Chapter 3: Eye of Ice and Fire

"Lu Yuan, you took me to the grove again."

"If not the grove today, then we're going to Sunset Forest."

Lu Yuan swaggered out of Tiandou Royal Academy, pulling Dugu Yan along.

The porter at the gate didn't even try to stop them. He knew better than to mess with Lu Yuan.

"You're going to steal my grandpa's medicinal herbs again, aren't you?"

"Yan Yan, don't call it stealing!" Lu Yuan said indignantly. "If you marry me, there won't even be a dowry. Your grandpa's poor enough as it is—taking a few herbs for ourselves isn't a big deal!"

"We're just going back to retrieve what's ours," Lu Yuan insisted, holding her hand as he led her out.

He had learned from Xue Beng that Dugu Bo was out playing chess with Xue Xing today, so this was the perfect opportunity to sneak into the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well and check out the medicinal herbs.

Drawing his long sword, Lu Yuan called out, "Hop on, Goose!"

The moment Dugu Yan stepped onto the sword, her surroundings blurred as they soared through the air. Trees rushed past them like illusions.

Lu Yuan was a mystery. She had never seen him cultivate—just drink. And yet, his strength kept growing.

As they approached her grandfather's herb garden, Dugu Yan warned, "There's a lot of poisonous fog around here, so be careful—"

Before she could finish, Lu Yuan had already walked through it. The fog dissipated instantly under the force of his sword.

"I'm here! This feels great!" Lu Yuan grinned as they arrived at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, where countless rare herbs grew.

Excitement filled his eyes. "It's just like in my past life!" he thought.

He didn't need the herbs' gold and jade treasures. His sword was the perfect tool for harvesting them, and somehow, it never harmed the plants—whether they had fire, cold, or poisonous properties. Even Lu Yuan didn't fully understand why.

Without hesitation, he began digging.

"Gulp… Gulp… Gulp…"

He plucked a Strange Velvet Chrysanthemum. "This is great for keeping in shape. Let's take it!"

Then came the Eight Petals Immortal Orchid. "Perfect for gifting to a girl. Dig it up!"

Lovesick Heartbroken Red!

Qi Luo Tulip!

"Lu Yuan, hurry up! My grandpa could be back any minute," Dugu Yan warned.

Lu Yuan smiled, satisfied with the medicinal herbs now packed in his bag. "Next time, I'll keep an eye on this place. If Tang San dares to show up here, I'll cut him down!"

"Let's celebrate with a drink! Haha!"

"No way!" Dugu Yan refused. She still wasn't sure what Lu Yuan had done the last time he got her drunk.

"Imperial tribute wine—don't say no!" Lu Yuan insisted.

"Gulp… Gulp… Gulp…"

"Lu Yuan, slow down! You're drinking too much!" Dugu Yan held onto him tightly. This wasn't flying on a sword; it felt more like a roller coaster.

Meanwhile, Xue Beng was running for his life. "That Lu Yuan bastard! He promised to be my bodyguard, but he's nowhere to be found!" he cursed, as two soul masters chased him.

His Martial Soul, inherited from the Heaven Dou imperial family, was the Swan—a weak soul spirit, completely useless in a fight.

Seeing a wall in front of him, Xue Beng's heart sank. Was this how his years of playing the fool were going to end? He wasn't ready to die!

The two assassins were closing in.

Boom!

Suddenly, a long sword crashed down, engulfed in black flames.

"Gulp… Gulp… Gulp…"

"Do you two idiots want to ruin my tribute wine?" Lu Yuan growled as he arrived, his presence unmistakable.

Xue Beng breathed a sigh of relief. "Brother Lu Yuan, you're finally here!" he cried.

"I've been here for a while," Lu Yuan replied, grinning. Xue Beng, however, was not amused.

The two assassins, clearly not expecting Lu Yuan, activated their Martial Souls.

"Gulp… Gulp… Gulp… hiccup!"

Ding!

Detected that the host is drunk. First spirit ring age +30 years. First spirit ring has reached 2,000 years. Full attribute increase by 10% (special bonus in drunk state!).

The royal tribute wine had given Lu Yuan's spirit ring a significant boost!

"Alright, it's fight time!" Lu Yuan declared, pulling his long sword from the ground. As he stepped forward, spirit rings appeared at his feet: purple, purple, purple, black.

The assassins stared in disbelief. "What kind of monster is this?!"

Still, they steeled themselves. No matter how powerful Lu Yuan was, he was just a Soul Sect. They were Soul Kings.

But Lu Yuan raised his sword high, the first spirit ring lighting up. "Surge!"

Black flames erupted from both the sword and Lu Yuan himself, making him look like a demon from the underworld. The air around him distorted, walls cracked, and the ground shook under the force of his Sword Qi.

"Breakthrough!"

With his second spirit ring glowing, nine black flames shot from his sword, engulfing the two soul kings. Their souls were drawn into the sword, leaving only withered bones in their place.

"Lu Yuan! Are you alright?" Dugu Yan shouted as she ran to him, worried. She didn't know that he had already been here for over ten minutes.

"Ahh! Why did you bite me, Goose?" Lu Yuan winced.

"You had me so worried!" she scolded him. She assumed it was his first time killing someone, and that he was in shock.

Lu Yuan couldn't even remember what had happened.

Dugu Yan's feelings towards Lu Yuan deepened. He might drink and tease girls, but he was now a Soul Sect—his spirit rings a terrifying three purple, one black combination, defying the usual limits.

She was happy. After all, such a remarkable man was hers.

Meanwhile, Xue Beng was curled up in a corner, stunned. Two Soul Kings defeated in a single move?!

Lu Yuan had truly reached the Soul Sect stage, and he wasn't even twelve years old yet. Who could believe this?

Suddenly, Xue Beng realized how valuable it would be to stay close to Lu Yuan.

"Brother Lu Yuan, I'll follow you from now on!" he declared.

"No need," Lu Yuan replied casually. "I saved your life in exchange for the soul bone you gave me. We're even."

Xue Beng was devastated. He had just latched onto a powerful ally, only to lose him right away!

Still, he felt lucky. Lu Yuan was in a good mood today. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a simple exchange—it would've been a beating.

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