don't worry, you're not missing a Chapter.
The two of them spent several hours wrapped in each other's warmth, releasing all the longing they'd held in their hearts. Only then did they begin to prepare for the return journey.
However, Zhou Sichen wasn't planning to leave just yet. After all, this was a rare opportunity. Even though he hadn't yet obtained his fourth soul ring, he was confident that he could traverse the poisonous miasma created by the Jade Phosphor Ninefold Bloom.
Turning to Ye Guyi, Zhou Sichen said,
"Sister, you take the Medusa back to the academy first. I'll stay behind to see if I can find a suitable fourth soul ring."
Hearing this, the sharp-minded Ye Guyi instantly understood what he was up to, though she hesitated for a moment.
"Are you sure you don't need my help?"
Zhou Sichen smiled gently.
"Of course I want you to stay with me, but where I'm going is extremely dangerous. Right now, entering that place could put your life at risk. I can't guarantee your safety, so..."
Hearing this, the light in Ye Guyi's eyes dimmed slightly.
Although Zhou Sichen was three years younger than her, his talent and strength far surpassed her own.
Over the years, Zhou Sichen had always been someone with a strong sense of purpose and a clear plan. Thinking back to the promise they made as children, Ye Guyi never questioned him—she always chose to believe in him.
So she didn't ask where he was going. She simply understood that her current strength wouldn't be of help—and that realization brought her a trace of sadness.
After a moment of silence, Ye Guyi said seriously,
"I understand. I'll cover for you with the teacher. Just make sure you stay safe. Don't overestimate yourself, alright?"
Zhou Sichen nodded lightly.
Ye Guyi then stored the frozen Medusa into her soul tool. Zhou Sichen had used Ice Explosion Technique to freeze Medusa, but he hadn't triggered the second stage detonation.
So although Medusa wasn't dead, her heart meridians were completely frozen, her vitality sealed off—making it perfectly safe to store her within a soul tool.
After putting the ice sculpture away, Ye Guyi stepped in front of Zhou Sichen and suddenly placed a light kiss on his forehead.
"Next time, I'll definitely be able to go with you—without being a burden."
As soon as she finished speaking, the angelic wings behind her unfolded, and she transformed into a streak of golden light, flying out of the canyon.
She was afraid that if she stayed any longer, she wouldn't be able to bring herself to leave.
Zhou Sichen had already told her about the improvements he'd made recently, so she knew just how strong he had become.
And if someone as powerful as Zhou Sichen wasn't entirely confident, then her presence would definitely have been a burden. But she refused to accept that role.
Watching her departing figure, Zhou Sichen couldn't help but touch his forehead.
"Was that the first time she took the initiative?"
Although their feelings for each other had long been mutual, Zhou Sichen was still young. Up to this point, their intimacy had only gone as far as hugging—nothing more.
"Heh." Zhou Sichen suddenly chuckled softly.
"How bold... I'll definitely return the favor when I get back!"
Turning his gaze deeper into the canyon, Zhou Sichen could clearly tell that the faint green mist originated from the Jade Phosphor Sevenfold Bloom, which meant he was close to the Icefire Yin Yang Well.
The Jade Phosphor Sevenfold Bloom was indeed one of the most poisonous plants in existence, but it had a critical weakness: it feared cold.
And nothing countered it more than Ultimate Ice.
This was one of the main reasons Zhou Sichen had abandoned the idea of a third martial soul and instead had Tian Meng grant A'Da the power of Ultimate Ice.
A'Da was originally just a normal Ice Jade Scorpion. Even after reaching the ten-thousand-year level, it wouldn't necessarily awaken Ultimate Ice. To do so, it would have to give up all its natural toxins.
But the Ice Jade Scorpion's venom was also one of the deadliest poisons in existence—Zhou Sichen had no intention of giving that up.
More importantly, Zhou Sichen disliked redundancy. While a third martial soul was certainly valuable, at his current level, two martial souls were already more than enough.
And besides, Elder Yi would most likely gift him a martial soul in the future—effectively making him a Three Martial Souls user already. Adding the Ice Empress's martial soul on top of that would simply be overkill.
This choice had its pros and cons—but for Zhou Sichen's current state, it was the right decision.
With A'Da now possessing Ultimate Ice, and supported by Xiong Da and Hellfire, he was confident he could traverse the Jade Phosphor poison field and enter the Icefire Yin Yang Well.
With that thought, Zhou Sichen summoned his martial soul—Book of Contracts—once again, calling forth Hellfire and Xiong Da.
After several hours of recovery, A'Da's soul power had mostly stabilized.
With soul rings shining, all three contracted soul beasts fused with him simultaneously.
Zhou Sichen's appearance changed once again—phoenix wings spread from his back, his body clad in dark-golden armor, with red and blue patterns flowing across it like intricate engravings.
He transformed into a streak of light and soared into the sky, heading straight toward the source of the green mist.
After an hour of flight, the sun was still shining brightly, but Zhou Sichen's surroundings began to blur slightly.
The Sunset Forest looked calm on the surface, but a thin layer of mist floated through the trees.
Aside from the initial green, the mist was now tinged with white, pink, and blue—several colors mixing together.
There was no need to guess—Zhou Sichen knew he was already very close to the Jade Phosphor Sevenfold Bloom Poison Field, and his excitement gradually rose.
If Tian Meng and Elder Yi were his biggest "cheat codes," then the Icefire Yin Yang Well was another one entirely.
The immortal herbs within were enough to cultivate a group of top-tier powerhouses. If he could secure the Icefire Yin Yang Well, his growth would accelerate tremendously.
Now, he was racing against time—his goal was to grow stronger as fast as possible, and eventually dominate the world with unstoppable momentum.
As Zhou Sichen pressed onward, the multicolored mist behind him began to thin and fade, while the fog ahead only grew denser.
From a distance, it looked like a multicolored cloud had settled over the forest, obscuring even the vegetation beneath. The colors of the cloud continued to deepen.
But Zhou Sichen remained calm. He knew the Jade Phosphor Sevenfold Bloom's weakness.
A layer of Ultimate Ice formed a shield around his body, and in an instant, a domain-like cold aura burst forth!
Thanks to Tian Meng's blessing, A'Da awakened Ultimate Ice upon reaching the ten-thousand-year level, and with it, the domain Eternal Freeze.
If not for Ultimate Ice, A'Da might not have been able to awaken this domain at all.
Now, with the Absolute Zero domain fully active, all poison mist within a five-meter radius around Zhou Sichen was completely isolated.
His phoenix wings and soul tool propulsion system accelerated him further, turning him into a streak of light as he advanced at incredible speed.
Ultimate Ice did indeed counter the Jade Phosphor Sevenfold Bloom—but his soul power was limited, and he didn't have a soul power recovery device on him.
If both A'Da and his own reserves ran out, he'd have to draw from Hellfire and Xiong Da. And if all three contracted beasts and his own soul power were exhausted, he would be lost within this deadly poison field.
He only knew the Jade Phosphor's weakness, but not how far it was to the entrance of the Icefire Yin Yang Well—so he had to move fast.
Soon, Zhou Sichen spotted a field of flowers.
These jade-green blossoms stretched out on either side. They weren't tall—only about half a meter high. Each jade-green plant had nine oddly-shaped leaves.
The leaves resembled human hands, but had seven fingers—some larger ones even had nine.
At their tops bloomed large green flowers, from which the jade-colored mist was continuously released.
The poisonous mist slowly drifted outward, merging with the surrounding multicolored haze.
Among all the colors in the miasma, green was by far the most dominant.
These were the Jade Phosphor Sevenfold Blooms, among the most poisonous plants in existence.
Their venom was not only corrosive—earning them the title "the most corrosive poison"—but also possessed intense neurotoxins.
Contact with them would corrode the body and cause unbearable nerve pain.
Yet, they were also incredibly rare and valuable—every plant-type soul master's dream.
If a plant-type soul master could find a Jade Phosphor Sevenfold Bloom that had evolved into a soul beast and absorb it as a soul ring, they would gain its deadly poison as their own.
If you want to support me or read advanced Chapters (21+), consider checking out my pat.
patr*on.com/Salsita2k