Planning for the Immortal Herb

Ye Lingling and her mother were settled into a small villa on the east side of the Martial Soul Academy, and Ye Lingling was enrolled in the Martial Soul Academy.

Exiting Ye Lingling's residence, Gu Qingshan walked back toward his dormitory, his mind already beginning to calculate his next steps.

Aromatic Silk Beauty.

That immortal herb was the key to resolving the flaw in the Nine Heart Begonia, but its location was a problem.

When reading the novel in his past life, he only remembered that the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well was deep within the Sunset Forest, surrounded by Dugu Bo's poisonous miasma, and contained many immortal herbs.

Dugu Bo.

Gu Qingshan chewed on a Blue Silver Leaf, his pace slowing down.

In the original work, Dugu Bo was a man who walked the line between good and evil; he couldn't be called a good person, but he cared most about his granddaughter Dugu Yan, and he would do anything for her sake.

So, was there a possibility?

Could he "persuade" Dugu Bo to join the Martial Soul Hall?

If he went to snatch it directly, Dugu Bo was a Title Douluo; although he was severely suffering from the backlash of his own poison, a fight with him would be no laughing matter.

Even if Elder Chrysanthemum could suppress him, if he went mad and destroyed the immortal herbs, the loss would outweigh the gain.

What if they negotiated?

Use the cure for him and his granddaughter as a bargaining chip to get Dugu Bo to join the Martial Soul Hall.

Dugu Bo had no real loyalty to the Heaven Dou Empire to begin with; he was merely a guest elder, essentially "without a home."

If the Martial Soul Hall gave him a sense of belonging and his granddaughter a future, what reason would he have to refuse?

Moreover, Dugu Bo was a man who distinguished between gratitude and grudges clearly; if you treated him well, he would treat you well in return.

If you saved his granddaughter's life, he would owe you a favor for a lifetime.

Such a person was far more reliable than those hypocritical allies.

Early the next morning, Gu Qingshan returned to the Martial Soul Hall.

"You kidnapped the Nine Heart Begonia?"

"What do you mean kidnapped? That's called cooperation!" Gu Qingshan walked into the office, his face full of righteous indignation.

Bibi Dong leaned back in her chair, her hands crossed in front of her, watching him with a faint, inscrutable smile.

Gu Qingshan recounted the entire situation regarding the Nine Heart Begonia from start to finish.

Bibi Dong listened in silence for a while.

Her fingers tapped rhythmically against the desktop, producing a steady tap-tap sound.

"You're saying you saw a method to resolve the Nine Heart Begonia's flaw in a book?"

"Yes."

"What book? Is it reliable?"

"I forgot the title, but how will we know if we don't try?"

Bibi Dong looked at him for a moment before shifting her gaze away.

She knew that her disciple harbored many secrets.

His cultivation method, his martial soul, and his vast store of knowledge all revealed that he was far from ordinary.

But she had no intention of prying into these secrets.

Everyone had their own secrets, and she was no exception.

As long as this child was her disciple and his heart remained with the Martial Soul Hall, that was enough.

Gu Qingshan continued, "I'm not yet certain of the exact location of the immortal herb. I only know it's inside the Sunset Forest; I'll have to search for the specific spot. Teacher, I need you to send someone to escort me."

"The Sunset Forest?" Bibi Dong's brows furrowed slightly.

The Sunset Forest was within the territory of the Heaven Dou Empire, not particularly close to Martial Soul City; even at a gallop, it would take two or three days.

Furthermore, the situation in that forest was far more complex than the Star Dou Great Forest because a Title Douluo lived within it.

"The Sunset Forest is Dugu Bo's territory," Bibi Dong said.

"I know," Gu Qingshan nodded.

"Dugu Bo has a strange personality and is quite cold-hearted. You might not find the immortal herb even if you go, and even if you do, he won't let you take it."

Gu Qingshan smiled.

"Teacher, I already have a plan for this. You only need to send someone to escort me to the Sunset Forest, and I will handle the rest."

"Very well, there's no harm in trying," Bibi Dong finally nodded.

Gu Qingshan felt a weight lift from his heart.

"Then who do you want me to send with you?" Bibi Dong asked.

"Let's go with Elder Chrysanthemum. I've heard he is very knowledgeable about plants, so having him there will make the search easier. Besides, we worked quite well together during the last trip to the Star Dou Great Forest," Gu Qingshan replied without hesitation.

"Fine. Go and prepare; I will have Elder Chrysanthemum pick you up tomorrow morning."

"Thank you, Teacher!"

Gu Qingshan stood up, bowed to Bibi Dong, and turned to walk out.

As he reached the door, Bibi Dong's voice came from behind him.

"Qingshan."

"Yes?"

"Regarding the immortal herbs, keep it to yourself, but remember: no matter what happens, safety comes first."

Gu Qingshan paused for a moment.

He looked back at Bibi Dong. She was already looking down, continuing to review files, her expression having returned to its usual seriousness and focus, as if that sentence had just been a casual remark.

But Gu Qingshan knew that Bibi Dong was not the type to speak casually.

"I understand."

Sunset Forest is located in the eastern part of the Heaven Dou Empire, about a hundred miles from Heaven Dou City.

The carriage traveled for a full day, changing horses midway, and only reached a small town on the outskirts of Sunset Forest by evening.

After staying the night in the town, they entered Sunset Forest early the next morning.

The two traveled at a steady pace. Chrysanthemum Douluo would stop from time to time, crouching down to inspect the plants on the ground or reaching out to pluck a leaf to sniff.

"Young Master Qingshan, what does the immortal herb you mentioned look like?" Chrysanthemum Douluo asked.

Gu Qingshan said, "I don't remember the exact appearance, but I remember that the immortal herb grows in a very special place. It is beside a pool of water, and the pool is quite magical; half the water is red, and the other half is blue."

Chrysanthemum Douluo's footsteps faltered.

"Extreme heat and extreme cold coexisting, yin and yang in harmony—it is the rarest place in heaven and earth for cultivating medicinal herbs. Such a place is indeed the best environment for immortal herbs to grow."

Gu Qingshan hesitated before saying, "Teacher said that Old Poison might be deep within Sunset Forest."

"Old Poison." His voice carried a hint of complex emotion. "When I was chasing him back then, I discovered he was very familiar with this area of Sunset Forest. I lost him nearby several times. It seems he has made his lair here."

After walking for about another hour, the surrounding vegetation began to change, and a strange smell began to appear in the air—a pungent, sweet, and fishy stench.

Gu Qingshan stopped in his tracks.

"It should be just ahead."

He looked at the dark green poisonous barrier not far in front of him, knowing they had found the right place.

Chrysanthemum Douluo frowned. "Young Master Qingshan, are you saying the immortal herb is inside this poisonous barrier?"

"That's right."

Chrysanthemum Douluo crouched down, touched a bit of soil on the ground with his finger, sniffed it, and then lightly touched it with the tip of his tongue.

"The poison of the Jade Phosphorus Seven Absolute Flower." His brow furrowed even tighter. "It is mixed with at least five types of snake venom, refined through special methods to form this poisonous barrier. If an ordinary person enters, they would turn into a puddle of pus within the time it takes to brew a cup of tea. If a Spirit Master enters, unless their spirit power is strong enough, they wouldn't last longer than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn."

"Is there a way?" Gu Qingshan asked.

Chrysanthemum Douluo stood up and brushed the dirt off his hands.

"Although I don't specialize in poisons, using my spirit power to maintain a protective barrier is no problem when dealing with these poisonous mists."

He released his martial spirit, and the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum appeared behind him. Golden light condensed into a spherical barrier, enveloping both him and Gu Qingshan within it.

"Let's go."

The two walked through the poisonous barrier for about the time it takes to brew a cup of tea before the mist ahead suddenly thinned.

Gu Qingshan quickened his pace. The moment he stepped out of the poisonous barrier, the view before him suddenly opened up.

It was a valley.

The air in the valley was incredibly fresh, forming two different worlds from the poisonous barrier outside.

Then, Gu Qingshan saw the pool.

Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.

The pool water was divided into two halves: one half was a scorching fire-red, with heat rising from the surface; the other half was a ghostly, cold ice-blue, with a thin layer of ice crystals frozen on the surface.

The two halves of the pool met in the middle, red and blue clearly defined, neither encroaching on the other, like a Taiji diagram.

Around the pool grew all kinds of strange flowers and rare herbs.

Each one radiated a rich aura of life, and some even faintly emitted light.

Gu Qingshan's heart began to race.

Immortal herbs.

So many immortal herbs.