Lin Ye glanced at the Snow Empress again. Ah, forget it. It wouldn't be right to make someone of her stature do the work. So he turned to Dugu Bo.
"Senior, help me dig up that cabbage. Use this." As he spoke, he handed the Jade Bowl to Dugu Bo.
Dugu Bo felt aggrieved but said nothing. He rolled up his sleeves, took the bowl, and obediently got to work. He could only grumble to himself: Before, he called me by my name. Now that he needs help, suddenly I'm Senior. Damn it, he really only treats people well when he needs something from them.
Meanwhile, the Ice Empress's dagger flashed. The large white Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass fell with a soft thud, landing among the medicinal herbs. In an instant, a wave of cold spread out, and a thin layer of frost appeared over the surrounding plants.
The Ice Empress now understood why Lin Ye hadn't done it himself. This chill really was more than he could withstand at his current level.
But for her, it was nothing. The Ice Empress picked up the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass without feeling the slightest discomfort.
At the same time, Dugu Bo dug the Infernal Delicate Apricot out by its roots on the other side.
In contrast, a wave of scorching energy quickly spread across the opposite side of the Ice Fire Yin Yang Well.
The two Immortal Herbs were brought to Lin Ye at the same time. Then an even more astonishing sight unfolded.
The two herbs, which had been intensely cold and scorching hot, suddenly lost their opposing auras.
A faint red glow covered the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass, while a thin white mist shrouded the Infernal Delicate Apricot.
Once the two Immortal Herbs came into contact, each was suppressed by the other's aura, but the effect would last only ten breaths.
Those ten breaths were also the perfect time to consume them.
Under Dugu Bo's horrified gaze, Lin Ye unhesitatingly stuffed both Immortal Herbs into his mouth and chewed and swallowed them in great mouthfuls.
The two herbs were poisonous, but once their effects suppressed each other, they lost their former ferocity. They melted as soon as they entered his mouth, flowing down his throat as liquid. Lin Ye could only smell a rich fragrance filling his nostrils.
"They taste pretty good." Lin Ye's expression froze for a moment, but his hands moved quickly as he stripped off his clothes.
The medicinal effects took hold. Lin Ye's body shuddered, and a layer of icy blue rose from his feet.
In the blink of an eye, he had turned icy blue from head to toe. Then the blue was replaced by fiery red, like the color of a cooked shrimp.
Blue and red alternated, a clash of ice and fire. It was an astonishing sight.
The two opposing energies, one cold and one hot, battered Lin Ye's body. The pain was beyond description, and his face contorted into a Pain Mask.
Though the energies of ice and fire had been somewhat neutralized by suppressing each other, once inside his body, they began churning wildly.
In no time at all, Lin Ye's consciousness started to blur. He could only endure the inhuman pain and force himself to take a step forward.
With a splash, Lin Ye plunged into the waters of the Ice Fire Yin Yang Well, right where the Extremely Cold Yin Spring and the Blazing Yang Spring met.
The Snow Empress and Ice Empress both changed expressions, their hearts leaping into their throats.
The two women began to worry. If anything happened to Lin Ye, wouldn't the Ten-Thousand-Year Mysterious Ice Marrow he had promised them be out of reach?
Dugu Bo, meanwhile, was utterly horrified. Even he, a Titled Douluo, couldn't stay by the spring for long. And that brat had jumped straight in?
It didn't take long for Lin Ye's entire body to sink beneath the surface.
Then the water grew calm once more. The milky-white and scarlet waters remained as clearly divided as ever.
Vapor rose steadily from the surface, and everything fell silent again.
After plunging into the spring, Lin Ye lost consciousness and fell into a coma.
Fortunately, he had eaten a few more pieces of Whale Rubber on his way here, strengthening his body. Otherwise, he might have already burst apart.
Time flew by. The sun sank in the west, night fell, and darkness swallowed the valley. The spring remained still, and Lin Ye was nowhere to be seen.
Two figures stood quietly on the bank, the Snow Empress and Ice Empress watching and waiting.
Not far away, Dugu Bo lay on the ground, his whole body convulsing as low groans escaped his lips. At that moment, he felt as though needles were stabbing the top of his head and the soles of his feet. The pain was unbearable.
The condition lasted for nearly an hour before finally stopping.
The Snow Empress glanced at him, thoughtful but silent.
At dawn the next day, ripples suddenly spread across the water. A moment later, a head emerged from the surface.
Seeing the three of them staring fixedly at him, Lin Ye felt a little embarrassed. Not everyone liked being watched.
"Turn around."
While the three looked away, Lin Ye quickly climbed ashore and got dressed.
"You're done? Then let's go?"
The Ice Empress spoke first, urging him on. She could hardly wait to go eat a big meal.
Lin Ye turned and ran into the distance. "Wait a little longer. I'll be right back."
When he returned, he had an Immortal Herb in his hand, a plant that looked completely unremarkable. Its entire body was jade-green, and strangely, three snowy-white leaves grew at its center. A few droplets rested in the middle of each leaf, like dew left behind by the morning.
Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew: consuming it could grant fiery eyes and golden pupils, allowing one to see through all manner of rare treasures.
Of course, that claim was somewhat exaggerated.
Consuming Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew could greatly enhance one's soul power. In other words, anyone could consume this Immortal Herb.
For Lin Ye, it was an even better fit.
The Parchment had told him that his future Martial Soul would be a Ghost Spirit, a purely spiritual-type Martial Soul.
"Big sister Xue Nu, hold on to this for me."
Lin Ye entrusted the Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew to the Snow Empress, then prepared to leave. He didn't take any of the other Immortal Herbs, letting them grow for a few more years.
Dugu Bo, who had witnessed the whole thing, began to think. These people—no, Soul Beasts—seemed very familiar with these herbs. Maybe they knew how to deal with the poison in his body.
With that thought, he approached the Snow Empress and bowed deeply.
"What are you doing?" the Snow Empress asked, her brows furrowing slightly.
"You can surely tell that I'm suffering from Severe Poison. Might you be able to cure the poison in my body?" Dugu Bo asked sincerely. When he finished, he looked at the Snow Empress hopefully.
The Snow Empress looked toward Lin Ye, her gaze seeming to ask whether she should help him.
Dugu Bo caught the exchange. He hadn't dared to hope for much, but now it seemed they really did have a way?
The next moment, Dugu Bo dropped to his knees with a thud. "Please, miss, help me. I'm willing to serve you as an ox or a horse to repay your kindness."
As a Titled Douluo, Dugu Bo had his own pride. If it were only his own life at stake, he would never have humbled himself to beg someone like this.
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