Dugu Bo's Medicine Garden

When Dugu Bo said he was going to the Medicine Garden, he wasn't being polite. Before dawn, he was already standing at the entrance of the Shrek Academy, his tall, thin figure shrouded in the morning mist, looking even more conspicuous than the tattered sign at the academy gate.

Xiao Wu's expression immediately turned sour upon seeing him.

"It's you again?"

Dugu Bo glanced at her, Tang San stepped forward to block Xiao Wu, but Yuan Yu was faster, slung his Wine Gourd behind his waist, and laughed, "Senior, you've arrived so early, are you afraid we'll renege on our debt?"

Dugu Bo sneered, "I'm afraid you've overslept."

Flender came out of the house, adjusted his glasses, and said, "Senior Poison Douluo, you can take people away, but you can't corrupt them."

Yuan Yu immediately replied, "Don't worry, Dean, I've been bad enough."

Flender glared at him, but Xiao Wu didn't laugh; she still held onto Tang San's sleeve.

"I'll go too."

Tang San said in a low voice, "Xiao Wu, stay at the academy."

"Staying again?"

Xiao Wu's eyes were a little red. She hated this feeling of being excluded, but Yuan Yu walked to her side and his voice softened for once. "It's not that I'm not including you this time. Senior Dugu's Medicine Garden is full of poison. Even Fatty would turn into roast chicken if he went there. If you go, I'll have to divide my attention to save two people."

Ma Hongjun peeked out from the doorway and asked, "How did I end up roasting chicken?"

Oscar pulled him back. "Don't say anything yet, or you might be taken away to be tested for poison."

Xiao Wu was still looking at Tang San. Tang San reached out and ruffled her hair, saying only, "I will come back."

Xiao Wu bit her lip, turned and glared at Yuan Yu: "If you dare to hurt him, I'll beat you up."

Yuan Yu pointed to himself. "How is this being blamed on me?"

"You went with them."

"Fine, if you can't protect your mistress, I'll let you kick her a couple of times when you get back."

Xiao Wu then let go. Dugu Bo watched this scene without asking any questions. Having lived for so many years, he could tell that some things shouldn't be touched upon lightly.

The auras of Azure Luan and Ling Yuan flashed by in the distance. Dugu Bo looked up and said, "The Spirit Hall really can't bear to part with you."

Yuan Yu smiled and said, "I've been liked by people since I was a child."

Ling Yuan's voice came from the rooftop. "Stop patting yourself on the back."

Yuan Yu pretended not to hear.

The three left Suotuo City and headed straight for Sunset Forest. Dugu Bo was fast, but he couldn't shake off the two boys; Tang San followed with Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, while Yuan Yu's feet glowed with Wind Pattern as his White-Clad brushed against the shadows of the trees, occasionally managing to straighten the Wine Gourd at his waist.

Dugu Bo glanced back and said, "Not bad."

Yuan Yu said, "Senior, you are truly concise in your praise."

"I wasn't praising you."

"It sounds like it to me."

Dugu Bo ignored him.

Upon entering the Sunset Forest, a damp, cold medicinal scent filled the air. Tang San stopped, brushing his fingertip against a blade of grass, and said, "There's poison nearby."

Dugu Bo said, "It would be strange if there were no poison outside my Medicine Garden."

No sooner had he finished speaking than the bushes ahead suddenly rustled, and a dozen small, emerald-green snakes darted out of the grass with incredible speed, lunging straight for Tang San's ankles.

Tang San's Silver Needle slid out from his sleeve, Yuan Yu had already drawn his sword, its Thunder Pattern gleaming.

"Thunder Breathing - First Form"

"Thunderclap and Flash."

Lightning Flash flashed across the ground, deflecting the first few venomous snakes with the scabbard. Tang San's Silver Needle fell simultaneously, sealing the vital points of the snakes behind. Yuan Yu didn't kill them all; he merely used the scabbard to press the last snake to the ground.

The small snake opened its mouth and spewed out poisonous mist. Yuan Yu's Wind Pattern immediately lit up. With a sideways spin, the wind from the blade swept the poisonous mist onto a nearby tree trunk, instantly turning the bark black.

Tang San glanced at it. "The toxicity is not weak."

Dugu Bo stood with his hands behind his back. "It's just a little thing by the door."

Yuan Yu flicked the venomous snake back into the bushes and said, "It's quite lively at your doorstep, Senior."

Dugu Bo's lips twitched slightly. "Any further ahead, those who are good at talking will die quickly."

Yuan Yu sheathed his sword. "Then I'll say no more."

Tang San looked at him.

Yuan Yu added, "Try your best."

The three continued onward, and the further they went, the denser the poisonous plants became, while the traces of ordinary Soul Beast became fewer. Purple-black vines hung from the trees, and there were many pits of decaying leaves on the ground. Tang San suddenly raised his hand to stop Yuan Yu, and the two of them stopped at the same time.

The ground ahead looked flat, but beneath the fallen leaves lay a layer of extremely fine white threads. Tang San picked up a small stone and gently tossed it over. As soon as the stone landed, the surrounding vines tightened immediately, and the white threads pulled, causing the ground to sink half a foot, revealing a patch of black thorns underneath.

Yuan Yu looked at the pit and said, "Senior, your family is quite hospitable."

Dugu Bo said calmly, "That wasn't made by me."

As soon as he finished speaking, a large net suddenly drooped down from the tree, the net ribbons sticky with sap, directly covering Tang San. Tang San raised his Blue Silver Grass, trying to push the net away, but as soon as the net touched the Blue Silver Grass, it immediately split into fine threads, winding down along the grass leaves.

"Poisonous spider silk."

Tang San's expression hardened as Yuan Yu drew his sword, Flame Pattern blazing forth.

"Flame Breathing - First Form"

"Unquenchable Fire."

A blade flashed along the edge of the web, the poisonous spider silk contracted upon contact with the fire, but did not immediately break. From within the tree canopy, a black-striped poisonous spider the size of a human head sprang out, its abdomen once more spitting out silk, its target still Tang San.

Dugu Bo didn't make a move, he just watched. A flash of Lightning Flash appeared under Yuan Yu's feet, and he was already in front of Tang San, his sword sheath striking horizontally.

Bang!

The poisonous spider was smashed into a tree trunk. Tang San flicked his right hand, and three Silver Needle shot into the spider's joints. The spider's eight legs stiffened, and it fell into the fallen leaves.

Yuan Yu looked down at the hem of his clothes stained with slime. "This clothing is very expensive."

Tang San looked at him. "Who bought it?"

Yuan Yu paused for a moment. "Bought by the Spirit Hall."

"Then what are you heartbroken about?"

"Although it wasn't my money that was spent, the clothes I'm wearing are mine."

Dugu Bo's head ached. "Are you Shrek Academy students always this noisy when you're traveling?"

Tang San said, "He's noisier when he's alone."

Just as Yuan Yu was about to retort, several small poisonous spiders darted out of the bushes. This time, without Yuan Yu needing to speak, Tang San spread out his Blue Silver Grass, shoving all the poisonous spiders aside.

Yuan Yu nodded. "Not bad, you've learned to find things annoying."

Tang San observed the situation intently. What was a deadly threat to others was a source of medicinal knowledge for him. Dugu Bo offered no explanation, wanting only to see how much Tang San could discern.

Reaching a mountain wall, Dugu Bo stopped. Below the wall, mist swirled, and within the green fog, the shadowy figures of snakes could be faintly seen. He pointed and said, "The Medicine Garden is behind the poison array."

Tang San looked at the green mist without flinching, and instead took half a step forward. Yuan Yu also put away the Wine Gourd.

Dugu Bo turned to look at them. "It's not too late to regret it now. My Medicine Garden is not the flower garden of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy. If you take one wrong step, you won't even be able to find your bones."

Tang San said, "Senior brought us here to see if we could get in, right?"

Yuan Yu laughed and said, "Since we're already here, we can't just leave after saying a few words of praise at the door."

Dugu Bo watched them for a while. Tang San stared at the poison array, his eyes shining, already discerning the direction of the poison gas; Yuan Yu stared at the poison array, his hand on the hilt of his sword, his shoulders and back gradually relaxing.

Afraid?

Neither of them had anything on their faces.

Dugu Bo stared for a while, then slowly raised an eyebrow. These two audacious Little Monster really didn't seem like they were here to die.

Tang San carefully put the medicine powder away again, and Yuan Yu gripped the Sun Wheel Blade. The Rosy Cloud Pattern on the blade felt slightly cool, and waves of hot and cold energy emanated from behind the mountain wall.

Dugu Bo turned and walked into the green mist.

"Keep up."