Although the two Ice-Fire Immortal Herbs were toxic, once they neutralized each other, their domineering properties vanished. They melted instantly upon entering the mouth, transforming into a fragrant nectar that slid down the throat. Li Chang'an felt an overwhelming refreshment, his mouth watering as a delightful aroma filled the air. It was truly a supreme delicacy.
After consuming the two immortal herbs, Li Chang'an quickly moved forward before the medicinal effects could fully take hold. He stepped closer to the Yin-Yang Ice-Fire Well and waited quietly.
Moments later.
Li Chang'an's body suddenly trembled violently. A layer of icy blue radiance surged from his feet and enveloped him in an instant, turning his entire body blue. Immediately afterward, a layer of red followed, making him appear like a freshly boiled shrimp.
At this moment, his entire body alternated between blue and red, creating an extremely peculiar sight.
From a distance, Dugu Bo couldn't help but clench his fists. Even though he was confident that there had been no mistakes in the herb consumption process, he still feared an unforeseen mishap. After all, despite the documented descriptions, who could guarantee their complete accuracy?
The intertwining of ice and fire.
This seemingly simple alternation brought Li Chang'an unparalleled agony. The clash of these two extreme energies felt as though it would tear him apart. The pain was unbearable.
Barely maintaining his last shred of sanity, he staggered forward a step before closing his eyes. His entire body collapsed straight into the convergence point of the frigid Yin Spring and the blazing Yang Spring.
With a splash, Li Chang'an plunged into the spring and sank instantly.
Dugu Bo's eyelids twitched as he observed the scene. He was acutely aware of the terrifying power of the Ice-Fire Spring. Although the spring looked beautiful, its true might was horrifying. Even a touch could dissolve flesh and bone.
Yet Li Chang'an had thrown himself in headfirst.
If it weren't for Li Chang'an's prior explanation—that the medicinal power of the Ice-Fire Immortal Herbs would form a protective barrier around his body and allow him to harness the spring's power to refine the medicinal effects—Dugu Bo would never have agreed to such a reckless plunge. It looked no different from suicide.
Now, submerged in the well, Li Chang'an was experiencing the excruciating process of rebirth!
The clothes on his body dissolved into gas upon contact with the spring. Fortunately, his storage soul tool and other important items had been safely stored elsewhere, avoiding total destruction.
These two highly toxic immortal herbs, born from the extreme energies of the Yin-Yang Ice-Fire Spring, were the only things capable of neutralizing the spring's deadly power. Only by consuming both herbs together could Li Chang'an gain the qualification to enter the spring. Without them, even a Title Douluo wouldn't dream of surviving in it.
Outside.
The Ice-Fire well churned briefly with Li Chang'an's plunge. Before long, the waters settled, and the surface returned to its tranquil state, the milky white and fiery red hues remaining distinctly divided.
Mist continued to permeate the air as everything returned to silence.
Dugu Bo felt uneasy as he watched the still scene. Why was there no movement at all? Could the kid have been completely dissolved by the spring as soon as he fell in?
No, impossible. He must simply be focusing on digesting the medicinal power.
Dugu Bo shook his head vigorously, recalling Li Chang'an's explanation that the process of body refinement and medicinal absorption in the spring could take days, weeks, or even months.
Since he had only just entered, the lack of movement was not necessarily a bad sign. Perhaps he was simply concentrating on absorbing the medicinal power and had entered a dormant state.
Dugu Bo reassured himself as best he could. At this point, there was nothing else he could do but wait. The die had been cast, and there was no turning back now.
"Kid, you must hold on!"
Meanwhile, as Li Chang'an's body soaked in the Yin-Yang Ice-Fire well to absorb the medicinal power, his consciousness seemed to detach from his body and arrive at a strange place.
"Where... am I?"
Li Chang'an looked around in confusion, discovering that he was in what appeared to be a memorial plaza.
Scattered around him were lifelike statues of various shapes and sizes. Intrigued, he approached one of the statues and found it to be a classic depiction of a Chinese dragon with wings on its back.
This sight reminded him of a name: Yinglong.
Yinglong was a type of divine dragon with wings.
"Could this be a statue of Yinglong?"
With a sense of curiosity, Li Chang'an moved to another nearby statue.
This one depicted a slender fox with nine fluffy tails. Without a doubt, it was a statue of the Nine-Tailed Fox.
He felt a faint realization.
Continuing on, he approached the next statue.
This one resembled a lion but had ram-like horns and a goatee.
"Could this be... Bai Ze?" he murmured uncertainly.
[T/N: Bai Ze is a Mythical creature in Chinese Mythology often considred a highly intelligent and benevolent. It is commonly depicted as a creature resembling a lion or a goat with features like ram-like horns, a goat's beard, or multiple eyes.]
The descriptions of the mythical Bai Ze varied greatly in mythology, so he couldn't be entirely sure if this statue represented Bai Ze.
Shaking his head, he moved on to the other statues.
Among the statues in the plaza, there were depictions of the Candle Dragon, which controlled time with its open and closed eyes; the Sky Dog, capable of devouring the sun and moon; the Three-Legged Golden Crow, illuminating the heavens; the Qilin, symbolizing good fortune; the Phoenix, reborn in fire; the one-legged Kui Ox; and the Kunpeng, which transformed between fish in water and bird in flight. Roughly counting, there were hundreds of statues in the plaza.
Li Chang'an realized he recognized most of them. They were all mythical creatures from Chinese legend—vicious beasts, exotic animals, and divine beings.
"What is going on? I was clearly absorbing the medicinal power in the Yin-Yang Ice-Fire Well. How did I end up here?" He frowned deeply, perplexed by his current situation.
Just then, one peculiar statue ahead caught his attention.
Li Chang'an walked briskly toward it, stopping at its base and falling into contemplation.
Unlike the other statues, which, despite their lifelike appearances, were dull and gray like lifeless objects, this one had a vibrant, flesh-and-blood hue. If it weren't motionless, he would have thought it was alive—it was that realistic and vivid.
An inexplicable aura of majesty emanated from it!
As he stared at the peculiar statue, so unlike the others in the plaza, Li Chang'an instinctively extended his hand to touch it.
In an instant, the statue erupted in dazzling light. It transformed from a rigid, lifeless object into a creature of flesh and blood and lunged at him!
Before Li Chang'an could react, the revived statue merged with him entirely.