Returning to the inn in Stone Desert City, Wei Yang greeted Ye Xian'er before heading straight to his room to rest.
The best way to recover from soul power exhaustion was through sleep, rather than meditation or cultivation.
The next morning, Wei Yang woke up feeling refreshed and energetic.
Not only had his depleted soul power been restored, but it had also slightly improved.
Evidently, the process of depletion and recovery had also strengthened his soul power, much like when the mysterious black iron scroll had absorbed his soul power and he had recovered.
No wonder alchemists have powerful soul forces; their frequent pill refining continually hones their soul power.
Refining pills requires not only the consumption of Dou Qi but also a significant amount of soul power. This cycle of depletion and recovery naturally leads to the gradual increase of soul power.
…
At the breakfast table, Wei Yang looked at Xian'er, who was delicately eating her breakfast, and felt a twinge of sympathy. She had been accompanying him through the desert every day, and despite being a Great Dou Master, her poison-type Dou Qi didn't harmonize well with the scorching desert environment.
Among all attributes, fire is the most suppressive to poison. Especially the Heavenly Flame, which is a nemesis to poison-type Dou Qi. When faced with a Heavenly Flame, poison-type Dou Qi's power would significantly decrease.
However, there is always an exception. The Nether Poison Flame, ranked twentieth on the Heavenly Flame list, is a unique flame formed from poison-type energy.
In the future, he could help Xian'er plan to devour the Nether Poison Flame. This would prevent her from being suppressed by other Heavenly Flames and enhance her own attack methods and power.
The Nether Poison Flame would be a perfect match for her Eroding Poison Body.
«The Nether Poison Swamp in the Cloud Empire!» Wei Yang thought to himself.
This was the most likely place to find the Nether Poison Flame. He could take Xian'er there in the future to search for it.
There was also a theory that the Nether Poison Flame could replace the Poison Pill method, allowing perfect control of the Eroding Poison Body. Whether this was true or not was unknown.
But it likely wasn't baseless. Even if it didn't work perfectly, it could significantly delay the complete outbreak of the Eroding Poison Body, possibly extending it to the Dou Zong stage.
These thoughts flashed through his mind, and Wei Yang quickly set them aside, no longer dwelling on them.
After breakfast, seeing Xian'er ready to depart, he suggested, «Xian'er, why don't you stay at the inn? I'll be back by dusk. The Heavenly Flame may not be easy to find and could take several days.»
Xian'er was initially stunned but then rushed into Wei Yang's arms, shaking her head, «No, I want to go with you. Don't think of leaving me behind.»
Wei Yang couldn't help but laugh, rubbing her head, «It's not that I'm leaving you behind. I'm worried about you. Your poison attribute doesn't fare well in this hot desert. Haven't you felt it these past few days?»
«I have felt it, and it's uncomfortable,» Xian'er said seriously, looking up at him. «But I want to get used to this environment. That way, I can quickly adapt if I encounter it in the future.»
«I want to be able to help you, not be a burden hiding behind you.»
«I understand,» Wei Yang smiled, his eyes full of tenderness. He gently pecked her rosy lips, tasting their sweet softness.
Xian'er trembled, her face flushing with happiness and shyness, burying her head in his chest, «You bully.»
Wei Yang laughed heartily, feeling joyful as he led her out.
Letting the little girl endure some hardships would be good for her, treating it as a form of tempering. He didn't want to spoil a potential Heavenly Poison Girl and turn her into someone useless.
…
Time passed.
Half a month later.
Wei Yang stood at the base of a dune with his eyes closed, his powerful soul force piercing deep into the ground.
During this time of constant tempering, his soul power had grown significantly.
Compared to when he first arrived in Stone Desert City twenty days ago, his soul power had increased by at least forty percent and had become more refined.
This was quite an achievement, making him very pleased. He wasn't in a hurry anymore, instead, enjoying the daily routine of honing his soul power, treating it as a form of cultivation.
After all, increasing soul power is very difficult.
Besides some special heavenly materials and earthly treasures, it mainly depends on the enhancement of one's cultivation level and the gradual accumulation over time.
Now that he had found such a good method to strengthen his soul power, he wouldn't miss this opportunity.
Of course, this growth wasn't limitless.
As his soul power gradually adapted to this tempering and environment, he could clearly feel in the past two days that the growth rate had begun to slow down.
But Wei Yang didn't mind; he had expected this.
After all, it was the first time in so many years that he actively tempered his soul power, so the rapid growth was normal.
But this growth would inevitably have a limit; it couldn't go on forever.
An increase of forty percent was already very impressive.
«Judging by the current growth rate, by the time this tempering is over, my soul power should increase by about another ten percent. At that point, my soul power's strength would be comparable to an ordinary Dou Zong expert!» Wei Yang thought.
Currently, he was only a one-star Dou Ling, yet his soul power could rival that of a Dou Zong expert, which was quite terrifying.
The benefits of strong soul power were obvious.
Besides enhanced perception and sensing abilities.
The most crucial benefit was comprehension!
A powerful soul often leads to improved comprehension.
Techniques and skills of the Xuan class, which seem precious to ordinary warriors, might be created effortlessly by a Dou Zong expert with just some time and effort.
Apart from having the cultivation level, their strong soul power also naturally enhances their comprehension ability.
…
Not far away, on a dune, a white-clad figure sat cross-legged, eyes closed in cultivation, her face serious.
It was Ye Xian'er.
Since deciding to temper her, Wei Yang took it seriously, not half-heartedly.
At this moment, Ye Xian'er was continuously circulating her Dou Qi in this scorching environment, compressing and refining it over and over.
In this environment, the poison Dou Qi's circulation was suppressed by the surroundings.
But it was this very suppression that gave her poison Dou Qi excellent tempering.
As time passed, it became purer and more condensed.
During this process, Xian'er's control over her Dou Qi became more proficient, handling it with ease.
…
Time flowed by.
Seven days later.
Standing on a dune with his eyes closed, Wei Yang suddenly opened them excitedly, grinning, «After nearly a month, I've finally found it. Deep underground, filled with fire attribute energy, is the core magma location!»
«It's also the birthplace of the Green Lotus Core Flame!»
Wei Yang withdrew his soul force, habitually rubbing his brow. Although he looked a bit tired, it wasn't severe.
Compared to a month ago, his soul power had increased by fifty percent and had become more solid.
Overall, his strength had more than doubled compared to a month ago.
Now, his soul strength was almost on par with an ordinary Dou Zong expert.
He looked down at the dune beneath his feet, a smile forming on his lips.
He had finally found the Green Lotus Core Flame.
(End of Chapter)