The Richest Man on the Douluo Continent

The Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well lay deep within a mountain.

Dugu Bo had surrounded it with Poison Miasma. Any Soul Master below the rank of Spirit Saint who touched even a trace of it would dissolve into pus within moments.

Years ago, Qin Yuan had passed through this region while helping a client hunt for a Spirit Ring.

He had not known Dugu Bo then, and with the Poison Miasma barring his way, he had not dared venture deeper.

Now, with Dugu Bo leading him, he could finally enter openly.

Since arriving on the Douluo Continent, his original dream had finally come true. With the help of Immortal Herbs, his talent would soar; coupled with the system's aid, he would have every chance to pursue greater heights.

Beyond the thick Poison Miasma, a narrow passage came into view.

Dugu Bo warned him in a low voice, "Don't touch any of the stones in the passage. There are traps inside!"

Qin Yuan had no idea whether there were traps.

Dugu Bo's warning might well have been a smokescreen. Either way, it showed that Dugu Bo did not fully trust him.

Before long, the two entered the mountain.

Before them lay a spring whose waters were divided between deep red and pale blue.

Plants of all shapes grew sparsely around the spring. Thanks to the system's reward, Qin Yuan recognized the Immortal Herbs and knew what each could do at a glance.

Farther out lay neat medicinal plots that Dugu Bo had cultivated himself.

Standing halfway down the slope, Dugu Bo pointed below. "Those plots hold high-grade medicinal herbs I planted. Some are ripe, and though the rest aren't, I have some in reserve."

"Go down and take a look. If anything will help with the detoxification, pick it. I don't recognize the plants near the spring, but they're extraordinary, so don't approach them lightly. Many are highly poisonous. If one gets you, even I won't be able to save you."

"And the spring water does speed up cultivation, but remember: don't go near it, much less enter it!"

Qin Yuan knew the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well far better than Dugu Bo did.

He said pointedly, "With so many peerless medicinal herbs at your disposal, Senior Dugu, you must be the richest man on the continent."

Dugu Bo gave a dry laugh and said nothing.

High-grade medicinal herbs were valuable, but not nearly to the extent Qin Yuan suggested. Besides, rarity drove prices. If Dugu Bo brought this many high-grade herbs to market at once, their prices would immediately plummet.

But limited by what he knew, Dugu Bo failed to grasp Qin Yuan's true meaning.

Once they reached the bottom, Qin Yuan did not rush to touch the Immortal Herbs. Instead, he began preparing a prescription with the ingredients needed to detoxify Dugu Bo.

As he worked, Dugu Bo asked him about the specific Method of Detoxification.

Qin Yuan replied, "Detoxifying you isn't difficult. With the help of medicinal herbs, we can force the toxins into a Soul Bone. That's the simplest way."

"A Soul Bone is a natural vessel. It can hold Soul Power, and it can hold a great deal of poison. But that method is also the most irresponsible."

Dugu Bo's eyes lit up at the first part.

He had never imagined a Soul Bone could hold poison. As he worked it through in his mind, it did seem possible.

But the last sentence made him frown. "Why do you say that?"

Qin Yuan set down the herbs in his hand and sighed. "Storing the poison in a Soul Bone would remove the immediate threat. But every vessel has its limits. If you never want to cultivate again, by all means, transfer the poison into a Soul Bone. As long as it doesn't exceed the bone's capacity, there won't be any problem."

"But are you willing to remain a level ninety-one Titled Douluo for the rest of your life?"

Of course Dugu Bo was not.

He could feel how much Soul Power had built up inside him. Without the poison holding him back, he would long ago have cast off the disgrace of being called the "weakest Titled Douluo" and reached a higher realm.

"Go on. Don't toy with me!" Dugu Bo frowned slightly.

Qin Yuan continued, "For now, that method would help you tremendously. The herbs I'm preparing will let you move the poison into a Soul Bone."

"Didn't you say that method had drawbacks?" Dugu Bo's face darkened. If Qin Yuan had nothing better, he would have no choice but to accept it.

Qin Yuan sighed in exasperation. "Can you let me finish?"

"Poison is the source of your strength. You can't give it up, no matter what. As I understand it, Soul Masters with snake Martial Souls can form an Inner Core resembling a snake's once they pass a certain level, correct?"

Dugu Bo did not deny it. To rid himself of the poison, he could hide nothing. If anything went wrong, the consequences would be more than he could bear.

Qin Yuan suddenly smiled. "Senior Dugu, have you never considered forming a Poison Core specifically to control the poison in your body? You've already formed one Inner Core, so forming another shouldn't be too difficult. But it must sit in your Upper Dantian, in your chest, rather than your Lower Dantian."

Inner Cores resembled the Soul Cores that would become common ten thousand years later, but they were fundamentally different. Dugu Bo was only an ordinary Titled Douluo; forming one Inner Core had already pushed him to his limit. To form another, he would likely need to reach level ninety-nine.

But for now, there was no better way to detoxify him than a Poison Core.

Even if Dugu Bo possessed six Soul Bones and an External Soul Bone besides, they could never hold enough poison to let him reach level ninety-nine.

"Senior Dugu, forming two Inner Cores at your level is extremely risky. If you try to form a Poison Core without first forcing the poison into your Soul Bones, then releasing it gradually, it may kill you. Of course, if you're willing to give up your first Inner Core, you can form the new one directly."

That Inner Core held half of Dugu Bo's cultivation. How could he possibly give it up?

Dugu Bo turned Qin Yuan's plan over in his mind, then asked, "So even if I fail to form a second Inner Core, storing the poison in my Soul Bones will at least save my life?"

Qin Yuan corrected him. "No. Once you begin forming the second Inner Core, success is the only way out. If you fail, you'll die. So consider this carefully, Senior Dugu, and prepare for every possibility."

Dugu Bo fell silent for a long time, watching Qin Yuan grind the medicinal herbs.

After a while, he asked, "Yanyan doesn't have a Soul Bone. How will she detoxify?"

Inner Cores were similar to Soul Cores, but they were not the same. Little poison had accumulated in Dugu Yan's body, so forming a small Poison Core would pose no danger to her.

And in the future, any poison she acquired through cultivation would flow directly into her Poison Core. It would never trouble her again.

Once he learned that detoxifying Dugu Yan would be simpler, Dugu Bo had no more reservations.

"Brother Qin Yuan, if you rid me of this poison, I'll grant you three wishes on top of the reward I promised. From then on, you'll be my own brother!"