Douluo Traversal: I Pulled Out a Dou Technique, and You Didn't Explode?

The wooden cabin looked rather old, but it was still sturdy. Clearly, it was where Dugu Bo stayed whenever he occasionally came here.

"We'll rest here tonight."

Dugu Bo pushed open the cabin door. The interior was simply furnished, with only a wooden table, several chairs, and two crude wooden beds.

"You two can squeeze in together. This old man has somewhere else to go."

As soon as he finished speaking, without waiting for a response from either of them, his figure flickered several times before vanishing into the depths of the distant valley shrouded in poisonous mist. He moved so quickly that Liu Bai did not even have time to speak.

"Senior Dugu..."

Liu Bai reached out, but the words caught in his throat, and he could only lower his hand helplessly.

He had originally planned to find an excuse to reveal that he might have been poisoned, so Dugu Bo would take him to see the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well. He had not expected the other man to leave so decisively.

"Grandfather has always been like this, coming and going without a trace."

Dugu Yan seemed long accustomed to it. She walked into the cabin and took out some dried provisions and water from her Soul Tool.

"Come on, eat something first. There's nothing else here, so we'll have to make do."

Soul Bone Poison Treatment Method

The two sat around the wooden table, chewing on dried provisions and washing them down with water.

It was already completely dark outside the cabin. Faint roars from soul beasts echoed through the forest, but Dugu Bo had set up a poison formation around the valley, so ordinary soul beasts did not dare approach. It was fairly safe.

As he ate, Liu Bai pondered how to steer the conversation toward poison.

He glanced at Dugu Yan across from him. Under the flickering candlelight, the girl's purple hair draped over her shoulders, gleaming with an unusual luster.

An idea struck him. He set down the dried provisions in his hand and spoke with feigned curiosity.

"Sister Yanyan, why is your hair that color? It's really special."

Hearing that, Dugu Yan subconsciously raised a hand to stroke her hair and smiled.

"This? It might be hereditary. It's been like this since I was little. Grandfather said my father's hair leaned green too. What, is it strange?"

As she spoke, she deliberately winked at Liu Bai.

Liu Bai shook his head. "Not strange. It looks very nice. It's just..."

He paused, revealing a hint of concern.

"I thought Sister Yanyan might have been poisoned."

"Poisoned?"

Dugu Yan froze, then laughed.

"How could that be? Xiao Bai, what nonsense are you thinking? My Martial Soul is the Jade Phosphorous Serpent. I'm an expert at using poison by nature, so how could I be poisoned? Besides, I don't feel unwell at all."

"Sister Yanyan, don't be careless."

Liu Bai's expression turned serious.

"It is precisely because your Martial Soul is the Jade Phosphorous Serpent that I suspect it."

"What do you mean?"

Seeing his solemn expression, Dugu Yan could not help but stop smiling as well.

"Beast Martial Souls, especially Martial Souls with deadly venom like the Jade Phosphorous Serpent, fuse deeply with a Soul Master's body when used."

Liu Bai explained slowly.

"Every time you use Martial Soul Possession, the poison is indeed under your control and used to attack enemies. But inevitably, minuscule traces of poison seep along with the circulation of Soul Power and remain within your own meridians, blood, and even bone marrow."

He looked at Dugu Yan's gradually widening eyes and continued.

"Over time, those residual traces of poison slowly accumulate. At first, you may feel nothing, because your body gradually adapts to them and may even regard them as part of itself. But once the accumulation reaches a certain point, a quantitative change will become a qualitative one, and it may erupt completely. By then, it will be no small matter."

Dugu Yan was somewhat dumbfounded as she subconsciously touched her hair.

"Is that true? But Grandfather has the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor Martial Soul too. He's never mentioned anything like this."

"Senior Dugu's cultivation is profound. Perhaps he has some unique method of suppressing or neutralizing it. Besides, everyone's physique and tolerance for poison are different."

Liu Bai paused.

"But Sister Yanyan, you are different. Your cultivation is still shallow, and you are a girl, so your physique is relatively weaker. More importantly, if even you cannot sense the poison slowly accumulating, that is the most dangerous thing. By the time you truly feel that something is wrong, it may already be too late to reverse."

The cabin fell silent for a moment, with only the occasional faint crackle of the candle flame.

Dugu Yan's expression kept changing. She thought of her father. Could Father have died because of this too...?

Seeing Dugu Yan's pale expression and the fear beginning to show on her face, Liu Bai hurriedly added,

"However, Sister Yanyan, you don't need to worry too much. I have a way to solve it."

Dugu Yan turned toward him in confusion.

"Xiao Bai, have you studied medicine too? You actually know how to detoxify poison?"

Liu Bai shook his head.

"I wouldn't say I understand medicine. I just happen to know a few solutions."

Dugu Bo's figure appeared before them in an instant like a ghost, bringing with him a faintly cold gust that made the candle flame sway violently.

His emerald eyes stared fixedly at Liu Bai, and his voice carried a trace of barely perceptible urgency.

"Kid, you said you have a solution? Hurry up and tell me!"

"Grandfather!"

Dugu Yan was startled by her grandfather's sudden appearance, but when she saw his anxious expression, her heart immediately sank.

She was exceptionally intelligent. How could she not understand?

Her grandfather's reaction clearly confirmed Liu Bai's guess!

Could it be... she had truly been poisoned without realizing it? Thinking of her father, who had died young, Dugu Yan's face instantly turned pale as a chill rose from the depths of her heart.

Liu Bai had expected Dugu Bo to be listening to their conversation, but he had not expected him to show himself so openly.

Steadying himself, he gave Dugu Yan a reassuring nod. "Sister Yanyan, don't worry. In fact, there is a very direct and effective way to deal with this poison accumulation problem."

Dugu Bo's gaze sharpened further as he urged, "Stop keeping us in suspense. Speak!"

"Yes."

Liu Bai spoke calmly.

"The method is not complicated. You only need to find a suitable Spirit Bone and force the poison accumulated in the body into it for storage."

He explained in detail.

"Although a Spirit Bone fuses with the body, fundamentally, it is still an external object. It is a concentration of a soul beast's power and possesses extremely strong tolerance and independence. Once the poison is forced into the Spirit Bone, the Spirit Bone's own power will restrain and contain it. It will no longer interact with the Soul Master's meridians or flesh, so naturally it will not cause any negative effects on the body. Furthermore, a Spirit Bone can strengthen a Soul Master's power. It kills two birds with one stone."

"Spirit Bone... force it into a Spirit Bone..."

Dugu Bo stood frozen in place, muttering those words to himself.

"So... it was that simple! So that's how it is!"

Dugu Bo suddenly clenched his fists, his body trembling slightly from excitement.

With his knowledge and cultivation, he understood after only a moment's thought that this method was highly feasible! The unique nature of Spirit Bones truly could perfectly contain the poison and isolate it from the body!

"Why... why hadn't this old man thought of it? Why couldn't I have learned of this method sooner?!"

A flash of sorrow passed through his eyes. If he had known this method decades earlier, if he had thought of it sooner, then Xin'er...

Fortunately... fortunately!

Fortunately, there was still Yanyan! Yanyan was still young, and the poisoning was not yet severe. As long as they could find suitable Spirit Bones, she could be saved! His granddaughter would not repeat the same tragedy!

"Haha... hahaha! Good! Good! What an excellent method!"

Dugu Bo suddenly threw back his head and laughed. His laughter was full of relief and exhilaration, as if the massive stone that had weighed on his heart for so long had been shattered by these words.

The way he looked at Liu Bai had completely changed, filled with admiration, gratitude, and even lingering fear. Fortunately, this boy had exposed the matter today!

As his laughter gradually faded, Dugu Bo's expression turned solemn, and he spoke seriously to Liu Bai.

"Kid, I, Dugu Bo, have lived my life somewhere between righteous and wicked, but I have never owed anyone a favor! Today, you not only awakened this old man, but cured the burden that has plagued me for years. You could even be said to have saved Yanyan's life! This old man will remember this favor!"

He raised three fingers.

"This old man can do three things for you! So long as they do not violate my principles or harm Yanyan, no matter what it is—even if you want this old man to beat up the Pope of Spirit Hall—as long as you ask, this old man will dare to go give it a try! Tell me, what do you want?"

Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well

Liu Bai smiled. Dugu Bo's personality truly suited his tastes. How had Tang Xiaosan had the heart to cheat him so badly?

He hurriedly waved his hand.

"Senior Dugu, there is no need for this. I did it for Sister Yanyan. How could I ask for a reward?"

"Hahahaha! Kid, this old man is growing more and more fond of you."

Of course, Liu Bai continued speaking.

"Moreover, this method only treats the symptoms, not the root cause. A Spirit Bone has a limit to how much poison it can bear. Unless one uses an External Soul Bone, and since Spirit Bones are difficult to find, the only way to completely solve the Martial Soul poison problem is through Martial Soul Evolution."

Dugu Bo fell silent. It was true. Spirit Bones would one day fill up. Only a rare treasure like an External Soul Bone, which could continuously evolve alongside its owner's strength, could contain poison without limit.

As for Martial Soul Evolution?

That was even more fantastical.

"It's fine. At least we have hope now, don't we? If one Spirit Bone isn't enough, then we'll find more. This old man may not be able to find Ten Thousand Year Spirit Bones, but I still have the ability to get a few thousand-year ones."

Liu Bai nodded.

Then he began dropping hints that he could prepare some medicine to help them neutralize the poison. At this point, Dugu Bo had not the slightest suspicion of him and directly led the two of them to his herb garden—the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well.

"This is this old man's herb garden. Many rare and precious medicinal herbs that are difficult to find outside are grown here. If there is anything you need, feel free to take it."

Liu Bai did not answer Dugu Bo. Instead, he turned his gaze toward the scene within the valley before him.

At the center of the valley was a hot spring.

The hot spring was not large, but it was divided into two sections. Within the oval pool, the spring water was milky white on one side and crimson red on the other.