The three left Heaven Dou City.
Dugu Bo took Xiao Xuan and Dugu Yan in hand, then turned into a streak of green light and flew into the sky.
In less than half an hour, a vast, rolling mountain range stretched across the end of their view.
The Sunset Forest!
Dugu Bo carried the two deep into the sea of trees. Ahead stood a steep mountain shrouded in thick, emerald-green mist.
The three soon plunged into a poisonous miasma, then floated down into the heart of a valley.
The moment they landed, a current of air carrying sulfur, damp heat, and the rich, fresh fragrance of plants rushed over them.
At the center of this secluded, hidden valley lay a natural spring.
Most wondrous of all, the water within the spring was evenly divided into two halves.
The water on the left was as white as milk, churning with wisps of bone-piercing cold that frosted their hair.
On the right, the water boiled red as molten lava, giving off a scorching, crimson haze.
The two colors of water did not mingle, yet they maintained a mysterious balance. Vapor intertwined and rose into the air, forming a dreamlike, seven-colored mist.
The fertile soil for several dozen feet around the pool was densely packed with spiritual plants of every extraordinary shape. Some were like crystalline jade from root to tip, while others had petals that pulsed with dim light. All were wondrous.
Xiao Xuan's eyes brightened slightly as he took in the stunning sight.
It was exactly as described in the original work, down to the smallest detail!
A treasure basin blessed by heaven and earth-the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well!
"Xiao Xuan, young friend, please follow me."
Dugu Bo strode ahead, leading Xiao Xuan to a gentle, sheltered slope on the east side of the spring.
Dugu Bo pointed to a strange flower growing in the damp soil and turned to ask:
"Xiao Xuan, young friend, take a good look. Is this the one?"
Xiao Xuan looked where he pointed.
It was a large, exquisitely formed pink-and-white flower with a pale purple center and no branches or leaves. A soft, delicate fragrance surrounded it, and wherever the breeze carried its scent within a hundred feet, the poisonous mist beat a hasty retreat.
Aromatic Silk Beauty!
Xiao Xuan nodded confidently and smiled. "Senior, you have a keen eye. There's no mistake-this is the Immortal Herb that can neutralize poisonous miasma and protect the meridians!"
"That's wonderful! Grandpa, you can be saved!"
A ripple of emotion also crossed Dugu Bo's gaunt face. After being tormented by the serpent poison for most of his life, he now had the antidote before him. Even the steady composure of a Titled Douluo could not keep his heart from surging.
But Xiao Xuan changed tack and gave a serious assessment:
"Please don't be hasty, Senior."
"Your Soul Power has long since merged with the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Poison. If you rely on the Immortal Herb alone to forcibly neutralize and disperse the poison, most of the Soul Power you've spent decades cultivating will inevitably disperse with it. The loss would outweigh the gain."
Dugu Bo's brows knitted tightly. "What do you mean, young friend?"
"I have a method that can preserve your cultivation, Senior."
Xiao Xuan slowly continued, "If you can find a suitable Soul Bone and refine it into your body, Senior, I can then use this flower's medicinal properties to protect your heart meridians and channels. Using internal force to guide it, I'll force every trace of the old, deadly poison out of your internal organs and seal it all inside that Soul Bone!"
Xiao Xuan paused, then continued:
"That way, the deadly poison will no longer harm your flesh. Instead, it will become a fundamental killing move you can wield at will, and your power will surely rise to a new level!"
"Force the poison into a bone?!"
Dugu Bo shuddered, and a sharp light flashed in his clouded eyes!
Having immersed himself in the path of poison for decades, how could he fail to grasp the brilliance of this plan?
Turning the poison to his own use would eliminate the threat and increase his fighting strength. It was truly a stroke of genius!
"Good! What a wonderful method!"
At that moment, Dugu Yan, who had her arm linked with her grandfather's, had a flicker in her eyes. She could not help asking softly:
"Little Brother Xiao Xuan, what about me? Although you cleared away most of the poison accumulated in me, won't the serpent poison build up again as I continue cultivating Soul Power? Could I use this method to deal with it once and for all too?"
"Of course."
Xiao Xuan looked at Dugu Yan. "I have a set of Soul Bones that would suit you perfectly, Sister Yanyan. I'd like to give them to you."
Before he had finished speaking, Xiao Xuan reached back and swept a hand over the Storage Soul Tool at his waist!
Eight sinister bone spears, each some ten feet long and black from end to end, floated in midair. Their tips flashed with a chilling, sinister light, and natural dark-red spider patterns covered their joints.
They were the External Soul Bone-the Eight Spider Lances.
"An... External Soul Bone?!"
Dugu Bo exclaimed in astonishment.
Dugu Yan was even more stunned. After staring wide-eyed for a moment, she came to her senses and hastily waved her hands in refusal:
"Little Brother Xiao Xuan, absolutely not! This is far too precious. Even across the whole continent, it's a divine treasure one can only stumble upon by chance. I couldn't possibly accept it!"
"Sister Yanyan, please don't refuse."
Xiao Xuan smiled faintly and said calmly:
"This External Soul Bone isn't compatible with me."
"But you inherited the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Martial Soul, Sister Yanyan. Whether for the resonance of your poisons or close combat, these Eight Spider Lances are a match made in heaven. If you channel all the serpent poison from your future cultivation into them, your fighting strength is sure to multiply."
Dugu Yan bit her lower lip, her pretty face flushed. She was deeply moved, but still at a loss.
Dugu Bo looked at the Spider Spears, then at Xiao Xuan's carefree expression, and let out a long breath.
"Yanyan, accept them! Since Xiao Xuan has offered them in kindness, make sure you fuse with them properly. Don't let his thoughtfulness go to waste!"
With that, Dugu Bo turned and solemnly cupped his fists and bowed to Xiao Xuan, his expression grave:
"Xiao Xuan, young friend, the kindness of curing an illness and saving a life is already weightier than Mount Tai. Now you've given Yanyan such a blessing as well. Words cannot express my gratitude!"
At this, Dugu Bo straightened his back, his eyes full of pride and resolve.
"From this day forth, you are Dugu Bo's friend in life and death!"
"Whatever you ask of me, even if I must climb a mountain of blades or plunge into a sea of fire, I won't utter a word of objection!"
Hearing this, the stone weighing on Xiao Xuan's heart finally fell. He hastily cupped his fists in return.
"You're too kind, Senior. I ask for nothing else. I was just looking over the medicinal garden and noticed that several of the unusual flowers growing here closely match the body-tempering herbs described in ancient texts."
"I'd like to use this treasure land and its plants to temper my body."
"What's so difficult about that?!"
Dugu Bo swept his broad sleeve with a bold flourish and laughed heartily.
"From now on, you may treat everything around this valley, along with the flowers and plants in this garden, as your own courtyard!"
"Take whichever plants catch your eye. It's fine even if you use them all up. Take whatever you please; there's no need to tell me a thing!"
"Thank you for granting my request, Senior!" Xiao Xuan broke into a smile.
After all the effort he had put into laying the groundwork, those were the golden words he had been waiting for!
Xiao Xuan wasted no more time and turned toward the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
"Wait, young friend!"
Seeing this, Dugu Bo hurriedly called out a warning, his expression grave.
"That two-colored spring is strange and treacherous. One half is bitterly cold and the other unbearably hot. The slightest contact can dissolve a Soul Power shield. Even I have to be careful around it, so whatever you do, don't risk your life by stepping into it!"
"Rest assured, Senior. I know what I'm doing."
Xiao Xuan waved a hand and went straight to the edge of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
His gaze swept rapidly over the area, and he soon found his targets.
Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass!
Infernal Delicate Apricot!