Tuoba Xi: Dugu Bo's Medicine Garden Had That Many Treasures?

Yin Changqing smiled at the sight, stepped forward, and said clearly:

"Grandfather, don't be alarmed. Let me explain what happened."

Tuoba Xi took a deep breath, forced down the turmoil in his heart, and sat back down behind his desk. Rubbing his temples, he said:

"Changqing, hurry up and tell me!

My head's a complete mess right now!"

Calm and composed, Yin Changqing began recounting everything from the start.

"Grandfather, here's what happened.

After we bought the Golden Earth Dragon King Right Arm Bone at the Heaven Dou City auction house, Prince Xue Xing hosted a banquet to smooth things over. During the meal, I noticed subtle signs that Dugu Yan was suffering from Snake Poison Backlash.

So I approached Mr. Dugu with a proposal to work together."

Tuoba Xi frowned.

"I know that much. You mentioned it when you got back.

But what does that have to do with Old Poison... no, with Mr. Dugu coming here in person?"

"Everything."

Yin Changqing smiled.

"Just as I expected, Mr. Dugu couldn't rest easy afterward.

He spent several days discreetly investigating the Holy Dragon Sect. Once he confirmed that our sect truly had deep foundations, he came to visit in person."

Tuoba Xi nodded.

"I know all that. Get to the point. What was in that medicine garden?"

Yin Changqing looked at Dugu Bo and smiled.

"Elder Dugu, why don't you tell the sect master about your treasure trove yourself?"

Dugu Bo stroked his beard and smiled. He stepped forward, looking more than ten times warmer toward Tuoba Xi than he once had, though his voice still carried a note of pride.

"Sect Master Tuoba, my medicine garden lies in a perilous area at the heart of Sunset Forest.

It is called the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, a natural spring of yin and yang formed by heaven and earth.

Where its cold and hot springs meet, they created soil extraordinarily rich in spiritual energy. Over the centuries, it has nurtured countless rare and precious plants."

Even as he spoke, Dugu Bo felt a little rueful.

He had cultivated at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, his own medicine garden, for decades.

Yet Yin Changqing had been the one to tell him what the place actually was!

Tuoba Xi stared, wide-eyed.

"Rare and precious plants?

Like what?"

Dugu Bo laughed and looked at Yin Changqing.

"Young Master Changqing, why don't you tell him for me?"

Yin Changqing nodded and held up four fingers.

"Grandfather, I'll give you a rough count:

In total, I picked more than a dozen top-grade Immortal Herbs from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well's medicine garden, including Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass, Infernal Delicate Apricot, Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum, Aromatic Silk Beauty, Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew, Aromatic Silk Beauty, Narcissus Jade Flesh Bone, Earth Dragon Golden Melon, and Snow-Colored Swan Kiss.

Any one of them, if it appeared elsewhere, would be enough to spark a major struggle across the Soul Master World. It might even draw the attention of Spirit Hall and the Upper Three Sects."

Tuoba Xi's jaw slowly dropped. He froze in place as if someone had sealed his acupoints, and even his voice changed pitch.

"M-more than a dozen Immortal Herbs?!

Changqing, I haven't even heard of many of the herbs you just named!"

"That's perfectly normal, Grandfather."

Yin Changqing explained calmly.

"Their growing conditions are extremely demanding. The Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well may be the only place on the entire continent capable of nurturing so many kinds of Immortal Herbs at once.

An ordinary soul master could walk right past them without recognizing their true value."

Tuoba Xi swallowed, rubbed his face hard, and turned to Yin Yu.

"Yin Yu, is what he's saying true?"

Yin Yu folded his arms, smiling.

"Father, I saw everything Changqing described with my own eyes.

That medicine garden really did hold an incredible opportunity. We gained far more from this trip than we ever imagined."

Tuoba Xi settled back into his chair and let out a long breath.

"My heavens... Dugu Bo, you guarded a treasure trove like that for years, then just handed it over to the Holy Dragon Sect?"

Dugu Bo waved a hand and gave a wry smile.

"That's not quite right, Sect Master.

I guarded the place for decades, but I only knew the poisonous properties of some of its herbs. They were barely enough to suppress the snake venom in Yanyan's body.

As for Immortal Herbs and incredible opportunities, I knew nothing about them.

In my hands, those plants were nothing more than pretty poisonous weeds.

Young Master Changqing was the one who recognized their worth and identified their true value one by one.

Not only that, he gave me a Jade Dragon Fruit in return, along with a supreme method for forming a Dragon Core."

As Dugu Bo spoke, he gently circulated the power in his Dantian. A dense, weighty aura of green-gold Dragon Aura seeped from him, making the very air in the hall feel heavier.

Tuoba Xi's pupils contracted sharply.

"Your aura... it's far stronger than before!

Even your Martial Soul feels different!"

"You have a keen eye, Sect Master."

Dugu Bo smiled proudly.

"My Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor has successfully evolved into the Jade Phosphorous Flood Dragon Emperor.

My Soul Power also rose two levels, from level 91 to level 93.

And I owe it all to Young Master Changqing."

Tuoba Xi whipped his head toward Yin Changqing and looked his grandson up and down several times. His expression plainly asked, Just how many more secrets are you hiding, boy?

Yin Changqing met his grandfather's piercing gaze with a faint smile, then calmly dropped another bombshell.

"Grandfather, that covers Elder Dugu.

Now it's time to tell you about me."

Tuoba Xi's eyelid twitched.

"What about you?"

Yin Yu burst out laughing beside them.

"Father, sit tight and listen. We don't want you jumping up and knocking your chair over again."

Tuoba Xi glared at him and forcibly held down his legs, which were already threatening to rise on reflex.

"Go on, then!"

Yin Changqing said:

"Grandfather, I refined four Immortal Herbs at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.

The first pair was Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and Infernal Delicate Apricot. Together, they gave me the Ultimate Ice and Fire Golden Body.

My body is now completely immune to ice- and fire-attribute attacks, impervious to all poisons, and twice as resilient in Blood Qi and Meridians."

Tuoba Xi silently gripped his chair's armrests.

Yin Changqing continued:

"The second pair was Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum and Aromatic Silk Beauty. Together, they gave me the Heaven-Connecting Vajra Dao Bones.

My physical and energy defenses increased by another 80%, my natural Soul Power recovery doubled, and my maximum Soul Power rose by 50%."

The corners of Tuoba Xi's mouth began to twitch.

Yin Changqing added one last thing:

"My Soul Power has now reached the level 50 bottleneck.

Once I absorb my fifth soul ring, I'll break through and become a Soul King!"

Clatter!

The Golden Feather Pen fell from Tuoba Xi's hand for the second time. This time, he didn't even have the strength to bend down and pick it up. He slumped against the back of his chair, staring blankly at the hall's vaulted ceiling. For five long breaths, he said nothing.

Then Tuoba Xi slammed his palm onto the desk.

"Twelve years old and level 50!"