Two paths of deduction, Golden Crocodile Douluo's itching hands

In Heaven Dou City, at the Crown Prince's Residence, Xue Qinghe held a book in his hand, but his fingertips unconsciously and repeatedly stroked the edge of the same page, the page remaining unturned for Jiujiu time.

After hesitating for a few moments, she finally couldn't hold back any longer. She closed the book, turned around, and left the study, walking hurriedly towards the door.

The enormous banyan tree casts a dense, oppressive shadow, providing a refreshing coolness even during the hottest part of the day.

Golden Crocodile Douluo hummed an unknown tune, reclining on a rattan chair, his body swaying gently with the back of the chair, looking extremely comfortable.

Rough fingers tapped a rhythm on the armrest, the light tapping a cheerful beat, clearly indicating a very good mood.

Suddenly, he raised an eyebrow, as if sensing something, and with a hint of helplessness, picked up the palm-leaf fan covering his face and slowly sat up. Just then, Xue Qinghe also quickly walked to his recliner.

"Grandpa Golden Crocodile ----"

Before Xue Qinghe could finish speaking, Golden Crocodile Douluo raised his hand to stop her. He shook his head helplessly and said, "Alright, alright, Grandpa knows what you want to say. I'll go and see for you."

The anxiety and worry on Xue Qinghe's face vanished instantly, his brows relaxed, and he affectionately hugged Golden Crocodile Douluo's arm and gently shook it. "Thank you, Grandpa Golden Crocodile."

Golden Crocodile Douluo reached out and couldn't resist ruffling her head, his tone full of affection. "Little girl, you really are—"

Without saying anything more, he stood up steadily from the recliner, took a light step, and with a sway of his body, transformed into a golden light and instantly disappeared from the Crown Prince's Residence.

Thousands of meters above the ground, Golden Crocodile Douluo withdrew his Soul Power, sensing the spiritual imprint he had left on Tang Shan. His slightly closed eyes suddenly opened, a golden light flashed by, and then he lifted his foot and walked towards the outer perimeter of Heaven Dou City. His steps seemed slow and ordinary, but each step covered thousands of meters.

"Sunset Forest? So that's where that Dugu Family brat's Medicine Garden was hidden." He muttered to himself.

A piercing tingling sensation surged from my sides like a tidal wave, spreading throughout my body, as if thousands of venomous insects were crawling and gnawing at my flesh. The tingling sensation was so intense that it almost tore my consciousness apart.

"Tear!"

Dugu Bo gasped, his long, dark green hair, which stood on end, was soaked with sweat, strands of it clinging to his forehead and neck. His aged face was contorted in extreme pain, veins bulging at the corners of his eyes, and his teeth were clenched so tightly they were grinding.

"Crack!"

His withered, bark-like hands suddenly gripped the tree trunk beside him, his fingers sinking deep into it. The bark peeled off, revealing the tree heart riddled with holes and emanating a grayish-black poisonous miasma.

"Huffing and puffing"

The heavy, labored breathing, like a broken bellows, echoed through the silent forest, but no one heard it.

He channeled his vast, ocean-like Soul Power, like a sturdy gate, desperately suppressing the sudden outbreak of toxins within his body. However, the tingling, itchy sensation of being bitten by countless ants did not ease at all; instead, it intensified.

Every minute, every second felt like being in the deepest hell. The tingling and itching not only tormented his body but also relentlessly ravaged his will and spirit, bringing him to the brink of collapse.

"Ah!"

Dugu Bo could no longer bear it and let out a long, mournful howl. The rolling sound waves were as real as if they were tangible, and they spread through the forest. The birds in the treetops were startled and scattered in all directions, and the Soul Beast in the forest trembled and fled in panic, fearing that they would be targeted by the owner of this terrifying sound.

Golden Crocodile Douluo was leisurely strolling in the sky, following the spiritual imprint to find Tang Shan, when he heard the painful roar that shook the forest, and he couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. After a moment's thought, he did not continue to walk in the direction of Tang Shan, but instead turned around and rushed towards the place where Dugu Bo had roared.

He didn't know how much time had passed, but when the tingling, itchy pain that had seeped into his bones and etched into his soul finally dried up and quietly disappeared, Dugu Bo was completely soaked in sweat, as if he had been pulled out of water. He leaned against a withered tree beside him, panting heavily, his eyes vacant and devoid of their usual sharpness, clearly still not recovered from that extreme pain.

After a long while, he exhaled a long breath and looked up at the setting sun.

"It's been a day, that kid should have picked out pretty much everything by now, right?"

He murmured something under his breath, his Soul Power swirling around him, instantly drying his soaked robe. Then, with a flicker, he suddenly soared into the air, transforming into a green shadow, and sped towards the direction of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.

At the top of a giant tree not far away, Golden Crocodile Douluo stood with his hands behind his back, watching Dugu Bo's departing figure. He gently shook his head, his tone tinged with regret. "A heaven-defying Martial Soul talent, yet suffering a backlash from that talent, forever tormented by deadly poison. How tragic."

As soon as he finished speaking, he moved swiftly, following behind Dugu Bo silently like Gui Mei. His aura was so well concealed that it didn't even cause a ripple, and even Dugu Bo, who was also Titled Douluo, didn't notice him.

Within the Sea of Consciousness, Tang Shan's consciousness materialized into a phantom, seated atop the silver ocean. Countless deductions flashed before his eyes like a sky full of stars, but he raised his hand to pick out and scatter those unreasonable directions, rejecting them one by one. Finally, two of the clearest beams of light condensed before him, becoming the most suitable choices at present.

First, Self-Created Soul Skill; second, he sought an antidote for Dugu Bo's poison.

Once the thought was made up, Tang Shan, in Awakened One state of enlightenment, instantly sank into a state of extreme clarity without the slightest hesitation. His past cultivation experiences, every detail of his Martial Soul's operation, the fantastical ideas he had while reading novels in his previous life, and even the characteristics of every Immortal Herb he had seen within the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well —countless pieces of information flooded into his consciousness like a tidal wave, converging wildly in his mind.

Collision.

In a daze, two enormous furnaces slowly rose from the depths of his consciousness. Using memories as fuel and the supreme wisdom of Awakened One being as flames, they began to frantically forge and extract this information, refining the chaotic fragments into an orderly network.

The first method to be forged and shaped was the antidote for Dugu Bo. Tang Shan named it "Poison Body Forging".

Using the deadly poison within Dugu Bo's body as a catalyst, it is transformed into a power to temper the physical body. This is then supplemented with a specific Immortal Herb formula to repair physical damage and enhance the body's resistance to poison, ultimately achieving the effect of being poisoned but unharmed.

The core ingredient is the herbal formula that helps the body recover and enhances its anti-toxic immunity.

In the past, with his abilities, it would have been impossible for him to concoct such an exquisite prescription in a short time. However, in his state of Awakened One, the properties of herbs in the world seemed to be fully under his control, making deduction extremely easy.

What is Awakened One? An enlightened being is one who is awakened at every moment, who knows all things in a single Awakened One.

Tang Shan was in this state at that time, his mind, will, and wisdom had reached an unprecedented peak. The mystery of this state is beyond words. If one were to remain in this state for a long enough time and read enough books, he could even create a doctrine that would influence a country or even an entire civilization, just like Shakyamuni or Laozi Tzu.

Unfortunately, he could clearly sense that this state of Awakened One was limited in duration, like sand slipping through his fingers, and could not be maintained forever.

After that, Tang Shan began to deduce his Self-Created Soul Skill.

Instinctively, he slowly stood up and began to practice the Fist Art he had developed and created, move by move. Under his control, the Qi and Blood within his body surged like a rushing river, and his Soul Power, following the trajectory of his fists and feet, began to gradually coordinate with his Qi and Blood, invisibly...

Mental Power also peeked out like a wisp of silk, wanting to merge into the circulation of Qi and Blood and Soul Power. The three must be integrated, and none can be missing.

Dugu Bo traversed the thick miasma surrounding the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, and in a flash, returned to the Medicine Garden. He was about to call out to Tang Shan when his gaze swept across the center of the field, but suddenly stopped. Tang Shan was surrounded by a faint golden light, his eyes were slightly closed, and his expression was solemn, clearly immersed in some kind of mysterious state.

The words that were about to come out were forcefully suppressed by him.

In his state of Awakened One, Tang Shan's perception had long surpassed the realm of "keenness," reaching a level of unfathomable mystery. As soon as the two terrifying auras appeared in the sky, he clearly sensed that one was as cold and sinister as a lurking venomous snake, which was Dugu Bo; the other was as domineering as a savage Ferocious Beast, carrying extreme pressure, which was none other than Golden Crocodile Douluo.

Even though he sensed the presence of the two people, his consciousness only paused slightly before he quickly immersed himself back into the deduction of his Self-Created Soul Skill. At this moment, even if the heavens and earth collapsed, no one could stop his progress in creating the Soul Skill.

A terrifying will erupted from his body, almost tangible. He mobilized his Soul Power, Qi and Blood, and Mental Power, which flowed like three rushing rivers, slowly merging and converging within his body under his control. Tang Shan's body moved accordingly, his fists sometimes fierce and sometimes agile. One after another, mysterious moves took shape in his hands, only to be instantly negated and discarded, and then re-deduced.

"Buzz buzz buzz!"

The air around him began to vibrate violently, forming a visible vortex. The Vital Essence of heaven and earth seemed to be summoned, surging wildly into his body and providing a continuous source of power for his deductions. He slightly raised his left hand, and a faint, Chaos-Colored Light quietly appeared, hazy and inconspicuous. It was the External Soul Bone, and clearly, the Soul Bone Skill had been activated.

"This is External Soul Bone? Heh, this kid actually has some luck."

Dugu Bo's gaze fell on Tang Shan's left hand, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. He murmured a word of praise, then paid no further attention.

Although Dugu Bo had killed countless people and poisoned numerous individuals throughout his life, even wiping out entire families at the drop of a hat, he was an old man who clearly distinguished between gratitude and resentment and had principles. Tang Shan saved his granddaughter Dugu Yan, and he remembered this kindness in his heart, so he would never do anything ungrateful, such as killing someone to steal their bones.

Of course, if it were Prince Xuexin, whose mind is becoming increasingly irrational and who is plotting against his granddaughter, then that would be a different story. Even if he were to offer up a Soul Bone, it would be only fair, wouldn't it?

Looking at the scene below, Golden Crocodile Douluo withdrew his hand, which had been itching to slap him, and a clear look of regret appeared on his face.

He had been Limit Douluo for some time now, and he hadn't encountered a single ignorant Titled Douluo who could truly test the power of the Limit. This made him really itchy to try it out.

Just like a child who gets a new toy and always wants to show it off, Jin, who has just broken through the Limit and achieved unparalleled success...

Crocodile Douluo also harbored a strong desire. After all, returning home in glory is like wearing fine clothes in the dark, and even though he was no longer young, he still felt eager to try his luck after breaking through his strength.

This time, I finally encountered Dugu Bo, Titled Douluo with an eccentric personality and unscrupulous methods. I thought I could take this opportunity to stretch my muscles and satisfy my itching to fight. But I didn't expect that this old poison master would be so well-behaved.

Tang Shan was completely unaware that countless thoughts were already racing through the minds of the two Titled Douluo above him. He only felt the power within his body becoming increasingly restless, and Soul Ring appeared beneath his feet. His first, second, and Third Soul Skill were activated one after another, with the effects of the Soul Skill layering on top of each other, pushing his own amplification to the Limit.

His body began to swell at a visible speed, and his clothes could not withstand the force, shattering into pieces and scattering.

The Amethyst Power surged around him like magma, then erupted completely. The pale purple light condensed and took shape, transforming into a set of sharply defined Amethyst Armor. Starting from his limbs, it covered him layer by layer, eventually enveloping his entire body, exuding a cold metallic texture.

Just then, the silver phantom of his Martial Soul suddenly appeared behind him, and the Martial Soul Second Awakening was activated.

"Buzz!"

Tang Shan's body swelled again, his muscles bulging, brimming with explosive power, finally settling at a towering thirteen meters, like a giant from Ancient Era. With the boost from his Silver-Level Second Awakening, his First Soul Skill's control over his own power instantly increased to 40%. Furthermore, the amplification effect of his Third Soul Skill, the Amethyst Origin, reached its peak at this moment, with his strength increasing by 800% and his Mental Power by 500%!