Several days passed in a row.
Countless people outside joined the search for Qin Yuan, while Qin Yuan himself hid at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, greedily absorbing the Spiritual Energy there. His cultivation speed improved by leaps and bounds.
"As expected of Immortal Herbs. I absorb Soul Power several times faster than before. This is the kind of cultivation speed a genius born with Soul Power above level nine should have."
If he had been born with Soul Power above level nine and could absorb Spirit Rings beyond his level, then at his current age, even without the help of Immortal Herbs, he would probably be no weaker than a Soul Douluo.
But he had no need to make an enemy of Tang San from the original timeline.
Tang San was only nine now. Even if he became a god at twenty-five, that was still sixteen years away.
With the system at his side, Qin Yuan might well become a god long before those sixteen years were up.
Besides, he belonged to no faction and had no side to take. Even if Tang San became a god one day, so what?
Neither rejoicing over what one gained nor grieving over what one lost—that was the mindset a true powerhouse should have.
Putting those thoughts aside, he looked up slightly and saw Dugu Bo sizing him up.
"You brat, did you take all those medicinal plants?" Dugu Bo looked at the empty ground around the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, then at Qin Yuan within the purple glow, his face full of puzzlement.
It seemed Qin Yuan knew what those plants could do.
After all, some of them were deadly poisonous. The fact that he had harvested them unharmed was proof enough of his ability.
"Those poisons didn't kill you?"
Qin Yuan was at a loss for words. He waved a hand. "You're worrying too much, senior. Why would I go looking for death?"
"By the way, senior, did you manage to force the toxins into your Soul Bone?"
Dugu Bo nodded. "I did. But I can feel that the Soul Bone's capacity is limited. And while I was guiding the toxins in, much of the poison dissipated on its own. I'll need time to cultivate it again."
As he spoke, he stretched, feeling lighter than he ever had. "Thanks to you, Old Man's Soul Power Level has reached the Ninety-Second Level. It won't be long before I break through to the Ninety-Third Level."
This was Soul Power Dugu Bo had already cultivated.
In the past, he had needed to divert a great deal of Soul Power to suppress the toxins, leaving him unable to break through. Now that the poison troubled him less, he no longer needed to hold back his Soul Power.
"But you still haven't explained yourself, brat. You know those herbs?"
Qin Yuan suddenly smiled. "Haha, I do. I wasn't entirely sure at first, but later..."
He explained what the Immortal Herbs could do.
Dugu Bo froze. So when Qin Yuan had called him the richest man on the Douluo Continent, he hadn't been joking. It was true!
He had been sitting on a trove of treasures without even knowing it. Dugu Bo could only laugh at his own stupidity.
Of course, he had already promised Qin Yuan the Immortal Herbs. He would not go back on his word now.
"Since you know what those Immortal Herbs are, you've earned them. But Old Man must warn you: don't bring them out in front of others. I've never heard of Immortal Herbs, so I doubt many people know about them. That doesn't mean no one does."
"An innocent man can be condemned for the jade he carries. You understand that, don't you?"
Qin Yuan nodded earnestly, then took three Immortal Herbs from his Soul Tool.
He wasn't Tang San; he had no intention of keeping all the Immortal Herbs for himself. "Senior, these two herbs are particularly suited to the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Martial Soul. Pick one to absorb, and leave the other for Dugu Yan."
"The third is better suited to Ye Lingling. Let her absorb it. You should be able to sense that my Soul Power has grown much stronger in just a few days."
Dugu Bo's senses were exceptionally sharp. Naturally, he had noticed.
But Qin Yuan's cultivation was his own secret. If he did not volunteer an explanation, Dugu Bo could hardly ask.
"You mean absorbing an Immortal Herb can not only improve a Soul Master's talent, but also raise their Soul Power Level?"
When Qin Yuan confirmed it, Dugu Bo beat his chest and stamped his feet. "Ah, what a shame! If I'd met you a dozen years earlier, Xin'er wouldn't have..."
But there were no second chances.
Qin Yuan had wanted to approach him back then, too. He simply had not had the chance.
And even if Qin Yuan had found Dugu Bo at the time, would Dugu Bo have believed him on his word alone?
Their paths had not been meant to cross yet. There was no use dwelling on it.
"Brother, if Old Man absorbs an Immortal Herb, will it improve my chances of forming a Poison Core?"
Qin Yuan had not hidden such a valuable opportunity. He had offered it freely, plainly without any ulterior motive.
Dugu Bo was a straightforward man. Qin Yuan had treated him sincerely, and he would repay that sincerity in kind. Calling Qin Yuan his brother was the greatest show of goodwill he could offer right now.
"Senior, Immortal Herbs can greatly improve your body. I believe it will," Qin Yuan said with a nod.
Dugu Bo waved a hand. "Stop calling me 'senior.' Old Man accepts you as a brother, so from now on, we'll address each other that way. Don't refuse. You've done so much for the Dugu Clan that I have no other way to repay you."
Without giving Qin Yuan a chance to object, Dugu Bo returned to the wooden hut to continue his seclusion.
What a man who speaks from the heart!
Qin Yuan sighed to himself.
With Dugu Bo, Qin Yuan had no need for the scheming he had to deal with when facing Ning Fengzhi, or the constant caution he needed around Bibi Dong.
Being with someone whose temperament matched his own put him at ease. His whole body relaxed.
After a short rest, Qin Yuan resumed cultivating with the aid of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
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