I thought it was someone else

After landing, the surrounding aura became even more distinct.

One side was intensely cold, the other scorching hot; the two forces clashed alternately, yet they seemed constrained within a fixed range by some natural law.

Lu Chen did not approach the lake, choosing instead to observe from a safe distance.

Yue Guan, however, seemed like a completely different person.

After landing, he barely paused before immediately walking toward those exotic flowers and herbs.

Of course, he did not touch them rashly.

As someone deeply knowledgeable about medicinal herbs, he knew very well that the more precious the herb, the more specific the method of harvesting must be.

If handled incorrectly, some herbs would lose their medicinal properties instantly, while others might even backfire on the harvester.

Yet, even just looking at them was enough to make Yue Guan ecstatic.

He crouched before a stalk of herb, identifying it carefully for a moment, his eyes growing brighter and brighter.

This is actually real...

Then, he walked toward another.

And this one too...

How is it possible? How could so many grow in a place like this at the same time...

Yue Guan kept muttering to himself, his tone filled with shock.

He even couldn't help but whisper, "I have no regrets in this life, no regrets at all..."

Bibi Dong stood not far away, watching Yue Guan's near-obsessive behavior, and raised an eyebrow slightly.

Why is Yue Guan so excited?

Gui Mei watched Yue Guan and fell silent for a moment.

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

Lu Chen did not speak, merely watching Yue Guan's reaction.

He knew exactly why.

Yue Guan had spent his entire life accompanied by his Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum martial soul, and his understanding of and interest in flora and spiritual plants far exceeded that of an ordinary person.

To him, ordinary precious herbs might be rare enough, let alone the immortal herbs growing here beside the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.

As a Pope-level figure who had never truly seen an immortal herb in his life, suddenly seeing so many within arm's reach—while not quite as exaggerated as Fan Jin passing the imperial examination—it was clearly unrealistic to expect him to calm down immediately.

Yue Guan circled the area a few more times.

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

After a long while, he finally managed to force himself to calm down.

But even so, his eyes remained startlingly bright.

Yue Guan turned and came before Bibi Dong, his tone carrying irrepressible excitement.

"Your Majesty, this is a treasure trove."

Bibi Dong looked at him. "Explain clearly."

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

"Many of the herbs growing here are immortal herbs."

"Immortal herbs?" Bibi Dong's gaze flickered.

Yue Guan nodded.

"That's right, true immortal herbs. They are not ordinary herbs, nor are they merely treasures in the general sense; they are wonders that possess the power to seize the fortune of heaven and earth."

He became emotional again as he reached this point.

"If used correctly, these things can drastically improve a person's foundation, make up for deficiencies in talent and physique, and even provide immense help to a soul master's future cultivation."

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

Improving foundations and making up for deficiencies.

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

More importantly, there wasn't just one; there was an entire field of them.

Gui Mei also looked around, his voice low. "In other words, these things can cultivate soul masters?"

Yue Guan immediately replied, "Not just cultivate. If the right person consumes the right immortal herb, the effect is far stronger than any ordinary cultivation resource."

"It can even allow someone with flawed talent to be mended, or push an already excellent soul master even further."

After finishing, he looked back at the exotic flowers and herbs around the lake, the excitement returning to his eyes.

"I had only seen similar descriptions in ancient records before; I never expected to actually see them with my own eyes today."

"This is definitely no ordinary valley."

"This red and blue spring, along with these surrounding immortal herbs, is enough to prove that this is a true treasure land."

Bibi Dong did not speak immediately.

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

The Spirit resonance Lu Chen spoke of had truly led them to such a place.

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

However, the greatest opportunity of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well was not the herbs on the periphery, but the well itself.

Yue Guan continued to speak, "Your Holiness the Pope, there is a vast quantity of herbs growing here, many of which I will need to carefully identify."

"But what is certain is that as long as they are utilized properly, the harvest this time will be absolutely immense."

His tone became increasingly earnest.

"The immortal herbs here possess the power to seize the fortune of heaven and earth; they can significantly improve one's foundation and make up for any deficiencies."

"In short, this is absolutely a treasure land."

Just as Yue Guan's voice fell, a furious shout suddenly echoed from above the valley.

"Where did these petty thieves come from, daring to trespass into my territory!"

The voice carried obvious anger, along with a cold, chilling fluctuation of Soul Power that instantly reverberated throughout the valley.

Bibi Dong looked up.

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

Lu Chen stood beside Bibi Dong, but upon hearing this voice, he felt little surprise.

As expected, he had arrived.

The next moment, a figure appeared above the valley.

It was a thin, tall old man with hair of an eerie emerald green, looking gloomy and dangerous.

He stood on the high ground, his gaze sweeping over the people below with coldness and fury.

The person who arrived was none other than Dugu Bo.

This was his place of seclusion and cultivation, a treasure land he had found years ago, and usually, no one could even get close.

Now that someone had broken into the core area, he naturally could not sit idly by.

However, when he first appeared, Dugu Bo did not immediately discern the identities of the people below.

In his mind, anyone who could bypass his Poison Array must have some skill, but if they were just Soul Masters who had stumbled in by accident, then killing them would be of no consequence.

Thus, he made his entrance with great momentum.

Dugu Bo stepped through the air, walking down from the top of the valley step by step.

With his movements, his Soul Rings appeared one by one beneath his feet.

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

Nine Soul Rings emerged around his body, and the aura of a Titled Douluo spread outward.

That cold, poisonous Soul Power made the toxic mist in the valley seem even more active, clearly intended to suppress the intruders with his presence.

Yue Guan watched this scene, stunned for a moment, before he couldn't help but laugh.

"I wondered who it was; so it's the Old Poison Freak."

His tone carried undisguised mockery, "I didn't expect that although Dugu Bo's strength isn't much to speak of, his flair is quite something."

Dugu Bo had been preparing to speak again, but upon hearing that familiar and annoying voice, his expression changed instantly.

He looked down carefully.

At this sight, Dugu Bo's heart sank.

The person standing below was actually Yue Guan.

And beside Yue Guan, that dark shadow with an unfathomable, chilling aura—who else could it be but Gui Mei?

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

Bibi Dong.

The Pope of Spirit Hall.