Outside the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eye, Ao Tian stood alone atop the cliff, bathed in the long-missed morning sun.
Beside him, Dugu Bo sat cross-legged in quiet meditation, though his gaze kept drifting toward the valley below.
Whenever he thought about how he had discovered this place first, yet could not enter and had to stand guard outside, he felt as stifled as a man watching someone else enter the bridal chamber on his wedding night.
"Senior, are you really not going in to take a look? That boy hasn't come out in over ten days. My place isn't safe. There are medicinal herbs inside that even I can't identify, as well as those twin springs of ice and fire. What if he..."
"Hm? Shut up." Ao Tian turned and gave him a cold look. How could he possibly not know whether Chen Chu was alright? They were connected through the restriction.
Dugu Bo's mouth twitched, and he clenched his fists. "Damn it, who cares whether that brat lives or dies? I've been waiting miserably here for over ten days. I wonder how things are at home."
Just as he was thinking this, an unusual disturbance finally erupted from the basin. A powerful aura of spiritual power and Soul Power surged outward.
Then a figure leaped out. It was none other than the transformed Chen Chu.
"You two have been waiting a long time," Chen Chu said. Seeing Dugu Bo's gloomy expression, he immediately understood what the old man was thinking.
"Not at all. Judging by your aura, young friend, you must have gained greatly. This old man offers his congratulations first."
Feeling the powerful aura radiating from Chen Chu, Dugu Bo felt as sick as if he had swallowed dung. That brat definitely knew the effects of the herbs inside. Those had all been his treasures.
"Senior Dugu, I truly owe you a favor this time. I, Chen Chu, will not deny this debt of cause and effect."
Chen Chu looked at Dugu Bo's ever-changing expression, smiled faintly, stepped forward, and patted him on the shoulder as he made his promise.
"Young friend, you are too 'courteous.' It was merely a trivial matter. Being able to meet you is the greatest fortune I've had in all these years."
Feeling Ao Tian's icy gaze behind him, Dugu Bo forced a smile and spoke leisurely.
"It is best that Senior Dugu sees it that way. However, this treasured land is far too dangerous. With Senior Dugu's strength, I'm afraid you cannot protect it. From now on, I will take full responsibility for this place."
"Ao Tian." Chen Chu gave Dugu Bo no chance to refuse and signaled Ao Tian to act at once.
Ao Tian agreed and shouted in a low voice, "Heavenly Shroud!"
As the words Heavenly Shroud fell, the sky seemed to be covered by an invisible curtain, and the sunlight instantly dimmed.
Subtle ripples spread through the space around the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eye. A formidable aura spread from Ao Tian's body, sweeping in all directions like a tide.
Dugu Bo's expression changed, and he instinctively retreated half a step. He sensed that this power was not only sealing the spatial fluctuations in the area, but also quietly altering the flow of energy around them.
The Immortal Herb essence that had originally filled the air was gradually suppressed, replaced by a suffocating pressure that made one's heart tremble.
"What are you..." Dugu Bo frowned deeply, but Chen Chu raised a hand and cut him off before he could finish.
"Senior Dugu, this place holds extraordinary opportunities. Without someone to guard it, it will sooner or later draw the covetous eyes of every faction. Rather than deal with trouble later, it is better to seal it completely now." Chen Chu's tone was calm and unquestionable.
Ao Tian formed seals with both hands and muttered an incantation. As he moved, the ground began to tremble faintly, and the surrounding rocks slowly shifted, forming ancient and strange runes. The runes linked together, eventually forming a massive array above the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eye.
"The Heavenly Shroud Array is complete. From this day onward, unless Ao Tian and I open it ourselves, not even a Titled Douluo will be able to force their way inside." Chen Chu's voice echoed through the array, carrying an almost imperceptible majesty.
Dugu Bo remained silent, staring intently at the array. As the discoverer of this place, he was naturally unwilling to accept it, but he also understood that with his strength, he truly could not protect such a treasure land for long.
"Fine. Since young friend possesses such methods, this old man has nothing more to say." Dugu Bo sighed deeply, a bitter smile appearing on his face. "I only hope that, should there be a chance in the future, young friend will let this old man behold the wonders of this place again."
Chen Chu smiled slightly. "Of course. I have heard that the Poison Douluo's clan has passed down the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Martial Soul for generations. If I am not mistaken, Senior Dugu, you have suffered greatly from this serpent venom over the years, haven't you?"
Dugu Bo's expression changed drastically upon hearing this. "You! What do you mean by that? I am the Poison Douluo. My mastery of poison is unmatched in the world. How could I possibly be tormented by serpent venom? Utter nonsense!"
Chen Chu did not respond. He merely raised a hand and removed a herb from his Soul Tool. It was entirely snow-white, with pale golden patterns lining the edges of its leaves.
The moment the herb appeared, a cool, clear aura spread through the air, causing the serpent venom roiling within Dugu Bo's body to subside by several degrees on instinct.
"This is Snow Soul Exquisite Grass." Chen Chu held the herb out before Dugu Bo, his tone indifferent. "It can suppress the innate serpent venom carried by the Jade Python Emperor Spirit. Though it cannot cure it completely, it can reduce the pain of the toxic backlash in your body by thirty percent each time you use a soul skill."
Dugu Bo stared fixedly at the Snow Soul Exquisite Grass, his body trembling slightly. He had lived for nearly a hundred years and searched the continent for countless rare treasures to suppress the serpent venom in his body, yet he had never seen a medicinal herb so perfectly suited to his condition.
Yet he had never imagined that the thing he had searched for his entire life had been right beside him all along. How could he possibly accept that?
Once he believed it, Chen Chu withdrew the Immortal Herb and returned the Snow Soul Exquisite Grass to his Soul Tool. "However, I must tell you, Senior, that the serpent venom in your body is already incurable. Even if I intervene, I can only suppress its toxicity and let you live a few more years."
"However, your granddaughter's poisoning is still shallow and can be completely cured. Are you willing to fight for this sliver of hope for your descendant?" Chen Chu abruptly changed his tone, looking coldly at Dugu Bo as he awaited his answer.
Dugu Bo's pupils suddenly contracted. The person he cared about most in his life was his only remaining granddaughter, Dugu Yan. Upon hearing that his granddaughter's condition could be cured, he could no longer remain calm. His voice trembled. "You... are you telling the truth? Yan'er's poison can truly be cured?"
Dugu Bo's eyes remained locked on Chen Chu, and even his breathing became hurried.
"There is not a word of falsehood." Chen Chu nodded, brimming with confidence.
"What do you want? There is no such thing as a free lunch. If you help Yan'er, you cannot be doing it for nothing."
After hearing that Chen Chu could save her, Dugu Bo instead calmed down. Chen Chu had said so much; he definitely was not helping him for free. Dugu Bo was, after all, a Titled Douluo and a grandmaster of poison. Chen Chu must have demands.
Chen Chu did not hide it. His tone was calm and without the slightest hesitation. "I want you to do three things for me."
"First, for the next three years, you must accompany me and help me deal with troubles involving poisons.
Second, you must copy your lifelong research, the Poison Scripture, and give it to me.
Third, if anyone tries to harm me in the future, you must aid me. You need not risk your life; you only need to delay them until I can escape."
Now that he had Dugu Bo firmly in his grasp, it would be a shame not to make proper use of him.
Before you continue