Absorbing Immortal Grades

As the lingering resonance of the final note slowly faded within the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eyes, Dugu Yan suddenly frowned tightly, her chest heaving violently. "Pfft—" A mouthful of jade-green Poison Blood gushed out, gleaming with an eerie sheen in the morning light.

"Yan Yan!" Dugu Bo flashed forward and instantly appeared beside his granddaughter. His usually sinister green eyes were now filled with worry as his withered hand gently patted Dugu Yan's back.

Dugu Yan raised a hand to wipe the blood from her lips and slowly steadied her breathing. When she opened her eyes again, her emerald-like gaze was clearer and brighter than before, while a healthy glow faintly flowed beneath her skin. "Strange." She moved her wrist, disbelief appearing on her face. "Even though I threw up blood, my body actually feels much more relaxed."

Dugu Bo hurriedly gripped his granddaughter's wrist. As his Soul Power probed her body, a sharp gleam burst from his eyes. "Thirty percent of the toxins have actually been expelled!" He abruptly turned toward Feng Yao, urgency in his voice. "Why wasn't the effect as good as yesterday?"

Feng Yao put away "Fuxi," the loose strands of hair at his forehead already soaked with sweat. After catching his breath, he explained, "Senior, you misunderstand. This Zither Sound Body Tempering Method was never created specifically for detoxification."

"Then what is it?" Dugu Bo's brows furrowed tightly.

"Did you feel your internal organs resonating with the melody just now?" Feng Yao smiled faintly, wisdom glimmering in his eyes.

Dugu Bo's expression tightened as something suddenly occurred to him. He flashed before Feng Yao like a ghost, his withered fingers clamping around the boy's wrist like iron pincers. A moment later, astonishing radiance erupted in the Poison Douluo's eyes. "The vitality in your body is as vigorous as the rising morning sun. Your bone age is only twelve, yet you already possess twenty-six levels of Soul Power..."

He released Feng Yao's wrist and stared intently at the youth before him, his voice trembling faintly with excitement. "Kid, do you know how valuable a secret method like this is? And you just taught it to me? Aren't you afraid..."

Feng Yao met Dugu Bo's gaze, his smile as clear as spring water. "I only saw a grandfather trying to save his granddaughter. Besides, Senior has already given me generous compensation."

Dugu Bo's body jolted, and for the first time, he actually turned his face away in front of someone. In the morning light, something seemed to glimmer at the corner of this feared Poison Douluo's eyes. When he turned back, his voice had regained its usual roughness. "Kid, I keep my word! Take whatever herbs here catch your fancy!"

With a sweep of his hand, his dark-green hair danced wildly in the wind, while the gust from his sleeve sent fallen blossoms swirling across the ground. At that moment, no one noticed Dugu Yan standing nearby, watching Feng Yao with entirely new eyes, complicated emotions flickering in her emerald gaze.

Feng Yao gently placed "Fuxi" across his knees, lightly stroking the strings as he said warmly, "No rush, Senior. Let me explain this Zither Sound Body Tempering Method in detail."

His slender fingers brushed lightly across the strings, producing a clear, resonant sound. "The five tones correspond to the five organs. Gong enters the spleen, Shang enters the lungs, Jue enters the liver, Zhi enters the heart, and Yu enters the kidneys." Feng Yao spoke steadily, his voice flowing like a clear spring. "Soul Power serves as the guide, and melody as the medium. Only then can one resonate with the organs within the body."

Dugu Bo nodded thoughtfully, realization glinting in his green eyes. "I see. So one only needs to use Soul Power to play specific melodies..."

"Would a harp work too?" Dugu Yan suddenly asked, her emerald eyes brimming with curiosity.

Feng Yao turned toward her, approval in his smile. "Sister Yan is right. In theory, any instrument will do, but..." He paused. "One must be proficient in musical theory and possess extraordinarily precise control over Soul Power."

Dugu Yan pursed her lips, clearly disappointed by such demanding requirements.

"As for how Senior should practice..." Feng Yao took out a scroll of blueprints from his Soul Tool. "I will custom-make a zither for you in the style of 'Fuxi.' You need only learn the basic finger techniques and combine them with Soul Power control..."

At this point, Feng Yao's expression suddenly turned serious. "But you must remember one thing—at the beginning of cultivation, you must practice on yourself. Only after you can precisely control the intensity may you use it on others. Otherwise..." His gaze grew solemn. "Instead of tempering the body, you will inflict internal injuries."

Dugu Bo nodded gravely. His withered fingers rubbed together unconsciously as complicated light flickered in his eyes. "At my age, I never expected these elegant little pastimes those nobles use to put on airs to conceal such profound mysteries..."

Feng Yao smiled softly. Morning light filtered through the mist around the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eyes, casting mottled shadows across his handsome profile. "There are three thousand great paths, yet all lead to the same destination." His fingers plucked the strings, producing a clear tremor. "Just like this spring. It appears that cold and heat are utterly opposed, yet here they nourish and support one another, giving birth to countless natural treasures."

Following Feng Yao's gaze, Dugu Bo looked toward the spring where yin and yang converged within the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eyes. Complex ripples stirred in his green eyes. The world only knew the terrifying reputation of the "Poison Douluo," but who knew that, in order to suppress the deadly poison in his body, his mastery of medicine had likewise reached the pinnacle? Without that, how could he have survived until now while burdened by such virulent poison?

Suddenly, Feng Yao looked at the various Immortal Grades beside the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eyes and smiled at Dugu Bo. "Then I'll gladly accept your generosity."

As he spoke, Feng Yao deftly stowed the Lovesick Heartbreak Red, along with the Dark Absolute Stone at its roots, into his storage. Watching his practiced movements, the corner of Dugu Bo's shriveled mouth twitched involuntarily.

"Senior, this one..."

"Put it in a Jade Box."

"This one..."

"This one..."

"And this one..."

As Feng Yao's finger kept pointing at various rare herbs, Dugu Bo's expression grew increasingly ugly. It was not until Feng Yao stopped before an enormous purple chrysanthemum that he said, "I want this one too."

The chrysanthemum was a dazzling purple from top to bottom, every petal soft and fuzzy, making it look particularly adorable. The entire flower seemed perfectly whole, yet strangely, it emitted no fragrance at all. Most eye-catching was its towering pistil, whose tip glimmered with faint Golden Light.

Dugu Bo narrowed his eyes. "Brat, do you even know what that is, asking for it so casually? Don't tell me you just think it looks pretty..."

Feng Yao answered unhurriedly, "Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum, an Immortal Grade herb. Consuming it opens the limbs and bones, forging an indestructible body."

"You really know it?!" Dugu Bo's pupils shrank slightly before a strange expression appeared on his face. "Ju Hua Guan's Martial Soul is that powerful?"

"Ju Hua Guan?" Feng Yao blinked, feigning confusion.

Dugu Bo stepped closer and lowered his voice. "Kid, can this thing really forge an indestructible body?"

"It certainly can." Feng Yao nodded, then changed the subject. "But you cannot use it. This is a pure-yang Immortal Grade, while snakes are yin in nature..."

At once, Yue Guan's alluring face appeared in Dugu Bo's mind, and his expression became wonderfully strange. He muttered under his breath, "No wonder he can stand alongside that old ghost..."

At that moment, Dugu Bo suddenly tugged at Feng Yao's sleeve, rare awkwardness appearing on his face. "Kid, you've taken so many. Is there anything suitable for Yan Yan?"

Feng Yao gently shook his head, his tone earnest. "You should understand this better than I do. Sister Yan already has bloodline poison within her body. If she rashly takes tonics, it may have the opposite effect and cause the toxins to backlash..."

Feng Yao was not selfish. Though he knew full well how miraculous these Immortal Grades were, he did not dare let Dugu Bo and his granddaughter try them recklessly. The toxins in their bodies were far too unusual; the slightest mistake could lead to unimaginable consequences.

Dugu Bo nodded deeply, his complicated gaze sweeping across the garden of treasures. If not for the poison within his body, why would he guard such a mountain of treasures yet dare not easily try them?

"Although most Immortal Grades are unsuitable for you and Sister Yan, these two will greatly benefit you." As Feng Yao spoke, he pointed toward the Mysterious Fragrant Silk Immortal Product and the Blood Swan Kiss in the distance.

A sharp gleam flashed in Dugu Bo's eyes. "How are they used?"

Feng Yao carefully held up the pink Mysterious Fragrant Silk Immortal Product. "Its fragrance wards off all poisons. Even your Jade Phosphor Snake Poison cannot harm it in the slightest."

To test it, Dugu Bo flicked his fingertip, sending a wisp of jade-green poisonous mist drifting toward Feng Yao. The Mysterious Fragrant Silk Immortal Product suddenly blossomed with a soft pink glow, enveloping Feng Yao. The poisonous mist vanished completely the moment it touched the pink light, like ice and snow meeting fire.

"Interesting!" Dugu Bo's interest was piqued, and he gradually increased the output of his poison. Yet no matter how much poison he released, he could not break through that seemingly fragile pink halo. Rare astonishment appeared on the Poison Douluo's face. "What a bane of all poisons!"

"This will be of great benefit to your study of medicinal principles." Smiling, Feng Yao handed the Immortal Herb to him.

Dugu Bo received it with great care and, unusually, said, "You've put thought into this."

"What about this one?" He impatiently pointed at the enchanting Blood Swan Kiss.

Feng Yao's expression suddenly grew grave. "You must be especially cautious with this. It is harmless to ordinary people, but it can amplify toxicity by hundreds or even thousands of times..."

Before he could finish, terrifying light had already burst from Dugu Bo's eyes. If he had obtained this earlier, he would have poisoned that old bastard Yue Guan to death long ago.

"You absolutely mustn't—" Feng Yao had only gotten halfway through when Dugu Bo's face turned as black as the bottom of a pot.

"Brat!" Dugu Bo roared in embarrassment and anger. "When I was playing with poison, you were still nursing at your mother's breast!"

Dugu Yan could not help covering her mouth as she laughed.

Feng Yao struggled not to laugh, but Dugu Bo had already carefully placed the Blood Swan Kiss into a specially made Jade Box as if he had found an unparalleled treasure. His movements were so gentle that one might have thought he was handling the most precious treasure in the world.

Feng Yao carefully stored the Jade Boxes containing the Immortal Grades one after another in his Soul Tool. When he finished collecting the final herb, his gaze involuntarily fell upon the two most dazzling Immortal Grades at the center of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eyes.

"Kid, it's time to stop, isn't it?" Seeing this, Dugu Bo secretly sighed in relief, thinking that the brat was finally going to settle down.

But Feng Yao revealed a flattering smile. "Senior, I'm afraid I'll need your help with these last two. They must be consumed on the spot."

Dugu Bo followed his gaze, and his green pupils abruptly contracted. "You're not planning to take those two, are you?" He pointed at the ice-blue Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and the fiery-red Blazing Apricot Blossom at the center of the spring, his voice rising sharply.

Feng Yao nodded, excitement glimmering in his eyes. "Exactly. Consumed separately, both of these Immortal Grades are deadly poison. Their powerful ice and fire energies would instantly destroy one's Meridians. But if they are consumed together..." He pointed at the intertwined spring waters. "Like these Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eyes, yin and yang support one another. Not only can they forge a body immune to all poisons, but they can also temper the flesh with ice and fire."

Having experienced the suppressive power of ice and fire against toxins, Dugu Bo could not help being moved. He sighed softly. "What a pity for such a fortunate opportunity. It will benefit you, kid."

"Actually..." Feng Yao hesitated for a moment. "Sister Yan can take them too. This may be a permanent cure, completely cleansing the toxins from her body and greatly improving her physical condition. Only..." He paused. "While she would become immune to all poisons, it would also mean that her poison could no longer improve in the future."

Dugu Bo's expression shifted unpredictably. After a long while, he shook his head, his voice low. "What is a snake without fangs, if not an earthworm?"

Feng Yao fell silent. He understood that, to the Dugu Clan, poison was not merely a tool, but an inheritance. Just like his zither arts—they were not merely a skill, but part of his soul. As a Title Douluo, Dugu Bo naturally had thoughts of passing on his legacy as well.

"Tell me, how do you need me to help?" Dugu Bo asked in a deep voice.

"I must trouble Senior to use your Soul Power to draw both Immortal Grades over at the same time. When their auras merge, I can consume them," Feng Yao said with a smile.

Dugu Bo did not hesitate in the slightest. His withered fingers swept through the air, and two sharp leaves shot forth like blades, precisely severing the roots of the two Immortal Grades. In an instant, the vast Soul Power of a Title Douluo surged out, steadily supporting the two Immortal Herbs as they floated before Feng Yao.

The snow-white Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass had eight crystalline petals, as though carved from ice and jade, while the pistil at its center flickered with bone-piercing cold light. The other, the fiery-red Blazing Apricot Blossom, resembled a cabbage but radiated scorching heat, as if it might burst into flames at any moment.

Feng Yao took a deep breath. His hands shot out like lightning, and at the instant the two utterly opposed auras met, he stuffed both Immortal Herbs into his mouth at once.

Boom—

The terrifying energy of clashing ice and fire exploded within his body. Feng Yao's face instantly twisted in agony. Fine frost formed across the left side of his face, while the right side flushed crimson. His body shook violently, as though two enormous dragons beneath his skin were tearing and biting at one another.

"Grandfather! Little Feng, he—" Dugu Yan cried out, instinctively stepping forward.

"Don't worry..." Feng Yao forced the words through clenched teeth, his voice hoarse as if it had been burned over and over by ice and fire. "I need the spring water to balance them..."

Before he finished speaking, he leaped forward and plunged into the miraculous waters of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eyes.

Beneath the spring, Feng Yao's body became the cruelest battlefield. The two energies of extreme cold and extreme heat crashed wildly through his Meridians, every clash bringing agonizing pain that tore at his heart and lungs. Worse still, his powerful physique, tempered through Zither Sound, prevented him from fainting immediately. He could only remain conscious as he endured this inhuman torment.

At times, thick layers of ice formed over his skin; at others, his body grew so hot that it glowed. His bones let out brittle cracks under the alternating cold and heat, while his organs seemed to be pierced by countless steel needles at once. Amid this pain worse than death, Feng Yao clenched his teeth tightly, thin streams of blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.

No one knew how much time passed. When the two energies finally began to merge slowly, Feng Yao's consciousness could no longer hold on, and he sank into a deep coma.

Dugu Bo stood beside the spring with his hands behind his back, his dark-green robe snapping in the wind. He stared at the ripples spreading across the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eyes, lingering fear flashing in his eyes.

"This kid truly has the guts to defy the heavens," he muttered softly, his voice carrying both amazement and a trace of barely perceptible admiration.

The ripples on the spring gradually calmed, reflecting Dugu Bo's complicated expression. He instinctively glanced at his granddaughter beside him, secretly rejoicing. Good thing I didn't let Yan Yan attempt something so dangerous. Even with the experience of a Poison Douluo, he had been shocked by the terrifying energy fluctuations erupting from Feng Yao's body just now.

Dugu Yan nervously gripped the corner of her clothes, her emerald eyes fixed upon the tranquil water. "Grandfather, is he really going to be all right?"

Dugu Bo snorted and stroked his beard, putting on a calm front. "Relax, that kid is clever." Despite his words, he did not actually know whether Feng Yao would emerge alive.