Inside the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, Sword Douluo's expression shifted slightly as he sensed two powerful auras approaching.
His current predicament was decidedly awkward. He and Tang San were the only ones in the entire Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, and in Tang San's wretched state, he could not have hidden the Immortal Herbs.
If the others assumed he had picked the Immortal Herbs, it would be like yellow mud smeared across his crotch-no amount of explaining would clear his name.
Moreover, the newcomers' Soul Power fluctuations were extremely powerful. Judging by those fluctuations alone, even he fell somewhat short.
More importantly, these two Soul Power fluctuations seemed to belong to different factions, since they came from different directions.
One was supremely forceful and powerful. He suspected it belonged to a Clear Sky Hammer Soul Master, though he did not know whether the newcomer was Tang Hao or someone else from the Clear Sky Sect.
Titled Douluos like them knew that the Clear Sky Sect lived in seclusion near Heaven Dou City.
As for the other, he moved very quickly and was also a Titled Douluo. He had to be a rare flying-type Titled Douluo.
From what Sword Douluo knew of the Soul Masters on the Douluo Continent, the Upper Three Sects had no flying-type Titled Douluos.
There was therefore no need to guess who the newcomer was. He could only be an Offering from Spirit Hall, and the only one Sword Douluo knew of was Azure Luan Douluo.
At that thought, Sword Douluo sighed, then went over to Tang San and continued treating him with Soul Power.
He could not leave now. If he failed to explain things clearly and the others assumed he had picked the Immortal Herbs, he would be in trouble.
Thus, all he could do now was get Tang San to wake up quickly and offer something in his defense.
But just as he reached Tang San's side, he suddenly sensed another three auras approaching.
Two of those auras were weaker and followed behind Azure Luan Douluo.
On the side of the suspected Clear Sky Sect Titled Douluo, the aura of another Titled Douluo also bore the Clear Sky Sect's signature.
This time, he finally confirmed that the two approaching parties were from the Clear Sky Sect and Spirit Hall.
But Spirit Hall had three Titled Douluos, while the other side had two, leaving him at an absolute disadvantage.
If anything went wrong, he would have to leave immediately.
Sword Douluo then went over to Tang San and continued using Soul Power to stabilize his injuries.
He also gave Tang San's face a few slaps.
Several smacks rang out, but Tang San still did not wake up.
At that, Sword Douluo forcefully pinched the spot between Tang San's nose and upper lip.
"Ah!"
Tang San let out a scream and finally woke up.
He looked at Sword Douluo, his face twitching, and spoke haltingly:
"Senior... did you... find... anything else?"
Tang San could already feel the burning pain in his face, but what could he say? He could only pray that Sword Douluo would continue helping him.
Sword Douluo did not answer Tang San. Instead, he said gravely:
"Don't speak yet. Other Titled Douluos are coming, and Spirit Hall's Titled Douluos have the advantage. Whatever they ask you later, answer truthfully."
Spirit Hall? Why had Spirit Hall come?
Filled with doubts, Tang San could only nod to show that he understood.
Sword Douluo had barely finished speaking when a clear-blue figure cut through the air from the southwest of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
The figure moved extremely quickly. Almost the instant Sword Douluo sensed him, he was already in the sky above the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
The newcomer hovered in midair, his short, dark-blue hair stirring slightly. His smoky-blue eyes swept over the valley, and beneath his sky-blue fringe was an exceptionally handsome face.
He was none other than Spirit Hall's Third Offering, Azure Luan Douluo, whose Soul Power had reached the peak of rank ninety-seven.
As the first Offering Qian Daoliu had dispatched, he had traveled to the Heaven Dou Empire at great speed and found the two elders responsible for protecting Qian Renxue: Porcupinefish Douluo and Snake Lance Douluo.
But neither of the two Titled Douluos had any information about Qian Renxue's disappearance.
Not knowing what to do, Azure Luan Douluo had suddenly heard Chen Shi describe the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well and its Immortal-grade Herbs on the Light Screen, so he immediately brought the two elders to Sunset Forest to clear away any obstacles in advance.
Though he was fast, he still arrived a little later than Sword Douluo, who had set out first, not to mention that the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was closer to Sunset Forest.
Azure Luan Douluo's eyes swept over the entire Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well before finally settling on Sword Douluo and Tang San beside the spring.
He gave Tang San a few extra looks in particular.
The corners of his mouth lifted slightly, his expression carrying a hint of mockery.
"Sword Douluo, you certainly got here quickly."
Azure Luan Douluo spoke at an unhurried pace, but his voice carried an overwhelming sense of pressure.
"You must be Spirit Hall's Third Offering, Azure Luan Douluo!"
Sword Douluo's expression remained unchanged as he rose slightly and cupped his hands in greeting.
But inwardly, he was also extremely grave. He was only a rank ninety-five Titled Douluo, yet Spirit Hall's Third Offering was actually a rank ninety-seven Titled Douluo. The gap in their strength was considerable.
Especially since Azure Luan Douluo excelled at speed. If they fought and he could not win, even escaping would be difficult.
Fortunately, Azure Luan Douluo had spent a long time traveling and consumed a substantial amount of Soul Power. He was not at his peak.
"The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect certainly is well informed!"
Azure Luan Douluo slowly descended, landing a dozen meters or so from Sword Douluo.
His gaze swept over the stripped-bare valley once more, and he spoke with a sarcastic edge:
"You must have reaped quite a harvest on this trip. So many Immortal-grade Herbs, treasures rarely seen even once in ten thousand years. You certainly worked quickly, Sword Douluo!"
Sword Douluo had known this would happen.
He took a deep breath, putting on a solemn yet forthright expression.
"I only just arrived myself."
Azure Luan Douluo raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
"The valley was already like this when I arrived."
Sword Douluo pointed at the holes littering the ground and the poisonous mist lingering in the air, then continued:
"Dugu Bo set up a Poison Formation around this Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. And this poisonous mist was left behind by Dugu Bo's Martial Soul Avatar. He picked all the Immortal Herbs.
"This one on the ground..."
He lowered his head to glance at Tang San and said with displeasure:
"Was injured by Dugu Bo. He crawled out of these two kinds of spring water just as I arrived. To question him, I had no choice but to save his life first!"
Azure Luan Douluo looked again at the extensive wound on Tang San's chest, his brow furrowing slightly. He found it somewhat hard to believe. Had Dugu Bo really caused this injury?
After all, Dugu Bo's Soul Skills all carried poison, yet he had found no trace of poison in Tang San's chest.
As for what Sword Douluo had just said, he did not immediately state his position.
In truth, he did believe Sword Douluo, because on his way here, he had unexpectedly discovered the Poison Formation Sword Douluo had broken through, with traces of Sword Douluo's Soul Power still lingering on it.
How could Sword Douluo possibly have picked so many Immortal Herbs in such a short time?
Combined with the poisonous mist filling the air, Sword Douluo's words were at least seventy or eighty percent credible.
But the important question was, where had Poison Douluo gone?
Had Sword Douluo encountered and killed him first, or had he escaped? Azure Luan Douluo knew none of that.
Thus, if the other Titled Douluos pressed the matter, Sword Douluo would be the one left carrying the blame, so he could not state his position now.
Instead, he changed the subject, looking at Tang San with a cold laugh:
"So this is Tang Hao's son, Tang San?"
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