Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well

The next morning, before the first light of dawn, a plain carriage was already waiting in front of the Hundred Treasures Pavilion.

Dugu Bo stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze calm as he surveyed the shop that had yet to open for business.

His granddaughter, Dugu Yan, stood at his side. Today, she had swapped her usual attire for a light cyan martial outfit, shedding some of her customary haughtiness for a rare sense of solemnity.

"Grandfather, can Ye Guchen really cure the poison in your body?" Dugu Yan asked softly, her tone still tinged with uncertainty.

Dugu Bo did not answer immediately, merely patting the back of his granddaughter's hand.

Over the years, he had searched everywhere for a cure to no avail, having long assumed he would be tormented to death by the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor poison.

Who would have thought the answer had been hidden right under his nose all along?

The irony of fate kept him awake the entire night.

"He was able to draw the appearance of that herb; it could not possibly be a coincidence."

Dugu Bo spoke slowly, his voice low and resolute.

As soon as he finished speaking, the side door of the Hundred Treasures Pavilion creaked open.

Ye Guchen stepped out, followed by Zhu Zhuqing. She was dressed in sharp black attire today, her long hair tied back, her brow losing some of a young girl's immaturity and gaining a touch of composure.

She truly looked the part of a proprietress.

"My apologies for the wait, Your Excellency Dugu." Ye Guchen cupped his hands in a salute, his smile relaxed.

Dugu Bo's gaze swept between Ye Guchen and Zhu Zhuqing before drifting back to his granddaughter. "Since you are ready, let us depart."

Zhu Zhuqing stepped forward and said softly:

"Be careful on the road."

She had wanted to say more, but the words felt too motherly, so she settled for those four.

Yet, the affection hidden within those four words was clear to everyone present.

Ye Guchen reached out to ruffle her hair, his movements as natural as if he had done it a thousand times. "I leave the Hundred Treasures Pavilion to you, proprietress."

The tips of Zhu Zhuqing's ears turned red, but she did not refute him, merely giving a soft hum of acknowledgment.

Dugu Yan witnessed the entire exchange, and for some reason, she felt a bit unsettled.

The carriage slowly rolled out of Heaven Dou City, heading southwest.

Inside the carriage, Dugu Bo closed his eyes to rest, and Ye Guchen remained silent, sitting quietly across from him and occasionally lifting the curtain to glance at the scenery outside.

After about an hour of travel, Dugu Bo suddenly spoke: "Little brat, aren't you afraid that I might harbor malicious intent and lure you into the wilderness to silence you?"

Ye Guchen smiled at the remark. "If Your Excellency Dugu wanted to kill me, you could have done so back at the Hundred Treasures Pavilion. There would be no need for such trouble."

Dugu Bo snorted. "You see things quite clearly."

"It is not that I see things clearly," Ye Guchen shook his head. "It is because I know that to Your Excellency Dugu, the safety of Miss Yan is more important than anything else. And since I can cure the poison in your body, that is my best amulet."

Dugu Bo was silent for a moment before suddenly opening his eyes, his emerald pupils fixed intently on Ye Guchen. "Are you not afraid that once the poison is cured, I will turn on you and deny our agreement?"

Ye Guchen met his gaze, his expression calm. "I am afraid, but this deal is worth the risk."

"Furthermore, after spending yesterday together, I discovered that Your Excellency Dugu is, in fact, no different from the rest of us—you are just a man."

Dugu Bo stared at him for a long time before suddenly bursting into hearty laughter, his voice filled with a sense of relief.

"Good! You have guts!" Dugu Bo reined in his laughter, his tone becoming more serious. "Though I am no gentleman, I have always kept my word. Once you cure my poison, I guarantee the Hundred Treasures Pavilion ten years of peace!"

Ye Guchen cupped his hands. "Then I thank Your Excellency Dugu."

The carriage continued forward, and after another two hours, the road gradually became rugged.

The surrounding scenery shifted from the bustling outskirts of the city to desolate, mountainous forests.

Ye Guchen knew they were approaching the Sunset Forest.

"Very well, Little Friend Ye, I shall take you the rest of the way!"

With that, he extended his soul power, lifting Dugu Yan and Ye Guchen into the air as they took flight.

Although Ye Guchen could fly using his sword, his current strength was far from matching Dugu Bo's speed, so he might as well take a free ride.

Before long, a valley shrouded in poisonous mist appeared in their field of vision.

"We have arrived!"

Dugu Bo gave a light shout and landed in front of the toxic fog.

This time, Dugu Bo did not test the waters as he had with Tang San; instead, he directly pushed the surrounding poisonous vapors aside.

A path two meters wide was revealed.

"Follow me. Remember, do not touch the mist."

Ye Guchen nodded and followed behind the two of them.

Soon, a valley that dipped into the earth appeared before them.

"It is down there."

Dugu Bo once again used his soul power to lift them both, slowly descending into the valley.

It must be said that Dugu Bo was extremely considerate this time, showing not even a hint of testing.

Upon landing within the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, the first thing to meet the eye was a ground full of medicinal herbs, most growing haphazardly, clearly having been there from the start.

In one corner, however, a batch of poison-attribute herbs was planted in an orderly fashion, evidently planted by Dugu Bo later on.

Ye Guchen forcibly suppressed the restlessness in his heart; the more critical the moment, the more he needed to remain calm.

He absolutely could not show any signs of shock, for Ye Guchen was not like Tang San, who had Tang Hao backing him.

As a lone wolf, if he let Dugu Bo know the true value of these immortal herbs, it would be a question mark whether he would even be allowed to take them.

Ye Guchen cast his gaze toward Dugu Yan.

"Since we have arrived, why not start by detoxifying Miss Dugu Yan? With His Excellency Dugu helping on the side, it will be even more secure."

Ye Guchen knew that although Dugu Bo had not tested him, if he wanted the man to willingly let him consume those two immortal herbs, he still had to demonstrate his capabilities first.

"Very well!"

Dugu Bo nodded and took out a five-thousand-year poison-attribute soul bone, handing it to Ye Guchen.

On the timeline of Dou I, soul bones were indeed rare; even many Title Douluo did not possess a single Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone.

The soul bone Dugu Bo provided, while only at the thousand-year level, was still quite precious.

Ye Guchen took the soul bone, weighed it for a moment, and then handed it back to Dugu Bo.

"Is it not enough?"

Seeing Ye Guchen return the soul bone, Dugu Bo was visibly flustered: Could it be that the age of the soul bone was insufficient!

"This is already the best poison-attribute soul bone I could find!"

Seeing Dugu Bo's anxious appearance, Ye Guchen did not reply, but instead took a Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone from his Storage Soul Tool Ring.

Under Dugu Bo's shocked gaze, he spoke slowly.

"I happen to have a Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone here; I think it would be better to use this one."

Dugu Bo stared at the Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone with complex eyes, remaining silent for a long time.

"A Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone..." he muttered, repeating the words, his voice carrying unconcealable shock. "Little brat, just who are you?"

One had to know that even he, a Title Douluo, only possessed two soul bones, one of which was still only at the thousand-year level.

Yet this youth, who looked no more than sixteen or seventeen, could casually produce a Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone; it was simply inconceivable.

Ye Guchen smiled faintly and did not answer. Explaining such things too much would only lead to more trouble; it was better to maintain a sense of mystery.

"His Excellency Dugu need not say more. I said we are our own people. As a guest elder of my Hundred Treasures Pavilion, I feel that providing a Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone is well worth it!"

Immediately, Ye Guchen took out the box of Toxin-Purging Pill, poured one out, and handed it along with the soul bone to Dugu Yan.

"Absorb the soul bone first, then take the pill."

"As for the steps to guide the toxins into the soul bone, I think it would be better for His Excellency Poison Douluo to handle it personally."

Dugu Yan took the soul bone and the pill, still in a state of bewilderment.

This was too valuable, and she subconsciously looked toward Dugu Bo, hoping her grandfather would make the decision.

Dugu Bo naturally hoped his granddaughter could use the best, so he nodded immediately. As for the favor, he would just have to repay it slowly.