The trait from the star-nosed mole, even at just Lv2, was incredibly powerful.
On Fang Ling, it shone with even greater brilliance.
It especially excelled at absorbing various external energies.
It was this very trait that gave him the courage to consume the Ice and Fire Twin Herbs during the Grand Soul Master stage.
His ability to rapidly absorb energy had already shown hints during his soul ring and soul bone absorption processes. Now, it was even more apparent.
Though his outward appearance looked grim, things were still within his control.
But the medicinal effects had already kicked in; any further delay would exceed his body's limits.
Relying on his warrior's will to support his body, Fang Ling staggered forward.
With a soft splash, he plunged directly into the spring under Dugu Bo's shocked gaze, disappearing almost instantly.
The spring water rippled slightly and then returned to calm moments later.
Steam continued to rise gently, spreading out as if nothing had happened.
"Suicide? Or some kind of instinct?"
Dugu Bo's brow twitched as he pondered silently. Maybe, with the protection of the medicinal energy, the kid could really come out alive?
Hard to say. Impossible to guess. Better to just watch and wait.
He stood silently at the bank of the spring, using the energy of the Ice and Fire to suppress the poison in his body.
Time passed. Day turned to night. A full day and night went by.
By the next day's dusk, Fang Ling still hadn't surfaced from the spring.
The water continued to bubble with heat, completely unchanged.
As if no one had ever entered.
"Did he really die?" A trace of regret flashed in Dugu Bo's eyes.
The extreme properties of the Ice and Fire Spring made it impossible for him to sense whether Fang Ling was still alive.
He had jumped in and vanished without a trace, chances were, he was already dead.
That kid had an uncanny instinct far beyond the average person. But instinct isn't everything.
Overreliance on it often leads to death.
What a pity, those two rare herbs...
Dugu Bo shook his head slightly and turned to leave, when bubbles suddenly began to rise from the water.
With his Title Douluo-level hearing, he immediately picked up on the subtle change.
In this quiet spring, other than the steaming water and his own silent presence, any change had to come from Fang Ling!
He turned back at once.
A clean arm emerged first from the center of the spring, followed closely by a head breaking through the surface.
Though he looked more refined now, the overall features were unchanged.
Fang Ling was alive!
Dugu Bo was utterly stunned.
He watched as Fang Ling shook the droplets of water from the twin springs off his head and waved at him excitedly.
"Whew~! Senior, I did it!"
The way he moved freely and comfortably in the spring waters made Dugu Bo grit his teeth a bit.
Am I seeing things?
Or has the poison already reached my bones and I'm hallucinating in my dying moments?
This _was_ the deadly Ice and Fire Spring, right?
Dugu Bo approached quickly without thinking, soul power gathering in his hand. Under Fang Ling's puzzled gaze, he reached into the water.
"Hiss !"
In an instant, his powerful soul power was corroded into nothing. He hastily reinforced his soul power and pulled his hand back.
"It's not an illusion... Fang Ling, you brat!"
Fang Ling suddenly understood what Dugu Bo was testing and laughed awkwardly.
"Senior, did you really think I died? I told you, my instincts aren't wrong."
"I won the bet!"
Absorbing the immortal herbs was intense, but overall, it was a thrill without any real danger.
Even the injuries on his body from the alternating cold and heat had healed.
Fang Ling said regretfully:
"It's a shame you didn't try it too, senior. I have a feeling that if you had taken those herbs, your poisoning issue might've been resolved."
"Not everyone can be as carefree as you..." Dugu Bo's face darkened briefly before revealing a hint of helplessness and regret.
Some people can risk everything because they have nothing to lose, but can he just abandon his granddaughter, Yan Yan?
"Besides, just the energy from the Ice and Fire Springs already suppresses my poison. If I were to carry around a miniaturized version of it like you mentioned, how could I still use poison?"
Dugu Bo hadn't reached the level of Title Douluo by being naïve.
Even though Fang Ling hadn't explained it clearly, he quickly grasped the deeper implications.
"You make a good point. My instinct tells me… that wouldn't work," Fang Ling replied naturally.
Dugu Bo's heart trembled. He didn't even want to imagine the consequences if he had been swayed and consumed the herbs, losing all his terrifying poisons.
Sure, among the Title Douluo, he was the weakest, but when it came to handling those with lower cultivation, he was even more effective than most.
He could easily wipe out a sect or silently purge an entire city.
He might not beat _other_ Title Douluo, but he could leave _only_ the Title Douluo standing!
But if those poisons were gone...
He would become the weakest Title Douluo in history.
From "the weakest among Title Douluo" to "the weakest Title Douluo of all time."
At least the former still had some prestige; the latter... even strong Soul Douluo could bully him.
Dugu Bo shivered slightly and simply said generously, "This was a reward earned by risking your life. It proved your instincts."
"Judging by your excitement, you gained a lot?"
"Of course!" Even someone as calm as Fang Ling couldn't help but smile with joy.
His soul power hadn't advanced, which was expected, the Ice and Fire Twin Herbs were for body refinement.
Not much else changed... except in the traits section.
Two new entries had appeared.
First:
Ice and Fire Immunity LvMAX (Special Trait – Cannot be upgraded. After consuming the immortal herbs Octagonal Ice Crystal Grass and Fiery Apricot, your body is strengthened. Some of your soul power is specialized with extreme ice/fire attributes. Although unusable for offense, it renders you immune to attacks under extreme ice/fire.)
Not separate ice and fire immunity as he imagined, but a combined effect.
It specifically mentioned that some soul power had been specialized.
That's the effect of the two herbs, besides strengthening the body (his so-called "Ice-Fire Alchemy Body"), they allowed extreme ice/fire powers to merge with parts of his soul power.
Obviously, immunity applies to the body, not to clothes.
Otherwise, wouldn't Tang San end up completely naked after every battle?
Besides, nobody on the continent right now even _uses_ true extreme ice or fire attributes.
As far as he knew, only the Snow Empress and the Ice Jade Scorpion clan in the Far North had such abilities.
That area was still a forbidden zone for humans. Humans only operated at the outer edge of the Frozen Forest. The two sides didn't interfere with each other.
Then came the second trait:
Immune to All Poisons LvMAX (Special Trait – Cannot be upgraded. After consuming the immortal herbs Octagonal Ice Crystal Grass and Fiery Apricot, your body is strengthened, vastly increasing your resistance to poisons. The specialized soul power can purge all toxins from your body.)
"Immune" here didn't mean untouchable. In the original timeline, Tang San _could_ be poisoned, but he could purge it almost instantly.
Whether you could be poisoned and whether it affected you were two different things.
Didn't Tang San almost die from Dugu Bo's Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor poison?
"All poisons" was definitely an exaggeration.
But it didn't matter. How many poisons in the world were as terrifying as Dugu Bo's?
The Yama Invitation technique was already abandoned due to missing materials.
With immunity to most poisons and ice/fire resistance, Fang Ling could counter three types of soul masters instantly!
His chances of surviving in the Slaughter City had just improved.
Although... sickle sweeping through enemies, poison immunity, wasn't that a direct counter to Tang San?
Coincidence. Totally a coincidence.
Fang Ling's lips curved into a smirk.
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