Seeing the dense, poisonous mist shrouding the mountain peak, Tang Yin immediately thought of Dugu Bo, the Poison Douluo from the original story.
However, what truly captivated him was the rich Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy permeating the area. He was now certain: this was the legendary Ice-Fire Yin-Yang Eye, a treasure trove of natural energy.
"It's in there, no doubt about it," he muttered. "The concentration of Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy here is practically tailor-made for my foster mother. If we move her here, I'm certain her revival will accelerate."
"But this poisonous mist is lethal... I'm worried..."
With only eleventh-level soul power, Tang Yin had no means to evade the deadly toxins. He had to rely entirely on Tang Hao, his foster father who secretly harbored ill intentions toward him.
His weakness left him feeling utterly helpless. The burning desire to grow stronger had long been deeply rooted in his heart. In this world where the strong rule, power was everything. Only by becoming invincible could he truly do as he pleased.
Tang Hao glanced at the mist and scoffed. "A mere wisp of poison? What's there to fear? Just stay close to me."
Tang Hao was clearly impatient.
Once he confirmed they were inside, a formidable aura erupted from Tang Hao, instantly dispersing the poisonous mist that had blocked their path.
Tang Yin watched this scene with a hint of awe.
Tang Hao's strength was truly formidable.
No wonder he had been so arrogant and domineering in the original story.
"Let's go," Tang Hao called to Tang Yin, striding forward.
Tang Yin stayed close to Tang Hao, wary of straying too far.
This poison was no joke. While Tang Hao's Titled Douluo-level soul power provided ample protection, a mere eleventh-level Soul Master like Tang Yin would surely perish upon contact.
Following the concentration of Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy, Tang Yin guided them deeper into the cave under Tang Hao's protective escort.
Meanwhile, at the heart of the poisonous mist, within a massive cavern inside a mountain peak, a gaunt man with ink-green hair and beard abruptly opened his eyes.
His emerald-like eyes glowed with an eerie light, giving him an ethereal, almost illusory appearance.
His face was expressionless, or rather, his features were frozen in a rigid mask. His cheeks were sunken, his green hair disheveled, and he wore only a simple gray robe.
He was none other than Dugu Bo, the Poison Douluo, a name that echoed across the continent.
"Who's there?"
Just moments ago, Dugu Bo had sensed an immensely powerful aura breach his poison array.
Though the array's range was vast, as the Poison Douluo, he could detect intruders through the toxic mist.
The array had been constructed for two purposes: to repel soul beasts and protect this place, and to serve as an early warning system and a last line of defense against enemies.
The intruder's aura had been instantly detected.
"Wait... this person's... aura..."
Dugu Bo suddenly realized the intruder was rapidly approaching, the overwhelming aura pressing down on him like a physical force.
Powerful.
Extremely powerful.
Even surpassing his own.
"This is bad."
A sudden realization struck him. His expression twisted in alarm as his body dissolved into a black shadow, vanishing from the cave in an instant.
Moments later, he reappeared on a cliff, gazing at the approaching torrent of soul power.
Below the cliff lay a valley.
Peering down, he was struck by the extraordinary sight within.
In that valley lay a hot spring, small in area but divided into two distinct sections. Within the oval-shaped pool, the spring water was strikingly different: one side was milky white, while the other was crimson red.
Even more peculiar was the fact that, despite sharing the same pool, the two types of water remained sharply separated, never mixing or encroaching upon each other's territory.
The billowing steam rising from the spring, originating from the boundary between the two types of water, ascended continuously until it gradually dispersed near the valley's mouth.
Without a doubt, this was the Ice-Fire Yin-Yang Eye.
This naturally blessed spring, born as a dual entity with opposing Yin-Yang energies, was a rare treasure, a phenomenon that might not occur even once in millions of years.
The Ice-Fire Yin-Yang Eye not only nurtured life but also possessed extraordinary effects on the human body.
Any human or animal attempting to live near the Ice-Fire Yin-Yang Eye would face a perilous trial. If unable to withstand the clash of the two extreme attributes of Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy, their bodies would be torn apart by the conflicting forces. Failure to retreat in time would inevitably lead to explosive death.
However, those who could endure the onslaught of the Ice-Fire Spiritual Energy would reap benefits beyond description.
Moreover, the extreme heat and cold within the cave acted as a natural deterrent to poisonous creatures.
The Ice-Fire Yin-Yang Eye, a treasure of heaven and earth, possessed an even more potent suppressive effect on toxins.
Dugu Bo had claimed this place to suppress the poison within his own body.
Now, he stared intently at the approaching figures, his expression more solemn than ever before.
At that moment, Tang Hao and Tang Yin slowly came into view.
Initially, Dugu Bo didn't recognize Tang Hao. After all, Tang Hao's appearance was now disheveled, his hair unkempt and face weathered.
But the aura emanating from Tang Hao left Dugu Bo no room for complacency.
"A Titled Douluo!"
"A Titled Douluo stronger than me."
Yes.
With a single glance, Dugu Bo sensed that his opponent's level far surpassed his own—and not by a mere star or two.
Yet he also sensed that the man carried grievous wounds.
"It's him!"
Below the cliff, as Tang Hao led Tang Yin toward Dugu Bo, memories of the Poison Douluo flooded his mind.
Dugu Bo was the only Titled Douluo on the entire continent who specialized in poison, making him instantly recognizable.
"Intruding into my territory without invitation—aren't you overstepping your bounds?" Dugu Bo's voice echoed from the cliff above.
He showed no fear, nor did he cower before Tang Hao's superior strength. As he spoke, he leaped from the cliff, landing near Tang Hao.
As he drew closer, he sensed Tang Hao's aura more clearly.
"This may have been your territory once, but from now on, it belongs to me," Tang Hao declared, his words radiating domineering arrogance.
This place was crucial for reviving A'yin.
He would seize it even if the Pope of the Martial Soul Hall stood before him, let alone Dugu Bo.
A'yin's revival could not be allowed to suffer even the slightest setback. He would tolerate no interference.
Seeing Tang Hao's brazen audacity, Dugu Bo's expression darkened.
To barge into his territory and declare ownership without explanation—he was never one for patience.
The sight of Tang Hao before him ignited the fury within Dugu Bo.
"Let's see if you truly have the ability to back up your words."
As soon as the words left his lips, a piercing, drawn-out hiss erupted from his mouth.
Emerald-green light burst forth from his body, his form expanding against the wind. The first seven Soul Rings lit up simultaneously, and his slender, towering frame swelled within the jade radiance, soaring upward.
The diamond-shaped, jade-green scales resembled inlaid emeralds. The human form vanished completely as Dugu Bo transformed into a colossal, verdant serpent.
The transformation was instantaneous.
A thirty-meter-long serpent, as thick as a water vat, reared up, its upper half towering over Tang Hao in a confrontational stance.
Two massive, emerald-green serpent eyes glared coldly at Tang Hao, its forked tongue flicking in and out of its mouth, and a dense, green mist swirled around its body.
This was Dugu Bo's Martial Soul True Body: the Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor.
Knowing his opponent was a formidable foe, he immediately unleashed his most powerful form.
The Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor's scales flared, its icy gaze locked on Tang Hao, ready to strike.
Tang Hao grinned, his expression disdainful. He hadn't even taken Dugu Bo seriously before, and his injured state only deepened his contempt.
"If you're so eager to die, I'll grant your wish."
Tang Hao was a man of few words and ruthless action. Since Dugu Bo had already made his move, Tang Hao wouldn't stand idly by.
With a cold snort, Tang Hao released his Soul Rings. Nine rings—yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black, black, and red—lit up around him, one black ring enveloping the Clear Sky Hammer.
Simultaneously, the Clear Sky Hammer in his hand swelled, growing several times larger in an instant.
Dugu Bo wasn't worth Tang Hao's full strength, even in his injured state. He was confident a single strike would crush him.
"That's... the Clear... Sky Hammer... a hundred-thousand-year Soul Ring... You're Tang Hao."
Dugu Bo froze at the sight of the hundred-thousand-year Soul Ring and the Clear Sky Hammer. He never imagined the man before him was the legendary Clear Sky Douluo, a name that echoed through the Soul Master world.
But Tang Hao showed no sign of stopping.
"Heavenly Strike."
Tang Hao swung the Clear Sky Hammer, sending it crashing down on Dugu Bo's Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor True Body with blinding speed. The force of the impact created a deafening roar in the air.
Dugu Bo had clearly been stunned by the sight of Tang Hao's hundred-thousand-year Soul Ring and the revelation of his identity.
In a clash between experts, a single second can determine victory or defeat.
Tang Hao seized the moment Dugu Bo froze, his Clear Sky Hammer instantly descending upon him.
"Damn!"
Dugu Bo reacted swiftly, channeling his full soul power to defend against the attack, but he was a step too late.
*Boom!*
The overwhelming force sent him flying backward, crashing violently into the cliff face.
Dust and debris erupted into the air.
After delivering the blow, Tang Hao retracted his Martial Soul and Soul Rings, turning to Tang Yin. "Let's go."
"Alright," Tang Yin replied, following Tang Hao. He glanced back at Dugu Bo, who had been sent flying by a single strike, and an idea sparked in his mind.
Tang Hao's arrogant defeat of Dugu Bo and subsequent occupation of his territory had forged an irreconcilable feud between them.
This could be exploited.
As the pair approached the Ice-Fire Yin-Yang Eye, Dugu Bo, battered and covered in dust, struggled to his feet on the cliff.
His face twisted into a terrifying grimace.
"Tang... Hao..."
"Just you wait. One day, I'll repay this debt."
The injured Dugu Bo knew he couldn't defeat Tang Hao.
Confronting him now would only mean certain death and further humiliation.
Yet his pride refused to let him swallow this insult.
Moreover, with Tang Hao occupying the Ice-Fire Yin-Yang Eye, Dugu Bo could no longer suppress the poison within his body—a death sentence in itself.
Dugu Bo glared at Tang Hao, who had already reached the Ice-Fire Yin-Yang Eye, before finally retreating. He would bide his time, waiting for an opportunity to strike back.
One day, he would return.