Proximity to Vermilion Makes One Red, Proximity to Ink Makes One Black

Hearing this, Lin Chuan released his divine sense, probing into the dim sphere before him.

Immediately, a frigid, purple-black aura surged along his divine sense, permeating his entire body.

This chill seemed to pierce straight into his soul, leaving Lin Chuan unable to avoid feeling an intuitive sense of cold.

Outside.

Beside the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, Lin Chuan sat cross-legged at the misty junction.

The spirit power that had previously fallen silent began to churn once more, causing the surrounding space to tremble incessantly.

This faint fluctuation of divine power was keenly detected by Dugu Bo.

He instantly teleported out of the bamboo house and stood in the medicinal garden, his cold, emerald-green snake eyes piercing through the dozen-meter distance to look at where Lin Chuan was located.

At this moment, a pressure originating from the heavens was emerging with him at its center.

That profound and invincible weight was far beyond what a Spirit Saint should possess; even he dared not approach this pressure lightly.

Just as he was observing, a beautiful voice filled with dissatisfaction drifted over from afar:

"Grandfather! We were just getting to the critical moment, why did you suddenly run off here again?"

"It's just that guy breaking through, why do you have to come and check twice? Don't you care about me anymore!"

Hearing this voice, Dugu Bo felt no annoyance at being interrupted; he turned around with an awkward expression to face the newcomer.

Dugu Yan was trotting toward him from the direction of the bamboo house, looking quite indignant.

Dugu Bo took the opportunity to use his spirit power to help her neutralize the energy impact from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, preventing any discomfort from spirit power rejection, as she was still too weak.

By the time Dugu Yan arrived, everything had returned to calm.

Having accepted the Asura inheritance, Lin Chuan was currently bathed in the surging divine power.

On his clean forehead, a purple-black longsword now appeared, imprinted in the center and emitting a ghostly light.

Looking closely, this purple-black longsword was identical to the crimson blood sword from before, differing only in form and color.

The appearance of this sword phantom made Lin Chuan's already handsome face appear even more extraordinary.

This sword phantom was the Inheritance Mark.

It could actively protect the inheritor's sea of consciousness from any mental attacks by spirit masters below the god level.

It would also release energy to protect the inheritor should they face a fatal threat.

It was far more convenient than the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud that Tang San obtained in the original work, and it would vanish completely once the inheritance was concluded.

Although the Asura inheritance was already in his grasp, the process of divine position inheritance could not be altered by the current Giratina.

The Nine Asura Trials naturally had to be completed as well.

These nine trials were limit-breaking tasks set by the entity itself, used to distinguish between geniuses.

First Trial, Asura Blade:

Trial of the Heart's Barrier:

Step into the Asura Illusion Realm, face one's darkest desires (such as obsessions with slaughter or shadows of the heart), and use the power of Asura to sever the roots of the illusion, testing the purity of one's character and the bottom line of one's killing intent.

Asura is also the power of slaughter.

That is to say, within the illusion, when one's desires (thoughts of killing, greed, cruelty...) become overwhelming and threaten to control one's reason, one must use the power of slaughter to shatter the illusion.

In the original work, Tang San obtained the Asura God position without completing the Nine Asura Trials.

Coupled with the words of the Asura God before he vanished, Lin Chuan could basically judge that something had gone wrong with the Asura God, which was why the first Asura trial was not being conducted now.

His consciousness withdrew from the sea of consciousness.

Outside, Lin Chuan, who had been sitting cross-legged, woke up and stretched his body as he stood up from the bank.

His body, having remained still for so long, cracked and popped as he moved; his black robes accentuated a well-proportioned, strong, and powerful physique.

"Hey, you're finally awake."

Dugu Yan's dissatisfied voice rang out from not far away.

"My grandfather and I have already absorbed the Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone. Tell me, how are you going to cure the poison?"

Lin Chuan, having just stood up, was somewhat surprised to hear that the two of them had already absorbed a Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone.

It wasn't that he looked down on Dugu Bo, but Ten Thousand Year spirit beasts that produced spirit bones were few and far between.

Given the other party's current situation, where every battle deepened the poison by three parts, it was clearly impossible for him to have hunted them himself.

Yet, Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone were extremely precious; Dugu Bo could not have traded for two of them with reputation alone, so the price paid must have been terrifyingly high.

He just didn't know which faction could pull out two Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone at once.

Perhaps he could pay them a visit in the future.

"Here."

Glancing at the grandfather and granddaughter standing on the edge of the medicinal garden, Lin Chuan flipped his left hand and tossed two bottles toward them.

"These are detox pills. Given your condition, take them at most twice a day—once in the morning and once in the afternoon, three pills per dose."

"Wait about half an incense stick's time after taking them for the effects to kick in. Pain is unavoidable, but after that half-stick of time, you can force the extracted toxins into your Spirit Bone."

"This is a strict requirement; do not be greedy for more. If you run out, find me at the residence near the west gate of Suotuo City."

"If you still can't find me, go to Martial Soul Hall and say you are here to see me, the Holy Son."

As he said this, a playful smile appeared on Lin Chuan's face.

Sure enough, upon hearing "Martial Soul Hall," Dugu Bo's expression stiffened, though only for a fleeting moment.

Perhaps he was remembering how he had repeatedly refused to join Martial Soul Hall for the sake of so-called freedom, turning down generous rewards and compensation.

Yet now, he found himself bound to follow the Holy Son of Martial Soul Hall for three years just to be cured of his poison.

Thinking of this, Dugu Bo gave a helpless, bitter smile, though he had long since accepted his fate.

What weighed on him more was the sheer gravity of facing Lin Chuan, this terrifying monster of a youth.

"What kind of joke are you playing? Martial Soul Hall currently only has a Holy Maiden named Hu Liena; there is no such thing as a Holy Son."

Dugu Yan scoffed, questioning him sharply.

"Are you worried we might seek revenge, so you used the name of Martial Soul Hall to escape? Then, when we can't find you, we would vent our anger on Martial Soul Hall and end up offending them."

Such a line of thought was indeed rare, but it also spoke to her caution.

One takes on the color of those one associates with.

She was truly the granddaughter of a steady old fox like Dugu Bo; though she lacked his composure and calm, her mind was undeniably delicate and cautious.

Thinking that he would have to return here to continue his cultivation later, Lin Chuan compromised:

"This medicine is enough for you to take for half a month. I will return in half a month."

Recalling something, he added:

"These pills cannot help you purge all the toxins, but once the surface toxins are removed, they will no longer threaten your safety."

"When I have time, I will clear out the remaining toxins. Just wait."

With that, Lin Chuan walked straight past Dugu Yan, waving his hand.

Dugu Bo did not stop him. Watching the handsome youth who had completely transformed from a cocoon into a butterfly, the gloom in his heart dissipated without a trace.

He had originally felt stifled at the thought of following a youth so much weaker than himself, but now...

Turning his head to look at his granddaughter, who was stomping her feet in annoyance yet looking like a girl in the throes of a crush, he stroked his chin with his right hand and smiled, no longer dwelling on it.

People naturally admire the strong, always harboring an innate respect and look of awe toward them.

Toward equals, there is always an innate sense of indifference.

Toward the weak, there is always an innate detachment and a hint of disgust.

The shift is like this: once you attain a status you previously thought was formidable and remain there for a long time, the original awe simply vanishes into thin air.