Nan Xuan heard this and knew that his goal was close to being achieved.
"I imagine that ever since you awakened your martial soul, Senior, you began cultivating poison techniques. Now, nearing eighty, although your poison techniques have reached an extraordinary level, you have also been burdened by them. Whenever it rains or the weather turns damp, you feel an itchy numbness beneath your ribs, and it gradually worsens for about two hours. It flares up once at midnight and once at noon. Every night at around midnight, your head and the soles of your feet feel as though they are being pricked by needles."
"Was everything I said accurate?" Nan Xuan asked Dugu Bo within the Poison Array, smiling with narrowed eyes.
Dugu Bo could hardly believe what the boy had said, but every single point had struck right at his weakness. He could not help asking, "How did you know?"
"Of course, I have my methods. And as I said from the beginning, I have a way to treat all of your current symptoms, Senior." Nan Xuan answered Dugu Bo with the air of an old master.
"Oh, really?" Dugu Bo sneered. A gust of poisonous wind then swept through, instantly bringing him to Nan Xuan's side.
"Now, that cure for poison is mine." Dugu Bo grinned viciously.
Seeing this, Bibi Dong immediately unleashed her martial soul. Eight soul rings encircled the Death Spider Emperor.
Seeing that someone so young was already a Soul Douluo, Dugu Bo wondered if she had been raised by some great clan.
"I advise you not to do this. Otherwise, none of us will have a good time." Bibi Dong watched Dugu Bo warily and issued her warning.
"That's right, Senior. Sometimes, strength alone cannot decide everything. I'm the only one who knows the method, and there are no records of it in any books. Think it over carefully. If you truly intend to force us to settle this with violence, then we will not remain polite either." Nan Xuan met the other man's unsettlingly green eyes, his voice tinged with anger.
Nan Xuan was usually easygoing and did not want to betray the principles he held to, but that did not mean he liked having a blade held to his throat.
Dugu Bo considered it for a moment and underwent a brief mental struggle before dispersing the poisonous mist surrounding Nan Xuan.
He did not dare gamble, nor did he wish to. If this fellow could truly fix his body, then owing him a favor afterward, or doing his best to fulfill whatever the other party needed, would be enough.
After seeing Dugu Bo dismiss the poisonous mist, Bibi Dong also released her Martial Soul Possession, though her vigilance did not lessen.
"Very good. A wise choice. You will be glad you made this decision."
"Oh, right, I forgot to mention something. Your poison can be inherited. I believe you have already noticed that. If it is not treated soon, there is no need for me to spell out the consequences, is there?" Nan Xuan said to Dugu Bo with a wicked grin.
When Dugu Bo heard that, he truly wanted to fight him to the death. The boy was young, yet his belly was full of schemes. Had he chosen to act just now, his Yan Yan would have been finished.
"Then, may I ask what you require me to offer?" As a level-91 Title Douluo, Dugu Bo could see the situation clearly. Otherwise, he would not have lived this long.
"Senior, you have not joined any faction yet, have you? Have you considered Spirit Hall?" Nan Xuan smiled faintly, as though he had prepared this long ago.
Nan Xuan knew that Dugu Bo had not yet joined the Heaven Dou Empire's royal family at this point. Therefore, there was none of the conflict between Dugu Bo and Chrysanthemum Douluo from the original story. The two had no direct grudge at all; in the end, it was merely a struggle between factions.
"I truly have not joined any faction, but I have never considered Spirit Hall. Especially with its current Pope. From information leaked by certain insiders, that Pope's character does not seem very good." Dugu Bo said this because he wanted to refuse. He had grown used to freedom, and joining a faction so suddenly was difficult for him to accept.
"What if there were a different Pope?" Nan Xuan asked with a narrowed smile.
With things said to this extent, if they still could not reach an agreement, Dugu Bo guessed that the boy before him would likely leave.
"Fine. If I knew Spirit Hall could have a better Pope, I would not mind joining it." Dugu Bo now more or less understood the identities of the two before him. At the very least, they were formidable figures opposed to Spirit Hall's current Pope.
"Since that is the case, I have no other requests. I only need the herbs in your medicinal garden. I hope you will agree." Nan Xuan stated his ultimate purpose.
"That is fine. As long as you can cure the poison affecting me and my granddaughter, none of that will be a problem." Dugu Bo had no objections to this. After all, he had no choice now.
After he finished speaking, Dugu Bo opened an entrance in the Poison Array, and the three of them walked inside.
"The Soul Power here is so dense." Bibi Dong exclaimed as she sensed the aura within the Poison Array.
Nan Xuan looked at the red-and-blue scenery before him and knew that this was the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
The chrysanthemum-like and sweet-potato-like plants nearby needed no explanation. They were Immortal Herbs.
Nan Xuan did not immediately intend to use these Immortal Herbs. Instead, he turned to Dugu Bo and said, "Senior, given your current condition, there are two methods for curing your poison. The first is to consume the red and blue herbs over there together. The second is to use a soul bone as a host for the poison and force the toxins into it."
Nan Xuan pointed toward the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, indicating the two herbs.
"What is the difference between these two methods?" Dugu Bo did not rush to decide. Since the other party had mentioned two methods, there had to be a difference between them.
"You are right. There is indeed a difference." Nan Xuan spoke calmly.
Dugu Bo said, "Can't you just finish what you have to say at once? You keep making this old man choose. What if I choose wrong? Wouldn't that mean I'm done for?"
Dugu Bo was on the verge of collapse inside.
"But you did not choose wrong, did you? Doesn't that prove you have good luck?" Bibi Dong, who was sitting nearby in boredom, interjected.
Dugu Bo did not respond. He merely looked at Nan Xuan.
"The first method requires consuming the herbs, but the medicinal properties of those two herbs will dissipate all of your poison techniques. As a Poison Douluo who has used poison for so long, without poison, you may become a Poison Douluo in name only." As Nan Xuan explained the drawback of the first method, he did not forget to mock him.
After hearing Nan Xuan's explanation, Dugu Bo knew that he could only choose the second method. As it happened, he had a ten-thousand-year Medusa Empress soul bone.
"Are there any requirements for this soul bone?" To prevent any accidents, Dugu Bo asked.
"There are no strict requirements. Any soul bone will do. An External Soul Bone would be best, since it would be more convenient for attacking, but I do not think you need to worry about that, Senior. Your ten-thousand-year Medusa Empress soul bone is an excellent match for your poison." Nan Xuan answered Dugu Bo's question very patiently.
Dugu Bo had wanted to ask how the other party knew that he possessed a ten-thousand-year Medusa Empress soul bone, but after some thought, he let it go. He was not someone who liked digging to the bottom of things. Rather than waste time on that, he might as well ask how to cure his granddaughter's poison.
"My granddaughter is only around one or two years old. Should she use the second method as well?" Dugu Bo asked his final question.
"Yes." Nan Xuan thought that Dugu Yan, at merely one or two years old, could not possibly have toxins as severe as in the original story, so he answered with certainty.
"I have finished asking my questions. Do as you please, but please do not damage the roots of these herbs. Though I do not know their effects, just their appearance alone tells me they are no ordinary plants. Please cherish them." Looking at the herbs behind him, Dugu Bo reminded Nan Xuan painfully.
"Do not worry, Senior. I know what I am doing." Understanding Dugu Bo's feelings, Nan Xuan replied with a smile.
After hearing this, Dugu Bo paid them no further attention. He went alone to the other side of the Poison Array to deal with his toxins.
Nan Xuan let out a breath. He had finally gotten his hands on these treasures.
"Good thing my martial soul observed Chrysanthemum Douluo studying his ancestral herbal atlas last time. Otherwise, even if I saw these now, I would not recognize them." Nan Xuan said thankfully.
"I thought you really knew everything. So you were peeking at someone else's things too." Sitting to the side, Bibi Dong teased Nan Xuan.
"How can a cultivator's affairs be called stealing? It was clearly my own ability, all right?" Nan Xuan strongly objected to the word "stealing." How could he possibly do such a thing? Otherwise, he would have long used his soul skill to spy on other people's bath—cough.
"Tch. So how do you plan to deal with these treasures?" Bibi Dong asked curiously.
"Eat them, of course. How else did you want to deal with them?" Nan Xuan joked as he looked at Bibi Dong's curious face.
Bibi Dong said, "..."
The setting sun's afterglow illuminated Sunset Forest. At the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well within the forest, Nan Xuan held two Immortal Herbs in his hands.
One was the red Infernal Delicate Apricot, and the other was the blue Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass.
He then handed the two Immortal Herbs to Bibi Dong.
"Why are you giving them to me? When you first entered the Poison Array, you kept staring at these two Immortal Herbs. They must have some special effect, so you should use them yourself." Bibi Dong refused the Immortal Herbs Nan Xuan offered.
"Silly girl, do you think I do not know how important these two Immortal Herbs are? Though their effects are indeed tempting, they will be more useful on you than on me." Nan Xuan smiled and forcibly stuffed the Immortal Herbs into Bibi Dong's hands.
"What exactly are their effects?" Looking at the cold and hot Immortal Herbs in her hands, Bibi Dong could not help asking curiously.
"Fire immunity and ice immunity. Your martial soul is arthropod-type, so it fears those things the most. My martial soul is just an iron box, so who do you think would benefit more?" Nan Xuan explained.
After hearing this, Bibi Dong did not decline any further. Following Nan Xuan's instructions, she walked to the center of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well and began consuming the Immortal Herbs.
Nan Xuan also began picking the other Immortal Herbs. By the shore where the waters of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well met grew an enormous pale-pink flower. Its pistil was pale purple, like purple diamonds embedded within it. It had no leaves, and its stem was three chi long and a full chi thick. Every petal looked as clear and crystalline as crystal, and it gave off a faint fragrance.
Aromatic Silk Beauty was the nemesis of all poisons and could neutralize every toxin. It could not detoxify on its own, but it could counter poison. Within the range of its fragrance, all poisons became ineffective. Its scent could neutralize countless toxins, making it the finest Immortal Herb for poison resistance.
Not far away was a golden chrysanthemum. Nan Xuan knew at once that it was the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum, a neutral Immortal Herb. Consuming it would fill the limbs with vitality and open the eight meridians with blood, allowing one to cultivate an indestructible body. It had no fragrance.
Next was the Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid, an Immortal Herb with gentle medicinal properties. It had to be stored in gold and jade. As long as it was placed in a jade vessel, it would not wither for a thousand years or fade for a hundred generations. Its rich orchid fragrance could clear one's mind and greatly invigorate the spirit.
The rich fragrance of Aromatic Silk Beauty gave off a magnificent and regal impression. Consuming it allowed one to absorb the essence of heaven and earth, as well as the radiance of the sun and moon. This flower could not be swallowed; one had to gently inhale its pistil and slowly absorb its essence, then cultivate Soul Power and let the medicinal effect gradually spread through the limbs and bones.
"..."
As Nan Xuan picked the herbs, he recalled their effects and placed them all into the storage pouch he had bought from Taobao. Though this storage pouch might not have as much space as Dugu Bo's, it could store living things, making it perfect for these Immortal Herbs.
"Golden Dragon Sweet Potato." Nan Xuan discovered a vine in a crevice near the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. Following the vine, he found the Golden Dragon Sweet Potato recorded in Chrysanthemum Douluo's ancestral herbal atlas.
Golden Dragon Sweet Potato was to be cooked before eating. It was sweet in flavor and a special medicinal herb that could only be consumed by possessors of metal-type martial souls. Its effect was to strengthen the metal material of one's martial soul and stabilize one's foundation.
Thinking of the Golden Dragon Sweet Potato's effects, Nan Xuan knew this was the Immortal Herb most suitable for him. The other Immortal Herbs either evolved martial souls or raised one's level, neither of which he needed right now. What he needed was precisely the effect of strengthening his martial soul's material.
"I wonder what material my iron Wireless Router will become." As Nan Xuan thought about it, he lit a fire on the ground and began the first sweet-potato roast of his twenty-two years on Douluo Continent—and it was such a rare sweet potato.
Before long, a fragrant aroma drifted out. The sweet potato was presumably cooked.
After finishing the sweet potato, Nan Xuan sat cross-legged and began absorbing the energy brought by the Golden Dragon Sweet Potato.
About an hour later.
Nan Xuan opened his eyes and summoned his martial soul.
A stream of deep-blue Soul Power flowed from his hand, followed by a deep-blue Wireless Router appearing in the air.
"It has changed from ordinary iron into Cold Iron. This has also given my martial soul some ice-resistant properties. That is unexpected. It can even resist water now. Hahaha." Seeing the changes to his martial soul, Nan Xuan could not help smiling.
Once Nan Xuan understood the changes to his martial soul, he grew somewhat bored. Turning to look toward Bibi Dong, he saw that she was still soaking within the well and absorbing the energy of the Immortal Herbs.
So, he began studying his Seventh Soul Skill.
Martial Soul Avatar: Digitization of the chosen individual. It granted him the ability to become intangible. Whenever he unleashed his Martial Soul Avatar, he could turn into a mass of data that no one could hit, no matter how they attacked.
Not only that, the effects of all his soul skills could be increased twofold from their original level.
Most importantly, he had awakened a domain skill: Domain of the Network.
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