A few days later.
At the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
Lin Feng put the last jade box into his Soul Tool and glanced around, unable to suppress the smile on his face.
Large stretches of the ground that had once been covered in medicinal herbs now lay empty.
He had gathered almost every herb he could identify that was suitable for harvesting and storage.
Most of what remained were immature seedlings and the medicinal herbs Dugu Bo would need for his ongoing treatment.
He was in no hurry to consume what he had gathered.
Different immortal herbs had different medicinal properties. He needed to carefully consider how to combine them and which one to absorb first.
After all, they were already in his hands. There was no need to rush.
"You brat, you really don't stand on ceremony." Standing nearby, Dugu Bo looked at the nearly emptied herb garden and could not help snorting.
Lin Feng smiled without responding. Instead, he took out a batch of medicine bottles and arranged them neatly on the stone platform.
"I've left these medicinal solutions for you. They'll last you a while. I've written down the dosage for each bottle, along with the method for guiding it through your body after taking it."
Dugu Bo picked up a bottle and examined it.
Over the past few days, he had been following Lin Feng's treatment method, and the pain caused by the poison's backlash had indeed eased considerably.
He had also agreed to give Lin Feng the herbs he selected as payment. Still, watching the herb garden empty out inevitably made his heart ache a little.
"Also, I'm planning to go away for a few days."
Lin Feng put his things away and continued, "Once I've finished my business, I'll come back to you. You don't need to follow me this time. Just stay here and focus on your treatment."
At this, Dugu Bo raised his head.
"Where are you going?"
"To take care of a private matter."
Dugu Bo narrowed his eyes, looking at the medicine bottles before turning his gaze to the Storage Soul Tool on Lin Feng's hand.
"Now that you've taken nearly all the herbs, you want to leave?"
Somewhat helplessly, Lin Feng said:
"I'm only leaving temporarily. It's not as if I'm never coming back."
"I haven't finished treating your poison or Dugu Yan's, and my two years of protection have only just begun. Would I really bear to give that up?"
"It's your mouth. Naturally, you can say whatever you like." Dugu Bo fell silent for a moment, then suddenly opened his mouth.
A streak of jade-green light flew out and hovered between them.
It was a jade-green bead, its surface gleaming with shifting light. The moment it appeared, Lin Feng sensed the tremendous power it contained.
"You can leave, but swallow this first."
Lin Feng's gaze paused.
A core bead?
He had actually forgotten that Dugu Bo had this trick up his sleeve.
"What is this?" Though he already had the answer in mind, Lin Feng still asked.
Dugu Bo extended a finger, and the bead slowly descended toward Lin Feng's palm.
"When my martial soul evolved into the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor, it condensed into this core bead. The power it holds amounts to half my own strength."
Lin Feng lowered his head to look at it.
Such a tiny bead carried such weight.
Dugu Bo stared at him and continued, "It's linked to my life. Should I die one day, the core bead will explode as well."
"If it explodes inside you, I don't need to explain what will happen, do I?"
The corner of Lin Feng's mouth twitched slightly. "You're afraid I'll take the herbs and never come back to treat your poison?"
"What else?" Dugu Bo snorted. "Neither my poison nor Yanyan's has been cured. I need to leave myself some assurance."
Rather than answering immediately, Lin Feng hefted the core bead in his palm.
In the original story, Tang San had swallowed this thing too.
He naturally knew about the effects Dugu Bo had described.
As long as he continued treating Dugu Bo, the latter had no reason to stake his own life on taking Lin Feng down with him.
Besides, he had never intended to break their agreement. Two years with a Titled Douluo as his bodyguard would be far more useful than taking the herbs and running.
"Fine. But once the poison is cured, you'll have to take it out."
Dugu Bo nodded slightly. "Naturally. I won't leave my core bead with you forever, either."
Having received his answer, Lin Feng hesitated no longer. He raised his hand and placed the bead into his mouth.
The core bead slid down his throat, and warmth soon spread from his abdomen.
Lin Feng instinctively circulated his Soul Power and discovered that, as it passed through that warm spot, it actually seemed to become faintly more concentrated.
He looked at Dugu Bo in some surprise.
Seeing this, Dugu Bo's expression softened somewhat.
"You felt it? While it's inside you, it can also help concentrate your Soul Power and benefit your cultivation."
Lin Feng carefully sensed it for a while and inwardly nodded.
It was indeed just as he remembered.
However, the core bead ultimately belonged to Dugu Bo. The power inside it would not become his simply because he swallowed it.
"Can I leave now?"
Dugu Bo waved a hand and smiled. "Go and come back soon. I'll make the arrangements for Yanyan as well."
Lin Feng acknowledged him, then clearly explained how to use the medicinal solutions once more before turning to leave the valley.
After leaving the Sunset Forest, Lin Feng did not head to Heaven Dou City. Instead, he found a carriage and set off toward Nuoding City.
With the immortal herbs secured, it was naturally time to claim another of Tang San's fortuitous opportunities.
The Hundred-Thousand-Year Blue Silver Emperor Right Leg Bone!
To a Soul Master, Soul Bones were already precious, let alone a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone.
Tang San had yet to obtain it. Since Lin Feng knew where it was hidden, how could he possibly not go take a look?
After the carriage had traveled some distance, Bibi Dong's voice suddenly rang out in Lin Feng's mind.
"Where are you planning to go?" Although she had heard his conversation with Dugu Bo, she still did not know what his so-called private matter actually was.
Leaning against the carriage, Lin Feng replied with a smile, "You'll know when we get there."
"Does it have something to do with those herbs again?"
"It's not herbs this time."
Lin Feng offered no further explanation.
Bibi Dong pressed him with another couple of questions, but when he still refused to say anything, she could not be bothered to keep asking.
Lin Feng lifted the carriage curtain and glanced at the road behind them.
Chrysanthemum Ghost Douluo had not shown himself, but Lin Feng knew these two elders would not take it upon themselves to end the mission his teacher had assigned them simply because Dugu Bo had agreed to serve as his bodyguard.
That was also one of the reasons he had the confidence to search for that Soul Bone.
A few days later.
Holy Soul Village.
Lin Feng did not linger in the village. After asking the villagers about the path into the mountains behind it, he headed straight into the mountains.
Tang Hao had long since stopped living in the village.
However, Lin Feng did not take that to mean he definitely would not appear. He remained attentive to his surroundings along the way.
He only remembered that there was a waterfall where the item was hidden. He would have to find the exact location himself.
The mountain paths were harder to traverse than he had imagined.
Lin Feng followed a stream deeper into the mountain forest, then crossed two slopes before finally hearing the faint roar of rushing water.
The farther he went, the clearer the sound became.
At last, after he rounded a patch of woodland, a waterfall cascading down a cliff appeared before him.
Great sheets of water crashed into the deep pool below, sending spray into his face.
Lin Feng stopped and looked up at the cliff behind the waterfall, a trace of anticipation gradually appearing in his eyes.
"This should be the place."
He delayed no longer, abruptly circulating the Soul Power within his body.
"Soul Devouring Spider Emperor, possess!"
Jade-green light surged from his body. His arms transformed into sharp spider legs, and an enormous Spider Emperor phantom appeared behind him.
Yellow, purple, purple-three Soul Rings rose in succession.
His Third Soul Ring abruptly lit up. Jade-green armor swiftly covered his entire body, and the spider legs on his back spread out.
The next instant, Lin Feng pushed off hard.
He leaped over the rocks beside the pool and charged straight into the waterfall against the roaring torrent!