with the strange training methods left behind by the mysterious visitor.
In the central courtyard, a group of instructors and elite students had gathered.
At the front stood the academy's headmaster.
Shui Linlong.
In her hands rested a jade box.
Inside it were several small bottles.
The pills Lin Huang had left behind.
Shui Linlong opened the box slowly.
Even before removing the pills, the faint spiritual aura within the container spread across the courtyard.
Several instructors exchanged surprised glances.
These were no ordinary medicinal pills.
"Before leaving," Shui Linlong said calmly, "Teacher Lin entrusted these to the academy."
Her voice carried clearly across the courtyard.
"These pills are meant for cultivation."
She lifted one of the bottles and poured a single pill into her palm.
The pill was pale blue.
Faint threads of spiritual light circulated within it like tiny rivers.
"One pill for each member of the elite team."
Her gaze moved toward the young women standing nearby.
Shui Bing'erShui Yue'er
Along with the other students preparing for the upcoming Spirit Master Tournament.
"These pills will cleanse the meridians."
"Purify the marrow."
"And remove the lingering resentment left behind by soul rings."
The instructors could not hide their shock.
Removing the resentment of soul rings was something even powerful spirit masters struggled to accomplish.
Yet Lin Huang had casually left enough pills for the academy's best students.
Shui Yue'er leaned toward her sister and whispered quietly.
"…Teacher Lin really left something ridiculous."
Shui Bing'er said nothing.
Her gaze remained fixed on the pill in the headmaster's hand.
The cold aura emanating from it resonated faintly with her own soul power.
Meanwhile, Shui Linlong opened another jade bottle.
The spiritual pressure inside this bottle was noticeably stronger.
"These pills…"
She paused briefly.
"…are for the instructors."
Several teachers looked surprised.
"These pills are meant for spirit masters above Rank 70."
One of the instructors frowned slightly.
"What do they do?"
Shui Linlong studied the pill in her hand.
"Teacher Lin described it as…"
She searched her memory.
"…a method to condense spiritual power into a stable internal core."
The courtyard grew quiet.
Even the senior instructors looked puzzled.
"A core?" one of them asked.
"Yes."
Shui Linlong nodded slowly.
"He explained that when spiritual power becomes sufficiently dense, it can condense into a stable center inside the body."
"A kind of energy nucleus."
The instructors exchanged confused looks.
This concept was completely unfamiliar.
Yet the theory sounded strangely reasonable.
According to Lin Huang's explanation, such a core would:
stabilize cultivation
greatly increase energy efficiency
strengthen control over spiritual power.
For high-rank spirit masters…
The benefits would be extraordinary.
One of the instructors whispered quietly:
"…If this is real…"
"…it could change high-level cultivation entirely."
Shui Linlong closed the bottle again.
"Yes."
Her gaze swept across the academy grounds.
The training halls.
The cultivation rooms.
The manuals.
And now these pills.
"Teacher Lin stayed only a few days."
"But what he left behind…"
"…may change the future of Tianshui Academy."
Nearby, Shui Bing'er accepted the pill handed to her.
The moment she swallowed it—
A warm current flowed through her body.
Her meridians trembled slightly.
Then a gentle cold energy spread through her limbs.
The moisture in the air responded instinctively.
Tiny frost crystals formed around her fingers.
Shui Yue'er blinked.
"…Whoa."
Shui Bing'er looked down at her hands.
The control felt different.
Easier.
More natural.
As if the ice element itself was responding to her presence.
Shui Yue'er grinned.
"Looks like Teacher Lin left you a special gift."
Shui Bing'er immediately withdrew her hand.
"…Don't say strange things."
But the faint warmth on her cheeks betrayed her.
Above the academy courtyard, the wind moved softly through the trees.
And far away…
Inside the hidden valley of theIce and Fire Yin Yang Eyes.
Lin Huang continued cultivating between fire and ice.
Unaware that the things he had casually left behind…
Were already beginning to reshape the future of an entire academy.