As Luo Chen strode forward, the Jade Phosphor Seven Absolutes Flowers, green all over with seven-lobed leaves, swayed beside him, seemingly trying to infect him with the deadly poison within them.
Luo Chen frowned slightly, and the Netherworld Scorpion Emperor's powerful presence erupted from his body. In an instant, the Jade Phosphor Seven Absolutes Flowers that had been swaying toward him seemed to encounter some terrifying existence. They immediately wilted, clearing a path outright.
"Sure enough, it takes the Netherworld Scorpion Emperor to keep these little bastards from blocking the way!"
In high spirits, Luo Chen passed through the blockade of Jade Phosphor Seven Absolutes Flowers and entered the interwoven purple and white mist.
At once, Luo Chen could distinctly feel two entirely different sensations on his left and right.
On the left, the vapor was mostly purple, giving Luo Chen a bone-piercing chill, as though he stood in a ten-thousand-year ice cellar.
On the right, the vapor was mostly white, giving Luo Chen a scorching sensation, as though he stood at the edge of a volcanic crater.
The two extremes of ice and fire actually existed together in this wondrous place.
As Luo Chen continued forward, he passed through the interwoven purple and white mist and reached a flat, open area.
When he raised his eyes, the sight before him stunned him where he stood, leaving him unable to recover for a long time.
Before him lay a basin valley embraced by mountains. It measured only a few li across, yet several vividly colored plants grew there.
At the very center of the valley was a pool of spring water.
This spring differed from ordinary springs. One half was deep blue, radiating a bone-piercing chill, with tiny ice crystals floating on its surface, as though it remained forever frozen. The other half was crimson, radiating scorching heat, with even tiny bubbles churning across its surface, as though it remained forever boiling.
The two extremes of ice and fire actually existed together within a single spring, and on either side of it grew two entirely different immortal-grade medicinal herbs.
One was snow-white all over, growing beside the Yin Spring of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well and giving off a faint chill. The other was crimson all over, growing beside the Yang Spring of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well and giving off scorching heat.
Luo Chen stood in the middle of the valley, gazing at the sea of immortal herbs before him, his heart filled with delighted surprise.
"So this is the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well?" he murmured, his eyes full of awe. "Worthy of being one of the Douluo Continent's three great treasure basins. It's truly beautiful."
"In the original story, Dugu Bo monopolized this place for decades, using it to suppress the deadly poison in himself and his granddaughter, but he had no idea how heaven-defying the immortal herbs here were. Now that I'm here, I absolutely can't let these immortal herbs remain buried in dust."
With that thought, Luo Chen hummed a cheerful tune and stepped forward, beginning to stroll through this sea of immortal herbs.
His gaze began sweeping over the immortal herbs described in the original story, one by one.
"The Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass was described in the original story as a plant that was snow-white all over, with octagonal leaves and a fine, dense layer of ice crystals covering its surface, radiating a bone-piercing chill.
"They say it grows on the icy rock to the left of the spring and can grant immunity to ice-attribute attacks. It's a supreme treasure for ice-attribute Soul Masters."
"The Infernal Delicate Apricot Glaze was described in the original story as a plant that was crimson all over, with apricot-shaped leaves.
"They say it grows on the fiery rock to the right of the spring and can grant immunity to fire-attribute attacks. It's a supreme treasure for fire-attribute Soul Masters."
"..."
Every one of these immortal herbs was a treasure worth a fortune. An ordinary Soul Master might faint with excitement at the sight of them, but they were not Luo Chen's goal on this trip.
Humming his tune, he continued forward, finally stopping before an immortal herb that was snow-white all over, its surface covered in a fine, dense layer of white down.
This immortal herb was none other than the Snow-Colored Swan Kiss, an exceedingly rare, deadly poisonous immortal herb.
Luo Chen gazed spellbound at the Snow-Colored Swan Kiss, his eyes filled with fascination.
"I found it!" he murmured, a slight tremor in his voice. "I finally found the Snow-Colored Swan Kiss."
Unlike ordinary transmigrators, what Luo Chen wanted most from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well was not the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and Infernal Delicate Apricot Glaze, which could grant immunity to ice and fire, but this deadly poisonous immortal herb, the Snow-Colored Swan Kiss.
The reason was simple. Luo Chen had always firmly believed that what suited him was best. His Martial Soul was the Netherworld Scorpion Emperor, the strongest poison-attribute Soul Beast on the Douluo Continent.
Its deadly poison far surpassed that of the Death Spider Emperor. Even a light smear could poison a fifty-thousand-year Soul Beast to death, while the Snow-Colored Swan Kiss was an immortal herb with an entirely poisonous attribute.
Luo Chen believed that once he absorbed the Snow-Colored Swan Kiss, he would definitely be able to take the Netherworld Scorpion Emperor's deadly poison a step further, perhaps even triggering Martial Soul Evolution.
Just as Luo Chen crouched down and prepared to pick the Snow-Colored Swan Kiss, the Karmic Fire Scorpion Emperor, who had not spoken for a long time, suddenly jumped down from his shoulder.
At the same time, the Karmic Fire Scorpion Emperor's voice rang in Luo Chen's ears again. "Luo Chen, I need to submerge myself in the ice and fire spring water for three hours. Hide underground during those three hours. Once I come out, I'll be able to give you your opportunity."
Hearing this, Luo Chen paused. He lowered his head to look at the Karmic Fire Scorpion Emperor and asked, sounding somewhat puzzled, "The cold and hot springs of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well are extremely powerful. Can you withstand them?"
"If this opportunity will hurt you, I'd rather not have it." Luo Chen lifted the Karmic Fire Scorpion Emperor and said softly, "Nothing is more important than your safety."
At those words, the Karmic Fire Scorpion Emperor's scorpion body suddenly grew scorching hot. He hurriedly said, "It won't hurt me. Going into the depths of the ice and fire spring this time is also to fully activate the power of destiny within me."
Only then did Luo Chen feel reassured. He nodded and said, "Understood. Come back soon!"
With that, he gently set the Karmic Fire Scorpion Emperor on the ground and watched him slowly crawl toward the ice and fire spring.
The Karmic Fire Scorpion Emperor crawled to the edge of the spring and stopped.
He turned back and glanced at Luo Chen, conveying a simple thought: Wait for me. Then he leaped into the ice and fire spring.
With a splash, the Karmic Fire Scorpion Emperor's figure instantly vanished into the ice and fire spring.
Luo Chen stood on the bank, watching the ice and fire spring water, his heart full of worry. The Karmic Fire Scorpion Emperor was formed from heavenly fire and earthly soil, two of the four great elements of creation. He'll definitely be fine.
With that thought, Luo Chen let his heart settle back into his belly a little. He looked around and said loudly, "All right, since the Karmic Fire Scorpion Emperor has gone to take care of his business, it's time for me to take care of my own important business!"
With that, he took a Soul Tool out of his robes.
As it happened, this Soul Tool had been given to Luo Chen by that nominal young master after he took him as his teacher. It had ten cubic meters of space inside. Although it could not hold much, it had more than enough room for these immortal herbs.
After confirming the location of the Snow-Colored Swan Kiss, Luo Chen turned and began wandering around the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
He extended his spiritual perception to its fullest and, following the immortal herbs' locations in the original story, picked the valley's immortal herbs one by one, storing them in the Soul Tool given to him by that nominal master who wanted him dead.