The moment Oscar jumped into the Ice and Fire Eyes of Two Natures, his clothes turned to ash and scattered. Before that, however, he had removed the soul tool from his right hand to prevent it from being damaged.
Once submerged, Oscar felt his body being forged from the inside out. Although the ice and fire energies had neutralized each other to some extent, they began to wreak havoc within his body. The medicinal power contained in the heavenly-grade medicinal herbs was terrifying, and with the clash of ice and fire, the resulting energy impact was immense. Oscar could only rely on his willpower to resist.
At that moment, he was like a common piece of iron being forged into refined steel through the effects of the Octagonal Ice Herb, the Fiery Apricot Immortal Herb, and the unique properties of the Ice and Fire Eyes of Two Natures.
Time slowly passed, and soon a day went by. When Oscar opened his eyes again, he had undergone a tremendous transformation.
After a day, with the catalytic effect of the Ice and Fire Eyes of Two Natures, Oscar had slowly absorbed the terrifying medicinal power of both the Octagonal Ice Herb and the Fiery Apricot Immortal Herb into his body.
After undergoing the maximum possible body tempering and transformation, most of the remaining medicinal power had settled throughout his meridians and bones.
That's right. Although Oscar had absorbed and refined the two heavenly-grade medicinal herbs, he couldn't completely digest their energy in such a short time. The medicinal power contained in these two herbs was so vast that it couldn't be fully absorbed in a brief period.
In just one day, Oscar had only managed to absorb and refine about a third of the energy from the two heavenly-grade herbs, and even this had pushed him to his current limit. There would be no way to quickly refine the remaining energy; it would take time to process this terrifying power.
Even so, Oscar had reaped enormous benefits. First and foremost, his physical constitution had reached at least the level of a fifty-five-year-old Soul Elder.
Thanks to the Ice-Fire Golden Body, Oscar's body had undergone a massive transformation. Although the transformation was still ongoing, Oscar now possessed a special physique.
This physique made him immune to all poisons. Under the special effects of the Octagonal Ice Herb and the Fiery Apricot Immortal Herb, Oscar would no longer fear any venomous toxins in the future. Moreover, he himself was a perfect antidote.
Now, a single drop of Oscar's blood could serve as a universal antidote. He was, in essence, a treasure.
Furthermore, the Ice and Fire Eyes of Two Natures no longer posed any threat to Oscar. The Extreme Yin Spring was like cold water, and the Extreme Yang Spring was merely warm. Soaking in them not only caused no harm but was actually very comfortable. Additionally, the effects of the two heavenly-grade herbs within his own body needed the Ice and Fire Eyes to continue being fully absorbed, allowing him to achieve a perfect Ice-Fire Golden Body.
However, while Oscar had obtained the heavenly-grade medicinal herbs he had dreamed of, Dugu Bo and Dugu Yan were suffering.
Because the previous morning, although Dugu Yan had followed Dugu Bo to the stone hut, in the afternoon she had wanted to bring Oscar a meal. But when she arrived outside the Ice and Fire Eyes, she couldn't see Oscar anywhere.
At that moment, Dugu Yan instantly grew anxious and couldn't help but call out Oscar's name loudly outside the Ice and Fire Eyes. But no matter how she shouted, she got no response. It wasn't until Dugu Bo heard Dugu Yan's voice that he came down to investigate.
They then discovered that Oscar's presence was completely gone. When Dugu Bo realized Oscar was missing, he too became anxious. He rather admired this child, and Oscar had personally promised to help detoxify Dugu Yan. Now that he was gone, how could Dugu Bo not be worried?
But soon, Dugu Bo noticed something was wrong. He realized three medicinal herbs were missing around the Ice and Fire Eyes. At first, Dugu Bo thought Oscar had run off with the herbs, but considering Oscar's character and the poison array he had set up outside, Dugu Bo dismissed this idea.
Not to mention anything else, but even if Oscar's knowledge wasn't inferior to his own, the poison array he had set up outside was something even a Soul Douluo wouldn't dare to confront head-on, let alone a young Soul Elder like Oscar.
In the end, there was only one possibility. Dugu Bo rushed to the edge of the Ice and Fire Eyes. Since Oscar hadn't left, this had to be the only explanation.
Oscar had fallen into the Ice and Fire Eyes. The two special streams of extreme cold and extreme heat were something Dugu Bo himself dared not contact for long. If Oscar had encountered them, wouldn't he have been instantly turned to ash?
Dugu Bo had originally intended to warn Oscar, but at the time, Oscar himself had mentioned the name "Ice and Fire Eyes of Two Natures," clearly recognizing the place, so Dugu Bo didn't say anything. After all, if Oscar knew what it was, he would naturally know how to protect himself. But Dugu Bo never imagined Oscar would actually fall in!
The reason Dugu Bo was so certain was that he found two soul tools on the bank beside the spring, and they were clearly Oscar's.
Looking into the bottomless spring, Dugu Bo couldn't sense Oscar's aura at all, as the extreme cold and heat completely blocked his spiritual power.
So, whether he wanted to admit it or not, the only possible outcome was that Oscar might be gone.
When Dugu Bo broke this news to Dugu Yan, she was instantly stunned, and then a wave of sorrow washed over her.
Dugu Yan had been incredibly happy that day. For the first time in fifteen years, she had made a true friend. This friend not only understood her, accepted her, and didn't despise her, but even guided her, and in the end, had offered to help detoxify her.
Dugu Yan had already found a friend for life. She had already told Dugu Bo that after obtaining her third soul ring, she would go to Shrek Academy with Oscar. Dugu Bo had already agreed.
Dugu Bo had even joked that although Oscar was only eleven years old, he was already taller than Dugu Yan. If they walked together without speaking, no one would know Oscar was only eleven.
And whether in terms of talent or appearance, Oscar was the top-tier Dugu Bo had ever seen. If Dugu Yan could get along well with Oscar, in the future...
When Dugu Yan heard this, she was so embarrassed she blushed, glared at Dugu Bo, and said something about her grandfather having no sense of propriety, how she was the older sister and shouldn't have those kinds of thoughts about her younger brother...
She just never expected that in just one afternoon, her good friend, good younger brother, even good husband... would be gone.
Honestly, although she had only known him for a few hours, just half a day, Dugu Yan cared deeply for Oscar. Now that he was gone, Dugu Yan collapsed on the spot, crying her heart out.
Seeing Dugu Yan suddenly like this, Dugu Bo sighed, picked up Oscar's soul tools, walked over to his granddaughter, and comforted her softly, "Yan Yan, the world is unpredictable. Some things are beyond our control. I also find it hard to believe what happened to Xiao Ao, but..."
Before Dugu Bo could finish, Dugu Yan looked up, her eyes red-rimmed as she stared at him, "Grandpa! Why?! Why is heaven targeting me? Just when I was given hope, now there's only despair..."
Hearing this, Dugu Bo was also heartbroken, but what could he do? Although he was a Title Douluo, he didn't have the power to bring the dead back to life.
Dugu Bo gently patted Dugu Yan's back. After a long while, he sighed, "Yan Yan, tomorrow I'll go to the Balak Kingdom to visit Xiao Ao's academy and inform his teachers. I bear some responsibility for this. We'll see what we can do to compensate them then."
Hearing this, Dugu Yan nodded slightly, but the tears still wouldn't stop. How could she be so heartbroken over someone she had just met?
Dugu Yan didn't know what her feelings for Oscar were, but it no longer mattered, because... he was gone.
(End of Chapter)