Dugu Bo spared no soul power, transforming into a streak of green light as he flew at maximum speed.
Fortunately, despite his haste, he did not forget to place a soul power shield around Zhao Liuyun. Otherwise, given the gale-force winds caused by such rapid flight, the boy would have been dazed by the sheer pressure.
The Sunset Forest lay a hundred miles east of Heaven Dou City. It was not far, and they arrived in a matter of moments.
Crossing the sparse woodland of the outer perimeter and the boundary of the primeval forest, Dugu Bo flew straight toward the basin area at the forest's center. This was not a place someone of Zhao Liuyun's meager cultivation could easily tread—or perhaps, that wasn't entirely true.
If he used his presence-erasing abilities and snuck in carefully, he might not attract major trouble. Shi Nian seemed to possess a spiritual power technique that could suppress one's aura for even better concealment; Zhao Liuyun made a mental note to learn it once he returned to Blue Sunshine Academy.
Muttering silently to himself, Zhao Liuyun simply waited calmly.
The Sunset Forest was teeming with soul beasts, but under the chilling pressure of a Titled Douluo, none dared to step forward and provoke them, fleeing in all directions instead.
Eventually, the two landed on the summit of a five-hundred-meter-high hill.
Dugu Bo set him down. "We are here."
Steadying himself, Zhao Liuyun fixed his gaze downward. Below was an inverted cone-shaped mountain valley. Thick, hot steam rose from within, and the air was humid, carrying the distinct scent of sulfur.
"It looks like a volcano."
"This place is far more dangerous than a volcano," Dugu Bo remarked. He hoisted Zhao Liuyun up once more and leaped, plunging straight into the depths of the mist-shrouded valley.
On his own, Zhao Liuyun truly wouldn't have been able to get down there. As a Spirit-type Grand Soul Master without the Eight Spider Lances of the Great God-King Tang, he would have needed an incredibly long rope to scale these steep cliffs.
Passing through layers of mist, an oval-shaped pool of water suddenly came into view. The milky white representing the extreme of Ice and the vermilion representing the extreme of Fire were as distinct as night and day. At the junction where these two ultimate powers met, billowing steam surged upward.
Zhao Liuyun's eyes burned with intensity as he immediately activated his Purple Demon Eyes to scan the surroundings. He bypassed the medicinal garden recently cultivated by Dugu Bo, focusing instead on the indigenous herbs and the rare treasures Dugu Bo had collected and transplanted later.
Snow Silkworms, Cinnabar Lotus, the Thousand-Year Ginseng he had once bluffed about, and the Grade Nine Purple Ganoderma that the Grandmaster had consumed—it was a dazzling array of wonders rarely found in the world.
For a moment, an uncontrollable greed welled up in Zhao Liuyun's heart. He felt an urge to devour every single one of these natural treasures.
And then he would surely explode and die, leaving no remains behind...
Calm Mind smoothed the turbulent seas of his mind. When he opened his eyes again, Zhao Liuyun's gaze was as tranquil as an ancient well, clear and composed.
Scanning the various immortal herbs, he noted that, as expected, those that only appeared in the era of Soul Land III—such as the Earth Dragon Golden Melon, the Black Jade Divine Bamboo, and the Primordial Immortal Herb—were nowhere to be found.
Zhao Liuyun didn't mind. He remained alert and did not wander. The opposing forces of extreme Ice and Fire were powerful; with his measly cultivation, he could only last a few moments without Dugu Bo's protection before the violent energies tore him apart.
"This is a magnificent place, Senior!"
"Do you think I don't know that?"
The corner of Dugu Bo's mouth curled into a proud smile, though his tone remained cold. "Well? Out with it. What is your method? If you can't say anything useful, you can jump into that fiery spring for a soak yourself, saving me the trouble of disposing of your corpse."
Zhao Liuyun ignored the threat. Activating Brainstorm and combining his knowledge of the original text, he thought for a moment before speaking calmly. "Senior, I have three methods—superior, intermediate, and inferior—all of which can neutralize the poison in your body."
"Speak!" The light in Dugu Bo's eyes intensified.
Was he for real? Superior, intermediate, and inferior?
"But I need you to promise me two things in advance."
Though Dugu Bo was eccentric and perverse, he was a man of his word. Zhao Liuyun needed a guarantee first.
"Brat, you really aren't afraid of death!" Dugu Bo laughed sinisterly.
Zhao Liuyun gave a light chuckle, his expression poised. "I am but a mere Grand Soul Master, alone in the world with nothing to lose. You, however, are a Titled Douluo with a granddaughter like Dugu Yan to care for. With a path to survival before you, you are the one who should be afraid to die."
"You—" Dugu Bo glared, his fist clenching, but he ultimately did nothing. Calming himself, he said, "State your conditions."
Internally, he thought: Brat, don't you ever fall into my hands in the future!
Zhao Liuyun met his gaze. "If the detoxification is successful, I want you to take me as your disciple."
"Fine!" Dugu Bo agreed instantly, a stiff smile appearing on his face. This way, the boy would definitely be under his thumb.
"Second, I want this Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well," Zhao Liuyun added. "You can still use it, of course, but I also need this treasure land."
He could farm experience for his planting-related profession here and use it for his future level-ups. After consuming the two Ice and Fire immortal herbs, this spring, powered by the remains of the Dragon Kings, would be the most suitable bed for his breakthroughs. Zhao Liuyun also planned to dig up A Yin and plant her here when he went to steal the Blue Silver Empress soul bone, as a way of repaying the favor of the bone.
"Agreed," Dugu Bo said impatiently. "Now, speak."
"Which would you like to hear first?"
"The inferior method," Dugu Bo said casually. People usually preferred to hear the worst first, saving the best for last.
Zhao Liuyun spoke calmly. "On the bank of the icy spring, the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass grows at the center; on the side of the fiery spring, there is the Infernal Delicate Apricot. If you consume both immortal herbs simultaneously and then plunge into the center of the springs to absorb them, the intertwining of ice and fire will neutralize any toxin in the world."
"Immortal herbs? You call these things immortal herbs?" Dugu Bo thought of Yue Guan's martial soul and how he referred to himself.
"They are called immortal herbs. Is there a problem, Senior?"
"No..." Dugu Bo felt a stir of interest, but his gaze fell upon the two herbs emitting extreme elemental auras, then shifted to the surging spring. He hesitated. "Do you want me dead?"
Zhao Liuyun smiled slightly. "Theoretically, it can perfectly neutralize the poison. However, once the toxins are gone, I'm afraid your title of 'Poison' Douluo might have to be changed."
Without my poison, what kind of Titled Douluo would I be? Moreover, while Ice and Fire were theoretically mutually reinforcing, such harmony was accidental; conflict was the norm. The method sounded like an invitation to commit suicide.
Dugu Bo immediately cut off that dangerous thought. The boy was right—he was alone with nothing to lose, but Dugu Bo had Yan-yan to look after. With a path to life ahead, he could not be reckless.
"And the intermediate method?"
"The intermediate method is to force the poison into a soul bone."
Zhao Liuyun explained unhurriedly, "The poison of a beast martial soul recoils upon the body. Martial souls like snakes, spiders, and centipedes should naturally have poison glands or sacs—but your martial soul seems to have mutated, Senior?"
Dugu Bo didn't answer but frowned as he followed the logic. "You mean using a soul bone to act as that poison sac? The idea is sound, but the poison has long since fused with my flesh and blood. Forcing it out would only make me die faster."
"I have a way!" A confident light flashed in Zhao Liuyun's eyes. "I once obtained a profound toxicological inheritance; I can concoct the necessary medicine."
Dugu Bo lowered his head in thought. After a long silence, he looked up, his gaze sharp. "A soul bone has its limits. What happens when it is full?"
"When the time comes and the toxin loses control, it would likely blow you to pieces. That is why this is only the intermediate method." Zhao Liuyun paused. "However, if you can find an external soul bone that can evolve and grow with the human body, it would be equivalent to the superior method."
"Heh—" Dugu Bo laughed. Regular soul bones were hard enough to come by. An external soul bone? Those were rarer than hundred-thousand-year soul rings. Looking for such a stroke of luck was less realistic than a dream.
"Then tell me, what exactly is your superior method?" Dugu Bo was most anticipating this. What kind of method could possibly rival an external soul bone?