Chapter 62: Intercepting Dugu Bo's Prize
Another 7 days passed.
Qin Xuan's family of three safely arrived at Sunset Forest. He and Jing Ni took A Yan and found a safe place to set up camp, then used the 100,000-year Vermillion Bird Left Leg Bone's ability to create 4 clones, flying with their swords to conduct a carpet search.
Along the way, they encountered many powerful 10,000-year Spirit Beasts, and some were even stronger than Qin Xuan himself, leading to his clones being ambushed and destroyed. But fortunately, after a conscious search, they finally found the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well on the evening of the fourth day.
"It looks like this should be the place," Qin Xuan said, landing on the mountaintop with A Yan and Jing Ni in his arms.
This was a circular mountain range, about 500 meters high. At the center was an inverted conical valley with thick, hot steam rising from it, carrying a humid and distinctive sulfurous smell.
Before coming, Qin Xuan had used a clone to investigate and found no trace of Dugu Bo, nor any caves. There was only a Spirit Beast over 50,000 years old, a Medusa known as the Empress of Snakes, residing deep within the valley.
Just as he had guessed, at this point in time, Dugu Yan had not yet been born, Dugu Bo's son had not yet been poisoned to death by his own Spirit, and Dugu Bo had not yet found the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. If he had found it this early, the well's properties would have suppressed the poison, and his son would not have died so soon.
Jing Ni sighed beside him, "No wonder no one has discovered it for tens of thousands of years. This mountain range is so steep, the valley is completely surrounded by mountains with no exit, and mist obscures the view from above. If not for accidentally stumbling upon it, no one would ever find this place."
"Indeed. But even if discovered, ordinary people wouldn't survive. A Medusa, the Empress of Snakes, resides below. It is over 50,000 years old and possesses an extremely terrifying petrification ability. Once illuminated by the light from her eyes, even energy will be petrified. Moreover, it is extremely adept at concealing its aura; my clone was ambushed and destroyed by it."
After Qin Xuan finished speaking, he secretly speculated that Dugu Bo in the original story must have hunted this Medusa after accidentally finding this place, obtaining that head Spirit Bone.
Jing Ni said, "I'll go take care of it."
Qin Xuan said sternly, "Then be careful. Remember its petrification light. Also, do not approach the red and white springs below, and do not harm the flowers and plants near the spring."
Although Qin Xuan was not afraid of the so-called Empress of Snakes, Jing Ni was not a helpless bystander. With her current level 80 spirit power, even without a spirit ring, she was fully capable of killing that Medusa with the skills from her Spirit Bone armor and her own swordsmanship.
Jing Ni nodded slightly, summoned her Jing Ni Sword, and flew into the valley.
Soon, the intense sounds of fighting and the roars of a giant beast came from below. Qin Xuan, holding A Yan, stood on the mountaintop watching the battle. In his spiritual perception, although Jing Ni was somewhat constrained at first, as it was her first time fighting a Spirit Beast, she quickly adjusted. Being a natural-born killer, she adapted to the situation and gradually gained the upper hand.
About half an hour passed.
Jing Ni flew up on her sword, holding a head Spirit Bone that reflected a deep black glow.
Qin Xuan smiled. "It seems you've completely adapted."
"Not enough," Jing Ni shook her head and sighed. If it were a Spirit Master of the same level, she was confident she could defeat them within 10 moves, without even giving them a chance to use their Spirit Avatar. However, facing a massive Spirit Beast, the assassination techniques she had practiced for years seemed somewhat inadequate. In the end, she still had to rely on her Spirit Bone skills to deal with the Medusa.
"People always need a process of adaptation, don't they?" Qin Xuan said with a comforting smile.
Jing Ni nodded, handing over the Spirit Bone. "Yes, you're right. But fortunately, it wasn't without gain. I dug this out of that Spirit Beast."
Was this considered intercepting Old Poison's Spirit Bone?
Qin Xuan took the Spirit Bone, tossed it lightly in his hand, and a playful smile appeared on his face. "To obtain a Spirit Bone on your first Spirit Beast hunt, you're really lucky. Even our Spirit Hall's Senior Yue Guan doesn't have a single Spirit Bone yet."
Seeing the playful smile on Qin Xuan's face, Jing Ni thought he was thinking of something mischievous again and added, "You can give this Spirit Bone to Elder Ling Yuan after you marry her."
Qin Xuan's smile instantly froze. Was she really trying to convince him to start a harem?
Sunset Forest, Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
Steam billowed upwards, constantly rising until it slowly dissipated at the mouth of the valley. Qin Xuan's gaze fell upon the distinctly white and red springs of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. Even though he had anticipated it, witnessing it with his own eyes made him marvel at the wonder of this place.
It was truly worthy of being the burial ground of the Ice and Fire Dragon Kings.
Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum, Narcissus Jade Body, Exquisite Silk Tulip, and Yearning Heartbroken Red. Not only did it possess a dazzling array of Immortal Herbs, but it was also a sacred cultivation ground for Spirit Masters.
Plant-type, fire-attribute, and ice/water-attribute Spirit Masters could cultivate here with double the efficiency, making it an unparalleled natural training ground.
Jing Ni was equally amazed. "No wonder you said this place is the treasure basin of the Douluo Continent. Such a concentration of the world's spiritual essence... even a so-called human paradise is nothing compared to this."
As for little A Yan, she was at an age where she loved to sleep and had already fallen asleep in Qin Xuan's arms while Jing Ni was slaying the Medusa.
"To avoid any trouble, let's collect all these Immortal Herbs first," Qin Xuan handed the sleeping A Yan to Jing Ni, then took out the jade boxes he had prepared and began collecting the herbs.
Having studied the Immortal Herb catalog, Qin Xuan skillfully plucked the Immortal Herbs one by one and put them into his Qiankun Bag. In a short while, the lush area around the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well became bare. Except for the Inferno Apricot and Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass closest to the spring, all Immortal Herbs were harvested, leaving only the king of them all, the Yearning Heartbroken Red.
This was specially prepared by Qin Xuan for Jing Ni. There was no other way; this particular herb required sincere love to be picked. Although Qin Xuan considered himself sincere towards his women, he was admittedly more attracted to their bodies, with very little emotional component. He didn't even have the desire to try and gain the recognition of this Immortal Herb.
Rather than face an awkward failure, it was better to give it to Jing Ni, whose favorability had reached 100%, and let her reach a higher realm. As for himself, he would consume the Inferno Apricot, the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass, and the Autumn Water Dew, which could enhance spiritual force.
"Give it a try. You've seen the Immortal Herb catalog, so you should be familiar with this one," Qin Xuan said, holding the stone it grew on and presenting the Yearning Heartbroken Red to Jing Ni.
Jing Ni stared blankly at the vibrant red flower, took a deep breath, and looked directly at Qin Xuan. "I'll try."