Winning Hearts, Poison Nerve Scripture

"Y-you... please come in. The conditions here are rather crude, so please don't mind them."

At the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, Dugu Bo invited Su Chen inside.

Since he did not know exactly what Su Chen's relationship with the Thunder God was, Dugu Bo did not even know how he should address Su Chen.

"This place is rather special. The ice and fire energies within are extremely intense. If you find them hard to endure, I'll take you away immediately."

Dugu Bo did not know what was special about Su Chen, but judging by his age, he guessed that Su Chen's Martial Soul had only awakened recently.

For an ordinary child with such strength, entering this place was practically courting death.

"It's fine. I'm quite used to it."

Su Chen had been a little nervous when he entered the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, but he soon relaxed.

The Blessing of the Goddess of Life did not make him completely immune to the extreme aura of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, but once that aura entered Su Chen's body, it became much more docile.

The remaining effects could not harm him in the face of his formidable vitality and recovery ability.

"That's good. You... you truly are extraordinary, no ordinary person."

Someone favored by a god at such a young age was indeed no ordinary person.

Even Dugu Bo himself could not remain here for long if not for the deadly poison within his body.

"Mr. Dugu, my name is Su Chen. You may simply call me by my name. There's no need to be so reserved."

This was clearly territory Dugu Bo had occupied for a long time, yet he acted even more restrained than a guest.

"Very well, Su Chen... little friend. All my medicinal herbs are here. If you need anything, feel free to take it."

"However, even I do not understand the exact effects of some of these herbs. If you wish to use them, you must be careful."

Dugu Bo's state of mind relaxed somewhat.

Earlier, he had felt like an old eunuch accompanying a crown prince in his studies. It had been terribly uncomfortable.

If Su Chen had been an unreasonable, arrogant, overbearing person, Dugu Bo felt this task would have been truly difficult to carry out.

Fortunately, Su Chen showed no airs at all, greatly relieving Dugu Bo.

That was right.

After all, he was someone chosen by Lord Thunder God.

How could someone favored by the Thunder God be an unreasonable, tyrannical, greedy, selfish villain?

Someone sneezed.

As Dugu Bo sighed to himself, the God of Destruction was also introducing this place to Su Chen.

"This place is called the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. Its origin lies in the Water and Fire Dragon Kings, who fell here."

The God of Destruction also took the opportunity to introduce Su Chen to those immortal-grade herbs.

"Some of them will be useful to you. I'll guide you in using them later. For now, I will teach you something else."

Before Su Chen could ask, the God of Destruction continued.

"Dugu Bo is a guard I found for you. With my intimidation as a deterrent, he will fulfill his duties faithfully. But if you wish to win his loyalty, you cannot rely solely on my authority. You must also let him see tangible benefits."

This was something the God of Destruction had realized from Su Chen's guidance, and he was now putting it to practical use.

"I found a Poison Nerve Scripture. It was created by a god in the God Realm who specialized in the path of poison. Not only can it resolve Dugu Bo's physical afflictions, it can also rapidly increase his strength. You will teach it to him."

"Senior Destruction, you have considered everything so thoroughly."

Not only had he found him a guard, he had also prepared a way for him to win that guard's loyalty.

There was no one more thoughtful and meticulous than the God of Destruction.

Dugu Bo usually lived here alone, so the sudden addition of another person left him somewhat unaccustomed.

Especially since this additional person was someone he could not afford to offend and had to protect.

"Little Friend Su Chen, I'm usually the only one here. If you need anything, I'll go and procure it for you immediately."

"There's no need. I'm not particularly particular about such things."

Dugu Bo had built only a small wooden cabin here, and he cleared out a room for Su Chen.

Then, he watched as Su Chen took out tables, chairs, benches, bedsheets, quilts, and more from his Pendant...

Dugu Bo: This was what he called not being particularly particular?

Dugu Bo even felt that the little wooden cabin was somewhat unworthy of the furnishings Su Chen had taken out.

Just as he was wondering whether he should go to the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace and ask Xue Ye for fine silks, jade bowls, and silver chopsticks, Su Chen spoke.

"Mr. Dugu, you understand the issue of your Martial Soul's poison backlash, don't you?"

"I... I do."

Dugu Bo realized something, and his expression grew excited.

When the Thunder God had assigned him this task, he had not promised any reward.

Dugu Bo had merely guessed that the Thunder God might give him some reward once the task was complete.

Now that Su Chen had brought up his poison backlash, Dugu Bo immediately realized that the Thunder God might have left Su Chen a method to resolve it.

"I have a Poison Nerve Scripture here. A senior taught it to me..."

Dugu Bo's throat moved slightly as he swallowed.

It was not that, at his age, he could not control his emotions. Rather, he himself, along with every generation of ancestors of the Dugu Clan, had suffered from poison backlash for far too long.

Resolving the poison backlash was the wish of the Dugu Clan generation after generation.

"You want to learn it? I'll teach you."

"T-teach me?"

Dugu Bo could hardly believe it.

"You don't have any other demands?"

He could not believe that the solution would come so easily. He had not even made any contribution toward protecting Su Chen yet.

"Trust those you employ, and do not employ those you distrust. If Mr. Dugu resolves his own problem sooner and increases his strength, he can protect me better as well."

Dugu Bo looked deeply at Su Chen.

"I, Dugu Bo, have always kept my word and never wronged anyone. Whether this Poison Nerve Scripture works or not, I will remember your kindness. As long as I live, I will protect you for the rest of my life."

Previously, Dugu Bo's attitude toward Su Chen had been one of reverence mixed with a degree of distance.

It was like a superior assigning him a task and asking him to look after the superior's child; he could only carry it out diligently.

But now, much of that distance had faded, replaced by sincere gratitude.

"I trust Mr. Dugu's character."

The complete Poison Nerve Scripture was already committed to Su Chen's mind. He merely needed to recite it now.

Dugu Bo listened with his full attention, afraid of missing even a single word.

"I thought my poison arts were already unmatched under heaven. I never expected that I hadn't even entered through the door."

"Wonderful! Poison could actually be used this way."

"Hiss... poison can kill and save alike. Its applications are boundless. I was far too shallow-minded before."

Dugu Bo repeatedly exclaimed in admiration as he listened to Su Chen's explanation.

His already emerald-green eyes gained an additional glimmer, making them look as though they were about to mutate.

The Poison Nerve Scripture was not merely a brief cultivation chant and mental method. It also contained information on all poisons in the world and methods of detoxification. Many of its poisons did not even exist on the Douluo Continent.

It further contained numerous principles of poison interaction, methods of concocting and using poison, and techniques for controlling poison.

It could be called the crowning work of poison arts, the uncrowned sovereign of poison.

"Hm? Snowy Swan Kiss? I seem to remember having a medicinal herb in my garden that resembles the one described in the Poison Nerve Scripture."