Intercepting the Immortal Herbs

Although Dugu Bo had readily agreed to the deal, as he watched Luo Can walk toward those immortal herbs, he could not help but reveal a pained expression.

He had guarded these exotic flowers and rare herbs at the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well for decades. Though he could not name a single one, merely smelling their refreshing fragrance and sensing the immense energy within told him they were anything but ordinary.

Now, watching someone else take them away felt like having flesh carved from his heart.

Luo Can paid no attention to his appearance and strode unhurriedly into the patch of immortal herbs.

He first stopped before a plant blooming with pale purple flowers.

The flower was only the size of a palm, its layered petals surrounding specks of golden stamens at the center. It looked plain, even somewhat inconspicuous, but Luo Can knew that this plant, called Aromatic Silk Beauty, was the bane of all poisons. In the original story, Tang San had used it to win his wager against Dugu Bo and gain immunity to the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor's deadly venom.

He crouched down, gathering a thread of pale golden Soul Power at his fingertips and carefully extending it into the soil.

His mental power followed the Soul Power downward, clearly "seeing" the tangled network of roots beneath the ground.

Next, his Soul Power transformed into countless fine threads, slowly cutting into the soil along the roots' paths. The entire process was exceedingly gentle, without damaging a single main root.

After half the time it took to drink a cup of tea, the entire Aromatic Silk Beauty had been excavated intact, its roots still wrapped in a fist-sized clump of original soil.

Dugu Bo, standing nearby, stared wide-eyed and could not help muttering, "This old man thought you would just pull it out by the roots..."

"These are immortal herbs," Luo Can replied casually. He took out a white jade box he had prepared beforehand, placed the herb and its original soil inside, closed the lid, and sealed it with Soul Power. "Naturally, they must be handled carefully."

He stored the jade box in his Storage Soul Tool and turned toward the next plant.

The Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass was crystalline blue all over, like ice crystals. Its eight sharply defined leaves spread outward, exuding an extreme chill that condensed tiny ice crystals in the air wherever it passed.

Luo Can repeated the process and dug it out intact. Without even raising his head, he said to Dugu Bo:

"This is the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass. It contains an extremely cold poison. You only know to use the spring to suppress the serpent venom inside your body, but you do not know that if you take three of its leaves, grind them into powder, and refine them together with your Jade Phosphorous Serpent venom, the toxicity can double while also suppressing your serpent venom."

Dugu Bo froze. "Is that true?"

"Why would I lie to you?"

As Luo Can spoke, he had already put away the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and walked toward the next fiery red plant—the Infernal Delicate Apricot.

"This is the Infernal Delicate Apricot, containing extreme fire poison. It is yin and yang with the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass, mutually generating and restraining one another. If these two immortal herbs are consumed together and refined with a special method, one can attain a Body Impervious to Water and Fire."

Dugu Bo's heart pounded wildly.

He had guarded these treasures for decades, yet he had never known their wondrous uses. Had he known earlier, why would he have endured that bone-eroding agony every month?

Over the next half hour, Luo Can collected the immortal herbs one after another.

The Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum had brilliant golden petals that seemed forged from pure gold, while a visible vortex of energy condensed at its center.

"This is a supreme treasure for Power Attack System martial souls. It can help one open the Eight Extraordinary Meridians and temper the body."

Lovesick Heartbreak Red, Narcissus Jade Muscle Bone, Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower, Snowy Swan Kiss...

Dugu Bo went from heartache at the beginning, to shock later on, and finally to numbness.

He had lived more than half his life, yet his knowledge of immortal herbs was not even equal to a few casual words from the young man before him. He had guarded a treasure mountain without realizing it. The suffering of all those decades had truly been for nothing.

By the time Luo Can stored away the final immortal herb, an Ink Jade Spirit Bamboo, dusk was already approaching.

He had taken a total of fifteen immortal herbs. Every one had been preserved intact, with its roots undamaged. As for the roots and seeds left behind, nourished by the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well, they would grow back within a century.

"I've taken what I needed." Luo Can closed the last jade box and looked up at Dugu Bo. "Would you like to inspect them?"

"No, no!"

Dugu Bo hurriedly waved his hands, his face already filled with admiration.

"You understand these things better than this old man. This old man is completely convinced."

How could he still harbor even the slightest dissatisfaction?

Not only had Luo Can not destroyed his treasured land, he had also left the roots of the immortal herbs behind and taught him their true uses. This was no transaction—it was clearly a tremendous opportunity bestowed upon the Dugu family!

Luo Can put away the jade boxes containing the immortal herbs one by one, then said to Dugu Bo beside him, "Come find me in half a month. As for the exact location, you can ask Ye Shengxin."

He paused, then added:

"During this time, do not cultivate poison, and do not forcefully circulate your Soul Power to suppress the poison either, lest the backlash worsen."

"Fine, fine, fine! This old man will listen to you!"

Dugu Bo nodded repeatedly, his attitude as respectful as though he were facing a teacher or elder.

Luo Can said nothing more. He nodded to him, spread the Golden Dragon Wings behind his back, and transformed into a streak of golden light that shot into the sky, vanishing beyond the horizon in the blink of an eye.

Only after the golden light had completely disappeared did Dugu Bo let out a long breath and mutter to himself:

"Ye Shengxin... where did that old fellow meet such a freak as Luo Can? In half a month, I must ask him properly."

Luo Can flew at top speed the entire way, without pausing for even a moment.

He was eager to return, not only to plant the immortal herbs as soon as possible, but also to verify a certain thought in his heart: could the Fate-Defying Spring truly sustain these top-grade treasures from the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well?

Ten days later, beside Jueming Cliff.

Without slowing in the slightest, Luo Can plunged headlong into the roiling sea of clouds, passed through the familiar barrier of mist, and landed steadily beside the Fate-Defying Spring.

The moment he landed, he impatiently took out the fifteen jade boxes and lined them up beside the spring.

When he opened the lids, the immortal herbs were still alive and fresh, though they had wilted somewhat after leaving the environment of the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well.

Luo Can had long chosen the location: east of the Fate-Defying Spring, closer to the springhead.

He rolled up his sleeves and personally turned over the spirit soil once more. Then he used Soul Power to loosen and even out the soil before taking out the immortal herbs and planting them one by one.

The Aromatic Silk Beauty was planted in the center, while the other immortal herbs were arranged around it according to their medicinal properties and attributes.

Once all of them had been planted, Luo Can scooped up a ladle of Fate-Defying Spring water and poured it over their roots.

The next instant.

The somewhat wilted immortal herbs straightened their leaves the moment the spring water soaked into them. Their petals unfurled, radiating an even more lustrous glow than before.

"Very good."

A smile appeared at the corner of Luo Can's lips.

"The Fate-Defying Spring's effects truly do not lose to those of the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well."

He stood up, his gaze falling on the final two jade boxes.

The Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and the Infernal Delicate Apricot.

In the original story, Tang San had relied on consuming these two immortal herbs simultaneously to attain a Body Impervious to Water and Fire, paving the way for his future cultivation—and showboating.

Luo Can took a deep breath and sat cross-legged beside the spring.

He first ladled out a large bowl of Fate-Defying Spring water and placed it within reach. Then he opened both jade boxes at once, taking the icy blue Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass in his left hand and the fiery red Infernal Delicate Apricot in his right.

Without hesitation, he put both immortal herbs into his mouth and swallowed them at the same time.

In an instant, two extreme forces exploded violently within his body!

The left half of his body was engulfed by an icy chill like ten-thousand-year profound ice. His blood nearly froze solid, fine ice crystals condensed over the surface of his meridians, and even his exhaled breath turned into white mist. On the right half of his body, Burning Heaven's flames ran rampant, his bones crackling as though he might be burned to ashes at any moment.

Ice and fire, two utterly opposing forces, wildly collided and tore through his meridians. If it had been an ordinary Title Douluo, his meridians would have long since shattered, and he would have exploded to death.

But Luo Can had prepared for this.

The Golden Dragon Moth martial soul appeared behind him, and brilliant golden light enveloped his entire body. Vast Golden Power forcibly suppressed the ice and fire energies, guiding them slowly through specific paths in his meridians.

At the same time, he lifted the bowl of Fate-Defying Spring water and drained it in one gulp.

Warm, gentle life energy surged into his body, swiftly repairing the meridians torn apart by the powers of ice and fire. Destruction and restoration formed a delicate balance within Luo Can's body.

Pain.

It was as though every inch of his flesh was being frozen and then burned, over and over again.

Three hours later.

As the last ray of sunset spilled into the valley.

Within Luo Can's body, the powers of ice and fire finally fused completely.

Boom!

The barrier at level ninety-two shattered in response.

His Soul Power immediately broke through to level ninety-three.

Luo Can abruptly opened his eyes.

Golden, red, and blue light intertwined and flowed within his eyes before finally returning to a deep, ink-black hue. He slowly rose to his feet and stretched his body, his bones emitting a crisp series of crackles.

The Body Impervious to Water and Fire had been achieved.

Not only that, after being tempered to the extreme by the powers of ice and fire, the toughness of his body had increased severalfold. In the future, he would be immune to more than half of all poison, ice, and fire-attribute attacks.

Luo Can clenched his fist, feeling the unprecedented surge of power within him, and could not stop the corner of his lips from rising.

Intercepting the immortal herbs, breaking through in strength, transforming his body—this trip to Sunset Forest had yielded far more than expected.