Sunset Forest

Night was fading, the first pale light of dawn just breaking over the horizon.

Inside the Crown Prince's bedchamber in Heaven Dou City, candles still burned.

Qian Renxue set down the secret report in her hands, her fingertips lightly tracing over the words "Dugu Bo," "Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well," and "three-day deadline," as if weighing something.

Her incarnation, Xue Qinghe, wore a flawless, gentle exterior, but at this moment, a sharpness flickered in her eyes that didn't match the Crown Prince's identity.

"Yu Tiancheng..." she murmured the name, a faint, almost imperceptible curve forming at the corner of her lips. "For Dugu Bo's herb garden, he'd gamble his life to touch that old poison master. Quite the nerve, and quite the appetite."

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

"Let me see just how far this risky move of yours can go."

At the same time, deep within the Pope's Palace in Martial Soul City.

Bibi Dong reclined on her throne, a thin sheet of intelligence pinched between her fingers. The candlelight flickered in her violet eyes, brightening and dimming.

"Dugu Bo's poison, the old poison master's herb garden in Sunset Forest," she whispered, her voice echoing clearly through the empty hall. "That place—even This Seat has never set foot there. This Yu Tiancheng has chosen quite the spot."

She lifted her gaze to Yue Guan, who stood in attendance. "Send word. Have all our people near Sunset Forest mobilize. Let me see what he does."

"Yes." Yue Guan bowed in acknowledgment, his figure silently melting into the shadows.

"This Seat will see whether you truly have skill, or if you're just playing with fire."

Sunset Forest, the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.

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

An unnatural layer of bluish-black qi shrouded Dugu Bo's face. Even his breathing carried a faint, hissing sound, like a worn-out bellows.

He slowly opened his eyes. Those jade-green vertical pupils glowed with an eerie light in the dim surroundings.

His gaze seemed to pierce through the dense layers of forest, landing on the distant direction of Blue Tyrant Academy.

"Brat," he rasped, his voice as rough as sandpaper, "you've made such bold claims. If you dare toy with this old man..."

The air around him suddenly twisted slightly. A few nearby weeds instantly withered, blackened, and turned to ash.

"This old man will show you what it means to wish you were dead."

Blue Tyrant Academy, shrouded in morning mist.

Yu Tiancheng pushed open the courtyard gate. He wore a simple, dark gray form-fitting outfit, and the silver pendant at his waist glinted 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 by the carriage.

She had swapped her usual flamboyant red dress for a form-fitting dark red hunting outfit. Her long hair was tied high, making her look sharp and fierce.

When she saw Yu Tiancheng come out, she simply nodded.

"Aunt," Yu Tiancheng said, walking up to her.

"Everything ready?" Liu Erlong asked.

"Mm."

"Remember," Liu Erlong said, looking at him with a complex expression, "if things go wrong, don't be stubborn. Keeping your life is more important than anything."

"I know."

As they spoke, hurried footsteps sounded from a distance.

"Wait!"

Dugu Yan practically ran over, with Ye Lingling barely keeping up behind her.

Both had changed into clothes better suited for action—Dugu Yan wore a dark green form-fitting outfit that accentuated her tall, agile figure; Ye Lingling was in a simple white dress, with the Nine Heart Begonia pattern on her cuffs glowing faintly blue.

"Dean Liu, Yu Tiancheng." Dugu Yan was panting, her face still showing obvious signs of exhaustion, but her eyes were unusually resolute. "Lingling and I are coming with you."

Liu Erlong frowned and looked at Ye Lingling. "Miss Ye, you should be clear on how dangerous this trip is. Dugu Bo's temper..."

"Lingling's Nine Heart Begonia spirit might be able to help," Dugu Yan cut in to explain. "Besides, with one more person, Grandfather will have one more thing to hold back."

The words were tactful, but everyone understood—having a healing-type Spirit Master meant an extra layer of security.

If Dugu Bo turned hostile, at least someone could provide timely treatment.

Ye Lingling nodded gently. "Yanzi's matter—I won't stand by."

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

The four boarded the carriage. The moment the door closed, the driver cracked his whip. Two sturdy Horned Horses broke into a gallop, racing toward Sunset Forest.

Inside the carriage, the atmosphere was heavy.

Dugu Yan sat by the window, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes, her gaze fixed on the rapidly receding scenery outside.

She hadn't said a word since getting on, but her tense shoulders and slightly trembling hands betrayed her inner turmoil.

Ye Lingling sat quietly beside her, occasionally patting her hand gently in silent comfort.

Liu Erlong sat with her eyes closed, resting, but Yu Tiancheng could sense a faint yet powerful wave of spirit power perception enveloping the entire carriage, even extending for miles around—the vigilance of a Soul Saint.

Yu Tiancheng sat across from Liu Erlong, also closing his eyes.

His consciousness sank into the comprehension of the Myriad Poisons True Solution. The Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor Poison was known as one of the world's most infamous toxins; though the method to neutralize it was recorded in the texts, the actual procedure still required extreme caution.

Especially since Dugu Bo's accumulated poison ran deep—one misstep in the treatment process, and it could...

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

Yu Tiancheng opened his eyes. "Thinking about how to make Senior Dugu Bo believe I can cure him."

"How sure are you?"

"Ninety percent on the detox," Yu Tiancheng said calmly. "Only fifty percent on making him believe."

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

"Lies with him," Yu Tiancheng replied. "If he'd rather die than trust me, or turns hostile midway, that's no longer something medicine can solve."

His words were blunt.

Dugu Yan whipped her head around, her eye sockets reddening again. "Yu Tiancheng, Grandfather... he's just been tormented by this poison for too long. Over the years, every time it flares up, he wishes he were dead."

"I know he says harsh things and has a bad temper, 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, his voice turning serious. "But there are some things I must say upfront. The treatment process will be excruciating—ten times more painful than your grandfather's poison flare-ups."

"The accumulated poison has already seeped into his marrow. To extract it, I have to first revive those dormant toxins, then guide them out bit by bit. During that time, he might not hold on at any moment."

"What happens if he can't hold on?" Dugu Yan's voice trembled.

"At best, his cultivation is completely crippled. At worst..." Yu Tiancheng didn't finish, but the meaning was clear.

Dugu Yan's face turned deathly pale. She bit her lip hard, her nails digging deep into her palms. "Yu Tiancheng, just treat him. No matter the outcome... I, Dugu Yan, will remember your kindness for life."

Ye Lingling gripped her hand tightly.

Liu Erlong watched this scene, a flicker of complexity in her eyes. The girl's feelings for her grandfather stirred some distant, hazy memories in her.

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

He spoke these words in a flat tone, yet they carried an unshakable force.

The carriage fell quiet again, but the atmosphere seemed a bit more relaxed than before.

The carriage traveled east, passing through the outskirts of Heaven Dou City and onto the official road leading to Sunset Forest.

The path grew increasingly rugged, with trees on both sides becoming taller and denser, their shadows cutting the road into patches of light and dark.

After about two hours, the driver knocked on the carriage from outside. "Dean, this is the outer edge of Sunset Forest. The carriage can't go any further."