Suppressing the Poison, the Soul Bone Wager

Neither spoke on the way down the mountain.

After the terrifying nuclear blast in the forest, the shock in Dugu Bo's heart refused to subside.

The looks he cast Qin Yun grew more complicated with every step.

They held deep wariness and a measure of genuine awe. He no longer dared treat Qin Yun as an ordinary boy.

They hurried on and soon reached Dugu Yan's residence in Heaven Dou City.

The courtyard was quiet and secluded. A breeze stirred the branches and leaves with a faint rustle.

Dugu Yan sat upright on a bluestone platform in the courtyard, eyes closed as she focused on her cultivation.

Jade-green Soul Power surrounded her, circulating slowly.

Sensing two approaching auras, Dugu Yan ended her cultivation and opened her eyes. She looked up to see her grandfather, Dugu Bo, with Qin Yun beside him.

When her gaze fell on Qin Yun, complicated feelings flickered through her eyes.

She recalled their first meeting: the contest and the clash of poison arts.

She had always been proud, relying on her Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor Martial Soul to dominate her peers.

Yet against Qin Yun, she had been unable to put up the slightest resistance.

With time, however, her arrogance and resentment had faded.

In cultivation talent, combat strength, and even the poison arts she excelled at most, Qin Yun had left her far behind.

They had also spent a little time together at the academy.

She had gradually come to accept the young captain.

"Grandpa, Qin Yun... Captain."

The last word came out barely above a whisper.

"We're here today to clear the Martial Soul toxins built up inside you and ease the pain of the backlash for now."

Qin Yun raised a hand and summoned pure, gentle elemental Soul Power.

A strand of clean white light flowed from his fingertip and slowly entered Dugu Yan's meridians and flesh.

The toxins of the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor Martial Soul had taken root in her flesh and wrapped around her meridians. Fine traces of poison had accumulated layer upon layer, constantly eating away at her body.

Qin Yun's Elemental Power moved through her meridians and across her body with unerring precision.

Little by little, it stripped away, broke down, and purified the fine traces of poison that had built up over the years.

The whole process was gentle and soothing, without the slightest pain.

Within a few breaths, Dugu Yan felt light and comfortable, as though a thousand-pound burden had been lifted from her.

The most visible change was in her long jade-green hair, darkened by years of exposure to the toxins.

Its color lightened before their eyes. The unnatural darkness faded, leaving a clear, soft shade of pale green.

Her whole bearing seemed cleaner and brighter.

Dugu Yan let out a long breath, her face full of joy and gratitude.

"Thank you!"

With that done, Qin Yun spoke before Dugu Bo could ask.

"Senior, I only cleared Dugu Yan's meridians and purified the loose toxins. That can ease the pain of the backlash, but it can't cure her completely."

He looked at the grandfather and granddaughter, then continued.

"The poison afflicting you both is a congenital ailment carried within your Martial Soul Origin."

"The Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor Martial Soul is inherently venomous. Every time you circulate Soul Power or use a Soul Skill, a trace of poison turns back on you. Day after day, it takes root in your Martial Soul Origin and seeps into your blood and marrow."

"Ordinary detoxification or clearing of the meridians will never eradicate it."

Dugu Bo's expression grew grave. Brow furrowed, he pressed Qin Yun in a low voice.

"But you said you could cure our poison, not merely ease it!"

Qin Yun smiled faintly, his tone assured.

"Of course. I made you a promise, Senior, and I have a way to keep it."

"It's simple. You need a healing Soul Bone capable of powerful purification, self-recovery, and toxin removal."

"After each battle, once you've used your Martial Soul, the Soul Bone's natural passive effect will clear your meridians and purify any lingering toxins on its own."

"That will resolve the chronic backlash from your Martial Souls and free you from the poison for good."

Qin Yun's method was somewhat like Tang San's in the original story: both relied on Soul Bones.

The difference was that Tang San had Dugu Bo force all the poison into the Soul Bone. The poison still existed.

Qin Yun, meanwhile, would use the Soul Bone's power to break down the toxins and remove them from their bodies entirely.

Dugu Bo's eyes widened, and he shook his head again and again.

He took Qin Yun's words for the idle boasting of a reckless youth.

"You must be joking, boy!"

"Even an ordinary Soul Bone is a treasure scarce beyond measure across the continent."

"Let alone a purification and recovery Soul Bone with exactly the right attributes and Soul Skill!"

"And an ordinary restorative Soul Bone wouldn't do. It would also need to neutralize the Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor's poison."

"That would be harder than finding a needle in the sea."

Dugu Bo looked utterly unconvinced and deeply pessimistic.

Qin Yun remained composed, his voice steady and confident.

"No need to worry, Senior. I wouldn't have proposed this if I weren't sure I could do it."

"You needn't trouble yourselves over it."

"I'll find two suitable healing Soul Bones for you and your granddaughter. One each. You have my word."

Dugu Bo paused. Looking at the confident young man before him, he was filled with doubt.

Soul Bones were scarce across the continent. Countless Titled Douluo went their whole lives without obtaining even a few suitable ones.

Yet Qin Yun, barely above rank forty, dared make such a sweeping promise.

It was hard to believe.

But he saw the certainty in Qin Yun's eyes.

And when he remembered how Qin Yun had overturned everything he thought possible time and again, he found himself at a loss for a rebuttal.

Only Qin Yun knew what he had in mind.

For anyone else, this would be as hard as climbing to the heavens. For him, it would be easy.

His Elemental Martial Soul had yet to be fully unlocked.

Once his Martial Soul advanced and he unlocked the fifth-period elements, he would be able to wield the Zirconium Element.

Zirconium was a core material in making memory alloys.

With the power of Elemental Analysis and Reconstruction, he would not need to hunt Soul Beasts. He could craft Soul Bones capable of breaking down the Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor's poison with his own hands.

His plan settled, Qin Yun looked up at Dugu Bo.

"Give me one year, Senior."

"Within a year, I'll find two perfectly suited purification and recovery Soul Bones for you and your granddaughter and eradicate the poison from your Martial Souls."

Dugu Bo was stunned.

"One year? Hahaha!"

"You really do talk big, boy!"

"I've lived nearly a hundred years, and I've never heard of anyone finding two rare healing and purification Soul Bones to such exact specifications within a year!"

"If you truly manage it within a year..."

"Every herb in that medicinal garden will be yours. I'll give you the lot!"

Over the past few days, Dugu Bo had noticed something.

Qin Yun seemed especially interested in the herbs at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.

He had also felt that something was off: Qin Yun seemed to know about his medicinal garden already.

But none of that mattered now.

He did not even recognize many of the herbs there. If the boy could really produce the Soul Bones, why not give him the garden?

Qin Yun had yet to name a condition, and Dugu Bo had offered one himself.

He agreed at once. "It's a deal."

"A deal!"