Chapter 37: A Strange Mark

At first, the soul bones resisted, and the forces of ice and fire clashed within her body, bringing waves of agonizing pain. But she could not retreat; relying on her firm willpower, she continued to communicate with the soul bones. Gradually, the glow of the two soul bones softened, and the dragon roars became long and resonant. A powerful force surged from the soul bones, merging with her own soul power.

Ning Xi found herself in a marvelous world where ice and fire intertwined, her body alternately encased in freezing cold and scorched by raging flames. The heart-rending pain was beyond words, but she gritted her teeth and persisted. Fortunately, having just consumed those two immortal herbs, her physical strength had been greatly enhanced, allowing her to barely withstand this torment. As time passed, the forces of ice and fire grew less violent, gradually integrating into her body to become a part of her own strength.

Finally, the Ice and Fire Dragon Roar soul bones fused perfectly with Ning Xi. She could feel a formidable power flowing through her, as if she had become one with the soul bones. These two soul bones were nearly of a million-year level, fused respectively into her left and right arms. She opened her eyes, which flashed with an unprecedented brilliance.

After completing the absorption, Ning Xi felt her forehead grow hot. Instinctively, she touched it, only to pull her hand away instantly due to the heat. She hurriedly took out a mirror and discovered a strange mark on her forehead. A purplish-black lightning mark had quietly emerged on her brow. It looked like a flash of lightning that had torn the sky apart, its edges jagged and irregular, as if it had been cleaved open by a powerful force in an instant. The center of the mark shimmered with a deep, purplish-black light, seemingly containing endless power of destruction.

Whenever Ning Xi’s emotions fluctuated or she channeled her soul power, the lightning mark would glow faintly, as if dark purple currents were flowing within it, emitting a low humming sound. The mark was also faintly surrounded by a halo of dark red light, like a burning flame, symbolizing the cycle of destruction and rebirth. Looking at this mark, she felt as if a vague gaze had rested upon her, but it vanished in an instant. Was she just imagining things? Ning Xi shook her head, deciding not to dwell on it, and instead examined her own condition.

The soul bones belonged to her left and right arms; after the successful fusion, Ning Xi felt her body had been significantly enhanced! Was this the boost provided by million-year soul bones? Not only had her soul power, spiritual power, and physical strength all leveled up, but her other martial soul also seemed to have changed.

The Seven Treasure Glazed Pagoda had actually transformed into a Nine Treasure Glazed Pagoda! Her spiritual power had reached a formidable realm, breaking through that limitation and causing her to undergo a metamorphosis. Even her Seven Kill Sword now carried the elements of lightning, ice, and fire.

She now possessed absolute immunity to both ice and fire; no matter how powerful an elemental attack, it could no longer cause her harm. She even gained the ice and fire attributes, which would continue to strengthen alongside her soul power. Who knew what she would become in the future? Ning Xi was incredibly excited; she never expected to encounter such a fortuitous opportunity!

Additionally, she gained one domain skill and four soul skills. The Ice and Fire Dual Domain could manifest an extreme and unpredictable environment. Within it, she could manipulate the elements to deal devastating blows to enemies, while they would suffer continuous erosion, draining their vitality and soul power. Due to the Nine Treasure Glazed Pagoda, this domain could also provide her teammates with added water and fire effects to their own soul skills.

The other four soul skills were Dragon Roar Deterrence, Ice and Fire Dual Dragon Slash, Dragon Soul Shield, and Dragon Roar Ice and Fire Blast. Dragon Roar Deterrence focused her strength to release a powerful roar that caused energy fluctuations, dealing damage and inflicting confusion. Ice and Fire Dual Dragon Slash, executed with the Seven Kill Sword, summoned two elemental dragons to attack a fan-shaped area. Dragon Soul Shield generated an interwoven shield of ice and fire for herself and her allies, offering defense and counter-attack capabilities. Finally, Dragon Roar Ice and Fire Blast summoned a dual-headed dragon to unleash a deafening roar and immense elemental energy, causing catastrophic damage.

Ning Xi could not find the words to describe her mood—only excitement, thrill, and disbelief. She had truly obtained the strength she craved in her past life. She felt a sudden wave of emotion; who would have thought that she, once an overlooked outer sect disciple, could achieve such greatness? The Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well was a treasure of the Douluo Continent, and cultivating here was incredibly effective. Although she didn't know why these soul bones were inside the well, she would be a fool not to take them. Ning Xi felt completely satisfied—she had truly come to the right place. She was so grateful to Dugu Bo that she would certainly have to repay him properly.

Only now did Ning Xi realize she was completely naked. After absorbing the soul bones, she seemed to have been influenced, becoming even more refined. Her figure, while still youthful, was now more stunning than ever. She calmly retrieved a set of clothes from her storage, quickly dressed, and noticed she had grown quite a bit taller. Once she returned to her bright and moving self, she leapt out of the water.

Jun Han had finished absorbing his immortal herb and was using a strange technique to refine various herbs floating in the air. Ning Xi was dumbfounded, her eyes fixed on the miraculous scene. She watched as Jun Han elegantly combined all the herbs into a furnace, his eyes fixed on it with intense concentration. After some time, a faint, medicinal fragrance wafted from the furnace.

Where did this come from? Ning Xi could not describe the shock in her heart; it was too magical. Could one really refine medicine like this? Jun Han had also grown; he was now a head taller than Ning Xi, and though he was already handsome, he now looked even more bewitching. How did he grow so much just from an immortal herb? But Ning Xi was more curious about the origin of his furnace.

"Why is there a mark on your forehead?" Jun Han put away the furnace and stood up, his expression gentle, though he looked puzzled by the new mark.

"It might be a change from absorbing the immortal herb," Ning Xi scratched her head and smiled awkwardly.

"As long as you're okay, the mark actually looks quite good," Jun Han remarked.

"Was that some special technique you just used? What was it? It was so amazing!" Ning Xi asked, still filled with surprise and envy.

"It’s a method of alchemy I read about in a book. Since Dugu Bo allowed you to obtain so many useful things, I refined some pills suitable for him and his granddaughter," Jun Han said, then added, "Do you like it?"

Ning Xi nodded noncommittally. "Yes, it’s the first time I’ve seen something so magical."