Picking Up Fragments on Douluo Continent

"Hahaha, kid, not bad. Not bad at all."

Dugu Bo looked Lu Feng up and down, his eyes flickering as though he were considering something.

This kid's medical skills are decent, and he looks passable too. No wonder Yan Yan brings him up every other day.

Compared to that fellow from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect, this kid is much easier on the eyes.

Dugu Bo grabbed Lu Feng's hand and gave it a squeeze. "Level twenty-six. Barely acceptable."

But when he tried to determine Lu Feng's age through the bones in his palm, Dugu Bo's expression turned strange. "Kid, have you practiced some kind of soul skill with your hands?"

Lu Feng's hand was extraordinarily flexible to the touch, yet he simply could not make out the condition of its bones.

Lu Feng's heart tightened. He nodded and said, "Yes."

Dugu Bo bent down and pinched Lu Feng's calf several times through his pants. Lu Feng immediately felt a wave of numb soreness.

"Huh? You've practiced soul skills with your legs too?"

"Mm." Lu Feng nodded. "I liked running all over the mountains when I was little, so my calves are sturdier than most people's."

Dugu Bo frowned. "I refuse to believe it. Kid, take off your pants."

"Senior, are we treating the illness or not?" Lu Feng said helplessly.

"Hahaha." Dugu Bo raised both hands and scratched his head.

His actions made Lu Feng smile despite himself. He was a Title Douluo and already in his seventies or eighties, so why did he still seem as immature as Osler?

"Ahem."

Dugu Bo gave a light cough and said seriously, "I've managed this herb garden for many years, so I've learned a few things."

He pointed at a pale pink flower. "This herb can restrain my poison, but unfortunately, it cannot detoxify me."

Lu Feng looked in the direction Dugu Bo indicated. The flower's diameter was nearly a foot, and every petal looked as crystal-clear as glass, releasing a faint, secluded fragrance.

Centered around the flower, a radius of more than ten meters was filled with a faint pink mist.

Aromatic Silk Beauty, Lu Feng pondered silently.

Dugu Bo continued, "This flower can neutralize poison. I once used living people for experiments. Within the range of this mist, any poison becomes ineffective. But if someone is already poisoned before entering the fragrance's range, it cannot detoxify them."

Lu Feng nodded. The Aromatic Silk Beauty was far too conspicuous, so it was hardly strange that Dugu Bo had thoroughly studied it.

"The prisoners I used for experiments were all heinous criminals. Rather than keep them in prison wasting food, they might as well serve as fertilizer for my flowers," Dugu Bo explained, an unprecedented move for him.

Only a handful of people, including the emperor and Prince Xue Xing, knew that Dugu Bo used living people to test medicines.

Though Dugu Bo had an eccentric personality and was a Title Douluo-level powerhouse, he still cared about his reputation.

Lu Feng nodded. "When opportunity lies before you, if you do not study it thoroughly, you cannot improve your own strength."

"If you let rules bind you into timidity, then one day, when you encounter an enemy you cannot resist, can you only pray that they spare you?"

"Hahaha, well said. You've got a bit of my old bearing, kid." Dugu Bo laughed heartily.

He pointed at a chrysanthemum-shaped herb not far away and continued, "This herb is called the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum."

As he spoke, Dugu Bo's eyes flickered, as if he had recalled something unpleasant.

Dugu Bo and Yue Guan were old rivals.

Back when Dugu Bo had just advanced to Title Douluo, he had gone to Spirit City full of pride and spirit to receive his investiture. The Pope at the time, Qian Xunji, had personally tried to recruit him, but Dugu Bo had always disliked the restrictions imposed by major factions, so he tactfully declined.

Unexpectedly, after that incident, Spirit Hall sent people to hunt him down.

The one who acted was Yue Guan.

Dugu Bo had only just entered the Title Douluo rank, while Yue Guan had long been famous and possessed as much as level ninety-four Soul Power.

Dugu Bo only escaped after narrowly surviving death, and later, Prince Xue Xing rescued him. He became a guest adviser of the Heaven Dou Imperial Family.

In the years that followed, Yue Guan came to trouble Dugu Bo every few years.

Every time, Dugu Bo was beaten so badly that he could not fight back at all.

Yet after all these years, Dugu Bo had still failed to break through level ninety-two. Only later did he finally understand that if Yue Guan had truly wanted to kill him back then, it would have taken no effort at all.

Understanding was one thing, but whenever he saw Ju Hua Guan strutting around so arrogantly, Dugu Bo felt as sick as if he had eaten shit.

He wished he could lovingly greet the man's face with the sole of his shoe.

"This herb is the one I've researched the most," Dugu Bo said proudly.

"Take its stamens, combine them with Seven-Star Grass, Snow Silkworm, Phoenix Flower, and more than ten other herbs, then use the spiritual energy of this Blazing Sun Spring to refine the Indestructible Vajra Divine Pill."

"This pill is exclusively supplied to the imperial family. Every batch is worth at least fifty thousand Gold Soul Coins."

With a flick of Dugu Bo's finger, a strand of the Sky Chrysanthemum's stamen flew into his hand. He wrapped it in Soul Power and sent it before Lu Feng. "This stamen benefits cultivation, but you cannot eat too much of it. Come, try it. Young people need more nourishment."

Lu Feng accepted the stamen and immediately did not know what to say.

The Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum primarily strengthened one's foundation and nourished one's origin. Consuming it sent energy through the limbs and blood through the eight meridians, allowing one to cultivate an Indestructible Vajra Body.

Using it to refine Viagra?

Nothing wrong with that!

Lu Feng swallowed the stamen and immediately felt a surge of heat rise within his body. He silently circulated his Soul Power and absorbed the medicinal strength. A moment later, Lu Feng opened his eyes, his gaze full of astonishment.

That tiny strand of stamen was actually comparable to a full day of his painstaking cultivation.

"Senior Dugu's medical skills are exquisite. I am truly impressed." Lu Feng cupped his hands.

"Hmph!" Dugu Bo snorted, clasping his hands behind his back and raising his head. "Follow me."

After walking along the path for several minutes, the two stopped outside a cave.

"This is where I refine medicine. Kid, do you dare come inside with me and take a look?"

With that, Dugu Bo walked straight into the cave.

"You think I'm afraid?" Lu Feng's expression did not change as he followed closely behind.

The moment he entered the cave, Lu Feng smelled a faint fishy odor of snakes. He frowned slightly and said, "Senior, your Jade Phosphorous Serpent Poison is one of the most potent poisons I have ever seen. But there is no need to bring out these little tests again."

"Hahaha." Dugu Bo laughed, then withdrew his snake poison.

The cave passage was somewhat narrow, only wide enough for one person to pass through. After walking several dozen steps, they arrived at a spacious stone chamber.

The stone chamber was dim, with only a few weak beams of light shining down through cracks in the rocks.

A faint layer of purple covered Lu Feng's eyes, and he finally saw his surroundings clearly.

"This..."

Seeing everything before him, Lu Feng's face immediately went pale. His stomach churned, and he nearly vomited on the spot.

The surrounding walls were covered with transparent jars of all sizes. Various small soul beasts and some unusual soul beast organs were preserved within them in special liquids.

Jade Phosphorous Serpents.

Jade Scorpions.

Green Jade Centipedes.

And some soul beasts that had been completely deformed, too distorted for Lu Feng to recognize.

In the center of the stone chamber stood five enormous jars, each taller than a person. Each jar contained an organ, corresponding respectively to the five viscera.

Lu Feng was certain that those organs had come from humans.

"Haa..."

Lu Feng slowly exhaled a breath of stale air and calmed the agitation in his heart.

He glanced at Dugu Bo, and his understanding of the man deepened once more. This guy was practically a research maniac!

"So, kid? Scared?" Dugu Bo asked teasingly.

Even the emperor and the prince only knew that Dugu Bo used living people to test medicine.

They had never imagined that he would dissect human bodies.

If such madness became known, Dugu Bo might be branded an evil soul master.

Lu Feng smiled faintly. "Senior Dugu, you said it yourself. These people were all heinous criminals in life. Now that they are serving your research, they can be considered to have died for a worthy cause."

"Good kid, you've got guts!" Dugu Bo's eyes flickered as he continued, "You guessed correctly. The poison in my body was created when I accidentally consumed an herb during my martial soul's mutation."

"Ah..."

He sighed. "The poison in my body has accumulated for many years. It has long spread throughout my entire body and penetrated deep into my bloodline, passing down from generation to generation. Yan Yan's parents died because of this poison."

"All these years, I've researched day and night in hopes of finding a way to detoxify it."

Lu Feng cupped his hands and said solemnly, "Senior Dugu's love for your granddaughter runs deep. I can understand it."

"It is good that you understand my painstaking efforts. If I can cure Yan Yan, what does it matter if I bear the curses of ten thousand generations?" Dugu Bo said proudly.

"The poison within soul beasts is a thousand or even ten thousand times stronger than that of poison-type martial souls. Kid, have you ever considered why soul beasts are not harmed by their own poison?"

Lu Feng thought deeply for a while before slowly speaking two words. "Poison sacs."

"A conclusion this old man reached only after years of research, and you saw through it with a single remark?" Dugu Bo exclaimed in surprise.

He walked over to a jar and pointed at the organ inside. "That's right, poison sacs. For ordinary poison-type soul masters, their poison is stored within their martial souls, so it does not affect the soul masters themselves much."

"But the poison in my body exists within my bloodline. Humans do not possess an organ like a poison sac, which is why my poison spread throughout my body and eventually left me like this."

As Dugu Bo spoke, he sighed again. If the price of success and fame had been losing his only son, he would rather never have had that opportunity.

"Senior Dugu's research must have produced some results, then?" Lu Feng asked with cupped hands.

"Hahaha, naturally."

As he spoke, Dugu Bo opened his mouth and spat out a streak of green light. A jade-green bead slowly floated out.

"This Dan Zhu was condensed after my Jade Phosphorous Serpent evolved."

"Since the human body has no organ for storing poison, then I created one myself."

Dugu Bo said calmly, "This Dan Zhu can not only gather poison, but also promote the condensation of Soul Power. You could say that half of my strength lies in this bead."

Lu Feng looked at the bead floating in midair, and a flash of amazement passed through his eyes.

Sure enough, everyone who could cultivate to the rank of Title Douluo was an unparalleled genius.

Dugu Bo's bead already possessed the beginnings of a Soul Core.

In the original story, if Tang San had not interfered, perhaps Dugu Bo could have continued his research and truly created an era-defining cultivation technique.

In the second part of Douluo Continent, a soul master's Soul Core rested within the dantian. It needed to absorb Soul Power from the outside world and store it for the soul master's use, thereby increasing combat strength and recovery ability.

Dugu Bo's "poison Soul Core" held an even greater advantage over theirs. He could accumulate power through the poison in his own body, and perhaps even consume poisonous herbs to enhance his strength.

"Senior Dugu is truly a talent without equal. I am deeply impressed," Lu Feng said solemnly.

"Hahaha, kid, you can praise me a little more." Dugu Bo puffed out his chest proudly, unable to suppress the smile at the corner of his mouth.

This old man really is shameless, Lu Feng grumbled inwardly as he watched Dugu Bo's crooked grin.

"Senior, we should discuss detoxifying Miss Dugu first. The poison in your body requires careful planning, but Miss Dugu's poisoning is still shallow. I am at least ninety-eight percent confident!"

The poison in Dugu Bo's body was actually easy to resolve. Several Immortal Herbs within the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well could save his life.

The Infernal Delicate Apricot and the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass—if he consumed both Immortal Herbs together and used the ice-and-fire spring water to assist, Dugu Bo's poison arts would be dissolved, but that was still better than dying from poison.

The Earth Dragon Golden Melon was an earth-element Immortal Herb containing a trace of earth dragon power. Though it did not match Dugu Bo's attributes, that trace of earth dragon bloodline would be enough to elevate his martial soul to a higher level.

However, the price would also be the loss of all his poison arts.

But in Lu Feng's view, since Dugu Bo had already condensed a Poison Pill, he had already completed half the path toward a Soul Core. Giving up now would be a real shame.

Sometimes, when facing a problem, one did not necessarily have to solve it. One could also make use of it.

If Dugu Bo used the Poison Pill as a foundation to condense a Soul Core, it would undoubtedly be a path leading straight to the heavens for him.

"Since you are confident about Yan Yan's poison, help her detoxify first." Dugu Bo nodded in agreement.

"Let's go out first. It would be troublesome if Yan Yan discovered these things."

Inside another cave.

Dugu Bo clasped his hands behind his back and said calmly, "I'll go bring Yan Yan here. There is food and fresh water in the cave, so stay here for the next two days."

At that moment, Dugu Bo's eyes rolled twice, and he said teasingly, "Kid, although I do not know exactly what your detoxification method requires, if you can convince Yan Yan, it would not be impossible for you to nourish her meridians for her."