Oscar gazed intently at the sharply divided spring in the distance and said solemnly:
"If I originally had only a 30% chance of curing your poison, with the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well present, I now have a 50% chance."
Hearing that, Dugu Bo's expression dimmed slightly.
"Only 50%?"
Oscar nodded.
"Your body has been saturated with toxins for so many years. A 50% chance is already very high. Even if I can't completely cure you, I can at least ease your pain."
Oscar intentionally left himself some leeway he didn't want to make grand promises only to fail and risk offending Dugu Bo.
However, when it came to Dugu Yan, Oscar was much more confident. Looking at the conflicted Dugu Bo, he continued:
"But I can cure Sister Dugu Yan's poison completely."
That statement caused Dugu Bo's expression to lighten. He responded:
"If you can cure Yan Yan, then this treasured land is yours to use as you please in the future. How about that?"
Oscar nodded seriously:
"You're too generous, Your Excellency. I had already promised to help reward or not, I would've done my utmost."
Then he added:
"But since you've made the offer, I do want to study this land in detail."
Hearing their exchange, Ge Yue and Shao Xin were completely baffled they had no idea what the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well was. But they did know Oscar had some expertise in medicine, just not to this astonishing level.
Dugu Yan, however, took Oscar's words to heart. She felt some joy hearing that her poison could be cured, but also a tinge of sadness knowing that her grandfather's odds were only 50/50.
Oscar then turned to Dugu Bo:
"Your Excellency, I'll need some time to acclimate myself to this environment and select the necessary herbs."
Dugu Bo nodded solemnly:
"I'll leave this place to you. I'll be in the stone hut above the cliff, trying out the method you mentioned refining the poison into my soul bone. If you need anything, just come find me."
Then he looked toward Ge Yue and Shao Xin:
"You two may return to the academy if you find it inconvenient to stay. Little Ao will be safe under my care. Though I may not have a great reputation in the soul master world, I do value my word and repay kindness."
"Little Ao may need to stay for a while. I owe him a great deal. When this is over, I will not forget it."
Ge Yue and Shao Xin exchanged glances. Though they trusted Dugu Bo, they were reluctant to leave Oscar. Unfortunately, they were of little use in a place requiring high level alchemical knowledge.
At that moment, Oscar approached:
"Teachers, why don't you return to the academy? Once I've resolved this for Your Excellency and Sister Dugu Yan, I'll return as well."
"With him here, no one can harm me. I'll be perfectly safe."
Ge Yue hesitated before saying:
"Don't overexert yourself. Even if you can't cure His Excellency's poison, he understands. Your safety comes first."
Oscar took those words to heart. After a brief farewell, Dugu Bo escorted the two teachers out through the poison array.
Now, only Oscar and Dugu Yan remained at the cliff base.
Oscar turned to her:
"Your body likely can't handle the environment here. You should stay back."
Dugu Yan nodded Oscar was right. On the outskirts, she was fine. But if she entered the core area near the spring, her body would suffer from the backlash of her internal poison reacting to the extreme heat and cold.
So she remained where she was while Oscar advanced toward the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
The scene before him was a veritable botanical paradise. Surrounding the spring were countless exotic plants, each unique in shape and aura. And almost every visible herb was a ten thousand year old spiritual medicinelike the Snow Silkworm, the Cinnabar Lotus...
But Oscar's gaze did not linger on these. He was searching for something far more rare:
An Immortal Herb.
Eventually, his eyes locked onto a large pale pink flower. He walked toward it, and as he neared, a faint fragrance drifted into his nose.
This flower had:
No extra leaves.
A stalk three feet tall.
A massive flower head, over one foot in diameter.
Each petal crystal clear like pink crystal.
A light sway in the mist rising from where red and white spring waters met.
A core of pale violet stamen resembling embedded purple diamonds.
A soft, far reaching scent not overpowering, but pure and soothing.
Oscar bent forward and inhaled gently from the center of the flower. Immediately, the discomfort he had felt upon entering the area vanished. Smiling, he stared at the flower.
With this, no poison in the world can affect me.
The flower's name was:
Fragrant Delicate Immortal Product
Its properties:
Subtle, elegant fragrance
Neutralizes all airborne poisons within its range.
Best preventive antitoxin herb in existence.
However:
Cannot cure poisons already in the body.
Its effect is solely preventive, not curative.
Even so, for Oscar this was more than enough. He had no intention of getting poisoned in the first place.
He had come here to find this flower immediately to ensure he wouldn't accidentally inhale poisonous vapors while studying the myriad herbs around the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
Though the well is one of the three great treasure lands, birthing countless miraculous herbs and immortal grasses, nearly half of the flora here are toxic, thanks to the dual extreme nature of the spring's structure: intense heat vs. bitter cold.
Without hesitation, Oscar picked the Fragrant Delicate Immortal Product and began exploring the perimeter, determined to identify just how many of these rare herbs he recognized.
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