Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, Poison Douluo

Along the way, Ling Yuan Douluo never intervened unless they encountered a Soul Beast too powerful for Qin Yu or a pack that surrounded him. He handled everything else himself.

Several hours later, Qin Yu had ventured deep into Sunset Forest.

"As expected, real combat here is nothing like it was in Spirit Forest. Wild Soul Beasts are far more vicious than captive ones."

Qin Yu still had his Purple Brilliant Heaven Destroying Dragon martial soul in Martial Soul Possession.

He held his Heaven Dragon Halberd. Traces of blood from various Soul Beasts stained the gleaming blades beside its spearhead.

Aside from some depleted Soul Power and a few minor injuries, Qin Yu was fine.

"Elder Ling Yuan, have you found it?" Qin Yu asked.

"Your Highness, there's an area to the northeast that matches your description. Some kind of poisonous miasma surrounds it," Ling Yuan Douluo replied through a voice transmission.

"Good."

Qin Yu nodded and hurried northeast.

A Titled Douluo's senses made the search far faster than wandering aimlessly alone. It was safer, too, since he was less likely to stray into a powerful Soul Beast's territory.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—

Qin Yu darted through the forest, springing off the branches of ancient trees. His powerful legs carried him at tremendous speed.

Even on the uneven ground beneath the trees, he never slowed down.

Years of combat training had clearly paid off.

Before long, Qin Yu reached the area Ling Yuan Douluo had described.

Ling Yuan Douluo then guided him safely through the last stretch of poisonous miasma.

"We're here."

Qin Yu smiled at the mist-shrouded valley ahead.

Standing beside him, Ling Yuan Douluo said, "Your Highness, I've searched the surroundings. Dugu Bo isn't here."

"All the better."

Qin Yu grinned. "Let's get into his garden, pick the Immortal Herbs, and strip it bare."

Ling Yuan Douluo didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

She had never expected those words to come out of Qin Yu's mouth.

"Let's go."

Qin Yu leaped into the valley, using his dragon claws and Heaven Dragon Halberd to slow his descent just before he hit the ground.

A moment later, he landed steadily.

Ling Yuan Douluo followed, staying hidden as she surveyed the valley and kept a sharp watch on their surroundings.

"The Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well."

Qin Yu's eyes gleamed as he gazed at the sight before him.

The hot spring was the most striking feature of the entire valley.

Steam billowed upward, then slowly dispersed.

Within the oval pool, the spring water was divided into milky white and vermilion. Though the two colors shared the same pool, they remained sharply separated, each confined to its own side.

All sorts of strange flowers and herbs grew around the peculiar pool, glowing in different colors. One look was enough to tell they were extraordinary.

What are those plants? Ling Yuan Douluo stared from her hiding place, astonished. She recognized none of them.

Then she spotted several chrysanthemums, and a rush of familiarity struck her.

"Those are..." Ling Yuan Douluo stared at the strange blooms in shock. "Elder Chrysanthemum's martial soul—the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum!"

It was the only one of the plants she recognized.

But recognition was all she had. She had no idea what the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum could do.

Qin Yu, on the other hand, knew these Immortal Herbs intimately.

Having studied the Flora Compendium thoroughly, he could name each herb on sight. He also knew how to harvest and consume every one, and what effects they had.

"Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass, Infernal Delicate Apricot, Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum, Lovesick Heartbreak Red, Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid, Nine-Grade Purple Ganoderma, Earth Dragon Golden Melon..."

Excitement surged through Qin Yu. A genuine smile spread across his face as his hands flew, gathering Immortal Herbs without pause.

He took every mature Immortal Herb.

He also took plenty of poisonous herbs and ingredients that could be refined into pills.

Only the immature herbs remained. He could return for them another day.

After all, the remains of two great Dragon Kings lay deep beneath the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.

If he had been strong enough, Qin Yu would have gone down there, devoured their remains, and raised his own dragon bloodline to the level of a Dragon King.

The Holy Son knows these plants? Ling Yuan Douluo was astonished.

Qin Yu gathered them so quickly that even she, a Titled Douluo, lost track of how many he had taken.

Time passed, bit by bit. There was no telling how long he spent there.

Fortunately, Qin Yu had anticipated this day and bought a ring-shaped Soul Tool capable of storing living things.

Its storage space was smaller than that of the Storage Ring Golden Crocodile Douluo had given him, but at roughly twenty cubic meters, it was more than enough for these Immortal Herbs.

Once Qin Yu had collected the last Lovesick Heartbreak Red along with its Black-Absolute Stone, he had stripped the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well of every mature medicinal herb.

With the herbs gathered, Qin Yu looked at the two-colored hot spring beside him. I can't pass up this chance to temper my body, either.

Consuming the Immortal Herbs could wait until he had left and found somewhere safe.

For now, tempering his body with ice and fire came first.

"Elder Ling Yuan, I need to cultivate here for a while longer. Sorry for the trouble," Qin Yu said.

"Leave everything to me, Your Highness."

Ling Yuan Douluo did not know what else Qin Yu intended to do, but she asked no questions. She only needed to remain vigilant and protect him from the shadows.

"Haa..."

Beside the spring, Qin Yu drew a deep breath, took out the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and Infernal Delicate Apricot, and consumed them together.

Then he stripped off his clothes until he was completely naked.

Ling Yuan Douluo instinctively looked away, but not before she caught a glimpse of something she should not have seen. A faint blush rose to her cheeks.

Though she had lived for many years, in one respect she was still a "girl."

His Highness truly is gifted.

After that private moment of admiration, Ling Yuan Douluo quickly pushed aside her embarrassment and resumed watching the surroundings.

Splash—

Qin Yu jumped into the spring.

The medicinal powers of the two Immortal Herbs clashed inside him, sending energy surging outward. It shielded him from the spring's extreme cold and heat.

His tempering by ice and fire had begun.

Ling Yuan Douluo divided her attention between the valley and the land beyond it, making sure no Soul Beast or person approached.

"Whoosh..."

Just then, an unusual current stirred the air.

It was faint, but not faint enough to escape a Titled Douluo's senses.

Alarm flashed through Ling Yuan Douluo. In an instant, she sensed an aura rapidly approaching. It was Dugu Bo.

"He's here."

Ling Yuan Douluo narrowed her eyes. Without hesitation, she released her aura over the entire valley.

By doing so, she was telling Dugu Bo that a Titled Douluo was here.

Sure enough, the approaching presence slowed as soon as it sensed her aura, then drew nearer with caution.

It stopped several miles outside the valley, as though its owner were observing the area from hiding.

Whoosh—

Ling Yuan Douluo flashed out of hiding and stared into the dark forest ahead. "Dugu Bo, you're already here. Show yourself."