Dugu Bo excitedly reached out with both hands and took the pill.
Before he could say a word of thanks, Ye Guchen cut him off.
"Elder Dugu, there's no need for thanks. If the detoxification works, just let me pick a few precious herbs from your garden."
At that, Dugu Bo laughed heartily.
"Hahaha, little friend Ye, you're being too formal. Even if you couldn't cure me, you've already cured Yanyan. I'd gladly give you this entire garden!"
Ye Guchen scratched his head. Did I push my luck a little too far?
Hearing the heartfelt sincerity in Dugu Bo's words, Ye Guchen felt he was being a bit too much of a profiteer.
"Elder Dugu, you really are generous! But this garden is beyond measure in value. If I simply claimed it for myself, I'd seem greedy."
Dugu Bo waved a hand, his expression solemn.
"Little friend Ye, you're mistaken. Even if things are as you say, this garden in my hands is nothing but a treasure wasted."
"For all these years, I've sat atop a mountain of treasures, yet I couldn't even cure the poison in my own body. What good is any of it? If you can purge this stubborn poison from me, then don't just take a few herbs—even if you emptied the entire garden, I wouldn't object."
Ye Guchen could tell that Dugu Bo meant every word.
Though Poison Douluo was a top powerhouse at the Titled Douluo level, years of torment from the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor's poison had worn him down in both body and spirit.
To him, curing his family's Martial Soul poison was more precious than any heavenly treasure.
"Then I'll accept your offer." Ye Guchen dropped his modesty and gestured for him to proceed. "Elder, please take the pill."
Dugu Bo placed the jade-green Toxin-Purging Pill in his palm and examined it closely for a moment before tipping back his head and swallowing it.
The instant the pill entered his body, Dugu Bo's expression changed dramatically.
Unlike the calm detoxification of Dugu Yan, the deadly poison that had built up in Dugu Bo's body over decades surged like a hornet's nest struck with a stick!
Jade-green poison was forcibly torn from every inch of flesh and every bone, then rampaged through his meridians.
Dugu Bo groaned. Cold sweat streamed down his forehead as his cross-legged body trembled faintly.
"Grandpa!" Dugu Yan cried out in alarm and started forward.
Ye Guchen stopped her with one arm. "Don't touch him. This is the critical moment."
His eyes stayed fixed on Dugu Bo, and he felt nervous too.
He had the benefit of having read the original story in his previous life, as well as the medicinal knowledge afforded by the Dou II timeline, but there was still no guarantee of success.
Seeing Dugu Bo struggle in agony, Ye Guchen couldn't help holding his breath for him.
Dugu Bo's poisoning was too severe; the toxins had nearly fused with his organs. Forcibly extracting them was no different from scraping flesh from bone.
Fortunately, the enhanced Toxin-Purging Pill was potent. Once in his stomach, its power swiftly became a gentle yet unyielding force, like a fine-meshed net, catching the extracted toxins and slowly guiding them toward the exits of his meridians.
Black beads of sweat began to seep through Dugu Bo's skin, carrying a foul stench. They were the toxins being expelled from the surface of his body.
The toxins in his flesh, meridians, and marrow that could not be expelled were instead guided into his Head Soul Bone.
Seeing this, Ye Guchen felt a little reassured.
The process lasted a full hour.
When the pill's power had driven the last trace of poison into the Soul Bone, Dugu Bo's complexion shifted from blue-black to pale, then slowly regained a hint of color.
His hair gradually turned black as well.
Dugu Bo slowly opened his eyes. His jade-green gaze, usually tinged with a hint of malice, was now clear as if it had been washed clean.
He said nothing, only drew a deep breath and slowly let it out.
His breath was fresh and clean, no longer clouded by even the slightest trace of poisonous miasma.
"Grandpa!" Dugu Yan threw herself at him, tears streaming down her face.
Dugu Bo patted his granddaughter's back, but his eyes passed over her and settled on Ye Guchen.
"Little friend Ye." His voice was hoarse, but his resolve was unmistakable. "From this day on, you are my sworn friend. Whatever you ask of me, I'll do it—even if it costs me my life."
Ye Guchen smiled and cupped his hands. "You're too kind, Elder. Then... may I go have a look around the garden?"
"Go ahead!"
Dugu Bo waved him off, then sat down to regulate his breathing.
Seeing that her grandfather was fine, Dugu Yan's taut nerves finally began to relax.
Just then, a sour stench wafted over. Dugu Yan sniffed.
"Grandpa, you stink!"
Her words nearly sent Dugu Bo, who had just begun to focus, into a loss of control over his Soul Power.
Ye Guchen went to the Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower and dug it up, roots and soil intact, then planted it in the space inside his Bead Martial Soul.
As it turned out, when plants were placed in the otherwise empty space and planted in soil, they seemed to receive nourishment from some kind of force. It was not as suitable for plant growth as the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, but it was still about seventy percent as effective.
"This Immortal Herb should go to Xiaotao. As for Ma Hongjun, he can fend for himself!"
"Good thing the two timelines are independent. Otherwise, with the way I'm doing things, Ma Xiaotao and the others would be as good as gone."
Using the same method, Ye Guchen dug up the other Immortal Herbs one by one and planted them in the space inside his Bead Martial Soul.
Treasures like Immortal Herbs were best secured as soon as possible.
At the same time, Ye Guchen from the Dou II timeline entered the space inside his Bead Martial Soul, picked the Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower, and left its roots behind to keep growing there.
Once picked, the Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower counted as a dead object. What was more, the Immortal Herbs from the Dou I timeline had no intelligence of their own, so they could naturally be brought to the Dou II timeline.
In the Dou II timeline, construction of the Hundred Treasures Pavilion had been completed. The whole complex covered ten mu, with staff dormitories built behind it.
No wonder Soul Masters could build faster than ordinary people.
For the entire construction process, Ye Guchen only had to explain what he wanted to the crew, then pay them. He didn't have to worry about a thing and only needed to wait for the final inspection.
Ye Guchen had specifically instructed the crew to build several cultivation chambers beneath the Hundred Treasures Pavilion.
And rare metals were the one thing Ye Guchen had in abundance, so every chamber could withstand attacks from an ordinary Titled Douluo.
At that moment, in one of the cultivation chambers in the Hundred Treasures Pavilion, Ye Guchen led Ma Xiaotao inside with a mysterious air.
Ma Xiaotao linked her arm through Ye Guchen's and leaned close to his ear, teasing him.
"Little Guchen, so this is what you're into?"
It had to be said that Ma Xiaotao, usually so hot-tempered, was still quite bold when alone with Ye Guchen.
Ye Guchen didn't hold back either. With one arm already in her grasp, he took the opportunity to explore her waist.
"I asked Sister Xiaotao here because there's something important to do. Unless you're thinking of doing something else?"
Ma Xiaotao didn't mind his wandering hand at all. If anything, she seemed to enjoy it.
"Aren't we already doing something important?"
It had to be said, after trying it once, Ma Xiaotao had become hooked. At first, Ye Guchen had enjoyed himself too, but now, seeing her like this, he was a little intimidated.
Soon, the two reached the center of the chamber. Ye Guchen pressed a mechanism, and the chamber door closed.
He straightened Ma Xiaotao, who was still clinging to his arm.
Ye Guchen kissed her forehead.
"Sister Xiaotao, let's begin!"
Ma Xiaotao looked around. All she could see was a stone table and a stone chair; otherwise, the place was empty. She raised her head and gave Ye Guchen a mischievous grin.
"Isn't this a little inappropriate?"
Then she cupped Ye Guchen's face, ready to kiss him.
Seeing this, Ye Guchen decided to stop teasing her. He hurriedly took a jade box containing the Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower from his storage ring and handed it to Ma Xiaotao.
"Sister Xiaotao, I really do have something important to do!"
But it was already too late. The fire Ye Guchen had stoked could only be put out by him.
Who knew how much time had passed? The cultivation chamber was a mess, and Ma Xiaotao nestled against Ye Guchen, smiling with satisfaction.
"Now, what was this important thing?"
Ye Guchen picked up the jade box he'd used as a cushion, opened it slowly, and took out the Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower.
"Sister Xiaotao, this is the Immortal Herb Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower. It can completely cure the Evil Fire in your Martial Soul!"
At that, Ma Xiaotao's expression turned serious.
The instant the jade box opened, she had felt the yearning from her Martial Soul.
"Is this really the Immortal Herb Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower, the one ancient texts say can cure the flaw in the Evil Fire Phoenix Martial Soul?"
Looking at Ma Xiaotao's incredulous face, Ye Guchen didn't explain further.
"It's the genuine article!"
"Sister Xiaotao, don't ask how I got it. Hurry and take it."
Ma Xiaotao looked at the Immortal Herb, its whole body fiery red and shaped like a cockscomb, and felt the pure fire essence within it. Complex emotions swelled in her heart, too tangled for words.
She had been tormented by the Evil Fire since childhood. That scorching, bone-gnawing pain had accompanied her through her entire childhood and adolescence.
Even though she acted carefree and never showed weakness, only she knew the pain she endured when night fell and she was alone.
It was only after meeting Ye Guchen that she had managed to suppress the Evil Fire.
"Little Guchen..." Ma Xiaotao looked up, a sheen of tears in her phoenix eyes. "You're really giving me something this precious?"
Ye Guchen said nothing. He kissed her forehead, then glanced around at the disorderly room and gave her a mischievous smile.
"Do we really need to draw a line between us?"
Ye Guchen's teasing pulled the solemn mood off course, easing the tension.
Ma Xiaotao no longer hesitated and accepted the Immortal Herb.
"Okay! I'll do as you say."
Only after Ma Xiaotao had taken the Immortal Herb, sat cross-legged, and begun absorbing its medicinal power did Ye Guchen start cleaning up the chaotic room.
Picking up Ma Xiaotao's coat, Ye Guchen couldn't help shaking his head.
"Do I have what it takes to become a Secret Chamber Douluo?"
Before you continue