Above the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
Dugu Bo sat upright in the air above the two pools of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, just as Xiao Yan had two days ago. Xiao Yan used his soul power to lift the bone-chilling white Yin Spring water and the scalding red Yang Spring water to Dugu Bo's sides. The extreme cold and heat they contained took the form of pure energy, wearing down and suppressing the Poison Qi raging within Dugu Bo. This not only suppressed the Poison Qi's resistance, making the Poison Pill Method quicker and easier to carry out, but also eased the pressure on Xiao Yan and prevented unnecessary trouble.
"Old Poison, circulate your poison art with all your might. Success or failure hinges on this!" With that, Xiao Yan brought his hands together. Cyan, white, and purple Heavenly Flames streamed out, rushing toward Dugu Bo with the aid of the extreme cold and heat.
Dugu Bo gritted his teeth and held on. Even with the body of a Titled Douluo, being roasted like this was no pleasant experience. Fortunately, Xiao Yan was not simply tormenting him. Amid the scorching of the three Heavenly Flames, Dugu Bo could clearly feel the poison in his body gradually being driven together and compressed more tightly by the flames. Clearly, the Poison Pill Method not only worked, but was producing remarkable results.
Observing with his soul power, Xiao Yan naturally noticed the changes in Dugu Bo's Poison Qi as well. Fearing suppression, the Poison Qi had begun to scatter and flee. Apart from the greater part, which Xiao Yan had compressed into a single spot in Dugu Bo's lower abdomen, some of the rest began to rampage through his body, forming a Poison Qi vortex that disrupted the formation of the Poison Pill. The remainder fled madly from Dugu Bo's body. For a time, Poison Qi surged wildly around him, foul and rank.
Seeing this, Xiao Yan drew a deep breath and waved his hand. The three flames flared up and gradually fused into one.
"Go!"
The fused Heavenly Flame enveloped Dugu Bo, burning away all the Poison Qi around him. The Poison Qi rampaging inside his body no longer dared act up, and its vortex was firmly suppressed in his lower abdomen, unable to make any headway.
"The first step is preliminarily complete. Next..."
"The Poison Qi has gathered. I must draw it out with a Magic Core and transform it with Bodhi... There's no Magic Core to use here, but fortunately, I had Dugu Bo prepare a substitute beforehand." With that, Xiao Yan drew a light breath and condensed the Soul Ring of the Demon Poison Dragon Scorpion Dugu Bo had just hunted into a small pill shape. Using the Soul Beast's vital blood as a supplement, he produced a preliminary Poison Pill. Then he stepped forward lightly and shouted, "Old Poison, bring out your inner pill!"
At his words, Dugu Bo spat a blue-green, pill-shaped object from his mouth. The pill was the product of half a lifetime of arduous cultivation, containing half the Poison Qi in his body. In Xiao Yan's view, it already possessed the foundation of a Poison Pill, which was why he believed the Poison Pill Method would definitely work for Dugu Bo.
What Xiao Yan needed to do now was refine Dugu Bo's inner pill again, turning it into a true Poison Pill.
In a flash, Xiao Yan seized the preliminary Poison Pill formed from the Demon Poison Dragon Scorpion's Soul Ring and vital blood and slapped it onto Dugu Bo's inner pill! Heavenly Flames blazed, and the boundary between the two preliminary pills gradually melted away as they slowly fused into one.
The first two steps had succeeded. In the usual Poison Pill Method, nothing was more perilous than this final step. But for Xiao Yan, there was no longer much pressure in carrying out his Poison Pill Method, since Dugu Bo's inner pill was already close to completion. At last, Xiao Yan could breathe a sigh of relief.
The Storage Ring on Xiao Yan's finger flashed, and he used his soul power to hold the somewhat cloudy mass of Bodhisattva Body Transformation Saliva in his palm. His gaze sharpened slightly, and eerie white Bone Spirit Cold Flame appeared out of nowhere, completely enveloping the saliva and beginning to refine it.
As soon as the flame touched the Bodhisattva Body Transformation Saliva, the substance churned violently as though provoked, seemingly trying to escape the fire. Xiao Yan waved a hand, adding a black-and-white flame that suppressed its attempt to flee.
"Success is within reach. How could I let a thing like you act up?"
With a casual wave of Xiao Yan's hand, the refined Bodhisattva Body Transformation Saliva separated. Part of it adhered to the unfinished Poison Pill before Dugu Bo, while the larger portion entered his body, turning a lush, verdant green and enveloping him from head to toe.
Dugu Bo was astonished. Nourished by the Bodhisattva Body Transformation Saliva, his meridians, muscles, and other tissues, which had previously lost some of their vitality to Poison Qi, had unexpectedly come to life again. Their vitality was even richer than before. He had not expected the Poison Pill Method to grant his body such a stroke of fortune as well. At that thought, he felt even more strongly that cooperating with Xiao Yan brought benefits and no harm.
Xiao Yan was still refining the Poison Pill with all his strength. Suddenly, he noticed a green bead smaller than his thumb amid the two Heavenly Flames he had used to refine the Bodhisattva Body Transformation Saliva. Startled, Xiao Yan let the two flames scatter, and the slightly rough green bead, brimming with vitality, fell into his hand.
"Xiao Yan, that's a Bodhi Seed." Seeing this, Yan Xiao also cried out in surprise. "I never expected that refining Bodhisattva Body Transformation Saliva with Heavenly Flames would produce Bodhisattva Body Transformation Saliva. Xiao Yan, you've found a treasure. It can cleanse the sinews and marrow and help one break through in cultivation, bringing endless benefits. In this world, it might even help someone become a god!" On hearing this, Xiao Yan quickly put it in his Storage Ring. Given how miraculous it was, there was probably no one who would not want it. Even though he was in Dugu Bo's herb garden, could there be few experts watching from afar? Even relying on Bibi Dong's authority, Xiao Yan might not be able to keep such a treasure safe. With a rare treasure on him, it was better to keep a low profile. If he were like a child carrying gold through a crowded market, he might not even know how he died.
After putting away the Bodhi Seed, Xiao Yan's expression turned solemn again. He bent two fingers and rapidly flicked them around Dugu Bo's body. The green Bodhisattva Body Transformation Saliva merged into the green Poison Qi vortex inside Dugu Bo. At once, the vortex began to tremble violently, becoming somewhat unable to hold itself together.
"Senior Dugu, circulate your poison art and suppress the Poison Qi! Whether the Poison Pill can fully form depends on what you do now!"
Dugu Bo's eyes flew wide open. He thrust both hands toward the preliminary Poison Pill before him and clenched them.
"Aaaaaaah!"
With a roar, the Poison Pill erupted with a powerful suction force, drawing in all the poison art from throughout Dugu Bo's body.
"Did... did it work...?" Xiao Yan coughed lightly. Dugu Bo was now surrounded by green poison mist. Although Xiao Yan had Heavenly Flames protecting him from the Poison Qi, it was rather harsh on his throat.
Yet Dugu Bo said nothing, and an inexplicable deathly silence settled over the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
"Xiao Yan, get back...!"
Suddenly, Dugu Bo's aged voice rang in Xiao Yan's ears. Alarm bells went off in Xiao Yan's mind. Clearly, something had gone wrong with Dugu Bo.
The poison mist dispersed, revealing the green phantom of a serpent howling at the sky. The giant snake hissed, venom dripping from its enormous fangs. With each twitch of its tail, foul-smelling Poison Qi spread in all directions.
Dugu Bo was still struggling to suppress the Poison Pill. Clearly, it had not fully formed. The great green serpent was formed from the Poison Qi throughout Dugu Bo's body-their final counterattack!
"Xiao Yan, boy... I've immersed myself in the path of poison for half my life. The Poison Qi in my body is far more potent than even I imagined. That phantom of the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor was formed from the Poison Qi I couldn't suppress. You're no match for it. Get back!"
Xiao Yan frowned. What he had feared most had happened. He waved his sleeve, and six Heavenly Flames emerged together, their presence not at all inferior to the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor's phantom.
"Old Poison, I, Xiao Yan, have never chosen to give up halfway in my life. Since you agreed to become a guest elder of my Spirit Hall, I won't give you the right to go back on your word." With that, Xiao Yan sent the six Heavenly Flames swirling around him to protect his body, then charged at the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor's phantom.
The phantom let out a fierce hiss and charged at Xiao Yan as well. They collided violently, the force of the impact shaking the entire Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. After the collision, Xiao Yan was covered in wounds. Fortunately, the Heavenly Flames had burned away all the Poison Qi, preventing it from corroding him. The Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor's phantom had fared no better. The Heavenly Flames had worn away half its enormous body, and Poison Qi streamed constantly from what remained of its riddled form. Before long, it would be unable to maintain its body and would dissipate between heaven and earth.
The Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor's phantom grew furious when it noticed its predicament. It opened its enormous mouth and blasted poison at Xiao Yan like a mighty cannon, its power boundless.
"Tch, beast, dream on!" Xiao Yan clenched his right hand around empty air, and the Heavy Xuan Ruler appeared, shielding him from the entire poisonous blast. He then withdrew the other Heavenly Flames and poured all his Soul Power into the Netherworld Poison Flame. In an instant, the flame swelled to several times its size, becoming a lifelike purple butterfly that tangled with the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor's phantom.
"Old Poison, form the pill!" Xiao Yan suddenly shouted. Seeing that the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor's phantom had been suppressed, Dugu Bo understood at once. Soul Power burst from his body, forcing all the Poison Qi into the Poison Pill.
As Dugu Bo suppressed it, the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor's phantom gradually weakened, its body shrinking more and more. Seeing this, Xiao Yan knew the Poison Pill was only one step from completion. Once the phantom was destroyed, there would be no opposing force left within the Poison Pill, and its formation would follow as naturally as water flowing into a channel.
With that thought, Xiao Yan raised the Heavy Xuan Ruler above his head with both hands. The Netherworld Poison Flame, which had been fighting the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor's phantom, returned and wound around the ruler, swelling to a length of ten zhang.
Xiao Yan intended to use the new Dou Technique the Heavy Xuan Ruler had granted him at the four-ring level. Its power was immense and its range vast, so he had naturally had no opportunity to use it before. Today, that opportunity had finally come.
"Flame Splitting-"
Xiao Yan swung both hands down, and the ten-zhang ruler formed of Heavenly Flame cleaved toward the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor's phantom.
"Wave Devouring Ruler!"
The giant ruler fell as though it would destroy everything in the world. The earth shook and the mountains trembled, while dust billowed everywhere.
When the dust settled, the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor's phantom had been split cleanly in two. The Netherworld Poison Flame then devoured it completely, as though it had never existed between heaven and earth.
Seeing that Dugu Bo's complexion had returned to normal, Xiao Yan knew there was no longer any serious problem with his Poison Pill. All that remained was painstaking work, and there was no need for him to intervene again.
"Whew, thank heaven," Xiao Yan said with a sigh of relief. Refining the Poison Pill with the Poison Pill Method had truly exhausted him. Fortunately, despite the scare, they had come through unharmed, and he could rest properly for a while.
Dugu Bo looked at Xiao Yan in shock and gratitude, then nodded at him, his face full of a smile Xiao Yan had never seen before. How could he have expected the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor's phantom to contain perhaps half the Poison Qi in his body? Although he had suppressed it throughout and probably drawn most of it back, even a small portion of that Poison Qi did not seem like something Xiao Yan, a mere Four-Ring Soul Ancestor, could withstand. When the Poison Qi had escaped his body, he had nearly given up on the Poison Pill Method. But no one had expected Xiao Yan to defeat his Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor's phantom single-handedly, turning the tide and allowing the Poison Pill Method to continue.
If the two of them had previously been calculating against each other and merely trading, Dugu Bo now sincerely regarded Xiao Yan as his benefactor. He could not see through this secret-filled youth, but he knew that by following him, the Dugu family's future would be set on a broad and prosperous road.
Sensing Dugu Bo's gratitude, Xiao Yan cupped his hands and smiled. "Fortunately, I didn't fail you." He then sat down where he was and began his own breakthrough.
Although Dugu Bo had suppressed most of the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor's phantom's power back into the Poison Pill, Xiao Yan had shattered a small portion, which the Netherworld Poison Flame had then absorbed completely. Refined and absorbed by the Netherworld Poison Flame, the deadly Poison Qi had become pure primordial energy of heaven and earth, an absolute tonic for Xiao Yan.
The old man and the youth quietly cultivated at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. Time flew, and before long, the setting sun cast its light. For the two of them, a busy and fruitful day was nearly over.
Dugu Bo straightened his entire body with a mighty effort, and a profound Soul Power flowed through his limbs and bones. His Soul Power had indeed risen, just as Xiao Yan had promised. But that was not what delighted him most.
He faced the pool and looked at his reflection. The sight that had always existed only in his dreams had truly appeared: Dugu Bo's once-green hair and beard had turned black again, his body, once emaciated by the torment of Poison Qi, had grown sturdy, and his old face seemed almost ruddy.
Dugu Bo touched his face in delighted surprise and pinched himself. He was not dreaming.
He really had transformed the Poison Qi that had been devouring his body into pure power.
At that thought, Dugu Bo spun around, looking for Xiao Yan. But even after looking around several times, he still could not find him.
"Well, venerable Senior Dugu, everything I said about the Poison Pill Method was true, wasn't it?" Suddenly, the voice that had once sounded so infuriating rang out behind Dugu Bo. The black-robed youth he had been searching for seemed to have awakened before him. He had found and killed some kind of bovine Soul Beast somewhere and was now using Heavenly Flames to roast and eat its meat. "Want some?" he asked, raising the beast's leg in his hand toward Dugu Bo.
Dugu Bo sat down beside him, setting aside his airs for the first time in his life. "You... broke through too?"
"I only reached level fifty. Nothing worth mentioning," Xiao Yan muttered. He had first taken the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Pill refined for him by his "teacher." Not only had it fully neutralized the medicinal power of the two heavenly treasures, but it had also cleansed his meridians and marrow, forging a body impervious to ice and fire. He had then absorbed some of the Poison Qi of the Titled Douluo Dugu Bo. It would have been difficult not to improve this much.
"Actually, with the help of these two strokes of fortune, your improvement should have taken you even further. It seems you may be suppressed by some power of heaven and earth on the Douluo Continent, which is why your advancement is so slow," Yan Xiao had surmised just after Xiao Yan's breakthrough. But Xiao Yan did not care. Being able to cultivate and break through was enough. As for the suppression of heaven and earth, he would simply put in ten or a hundred times the effort of an ordinary person.
"You brat... How old are you? You're already at level fifty and still not satisfied?" Dugu Bo said with a laughing curse. But he already understood that someone like Xiao Yan could not be judged by ordinary standards.
"What about you, Old Poison? You've improved quite a bit, haven't you?"
"Thanks to you, I broke through the bottleneck at level ninety-five. I really never thought I'd reach this level in my lifetime..."
Dugu Bo sighed. He had even thought he had only a few years left to live. He had not expected that, with Xiao Yan's help, not only would the problem with his body be resolved, but his cultivation would also rise another level. From now on, he probably would never be called the "weakest Titled Douluo" again.
Dugu Bo fell into thought for a long time. Xiao Yan knew that when life suddenly became better, it was hard not to feel lost. Now was the best time to give Dugu Bo a sense of belonging to the Spirit Hall.
He took a flask of aged wine and two cups from his Storage Ring, poured Dugu Bo a cup, and said, "Spare me the thanks. I know your nature, and you wouldn't be able to say them anyway. Just have a drink with me."
Dugu Bo laughed. Though the debt of gratitude weighed as heavily as a mountain, he truly could not bring himself to thank a junior. Seeing how skillfully Xiao Yan handled such matters, Dugu Bo felt even more grateful. He picked up the cup Xiao Yan had poured for him and said:
"Well, there's plenty of time ahead. Let's have a drink. A pleasant partnership, little Holy Son."
"A pleasant partnership, Elder Dugu."
With that, they drained their cups.
Beneath the starlit night, the two of them, both moved by many feelings, drank together until dawn.