"No… a place blessed by nature must be guarded by supreme poisonous herbs and surrounded by miasma. Even I can't enter. What good does it do you to know where it is?"
Dugu Bo suddenly came to a realization, only to be doused by a bucket of cold water.
His excitement plummeted into frustration in the blink of an eye—elation followed by despair, sending his mood into a tailspin.
"Ah? Senior Dugu, my Evil Fire seems to be immune to toxins."
Lin Xiao's voice cut in at just the right time.
"You're saying your Evil Fire can resist poison? I'd like to see that for myself!" Dugu Bo narrowed his eyes with interest.
With a wave of his sleeve, he released a sickly sweet green mist—no doubt something extremely toxic.
This wasn't just any poison. It was the famous Bi Phosphorus Snake Venom, renowned across the continent.
Unlike Dugu Yan's amateur-level use of it, Dugu Bo's venom was vastly more potent.
The green mist blew straight into Lin Xiao's face.
All the while, Dugu Bo stared at him and spoke coldly:
"You must've faced Yan Yan's venom before to be so confident. But don't forget—my strength is far greater. My Martial Soul is the Emperor of Bi Phosphorus Snakes. Her little tricks are nothing compared to mine."
And yet—even though Lin Xiao felt slightly dizzy, there were no signs of poisoning.
Dugu Bo frowned deeply. He grabbed Lin Xiao's wrist and sent his soul power in to probe.
What he discovered astonished him.
Lin Xiao's body was abnormally healthy. His internal temperature was incredibly high, and there was a strange flame coursing wildly through his meridians. Dugu Bo's probing energy was devoured in an instant.
"You really are immune to poison? Because of that bizarre flame?" Dugu Bo muttered in shock.
"No, wait. That sinister flame inside you... it's even more dangerous than poison! How are you still standing?"
Unbelievable.
Was this kid made of fire?
As the possessor of the Evil Fire Phoenix Martial Soul, Lin Xiao naturally had high fire resistance. He'd already survived two fire outbreaks. The second time, he even used it to temper his body. His physique was now far tougher than ordinary soul masters.
Though his soul power was only at a Senior Soul Master level, his resistance to the Evil Fire was unheard of.
While Dugu Bo was reeling from this, Lin Xiao was also secretly surprised.
He had felt dizzy for a moment?
Could it be that his Evil Fire was merely close to the level of Pure Extreme Flame, but not quite there yet? Thankfully, he was still immune to most poisons—as long as the dosage wasn't excessive.
He shared his honest thoughts with Dugu Bo, sounding a little disappointed.
"I thought I was immune to all toxins…"
"But apparently, if you were to keep releasing venom without pause—beyond what my flame can destroy or consume—I could still be poisoned."
Dugu Bo was infuriated.
"You little brat, you'll be the death of me!"
"Look at you, acting like it's not enough! Even most Title Douluo would collapse after taking my Bi Phosphorus Snake Venom unguarded. Their limbs would go limp! And you—a teen-level soul master—you're complaining?"
"What's next? You want to defeat me to prove your point?!"
Dugu Bo didn't know the word "humblebrag," but he definitely felt it.
Lin Xiao chuckled awkwardly.
"Please, Senior. Even without using your soul power, your physical strength as a Title Douluo is enough to crush me."
After all, the weakest Title Douluo was still a Title Douluo!
Dugu Bo felt conflicted.
He should've been pleased to confirm Lin Xiao's resistance to poison… so why did it leave a bitter taste?
Well, it made sense.
Anyone would feel a little hollow if their greatest weapon was rendered useless by a kid.
"Senior Dugu, then... do you think I can enter that blessed land?"
Of course Lin Xiao had to ask that now.
Dugu Bo glared at him.
"Unless a Title Douluo grabs you and pours in poison non-stop, who else can poison you? Those miasmas won't all gang up and drill into your lungs. And unless you go around eating every single toxic herb like a fool, you won't die."
That was all Lin Xiao needed to hear.
"Senior, so you really do know where one of those blessed lands is? No wonder you've survived all this time."
Dugu Bo was about to respond, but his words faltered. He sighed.
"I've only survived by relying on my strength as a Title Douluo and the magnetic field of that blessed land to suppress my poison."
"If only you'd come to me sooner… Maybe my son wouldn't have died so young."
Lin Xiao saw a rare softness in Dugu Bo's usually cold and distant gaze.
At that moment, the infamous Poison Douluo—feared throughout the land—looked more like a lonely old man.
Lin Xiao thought for a moment and offered a few words of comfort.
"It's alright, Senior. You and Miss Yan Yan will not follow the same tragic path."
"The pain of the Dugu Clan ends here."
Dugu Bo was moved but still skeptical.
"You really think you can fix our Martial Soul's flaws?"
"If you enter that land and come out without results, I'll personally test the limits of your so-called immunity."
It was more a threat in words than intent.
In truth, no matter the outcome, Lin Xiao had given them hope. He was also Dugu Yan's friend—and his personality resonated with Dugu Bo.
The real reason for the threat was simple: Dugu Bo was a hard man with a soft heart. He just wanted to put pressure on Lin Xiao so he'd take it seriously.
Lin Xiao responded with a bright smile.
"If I can't fix it, I'll accept whatever punishment Senior decides."
Having overcome his fear, Lin Xiao now faced Dugu Bo directly.
To him, Dugu Bo was just an eccentric old child—isolated and quietly sorrowful.
Likely tied to the early loss of family, and always worried about what would happen to Dugu Yan after he was gone.
No wonder he turned cold and distant.
But Lin Xiao wasn't afraid of his threats.
He knew Dugu Bo was harsh now, but once he saved him and Yan Yan, the gratitude would run deep.
In fact, in the original story, Dugu Bo supported Tang San for life.
If Lin Xiao were the type to take advantage, he could withhold the immortal herbs and let Dugu Bo just seal the poison in his soul bone. Dugu Bo would still thank him.
But Lin Xiao wasn't that kind of person.
Just then, a voice rang out from the courtyard—
"Lin Xiao! Have you seen my grandpa? I heard from the servants that he's already back!"
It was Dugu Yan.