"The Ice and Fire Yin Yang Spring!"
Xiao Yan recognized the ultimate destination of their journey.
Yao Lao had once mentioned this place by name!
Yao Huo and Immortal Herbs could both be found here!
Unlike the astonished Xiao Yan, Yu Tianming had no idea what it was.
"The Ice and Fire Yin Yang Spring!? What kind of place is that?" Yu Tianming asked. With that, he started to walk in.
Xiao Yan hurriedly stopped him.
He explained, "This is one of the three great treasure basins!"
"The three great treasure basins?" Yu Tianming asked in confusion.
You really don't read books or newspapers. You're completely illiterate! Xiao Yan grumbled inwardly.
Xiao Yan himself could hardly get through a book.
But Yu Tianming now made him feel he could be considered a good student.
"They're the three most extraordinary places in the world, filled with all kinds of rare treasures!"
Xiao Yan pointed into the valley, toward the place the Demon-Faced Man-Eating Spider had left, and said softly, "That lesser immortal medicine the Demon-Faced Man-Eating Spider was carrying was most likely picked in there."
The whole explanation before that had left Yu Tianming in a fog.
But the moment he heard "immortal medicine," he perked right up.
It was as if he'd been injected with chicken blood.
"We need to get in there quickly, before that beast ruins everything."
Yu Tianming's eyes had gone red.
He wanted to charge in again.
Xiao Yan only managed to stop him with great difficulty.
Helpless, Xiao Yan said, "Do you see that flower beside you that looks like a little snake!?"
"What's so special about a flower?" Yu Tianming glanced at the Jade Phosphor Seven Absolute Flower.
"Could this be an Immortal Herb too!?"
As he spoke, Yu Tianming reached out to grab it.
"Don't!"
Xiao Yan hurriedly tried to stop him, but it was already too late.
Yu Tianming was too powerful, and he had already disturbed the Jade Phosphor Seven Absolute Flower.
Boom!
A cloud of emerald-green mist spread out.
The mist was thin, yet multicolored.
For a moment, Yu Tianming, who was closer to it, felt only one thing.
His scalp tingled!
"Get away, quickly! That's the Jade Phosphor Seven Absolute Flower's poisonous miasma!" Xiao Yan roared.
In fact, Yu Tianming had already moved before Xiao Yan spoke.
Hum!
The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul instantly possessed him!
Yu Tianming let out a furious roar and summoned his Soul Power!
"Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Seventh Soul Skill: Martial Soul Avatar!"
A giant dragon, its entire body glowing blue and wreathed in lightning, rose from the ground.
"Roar!"
The lightning dragon bellowed, trying to blast the poisonous mist apart!
Boom!
Bolt after bolt of lightning crashed out.
Lightning gathered in clusters, and thunder shook the air on all sides!
Thunderbolts filled the sky, and sparks flew everywhere as they collided with the poisonous mist.
Crackle!
Lightning flashed and thunder roared, but they could not stop the poisonous mist from spreading!
"We're finished!" Yu Tianming's chest shook.
He spat out a mouthful of blood.
"Get out of the poisonous miasma!" Xiao Yan roared.
"Who the fuck doesn't want to run!?" Yu Tianming roared back.
He had been far too close, and the poisonous mist had entered his internal organs.
The poison had already affected his nerves, slowing his body's movements.
Every movement felt as though Mount Tai were pressing down on him.
He struggled to escape.
If he had not activated his Martial Soul Avatar, he would have collapsed on the spot.
Even so, it was incredibly difficult!
"Before you poison this old ancestor to death, Grandpa's going to strike you down first!" Yu Tianming truly felt like cursing. A single flower had actually driven him into a deathtrap.
He raised a hand and sent a ball of brilliant light blasting toward the Jade Phosphor Seven Absolute Flower.
Hum!
The Jade Phosphor Seven Absolute Flower swayed gently, wrapped in a ball of green light.
The lightning could not penetrate it at all!
What was more, it had begun to fight back!
Balls of green light shot out like a venomous snake's fangs!
"Run! Even an ordinary Titled Douluo would have to kneel before this flower!"
"Then why didn't you say so earlier!?"
"You fucking dropped to your knees before I could say it!"
"Fuck!"
The usually steady Yu Tianming really couldn't hold it in anymore.
Having exhausted all his Soul Power, Yu Tianming coughed up blood again and again.
Finally,
they left the poisonous miasma.
"Cough, cough, cough."
Almost instantly, the Martial Soul Avatar was dispelled.
Yu Tianming had held out until the very last moment.
But that was all he could do.
Yu Tianming coughed up mouthful after mouthful of black blood, his face already dark and blackened.
Several sharp thorns had even struck his back.
"This is bad! The Jade Phosphor Seven Absolute Flower's poisonous thorns are even more terrifying than its poisonous miasma!"
Xiao Yan hurriedly helped him up.
His heart was filled with grief. If Yu Tianming had not been trying to save him, his injuries would surely have been lighter.
"Yan Yan," Yu Tianming called faintly, struggling to open his eyes.
Xiao Yan hurriedly answered, "I'm here, I'm here. Don't talk yet. I'll cure the poison!"
"I might die..."
"Make sure you take it back!!"
Having given his instructions, Yu Tianming slowly closed his eyes.
At that moment, even his heartbeat seemed to stop.
"Old Yu! Old Yu!"
Xiao Yan was stunned. He roared, "Old Yu, wake up!"
For a moment, tears flew.
Had Yu Tianming actually died here because of him!?
"Ah!"
His heart felt as though it had been cut by a knife. This was a bolt from the blue.
Countless regrets flashed through Xiao Yan's mind.
Why hadn't he told him about the Jade Phosphor Seven Absolute Flower's poisonous miasma sooner!?
Why had he let Yu Tianming take the risk for him and come to the Sunset Forest for Soul Hunting!?
Why!?
He was the one who had gotten this old man killed.
Xiao Yan cried, feeling sorrow rise from the depths of his heart.
Even when his Soul Power had been drained dry,
even when Tang San had nearly killed him, he had endured.
But now, he cried.
This old man, who had just recovered his strength and was full of grand ambitions, ready to avenge past wrongs...
Had Xiao Yan really gotten him killed...?
"Ah!" Xiao Yan threw back his head and roared at the sky, overcome with grief!
In the end, no matter how strong Xiao Yan was, he was still only an eight-year-old child.
Even counting his previous life, he was only in his teens.
Yu Tianming was like another kind of family to him in this life.
For a child, the blow was simply too great.
"What are you crying for!?"
"Put away your weakness. That is the thing you need least in your entire life!"
A phantom figure drifted out.
Xiao Yan said mournfully, "Teacher."
Yao Lao's face was grave as he said in a deep voice, "As heaven moves with vigor, so must a gentleman strive without cease!"
"But Old Yu is dying..."
"He's dying right in front of me..." Xiao Yan said numbly.
Yao Lao said calmly, "If you don't want him to die, then save him."
"When you meet a mountain, build a road. When you meet water, build a bridge."
"What you need to think about is how to solve the problem, not how to regret it!"
A glimmer appeared in Xiao Yan's eyes. "You mean Old Yu can still be saved!?"
Yao Lao patted Xiao Yan's head. "As long as you want to, you can do anything."
Yao Lao was not angry at Xiao Yan for losing his composure.
A Xiao Yan of flesh and blood was the one he wanted to see.
As for weakness?
As his teacher, wasn't correcting such mistakes exactly what he was there for?
"Come, relax your mind. I'll save him!"
A flicker of white flame appeared in Xiao Yan's eyes.
Yao Lao possessed him!
He raised a hand slightly, and a wisp of deathly pale flame flew out.
In an instant, it entered Yu Tianming's heart.
"He exhausted his Soul Power, and the poison spread too quickly!"
"One kind of Heavenly Flame alone is no longer enough. We also need an Immortal Herb and another kind of Heavenly Flame!"
"I've protected his heart with the Bone Spirit Cold Flame. That should keep the poison from eating away at it for at least a day!"
"And those twenty hours are your chance to set things right!"
"Xiao Yan" looked toward the depths of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Spring.
Yao Lao said softly, "There must be immortal medicine and Heavenly Flames in there. As long as you obtain both, you can drive the poison from his body!"
A moment later, Xiao Yan's eyes returned to normal.
A look of determination appeared on the boy's face.
"I will!"
(Today's first chapter. Um, thanks to Wind Wolf and Kuaile for the tips and recommendations, and to Qingfeng and everyone else for the recommendation votes.)
(Something came up today, so the update might be a little late. There might not be an extra chapter. Please understand.)
(There'll most likely be an extra chapter, hahaha.)
(End of chapter)