Arthev straightened his uniform. His dark black eyes, deep as the void itself, scanned the surroundings.
The air here was thick, smelling of sulfur and rotting vegetation. Nothing grew on this ledge except purple, poisonous weeds. Even the rocks seemed etched by acid.
"Comfortable," Arthev noted dryly, dusting off his sleeves.
"It keeps the pests away," Dugu Bo sneered, his green hair flowing in the toxic breeze. "And the guests."
The Titled Douluo walked to a stone chair carved directly into the mountain wall and sat down. He stared at Arthev, his vertical pupils contracting.
"You have courage, kid. Or stupidity. Most people start begging for their lives when I bring them here."
"Begging consumes oxygen," Arthev said, his black eyes unblinking. "And in this environment, oxygen is a precious resource."
Dugu Bo huffed, a puff of green mist escaping his lips. "Smart mouth. You told my granddaughter her cultivation is flawed. You gave her water that suppressed the hereditary toxin. I admit, I am curious."
He leaned forward, the pressure of a Level 91 Titled Douluo weighing down on the ledge.
"But curiosity has a limit. I don't trust coincidences. And I don't trust this Science. So, before we talk about my condition, we are going to see if your dense body theory holds up against the real thing."
Dugu Bo raised a long, claw-like fingernail. A single drop of emerald green liquid formed at the tip. It sizzled, eating at the air around it.
"This is the venom of the Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor. One drop can kill a 1,000 year Soul Beast in three seconds. It melts flesh, boils blood, and rots the bones."
He flicked his finger.
The drop flew through the air like a bullet, aiming straight for Arthev's neck.
Arthev didn't dodge.
Splat.
The venom hit his exposed skin, right above the collar of his uniform.
Dugu Bo watched, expecting the boy to scream as his skin dissolved. He waited for the panic. He waited for the plea for an antidote.
Arthev stood still. He tilted his head slightly, as if listening to a distant song.
Inside his body, the system was reacting instantly
Isobu's voice turned clinical inside Arthev's mind. 'Toxin detected. pH level at 1.5. Neurotoxic agents present. High concentration.'
There was a brief pause.
'Initiating filtration.'
The Three-Tails' soul power, fundamentally connected to water and purification, surged to the point of contact. It didn't fight the poison, it diluted it. It wrapped the toxin in a microscopic bubble of super-dense water, breaking down its chemical bonds before they could enter Arthev's bloodstream.
Arthev reached up and wiped his neck. There was a red mark, like a mosquito bite, but no melting flesh. No black veins.
He looked at his finger, where a smudge of green liquid remained. He rubbed it between his thumb and forefinger.
"Acidic," Arthev commented, his tone sounding like a food critic judging a bland soup.
"High corrosive properties. But the neurotoxin is unstable. It breaks down too quickly upon contact with dense organic matter."
He looked up at Dugu Bo with those abyssal black eyes.
"Is that it? Or was that the diluted sample for children?"
Dugu Bo's jaw tightened. He stood up slowly. The air around him began to distort.
"You... resisted it?" Dugu Bo growled. "With raw physical resistance? Impossible. Even a Diamond Mammoth would have a hole in its neck."
"I told you," Arthev said calmly. "My body is a vessel. And my vessel is waterproof."
"Waterproof," Dugu Bo repeated, his voice dropping an octave. "Let's see if you are fog-proof."
Dugu Bo didn't hold back this time. He opened his mouth and exhaled.
"Jade Phosphor Terror Mist."
A massive cloud of purple-green fog rolled over the ledge. It wasn't just poison, it was a mixture of Dugu Bo's soul power and the accumulated toxins of seventy years. It was thick enough to block sight and heavy enough to crush lungs.
It swallowed Arthev completely.
Dugu Bo stood outside the cloud, crossing his arms. "Breathe that in, boy. If you're a spy from the Spirit Hall, you'll be dead in ten seconds. If you're a monster... well, show me."
Ten seconds passed.
Twenty seconds.
One minute.
The mist swirled, corroding the rocks on the floor.
"He's dead," Dugu Bo muttered, feeling a slight pang of regret. Maybe he had used too much. The boy was arrogant, but he had helped Yan.
Then, a sound came from inside the fog.
Inhale.
Exhale.
It was the sound of deep, rhythmic breathing.
The fog in the center began to swirl. It was being... sucked in.
Dugu Bo's eyes widened. "What?"
Inside the mist, Arthev stood with his mouth slightly open. He wasn't holding his breath. He was inhaling the poison.
Shukaku's voice exploded in Arthev's head. 'It tastes like rotten eggs. Disgusting. Why are we eating this?'
Isobu answered without missing a beat. 'The lungs are filtering it. I am separating the toxins and storing them in a waste pocket within the stomach . We can expel it later.'
A hint of quiet interest slipped through. 'It is a fascinatingly complex venom.'
Arthev inhaled a massive lungful of the deadly mist. Inside his body, the poison was stripped of its lethality, the soul power digested, and the waste products isolated.
He exhaled.
A stream of perfectly clear, clean air left his lips.
He walked out of the fog. His uniform was slightly singed at the edges, but his skin was pristine. His black eyes were clear, showing no signs of dilation or blindness.
"The flavor profile is... earthy," Arthev said, dusting off his shoulder.
"A bit sulfurous. You should really check your diet, Senior. This level of acidity suggests you aren't eating enough alkaline foods."
Dugu Bo stared. He stared for a long time.
This boy had just treated the Jade Phosphor Terror Mist like a bad cigar.
"You..." Dugu Bo pointed a shaking finger. "You are not human."
"I am Arthev," the boy replied. "And your test is finished. Now, can we discuss your ribs?"
Dugu Bo lowered his hand. The hostility in his aura didn't vanish, but it changed. The intent to kill was replaced by a deep, wary respect. In the world of Soul Masters, power was the only currency. And surviving Dugu Bo's breath was a lot of currency.
"My ribs," Dugu Bo grunted, sitting back down. "What about them?"
"They burn," Arthev said, walking closer. He stopped five meters away,a safe distance, but close enough to talk.
"Specifically, the fourth and fifth ribs on the left side. And your sternum. And on rainy nights, the pain migrates to the top of your skull."
Dugu Bo stiffened. "How do you know that?"
"Because that is where the major meridians intersect for the Jade Phosphor Serpent spirit," Arthev explained, slipping into his 'Science' lecture mode.
"You suppress the poison in your dantian, but when you sleep, your control slips. The poison follows the spirit channels. It pools in the bone marrow of the chest."
Arthev pointed at Dugu Bo's chest.
"You aren't sick, Senior. You are full. You have reached capacity. If you don't drain the tank, you will explode. And when you explode... you will take your granddaughter with you."
The mention of Yan made Dugu Bo flinch.
"You talk about draining," Dugu Bo said, his voice low.
"But you can't just bleed out poison that is fused with soul power. If I drain it, my cultivation drops. I become a cripple."
"That is the old way of thinking," Arthev shook his head. "In my village, we have a saying: Why destroy the flood when you can dig a canal?"
"A canal?"
"You need a reservoir," Arthev said. "A place to put the poison where it won't hurt you. Like a Soul Bone. But you don't have a soul Bone capable of holding that much toxicity."
Dugu Bo frowned. "So? What is the solution? Speak clearly, boy."
"I need ingredients," Arthev said. "My water trick was temporary. To build a permanent filter for you and your granddaughter, I need herbs. Rare herbs. Herbs that possess extreme Yang and extreme Yin properties to balance your toxicity."
Dugu Bo's eyes lit up.
"Herbs," the old man muttered. He stood up again, a strange glint in his eyes. "You want extreme Yin and Yang?"
"Yes."
"I might know a place," Dugu Bo said, a twisted smile forming on his face.
"A place where the plants are as monstrous as I am. If you really are a scholar of Science, maybe you can survive there."
Arthev kept his face impassive, but internally, he smiled.
"Lead the way, Senior," Arthev said politely.
"I am always eager to expand my research."
Dugu Bo grabbed Arthev's shoulder again.
"Hold on tight, kid. If you fall this time, the ground won't catch you."
They launched off the ledge, diving deeper into the Sunset Forest, toward the hidden valley that held the greatest botanical treasure in the world.
To be continued.....