Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well

The Poison Mist parted to either side.

Dugu Bo walked ahead, with Meow Meow following behind.

White Dew, Gray Ear, and Numb Tail had already been taken away by people from the Crown Prince's Mansion. Before leaving, Numb Tail had looked back several times, as if worried that the green-haired old man would poison Little Master to death in one bite.

Meow Meow didn't explain.

After all, in Numb Tail's eyes, Dugu Bo really did look like the sort of old man who could poison a cat to death.

After they passed through the final layer of Poison Mist, the scenery before them suddenly changed.

The valley wasn't large.

Yet two entirely different auras rose from its depths.

One side was as hot as fire, the other as cold as ice.

The two auras met in the center, turning into a hazy mist that shrouded the entire valley.

There was a spring in the valley.

Its waters split in two.

Half was fiery red, the other half icy blue like jade.

The two halves lay side by side without blending, instead remaining sharply divided as each churned on its own.

Meow Meow glanced at it, and her eyes immediately lit up.

The Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.

They'd finally arrived.

When Meow Meow had read about this place in her previous life, she'd known it was one of the most absurdly wondrous treasures in Douluo Continent.

Seeing it with her own eyes now, it seemed even more outrageous than she remembered.

And Dugu Bo had this entire place to himself.

He'd even nearly let Tang San sweep it clean.

No, wait.

Tang San hadn't come yet.

So it couldn't be called "nearly" anymore.

Meow Meow swished her tail, suddenly feeling a strange sense of accomplishment.

This time, it was finally her turn to get here first.

Dugu Bo stood ahead. Seeing Meow Meow stare at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well without moving, he gave a cold snort.

"Well?"

"Does my Medicine Garden meet with your approval?"

Meow Meow came back to herself and nodded earnestly.

"It definitely does."

The corners of Dugu Bo's mouth had just begun to lift.

Meow Meow added, "It's also very dangerous."

Dugu Bo's smile froze.

Meow Meow circled the spring, careful not to get too close.

The nearer she got to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, the more varied the medicinal scents around her became.

Some were gentle, some sharp, some poisonous, some icy, and some carried strange fluctuations of Soul Power.

With a single glance, Meow Meow spotted quite a few familiar things.

Aromatic Silk Beauty.

Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass.

Infernal Delicate Apricot.

Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower.

Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum.

Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew.

And plenty of other spirit herbs she could name from memory, as well as ones she couldn't.

Meow Meow fought the urge to reach out with her claws.

No need to rush.

She couldn't come here and strip it bare right away.

Sustainable development mattered.

The Cat Clan would need this place to cultivate a new generation of talent in the future.

Dugu Bo seemed a little surprised that Meow Meow only looked and didn't touch.

"Didn't you come here for the medicinal herbs?"

Meow Meow looked at him.

"I did."

Dugu Bo sneered.

"Then why aren't you picking any?"

"I was afraid you'd get angry."

Dugu Bo: "..."

For a moment, he wasn't sure whether he should be angry.

Meow Meow looked back at the spring.

"The medicinal herbs here can't be disturbed carelessly."

"Picking one at random could damage the life force of everything nearby."

"Some herbs rely on each other, and might not survive if removed from where they grow."

Dugu Bo's eyes shifted slightly.

The cat wasn't wrong.

He'd occupied this Medicine Garden for many years. Though he didn't understand every aspect of herbalism, he knew the herbs here were extremely unusual.

Many things looked like precious medicines, but trouble would follow the moment you touched them.

Even he didn't dare disturb them carelessly.

"You know your stuff."

"A little."

Meow Meow was modest.

Dugu Bo didn't believe her.

If she could tell all that, how could she know only a little?

He stared at Meow Meow for a while, then suddenly said, "Earlier, you said I was poisoned."

Meow Meow turned her gaze from the spring to Dugu Bo.

"Mm."

"You also said Yan Yan was poisoned."

"Mm."

Dugu Bo's expression darkened.

"Explain."

Meow Meow sat on a warm stone, her tail resting behind her.

"Your poison isn't an external toxin."

"It's backlash from your Martial Soul."

"The stronger your Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor Martial Soul becomes, the deeper the poison runs. Its venom will follow your bloodline and Soul Power and turn against you."

"You've used the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well to suppress it for years, so you've managed to hold on."

"But your granddaughter doesn't have these springs to suppress it. Things will be much worse for her in the future."

Dugu Bo said nothing.

His expression grew darker and darker.

Because the cat was too accurate.

Accurate enough to make him uncomfortable.

"Can it be cured?"

Meow Meow blinked.

"Yes."

A flash of killing intent passed through Dugu Bo's eyes before he forcibly suppressed it.

"Your terms."

Meow Meow raised a little paw and pointed at the Medicine Garden.

"I want the right to use some of the medicinal herbs here."

Dugu Bo sneered.

"I knew it."

Meow Meow replied unhurriedly, "Not all of them."

"I'll only take some flowers, leaves, or seeds."

"Some Immortal Herbs mustn't have their roots disturbed. I won't touch those."

"Also, I'll help you organize the Medicine Garden and protect it from Black Water, Xue Xing, and outsiders."

Dugu Bo fell silent.

It sounded like a pretty good deal.

But he couldn't shake the feeling that Meow Meow had said it all too smoothly.

As if she'd planned it in advance.

"You know about Xue Xing, too?"

"I know a little."

Meow Meow didn't elaborate.

Dugu Bo's eyes narrowed slightly.

This cat knew far too much.

The more he thought about it, the more suspicious it seemed.

By rights, a Soul Beast with this much intelligence shouldn't have appeared in Sunset Forest for no reason, much less known about the poison affecting him and Yan Yan.

Could it be Spirit Hall?

It didn't seem likely.

If Spirit Hall had a cat like this, they'd have put her on a pedestal long ago.

"What are you, exactly?"

Dugu Bo asked.

Meow Meow thought for a moment.

"A cat."

Dugu Bo's face darkened.

"That isn't what I asked."

"Then I'm a particularly powerful cat."

"..."

Dugu Bo figured he wouldn't get anything out of asking more.

Meow Meow, however, held out a paw.

"Your hand."

Dugu Bo frowned.

"What?"

"Let me examine your poison."

Dugu Bo hesitated, but eventually held out his hand.

Meow Meow pressed her little paw against Dugu Bo's wrist.

A wisp of Purifying Holy Fire entered his body through the point of contact.

Dugu Bo's eyes changed.

He instinctively wanted to resist, but quickly realized the flame wasn't hurting him. It was only sweeping gently through his body.

A moment later, Meow Meow withdrew her paw.

"It's worse than I thought."

Dugu Bo's face was gloomy.

"Obviously."

"You don't sound like someone asking for medical help."

"I haven't asked."

"Oh. Then keep enduring it."

Meow Meow turned and started to leave.

Dugu Bo's eye twitched.

"Come back!"

Meow Meow looked back.

Dugu Bo took a deep breath, forcing down his anger.

"Tell me how to cure it."

Meow Meow sat back down, satisfied.

"First, we can't simply pull the poison out."

"Your Martial Soul and the poison are already bound too deeply together. If we forcibly remove it, you'll either die or be crippled."

Dugu Bo's expression shifted.

He had tried a few methods before, but they had all failed.

For exactly this reason.

"Second, we need to separate the backlash poison from your bloodline, then return it to your Martial Soul."

"Make the poison your strength instead of something that harms you."

"Third, we'll do the same thing for your granddaughter."

"She's young, so she'll be easier to treat than you."

A flicker of excitement appeared in Dugu Bo's eyes.

"How long will it take?"

Meow Meow thought for a moment.

"Longer for you."

"Less time for Yan Yan."

"If we have suitable Immortal Herbs and Soul Bones, it'll go faster."

At the mention of Soul Bones, Dugu Bo furrowed his brow.

"Soul Bones?"

Meow Meow nodded.

"Soul Bones can contain poison."

"But they aren't necessary."

"They just make the process more stable."

Dugu Bo fell silent in thought.

Soul Bones were extremely rare. Even as a Titled Douluo, he couldn't simply get one whenever he wanted.

But for Yan Yan, he could go looking.

Meow Meow saw what he was thinking and said, "Don't rush."

"Let's suppress the backlash first."

"We can make up for it later, when the opportunity comes."

Dugu Bo looked at Meow Meow. For the first time, he didn't sneer.

"If you really can save Yan Yan, I'll owe you a favor."

Meow Meow's ears twitched slightly.

"A favor works."

"But don't make it sound too grand just yet."

"I might ask you for quite a lot when I call in that favor."

Dugu Bo snorted.

"I never go back on my word."

Meow Meow didn't respond.

He didn't think Dugu Bo would go back on his word easily.

Still, favors were best put in writing... no, entered into the System.

Meow Meow's thoughts stirred, and the System Panel appeared before him.

[ Ding! Special cooperation target detected: Dugu Bo. ]

[ Target identity: Titled Douluo, Poison Douluo. ]

[ Binding direction: Temporary Poop Scooper. ]

[ Binding conditions: Host assists target in resolving Martial Soul poison backlash; target grants partial access to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. ]

[ Establish temporary cooperative binding? ]

Meow Meow's eyes lit up.

Here it comes.

Isn't this more reliable than a verbal favor?

A Temporary Poop Scooper was still a Poop Scooper.

Dugu Bo didn't look like he'd ever scoop poop, but if the System said he counted, then he counted.

Meow Meow looked at Dugu Bo.

"I have a contract."

Dugu Bo grew wary.

"What kind of contract?"

"I'll cure the poison in you and your granddaughter."

"You'll grant me partial access to the Medicine Garden."

"And if any members of the Cat Clan run into trouble in the future, you'll help them once, as long as it doesn't put you in danger."

Dugu Bo frowned.

"The Cat Clan?"

"My people."

Dugu Bo thought of the three little cats from earlier, and suddenly understood.

"You want me to protect your clan?"

"Not protect it."

Meow Meow shook his head.

"Just help once."

"The Cat Clan won't ask you for help lightly."

Dugu Bo was silent for a moment.

"Fine."

The System chimed.

[ Ding! Binding Temporary Poop Scooper... ]

[ Ding! Dugu Bo successfully bound. ]

[ Ding! Host has bound a Titled Douluo-level Poop Scooper for the first time. Reward: one Poison Removal Gift Pack. ]

Meow Meow nearly laughed out loud.

Titled Douluo-level Poop Scooper.

If Dugu Bo ever found out about that title, he'd probably poison someone.

Meow Meow opened the gift pack.

[ Poison Removal Gift Pack: Jade Poison Origin Return Method, three Blood Purifying Pills, one Hundred Poison Identification Chart. ]

[ Jade Poison Origin Return Method: Guides poison caused by Martial Soul backlash back to the Martial Soul Origin, reducing the damage to the bloodline. ]

[ Blood Purifying Pill: Temporarily purifies miscellaneous poison in the bloodline. Use with caution on poison-type Soul Masters. ]

[ Hundred Poison Identification Chart: Identifies the origins and transformations of most poisons. ]

Meow Meow's eyes brightened.

The gift pack had arrived at just the right time.

He'd been wondering how to give Dugu Bo a reasonable treatment plan.

Now he had one.

Meow Meow focused and quickly skimmed the Jade Poison Origin Return Method.

This wasn't simply a way to remove poison.

It was more like a cultivation method that guided poison back into the Martial Soul.

It was useless for ordinary Soul Masters.

But for poison-type Martial Soul inheritors like Dugu Bo and Dugu Yan, it was perfect.

Meow Meow looked at Dugu Bo.

"Circulate your Soul Power."

Dugu Bo hesitated, then did as he was told.

Emerald-green Soul Power appeared around him.

A faint serpent shadow took shape behind him.

Meow Meow used the Calming Bell to steady the surrounding energy, then raised a paw and touched the air before Dugu Bo's brow.

A strand of Purifying Holy Fire no longer burned. Instead, it became an extremely fine line of flame that drew the poison through Dugu Bo's body.

Dugu Bo's body shuddered.

He could clearly feel the poison that had been constantly eating away at his meridians slowly flowing back.

Not much.

Just a little at a time.

But even that was enough to shock him.

For years, he had lived alongside the poison.

And for years, he had been tormented by it.

Even with the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well at his disposal, he could only barely keep it in check.

Never once had the poison truly obeyed him and retreated toward his Martial Soul Origin.

"Don't move," Meow Meow warned.

Dugu Bo immediately steadied his mind.

Meow Meow guided the poison little by little.

The energy of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well circulated around them, suppressing the poison's agitation.

A short while later, cold sweat appeared on Dugu Bo's forehead.

But his complexion had improved.

Meow Meow withdrew his paw.

"That's enough for now."

Dugu Bo opened his eyes.

He didn't say anything.

He only lowered his head and looked at his palm.

The faintly black lines on it had lightened a little.

It was only a tiny change.

But to Dugu Bo, it was more real than any promise.

"This method..."

"I can't give it to you," Meow Meow said bluntly.

Dugu Bo stared at him.

Meow Meow went on, "If I give it to you now, you'll practice it recklessly."

"If you get it wrong, you'll poison yourself to death—and probably wreck my Medicine Garden... your Medicine Garden too."

Dugu Bo: "..."

He had, in fact, just been thinking about asking for it.

But having the cat say it out loud made him lose face.

"When your granddaughter gets here, I'll teach both of you together," Meow Meow said.

"Then you can keep an eye on each other."

Dugu Bo said gravely, "Yan Yan is at Heaven Dou Royal Academy."

"Then call her here."

Meow Meow paused, then added, "Don't tell her too much."

"Just say there's a way to treat her poison."

Dugu Bo nodded.

He understood, of course.

Yan Yan's poison couldn't be discussed carelessly.

Meow Meow thought for a moment, then said, "Also, you can't keep guarding this Medicine Garden all by yourself."

Dugu Bo frowned.

"What do you mean?"

Meow Meow lifted a paw and pointed toward the valley entrance.

"The Black Eagle Family has already set its sights on this place."

"Things aren't clean on Xue Xing's end, either."

"You're on the defensive, guarding it alone. Sooner or later, something will slip through."

Dugu Bo sneered.

"I'm not afraid of them."

"Maybe not, but that doesn't mean the Medicine Garden has nothing to fear."

Dugu Bo fell silent.

That hit the mark.

He could kill people.

He could poison them.

But if someone refused to confront him head-on and instead destroyed the formations from afar, using the Black Water to pollute the Medicine Garden, he might not be able to keep them at bay forever.

Meow Meow swished his tail.

"I'll set up a small formation here."

"It won't affect you in your day-to-day life."

"If anyone tampers with the Medicine Garden, I'll know."

Dugu Bo looked at Meow Meow.

"Are you trying to spy on this old man?"

"You can think of it that way."

Meow Meow was perfectly frank.

"But my main concern is keeping an eye on the Medicine Garden."

Dugu Bo: "..."

This cat really had no tact at all.

Still, after thinking it over, he didn't refuse.

After all, what had happened with the Black Water seal today had already proved that this cat's formations were useful.

Meow Meow took out the Ten Thousand Array Diagram.

Tiny formation runes settled throughout the valley. They didn't touch the roots of the Immortal Herbs, instead spreading along the rocks, around the spring and along the edges of the Poison Mist.

The runes looked just like Cat Paw Prints.

One circle after another, all without a sound.

Dugu Bo's eye twitched as he watched.

"Why are all your formations made of paw prints?"

"It was convenient."

"..."

While setting up the formation, Meow Meow picked out a rock beside the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.

It was just the right temperature.

Warm on one side, cool on the other.

Meow Meow sat down and found it very comfortable.

"This spot is mine from now on."

Dugu Bo gave a cold snort.

"You certainly don't hold back."

"It's the treatment spot."

"..."

Dugu Bo decided not to argue with a cat.

Once he had finished setting up the formation, Meow Meow took out a Blood Purifying Pill.

After a moment's thought, he didn't give it directly to Dugu Bo.

The pill was good for ordinary people.

But for a Poison Douluo like Dugu Bo, it might not be.

If one mouthful purified the poison in his Martial Soul Origin, Dugu Bo would be furious on the spot.

Meow Meow put the Blood Purifying Pill away and instead took out a little powder, sprinkling it into a cup of water.

The water grew slightly brighter.

He handed it to Dugu Bo.

"Take a sip."

Dugu Bo eyed the cup.

"What is this?"

"A test medicine."

Dugu Bo sneered.

"You want this old man to test your medicine?"

Meow Meow looked at him.

"You're Poison Douluo."

"If you don't test it, who will?"

Dugu Bo was briefly at a loss for words.

It sounded disrespectful, but it also seemed to make sense.

He took the cup and drank a small sip.

A moment later, Dugu Bo's expression changed.

The water hadn't removed the poison in his origin, but it had purified some of the miscellaneous toxins in his blood.

Only a little.

But his body clearly felt lighter.

"Do you have any more of this?"

"Yes."

Meow Meow nodded.

"But you can't use too much."

Meow Meow added,

"Too much will throw your poison cultivation into disarray."

Dugu Bo immediately curbed his greed.

Meow Meow nodded in satisfaction.

At least this Old Poison had some self-control.

Just then, an Immortal Herb beside the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well swayed gently.

Meow Meow's ears twitched.

It was an Aromatic Silk Beauty.

Its petals opened and closed slightly, seemingly stirred by the scent of the Blood Purifying Pill.

Meow Meow's eyes lit up.

A thought suddenly occurred to him.

If the Blood Purifying Pill could purify miscellaneous toxins, and the Jade Poison Origin Return Method could return poison to the Martial Soul Origin, could he use the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well to give Dugu Yan a safe version of a poison-channel transformation?

There was no need to rush into making her stronger.

First, he would deal with the inherited poison.

Then he would preserve the advantages of her Jade Phosphorous Serpent Martial Soul.

If it worked, Dugu Yan wouldn't just be free of the poison's backlash in the future; she might even forge a steadier path as a poison-type Soul Master.

With that in mind, Meow Meow looked at Dugu Bo.

"When can your granddaughter get here?"

"Tomorrow at the earliest," Dugu Bo replied.

"Bring her here."

"Tomorrow, I'll start treating the poison in both of you."

Dugu Bo nodded.

This time, his expression was much more solemn.

Seeing this, Meow Meow suddenly thought of something else.

"One more thing."

Dugu Bo frowned.

"Go on."

"If a young man with a Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul ever tells you he can cure your poison..."

Dugu Bo paused.

"Blue Silver Grass?"

Meow Meow said seriously, "Don't trust him too quickly."

Dugu Bo was confused.

"Why?"

"He might actually be able to cure it."

Dugu Bo: "?"

Meow Meow added,

"But he'll strip your Medicine Garden bare."

Dugu Bo: "..."

He understood that part.

He didn't know who this Blue Silver Grass boy was, but Dugu Bo had already made a mental note.

Blue Silver Grass.

Could cure poison.

Would strip the Medicine Garden bare.

If they met, knock him out with poison first and ask questions later.

Meow Meow nodded silently.

Good.

Tang San's first hurdle had already been set up in advance.

It wasn't that he wanted to sabotage him.

He just wanted to prevent anyone from stealing the vegetables.

At the thought, Meow Meow felt a little better.

He sat back down on the half-hot, half-cold rock.

The energy of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well flowed around him.

The Immortal Herbs in the Medicine Garden grew quietly, one after another.

Suddenly, a system notification chimed.

``` [Ding! The Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well can be used to establish a Sacred Fire Spirit Garden branch.]

[Would you like to begin planning the branch?]

Meow Meow's eyes lit up.

A branch hall?

Here it came.

It seemed the Holy Flame Cat Cat Sect's first Medicine Garden branch hall was about to become a reality.