The Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well

After passing through the narrow path, the view suddenly opened up. The Valley was not large, but it was divided in two by two streams of energy; on one side, heat rose and the grass turned red, while on the other side, cold mist hung low and fine frost formed on the stone walls.

In the center of the Valley was a spring, its water half milky white and half vermilion, clearly separated in the middle. Tang San stood there, his breath catching in his throat.

Dugu Bo looked at him. "What, don't you recognize me?"

Tang San didn't speak immediately. He looked at the spring, then at the strange herbs around him, his eyes growing brighter and brighter.

"The Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well"

Dugu Bo frowned. "What did you say?"

Tang San said in a low voice, "This is not an ordinary Medicine Garden. The cold and hot energy here allows herbs to grow much faster than outside, and also allows many herbs that would not normally coexist to grow together."

Dugu Bo's expression changed. He only knew this place was a treasure trove, but Tang San's words hit the nail on the head, and when he looked at the young man again, his eyes immediately changed.

Tang San took two more steps forward.

"The herbs here cannot be judged by ordinary standards. The medicinal properties that take ten or a hundred years to develop outside may only take a few years to form here. Senior, you probably only took the outer herbs; you mostly didn't touch these inside."

Dugu Bo's expression grew even more grim. "I don't want to cause any harm."

Yuan Yu nodded. "I believe what you say, senior."

Dugu Bo looked at him. "What do you believe in?"

"If you really knew these plants, you wouldn't let them grow like this."

Tang San's lips twitched, and Dugu Bo's forehead twitched as well. "Say that again?"

Yuan Yu immediately took half a step back behind Tang San: "I said, Tang San knows a lot."

Tang San silently stepped aside. "Don't hide behind me."

Dugu Bo was so angry at the two teenagers that he laughed, but he had to admit that Tang San was right. There were many medicinal herbs here, but he only knew their toxicity and general uses; he didn't know the specific methods of harvesting and preparing them.

Yuan Yu didn't interrupt. As soon as he entered the Valley, the Sun Wheel Blade heated up and then cooled down, with Water Pattern, Flame Pattern, and Rosy Cloud Pattern lighting up one after another. As the aura of the Ice and Fire Spring surged, the three patterns floated up on the blade in sequence. His fingers, which were gripping the hilt, went slightly numb, and deep within the blade, that deep voice sounded again.

"Ten Thousand Manifestations Nine Trials, Sixth Trial: Rosy Cloud Pattern Discerns Truth."

"The Second Segment, 'Ice and Fire Medicine Discernment'."

"Seven-Day Garden Watch, Discern the Spirit's Ownership. Do not damage the medicinal roots, nor deprive others of their opportunities."

"Upon completion, the Rosy Cloud Pattern Inheritance will proceed."

Yuan Yu's eyes flickered.

Do not take away opportunities from others.

He looked at Tang San. Tang San didn't know what Yuan Yu had heard, but he saw that the three patterns on the Sun Wheel Blade were glowing at the same time, so he asked, "Is your blade reacting?"

Yuan Yu nodded. "This place will be useful to me too, but I can't just take things randomly."

Dugu Bo sneered, "I thought you'd be quicker to act than Tang San if you saw these things."

Yuan Yu glanced at the valley full of medicinal herbs and said frankly, "Greed is inevitable. But there have to be rules when it comes to greed. Take what you can, and as for what you can't, even just looking at it is worthwhile."

Dugu Bo paused for a moment, his expression no longer so cold. Yuan Yu's gaze lingered on a few Immortal-Grade Herb, but his hand remained on the hilt of his sword, not touching the herbs.

Tang San had reached the spring, but he didn't get too close. He squatted down to examine a white blade of grass, then went around to the other side to look at a crimson flower.

Dugu Bo said, "I don't usually let anyone touch these grasses. If you dare to pick them, I'll throw you into the spring."

Tang San looked up. "Senior, many of these herbs cannot be touched directly. If picked incorrectly, their medicinal properties will be ruined."

Dugu Bo's eyebrow twitched. Yuan Yu, who was suppressing a laugh, immediately looked over and asked, "What are you laughing at?"

I didn't laugh.

Your lips are practically drooping.

Yuan Yu immediately raised his hand to cover the corner of his mouth. Tang San ignored the two of them; his attention was already drawn to the two medicinal herbs by the spring.

Beyond those two medicinal herbs, he also saw several other extraordinary Immortal-Grade Herb with a powerful aura. One had its leaves and flowers unfurled, carrying a faint tulip scent; another had white petals like jade, with mild medicinal properties; and a third stood upright in fiery red, its corolla resembling Phoenix raising its head. Further away, there was another strange flower with red and white petals, its petals drooping, quietly yet strikingly beautiful.

Tang San's gaze grew increasingly steady. If these herbs were used correctly, the foundation of everyone in Shrek would be greatly strengthened, but he did not reach out.

Dugu Bo, standing behind, saw that he had been watching for so long without touching anything, and his expression improved slightly.

"Kid, can you hold back?"

Tang San said, "The first step in gathering herbs is to identify them. Reaching out before you can clearly identify them is tantamount to destroying them."

Yuan Yu chimed in from the side, "Did you hear that, senior? That's what you call professional."

Dugu Bo looked at him coldly. "Did I ask you for your opinion?"

"No, I did it voluntarily."

One plant was pure white, its octagonal leaves radiating a chilling aura; the other was fiery red, its petals curling with waves of heat. Tang San slowly exhaled.

"Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass"

"The Infernal Delicate Apricot."

Dugu Bo frowned upon hearing this. "Can it be used?"

Tang San said, "It can be used, but it's extremely dangerous. Taking either one alone will be fatal. Only by taking both together, and then using this Ice-Fire Spring, will there be a sliver of hope."

Yuan Yu walked to his side. "Do you want to eat?"

Tang San nodded. "I need them."

Yuan Yu didn't try to dissuade him. If Tang San were truly willing to gamble with his life, he wouldn't have spoken so confidently, but Dugu Bo's expression darkened.

"You want to commit suicide in my Medicine Garden?"

Tang San said, "I will not die."

"You say you won't, so you won't?" Dugu Bo sneered. "Even I wouldn't dare touch those two herbs, so what makes you, a Soul Elder of the thirties, think you can?"

Tang San raised his eyes. "Because I know how to eat it."

Tang San's voice wasn't loud, but his landing by the spring was steady. Dugu Bo stared at him for a moment, and Yuan Yu placed the Wine Gourd on a nearby rock.

"Senior, don't worry. If something really happens to the mistress, I'll take responsibility for getting him out of trouble."

Dugu Bo looked at the Ice-Fire Spring: "You're going to fish it out?"

"Try it."

"You will die too."

Yuan Yu smiled and said, "I have a low alcohol tolerance but a lot of courage."

Tang San had already taken out his tools, his movements extremely steady. He first used a special technique to remove the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass, and then picked the Infernal Delicate Apricot on the other side. As soon as the two Immortal Herbs were separated from their roots, their cold and hot powers surged simultaneously. Dugu Bo's sleeves trembled, and poisonous gas protected him.

Yuan Yu drew his Sun Wheel Blade, Water Pattern and Flame Pattern lit up simultaneously, and the two auras of ice and fire collided with the blade, producing a faint hum.

Without hesitation, Tang San swallowed the two Immortal Herbs and, in the next instant, rushed towards the spring.

Dugu Bo's expression changed.

"Kid!"

Yuan Yu raised her hand to stop him. "Wait."

The spring water rippled outwards, and Tang San's figure sank into the boundary between ice and fire. Dugu Bo's eyes were grim as he said, "If he dies, how will I explain this to Shrek Academy?"

Yuan Yu stared at the surface of the spring. "He won't die."

The Rosy Cloud Pattern shone brightly, and the light of water and fire danced back and forth on the blade. Suddenly, the cold and hot air from the spring surged outwards at the same time, and several low roars came from the depths of the Valley.

Dugu Bo looked up. "Trouble is brewing."

Yuan Yu gripped his Sun Wheel Blade tightly. "Perfect, waiting for someone is boring."