Intercepting the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well!

"Teacher... there is something I have been keeping from you. This is something my parents left behind... before they passed."

The smile on the face of Dugu Bo faded, replaced by a solemn expression. He took the oilcloth bundle, feeling its heavy weight and the rough texture of time upon it.

He slowly unfolded it to reveal an ancient map tanned from the hide of an unknown beast. Its edges were tattered and yellowed, featuring crude sketches of mountains and terrain outlined in a dark red pigment. At the center was a striking mark, accompanied by ancient, blurred characters that were still faintly legible.

Dugu Bo scrutinized the characters, his brows knitting together as his breathing grew heavy.

He jerked his head up to look at Zichuan, his eyes erupting with a startling, piercing light: "This... the place marked on this map... is it the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well?!"

His voice cracked with excitement.

Zichuan lowered his head, wringing his hands together in unease, his voice choked with guilt:

"Yes... my parents were herb gatherers. They found this tattered map by accident. It is said to point to a blessed land filled with countless rare herbs... They wanted to investigate, but... they never returned. The villagers only found this blood-stained map..."

He looked up, his eyes reddening as he gazed at Dugu Bo:

"Teacher, I am sorry... I never dared to speak of it before, fearing... fearing it would bring trouble, or that I would... disappoint you. But now I feel that you are the person I trust most, and my strength is too low; even if I know the location, I cannot enter... so..."

His words were half-truth and half-lie. The ancient map was something he had carefully aged using old animal skins and herbal juices from the Body Sect's archives, and the story was entirely fabricated.

Yet, the emotions of "hesitation," "guilt," and "choosing to trust" were performed to perfection.

This was the most logical reason he could devise to explain how he knew the location of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well and why he needed the help of Dugu Bo.

Watching his "red-eyed" and "guilt-ridden" young disciple, then looking at the ancient map in his hand—marked with a heaven-defying opportunity—the slight displeasure Dugu Bo felt at being kept in the dark vanished instantly, replaced by deep pity and a sense of responsibility.

"Silly child!" Dugu Bo slapped a heavy hand onto Zichuan's shoulder. The force was great, but it carried warmth.

"What is there to be sorry about! Who doesn't have a few secrets? Your parents suffered because of this map, so your caution was justified! Now that you are willing to tell your teacher, it shows you trust me! I am nothing but pleased!"

He picked up the map and examined it again, growing more excited by the second:

"The Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well... one of the three legendary treasure basins! If this map is real, the immortal herbs inside... my heavens! Kid, you have found an immeasurable treasure for the sect and for yourself!"

He gripped the map tightly, his eyes flashing with excitement and resolve:

"We go! We must go! Whether this map is real or fake, we must investigate! The Sunset Forest, right? I will take you there myself! If it is real, that place will be your cultivation paradise! If it is fake, consider it a trip to broaden your horizons!"

He was a man of action: "You just broke through, so you need a second soul ring. There are plenty of soul beasts in the Sunset Forest; we can find one for you while we are there! No time to lose, we leave now!"

Watching the excited and unsuspecting Dugu Bo, the guilt of his deception surfaced in Zichuan's heart, but he quickly suppressed it.

He had to obtain the resources of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. This was not only to rapidly increase his strength but also a crucial step in countering the schemes of Tang San in the future.

As for the deception... he would compensate his teacher and the sect when he had the chance.

"Yes, Teacher!" Zichuan looked up, a smile of "relief" and "anticipation" on his face.

A moment later, a dark green streak of light shot up from the valley of the Body Sect, tearing through the sky and speeding toward the southeast of the Heaven Dou Empire, where the Sunset Forest lay.

Within the streak of light, Dugu Bo held Zichuan close, his spirit high and his face full of excitement, as if he could already see the future of the sect flourishing and his disciple becoming invincible.

Zichuan, however, narrowed his eyes slightly and looked into the distance.

The Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, the immortal herbs—they are mine, all mine.

As Zichuan would say.

High above, the gale winds were biting. Dugu Bo held Zichuan as a dark green soul power barrier shielded them from the external airflow. They flew at incredible speeds, the mountains and rivers below appearing as blurred, receding blocks of color.

Wrapped in the soul power barrier, Zichuan felt no discomfort, though he still harbored doubts about their impending arrival at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. He called out silently in his mind:

"Old Zi, Old Zi."

"Hmm?" The voice of the God of Destruction sounded lazy, seemingly uninterested in the scenery flashing by outside.

"Tell me, if we go to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well now, won't it be... a bit too early?"

Zichuan weighed his words carefully.

"I am only level 20, my soul power is stuck at a bottleneck. The main point of going there should be to obtain a soul ring or use the environment to break through, right?

But you said it yourself, the plant-type soul beasts there are at least ten thousand years old, and there are plenty of Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast specimens. As a level 20 Soul Grand Master, wouldn't I just be serving myself up as a snack? Even with Teacher there, could he really help me hunt a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast for my second soul ring?"

This was the point he had been unable to reconcile. The Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well was a treasure, yes, but it was also a death trap.

The poison array of Dugu Bo was only the first barrier; the real danger lay in the plant-type soul beasts inside, whose cultivation had skyrocketed due to the energy of the well and whose intelligence was far from low. In the original story, Tang San could enter because he knew the plot, used poison to counter them, and possessed the protagonist's halo.

Huo Yuhao could enter because of the spiritual detection and simulation of the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, plus the "arrangements" made by Tang San.

"Serving yourself as a snack?" The God of Destruction seemed amused by the phrasing and let out a scoff. "Kid, what do you take this god for? A fool who would push his own child into a pit of fire?"

He paused, his tone carrying a profound and unfathomable confidence:

"Rest assured, since this god is having you go now, there is a reason. As for who the 'snack' there is actually prepared for, that remains to be seen. Just follow that green-haired brute inside, and I guarantee you will be satisfied."

Brute... Zichuan's mouth twitched as he stole a glance at Dugu Bo, who was focused on the journey with an excited, flushed glow on his face.

Come to think of it, the description was quite fitting. His teacher's style was indeed quite reckless.

However, since the God of Destruction had said so, Zichuan stopped worrying. Although Old Zi seemed unreliable, he had never failed when it came to "spoon-feeding" him or "trapping" Tang San.

"Fine, I'll trust you this once." Zichuan replied in his heart, his gaze fixed on the horizon.

After flying for about another hour, a mountain forest appeared in his field of vision. It was much smaller in scale than the Star Dou Great Forest, yet it remained lush and undulating. They had arrived at the Sunset Forest.

PS: Regarding the true destruction of life in Dou Er, I will explain it to you brothers later.

It will not conflict.