Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower!

"It worked..." Dugu Bo murmured, his voice trembling slightly. "It really worked..."

He suddenly raised his head, his eyes fixed on Xiao Lin with indescribable excitement and gratitude.

"Kid! You did it! You really did it!"

Xiao Lin wiped the sweat from his forehead and smiled weakly. "Senior, this is only the first treatment, so the effects are limited. To completely remove the toxins from your body, you'll need multiple treatments, gradually and step by step. We can't rush it."

Dugu Bo sat cross-legged beside the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, closed his eyes, and carefully sensed the changes within his body.

The stubborn toxins that had accumulated for decades were now safely contained within the Soul Bone in his right arm, like wild beasts locked inside a cage. They were still vicious, but they could no longer wreak havoc within him.

The remaining toxins had also become much more docile. They no longer flared up without warning as they once had, tormenting him until he wished he were dead.

"Amazing!" Dugu Bo could not help roaring. He looked utterly refreshed, as though he had become ten years younger. "I haven't felt this good in decades!"

He turned to Xiao Lin, his eyes blazing. "Kid, do it again! Let this old man experience that feeling once more!"

Xiao Lin did not know whether to laugh or cry. "Senior, this isn't like eating or drinking. You can't do it every day. Your body has only just adapted to having the toxins stripped away, and it needs time to recover and adjust. If we conduct a second treatment too soon, it will only burden your body."

"I see..." Dugu Bo was somewhat disappointed, but he did not insist.

"Then I'll listen to you. But honestly, that flute music of yours is truly strange. It actually stirred my Martial Soul and made those toxins move on their own. I've lived for so many years, yet this is the first time I've experienced such a feeling—it was as though my entire body had been cleansed, becoming clearer from the inside out."

"That was the power of the piece itself," Xiao Lin explained. "Different pieces carry different moods and energies. Dance of the Golden Snake contains a nimble, lively power that happens to suit the nature of serpent-type Martial Souls, which is why it could resonate with your Martial Soul."

"Resonance..." Dugu Bo savored the word and nodded thoughtfully. "What a fine word. Kid, your mastery of music is probably unmatched in all of Douluo Continent."

He stood, dusted himself off, and looked toward the still-unconscious Dugu Yan. His gaze softened considerably.

"Since this method works on me, it should work on Yan'er too. Once she wakes up, treat her as well. After all these years of accumulated toxins, there is finally a way to solve the problem."

He suddenly turned back, looking at Xiao Lin with a half-smile. "Kid, tell me honestly. Did you come to Heaven Dou City specifically for this old man?"

Xiao Lin's heart tightened, but his expression remained calm. "Why would you say that, Senior?"

"Stop pretending." Dugu Bo waved a hand, wearing an expression that said he had seen through everything long ago.

"You arrived in Heaven Dou City, went straight to the Great Soul Arena to compete, then happened to meet Yan'er, happened to defeat her, and happened to save her when her poison flared up. Do you really think this old man would believe that string of coincidences?"

Xiao Lin opened his mouth, intending to explain. Sure enough, he was not the only clever person in this world. None of these old monsters were simple.

But Dugu Bo interrupted him.

"Enough. No need to explain." Dugu Bo's tone turned serious.

"I don't care why you approached Yan'er, nor do I care what you want from this old man. As long as you can cure Yan'er and free her from the backlash of her poison cultivation, you are this old man's benefactor. From today onward, this herb garden is yours. Take whichever herbs you want. There's no need to be polite with me."

Xiao Lin froze.

He had not expected Dugu Bo to be so open-minded. Though he had clearly seen through Xiao Lin's intentions, he did not pursue the matter and instead offered him the utmost sincerity.

"Senior..." Xiao Lin opened his mouth, complicated emotions surging within him.

He walked to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, his gaze sweeping over the dazzling Immortal Herbs as he began making calculations.

Since Dugu Bo had already said this much, there was no need for him to stand on ceremony. He had to choose several Immortal Herbs best suited to himself and maximize his strength.

His gaze first fell upon the two Immortal Herbs nestled against each other beside the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.

One was entirely crimson, its leaves like burning flames and radiating scorching heat. The other was icy blue, frost glittering upon its leaves as it emitted bone-piercing cold.

Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and Infernal Delicate Apricot.

Taken individually, both Immortal Herbs were highly poisonous. But if consumed together, ice and fire would blend and temper the body into one as unbreakable as diamond. Not only could they greatly enhance physical strength and resistance, they could also make the user immune to ice and fire, as well as all poisons.

This was exactly what Xiao Lin needed most at the moment.

Although his offensive methods were powerful, his physical condition had always been his weakness.

If he could temper his body through these two Immortal Herbs, his defense and survival abilities would improve dramatically. In the future, when facing close-combat power-type opponents, he would no longer be so passive.

Xiao Lin carefully plucked the two Immortal Herbs, placed them in specially made jade boxes, and continued searching for his next target.

His eyes swept across the many Immortal Herbs before finally settling on a golden flower shaped like a cockscomb.

Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower.

This Immortal Herb contained exceptionally pure fire-attribute energy. It had an excellent refining and evolutionary effect on Martial Souls with fire attributes or Phoenix bloodlines.

Xiao Lin's Nine Phoenix Ceremonial Flute contained Phoenix bloodline power. If he consumed this Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower, it might cause some kind of qualitative transformation in his Martial Soul.

"This is the one." Xiao Lin added the Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower to his collection as well.

After choosing his own Immortal Herbs, Xiao Lin did not immediately consume them. Instead, he carefully searched through the herb garden again and selected suitable Immortal Herbs for Dugu Bo and Dugu Yan as well.

For Dugu Bo, he chose a snow-white flower as soft in appearance as velvet—Snow-Colored Swan Kiss.

This Immortal Herb was not poisonous itself, but it possessed an extremely heaven-defying trait: it could amplify the potency of toxins a thousandfold. For a poison expert like Dugu Bo, it was practically a divine weapon.

As long as an opponent came into contact with even a trace of poison during battle, the Snow-Colored Swan Kiss could magnify it into a lethal toxin.

For Dugu Yan, he chose a golden flower that gave off a rich tulip fragrance—Aromatic Silk Beauty.

In the original work, this Immortal Herb had evolved the Seven-Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda into the Nine-Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda.

Since it could promote the evolution of a Martial Soul, then in theory, it could also cause Dugu Yan's Jade Phosphorous Serpent Martial Soul to undergo some form of evolution.

Though he did not know what form it would evolve into, it would be stronger than her current Martial Soul, which constantly suffered from the backlash of poison cultivation.