Battle Against Dugu Yan, Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well

Dugu Yan's delicate brows furrowed slightly. "Why do you want to meet my grandfather?"

Grinning, Lin Chen began to flatter her. "I've always admired the strong. Senior Dugu's mastery of poison has reached a divine level. As a junior, of course I want to see it with my own eyes."

Hearing Lin Chen praise Dugu Bo like that, Dugu Yan was delighted. "No problem. As long as you can beat me, I'll take you to see Grandpa."

The scene shifted, and Dugu Yan led Lin Chen to a private training room.

Enclosed private training rooms like this were hidden deep within the Mimicry Training Ground. As special practice areas reserved for the imperial family and students with exceptional talent, they ensured the students' privacy.

Dugu Yan stood at the edge of the room and smiled. "Let's begin, then. No one but the two of us will know what happens here."

With that, Dugu Yan raised her hand. A massive Jade Phosphorous Serpent slowly rose from her body behind her, and two Yellow Soul Rings appeared at her feet. "Dugu Yan, level 20 Soul Grandmaster!"

Seeing this, Lin Chen's lips curled into a smile. "Lin Chen, level 29 Soul Grandmaster!"

As his voice fell, Lin Chen raised his left arm, and silvery-white light poured from his wrist.

The Ultimate Armor emerged in succession from his shoulder to his arm, its silvery-white plates gleaming coldly in the sunlight. Then, two purple Soul Rings rose from beneath his feet at the same time.

Dugu Yan's pupils contracted sharply at the sight. Even though she had already guessed Lin Chen's background, she could not help being shocked.

Lin Chen smiled faintly and flexed his wrist. "Let's begin, then."

The moment he finished speaking, Lin Chen pushed off hard, his body shooting toward Dugu Yan like a silver streak.

Dugu Yan hurriedly reacted. Her First Soul Ring lit up, and circles of green poison mist appeared at her feet and spread outward. "First Soul Skill, Jade Phosphorous Poison Miasma!"

Purple poison mist slithered along the ground like a snake, staining the training room floor dark green.

Lin Chen's gaze sharpened, but he did not slow his steps. He gave another low shout. "Second Soul Skill, Void Instant Slash!"

"Whoosh!"

As his voice fell, Lin Chen turned into a flash of silver light and vanished from where he stood. Dugu Yan felt a chill at her back, and the Ultimate Zero Sword was already pressed against her neck.

"So fast..." Dugu Yan's eyes widened. She had thought that even if there was a gap between her and Lin Chen, she should at least be able to exchange a move or two with him.

But now it seemed she had indeed expected too much.

At that thought, Dugu Yan shook her head, the arrogance in her eyes gradually fading. "You win. I'll keep my promise and take you to see Grandpa."

Lin Chen withdrew the Ultimate Armor and smiled reassuringly. "Your poison skills really are strong. If I hadn't mastered a spatial Soul Skill, I'd never have dared attack you at close range."

"At least you have good taste." With that, the girl smiled and waved. "I'll be going, then. You're staying at the Crown Prince's Residence, right? I'll have Grandpa pay you a visit in person."

Night.

Lin Chen sat cross-legged on his bed. After putting a small piece of Whale Rubber into his mouth, he began circulating his Soul Power to cultivate again.

After absorbing all the medicinal power in his body, Lin Chen opened his eyes, looking somewhat helpless. "Is the medicinal power of thousand-year Whale Rubber really not enough anymore?"

At that thought, Dugu Yan's words, "My grandpa will pay you a visit in person," crossed his mind, and a smile rose to his lips. "It's time to visit the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well."

The thought circled in Lin Chen's mind, but he did not dwell on it right away.

The Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well was Dugu Bo's lair, and a Poison Array guarded the outside. He could not possibly force his way in himself, so he could only wait for the other man to come to him before entering the Immortal Herb Password.

As for Qian Renxue, Lin Chen had already told her that Dugu Bo would visit. She had not said much in response, essentially leaving him to handle it himself.

The next morning.

Lin Chen went to the academy as usual. His timetable for the junior division had long been posted on his room's wall, but to tell the truth, he had never once looked at it closely.

After all, the junior division's classes at Heaven Dou Royal Academy meant little to him. His cultivation progress had already left his peers countless streets behind.

Lin Chen walked through the academy gates and spotted Dugu Yan leaning against a stone post at a glance.

"Morning." Seeing Lin Chen arrive, Dugu Yan straightened up. "You're in luck. My grandpa just happened to return to Heaven Dou City recently."

"What did Senior Dugu say?" Lin Chen asked.

Dugu Yan smiled. "He said a mere follower of the crown prince wasn't worthy of a personal visit from him, but for my sake, he agreed anyway."

"Those were his exact words." Dugu Yan shrugged. "My grandpa has a strange temper, so don't take it to heart."

Lin Chen grinned. "It's fine. A Titled Douluo ought to be arrogant. So when exactly is he coming?"

"He said tomorrow morning. Just wait for him then."

Hearing Dugu Yan's answer, Lin Chen smiled and nodded. "Then I'll be at the Crown Prince's Residence tomorrow, awaiting Senior Dugu's arrival."

Dugu Yan warned him, "Let me be clear first. My grandpa has a strange temper. If you make him angry, not even the crown prince can protect you."

Lin Chen fell silent for a moment, then laughed. "I'm just going to meet him, not fight him. He's a Titled Douluo. Surely he wouldn't make things difficult for a six-year-old child like me?"

Dugu Yan looked at him for a while and said nothing more about it. "I don't know about that. I'm going now. See you tomorrow."

Lin Chen watched her walk away before looking away and heading toward his classroom.

He barely listened to the morning's lessons. It was not that he was deliberately letting his mind wander; he had simply read the material on the basic circulation of Soul Power and the classification of Soul Beasts to tatters back in Nuoding City. What truly occupied his mind was tomorrow.

He silently went over tomorrow's meeting in his head. Dugu Bo had agreed to come to the Crown Prince's Residence, but given that old poison freak's temperament, he certainly was not coming for a friendly chat.

He would most likely be testing Lin Chen, and might even be coming to pick a fight. But that was fine. Lin Chen wanted him to come.

"After all, Dugu Bo's problem is especially easy to solve. A few words will unlock the Immortal Herb gift pack."

Lin Chen pondered for a moment. "But the traditional method of treating poison with a Soul Bone is outdated. Rather than channel the toxins into a Soul Bone, it would be better to form a Poison-Attribute Soul Core directly."

"That would both increase his strength and absorb the toxins. It's like killing two birds with one stone."

After returning to the Crown Prince's Residence that afternoon, Lin Chen ran into Cao Tian Heng in the courtyard. Cao Tian Heng stopped when he saw Lin Chen and said with a smile, "His Highness is in his study. He said to come by if you had time."

Lin Chen nodded and went alone to Xue Qinghe's study. He knocked and walked in.

Xue Qinghe was sitting behind his desk, reading a scroll of official documents. A dish of sliced preserved fruit sat at the corner of the desk, with a pot of tea beside it. It looked as though he had been waiting for a while.

"You're here." Xue Qinghe put down what he was holding and looked up at him. "That girl Dugu Yan made arrangements with you?"

Lin Chen nodded. "It's arranged. Dugu Bo will pay a visit tomorrow morning."

Xue Qinghe picked up his teacup and asked with a smile, "You didn't ask Dugu Bo to come over just to get a look at him, did you?"

Lin Chen thought about it and realized he could not hide it from Qian Renxue at all. With Snake Lance Douluo following him, the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well would hardly remain a secret once he went to Sunset Forest.

With that in mind, Lin Chen answered honestly, "Dugu Bo has a Herb Garden hidden in Sunset Forest called the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well."