Sunset Forest

Night was nearly over, and a pale streak of dawn had just appeared on the horizon.

In Heaven Dou City, candles still burned in the Crown Prince's Bedchamber.

Qian Renxue set down the intelligence report in her hand. Her fingertip traced the words "Dugu Bo," "Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well," and "three-day deadline," as if weighing something.

The Xue Qinghe she impersonated had a flawless, gentle appearance, but at that moment, a sharpness at odds with the Crown Prince's identity flickered in her eyes.

"Yu Tiancheng..." she murmured, the corner of her mouth lifting ever so slightly. "He's willing to risk his life to approach that old poisoner for Dugu Bo's herb garden. He's got courage—and an appetite to match."

She pushed open the window and gazed toward Blue Tyrant Academy. The morning breeze stirred her golden hair.

"Let's see how far you can take this dangerous gamble."

At the same time, deep within Pope's Palace in Spirit City,

Bibi Dong reclined against her throne, a thin sheet of intelligence pinched between her fingers. Candlelight flickered in her violet eyes.

"Dugu Bo's poison. The old poisoner's herb garden in Sunset Forest." Her voice rang out with unusual clarity in the vast hall. "Even I have never set foot in that place. Yu Tiancheng certainly chose an interesting destination."

She looked up at Yue Guan, who stood at her side. "Pass down the order. Have everyone stationed near Sunset Forest get moving. I want to see what he'll do."

"Yes." Yue Guan bowed, then silently slipped into the shadows.

"I want to see whether you truly have the ability—or whether you're playing with fire and inviting your own destruction."

Sunset Forest, Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.

At the boundary between ice and fire, an aged figure sat cross-legged.

A layer of unnatural, bluish-black haze shrouded Dugu Bo's face. Even his breathing carried a faint hiss, like air wheezing through an old bellows.

He slowly opened his eyes. In the dim light, his emerald-green, slit-pupiled eyes glinted eerily.

His gaze seemed to pierce the layers of dense forest and settle on distant Blue Tyrant Academy.

"Boy," he rasped, his voice like sandpaper scraping together. "If you dare make such a boast and then toy with this old man..."

The air around him suddenly wavered. Several weeds nearby withered and blackened in an instant, crumbling into ash.

"I'll show you what it means to wish you were dead."

Blue Tyrant Academy, shrouded in the morning mist.

Yu Tiancheng pushed open the courtyard gate. He wore a simple, dark-gray outfit, and the silver pendant at his waist gleamed faintly in the morning light.

He carried only a light pack on his back—the important things were all in his Time-Space Ring.

Liu Erlong was already waiting beside the carriage.

She had changed out of her usual flamboyant red dress and into close-fitting, dark-red hunting clothes. Her long hair was tied high, giving her a capable, fierce air.

When Yu Tiancheng came out, she simply nodded.

"Aunt." Yu Tiancheng walked over to her.

"Everything ready?" Liu Erlong asked.

"Mm."

"Remember," Liu Erlong said, her expression complicated. "If things go wrong, don't be reckless. Staying alive matters more than anything."

"I know."

As they spoke, hurried footsteps sounded in the distance.

"Wait!"

Dugu Yan came running over, with Ye Lingling barely keeping up behind her.

Both had changed into outfits suited for travel. Dugu Yan wore a close-fitting, dark-green suit that outlined her tall, athletic frame, while Ye Lingling wore a plain white dress, the Nine Heart Begonia pattern at its cuffs glowing with a faint blue light.

"Dean, Yu Tiancheng." Dugu Yan was panting, her face still visibly haggard, but her gaze was unusually resolute. "Lingling and I are coming with you."

Liu Erlong frowned at Ye Lingling. "Miss Ye, you understand how dangerous this trip is. Dugu Bo's temper..."

"Lingling's Nine Heart Begonia Martial Soul might be able to help," Dugu Yan hurried to explain. "And with one more person there, Grandpa will have another reason to hold back."

She put it delicately, but everyone understood: having a healing-type Spirit Master with them meant an extra safeguard.

If Dugu Bo turned on them, at least someone would be there to treat the wounded right away.

Ye Lingling nodded gently. "I won't stand aside when it comes to Yanzi."

Liu Erlong looked at the two of them, fell silent for a moment, then finally waved them over. "Get in."

The four of them climbed into the carriage. As soon as the carriage door shut, the driver flicked his whip, and the two powerful Horned Horses set off at a gallop toward Sunset Forest.

The atmosphere inside the carriage was tense.

Dugu Yan sat by the window, unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes as she stared at the scenery rushing past outside.

She had not said a word since they got in, but her rigid shoulders and faintly trembling hands betrayed her unease.

Ye Lingling sat quietly beside her, occasionally giving the back of her hand a gentle pat in silent reassurance.

Liu Erlong rested with her eyes closed, but Yu Tiancheng could sense a powerful, subtle Soul Power perception enveloping the entire carriage and reaching several miles in every direction. It was the vigilance of a Soul Saint.

Yu Tiancheng sat across from Liu Erlong, his eyes closed as well.

His consciousness, however, was immersed in studying Myriad Poisons True Explanation. Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor Poison was reputed to be one of the most toxic poisons in the world. Though a method of treating it was recorded in the text, carrying it out would still require the utmost caution.

Dugu Bo had accumulated poison deep within him. The slightest mistake in treatment could...

"What are you thinking about?" Liu Erlong suddenly asked, her eyes still closed.

Yu Tiancheng opened his eyes. "I'm thinking about how to convince Senior Dugu Bo that I can cure him."

"What are your odds?"

"Nine in ten of removing the poison." Yu Tiancheng's tone was calm. "Five in ten of convincing him."

Liu Erlong opened her eyes and stared at him. "And the other five?"

"That depends on him," Yu Tiancheng said. "If he'd rather die than trust me, or turns on us halfway through, then it won't be something medical skill can solve."

He had put it bluntly.

Dugu Yan whipped her head around, her eyes reddening again. "Yu Tiancheng, my grandpa... He's just been tormented by this poison for too long. All these years, whenever it flares up, he's suffered worse than death."

"I know he can be harsh and bad-tempered, but he's really not a bad person..."

"I know." Yu Tiancheng looked at her, his tone unusually gentle. "Otherwise, I wouldn't have agreed to go."

He paused, then spoke gravely. "But there are things I have to make clear first. The treatment will be agonizing—ten times worse than when your grandpa's poison flares up."

"The accumulated poison has already penetrated his bones. To remove it, I'll have to first make the dormant toxins 'come alive' again, then guide them out bit by bit. During that process, he could give out at any moment."

"What happens if he can't take it?" Dugu Yan's voice trembled.

"At best, his cultivation will be ruined. At worst..." Yu Tiancheng left the rest unsaid, but the meaning was clear.

Dugu Yan's face went deathly pale. She bit her lip, digging her nails deep into her palm. "Yu Tiancheng, just focus on treating him. Whatever happens... I, Dugu Yan, will remember your kindness for the rest of my life."

Ye Lingling clasped her hand tightly.

Watching them, Liu Erlong felt a complicated emotion flicker through her eyes. The girl's devotion to her grandfather reminded her of memories from long ago, now blurred with time.

"Don't worry." Yu Tiancheng's voice broke the silence. "Since I dared to go, I'm confident I can bring him back alive."

His tone was calm, but there was an undeniable strength in his words.

Silence fell over the carriage again, but the tension seemed to ease a little.

The carriage traveled east, crossing the outskirts of Heaven Dou City before taking the main road toward Sunset Forest.

The road grew increasingly rugged. The trees on either side grew taller and denser, their shadows slicing the road into alternating patches of light and dark.

About two hours later, the driver knocked on the carriage from outside. "Dean, we're at the outskirts of Sunset Forest. The carriage can't go any farther."