Who Destroyed My Herb Garden?!!!

The sunset's afterglow filtered through the leaves, lending the scene a warm, cozy atmosphere.

Xiao Wu chattered away about the amusing things happening at the academy. Tang San listened with a smile, his gaze gentle.

Just then, a terrifying pressure descended without warning, cold and domineering, carrying the rotten stench of deadly poison!

Xiao Wu's face turned deathly pale. It was as if an invisible python had clamped around her throat. Her body stiffened, and she could barely breathe.

Tang San's heart jolted, too. His Purple Demon Eye instantly reached its peak as he pulled Xiao Wu behind him and warily turned toward the source of the pressure.

A dark green figure appeared beneath the trees not far in front of them, as if by magic.

The newcomer was tall and thin, with white hair and beard. He wore a simple dark green robe, and his withered face was set beneath a pair of sharp, cold eyes like a serpent's. They fixed on Tang San. It was none other than Poison Douluo—Dugu Bo!

"Hmph, boy. You're Tang San?" Dugu Bo's voice was hoarse and cold.

The humiliating defeat in the imperial palace a month ago, and the disgrace of being forced to flee in a sorry state, had left this vengeful Poison Douluo simmering with Evil Fire.

His granddaughter Dugu Yan had mentioned a boy who "seemed to know a lot about poison and had countered the Jade Phosphorous Purple Poison." That boy had become the perfect target for him to vent his pent-up frustration.

He wanted to see for himself whether this junior Yan Yan had mentioned actually had some skill, or was merely an arrogant fool who didn't know his place.

The terrifying pressure of a Titled Douluo bore down on him like a tangible force. Tang San felt his bones groan. He hurriedly said, his voice low, "This junior is Tang San, senior. May I ask when I offended you?"

"Offended me?" Dugu Bo snorted. "You're not worthy. My name is Dugu Bo, and my title is Poison!"

"What!" Tang San's pupils contracted. He had never imagined that this uninvited guest would be the legendary Titled Douluo. Why had one come looking for him?

Xiao Wu, who had heard Dugu Bo's words, also turned pale. Unconcealed fear and panic filled her eyes, as if she was afraid of something.

"May I ask what brings Your Excellency Poison Douluo here?" Tang San hurriedly asked.

"What brings me here?" Dugu Bo sneered and walked toward him, each step seeming to land on Tang San's heartbeat. "I heard you know quite a bit about poison. You can even neutralize my granddaughter's Jade Phosphorous Purple Poison?"

"I have some time to kill today, so I thought I'd see just how capable you are, junior. How dare you boast about your knowledge of poison!"

A green gleam flashed in his eyes, and an even colder, more chilling aura spread through the air. It was the invisible, intangible mental corrosion of the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Poison!

Tang San immediately felt dizzy. His blood and qi churned, and even the circulation of his Mysterious Heaven Skill became sluggish.

Alarm bells rang in his mind. He knew Dugu Bo was testing him.

At this critical moment, purple light blazed in Tang San's Purple Demon Eye, forcing his mind to steady. At the same time, he instinctively drew on his past life's profound knowledge of poisons from the Tang Sect, studying Dugu Bo's condition.

What he saw shocked him!

Through his Purple Demon Eye, Tang San could clearly see that beneath Dugu Bo's seemingly powerful aura lurked a deeply sinister darkness, one that had seeped into his very bones!

The poison had settled not only in his liver and kidneys, but seemed to be eating its way into his heart and brain as well!

This wasn't an external poison. It seemed more like... a backlash from his Martial Soul, a deadly toxin that had penetrated his bones over many years!

What's more, the poison had become deeply entangled with Dugu Bo's life force. It had reached an extremely dangerous tipping point and could erupt at any moment!

In that split second, Tang San blurted out without thinking, "Your Excellency! You... you've been poisoned badly! The poison comes from your own Martial Soul. It's settled in your liver and kidneys, and has reached your heart and marrow! If you don't find a way to neutralize it, your life may be in danger!"

His words struck like a thunderclap from a clear sky!

Dugu Bo abruptly stopped. His cold, serpentine eyes narrowed to pinpoints, filled with utter disbelief and fury!

"Impudent!" Dugu Bo roared, shocked and enraged. The might of a Titled Douluo erupted like a volcano. Several trees nearby were instantly corroded by invisible poison, their leaves and branches withering! "You ignorant brat, how dare you curse me!"

He lunged forward, seized Tang San by the throat, and slammed him against the tree behind him!

"Thud!" Tang San coughed a few times, then stared straight at Dugu Bo and said slowly, "I can cure you!"

At that, Dugu Bo's expression shifted uncertainly. He knew something was wrong with his body, but he'd never thought it could be poison. After all, he was Poison Douluo. But what if the boy was right?

"Boy, you've earned yourself another day of life," Dugu Bo said coldly. "But now, you're coming with me!"

With Xiao Wu watching in terror, Dugu Bo grabbed Tang San and took him away. No one knew where he was going.

It took Xiao Wu more than ten seconds to recover. Looking at the empty clearing, marked by the scuffle, she cried, "Xiao San!!!!"

Deep in Sunset Forest, Poison Miasma usually drifted along the ground, but the air above the cliffs was relatively clear.

Xiao Yu sat with his eyes closed, concentrating. His vast spiritual power spread like an invisible web, covering the broad area around the cliff.

Within his territory, Yu Yi and the others rested quietly. The hundred-year-old winged Soul Beasts each had their own duties, keeping watch for movement deep in the forest.

Suddenly!

A familiar, loathsome, icy aura entered the range of his senses.

"Dugu Bo?" Xiao Yu knew that aura well. He opened his eyes and looked toward its source.

"Going by the timeline, this should be when Dugu Bo brings Tang San to the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well for treatment. No wonder he came here. The herbs in other places can't compare to the ones he has."

Xiao Yu considered it, then glanced at Yu Yi and the other beasts. Dugu Bo was a Titled Douluo, after all. Bringing Yu Yi and the others along wouldn't work too well. He'd go by himself.

"Dugu Bo, Dugu Bo. I never thought I'd be in Sunset Forest too," Xiao Yu murmured.

Meanwhile, low above the forest,

Dugu Bo carried Tang San as he darted through the Poison Miasma like a ghost.

"Boy, if you can't give me a satisfactory explanation later, I'll make you suffer a fate worse than death!" Dugu Bo warned him coldly.

Bound by Dugu Bo's powerful Soul Power, Tang San could only manage a nod. His heart was filled with worry for Xiao Wu and fear of the unknown.

He tried to observe his surroundings. The Poison Miasma in this forest was far denser than he had imagined.

But the moment Dugu Bo reached the Herb Garden, his brows drew together. He casually tossed Tang San aside. This was Sunset Forest, after all. What could a mere Soul Elder like Tang San do? Even if he tried to run, he wouldn't get far.

"Who destroyed my Herb Garden!!!"