Dugu Bo

Fang Yuan's cultivation was far deeper than Tang San's. Only after Tang San had been repeatedly restored by As Before did Fang Yuan begin to feel the poison slowly corroding his body.

However, when Fang Yuan's first Soul Ring lit up and white light flashed around him, he was restored to his peak condition once more.

Thus, under As Before's utterly terrifying healing effects, Fang Yuan and Tang San repeatedly went through the cycle of being poisoned, healed, poisoned again after healing, and healed again after being poisoned, all while advancing toward the mountaintop.

The two climbed swiftly and soon reached the upper half of the mountain, already very close to the summit.

Only upon reaching this height did Fang Yuan and Tang San realize that poison was no longer seeping into their bodies. They had already passed through the poisonous miasma.

Looking back at the poisonous miasma below, Tang San could not help clicking his tongue.

This Jade Phosphor Snake Poison miasma covered an extremely vast area and was fiercely toxic. If he had needed to find a way through it himself, he would have had to go through great trouble to prepare antidotes, realgar wine, and the like.

Yet under his teacher's soul skill, the two of them had passed directly through that deadly poisonous miasma and arrived at the summit of this mountain.

Teacher's soul skill is truly too powerful! Tang San thought with secret admiration.

After passing through the poisonous miasma, Fang Yuan and Tang San continued toward the mountaintop. The mountain was less than two hundred zhang high, and they were now already very close to the summit.

However, just as they were about to reach the top, both of them abruptly stopped.

A massive pressure suddenly descended from above the summit.

Upon sensing this pressure, Tang San's body could not help trembling, and his face turned exceedingly grim.

Under this pressure, even as he circulated the Mysterious Heaven Skill with all his strength, he found it difficult to withstand the terrifying, shuddering sensation it brought him.

In an instant, he realized that anyone capable of possessing such an aura had to be an expert beyond anything he could currently imagine.

But then, sensing his hand being gripped even more tightly, Tang San's heart settled again.

He was not facing an expert with such terrifying pressure alone. His teacher was beside him.

Sensing this pressure, Fang Yuan slowly came to a halt. He reached out to shield Tang San behind him, then slowly raised his head and looked toward the mountaintop.

An elderly man with a tall, lean build stood there with his hands behind his back, straight as a javelin. His hair and beard were both dark green, and his slightly narrowed eyes glimmered with a faint green light.

The old man wore a simple long robe and stood there expressionlessly, as though nothing concerned him. Yet the pressure radiating from his body brazenly proclaimed his presence.

No Soul Rings were displayed, nor had he activated Martial Soul Possession, yet he could release such a formidable aura. This showed just how terrifying this man's strength was.

Fang Yuan stepped forward twice and said, "You must be Senior Poison Douluo Dugu Bo. This junior came here to make a deal with you. I wonder whether Senior is interested."

Near the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, possessing the strength of a Title Douluo and bearing such a vibrant, life-filled appearance, this old man's identity naturally had only one possibility.

Hearing Fang Yuan's words, the old man opened his half-lidded eyes and cackled strangely. "I didn't expect a brat like you to know this old man's name. Since you know it, don't think of stalling for time. Surrender and await death obediently."

As he spoke, an even more majestic aura erupted from his body.

Within this mountain lay his greatest reliance, the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, which Dugu Bo normally protected with his own poison.

For weak Soul Masters or soul beasts, daring to intrude meant certain death. The poisonous miasma surrounding the place could easily take their lives.

As for those strong enough to cross the toxic barrier, yet who knowingly ventured into danger, they had almost certainly come with some ulterior motive. Dugu Bo would personally act to finish them off.

Now that he saw Fang Yuan and Tang San had crossed the poisonous miasma, Dugu Bo naturally concluded that they had come with ill intent and attacked without hesitation.

A piercing shriek burst from Dugu Bo's mouth. Seven Soul Rings appeared around him at once, and green light flared in an instant as his body swelled, transforming into a massive green serpent.

Anyone capable of passing through the poisonous miasma at the foot of the mountain surely possessed a method to counter his Jade Phosphor Snake Poison. Once Dugu Bo acted, he immediately unleashed his Martial Soul Avatar, intending to subdue them with thunderous force.

Dugu Bo's Martial Soul Avatar was his martial soul, the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor. It was fully thirty meters long, its scales flared outward, while savage light shone from its pair of triangular snake eyes.

Seeing that Dugu Bo intended to attack without even exchanging another word, Fang Yuan could not help shaking his head.

This old poison freak truly had a strange temperament and far too much impatience. He had not even entered his immortal herb redemption code yet.

Still, even if they were going to fight, Fang Yuan had nothing to fear.

He had not come to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well this time to beg for immortal herbs. He had come to take them openly and fairly. After all, the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well was not Dugu Bo's private property. Heavenly treasures belonged to the capable; that had been an unchanging principle since ancient times.

Even with Dugu Bo here, Fang Yuan merely intended to make a deal with him.

And the first prerequisite for a transaction was that both sides stood on equal footing.

Fang Yuan knew just how eccentric Dugu Bo's temperament was. If he tried to make a deal directly, this old poison freak might look down on him. After all, he only had six Soul Rings. In the eyes of a Title Douluo, he might be no different from a child.

Taking this chance to display his abilities would be just right. It would keep this old poison freak from looking down his nose at him and ensure that he treated Fang Yuan as an equal during the negotiation.

Fang Yuan stomped heavily, his body shooting forward like an arrow released from a bow. Rather than retreating, he advanced, actually charging toward the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor that had activated its Martial Soul Avatar.

"Oh? Instead of running away, you charge at me? Challenging a Title Douluo is sheer foolishness."

The Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor formed by Dugu Bo spoke in human words. He truly had not expected this brat to neither turn and flee nor kneel and beg for mercy, but instead charge straight toward him.

Could it be that, judging by this, he actually dared to fight him?

For a moment, Dugu Bo could not decide whether the other party was brave or reckless, but he found himself feeling more approval than disdain toward such conduct.

If the other party had truly turned and fled or knelt to beg for mercy, Dugu Bo likely would not even have spared him a glance before killing him.

However, after hearing Dugu Bo's words, the charging Fang Yuan merely smiled faintly.

"You seem to have misunderstood something. Let me tell you," Fang Yuan said with an uplifted smile, "you are the challenger."

As he spoke, three Soul Rings rose from beneath Fang Yuan's feet under Dugu Bo's astonished gaze.

One yellow and two purple Soul Rings revolved around Fang Yuan before all descending onto his back.