Treading on Thin Ice in the Poisonous Fog

Tuoba Xuan did not hold back in the slightest; he stretched out his arms and sprinted rapidly in the direction Dugu Bo had departed.

As his running speed increased, the yellow radiance emanating from Tuoba Xuan's body grew more intense, until finally, it reached its peak.

A majestic dragon roar exploded through the silent dead of night. Tuoba Xuan leaped forward violently, and two golden wings, imbued with dragon might and inscribed with dragon runes, manifested behind him as he took flight.

It had to be said that Dugu Bo's speed was immense; Tuoba Xuan was only a few seconds behind, yet he could no longer even catch a whiff of Dugu Bo's exhaust.

Moreover, Tuoba Xuan's own speed was not particularly fast, which could be considered his only current shortcoming.

However, Tuoba Xuan possessed a powerful physique, and his unreserved, high-speed flight allowed him to reach the depths of the Sunset Forest quite quickly.

Tuoba Xuan descended slowly from the air into a patch of dense, poisonous miasma, where Dugu Bo stood waiting, watching him with a mocking gaze.

"I've been here for half an hour already. Kid, your strength doesn't seem to be as formidable as you claimed."

Dugu Bo finally managed to get the upper hand over Tuoba Xuan and immediately seized the chance to taunt him, venting the resentment he had been harboring.

Tuoba Xuan's mouth twitched a few times. "Yes, yes, I cannot compare to you, the esteemed Poison Douluo."

"Let me see your true strength first," Dugu Bo said coolly. "The treasure land you spoke of lies within this poisonous mist before you. These mists were laid by me, and they could easily poison a mere Soul Elder to death."

Dugu Bo deliberately emphasized the last four words. The main reason he had sought out Tuoba Xuan tonight was to get a clear explanation regarding the flaws he claimed Yanyan possessed.

Now that the two were in a partnership, Dugu Bo felt compelled to test Tuoba Xuan.

Tuoba Xuan smiled with relief. "Very well. Let this mere Soul Elder see what kind of difficulty a test set by an esteemed Title Douluo holds."

He's really putting on an act! Dugu Bo thought to himself, keeping his eyes locked on Tuoba Xuan's movements.

Tuoba Xuan showed no changes; he simply walked forward quietly, looking like an ordinary passerby.

Step by step, he stepped into the poisonous mist that could strip the flesh from one's bones.

As he made contact with the mist, Tuoba Xuan's body began to tremble, as if ten thousand poisonous insects were gnawing at his limbs and bones.

Tuoba Xuan let out a few muffled groans, and purple blood holes began to appear on his delicate skin.

"You brat, do you really want to die?" Dugu Bo broke into a cold sweat instantly. He had assumed that because Tuoba Xuan looked so confident, he must have had some real strength.

He hadn't expected Tuoba Xuan's method to be simply walking through the mist while enduring it head-on.

"Damn it, this reckless kid!" Dugu Bo was truly anxious. It wouldn't matter if Tuoba Xuan died, but the hope he had just glimpsed would vanish with him.

Dugu Bo thrust his hand out, intending to retract the poison and save Tuoba Xuan.

However, just as his hand reached the edge of the mist, Dugu Bo froze, his hand stopping instinctively.

Tuoba Xuan's previously ravaged skin and the deep, bone-revealing blood holes were beginning to heal.

Dugu Bo's mouth hung slightly open; the scene before him completely shattered his previous assessment of Tuoba Xuan's strength.

Countless complex and incomprehensible golden patterns appeared on Tuoba Xuan's body—the language of dragons.

As if terrified, the poisonous mist began to rise in wisps, shockingly dissipating into nothingness.

"This... this, the poison is gone?" Dugu Bo was utterly stunned. He knew his own poison best; without his intervention, these mists could even extinguish the life of a Spirit Saint.

Yet, Tuoba Xuan acted as if he were bathing in a hot spring, ignoring the poison he took such pride in. He simply walked on, the dissipating mist around him becoming a rhythmic accompaniment to his stride.

Indeed, the reason Tuoba Xuan was so calm and composed was entirely due to the immense healing power of Body Healing.

Every time the poisonous mist breached his skin and surged into his body, Body Healing would activate. His body would instantly fill with terrifying dragon might, forcing the toxins out.

Meanwhile, Tuoba Xuan's skin would slowly heal, and any mist that managed to cling to his skin was dissolved by the forced regeneration.

And so, under Dugu Bo's unblinking gaze, Tuoba Xuan walked through the poisonous mist step by step.

"This..." Dugu Bo swallowed hard. "Truly terrifying!"

Feeling a sense of defeat, Dugu Bo sighed heavily and stepped into the mist himself.

"How was that, Your Highness? Is this kid's strength acceptable?" Tuoba Xuan asked with a smile.

Dugu Bo's mouth twitched, still unwilling to admit defeat. "It's passable."

Taking a deep breath of the fragrant medicinal herbs within the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well, Tuoba Xuan rushed to the side of the lake in excitement.

"I never expected the records in the books to be true." Tuoba Xuan felt his heart racing wildly.

Beside the lake where ice and fire intertwined, countless exotic and colorful immortal herbs stood quietly.

"This is?" Tuoba Xuan gazed at a golden chrysanthemum. "Qirong Tongtian Chrysanthemum."

"Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass, Infernal Delicate Apricot, Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew..." Tuoba Xuan recited the names of these herbs in his heart one by one.

It was fortunate he had read so many fan-fiction novels about Douluo in his past life; otherwise, he truly wouldn't have recognized them.

Tuoba Xuan rubbed his hands together with malicious intent, like a weasel eyeing a coop full of hens, seemingly considering where to start.

"Hey, kid, it's time to talk about how to resolve the flaws in Yanyan's condition," Dugu Bo said, seeing Tuoba Xuan's expression and realizing they had come to the right place.

Tuoba Xuan's expression turned serious; he had long since thought of a way to help Dugu Bo and his granddaughter. "First, let me speak of your solution."

Dugu Bo also turned serious, leaning in close to Tuoba Xuan, fearing he might miss a single word.

"You are already a Title Douluo, and your potential is exhausted, but the solution is simple." Tuoba Xuan cleared his throat. "For you, I have two methods."

"What?" Dugu Bo asked urgently.

Tuoba Xuan first held up a finger: "The first method is the safest. You poison-attribute Soul Masters all have a poison core within your bodies, right? The method is to fuse all your toxins into that poison core and rely on it for cultivation and combat from then on."

"However, this method has a flaw: your strength will decrease significantly. After all, once the toxins are fused into the poison core, the intensity of your martial soul will also drop by a margin."

"I'm afraid that once it's done, you will have less than the strength of a Soul Douluo."

Dugu Bo's expression turned grave. This method was indeed safe, but if his strength declined, how could he protect Yanyan?

Regarding this, Dugu Bo refused without a second thought, "That is absolutely out of the question. You had better tell me the second method."

Tuoba Xuan then continued: "The second method is to fuse the toxins in your body into a suitable spirit bone. Since the spirit bone interacts with your martial soul, your strength will not decrease. Afterward, I will concoct medicinal pills to help you stabilize your meridians and your strength."

Dugu Bo stroked his chin, as if deep in thought.

He had considered this method before, but he had never dared to implement it.

"How much certainty do you have?"

"At least eighty percent."