Douluo: Starting by Building Guns

As he spoke, Dugu Bo took two pills from his Storage Soul Tool and handed one to Shen Feng and the other to Dugu Yan.

"The purple-black mist around the perimeter is a poisonous formation I set up. Even a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast wouldn't dare cross into it. Any Soul Master below level seventy who enters will die."

"These are Antidote Pills. Each one can protect you from the poisonous formation for an hour. Take them now, and we'll head in once they've taken effect in fifteen minutes."

Fifteen minutes later, Shen Feng followed Dugu Bo through nearly three hundred meters of poisonous mist. A dense forest surrounded a steep mountain, roughly five hundred meters tall, which stood right before them.

"Grandpa, is this mountain where you live in seclusion? You've never brought me here before, not once in all these years."

Hearing the complaint in Dugu Yan's voice, Dugu Bo smiled faintly. "It's not that I didn't want to bring you. This place just isn't as safe as you think."

"Never mind. You two, come with me. Once we reach our destination, you'll understand."

With that, Dugu Bo lightly pushed off with his feet and started climbing straight up the cliff as if walking on level ground.

His steps looked slow, but each one carried him more than ten meters, and every stride was exactly the same length. As he climbed, he seemed to rise vertically.

Dugu Yan glanced at Shen Feng. "Let's see if you can back up Grandpa's praise. Just what can you do, you peerless genius?"

Shen Feng shrugged. "After you, Sister Yanyan."

Dugu Yan didn't bother being modest. With a soft snort, she gathered her Soul Power and charged toward the mountain.

The cliff was steep. As she climbed, she had to stay completely focused and use the protruding rocks as footholds.

Since the rocks jutted out at different points, she had to keep hopping from side to side, adjusting her body as she went.

She climbed at a decent pace, but the way she hopped from side to side wasn't exactly pretty. She looked no different from a monkey.

Shen Feng smiled faintly, gathering Soul Power in the soles of his feet. Using Tree Climbing techniques, he kept his body almost perpendicular to the mountainside and shot straight toward the summit like an arrow loosed from its bow.

A gust of wind swept past as Shen Feng brushed by Dugu Yan.

Dugu Yan was startled. Her expression was as if she'd seen a ghost. "You—you—you..."

Shen Feng glanced back with a smile. "I'll see you at the summit, Sister Yanyan."

"Bye-bye!"

Dugu Bo had only just reached the summit when Shen Feng came rushing up right behind him.

Dugu Bo glanced back and chuckled. "Did Yanyan challenge you again?"

Shen Feng shrugged helplessly. "Soul Masters are naturally competitive. Sister Yanyan was just following her nature."

Dugu Bo burst out laughing. "You really know how to talk, kid. You've made being competitive and spoiling for a fight sound so high-minded."

"But Yanyan's a good person. Like me, she's genuine and straightforward. Spend more time with her and you'll see."

Shen Feng nodded in agreement. "That's all thanks to your excellent guidance, old man."

"If I had a Titled Douluo for a grandpa, I'd probably be so arrogant I'd try to pluck the stars from the sky."

Dugu Bo was taken aback. Then he pointed at Shen Feng and laughed. "You, honestly! You've got honey on your tongue. You're such a sweet talker."

Shen Feng remained perfectly composed, his gaze sincere. "I'm only saying what I think. I'm just telling the truth."

Feeling how sincere Shen Feng was, Dugu Bo grew even happier. He was practically floating with joy.

After all, everyone liked being flattered, and saying something nice didn't cost a thing.

Besides, they'd made it this far and were about to share the spoils. If Shen Feng didn't butter Dugu Bo up, he'd feel bad about taking those Immortal Grade Herbs.

While the two were chatting, Dugu Yan climbed up from below.

The moment she saw Shen Feng, she rushed over. "You little rascal, what was that technique? You were so fast!"

Shen Feng smiled faintly. "Just a little trick for controlling Soul Power. It's nothing special."

"If you're interested, Sister Yanyan, I can teach you sometime."

Dugu Yan's eyes lit up. She patted Shen Feng on the shoulder. "You're a good kid. I like that."

"Since you've been so decent, I can't let you down either. From now on, you're my little brother, though we don't share a parent."

"If anyone gives you trouble, tell your big sister and I'll sort them out. If I can't handle it, I'll send Grandpa after them. We'll take care of everything, no problem."

Shen Feng was speechless. Was this girl really that bold? She'd just met him and was already claiming him as family?

Dugu Yan wasn't stupid. Shen Feng was one of the rare people born with Innate Full Soul Power, and his talent had been developed exceptionally well. As long as he didn't die young, he was certain to become a Titled Douluo one day.

Building a good relationship with a genius like him would give her more influence in the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan when she married Yu Tianheng in the future.

It was a matter of matching families.

Besides, with a future Titled Douluo backing her, Yu Tianheng would have to think twice before letting her down or taking another wife.

It was normal for the great clans to keep lovers hidden away and take multiple wives, but Dugu Yan had no intention of sharing her man with anyone. She would nip that crooked practice in the bud.

Dugu Bo's eyes lit up. Smiling, he said thoughtfully, "I think that's a good idea. I like Xiao Feng a lot, too. If our Martial Soul attributes weren't incompatible and I wouldn't be holding him back, I'd want to take him as my disciple."

"Since you think Xiao Feng's a good kid too, Yanyan, why wait for a better day? You two should just become sworn siblings."

"If anything happens in the future, you can support and look after each other."

Dugu Bo was truly envious of Shen Feng's aptitude. His hopes of making Shen Feng his granddaughter's husband had fallen through, so he wanted his granddaughter to become sworn siblings with him instead. If anything happened to Dugu Bo in the future, Shen Feng could help look after her.

For the sake of his only remaining close relative, Dugu Bo had practically worried himself to pieces.

Dugu Yan's eyes lit up. She threw an arm around Shen Feng's neck and said cheerfully, "A little brother? Great! I've always wanted a cute little brother."

"What about you, Xiao Feng? Wouldn't you like a big sister who dotes on you and always takes your side?"

Shen Feng didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He gave Dugu Bo a strange look. I thought we were just friends across generations. You actually want to be my grandpa?

Dugu Bo seemed to understand his look and turned away, somewhat embarrassed.

He had considered becoming Shen Feng's sworn relative himself, but during the half year they'd spent together in Soul Hunting Town, Dugu Bo had played the student in the laboratory most of the time.

If Shen Feng really called him Grandpa, Dugu Bo would probably be even more embarrassed than Shen Feng.

Now that Dugu Yan was taking the lead, Dugu Bo would still be Grandpa in terms of seniority, but at least there was a generation between them. They could each keep their own roles without it getting in the way.

If Shen Feng insisted on calling him Grandpa, he wouldn't object.

After all, you could get used to anything. Once he got used to hearing it, it would sound natural.

While Dugu Bo was busy dreaming about the future, Dugu Yan's expression dimmed as she waited for an answer.

"You don't want to? Then forget it..."

"No." Shen Feng slipped out from Dugu Yan's arm, stepped back to give her some room, then bowed.

"Big Sister, please accept this little brother's bow. I'm Shen Feng."

The Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well lay just below them. Standing at the summit, Shen Feng could already smell its pungent sulfur fumes.

Immortal Herbs were immensely valuable, and human nature couldn't withstand a test.

By acknowledging Dugu Yan as his sworn sister at this crucial moment, he'd given himself an extra safeguard. It wasn't a bad idea.

At the sound of Shen Feng calling her "Big Sister," Dugu Yan felt as if she'd eaten honey. She was delighted from head to toe.

She tossed a lock of hair off her forehead with a smug smile, helped Shen Feng up, then took a porcelain bottle from her Soul Tool and handed it to him with great solemnity.

"We didn't have much time, so I didn't prepare a proper gift."

"This is my greatest achievement in the art of poison. Even a Titled Douluo could fall to this poison if he let his guard down for just a moment."

"I'm giving it to you now, little brother. But be very careful when you use it~"

Shen Feng accepted the bottle with a peculiar expression. Dugu Yan's smile made him feel uneasy.

Just then, Dugu Bo sent him a voice transmission. "Kid, don't get curious and open that bottle. Especially not when there's another living creature within fifty meters. Male or female, it doesn't matter. Don't open it. Remember that. Remember!"

At that, Shen Feng's hand gave a little jerk. He nearly dropped the porcelain bottle. Dugu Bo's warning had been terrifying.

Swallowing hard, Shen Feng forced out a smile that looked worse than a grimace. "Thank you for the gift, Big Sister. It's so precious that I'll keep it somewhere safe. I won't use it unless I have no other choice."

Dugu Yan patted Shen Feng on the shoulder with satisfaction and leaned close to whisper in his ear. "If you meet a girl you like, you can use it, too."

"Good girls are rare, and they're in high demand. If you don't make your move first, someone else will."

Dugu Yan's voice sounded like a devil whispering in his ear, distracting Shen Feng and throwing his thoughts into disarray.

What kind of place was Douluo Continent? In his previous life, it had been known as the continent of romance, a paradise for hopeless romantics.

Now that he had a divine tool in hand, Shen Feng would be lying if he said he wasn't tempted.

"Ahem!"

Just as Shen Feng was struggling with the temptation, Dugu Bo's cough brought him back to his senses.

"Enough. Just put it away, and don't take it out unless you have to. It'll only cause trouble."

"My garden is in the valley below. You two, come with me. We have more important things to do."

Even Shen Feng was unnerved by what Dugu Yan had taken out. Dugu Bo himself was just as uneasy.

Besides, he was already over seventy. He didn't want to disgrace himself at this stage of his life.

They climbed up and then back down. Following Dugu Bo, they jumped off the edge of a pitch-black cliff, then felt their way down along its face.

Soon, a faint glimmer of light appeared before Shen Feng's eyes. Thump, thump, thump. His heart began beating violently, quite without his meaning it to.

"Xiao Feng? What's wrong? Why's your heart beating so fast?"

As befitted a Titled Douluo, Dugu Bo noticed immediately when Shen Feng's heart started beating a little faster.

Shen Feng took a deep breath and calmed himself before answering honestly. "Old man, this place feels familiar."

"If this really is the place I think it is, then the hidden problems afflicting you and Sister Yanyan won't be much of an issue anymore."

Dugu Bo was startled. "You know this place?"

Shen Feng nodded slightly. "I was lucky enough to read about it in an old book, but I can't be sure yet. I'll have to reach the bottom and see it for myself before I can confirm it."

Dugu Bo laughed heartily. "Then what are we waiting for? I'll take you both down now."

As he spoke, Dugu Bo eagerly grabbed Shen Feng and Dugu Yan by the shoulders and leapt down from midair.

When his feet touched the ground and he saw the valley, Shen Feng stood there, stunned.

Before him lay a hot spring. It was a small, oval-shaped pool.

But the spring water was exceptionally strange. It was split evenly into two colors, one half milky white and the other scarlet.

Even though the water shared the same pool, the two colors were sharply divided. Neither encroached upon the other; each stayed on its own side.

Steaming vapor rose continuously from the surface of the spring, the white and scarlet intertwining like two dragons circling upward.

Countless unusual plants grew around the two-colored spring. Most glowed with a precious light, their leaves and branches brimming with spiritual energy. Their glow illuminated the entire shadowy valley.

Faced with such a treasure trove, Shen Feng found himself drooling.

The breathtaking sight left Dugu Yan, who had never been here before, standing motionless with her mouth agape, unable to speak.

"This, this, this..."

Dugu Yan stammered for a long moment, still unable to believe that this beautiful garden, too wondrous for the mortal world, belonged to her family.

For a moment, excitement made her cheeks flush bright red.

Dugu Bo glanced at Dugu Yan, shook his head helplessly, then waved out a Soul Power barrier that enclosed both Shen Feng and Dugu Yan.

"Yanyan, calm your mind and bring your Soul Power under control."

At Dugu Bo's reminder, Shen Feng realized that the Soul Power within him had begun to grow chaotic without him noticing.

Dugu Yan looked even more alarmed. Since she had less control over her Soul Power than Shen Feng, the power inside her had already begun to run wild.

The reason her cheeks had flushed so red wasn't just excitement. It was mostly because her Soul Power was surging out of control.

"G-Grandpa, what's going on?"

Dugu Bo didn't answer Dugu Yan. Instead, he turned to Shen Feng, who had already settled down.

"Xiao Feng, you look so sure of yourself. Have you figured something out?"

Shen Feng nodded. "This is the danger of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well."