Spirit Gathering Stone

After leaving the two young people alone, Dugu Bo returned to his own courtyard. He reclined in a chair, sipping tea with a leisurely air, yet his eyes were slightly narrowed, carrying a clear, cold gleam.

He was still wondering how Mu Zhe had survived that great upheaval and had even brought out herbs from it.

He had been cultivating within the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well the entire time, so he could naturally confirm that Mu Zhe had never emerged from the spring. Could Mu Zhe have been responsible for the disappearance of his Medicinal Garden?

The moment that thought arose, Dugu Bo hurriedly shook his head. Impossible. Mu Zhe was only a Soul Elder; how could he possess such power...

Wait, that aura just now had not been that of a Soul Elder. It had seemed more like that of a Soul King.

Just as Dugu Bo was utterly baffled, a powerful wave of Spiritual Power suddenly swept over the area without the slightest concealment, instantly making him leap out of his chair.

"That Spiritual Power is the same as that day's!"

Dugu Bo's heart tightened sharply. Could that Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast have come after him?

He had only cultivated in that treasured place for a dozen or so years. It could not possibly hold such a grudge, could it?

"Mr. Dugu, there's no need for you to be so wary of me."

A clear voice drifted over. Dugu Bo looked toward it and saw that it was Mu Zhe.

There was no danger in refining the Immortal Herb, so Mu Zhe had not simply waited around. His Spiritual Power swept across Dugu Manor, quickly locating Dugu Bo, and he came over from Dugu Yan's side.

"So it was you, you little monster. That Spiritual Power just now?"

Dugu Bo looked at Mu Zhe, unable to suppress his shock. The thought he had just rejected rose again, and everything suddenly seemed to fit.

There had never been any Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast. Mu Zhe had done all of this.

"Of course I released it."

Mu Zhe answered bluntly. Now that his strength had risen, he spoke with far greater confidence.

A fight against an ordinary Titled Douluo might be difficult, but Dugu Bo, the disgrace of the Titled Douluo, was countered by Mu Zhe in every way.

The Void State alone ensured that Mu Zhe would remain undefeated, and he was immune to poison. His Spiritual Power was also stronger than Dugu Bo's.

How was Dugu Bo supposed to fight him?

Of course, Dugu Bo's eighth Soul Skill, Time Condensation, was still threatening.

With Mu Zhe admitting it, Dugu Bo felt his understanding of the world take a fierce blow. Where had Yan Yan found such a monster? At such a young age, his Spiritual Power was already comparable to that of a Titled Douluo!

He then opened his mouth and asked the question he cared about most with great difficulty. "What happened to my Medicinal Garden that day?"

Mu Zhe replied calmly, "According to our deal, I cured the poison afflicting you and your granddaughter. Naturally, I had to take your Medicinal Garden."

"So, I took it."

Took it?

Dugu Bo felt as if his brain could no longer keep up. He had assumed that he was merely transferring the Medicinal Garden to Mu Zhe. He had never expected Mu Zhe to have literally taken it away!

He swallowed. The facts were right before him, and there was no other explanation even if he refused to believe it.

"Did you come looking for me because you need something?"

After witnessing Mu Zhe's unfathomable abilities, Dugu Bo no longer dared provoke him lightly. Even now, he could not figure out what great faction had nurtured such a talent as Mu Zhe.

Mu Zhe took out a dark green bead. It was the Poison Bead condensed at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.

Rather than answering directly, he asked, "Mr. Dugu, do you have any spare storage Soul Tools?"

"Of course. If you need them, I can give you a few."

Dugu Bo answered before looking at the item Mu Zhe had taken out. "Is that a Poison Bead?"

As a master poison user, he had condensed a Poison Bead within his own body and was exceptionally sensitive to poison. He could tell that this was a Poison Bead.

However, he did not understand why Mu Zhe had suddenly brought up storage Soul Tools.

Mu Zhe nodded lightly, confirming his guess, then continued.

"There is something I need to tell you. The method of detoxification I told you about earlier has a flaw.

"Once the poison in your Spirit Bones exceeds their storage limit, it may erupt. And since you fused a Head Spirit Bone, an eruption could put your life in danger."

"Of course, once the poison in your Spirit Bones reaches its limit, you can stop cultivating. But your poison arts will no longer be able to advance."

"Then why did you tell me to do it? Don't tell me you were deliberately trying to poison me to death so you could trick my granddaughter away!" Dugu Bo said indignantly, though he did not dare blame Mu Zhe.

Ever since he had forced the poison into his Spirit Bones, his body had improved greatly. Even his Soul Power showed signs of breaking through.

He had been delighted about that for quite some time.

And now he was being told that his poison arts could no longer advance. The feeling was unbearable!

"Hahaha, I truly apologize. At the time, my strength was too low, and I had no better solution."

"But now I have a better method, one that can solve the flaw in your Martial Soul once and for all."

Mu Zhe smiled faintly. Though his words sounded apologetic, his tone carried not the slightest embarrassment.

"This Poison Bead was condensed from the poisonous miasma surrounding your Medicinal Garden. I'll give it to you as an apology."

"Really?"

His expression had been gloomy one second, but the next, delight appeared on Dugu Bo's face.

In truth, even the Spirit Bone method had helped Mu Zhe resolve the flaw in his Martial Soul. Besides, he was already old; hoping to advance any further was mere fantasy. He had only been somewhat upset.

He had not expected to make an extra profit instead.

"Do you need storage Soul Tools?"

Connecting it with what Mu Zhe had said earlier, Dugu Bo took out several storage Soul Tools. He had obtained them by killing enemies in his youth, and their quality was neither high nor low.

Mu Zhe nodded. Not wanting to waste anything, he took all the Soul Tools from Dugu Bo's hand and said, "Please wait a moment."

With that, Mu Zhe entered the Void State before entering his Inner Space.

It was not an unnecessary extra step. Entering his Inner Space directly would expose his Spirit Rings, and his Spirit Rings were far too shocking.

Two black, two red, and one blue—even Qian Daoliu would have to kowtow upon seeing them.

Watching Mu Zhe vanish from where he stood, Dugu Bo drew a deep breath.

Even though he had already witnessed this method of Mu Zhe's, he still could not help feeling shocked. As a Titled Douluo, he could not sense the slightest clue.

It was truly like a ghost—coming without a shadow and leaving without a trace!

Upon entering his Inner World, that immense power seemed to return. Mu Zhe looked at the storage Soul Tools in his hand, released his Spiritual Power, and probed their secrets.

"So that's how it is. The core of a storage Soul Tool lies in its materials. The Soul Guidance Matrix is merely a bridge connecting two spaces."

In only a moment, Mu Zhe saw through the principles behind storage Soul Tools. Then, combining that knowledge with his understanding of space from his Third Soul Skill, he began modifying the storage Soul Tools.

He retained the Soul Guidance Matrix and optimized it, then added another layer of protection to withstand the impact of powerful Soul Power.

Before long, small square stones appeared one after another in Mu Zhe's hand.

"I'll call you Spirit Gathering Stones."

After considering the purpose of these stones, Mu Zhe decided to respect the copyright of the neighboring Dou Qi Continent and gave them the name "Spirit Gathering Stones."

However, they were still somewhat different from the Spirit Gathering Stones next door. These were handmade, while those next door were entirely natural.

Spirit Gathering Stones were used to store things the human body could not contain. In the neighboring world, they stored things like Heavenly Flames; here, they could store things like Dugu Bo's poison.

He then took out the Poison Bead and infused the poison within it into the Spirit Gathering Stones. Only then did Mu Zhe stop and return to the outside world.

Dugu Bo had not waited long before he saw Mu Zhe reappear in the courtyard. He hurriedly went forward to meet him.

"It's already done?"

Mu Zhe nodded and handed a Spirit Gathering Stone to Dugu Bo, explaining, "This stone is called a Spirit Gathering Stone. It contains a space, and I have also stored that Poison Bead inside it."

"Refine it into your Dantian. In the future, store all your poison inside it, and the flaw in your Martial Soul will be resolved."

Delight appeared on Dugu Bo's face. His heart thumped uncontrollably as he reached out and accepted the Spirit Gathering Stone.

"Hehe, I truly have to thank you, you little monster.

"For our previous deal, I already promised you one favor. Now, I'll add two more."

The previous Spirit Bone method had a capacity issue, so it had not been entirely reliable.

Now, the Spirit Gathering Stone contained a space capable of storing all his poison. Moreover, because it would be in his Dantian, using poison would be even more convenient. It would be enough to greatly increase his combat strength.

Overjoyed, Dugu Bo offered Mu Zhe two more favors.

Mu Zhe watched calmly. Winning over Dugu Yan was equivalent to having Dugu Bo in his grasp, so increasing Dugu Bo's strength did no harm.

Besides, with three favors, there would always come a time when he could make use of him.