Grandpa Mel nodded faintly. "Find a secluded place. Somewhere you will not be disturbed for several days."

"Prepare a sealable vessel. Place the two spirit fruits inside, then pour the hundred-year dragon-type beast blood over them. Seal the vessel and allow the contents to stabilize."

"When the reaction calms, drink everything within it. Only then will you be ready to break the first seal."

"Understood."

Grandpa Mel added, "Before consuming it, you must be in your best condition. Your heart must be tranquil. Once you begin, there can be no hesitation."

The darkness dissolved.

Ray opened his eyes and found himself back inside the forging workshop. Outside, the storm still raged. Wind howled, rain battered the walls, and thunder roared as though the heavens were tearing themselves apart.

He glanced at the three treasures on the table, then took out his soul communicator and dialed Raziel Phoenix.

"Ray? Where are you?" Raziel Phoenix's voice crackled through heavy static. "The hurricane's already here!"

"I'm fine," Ray replied calmly. "I finished my business at the Blacksmith's Association before the storm hit. I'm sheltering in a forging workshop right now. It's too dangerous to return, so I'll stay put and work here."

"Your voice is fuzzy, but I got it," Raziel Phoenix laughed. "As long as you're safe, it's fine. This storm came at a great time. Watch me cultivate hard and break through to two rings. When I do, we'll smash those class one guys."

"Don't rush things," Ray warned. "Safety comes first."

"Heh, relax. Teacher's watching me closely. We were supposed to train together anyway. I'll cover for you for a few days. Come back once the storm weakens."

"Alright."

After ending the call, Ray checked the doors and windows once more. Everything was secure.

Only then did he return to the table.

A breakthrough…

Who knows what I'll become after this?

He found a sealable metal cup in the workshop with ease. Placing it on the table, he took a deep breath.

Not yet. I need to be calm.

He sat down and began to meditate, regulating his breathing and circulating his soul power. Time passed quietly as his heart gradually settled.

When he finally opened his eyes again, his body and mind were at their peak.

Without hesitation, Ray stood up.

He placed the hundred-year Ice Crystal Fruit and Scarlet Flame Fruit into the metal cup. Then he uncorked the porcelain bottle and poured the dark violet, fishy-smelling dragon blood inside.

The moment the blood touched the fruits, a violent surge of energy erupted.

The metal cup trembled violently.

Ray quickly sealed it and hugged it to his chest.

Boom! Boom!

Muffled explosions rang out from within. The cup glowed red-hot, then rapidly cooled as frost formed across its surface. Colors alternated violently between blazing crimson and icy blue.

A faint dragon's roar echoed from inside.

Fire and ice, two extremes. Both spirit fruits possessed a trace of intelligence after reaching a hundred years. Trapped together, their rejection was fierce.

The dragon blood acted as both catalyst and mediator, forcing the energies into a dangerous equilibrium.

Ray stepped back instinctively, his heart racing.

It won't explode… right?

Gradually, the violent rumbling subsided. The cup continued to pulse faintly, shifting between red and blue, but it had stabilized.

Yet the power within was terrifying.

Ray could feel it clearly now.

This sensation hadn't existed before the dragon blood was poured.

Grandpa Mel's warning echoed in his mind.

He stepped forward, picked up the metal cup, and found it strangely warm, but not scalding.

Taking a deep breath, he unsealed it.

A sharp, pungent stench burst forth, nearly making him sneeze.

A deep violet liquid churned inside the metal cup, thick and opaque, bubbling like the foul waters of a stagnant swamp.

With no path left to retreat, Ray shut his eyes, knit his brows, raised the cup, and drank it all in one go.

Contrary to its pungent stench, the liquid did not taste unbearable. The moment it entered his mouth, a gentle warmth bloomed across his tongue. It was faintly sweet, tinged with fishiness and a sharp aftertaste. Smooth and slippery, it clung to his throat before sliding down, much like swallowing raw sea urchin.

Warmth spread instantly through his body, an indescribable comfort washing over him. Ray couldn't help but let out a long breath.

That mouthful alone was worth hundreds of thousands of federation coins…

No, even more than that. The blood of a hundred-year dragon-type soul beast was something money alone could hardly buy.

He shook himself awake from the brief daze.

Now what?

Taking two steps back, Ray sat down cross-legged on the ground. He deliberately avoided the chair. If something went wrong and his body reacted violently, falling from a chair could prove dangerous.

Calm down. Meditate. Circulate soul power.

This should help dissolve the medicinal effects.

As he began circulating his soul power, a thought surfaced.

How will Grandpa Mel help me break the first seal?

Before the thought could finish forming, a strange sensation surged up from every corner of his body. It felt as though vitality itself had flooded his blood, as if boiling steam were bursting from every pore.

The sudden heat was unbearable.

His body trembled violently, barely able to remain upright. His temperature skyrocketed, his flesh turning into a blazing furnace. Sweat poured from him like rain, soaking the floor beneath.

Ray clenched his teeth, forcing himself to endure.

A faint golden pattern appeared on his forehead, then spread rapidly across his face, chest, and limbs. Rhombus-shaped markings emerged one after another, initially vague but quickly becoming clear.

His skin flushed a deep crimson, like a prawn tossed into boiling water.

So hot… too hot…

He endured in silence, recalling Grandpa Mel's words: strength, endurance, dedication.

His weak soul power slipped beyond his control, rampaging through his meridians. Meditation was shattered completely. His vision turned blood-red, his thoughts blurring.

Is my body… melting?

The golden web-like patterns grew sharper, brighter.

Then, just as suddenly—

The heat vanished.

Like a tide withdrawing, the unbearable agony disappeared, leaving behind an intoxicating sense of relief. Comfort flooded him, so overwhelming that it threatened to dull his vigilance. His body felt as though it had been scoured clean by fire, every impurity burned away.

He was utterly drained, unable to lift even a finger.

Before he could savor that relief, an icy chill erupted from deep within his heart.

It surged outward, racing through his limbs and bones. The crimson hue on his skin faded, replaced by a pale, frostbitten blue.

His body shook even more violently than before.

Only the golden web patterns remained steady, now even more vivid.

Cold replaced heat. Biting, merciless cold. His clothes froze, then shattered, falling away in tatters. His rank twelve soul power was pitifully insufficient to protect him.

So cold that his blood felt ready to freeze solid.

His heartbeat slowed dangerously. His vision blurred, darkness creeping in.

Is this… the Ice Crystal Fruit?

It hurts… it hurts so much…

Ray didn't know that what he was experiencing was a brutal body-refining process, one that alternated between fire and ice to temper physical strength. For most Soul Masters, such a method was lethal without proper guidance, balancing treasures, and far higher cultivation.

Even a three-ring Soul Elder would suffer severe internal damage from such a process.

Ray was only ranked twelve.

After an indeterminate amount of time, the extreme cold finally receded. His consciousness resurfaced.

He lay there, numb.

His body felt alien, as though it no longer belonged to him. Yet his mind was startlingly clear. He could clearly see the golden web patterns shimmering brilliantly over his body, like a vast net enveloping him.

Grandpa Mel… where are you? What should I do?

No answer came.

Despair brushed his heart, but he knew there was nowhere to flee. He could only allow the three spiritual treasures to continue ravaging his body.

Slowly, sensation returned. Comfort followed once more.

But Ray did not relax.

Heat… cold…

What comes next?

The answer arrived instantly.

A crawling sensation erupted from his spine, spreading outward like countless ants burrowing into his flesh. They gnawed into his muscles, organs, and bones.

"Ah—!"

Ray screamed hoarsely.

He wanted to claw at his skin, to tear the feeling away, but his body refused to obey. Worse still, his consciousness remained crystal clear, forcing him to experience every shred of agony.

The suffering was inhuman.

Why… why is this happening…

His body convulsed violently.

I can't take it… I really can't…

"If you cannot endure this, then only death awaits you."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.