After hearing Huo Yuhao's affirmation, Xue Di explained:
"Then, Yuhao, you should know that the Vermilion Clear Ice Toad is a rare type of soul beast that possesses both fire and ice attributes—two fundamentally conflicting elements. Because of this, the cold poison created by the clash of ice and fire within them is incredibly lethal."
"But to forge greatness, one must endure its weight. The cold poison born from such a conflict can easily backfire on the host. That's why powerful ten-thousand-year Vermilion Clear Ice Toads are extremely rare—they must constantly suppress their cultivation to keep the fire attribute in check and allow the ice to dominate, avoiding internal backlash from excessive conflict."
Huo Yuhao now understood. Right now, Meng Hongchen was in a state of pain brought on by exactly such a backlash. After entering deep meditation, her fire-attribute soul power had been stimulated and was beginning to rise rapidly.
Xue Di sighed.
"Normally, human soul masters with the Vermilion Clear Ice Toad martial soul wouldn't suffer from cold poison backlash because their Vermilion Clear bloodline is weaker than that of soul beasts, and the fire attribute is typically negligible. But this girl... it seems the ancient Vermilion Clear bloodline within her was once awakened. Now, during her deep meditation, she's instinctively digesting and absorbing that divine beast lineage—and the fire attribute is becoming restless."
"This is both fortune and trial. Soon, the cold poison in her body will continue to accumulate, until one day, it violently erupts. It is said that the ancient Vermilion Clear Ice Toad possessed the ultimate trifecta: Extreme Fire, Extreme Ice, and Extreme Poison. If she can survive this tribulation, the fortune she will gain is unimaginable. But if she cannot..."
Huo Yuhao clenched his fists. He didn't need Xue Di to finish that sentence. He already understood the consequences—and it was not something he could accept.
"Is there anything I can do to help her, Xue Di?"
Suppressing his shaken heart, Huo Yuhao asked with forced calm.
"There is," Xue Di replied. "You are a possessor of the Ultimate Ice. But this is her tribulation to face. If you assist her too much, the fortune she could obtain will be greatly reduced. Worse yet, it may plant a hidden danger—if her bloodline is reawakened in the future, she might once again fall into this condition, facing an even more dangerous backlash. Are you sure you want to do this, Yuhao?"
Huo Yuhao hesitated. He had no right to make such a decision on Meng Hongchen's behalf. But even if there was only a sliver of a chance she'd die, he would never allow it to happen.
Still... something about this didn't line up. In the original story, Meng Hongchen never seemed to suffer such an ordeal. Wait—
'Martial Soul Fusion Skill.'
That's it. It was their Martial Soul Fusion Skill that had triggered her ancient bloodline.
Huo Yuhao gave a bitter smile. So in the end… it was his fault.
With that realization, his resolve solidified. Future issues could be resolved later. For now, it had come too suddenly—but it was his responsibility to bear.
"I'm sure, Xue Di. This cold poison backlash—there's no permanent solution to it I could help with in the future?"
Xue Di hesitated, then said:
"There are ways. If you can help her enhance her physical constitution, or find a way to harmonize the conflict between fire and ice within her, or even grant her a physique immune to poison, you could help her overcome this tribulation. But all these solutions require rare and extraordinary heavenly treasures, and you may need to combine several methods to ensure absolute safety."
Huo Yuhao let out a quiet breath. Rare or not, at least there were methods.
And with the Icefire Yin Yang Well—the treasure trove of heavenly ingredients—perhaps it wasn't as impossible as it seemed.
Besides, if it came down to strengthening her physique... Huo Yuhao did have one method right now: he could give Meng Hongchen a full baptism with the life force within the Blade of Creation and Destruction. After helping Kong Deming with a full life-force baptism last time, the blade had nearly recovered its vitality.
But not yet. He couldn't use it now.
Life force was not some casual energy like water—it was as intense and dangerous as Destruction itself. With Meng Hongchen's current unstable state, a sudden influx of life force might worsen the conflict between her fire and ice soul power.
"Then let's focus on the present. Xue Di, how can I help her endure this cold poison backlash?"
Xue Di's face flushed slightly and she hesitated—not because she couldn't say it, but because… the method was a bit... awkward.
After explaining the method to Huo Yuhao, he too blushed.
But he shook his head and pushed away all distracting thoughts.
"It's already come to this. There's no time for modesty! It's not even anything improper anyway. I should at least let Master and Senior Xiao know. Xue Di, can you watch over Senior Sister Meng while I go?"
"Of course."
In the living room downstairs, Huo Yuhao gathered Jing Hongchen and Xiao Hongchen and explained the entire situation in detail.
Xiao Hongchen sat on the couch with a face full of worry. Jing Hongchen, meanwhile, was pacing the room anxiously, as if the sky were about to collapse.
He had already lost his son and daughter-in-law to a tragic accident. If anything happened to his beloved grandson and granddaughter, Jing Hongchen would truly be crushed.
"Yuhao, you're saying… you have a way?"
Jing Hongchen grabbed on to Huo Yuhao's words like a drowning man to a lifeline.
Huo Yuhao nodded without hesitation. Looking at the old man's weary figure, he said:
"Yes. At the very least, I can help her overcome this round of cold poison backlash. As for the future, I can resolve at least half of the problem. The rest is a matter of finding the right heavenly treasures."
Hearing that, Jing Hongchen let out a huge sigh of relief. He turned around, gripped Huo Yuhao's shoulders tightly, and said:
"Good—good! Yuhao, I don't even know how to thank you."
"Please don't, Master. We're all family. Helping Senior Sister Meng is something I'm duty-bound to do."
Jing Hongchen, moved and overjoyed, let go of Huo Yuhao and turned away, quietly wiping away a tear—born from fear and overwhelming gratitude.
At this moment, he sincerely believed that taking Huo Yuhao in had been the wisest decision of his life… though he had no idea that this tribulation Meng Hongchen was facing had, in fact, been triggered by Huo Yuhao himself.
Xiao Hongchen also relaxed. He stood up, patted Huo Yuhao's shoulder, gave him a firm bear hug, and returned silently to the sofa.
"So, about how to help Meng..."
When Huo Yuhao began to explain the method—
Jing Hongchen and Xiao Hongchen listened closely… then froze.
That method was… a bit…
After finishing his explanation, Huo Yuhao anxiously looked at Meng Hongchen's grandfather and older brother.
(End of Chapter)
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