I Was Wondering Who It Was

After they landed, the surrounding aura became even more pronounced.

One side was bitterly cold, the other scorching hot. The two forces alternated in their assault, yet seemed confined within fixed boundaries by some natural law.

Lu Chen did not approach the lake. He simply stood at a safe distance and observed.

Yue Guan, however, seemed to have become a completely different person.

As soon as he landed, he barely paused before hurrying toward the strange flowers and plants.

Of course, he did not recklessly touch them.

As someone who knew a great deal about medicinal herbs, he understood that the more precious an herb was, the more carefully it had to be picked.

If some herbs were touched the wrong way, their medicinal properties would vanish outright. Some could even bite back at whoever tried to pick them.

But even just looking at them was enough to fill Yue Guan with excitement.

He crouched in front of one herb and examined it carefully. His eyes grew brighter and brighter.

"This is actually real..."

Then he walked over to another.

"And this one..."

"How is this possible? So many of these can grow in one place..."

Yue Guan kept muttering to himself, his voice full of astonishment.

He even couldn't help murmuring, "I have no regrets in this life. No regrets in this life..."

Bibi Dong stood not far away. Watching Yue Guan's nearly rapturous expression, she raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Why is Yue Guan so excited?"

Gui Mei looked at Yue Guan and fell silent for a moment, too.

"This is the first time I've ever seen him like this."

Lu Chen said nothing. He simply watched Yue Guan's reaction.

He knew exactly why.

Yue Guan had spent his entire life alongside his Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum Martial Soul. His knowledge of and interest in flowers and spiritual plants far surpassed that of ordinary people.

To him, ordinary precious herbs might already be rare enough. And these were Immortal Herbs growing beside the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.

Chrysanthemum Douluo had never truly seen an Immortal Herb in his life. Suddenly finding so many within arm's reach might not make him react as dramatically as Fan Jin Passes the Imperial Examination, but there was no way he could calm down at once.

Yue Guan circled the area a few more times.

The more he saw, the more excited and astonished he became.

It took quite a while before he managed to calm himself down.

Even so, his eyes still shone brilliantly.

Yue Guan turned and came before Bibi Dong, barely able to contain his excitement.

"Your Holiness the Pope, this is a treasure trove."

Bibi Dong looked at him. "Explain."

Yue Guan took a deep breath, doing his best to steady his voice.

"Quite a few of the herbs growing here are Immortal Herbs."

"Immortal Herbs?" Bibi Dong's gaze shifted slightly.

Yue Guan nodded.

"That's right. They're genuine Immortal Herbs. They aren't ordinary medicinal herbs, nor are they treasures of heaven and earth in the usual sense. They're extraordinary treasures capable of seizing the workings of heaven and earth."

As he spoke, his excitement began to rise again.

"If used properly, these things can greatly improve a person's foundation, make up for shortcomings in talent and physique, and even provide tremendous help with a Soul Master's future cultivation."

At this point, Bibi Dong finally understood completely why Yue Guan had lost his composure.

They could improve one's foundation and make up for one's shortcomings.

For any power, such things were resources of immeasurable value.

More importantly, there wasn't just one here. There was a whole patch of them.

Gui Mei looked around as well, his voice low. "So these things can be used to cultivate Soul Masters?"

Yue Guan replied at once, "Not just cultivate them. If someone suitable consumes an Immortal Herb suited to them, the effects are far greater than those of ordinary cultivation resources."

"They can even make up for flaws in someone's talent, or help an already gifted Soul Master advance even further."

After speaking, he looked once more at the strange flowers and plants surrounding the lake. His excitement returned to his eyes.

"I've only ever seen descriptions like these in old records. I never imagined I'd see them with my own eyes today."

"This definitely isn't an ordinary valley."

"This red-and-blue spring, along with these Immortal Herbs growing around it, is proof enough that this is a genuine treasure trove."

Bibi Dong did not speak at once.

She looked at Lu Chen, a deeper meaning in her eyes.

The Martial Soul resonance Lu Chen had mentioned had really led them to a place like this.

This so-called opportunity was even greater than she had expected.

But the greatest opportunity at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well wasn't the herbs growing around its edges. It was the well itself.

Yue Guan continued, "Your Holiness the Pope, there are many herbs growing here. Quite a few of them will take me some time to identify."

"But I can say for certain that, if we make proper use of them, this time's gains will be immense."

His tone grew increasingly serious.

"These Immortal Herbs can seize the workings of heaven and earth. They can greatly improve one's foundation and make up for one's shortcomings."

"In short, this place is unquestionably a treasure trove."

As soon as Yue Guan finished speaking, a furious shout suddenly rang out from above the valley.

"Where did you little thieves come from? How dare you trespass on my territory!"

The voice brimmed with anger and carried a sinister surge of Soul Power, echoing through the valley in an instant.

Bibi Dong looked up.

Yue Guan and Gui Mei turned around at the same time.

Standing beside Bibi Dong, Lu Chen felt no surprise at the voice.

He had come, just as expected.

The next moment, a figure appeared above the valley.

He was a tall, gaunt old man with strangely emerald-green hair. His whole presence seemed sinister and dangerous.

Standing on high, he swept his gaze over the people below, his eyes filled with cold fury.

The newcomer was none other than Dugu Bo.

This was the place where he hid and cultivated, and the treasure trove he had found after years of searching. Almost no one could get close to it under ordinary circumstances.

Now someone had trespassed into its innermost area. Naturally, he couldn't just stand by and let it happen.

However, when he first appeared, Dugu Bo hadn't immediately recognized the people below.

He assumed that anyone who could make it through his Poison Array had some ability. But if they were merely Soul Masters who had stumbled in by accident, then killing them was no great matter.

So he made quite an imposing entrance.

Dugu Bo stepped into the air and descended, walking down from above the valley one step at a time.

As he moved, his Soul Rings appeared one by one beneath him.

Yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black, black, black.

Nine Soul Rings appeared around his body, and the aura of a Titled Douluo spread out with them.

His sinister, poisonous Soul Power seemed to stir the poisonous miasma in the valley into greater activity. He was clearly trying to overwhelm the intruders with his presence.

Yue Guan watched the scene. First he froze, then he couldn't help laughing.

"I was wondering who it was. Turns out it's Old Poison Freak."

His voice dripped with undisguised mockery. "I didn't expect Dugu Bo to have such a grand entrance, considering how little strength he has."

Dugu Bo had been about to speak again, but when he heard that familiar, infuriating voice, his expression changed instantly.

He looked down carefully.

The moment he recognized them, Dugu Bo's heart sank.

The person standing below was Yue Guan.

And the sinister, unfathomable shadow beside Yue Guan—who else could it be but Gui Mei?

What made Dugu Bo's expression even uglier was the woman standing in front of them.

Bibi Dong.

The Pope of Spirit Hall.