How to Cure the Poison

Dugu Bo didn't think the four of them were all that impressive, though they did have some strength. But compared to him, a Soul Douluo, they would never be his match.

"You managed to get through the poison formation and make it here. I'll give you that. But since you've come, you can stay and fertilize my herb garden."

Dugu Bo immediately revealed his high-ranking Soul Douluo cultivation. He hadn't expected the other man to look at him with a crooked, mocking grin, as if he were watching a clown.

As they drew closer, Dugu Bo quickly recognized who had come.

He knew Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan, of course, as well as Bibi Dong, the Holy Maiden of Spirit Hall.

There were also two children. Dugu Bo could sense that one of them radiated a danger so overwhelming it left him breathless.

Definitely a Titled Douluo—and possibly even stronger than Chrysanthemum Douluo.

He swallowed nervously and didn't dare act rashly again. His feet skidded against the ground as he brought himself to a halt, then he withdrew his Soul Rings.

Chrysanthemum Douluo covered his mouth and laughed prettily. "Little Poison, don't stop! Keep going! I love watching people like you put on a big show!"

Dugu Bo smiled awkwardly. "Your Excellency, Chrysanthemum Douluo, Holy Maiden, and esteemed senior, please don't make fun of me. What brings you all to my herb garden?"

Chrysanthemum Douluo got straight to the point. "Spirit Hall wants this treasure trove. You're sitting on a mountain of treasure and don't even know how to use it. You might as well hand it over to us."

"This is my territory, Dugu Bo's. Spirit Hall wants it?" Dugu Bo asked with a frown.

"That's right."

Chrysanthemum Douluo said, "Dugu Bo, you can hand it over or not. The only question is whether I'll have to take it by force."

"Spirit Hall is far too domineering!"

This was the only place where he could eke out a few more years of life. His son and granddaughter would need it in the future, too. How could he hand it over to someone else?

"Natural treasures belong to the strong. That's the truth of the Soul Master World, isn't it?" Guangling Douluo said with a teasing smile.

"..."

Dugu Bo's face twisted in anger. After a moment of silence, he finally spoke.

"Fine. This place belongs to Spirit Hall. I'll leave right now."

Faced with the colossal power of Spirit Hall, Dugu Bo could only give in.

If he couldn't fight them, he could at least run. He'd just have to put more effort into dealing with the poison backlash in the future.

Seeing Dugu Bo turn to leave, Chrysanthemum Douluo continued.

"Dugu Bo, don't rush off. We want this place—and you, too."

You want me, too?

Dugu Bo's body trembled. Gritting his teeth, he said furiously, "Spirit Hall, you've gone too far!"

But against a behemoth like Spirit Hall, he had little power to resist. Only if he reached the Titled Douluo rank and brought his City-Slaughtering Poison to its peak could he threaten Spirit Hall.

It might not threaten the Titled Douluos, but once the poison spread, one person would infect another, and no one would escape.

"All right, stop teasing him," Li Pu said, stepping forward.

"Dugu Bo, I'll give you a chance. If you join Spirit Hall, we'll give you benefits you can't refuse, and you won't regret it."

"Hahaha! No matter what you offer, I'd rather die—I'd die out there or jump into that Ice and Fire Pool—than join Spirit Hall!" Dugu Bo shouted, pointing at the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well. He refused to give in.

"You might not fear death, but what about your son, Dugu Xin? And your granddaughter? Do they fear death?"

That one sentence had Dugu Bo in a vise—and sent him into a fury.

"I can't believe you'd stoop so low. You want to use my son and granddaughter to threaten me!"

If not for the even more dangerous Titled Douluo standing there, he would have attacked them already. Threatening the family he cherished most was a sure way to invite death.

Li Pu continued, "Even if we don't go after your family, they won't live much longer. The backlash from Jade Phosphorous Serpent Poison means they might make it to fifty, if they're lucky. And they certainly won't be as lucky as you, living long enough to have a chance at reaching the Titled Douluo rank!"

"So you came prepared. You've decided I'm already in your grasp. But what good does it do you to know all this?"

Dugu Bo's breathing grew ragged. "You know about it, so what? No one in this world can solve the problem plaguing the Dugu Family."

"I have several methods, both temporary fixes and permanent solutions. Would you still refuse?" Li Pu asked.

Dugu Bo's eyes lit up, but suspicion soon clouded them.

"Generation after generation of my Jade Phosphor Snake line has failed to find a cure. If you can really solve it, then why wouldn't I join Spirit Hall?"

"Now that's the spirit!"

Bibi Dong and the others looked puzzled. "You know how to deal with the backlash from Jade Scale Snake Poison?"

Li Pu explained, carefully but concisely. "The first method is to use a Soul Bone as a container and draw the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Poison produced by your Martial Soul into it. Of course, once the Soul Bone fills with poison, it'll become a poison bone. The poison inside will eventually seep out, and the problem you face then will be even worse than it is now."

Dugu Bo suddenly understood. "I should have thought of this sooner. I could've done this all along. It's only a temporary fix, and it still has problems, but it could let me live another ten or twenty years. I wouldn't have to suffer from the snake poison's backlash all the time, either."

He had also hoped to pass the Soul Bone down so his descendants wouldn't have to worry about the backlash from Jade Scale Snake Poison. Li Pu's final warning put that idea to rest.

Though the Soul Bone treatment would leave him carrying a ticking time bomb, the chance to live like a normal person for decades—even to gain a few extra decades of life—was a powerful temptation for Dugu Bo. It was enough to make him give his life for any organization.

"That alone is enough to make me join Spirit Hall and give it my all."

Dugu Bo wouldn't regret it.

He had longed to walk the path of a free Spirit Master, but his circumstances wouldn't allow it. Even if he had to give up his freedom, he didn't want his descendants to suffer the same torment from Jade Scale Snake Poison.

Li Pu continued, "The second method involves the plants growing here. Some can make you immune to all poisons, so you'll never have to fear the snake poison's backlash again. Others can dispel your accumulated poison power while preserving your basic poison skills, letting you live like a normal person."

Dugu Bo's eyes widened as he looked at the medicinal plants spread across the mountainside. He could hardly believe the cure for the backlash from Jade Scale Snake Poison had been right beside him all along.

Ever since he'd discovered the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well, he'd noticed that many of the herbs here were unfamiliar to him. He'd tried testing their medicinal properties, but those experiments had made him taste a pain he would never forget. If he hadn't been so powerful, the poison would have killed him long ago.

"Can these herbs really help us cure the poison?"

Dugu Bo's breathing quickened. Compared to a temporary fix, he preferred a permanent cure.

Since Li Pu had brought it up, that meant he was willing to tell him.

Chrysanthemum Douluo replied matter-of-factly, "Little Poison, there's a type of herb called an Immortal Herb. The name says it all: you might find it in heaven, but how often does it appear in the mortal world? Each Immortal Herb has a different effect. Some can improve your constitution, boost your talent, or even help your Martial Soul evolve. Since they're Immortal Herbs, you don't have to worry about side effects when taking them. Too bad you don't know how to recognize them."

He'd been sitting on a mountain of treasure without realizing it. There was no point regretting it now. Besides, he hadn't known which herbs could help him. What mattered was that they could now solve the poison problem for him, his son, and his granddaughter.

"There's also a third method—and it's the last one!"