Xiao Lin and Tang San followed Dugu Bo as they departed. Strangely enough, neither showed much anxiety—instead, there was a quiet sense of reassurance that came from facing difficulty together.
For those left behind, however, their mood was far more somber.
Ning Rongrong angrily questioned Ning Fengzhi, demanding to know why he didn't stop Dugu Bo. After all, Xiao Lin's master, Xiao Yan, was key to her martial spirit's future evolution. Ning Rongrong deeply cared about both Xiao Lin and his teacher.
Of course, Xiao Lin's strength had also left a strange impression on her, one she couldn't quite explain.
Dugu Yan was in a similar state—furious with her grandfather, Dugu Bo. Why go to such extremes? Why take such drastic action?
But she couldn't understand what Dugu Bo felt: the desperation of someone who feared losing the last person he loved. Even if there was only a 1% or 0.01% chance that Dugu Yan would die from poisoning, Dugu Bo would be wracked with guilt and remorse. People take risks when it's someone they love.
Nearby, Yu Tianheng and the others tried comforting Dugu Yan, saying Xiao Lin and Tang San must be confident, or else they wouldn't have agreed to the bet. Dugu Bo, no matter how erratic, wouldn't disregard a vow made in Xiao Yan's name.
Their endless comforting words helped ease Dugu Yan's emotions a bit.
As for Xiao Wu and Tang Ni, the two of them actually looked the most relaxed.
Ye Lingling tried to comfort them, only to be comforted in return.
"Relax," Xiao Wu said confidently. "Don't you know how capable Lin-ge and San-ge are? Just some poison. Nothing they can't handle."
Xiao Wu didn't originally know much about Tang San's mastery of poisons, so at first she was worried. But when Xiao Lin stepped in, she knew everything would be fine. Even she understood how to cure Dugu Bo's poison now, thanks to Xiao Lin's teachings.
That soul core was the key. Under Xiao Lin's guidance, Xiao Wu had absorbed so much knowledge that she could now be called a prodigy—with a very extreme specialization.
Tang Ni was even more carefree. In her eyes, two protagonists venturing into a hell-level dungeon wasn't suffering—it was skipping class to farm the boss.
The one to suffer would be the boss.
To her, this trip was more like a field trip or vacation.
That's the nature of fate—it doesn't follow logic.
The only thing Tang Ni worried about was Dugu Bo's morally ambiguous, borderline villainous personality possibly lowering the soul beasts' karmic fortune.
But so far, nothing major had changed.
With Xiao Lin and Tang San away, she could also probe Xiao Wu for more information.
Meanwhile, Qin Ming, upon hearing that Xiao Lin and Tang San were taken by Dugu Bo, immediately dropped his interrogation of the fake Xiao Lin and rushed to the Heaven Dou Royal Academy training grounds.
Seeing how distracted the students were, Qin Ming silently vowed that once he became a Title Douluo, he would demand justice for Xiao Lin and Tang San.
As for the three teaching elders at Heaven Dou Royal Academy, they felt a little guilty. After all, they had just promised Tang Hao that they would protect Xiao Lin and the others. But deep down, they didn't think anything serious would happen.
Especially after learning that Master Xiao Yan was Xiao Lin's teacher—possibly even his biological grandfather.
Why grandfather? Well, they simply couldn't believe a young teen like Xiao Lin could have such deep knowledge of martial spirits on his own.
With Xiao Yan and Tang Hao backing them, what could possibly go wrong? (laughs)
In the end, the three elders even issued a gag order, forbidding anyone from spreading news that Xiao Lin's grandfather might be Xiao Yan.
And when Xiao Lin and Tang San returned, they had already prepared a precious ten-thousand-year soul bone to gift to one of them—hoping Tang Hao wouldn't hold this matter against them.
Three days later, in Sunset Forest.
Dugu Bo brought Xiao Lin and Tang San to a mountaintop deep within Sunset Forest. This time, perhaps because of Xiao Yan's involvement, he didn't give the two boys a hard time.
From the top of the mountain, Xiao Lin and Tang San looked down into a vast basin filled with dense mist, obscuring the landscape below.
"There's a sulfur smell… Is this really your medicinal garden?" Tang San asked, giving Dugu Bo a strange look.
True, some herbs could grow in mineral-rich environments like this. But such minerals often made the herbs toxic.
Was Dugu Bo actually using poison to fight poison all along?
To truly have non-toxic medicinal herbs in such a place, they'd have to be of exceptionally high quality.
Tang San pondered silently.
"Hmph, what do you know? There's more to this place than meets the eye," Dugu Bo scoffed dismissively.
Still, he couldn't help but admire Tang San's keen sense of smell. Any true pharmacologist without an acute nose wouldn't survive long in the field.
"Since you said you need specific herbs to treat my poison, I'll take you to see my medicinal garden."
With a smirk on his lips, Dugu Bo suddenly grabbed both Xiao Lin and Tang San by their collars—and leapt off the mountaintop.
The sharp drop caused both boys to scream mid-air.
Xiao Lin wasn't afraid of heights—as long as there were rocks or minerals to cushion his fall, his Vajra Indestructible skill could absorb the impact.
But being suddenly tossed off a cliff without warning still scared both of them senseless.
Tang San, who had died falling off a cliff in his past life, was especially terrified.
"Damn you, Dugu Bo! There was obviously a path—we could've walked down! You just wanted to scare us!" Xiao Lin cursed loudly.
According to his knowledge, the original Shrek Seven Devils had used Dugu Bo's poison mist as a grinding area before—there had to be another way down.
Dugu Bo, this eccentric old man!
If I don't strip your medicinal garden bare, I'm not worthy of the name Xiao!
The human body falls fast—and before long, the three of them "crashed" into the valley.
Unlike the original timeline, Tang San couldn't hold back this time. The intense motion upset his stomach, and he vomited immediately upon landing, eyes filled with lingering fear.
Xiao Lin, on the other hand, quickly stood calmly by Dugu Bo's side—unfazed, confident, completely unshaken.
This shocked Dugu Bo a little.
A 12-year-old boy, and he's this composed?
Truly worthy of being Xiao Yan's personal disciple.
Just as Dugu Bo was about to ask Xiao Lin about his cure, Tang San, now recovered, looked around and suddenly shouted in excitement.
"This… this is… the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well!"
He stared at the peculiar hot spring in the valley—one side steaming hot, the other icy cold. Two extreme elemental forces coexisted, but never blended. Yin and Yang, clearly divided.
Tang San immediately recognized it.
Looking around further, he spotted rare medicinal herbs and legendary plants that he had only ever read about—many of which were only mentioned in ancient toxicology records or the secret volumes of hidden sects.
These were real celestial herbs—true treasures of nature.
Realizing it was unwise to flaunt his knowledge, Tang San quickly hid his excitement and stared blankly at the twin celestial plants growing at the edge of the well.
Luckily, Dugu Bo didn't think much of Tang San's behavior—he just assumed the kid recognized a few herbs and was overreacting.
(End of Chapter)