The group left Dugu Mansion and, led by Dugu Bo, ventured deeper into Sunset Forest.
The farther they went, the denser and gloomier the trees grew. A faint, multicolored poisonous miasma began to fill the air, and more and more poisonous plants and insects appeared around them, their colors bizarre and their forms grotesque. An ordinary Soul Master would likely have been unable to take another step by then.
At last, they came upon the entrance to a valley shrouded in thick, colorful poisonous fog. The fog hung heavy without dispersing, its brilliant hues looking especially eerie and beautiful among the dim trees, yet it also gave off a heart-chilling sense of danger.
Faintly visible beyond the fog, red and blue lights flashed in turn. A strange aura, mingling scorching heat with icy cold, seeped through the poisonous mist.
"Up ahead is the poison array I laid down. Beyond it is the herb garden."
Dugu Bo stopped and explained. This poison array had been laid with the very essence of his lifelong mastery of poison. Without his guidance or a special antidote, anyone below the rank of Titled Douluo who ventured inside would die without a doubt. Even a Titled Douluo would have to work hard to get through it.
Just as everyone was about to follow Dugu Bo inside, Ning Xiaochun suddenly shouted:
"Wait! Let me get ready first!"
He quickly began pulling things out of his seemingly bottomless Storage Soul Tool.
First came a small, exquisitely crafted gas mask, which he briskly put on, leaving only his wary, wide eyes exposed.
Next came a pair of gloves, thin as cicada wings and glowing with a faint Soul Power. He carefully pulled them on. Then he put on a lightweight under-armor, apparently woven from some kind of special thread, beneath his outer clothes.
Finally, he took out a jade bottle and poured out several emerald pills that gave off a refreshing medicinal scent. He swallowed one, then poured out two more. After a moment's hesitation, he turned and walked over to Shui Bing'er.
"Sister Bing'er, here. These are top-grade Poison-Avoiding Pills. They can counter a hundred poisons. Just in case, you should take one too."
Ning Xiaochun held the pill out to Shui Bing'er, his expression earnest. He even added,
"When we go in, stay close to me and stand by my side. This place is covered in poison arrays. Grandpa Dugu's here, but it's still best to be careful."
Shui Bing'er looked at the emerald pill in front of her, then at Ning Xiaochun's small face, mostly hidden behind the gas mask. Only his eyes were visible, filled with fear of dying and earnest concern. That strange feeling in her heart grew stronger.
This boy had just spoken at length in front of Poison Douluo, confident and in control. In the blink of an eye, he had become fully armed and extremely cautious. The contrast was so great it was almost amusing.
But he had still remembered to give her a pill and tell her to stay close to him... That instinctive care made Shui Bing'er, who had been used to standing on her own and protecting her younger sister since childhood, feel a strange and unfamiliar... sense of security?
Even though the person who said he would protect her was just a six-year-old child, more than a head shorter than she was.
She didn't refuse. She took the pill and put it in her mouth. A refreshing coolness immediately spread through her body, flowing into every limb and bone. Even the unpleasant poisonous miasma around them seemed much fainter. She nodded lightly and said in a quiet voice:
"Thank you."
Dugu Bo stared in astonishment. He pointed at Ning Xiaochun, who looked ready to armor himself down to his teeth, then at his gesture of offering Shui Bing'er a pill. The corner of his mouth twitched.
"You little brat... Where'd all that nerve go when you were bargaining with me and asking to become my sworn grandson? You're already scared?"
Ning Xiaochun's voice sounded muffled behind his gas mask, but he answered with complete conviction:
"Grandpa Dugu, it's called looking down on your enemy strategically and taking them seriously tactically! Being brave and not being afraid to die are two different things! Safety first, safety first! Look, Sister Bing'er is so beautiful. What if the poisonous fog hurt her face? I have to protect her!"
Shui Bing'er: "..."
Dugu Bo: "..." He suddenly felt that his freshly made sworn grandson was... even more interesting than he'd expected.
Ning Fengzhi pressed a hand to his forehead, unable to watch. Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo, meanwhile, were used to this sort of thing. They even looked like they wanted to laugh.
"All right, all right. Stay close to me, and don't touch anything!"
Dugu Bo shook his head in exasperation. A layer of dark green light rose around him as he took the lead and stepped into the colorful poisonous fog.
Wherever he went, the fog parted on its own, as if alive, opening a path for them.
Ning Xiaochun hurried after him, not forgetting to turn back and wave to Shui Bing'er. "Sister Bing'er, come on! Stay close to me!"
Shui Bing'er watched the boy's tense little figure, still remembering to call out to her, and the faintest ripple seemed to stir in her icy blue eyes.
She stepped forward and followed. Without thinking, she really did walk just behind Ning Xiaochun's side.
After they passed through layer upon layer of poison arrays, the view before them suddenly opened up.
An immense aura, mingling scorching heat with icy cold, washed over them. The air was dense with the energy of heaven and earth, almost thick enough to liquefy, and fragrant with the rich scents of hundreds of rare flowers and herbs.
Everyone stood at the valley entrance, stunned by the sight before them.
The valley wasn't large, but at its center lay a strange spring. It was sharply divided into two halves: one milky white, steaming with scorching heat, the other vermilion red, giving off a bone-piercing chill.
The two streams wound around one another without intruding on each other, forming a strange Taiji Diagram. It was the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well!
Centered on the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well, the earth throughout the valley was streaked red and white. Countless plants in all kinds of shapes grew there, their colors shimmering.
Some blazed like flames, some looked carved from ice. Some were wreathed in immortal mist, others gave off an intoxicating fragrance... Many were legendary, peerless Immortal Herbs!
"So this is... the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well..." Ning Xiaochun murmured. Even behind the gas mask, his eyes were wide with shock and delight.
I'm rich! This time, I'm really rich! These Immortal Herbs would be enough to bring about a qualitative leap in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's strength! The most important resource for his "grow quietly and don't get reckless" plan was in his hands!
"Heh heh..." Ning Xiaochun couldn't help chuckling. Then he quickly wiped away some nonexistent drool, and his expression turned "composed" and "wise" once more.
Yes, Immortal Herbs were precious, but he had to carefully plan how to distribute them, who should use them, which ones to use, and in what order. He had to maximize the benefits and minimize the risks. In particular, he needed to take a good look at whether any of them could help with Sister Bing'er's Martial Soul...
Steady. He absolutely had to stay steady! With Immortal Herbs in hand, the world was... ahem, the sect was safe! The next step was to figure out how to "take the medicine" scientifically, sensibly, and cautiously!
The group reacted in different ways, but all were deeply shocked by what they saw.
Dugu Bo took in everyone's reactions, especially Ning Xiaochun's greedy little expression, and a knowing smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
He walked over to Ning Xiaochun. His hoarse voice carried a hint of amusement.
"Kid, you can tell your grandpa the truth now, can't you? Your real reason for wanting this herb garden was to get these... what did you call them, 'Immortal Herbs'? Are they really that precious?"
Ning Xiaochun had been seen through, but he wasn't embarrassed. He scratched his head and put on a "simple-minded" smile.
"Heh heh, Grandpa Dugu is wise. An old hand is still the best—nothing gets past you. These aren't ordinary herbs. They're peerless Immortal Herbs, nurtured by the essence of heaven and earth gathered at the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well over countless millennia!
Every single one would be a treasure worth stirring up a storm of blood and fury in the Soul Master World! Some can strengthen the body and restore its foundation, some can cleanse and reshape the meridians, some can increase Soul Power, and some can even... make a Martial Soul evolve!"
At this point, there was no use hiding it from Dugu Bo. If he found out later, their relationship might fall apart. Better to be upfront.
"Martial Soul Evolution?!" Those four words stirred even Ning Fengzhi and the two Douluo.
Martial Soul Evolution was a heaven-defying opportunity, something one could encounter only by sheer luck! The herbs in this valley really had such miraculous effects?
Before you continue