Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower

Dugu Bo's eyes flashed with shock, but he immediately relaxed and waved his hand with a carefree air.

"So that's how it is. No wonder you were so concerned. However, since I said I would give it to you, it is yours. I have guarded this treasure land for many years; although I knew these herbs were extraordinary, I didn't know their names, let alone their uses. Trying to use them blindly might have cost me my life.

Since you recognize them, it proves you have a connection with them. This medicinal garden, and everything here, belongs to you from now on. Take what you want with confidence. I, Dugu Bo, keep my word. If I give it to you, I give it to you—no second thoughts!"

These words were spoken with heroic spirit, open and sincere. Ning Xiaochun was moved; he knew how heavy this gift from Dugu Bo truly was.

This was not just a medicinal garden; it was a treasure trove capable of shaping the future!

That Dugu Bo could be so magnanimous, beyond his gratitude for the detoxification, showed a glimpse of his own upright and unconstrained character.

"Thank you, Grandpa Dugu!" Ning Xiaochun bowed solemnly, then stood on ceremony no longer.

His gaze was sharp as lightning as he swept across the valley once more. His brain raced, combining the information in his memory with the needs of those present to begin his planning.

He first walked toward a strange flower growing near the edge of the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well. It was a sinister dark red, its petals layered like velvet, while faint black mist swirled around its stamen.

The flower gave off a feeling of extreme danger, yet it was filled with temptation.

"Blood-Colored Swan Kiss." Ning Xiaochun pointed at it and said to Dugu Bo and Dugu Yan, who had followed him, "This is one of the most poisonous things in the world. It is incredibly toxic; to touch it is to die. But it has one unique property: it can amplify the effects of any poison a thousand or even ten thousand times!"

Dugu Bo's green eyes lit up: "Amplify poison?!"

"Exactly!" Ning Xiaochun nodded.

"Grandpa, your Jade Phosphorus Serpent Emperor poison is already among the best in the world. If you use the juice from this flower's petals, after extreme dilution through a special method, to assist Sister Yan in her cultivation, it might stimulate her martial soul, awaken deeper potential, and perhaps... even trigger a martial soul evolution!

Of course, the process must be handled with extreme caution. The dosage must be controlled to a negligible amount, and you will need to use your own poison arts to protect her and guide the medicinal power. Risk and opportunity coexist."

This was a return of favor. Dugu Bo had given such a massive gift, so he immediately reciprocated with an opportunity that could tangibly improve Dugu Yan's strength and potential.

Furthermore, the Blood-Colored Swan Kiss might also offer some inspiration for Dugu Bo's own cultivation of poison arts.

Dugu Bo looked at the dark red flower, his eyes flashing with intensity. As a master of poison, he immediately understood what Ning Xiaochun meant.

Amplifying poison... if controlled well, this was practically a catalyst tailor-made for his Jade Phosphorus Serpent Emperor martial soul!

"Yan'er, come here." Dugu Bo did not hesitate and beckoned to his granddaughter.

He carefully approached the Blood-Colored Swan Kiss, channeled his soul power, and let his fingers glow with a dark green light. Using a special technique, he pinched off a tiny, almost invisible edge of a petal and immediately wrapped it in soul power.

Even so, the soul power wrapping the petal was instantly stained a dark red, emitting a faint "hissing" sound, which showed just how lethal its toxicity was.

He brought this imperceptible speck of petal to Dugu Yan, his expression grave:

"Yan'er, sit cross-legged and circulate your soul power. Grandpa will use his own poison arts to protect you and guide this thread of medicinal power. The process might be painful, but you must keep your mind steady and try to feel and guide that power into your martial soul."

Dugu Yan looked at the heart-stopping dark red speck in her grandfather's hand, then at Ning Xiaochun's encouraging gaze, and nodded firmly before sitting down as instructed.

Dugu Bo refined and diluted that tiny bit of petal with his own pure poison-attribute soul power repeatedly until its color became extremely faint, almost transparent, before slowly feeding it into Dugu Yan's mouth.

At the same time, he pressed his hands against his granddaughter's back, pouring his vast soul power—mixed with exquisite control over toxins—into her body. He carefully protected her meridians, guiding that thread of amplified yet extremely diluted medicinal power toward the origin of her martial soul.

At first, Dugu Yan only frowned. But soon, her body shuddered violently, a look of pain flashed across her face, and dark green soul power surged uncontrollably from her body. The phantom of the Jade Phosphorus Serpent suddenly appeared behind her.

But this time, the phantom seemed to become more solid, the green in the serpent's eyes became deeper and more eerie, and a faint trace of blood-red even appeared!

At the same time, the soul power fluctuations on Dugu Yan began to climb steadily, and her soul power began to rise.

"It's working!" Dugu Bo was overjoyed and focused even more intently on guiding her.

Everyone watched with bated breath as the Jade Phosphorus Serpent Emperor phantom behind Dugu Yan seemed to undergo some subtle and mysterious change under the shroud of the blood-colored halo; its scales seemed denser and harder, and its aura became more ferocious.

Although Dugu Yan's face still showed pain, her aura grew stronger and stronger.

Dugu Yan opened her eyes, her eerie green pupils flashing with brilliance, filled with both surprise and lingering fear.

"Grandpa! I feel... my martial soul seems... a bit different! My soul power also broke through! From level 27 to level 28. Just now... it was so uncomfortable, like fire was burning my soul power," Dugu Yan said excitedly.

"Hahaha! Good! That's wonderful!" Dugu Bo laughed heartily, patted his granddaughter's shoulder hard, and looked at Ning Xiaochun with eyes full of gratitude and admiration.

"Xiaochun, Grandpa accepts this gift! It's so timely! Yan'er's martial soul foundation seems more stable, and the martial soul is evolving in a positive direction."

Having witnessed with their own eyes that even a fraction of a petal from an immortal herb could have such immediate and miraculous effects, no one doubted Ning Xiaochun's words anymore, and they gained a more intuitive and shocking understanding of the value of the immortal herbs in the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well.

Ning Xiaochun smiled, then turned and searched near the Cold Extreme Yin Spring and the Blazing Yang Spring. Soon, he locked onto his targets.

One was a large white flower with petals like crystalline ice, layered and overlapping, with a center like an icicle, radiating extreme cold—this was the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass.

The other was a fire-red plant with a strange shape, like a burning flame, with a top like a cockscomb, entirely crimson, radiating a scorching aura—this was the Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower.

He carefully plucked the two immortal herbs and walked over to Shui Bing'er.

"Sister Bing'er," Ning Xiaochun handed the two herbs to her, a sincere smile on his small face, "This Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass is an extreme ice-attribute immortal treasure; it can significantly increase the purity of your ice attribute and strengthen the ice-type abilities of your Ice Phoenix martial soul.

And this Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower is a top-tier fire-attribute immortal treasure, but its true efficacy lies in tempering and purifying the origin of the martial soul, stimulating potential.

Although the Ice Phoenix is an ice attribute, the phoenix is the king of all birds, and its bloodline is noble. This Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower might stimulate the purer power deep within your Ice Phoenix bloodline, improving your martial soul quality and innate talent."

He looked at Shui Bing'er's ice-blue eyes, which had suddenly widened, and continued:

"Two immortal herbs, one ice and one fire, seem to conflict, but when ice and fire complement each other, they might produce unexpected and wonderful effects. The Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass focuses on the exterior, strengthening attributes, while the Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower focuses on the interior, tempering the origin.

If you take them at the same time, with your control and temperament over the Ice Phoenix martial soul, you should be able to reconcile the conflict and absorb their essence. When that happens, your talent and strength will surely reach a new level!"