Sunset Forest, Confrontation with Poison Douluo

Luo Can spread his Golden Dragon Wings and streaked toward the northern horizon.

Along the way, he deliberately restrained the aura of a Title Douluo, leaving only a thread of Soul Power to maintain flight. Within the Heaven Dou Empire, a Title Douluo appearing out of nowhere would be far too conspicuous and would inevitably attract the attention of Spirit Hall and the Upper Three Sects. For now, he had no desire to expose himself to those forces too soon.

Half a month passed in the blink of an eye as he traveled.

Luo Can folded his wings and looked at the forest before him.

"Finally here."

This Spirit Beast habitat within the Heaven Dou Empire might not have been as vast or dangerous as the Star Dou Forest, but it was still an important place for Spirit Masters to obtain Spirit Rings.

More importantly, it was far too close to Heaven Dou City.

His figure flashed as he swiftly entered the forest. He then skimmed low above the treetops, using the dense foliage as cover as he silently advanced deeper into the woods.

Along the way, Luo Can encountered quite a few Spirit Beast hunting parties.

From time to time, he stopped and concealed himself in the shadows of the trees, listening to the Spirit Masters' conversations and learning about the recent situation in Sunset Forest.

"This time, let's head west. I heard there have been hundred-year Gale Wolves around there. They'd be perfect for that kid in the team who's stuck at level twenty."

"Don't go west! That part of the forest has been damn strange lately. Several teams went in and never came back!"

"Really?"

"Why would I lie to you? My cousin's hunting party went in last week, and there's still been no word from them. People say a poisonous miasma appeared near the western core area recently. The moment someone touches it, their whole body rots away. They die horribly."

"Poisonous miasma? Could it be..."

"Shh—keep your voice down! I heard there's an Old Monster living in the core area, someone at the level of a Title Douluo. That poisonous miasma was laid down by him. Anyone who dares barge in is looking to die!"

From within the shadows, Luo Can raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Old Monster, Poison Douluo Dugu Bo."

In the original story, Dugu Bo suffered backlash from the poison of the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor and had hidden at the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well for years, using the Yin-Yang polar springs to suppress the poison. That poisonous miasma was likely the barrier he had set up to keep outsiders from entering.

"Perfect." Luo Can rubbed his chin, excitement flashing through his eyes. "Let me see just how capable this Poison Douluo, mockingly called the 'weakest Title Douluo' in the original story, really is."

He did not linger any longer. His body turned into a pale golden blur as he sped toward the core area on the western side of the forest.

Relying on the mental power of a Title Douluo and the Golden Dragon Moth martial soul's keen perception of energy fluctuations, Luo Can easily avoided the territories of several ten-thousand-year Spirit Beasts and soon arrived at an unusual area.

A faint layer of jade-green mist filled the forest ahead.

The mist was thin, like a veil draped through the woods, yet Luo Can could sense the horrifying poison within it. Even a Spirit King would die within a few breaths after inhaling a mouthful.

"Jade Phosphorous Poisonous Miasma. Its reputation is well deserved."

Luo Can stood at the edge of the poisonous miasma and observed it briefly before stepping inside.

The instant the toxic mist touched his body, a faint golden glow automatically rose over his skin. Before the golden light, the jade-green poison mist scattered as if it had met its natural bane, unable to come near him at all.

As he ventured deeper, the toxic mist around him grew increasingly dense.

The originally pale green mist gradually darkened into a deep jade color. A sweet, fishy stench filled the air, making anyone who inhaled it dizzy and disoriented. All sorts of bizarre poisonous plants began appearing across the ground, blending with the miasma and nourishing one another, layering the poison in this region upon itself.

After advancing only a thousand meters, the poison here had already become potent enough to threaten a Spirit Saint.

"The poison array is arranged rather well." Luo Can walked as he studied the distribution of poisonous plants around him. "Using the natural terrain, poisonous plants as the array cores, and miasma as the barrier. Unfortunately, the one who set it up is also deeply afflicted by the backlash of his martial soul's poison, forced to live with pain every day."

Half an hour later, he arrived at the entrance to a valley.

The poisonous mist here was already so dense that it had nearly solidified, and its toxicity was fierce enough to threaten a Soul Douluo's life.

Several stone tablets stood at the valley entrance, each carved with four words: Trespassers Die!

Luo Can paused at the entrance for a moment before stepping inside.

The instant he entered the valley, the sight before him made Luo Can freeze slightly.

It was completely different from the deathly silent poisonous forest outside. The valley seemed like another world.

Exotic flowers and strange herbs bloomed everywhere in a riot of colors. Rich medicinal fragrances rushed into his nose, while the energy in the air was so dense that it had formed a milky white mist. Every breath made his entire body feel refreshed, and even the circulation of his Soul Power became faster.

"So this is the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well."

Luo Can looked around, unable to hide the shock in his eyes.

The energy here was several times denser than even the upgraded Fate-Defying Spring!

No wonder it could nurture so many top-tier Immortal Herbs.

At the center of the valley, a peculiar spring came into view.

One half was blazing red, like churning lava, while the other was icy blue, like ten-thousand-year ice. The two extreme energies met and revolved at the center of the spring, forming a perfect Yin-Yang balance.

This was the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well, one of the three great Treasure Basins of Douluo Continent.

Luo Can took a deep breath, suppressing the excitement in his heart as he began examining the medicinal herbs around him.

With only a casual glance, he spotted no fewer than ten top-grade herbs that were nearly extinct in the outside world, as well as the Immortal Herbs from the original story: Aromatic Silk Beauty, Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass, Infernal Delicate Apricot...

There was even an entire patch of Jade Scale Seven Absolute Flowers. From their neat arrangement, it was obvious that someone had deliberately planted them here.

"Looks like Dugu Bo has taken good care of this treasure ground over the years."

Just as Luo Can was about to continue deeper—

A powerful fluctuation of Soul Power rushed out from the depths of the valley!

The fluctuation carried a dense, frigid aura. In only ten breaths, a figure appeared in the distant sky.

It was an old man.

His hair, eyebrows, and pupils were all an eerie jade green. He was thin and gaunt, yet the aura he gave off made one's heart tremble.

The old man stood in the air, his jade-green pupils fixed on Luo Can as he asked coldly, "Who are you, Your Excellency? Why have you trespassed into my territory?"

Luo Can raised his head, his expression calm. "I came here only to take some medicinal herbs. I hope Poison Douluo will make this convenient for me."

Dugu Bo frowned deeply.

He could not see through the young man before him. The other man's aura was completely restrained, and he stood there like an ordinary person, yet Dugu Bo felt an intense sense of danger from him.

"This is my place of seclusion. I do not receive outside guests." Dugu Bo suppressed the unease in his heart and said coldly, "Why not tell me what herbs you need? If they are merely ordinary items, I may give you one or two, as a gesture of friendship."

Though he was solitary by nature, he was no fool. Anyone who could silently pass through the poison array he had laid down and enter the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well was no simple person. If conflict could be avoided, it was best avoided.

Hearing this, Luo Can grinned.

That smile made warning bells ring in Dugu Bo's heart.

"I do not want much." Luo Can spoke slowly, his gaze sweeping over the rare medicinal herbs in the valley. "I want one of every herb here."

The instant his words fell, the air in the valley froze.

Dugu Bo was stunned at first, then laughed in fury.

"Ha ha ha, good! One of every herb!"

The laughter abruptly stopped, and chilling killing intent erupted from the old man's jade-green pupils.

"You came uninvited, presented no invitation, barged through my poison array, and now you dare ask for such an outrageous price. Do you really think I earned the title 'Poison Douluo' for nothing?!"

Boom—

Vast Soul Power erupted!

Behind Dugu Bo, the phantom of a massive Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor appeared.

Two yellow, two purple, and five black Spirit Rings rose beneath the old man's feet. The pressure of a Title Douluo descended over the entire valley like a mountain.

Yet Luo Can remained calm.

He raised his head and looked at Dugu Bo in the sky, whose killing intent was blazing, then softly spoke two words:

"What a pity."

The next moment, the Golden Dragon Moth martial soul appeared behind him.

Brilliant golden butterfly wings spread wide as dragon might diffused like something tangible. Wherever it passed, the poisonous flowers and plants all bent low.

Four purple, four black, and one red Spirit Ring rose in succession. When the final hundred-thousand-year Spirit Ring, bright as blood, appeared, time throughout the valley seemed to stop for an instant.

Dugu Bo's pupils suddenly contracted in the sky.

The killing intent on his face instantly turned into horror.

"Four purple, four black, one red!"

He stared fixedly at Luo Can's Spirit Ring configuration, his voice trembling slightly from shock.

"Y-you... who exactly are you?!"

Luo Can did not answer.

He merely slowly raised his right hand, palm facing upward. Golden Soul Power gathered in his hand and formed an illusory Dragon Spear, its tip pointed directly at the Poison Douluo in the sky.