PS: The demand is pretty high, so I'll revise it to this for now. Mainly, we'll be choosing Immortal Herbs later, so this part of the plot needs to wrap up quickly.
The party of four was already near the core region of Sunset Forest.
On top of Jiang Huai's earlier deliberate hints, Yue Guan suspected that this might be Dugu Bo's residence, and that a vast expanse of poisonous mist would surely shroud its perimeter.
Thus, under the meticulous scrutiny of Yue Guan, a Titled Douluo well versed in flowers and plants, he really did manage to follow the vine to the melon, finding traces of poisonous herbs growing along the way.
Following this route deeper in, the party of four arrived at the foot of a mountain shrouded in vivid green poisonous mist after only a day or two.
"Your Holiness, this should be the place Xiao Jiang Huai mentioned."
"I can sense that, aside from some naturally formed poisonous miasma, this poisonous mist also contains that old poisoner's Jade Phosphorous Serpent Poison."
At this point, a smile of having been proven right slowly rose at the corners of Yue Guan's lips.
Kekeke, when that fellow Dugu Bo sees that His Holiness the Pope is here too, he'll surely be very pleasantly surprised, won't he?
Hearing this, Bibi Dong slowly nodded.
"A mere poisonous mist. Nothing but paltry tricks unfit for the stage."
"Let's go, Xiao Huai, Nana. With your teacher beside you, these poisonous things won't harm a hair on your heads."
As her words fell, Bibi Dong gathered a mass of terrifying purple-black Soul Power in her hand. Then, with a wave, she blasted it into the poisonous miasma ahead.
The Death Spider Emperor was likewise among the finest poison-type Martial Souls, not to mention that Bibi Dong's cultivation had now reached such a terrifying level.
Naturally, after a light sweep of Bibi Dong's Soul Power, the Jade Phosphorous poisonous miasma before them, which struck terror into countless Soul Masters at its very mention, obediently retreated to either side, voluntarily opening a broad path.
At this sight, Yue Guan, standing nearby, also quietly slipped the antidote pill he had just taken out back into his Storage Soul Tool as though nothing had happened.
With His Holiness the Pope watching over them, what did he have to worry about over this mere serpent poison?
The party of four continued deeper along the mountain's contours, and the churning poisonous mist around them grew increasingly dense.
Just in case, Bibi Dong kept her spiritual power extended at almost full strength, keeping every stir of wind and grass within a hundred li under her watch.
After they had followed the mountain path upward for about the time it took an incense stick to burn, the surrounding poisonous mist suddenly thinned, and the view ahead opened up.
A secluded valley appeared before the four of them, surrounded by mountains on all sides, with sheer cliff faces. It truly was a place cut off from the world.
The four stood right at the very top of the valley. Below them was an entrance resembling a volcanic crater, from which a faint smell of hot spring sulfur drifted continuously.
"Xiao Huai, is the place you mentioned that attracted you down there?"
Bibi Dong pointed downward and asked with some uncertainty.
"That's right, Teacher. It's down there!"
Jiang Huai nodded emphatically.
Of course! That was the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well down there!
Number one on the must-eat list for transmigrators to the Douluo Continent! After enduring so many hardships, he had finally found it today!
Seeing her beloved disciple nod in confirmation, Bibi Dong abruptly unfurled a pair of purple-black wings of Soul Power behind her.
Then, shielding Hu Liena on one side and Jiang Huai on the other with her Soul Power, she took the two of them and leaped straight down.
Yue Guan followed closely upon seeing this. In the blink of an eye, all four landed steadily at the bottom of the valley.
A peculiar sight immediately greeted them.
Even though Jiang Huai had long been mentally prepared, seeing it with his own eyes still made him exclaim at how utterly terrifying it was!
Before their eyes lay a dazzling array of rare and extraordinary herbs seldom seen in the outside world, covering almost the entire valley floor.
Red, purple, white-herbs of every color gave off different lusters and rich scents amid the mist.
At the very center of the valley, a strange pool of red-and-blue spring water was particularly striking.
The water on the left was crimson as fire, while that on the right was icy blue as frost. Though they shared the same pool, the two currents met without merging, forming a strange boundary down the middle, as distinct as the Jing and Wei rivers.
The smell of hot spring sulfur they had caught above came from this very pool.
Standing at the bottom of the valley, Yue Guan was utterly stunned. He stared blankly around him, unable to believe what he was seeing!
"This place... actually has so many Immortal Herbs that exist only in legends growing here?"
Before his words had even faded, he suddenly caught sight of a magnificent chrysanthemum-shaped Immortal Herb nearby out of the corner of his eye.
With a single flash of movement, Yue Guan appeared before that Immortal Herb.
"Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum!"
"It really is Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum!"
At that moment, even Yue Guan, a Titled Douluo, nearly wept with joy!
How many years had it been? Just how many years had he painstakingly searched for this thing? And now, through this chance coincidence, he had actually found it!
Seeing Yue Guan lose his composure like this, Bibi Dong's brows drew together slightly, and she asked in some puzzlement,
"Yue Guan, why are you so excited? Are these flowers and plants here very precious?"
Although Bibi Dong had ascended to the position of Pope, the pinnacle of the mortal world, at the youthful age of a young married woman,
her thoughts were usually devoted entirely to cultivation and governmental affairs. It would be no exaggeration to say she knew nothing whatsoever about medicinal herbs.
Hearing Bibi Dong's question, Yue Guan forcibly suppressed his excitement, turned around, and said respectfully,
"Your Holiness, your subordinate never imagined that this old poisoner Dugu Bo's lair would actually conceal such a place, blessed with nature's spiritual beauty!"
"The flowers and plants growing here are on an entirely different level from the ordinary medicinal ingredients we used before to build Nana's or Xiao Huai's foundations."
"When Xiao Huai was curious about my Martial Soul at the Papal Hall earlier, I also explained the preciousness of Immortal Herbs to him in detail. I imagine he should understand it very clearly!"
As Yue Guan spoke, he directed his burning gaze toward Jiang Huai.
"Xiao Jiang Huai, meeting you truly is the greatest fortune of my life!"
As the saying went, a man would die for one who understood him, and a woman would adorn herself for one who delighted in her.
It was only because of Jiang Huai's guidance that he had finally found this treasured land he had dreamed of!
At that moment, the gratitude and fervor in Yue Guan's eyes were practically spilling over!
Without the slightest exaggeration, if Yue Guan had been a woman right now, the only way he could have thought of to repay him would probably have been to pledge himself to him on the spot!
Feeling that scorching gaze, the corner of Jiang Huai's mouth twitched, and he unobtrusively took a step back behind Bibi Dong.
There's really no need! There's really no need!