Chapter 98: Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well
By the time Xiao Wu, Ye Lingling, Dugu Yan, and Qin Ming arrived at the location of the battle between Zu Zong and Dugu Bo, the fight had long since ended. The scene was deserted, with only a stretch of scorched ruins remaining.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Not finding Zu Zong's body meant that he was at least possibly still alive.
In the end, under Dugu Yan's repeated assurances, Xiao Wu and Ye Lingling were taken back to Heaven Dou Royal Academy by Qin Ming. Dugu Yan, on the other hand, went to look for Dugu Bo.
After an unknown amount of time, Zu Zong opened his eyes. He looked around and found himself on a steep cliff.
Below the cliff was a bottomless valley shrouded in clouds and mist. Zu Zong gave a helpless, bitter smile.
"That old poison held back at the last critical moment and knocked me out. What's the meaning of bringing me to this cliff? Does he want to trap me and wait for me to call for help? With that old poison's personality, it's indeed very likely."
However, that old poison had underestimated Zu Zong. A steep cliff might be an impassable obstacle for other Spirit Masters without the ability to fly, but he could adhere spirit power to his feet.
Whether on water or a sheer cliff, he could walk as if on flat ground.
Stretching his sore body, he muttered to himself, "The most urgent task now is to quickly recover my spirit power and treat the injuries on my body at the same time."
Thinking of this, Zu Zong sat down cross-legged and began to circulate the Nine Yang Divine Art.
Half an hour later, Zu Zong opened his eyes again, a surprised smile on his face. "I never expected to have a blessing in disguise and break through to level forty. The Nine Yang Divine Art has also successfully reached the fifth layer. But now is not the time to be happy."
At the same time, a system prompt sounded in Zu Zong's mind.
[Ding, congratulations to the host for increasing spirit power to level 40. One additional stealing opportunity has been granted.]
Zu Zong quickly suppressed the joy of his breakthrough for the time being. Adhering spirit power to his feet, he began to walk down the cliff face.
As soon as he reached the bottom of the valley, Zu Zong's gaze was captivated by the scene within.
There was an oval-shaped hot spring, steaming with mist. The spring itself was divided in two, with crimson red and milky white clearly separated.
"This is—the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well?" Zu Zong exclaimed. He had been coveting the things here for a long time.
No wonder that although the cliff was not particularly high, Zu Zong couldn't see the situation at the bottom of the valley. It turned out to be due to the constantly rising steam from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
Through the mist, Zu Zong saw various types of immortal herbs growing beside the spring: the Fiery Apricot Shu, the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass, the Yearning Heartbreak Red...
"Gulp." Zu Zong couldn't help but swallow his saliva.
Just as Zu Zong was about to start picking them, the voices of Dugu Bo and Dugu Yan came from a distance.
"Grandfather, just let Zu Zong go! He didn't offend you."
"My dear granddaughter, you still don't trust your grandfather? I already told you I was just studying potent poisons with him."
Before long, Dugu Bo walked out. Seeing Zu Zong standing before him safe and sound, a trace of surprise flashed in his eyes.
Dugu Bo said, "Kid, how did you get down?"
Zu Zong smiled faintly and said, "How else? After recovering my spirit power and treating my injuries, I just walked down!"
Rarely, Dugu Bo rolled his eyes. Try telling another Spirit Ancestor who can't fly to just walk down.
Suddenly, Dugu Bo's pupils contracted. "Hmm, that's not right! You've broken through to level 40."
Zu Zong nodded, not denying it.
Hiss. Dugu Bo sucked in a cold breath in his heart.
If he wasn't mistaken, the boy was still a month or two away from turning thirteen! A Spirit Ancestor under the age of thirteen—no one would believe it if you told them.
After calming his complicated feelings, Dugu Bo's words suddenly carried a hint of malice. "Although you're a monster, if you don't explain today's matter clearly, then even if it makes Yanyan hate me for the rest of her life, I will kill you."
Zu Zong smiled faintly and said, "What? Does Senior Dugu believe my words now?"
Dugu Bo fell silent, which was a tacit admission.
Zu Zong knew when to stop and continued, "Originally, I was only confident in saving Yanzi. But after seeing this medicinal garden of yours, your poison can also be cured."
Dugu Bo's eyes lit up, but out of caution, he still used the same tactic from the original story against Tang San.
"All my medicinal herbs are planted here, including all sorts of poisons and tonics. You can use them, but if you dare to destroy this place, I will make your life a living hell."
"I'll give you two days. The morning after tomorrow, I will poison you. If you can't cure it, then it will be your doom."
"Don't even think about running away. Even if you can escape, that little girlfriend of yours at Heaven Dou Royal Academy can't."
After saying this, Dugu Bo left, not forgetting to remind Zu Zong to stay away from the "hot spring" before he went.
Watching Dugu Bo's departing figure, Zu Zong almost snorted with laughter. Although he wouldn't touch the medicinal herbs Dugu Bo had transplanted, he wouldn't pass up the immortal herbs by the spring.
He had originally planned to pick one for the old poison, but since the old fellow dared to threaten him with Xiao Wu, he would just cure his poison and be done with it.
Activating his Sharingan Spirit, Zu Zong carefully walked towards the edge of the spring, peering through the mist.
At first glance, Zu Zong spotted two immortal herbs: the Fiery Apricot Shu and the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass.
These were the key to absorbing a ten-thousand-year spirit ring for his fourth spirit ring.
Although his second and third spirit rings were also absorbed beyond their age limit, the gap wasn't very large as they were both thousand-year spirit rings; as long as his physical fitness was up to par, it was fine.
A ten-thousand-year spirit ring was different; it would cause a soul shock, and a single misstep could lead to death.
Approaching the milky white spring water, Zu Zong released his Eight Spider Lances in advance.
He took out a sharp blade and also activated his Mysterious Jade Hand. Zu Zong had been longing for this moment for six or seven years.
He quickly cut off the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass, which required a refined iron object to be picked, and held it in his hand.
At the same time, his Eight Spider Lances swiftly leaped to the other side of the spring, and he used his Mysterious Jade Hand to dig out the Fiery Apricot Shu.
At this moment, Zu Zong's hands were already feeling intense pain from being frostbitten by the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and burned by the Fiery Apricot Shu.
Without any hesitation, Zu Zong brought the two immortal herbs together. A faint red glow covered the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass, while a faint white mist enveloped the Fiery Apricot Shu.
Seeing the immortal herbs neutralize each other, Zu Zong grabbed both and swallowed them in large mouthfuls.
Zu Zong was taken aback and muttered, "This taste is actually quite good."
Before Zu Zong could be happy, he felt his body alternating between hot and cold.
He tried to circulate the Nine Yang Divine Art to resist, but it was clearly not very effective. The cold lessened, but the heat intensified.
Greatly alarmed, he glanced at the clearly divided spring water before him, stripped off his already tattered clothes, and jumped in.
Today, Zu Zong would also try the taste of "Ice and Fire Body Tempering."
With a splash, Zu Zong's entire body was submerged in the spring water, sinking in an instant.
"Ah!" When his head broke the surface again, Zu Zong cried out in pain. This heart-wrenching agony was ten times more painful than when he had fused with the Eight Spider Lances.
If the former was the pain of childbirth, then what he was feeling now was akin to the pain of being sliced by a thousand cuts, as if countless small knives were carving away his flesh all over his body.
A moment later, Zu Zong lost consciousness.
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