The Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well had changed tremendously.
Zhao Liuyun's soul power cultivation had also made staggering progress.
[Soul Power: Level 50 (31079/47000)]
Just over a month ago, he had successfully broken through the bottleneck and officially stepped into the realm of a Level 50 Quasi-Soul King.
In the short six months since obtaining the Blue Silver Emperor spirit bone, he had risen from Level 46.5 straight to Level 50!
The growth speed of his soul power terrified everyone, including Dugu Bo, Qian Renxue, and Ning Fengzhi.
However, what others did not know was that Zhao Liuyun's physical growth was equally rapid.
With the Ye family providing a constant supply of high-energy food, Zhao Liuyun also took time every day to temper his physique without ever slacking off.
[Constitution: 70]
After hovering at the threshold of 69 for a long time, he finally raised his constitution to a level comparable to a Level 70 Soul Saint through body-tempering secret techniques and high-energy food.
While the numerical growth wasn't massive, the transformation was more than that.
Under the long-term effects of [Adjustment Lv2] for relaxing the tendons and activating the collaterals, Zhao Liuyun had also worked hard to clear three of the Eight Extraordinary Meridians. Only the Governor Vessel remained unblocked, still proving somewhat stubborn.
[Soul: 75]
By practicing the Purple Demon Eye to strengthen his foundation and using the Spiritual Grinding Disc to digest and temper it, he advanced both mental cultivation methods simultaneously. Complementing each other, they raised his score by 2 points in half a year.
As a mixed-blood dragon of over twenty thousand years from the Silver Dragon lineage, his strength lay in his spirit. Absorbing soul rings would bring further significant improvements—Zhao Liuyun could almost sense the soul realm of a Soul Douluo beckoning to him.
In an exceptionally pleasant mood, he lay back in the Ice and Fire dual springs, where milky white and vermillion red intertwined.
His mind went blank as his gaze drifted through the dense mist toward the shifting clouds in the sky. The clouds rolled and gathered like white silk, sometimes stacking into majestic peaks and other times drifting like dancing gauze, shifting into a myriad of forms amidst the swirling vapor.
The rolling clouds and the vast mist perfectly mirrored his current unconstrained state of mind.
Washing away the fatigue of his soul with water droplets, Zhao Liuyun entered a state of meditation. According to their agreement, Teacher Shi Nian would arrive in Heaven Dou City tomorrow or the day after.
It was almost time for the soul hunt.
He entered his meditation filled with anticipation.
The next day, as the first light of dawn broke, a new notification appeared in his mind the moment he woke up.
[The precious plant you planted has regained new vitality and is growing vigorously. [Farmer] Experience +1]
Zhao Liuyun sensed a faint, almost imperceptible gaze. His sharp perception told him that this was definitely not an illusion. And in the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, there was no one else besides him.
The Demon Dragon Silver Pupils snapped open instantly as Zhao Liuyun's gaze fell upon the Blue Silver Emperor.
Ah Yin was greedily absorbing the dense Heaven and Earth essence of this treasure land. Her entire body glowed with shifting light, shimmering brilliantly and radiating a vigorous aura of life.
Zhao Liuyun spoke softly, his tone gentle: "You've awakened, and you won't even say hello?"
"Who... are you?" Ah Yin paused, her grass blades fluttering as they slowly wove these three words.
Ever since her resolute death back then, she thought she would never wake up again. But now—looking around, this place was rich in Heaven and Earth essence, extremely beneficial for the growth of plants. Her bodily instincts sent waves of joy.
It seemed that not too much time had passed?
Ah Yin's heart trembled uncontrollably.
"Hao... my son..."
"Do I actually have a chance to see you both again?"
She gazed at the man before her. Though they had never met, she felt an inexplicable sense of closeness. It was as if there were an invisible pull from him, making her want to lean in and feel that warmth, that reassurance—
"No, wait!"
What a strange feeling.
Ah Yin was stunned, yet she could not suppress her body's instinct to draw closer.
"Who are you? Where is this?"
She could not yet speak, nor could she communicate through mental power. Relying solely on weaving words with grass blades was simply too slow.
Zhao Liuyun couldn't bear to watch and pulled her into a dreamscape using Dream Creation, while also helping to maintain Ah Yin's conscious awareness.
"My name is Zhao Liuyun, the person who saved you." Zhao Liuyun looked calmly at the beautiful woman before him.
She possessed eyes as clear and pure as blue sapphires and wore a blue-gold gown with gold ribbons wrapped lightly around her. Her temperament was noble and elegant. Her skin was delicate and rosy, her figure lush and full, giving her a mature charm.
At this moment, Ah Yin's right hand was lightly clenched by her side, while her left hand was pressed against her chest. She stared at Zhao Liuyun, her teeth lightly biting her red lip as if she were enduring something. This simple movement projected a trace of fragility and weakness, making one feel a sense of pity for her.
Zhao Liuyun took an appreciative glance but was not swayed by her beauty.
Seeing that she didn't speak, Zhao Liuyun smiled slightly and said, "This is your dream. You cannot speak yet, and it is more convenient to converse in a dream."
Because of his [Farmer] profession, he had a good impression of her.
"Ah? My dream?" Ah Yin exclaimed.
Zhao Liuyun nodded: "I am using most of my mental power to maintain it, otherwise you would have fainted by now."
This was a second use derived from Dream Creation—forcibly implanting a dreamscape.
Ah Yin didn't notice anything amiss, which was normal. When a hundred-thousand-year soul beast transforms, everything except their consciousness must start from scratch. Before her death, Ah Yin was only a Soul Emperor, and her soul realm was only at the peak level of a Soul Emperor. Zhao Liuyun had consumed immortal herbs and tempered himself with the Spiritual Grinding Disc for a long time; the quality and quantity of his mental power were both superior to hers. It would be strange indeed if she could see through it.
Ah Yin pushed the illusiveness of the dream to the back of her mind, her voice tinged with urgency: "What did you mean by 'the person who saved you'?"
"Exactly what it sounds like." Outside the dream, Zhao Liuyun rose from the pool, water droplets cascading off him as his soul power circulated.
He donned his robes and reached out to lightly stroke the tough stem of the Blue Silver Emperor, saying nonchalantly, "Just like this."
[Planting]!
The dream was not deep, and Zhao Liuyun had even linked her senses, so Ah Yin clearly knew every change occurring to her body.
"Mm... ah..." Ah Yin let out a soft moan, feeling a surge of scorching, fiery life energy instantly inject into her body. A blush crept onto her cheeks; she felt a bit of shame.
In the next instant, she was suddenly struck with uncertainty.
"This is... my spirit bone?"
This was originally her power; how could she not recognize it?
Her heart skipped a beat, and Ah Yin could no longer maintain her poise. She stepped forward hurriedly and grabbed his sleeve, her voice trembling: "Where is Hao? Where is my son? Where are they now?"
This tone of interrogation—
Zhao Liuyun's brow furrowed slightly. He brushed away her slender, fair hands and stepped back two paces, his voice growing cold: "I have no obligation to answer you, Madam."
Before his voice finished echoing, he began to withdraw his mental power.
The surrounding dreamscape shimmered like a reflection in water, shattering into illusion inch by inch from the edges.
Zhao Liuyun raised his voice slightly: "It was I who brought you to this treasure land most suited for plant growth, helping you obtain the hope of a new life!"
"When I return next time, consider carefully how you should speak to me."
He didn't need to be superior, but he wouldn't let anyone push their luck. For the sake of the spirit bone's sentiment and the growth of his [Farmer] profession, he had to sever Ah Yin's ties with Tang Hao and the others.
"I'm sorry, please don't go!" Ah Yin suddenly snapped back to her senses and hurriedly apologized, but the figure before her had already vanished like wisps of smoke.
The remnants of the dreamscape carried her consciousness as she slowly sank back.
The blades of grass wrapped around the corner of Zhao Liuyun's robe had originally tried to make him stay, but after being stroked twice by his fingertips, they instinctively let go as if they had received comfort.
Zhao Liuyun left the place directly. He would let her calm down first.