Chen Ming, Who Understood Nothing

Du Busi cultivated Poison Cultivation.

The key to Poison Cultivation was naturally collecting all kinds of poisons, using those toxins to temper oneself, and absorbing their power.

There were quite a few strange poisons on the Douluo Continent, but the closest and easiest for Du Busi to obtain was the poisonous miasma of Sunset Forest.

Even Du Busi in his current state did not dare claim he could ignore the miasma's power. He could only occasionally use it to temper himself in cultivation, much like the sect disciples used the Yang Spring.

With such a vast expanse of peerless poison before him, how could Du Busi possibly have neglected to investigate it?

The results had horrified him.

This was the poison of the Azure Phosphor Seven Absolute Flower. For it to cover such a vast area, one could imagine just how many Azure Phosphor Seven Absolute Flowers existed in the core region of Sunset Forest. Du Busi even suspected that the legendary Azure Scale Nine Absolute Flower might have mutated there.

For Azure Phosphor Seven Absolute Flowers on such a scale to survive, there had to be some secret in that core region. No one would believe otherwise.

Throughout history, there had only been a handful of people capable of setting up such a poison formation.

Several generations of Death Emissaries, especially the final three Death Emissaries suspected of Becoming a God, along with the Sea God and others.

After investigating, Du Busi confirmed that this poisonous miasma had existed for nearly ten thousand years.

The timelines of the Death Emissaries did not match, so the answer was obvious.

It was definitely connected to the Sea God from ten thousand years ago. Combined with historical records stating that Poison Douluo Dugu Bo, the Sea God's friend despite their vast age difference, had occupied a region within Sunset Forest and set up this poisonous miasma.

"So, Xiao Ming, do you have any thoughts?"

Du Busi told Chen Ming what he had investigated and deduced, not truly expecting any results.

Yet Chen Ming really did give him a line of thought.

"Teacher, is the Azure Phosphor Seven Absolute Flower a poison that's easy to cultivate?"

Wearing an expression of complete ignorance about the Azure Phosphor Seven Absolute Flower, Chen Ming innocently asked Du Busi.

Du Busi froze.

"Of course not. The Azure Phosphor Seven Absolute Flower's—"

By this point, he had already begun working it out in his mind, and his words instinctively trailed off.

That was right. The Azure Phosphor Seven Absolute Flower was not easy to cultivate. Furthermore, if there was a whole field of them, enough to even breed an Azure Scale Nine Absolute Flower, the nutrients required would be impossible to count. Even the full resources of the Body Sect might not be enough to sustain them.

Much less within this poisonous miasma that had persisted for ten thousand years.

Yes, this poisonous miasma had lasted for ten thousand years.

Within the miasma, not a blade of grass grew!

That was the crucial point Du Busi had overlooked.

There was no life within the miasma. What were the Azure Phosphor Seven Absolute Flowers using to obtain nutrients?

"Hiss—"

"At the core of this poisonous miasma, there's a supreme treasure—a treasure with the Life attribute!"

Du Busi's eyes widened, his voice slightly hoarse.

"No wonder. No wonder the toxins of these Azure Phosphor Seven Absolute Flowers seemed to lack something, yet were more compatible with my Poison Cultivation and so effective at tempering the body."

"Now I understand. What these poisons lack is wildness. The Azure Phosphor Seven Absolute Flowers here did not obtain nutrients by poisoning other living beings to death. They rely instead on an immense amount of life essence!"

Du Busi looked toward the center of the poisonous miasma, trying to see the scene in its deepest reaches.

However, even the outer perimeter was already filled with hazy, multicolored poisonous fog. He could not observe anything deeper within.

"Though I use the toxins here to temper my body, I still cannot venture deep inside," Du Busi said with a frown.

"Teacher, don't you have any other means of dealing with the Azure Phosphor Seven Absolute Flower's toxins?" Chen Ming guided him as much as possible.

"A way to counter the Azure Phosphor Seven Absolute Flower's toxins?"

Du Busi pondered.

His way of thinking was unusual. Rather than searching through the knowledge he had read, he searched through his own experiences, repeatedly recalling the few times his Poison Cultivation had suffered setbacks.

His gaze gradually sharpened, and his thoughts locked onto a target.

"Ice and fire. The stronger the attribute, the greater its restraining effect, until it reaches the extreme."

"The extreme?" Chen Ming continued pretending not to understand.

"When an attribute reaches the extreme, it undergoes a transformation. Such attributes are generally called extreme attributes, such as Extreme Fire and Extreme Ice. I once went to the Extreme North, and the Poison Cultivation throughout my body was weakened by nearly fifty percent, simply because there were too many powerful soul beasts there with the Extreme Ice attribute."

Chen Ming's mouth twitched.

What did he mean, there were too many soul beasts with the Extreme Ice attribute?

Extreme Ice was not something common. It was just that every one Du Busi had provoked happened to be among that rare few.

The reason Chen Ming had kept guiding him was because he felt Du Busi had most likely encountered Extreme Ice before.

And sure enough, he had.

"So Extreme Ice can counter the Azure Phosphor Seven Absolute Flower's toxins?" Du Busi narrowed his eyes, feeling that he had found a direction.

"Perfect. Xiao Ming, we're going to the Extreme North to obtain your next soul ring, your third soul ring. If we can encounter an Extreme Ice soul ring suited to you, that would naturally be best. If we can't find one,"

"The Titan Snow Demon is too big—hard to carry. An Ice Jade Scorpion, then. Your master will catch an Ice Jade Scorpion and bring it back to clear the way for us."

Chen Ming's eyes lit up.

He had never considered that possibility.

So they could capture one.

He did not necessarily need an extreme attribute himself, but he definitely needed the ability to subdue an Extreme Ice attribute.

"Disciple, did you sense it?" Du Busi suddenly turned serious, his gaze fixed on a spot off to the side.

Chen Ming focused his attention in that direction as well.

His total Spiritual Power was not yet high, but thanks to its quality and the techniques he possessed, his sensing range was quite considerable.

He sensed it.

There was a fluctuation filled with Life Aura, along with the aura of a star attribute steeped in an illusory quality.

Of course, the most astonishing part was the other auras nearby. Every one of them was exceptionally powerful—there were five in total!

"The Soul Power fluctuations of this Star Spirit Deer have indeed reached the ten-thousand-year level, but it's still too far away. I can't tell whether it has exceeded twenty thousand years. Come, let's get closer," Du Busi said.

With that, he led Chen Ming toward the Star Spirit Deer.

"About right. It probably hasn't exceeded twenty thousand years."

After drawing closer, Du Busi smiled.

Once he could see it clearly, he stared at the star patterns on the Star Spirit Deer's body and became even more certain.

"Eighteen thousand years. It has already exceeded your limit, and it possesses the Life attribute. It perfectly fits your needs."

If such words were spoken about an ordinary soul master, they would be utterly outrageous.

It had already exceeded the limit, yet it was supposedly a perfect fit.

But Chen Ming had a Body Martial Soul, and Du Busi was the Sect Master of the Body Sect.

The cultivation of Body Martial Soul masters was all about absorbing soul rings beyond their limits.

Not beyond the publicly established limits of the Soul Master World, but beyond one's own limits.

"Top-notch."

Chen Ming licked his lips as well.

In terms of quality, this Star Spirit Deer was no worse than a Jade Swan!

Moreover, a Jade Swan was ultimately unsuitable for a Body Martial Soul master, while this Star Spirit Deer was compatible with him—extremely compatible!

"Teacher, can you handle those five?"

"You make it sound like you can take down the Star Spirit Deer alone if I handle those five." Du Busi curled his lip.

He stepped forward, Soul Power surging from his body as he instantly pressed down upon the six ten-thousand-year soul beasts.

"Even all six together can be easily suppressed by your master!"