Before setting out for the Breaking Clan, Bing Yekong still needed to take the risk of visiting the Icefire Yin-Yang Well.
After all, his greatest bargaining chip for negotiating with Yang Wudi lay within the Icefire Yin-Yang Well.
That Aromatic Silk Beauty.
Bing Yekong might not be able to identify the other immortal herbs with certainty, but Aromatic Silk Beauty was different. It was exceptionally unique, and Bing Yekong had prepared plenty of things to help him find it.
Yang Wudi only cared about medicine and fighting.
Bing Yekong was only a Soul Elder now. Beating him was hardly possible, so he could only start with medicine.
Yang Wudi was obsessed with alchemy, especially poison. Thus, Aromatic Silk Beauty had become something he would pursue for the rest of his life.
After finalizing his plans, Bing Yekong went to find Shui Qingrou.
"Request leave?!"
Inside the dean's office, Shui Qingrou frowned as she looked at the young man standing before her.
"Little Yekong, how long have you even been in school? And you're already asking for leave, for an entire month at that. You'd better give Auntie a reasonable explanation!"
This was the first time Shui Qingrou had treated Bing Yekong with such severity. In the end, she was simply worried about him.
Bing Yekong had no choice. The Breaking Clan was in the Star Luo Empire; even one month was considered a short trip.
"Aunt Shui, I have my own reasons. This concerns my future. Please trust me."
Naturally, Bing Yekong could not tell her everything and could only try to bluff his way through it.
Shui Qingrou had always respected his decisions. Seeing how earnest and serious Bing Yekong was, she began to waver.
Ever since Bing Yekong was young, Shui Qingrou had always felt that he was different from other children his age—frighteningly mature.
Now that he was going out into the world alone, Shui Qingrou found that she could not summon much worry. It was as though Bing Yekong was meant to do this and would not come to harm.
In the end, Shui Qingrou shook her head and sighed. "All right. Since you insist, Aunt Shui respects your choice."
She took out a Gold Soul Card worth one hundred thousand and handed it to Bing Yekong. "Stay safe."
That instruction contained only four words, yet it was filled with sincere concern.
Bing Yekong solemnly accepted the Gold Soul Card, then bowed before turning to leave.
He did not tell Shui Bing'er or Shui Yue'er. It would only be a month, and he would return once he was done.
After packing his things, Bing Yekong left Skywater Academy and departed Element City.
His next destination was Heaven Dou City.
He intended to visit Heaven Dou City first because he needed to confirm Dugu Bo's whereabouts.
Otherwise, if Dugu Bo was at the Icefire Yin-Yang Well, would going there not be courting death?
Bing Yekong did not believe that, before he possessed the ability to cure the man, the Soul Douluo backing him could keep him safe.
Therefore, to be safe, Bing Yekong decided to inquire around Heaven Dou City first.
He carried Shui Qingrou's identity token with him.
A Soul Douluo's status was second only to a Titled Douluo's. Using Shui Qingrou's identity, finding out a little information would not be difficult.
Several days later, a young man dressed in white arrived at the gates of Heaven Dou City, travel-worn from the road.
Before Bing Yekong even entered the city, he spotted a notice posted by the gates.
After skimming through it, Bing Yekong was overjoyed.
The notice concerned Xue Ye's birthday.
Elderly Xue Ye always wanted to celebrate every birthday properly, which was why this notice had been posted at the city gates.
Its general meaning was that the emperor's birthday was to be celebrated with the people, with some benefits distributed to the common folk.
Bing Yekong was uninterested in that. Instead, he looked toward the list of those invited into the imperial palace.
The list was brief, naming only a few important figures.
Ning Fengzhi of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Tang Yuehua, mistress of Moonlight Pavilion, and Bing Yekong's target for this journey—the Poison Douluo, Dugu Bo.
That was also why Bing Yekong was so delighted.
Dugu Bo's name had appeared on the list, and the birthday celebration was only two days away. That meant he had to be at his residence in Heaven Dou City right now.
Just in case, Bing Yekong still chose to enter the city.
After entering, Bing Yekong casually found a roadside tea stall and planned to gather some information.
The idle chatter of several people nearby reached his ears.
"Hey, have you heard? Even the Poison Douluo came for His Majesty Xue Ye's birthday celebration this time!"
"Isn't that normal? He's a retainer of the imperial family. Of course he'd come, both out of courtesy and obligation."
"I even saw that lord from afar yesterday, when he was traveling with His Highness the Fourth Prince, Xue Beng. That presence—whew! As expected of a Titled Douluo!"
Bing Yekong stopped listening at that point. He had already obtained the answer he wanted.
He stood up, left a Silver Soul Coin on the table, and strode away.
After leaving Heaven Dou City's gates, Bing Yekong hurried toward Sunset Forest.
He had to seize the time and take Aromatic Silk Beauty before Dugu Bo returned.
Several more days passed before Bing Yekong finally set foot on the outskirts of Sunset Forest.
Once he arrived, Bing Yekong became cautious.
Although the soul beasts of Sunset Forest were generally weaker than those of Great Star Dou Forest, it was still not a place where he could act recklessly.
At his current strength, Bing Yekong was, at best, comparable to a Soul King. Or, by relying on his attribute advantage, he could perhaps fight a Soul Emperor.
If just two soul beasts that were tens of thousands of years old appeared, he would most likely die here.
Therefore, Bing Yekong had to be careful, careful, and even more careful.
As he ventured deeper, the wild scent in the air became increasingly pronounced.
To prevent his aura from being exposed, Bing Yekong summoned his martial soul.
With the Tianshuang Sword in hand, Ultimate Ice Soul Power instantly spread across his body, tightly enveloping him completely.
This way, not the slightest trace of aura would leak from Bing Yekong. As long as he did not encounter a soul beast head-on, he would basically remain undiscovered.
Thus, Bing Yekong made his way smoothly to the center of Sunset Forest, near the Icefire Yin-Yang Well.
But at that moment, Bing Yekong felt a chilling sensation at the back of his neck.
A sense of foreboding instantly surged into his heart.
Bing Yekong abruptly turned around, yet found nothing.
He gripped the Tianshuang Sword, his heart rising to his throat.
Suddenly, Bing Yekong noticed something and leaped sharply backward.
He jumped five or six meters away in one bound.
And at the very spot where he had just stood, the ground collapsed.
An enormous brown spider appeared there.
Bing Yekong recognized the species of the spider before him at once.
An Earth Cavern Demon Spider.
Judging from its size and what he had learned, it was at least forty thousand years old and close to reaching the Spider Emperor level.
"No wonder I haven't sensed any soul beast auras for so long. So you were the one watching me!"
Bing Yekong could avoid the gaze of soul beasts above ground, but it was difficult for him to evade those beneath the earth. There was nothing he could do about being discovered by this Earth Cavern Demon Spider.
However, Bing Yekong did not panic.
Ultimate Ice kept him calm as his mind raced, considering countermeasures.
A forty-thousand-year Earth Cavern Demon Spider already possessed considerable intelligence; it simply could not speak.
It did not attack immediately. As if it had Bing Yekong completely cornered, it merely watched him with great interest.
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