The morning air shimmered under the rising sun, painting the sky with streaks of crimson and gold. Li Wei stood at the edge of Spirit Hall southern platform, his robes rippling in the wind, a sealed jade box cradled in his arms. Inside, the rare herbs he and Yue Guan had selected pulsed with quiet potency, a gift worthy of a summit with the elusive Poison Douluo.
Behind him stood two figures—his grandfather, Crocodile Douluo, exuding silent strength with his arms crossed behind his back and Elder Yue Guan, elegant as ever, adjusting the orchid-colored sash tied at his waist.
"Ready?" Yue Guan asked, eyes scanning the open horizon.
Li Wei nodded. "Yes."
With a casual flick of his hand, Crocodile Douluo released his martial spirit. A ripple of power expanded across the platform, condensing into the form of a massive spectral crocodile. Its scales glinted like polished obsidian, and its wings—unnatural for such a beast—spread wide with a whoosh that stirred the trees below.
Li Wei took a slow breath as his grandfather lowered a hand.
"Climb on. It'll be a few hours of flight. No need to tire your spirit power."
Yue Guan chuckled. "I must say, it's not often I get a ride. My Chrysanthemum Phantom Dance doesn't lend itself well to group travel."
The three of them mounted the beast. Li Wei settled in the center, taking the jade box and put it into space ring. Crocodile Douluo took the front, while Yue Guan sat cross-legged behind Li Wei with a relaxed air, though his senses were clearly alert.
The beast gave a low growl before lifting off, pushing off the platform with a crack of force. Air rushed past Li Wei ears as they soared skyward, the buildings of Spirit Hall rapidly shrinking beneath them. The world opened up into rolling clouds and open sky, vast and boundless.
Li Wei glanced down. The forests below were a blur of emerald green, broken occasionally by rivers that glittered like snakes of silver.
"How much does Dugu Bo know about our approach?" Li Wei asked, raising his voice to be heard over the wind.
"None," Yue Guan replied, his voice calm. "He's not the type you send letters to. He's paranoid and territorial. That's why we're bringing gifts and muscle."
"And he'll sense us before we land," Crocodile Douluo added. "That's a certainty. His domain is laced with poisons. Subtle, slow-acting mist-type."
Li Wei nodded quietly. He remembered from past life memories, the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, hidden deep within Dugu Bo's personal valley, a natural wonder of two extreme elements coexisting. It was both miracle and deathtrap.
The hours passed with little conversation. The atmosphere aboard the flying beast was tense yet tranquil. Clouds broke like waves around them, and occasionally, birds scattered from their path.
Eventually, the terrain below began to shift. Rolling forests gave way to jagged cliffs, steep mountain ranges, and narrow ravines choked with mist. The sky dimmed as the temperature dropped, despite the morning sun overhead in Sunset Forest.
Crocodile Douluo narrowed his eyes.
"We're here. Hold tight."
He raise his hand and lower it, signaling the beast to go down. The beast descended, gliding lower through a thick fog that clung to the ridges like a living thing. Li Wei coughed slightly as the faint scent of toxins seeped into the air.
"The poison mist," Yue Guan murmured, a fan appearing in his hand as he waved it gently, creating a faint barrier.
As they neared the valley's mouth, Crocodile Douluo's gaze sharpened.
A subtle pulse of killing intent brushed against them.
"We're being watched," Li Wei said.
Yue Guan nodded. "He's noticed. Now let's see how he reacts."
---
Dugu Bo stood alone atop a cliff ledge, half-shrouded in the mist of his poison domain. Clad in dark green robes embroidered with serpents and lotus motifs, he stared at the approaching silhouette in the sky. His eyes narrowed.
Someone had found him. The place that can be said to his most deepest secret.
Worse—someone was brazenly flying into his sanctuary.
His mind raced. Not even Spirit Hall dared disturb him here. But he knew those auras. Yue Guan—the flashy plant man—was tolerable, though annoying. But the other.
His gaze locked on the spectral crocodile as it landed in the field below his cliff. A monstrous martial spirit, vast and ancient. That pressure can be said to be higher than Yue Guan.
"Chrysanthemum Guan," Dugu Bo muttered.
His mood soured. That man was stronger than him, now there another one that he did not know the origin of. The other seem to be accompanying the boy. Seeing that Yue Guan accompanying also seem accompanying the boy it might be a high ranking in Spirit Hall.
He didn't act. Not yet. But he didn't leave either.
---
Li Wei dismounted first, taking in the eerily quiet valley. The mist here had weight, not just in texture but in presence. It clung to his skin like oil and left a faint sting.
Yue Guan stepped beside him and whispered, "Don't activate spirit power unless absolutely necessary. The air here is poison as you're still low rank using your own spirit power will only accelerate the poison."
Crocodile Douluo simply crossed his arms, calm as always as he use his spirit power to surround Li Wei.
Li Wei took out the jade box and stepped forward.
"Poison Douluo, Dugu Bo," he said clearly. "I come not to invade, but to request an audience."
Silence.
Then, a voice—aged, dry, and laced with poison.
"That depends. What brings a Spirit Hall people... to my doorstep?"
The mists parted. Dugu Bo stepped into view, descending the slope slowly. His hands were folded behind his back, but his gaze remained locked on the jade box in Li Wei's arms.
"What do you want?"
Li Wei bowed politely, presenting the box. "A token of sincerity. Rare herbs selected by Elder Yue and myself, with your expertise in mind. We believe they may assist your research—or, perhaps, your granddaughter's development."
Dugu Bo eyes flickered. "You know about Yan?"
"Only that you care for her deeply."
Yue Guan stepped forward with a smile. "Dugu Bo, we come with no ill intent. The boy here—Li Wei—is my junior and this is an elder of Spirit Hall and Li Wei grandfather, Crocodile Douluo. He want to have a talk with you."
Dugu Bo's gaze hardened. "You're Spirit Hall people."
"Yes," Crocodile Douluo said plainly. "And if we wanted to harm you, we wouldn't be bringing a child to do it."
A beat.
Then, Dugu Bo sighed, stepping forward to accept the box. He opened it slowly, green light reflecting in his eyes.
"Hmph... You actually brought Nine-Petal Snake Lotus and Purple Blood Grass. These are rare. Hard to cultivate."
He closed the box with a snap. "Speak. Why are you here?"
Li Wei met his gaze calmly. "There is a place within your domain—the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. I only know of it because my spirit is... unusual. It resonates with places of extreme energy. I wish to borrow the well—not steal, not harm—but use its environment to develop a specialized herb to counter a future enemy."
Dugu Bo's eyes narrowed. "You know of the well."
"Only fragments. I remembered it when I saw the terrain from above."
Dugu Bo turned, pacing slowly. His thoughts whirled.
He should be furious. This child not only knew about his secret but also came accompanied by two high-level Spirit Hall powers. But there was no malice here. Only caution. And more than that—curiosity.
He glanced back. "And what do I gain from this?"
"A potential ally," Li Wei said. "And someone who may help ease your granddaughter's condition. You suffer from backlash, don't you? From poison entering your meridians. I may be able to help with that too, not only that we also have someone that specializes in plant. We will be able to help you in identifying the correct herb to cure your poison."
Dugu Bo blinked. Then, slowly, he laughed—a dry, hoarse sound.
"A thirteen-year-old claiming he can cure me? Arrogant. But intriguing."
"It is not an arrogant but a possibilities that I have as with my martial spirit I am not alone." He thought about the possibility of using the Kamen Rider abilities to cures Dugu Bo.
He know a few Kamen Rider that can achieve that as some of them are researcher and also some are doctor. Combining it, he might be able to find solution.
Yue Guan raised his fan. "His martial spirit can be said to be different from the others. There might be some truth in it."
Dugu Bo studied Li Wei again, this time with deeper scrutiny.
Finally, he nodded.
"You get one chance." Dugu Bo can only say something like that. If only Yue Guan here, he might be able to do something but with another strong person in the mix, it's different.
Crocodile Douluo smiled faintly. "Fair enough."
Dugu Bo turned. "Follow me. But stay close. The mist doesn't like strangers." He then open a path along the mist barrier that he made.
Li Wei bowed once more and followed, heart steady.
The journey into the venomous heart of the valley had begun.
And with it, the next step on his path to the truth.