While Yegu Yi secluded herself in the cultivation chamber to absorb the Lovesick Heartbreak Red clone, Zhou Sichen sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion just outside, entering a deep state of cultivation.
Thanks to the effects of his Ice and Fire Tempered Body, and after obtaining his fourth soul ring, Zhou Sichen had undergone a comprehensive enhancement. His physical attributes had improved so dramatically that his first three soul rings had all advanced from 15,000 years to 25,000 years in age.
That's an increase of 10,000 years each—without even using Tianmeng's origin power. It was a natural evolution.
Three 25,000-year-old soul rings, combined with a 100,000-year fourth soul ring, currently marked the limit of Zhou Sichen's physical endurance. To push further, he would need to raise his soul power rank even higher.
At the moment, he was at Rank 43. While that wasn't a huge leap in soul power, the overall rise in his strength was unprecedented.
Having three contracted soul beasts upgraded to 25,000 years each had at least doubled his combat power.
Although the 100,000-year soul ring granted by Honghong didn't grant overwhelming brute force like Xiong Da and the others, the sheer pressure and aura of a 100,000-year soul beast were undeniable.
That overwhelming presence alone was enough to intimidate most ten-thousand-year soul beasts.
If his opponent was plant-type—be it a soul beast or soul master—even a Limit Douluo would be fair game for Zhou Sichen.
That was the suppressive might granted by an Emperor-Class Immortal Herb—absolute dominance.
Within his spiritual sea, Yi Lao had returned to slumber, now having recovered significantly. This trace of divine consciousness wouldn't dissipate so easily, allowing it to focus on regaining lost memories.
Tianmeng, on the other hand, was cheerfully swimming through the golden ocean of Zhou Sichen's spiritual sea. The stronger Zhou Sichen's spiritual power, the more luxurious Tianmeng's "life" became.
"Hey, Sichen," Tianmeng said with a grin, "why don't we head to the Extreme North soon? Your first martial soul is powerful, sure, but its growth is limited by your body. Didn't we already agree on this? We're supposed to get you a super soul ring for your second martial soul."
"With your ability to absorb 100,000-year soul rings and bones, getting both together will seriously boost your physical constitution. That'll help your contracted soul beasts grow faster too."
"Everything would be perfectly in sync. Plus, your martial soul doesn't have to absorb a 100,000-year ring—if the beast's bloodline is high enough, I can enhance the soul ring's age using my origin power."
While talking, Tianmeng was already daydreaming about his beloved Bingbing.
Zhou Sichen manifested inside his spiritual sea, staring at Tianmeng speechlessly. "You know things take time, right? We already talked about this. Why are you rushing? Besides… I doubt the Ice Empress will even acknowledge you."
Tianmeng froze for a moment, embarrassed. To persuade Zhou Sichen to go north, he had reluctantly shared the full story of his history with the Ice Empress.
Zhou Sichen wasn't as easily swayed as Huo Yuhao. He wasn't buying romantic delusions. Most of Tianmeng's story, honestly, was just wishful thinking.
Yet, rather than mocking him, Zhou Sichen gave him a thumbs-up and said, "At least you've got guts. A real man never says he can't. If you like her, go for it. And now that you're such a catch, if she has any sense, why would she reject you?"
Zhou Sichen's sweet talk left Tianmeng dizzy with joy. The two immediately began planning—not how to "deceive" her, no, how to "recruit" the Ice Empress.
After all, once she entered Zhou Sichen's spiritual sea, what happened next would be entirely up to him.
Their scheming made Tianmeng giddy. If it were up to him, he'd charge to the Extreme North right this second.
Watching Zhou Sichen flirt with girls all the time had left him starved for affection.
Still, even if he didn't want to eat dog food, he did enjoy watching. He figured it was a good chance to learn some romance tips from Zhou Sichen and his ladies—useful for wooing his own Bingbing.
But after one too many complaints, Zhou Sichen had started blocking Tianmeng out whenever he got intimate with Yegu Yi. "That's not for kids," he said.
No way was Zhou Sichen letting someone spy on such private moments. That'd be like installing a security camera in your bedroom—absolutely not.
So regardless of Tianmeng's protests, Zhou Sichen wouldn't let him peek. If he wanted fantasies, he could go imagine his Bingbing all he liked.
As a result, every few days, Tianmeng would pester Zhou Sichen about going north again.
Before, he hadn't dared push too hard—Zhou Sichen wasn't strong enough. But now, with a new 100,000-year soul ring, a poison-immune physique, and much greater strength, what was there to fear?
With his Core of a Hundred Forms equipped, as long as he didn't go looking for trouble, he could wander the Extreme North freely.
Still, there were priorities.
Having just returned to the academy, Zhou Sichen couldn't leave again so soon.
Plus, after Yegu Yi absorbed the clone of the Lovesick Heartbreak Red, she'd likely break through to Rank 60. He needed to accompany her to obtain her sixth soul ring.
It was a perfect opportunity to bond and smooth over any lingering tension from the Xianmeng situation.
Even though she hadn't said much, Zhou Sichen knew she still had some unresolved feelings. Spending more time with her was the best way to heal that rift.
There was no harm in delaying the Extreme North trip by a couple of months. After all, in the original story, didn't Huo Yuhao go during the end-of-term break?
Though his presence had already started to shift the timeline like a butterfly's wing, following the original plotline where possible still offered a sense of security.
Even if some things changed, nothing Zhou Sichen had done so far had directly affected the Extreme North.
So, he figured, best to wait until the break. There were still two months to go—plenty of time to handle everything else.
As he cultivated and chatted with Tianmeng, Zhou Sichen shared some of his plans. Tianmeng, now familiar with Zhou Sichen's decisive personality, offered support—even if he didn't always understand everything.
Four hours passed quickly.
As dawn approached, the secret chamber's door opened.
Zhou Sichen immediately opened his eyes and stood, locking eyes with Yegu Yi.
Her stunning face lit up with an unrestrained smile—no need to pretend in front of him. She was truly ecstatic.
"Sichen, the Lovesick Heartbreak Red truly lives up to its name as an Emperor-Class Immortal Herb! Even if this clone only had half the potency of the original, the enhancement I received is beyond belief!"
"I honestly think not even a 100,000-year soul ring and bone could've given me this much of a boost!"
Zhou Sichen stepped forward and took her hand. "Tell me everything. I want to properly understand the effects of the clone."
Yegu Yi beamed with joy. It was obvious from her expression that the breakthrough had been massive.
"My soul power jumped from Rank 55 straight to Rank 60! My spiritual power, physical constitution, potential… it all feels like I've undergone a complete evolution."
"To put it simply, I think I could even absorb a 50,000-year soul ring as my sixth ring."
That statement stunned Zhou Sichen.
Yegu Yi had been absorbing rings beyond her limit since her third soul ring. Her fifth ring was 20,000 years old.
She'd always had access to top-tier resources, especially after joining Shrek. Her fifth ring was personally selected by Mu En.
For most Soul Emperors, a 20,000-year fifth soul ring was already a sixth-ring level enhancement.
Based on her original growth, her sixth ring should've been between 30,000 and 40,000 years. After all, higher-aged rings demanded not just stronger bodies but also formidable spiritual power.
Absorbing too high a soul ring could easily lead to self-destruction.
Now, she could handle 50,000 years?
That was the range reserved for elite Soul Saints—or even the eighth ring for Soul Douluo!
The sheer power she now possessed was undeniable.
That single Lovesick Heartbreak Red clone had launched her strength to new heights across the board. And with long-lasting effects to fuel her continued growth, the benefits weren't even over.
Zhou Sichen smiled. "As expected of an Emperor-Class Immortal Herb. Only something this extraordinary would deserve that title."
Yegu Yi giggled. "That's not all, you know."
Zhou Sichen raised an eyebrow. "There's more?"
She smiled, stepped away from his embrace, then stood several meters back and released her martial soul.
Holy Angel Possession.
Already noble and radiant, Yegu Yi instantly transformed into a figure of divine grace—like a goddess descended from the heavens.
Zhou Sichen had seen this form many times, knew her every detail.
But this time, something had changed.
Behind her back—two pairs of angelic wings now spread wide.
Her Holy Angel martial soul had always been one of the top-tier angelic inheritances—comparable to the Four-Winged Angel, one of the highest-grade martial souls.
But to evolve to a Six-Winged Angel, a true divine-level martial soul, usually required immense cultivation—typically at least Rank 70 or even 90 before gaining a second pair of wings.
Yet here she was at Rank 60… with a second pair already grown?
Even a Six-Winged Angel martial soul only gained its second pair of wings after reaching Rank 70!
Was this a martial soul evolution? Or something else?
Zhou Sichen stared blankly. "What happened? Did your martial soul evolve?"
Yegu Yi smiled faintly and withdrew her martial soul. "Not exactly. It's not a full evolution. These new wings won't fully develop until I reach Rank 70."
"But they were supposed to only appear after Rank 90. The fact they've emerged now means the Lovesick Heartbreak Red clone purified my bloodline."
Zhou Sichen was overjoyed and rushed over to hug her tightly. "Doesn't this mean… when you reach Rank 90, your martial soul could fully evolve into a Six-Winged Angel? That's a divine-level martial soul! This clone was that strong?"
Even Yegu Yi herself found it hard to believe. The boost to her power and constitution was already shocking.
But if it had also given her the opportunity for martial soul evolution, then this herb's value was beyond measure.
Zhou Sichen's eyes turned solemn. "Either your bloodline was already incredibly strong, and this just refined it… or we seriously underestimated the power of the Lovesick Heartbreak Red."
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