Sunset Forest.
It lay directly east of Heaven Dou City, roughly a hundred li away.
It was not particularly large, spanning two hundred li, and covered far less ground than Star Dou Great Forest, yet it was the Heaven Dou Empire's largest Soul Hunting ground.
The group traveled at full speed, entering the dense woods and passing through the middle region. After driving away several Thousand-Year Soul Beasts that did not know better along the way, they finally reached the heart of the forest that afternoon.
"This is the place, Sect Master."
Elder Wei stopped and pointed ahead.
Long Aoyu stood beside Elder Wei and looked up.
A thick layer of dark green poisonous mist shrouded the area ahead. The mist neither dispersed nor flowed, and a dusky blue-green plant grew everywhere.
Du Busi walked forward with his hands behind his back. After observing for a moment, he inhaled slightly, drawing a wisp of poisonous miasma into his body to examine it.
"A Titled Douluo who uses poison. This Poison Formation does have a few tricks to it, but his cultivation is rather low."
Du Busi glanced back at Long Aoyu and the other two. "Stay close."
With that,
he stepped into the poisonous miasma.
Long Aoyu, Long Aotian, Vina, and Elders Wei and Zhao hurried after him.
Du Busi's Soul Power formed a protective barrier, keeping the poisonous gas outside.
They passed through a natural passage between the cliffs. After walking for about the time it took to drink a cup of tea, the mist before them suddenly thinned, and the light grew brighter.
A basin completely enclosed by sheer cliffs came into view.
A low mountain stood at its center, one half covered in deep blue ice, the other flowing with crimson lava.
At the foot of the mountain, two spring pools lay right beside each other. One was deep blue as ice, its chill soaring skyward; the other was crimson as blood, its waves of heat scorching.
The two pools clashed yet coexisted, their violent ice and fire energies permeating the entire valley.
Herbs of all manner of strange shapes grew around the pools, and the air brimmed with spiritual energy so dense it had almost become tangible.
This was none other than
the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well!
The greatest treasure land on the Douluo Continent.
Du Busi's gaze swept across the entire valley before finally settling on the two pools. His pupils contracted slightly as he sensed the energy they contained.
At the center of the valley.
A figure clad in a dark green robe sat cross-legged, cultivating with his eyes closed.
The instant Du Busi's group stepped into the valley, the man abruptly opened his eyes. His pupils were emerald green, with vertical slits like a snake's.
"Who goes there?!"
Dugu Bo rose to his feet. His gaze passed through the mist rising from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well and landed on the uninvited guests at the valley entrance, his expression shifting from alertness to gravity.
He could sense the aura emanating from the burly old man at their head.
To his astonishment,
the man was more than a single tier stronger than him!
"What a powerful aura. Unfathomable. They haven't come with good intentions..." Dugu Bo's brows knitted tightly.
"You arrived uninvited and barged into my Herb Garden. Don't you owe me an explanation?" Dugu Bo's voice was low, and a green serpent silhouette was already flickering around him.
Du Busi looked at him without rushing to attack and chuckled.
"An explanation?"
Seeing this, Dugu Bo immediately unleashed his Martial Soul.
Nine Soul Rings rose from beneath his feet: two yellow, two purple, and five black.
The dark green phantom of a Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor slowly solidified behind him, its emerald slit pupils fixed on Du Busi, Long Aoyu, and the others.
"The Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor..."
Watching the phantom, Du Busi suddenly seemed to recall something. "Poison Douluo Dugu Bo?"
Even ten thousand years later, Dugu Bo was renowned, with many accounts of him in historical records-during the battle of Jialing Pass, Poison Douluo Dugu Bo had single-handedly poisoned a million soldiers of the Spirit Hall Empire to death.
Dugu Bo's pupils contracted slightly. "You know me?"
"I wouldn't go so far as to say that."
Du Busi spoke calmly. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Du Busi, sect master of the Body Sect, a secluded sect."
"The Body Sect? A secluded sect?"
Dugu Bo's brows furrowed tightly, thoughts racing through his mind.
Du Busi continued at an unhurried pace. "Although our Body Sect lives in seclusion, we have still collected some information about the continent's powerhouses."
"Poison Douluo Dugu Bo, Guest Elder of the Heaven Dou Empire's imperial family."
Du Busi paused, a trace of scrutiny in his gaze. "Your Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor's poison is backlashing against your own body, and you rely on the ice and fire extremes power here to suppress it."
Dugu Bo's expression changed drastically.
This was his greatest secret, one no one had ever known, yet this "Body Sect's sect master" before him had exposed it all with just a few glances.
Dugu Bo clenched his fists, but reason told him he could not attack-
his opponent's cultivation far exceeded his own!
Du Busi did not press him further. Instead, he withdrew his gaze. "You needn't be nervous. I mean no harm. I've come here to take some immortal herbs. As for you-"
"I've heard of you. You value bonds and loyalty. Though you can hardly be called an upright gentleman, neither are you a treacherous villain who forsakes his word."
Dugu Bo froze. He had not expected the man to say something like that.
Wait!
Coming to take the immortal herbs counted as meaning no harm?
Dugu Bo's expression changed drastically, his voice carrying suppressed anger. "This is my Herb Garden!"
"I don't know exactly what marvelous properties these plants possess, but I do know they are exceedingly rare. You arrive and immediately demand to take the immortal herbs. Aren't you going too far in bullying me?"
"Going too far?"
Du Busi stood with his hands behind his back and suddenly laughed aloud. "Hasn't the Soul Master World always been a place where the weak are meat for the strong?"
Dugu Bo narrowed his eyes, a dangerous glint flashing through his emerald slit pupils.
He knew the man's cultivation far surpassed his own, but with things having been said to this extent, where could he put his dignity as Poison Douluo if he did not even dare strike?
Dugu Bo stepped back half a pace and raised both hands, his Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor Martial Soul breathing poisonous mist around him.
"Then let me learn from you!"
Before his words had faded, Elder Wei and Elder Zhao stepped forward together, placing themselves to the left and right in front of Du Busi.
"Insolence!"
"You aren't qualified to challenge our sect master."
Both men unleashed their Martial Souls at once.
"I am Listening Sound Douluo!" Elder Wei's ears shone with a silvery-white luster, and a silvery-white phantom of a pair of ears appeared behind him.
"Barefoot Douluo."
Elder Zhao's feet likewise lit up with silvery-white light, and a phantom of feet solidified behind him.
Both had a Soul Ring Configuration of two yellow, two purple, and five black, the same as Dugu Bo, but their Soul Power stood at rank ninety-two and rank ninety-three respectively.
"Two Titled Douluo!"
Dugu Bo's pupils contracted sharply, and he forcibly halted.
Rank ninety-two, rank ninety-three-
both Titled Douluo had higher Soul Power than him. Even one-on-one, victory would be difficult; against both, he had no chance at all.
Long Aoyu, Long Aotian, and Vina all smiled at the sight.
"Wei, Zhao."
Du Busi waved his hand, signaling for the two to withdraw.
"Are you certain you want to fight me?"
Du Busi looked at Dugu Bo opposite him, terrifying fluctuations erupting from his burly body.
The next instant, nine Soul Rings abruptly rose from beneath his feet-yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, red, red, red!
Boom-
Bloody light spread from the three Hundred Thousand Year Soul Rings.
An unparalleled pressure bore down ahead, making Dugu Bo tremble all over.
"Hundred Thousand Year Soul Rings!"
"Three Hundred Thousand Year Soul Rings!!"
"How is that possible?!"
Before you continue