As Dugu Bo swallowed the herbs, an excruciating pain tore through his body almost immediately.
It started deep in his abdomen and spread like wildfire through his limbs, burning and freezing at the same time.
Even in all his years mastering poisons, he had never felt agony like this.
His entire body trembled; his mind screamed in silence.
'What's happening? Did that man lie to me?' he thought, panic flaring as his vision blurred.
'After all that trust… was it just a trap?'
Cheng Yang noticed his struggle and raised both hands awkwardly.
"Ah, uh, I probably should've mentioned this earlier," he said, scratching the back of his head.
"The process of the herbs reshaping your body is… well, intense. The weaker your physique, the worse it feels. Bing Di and I barely felt a thing, but you, uh… yeah, you might want to brace yourself."
His tone was casual, but Dugu Bo was already drenched in sweat, veins bulging as he tried to breathe through the pain.
"If you can't take it anymore, jump into the spring," Cheng Yang added quickly, pointing toward the nearby hot spring.
"After taking these herbs, the two extreme spring waters can't harm you. Trust me, well, mostly."
There was no time for doubt.
Dugu Bo, trembling and desperate, threw himself into the blazing hot Yang Spring.
The moment his body touched the water, the agony didn't fade; it doubled.
His scream echoed across the valley.
Before his mind gave in and darkness claimed him, he faintly heard Cheng Yang's cheerful voice:
"Don't worry! You'll pass out soon, and when you wake up, the pain will be gone!"
When Dugu Bo finally opened his eyes, the world was still spinning.
His body felt lighter, stronger somehow, but exhaustion clung to his bones.
He turned his head, and froze.
Beside the icy spring, Cheng Yang and Bing Di were calmly soaking in the freezing water, wearing only their undergarments.
The water was at least a hundred degrees below zero, yet both looked as relaxed as if they were bathing in a hot spring.
Bubbles rose lazily around them, Bing Di's expression utterly serene.
"Ah, awake already?" Cheng Yang called over, waving a hand.
"Wanna join us for a soak?"
He glanced at Bing Di, gently pouring water over her hair.
Dugu Bo's eyelid twitched.
Twice now, this mysterious man had nearly killed him, once with poison, now with healing.
He wasn't about to fall for a third trap. He stayed perfectly still, watching carefully.
"Oh, right," Cheng Yang said, realizing his silence.
"You're a snake-type martial spirit user. Too cold, and you'll go straight into hibernation. Maybe best to sit this one out."
Bing Di let out a quiet hum as Cheng Yang tied up her long, silver-green hair into two small horn-shaped buns.
The sight almost made her look… well, cute.
After finishing, Cheng Yang turned back to Dugu Bo.
"Alright, jokes aside, how about becoming my apprentice?"
Dugu Bo blinked. "...What?"
"You heard me. Apprentice." Cheng Yang's tone was casual, but his eyes were steady.
Dugu Bo hesitated. His poison power was gone; he could feel it.
The once-toxic aura that had terrified countless soul masters had vanished completely.
Without it, he was nothing.
He could barely call himself a soul master anymore. What choice did he have?
Cheng Yang seemed to sense his turmoil.
"Don't answer too fast," he said lightly.
"You should know what you're signing up for. First of all, I'm not exactly… human. And second, I'm terrible at teaching combat. Honestly, you probably know more about herbs and poison than I do."
Dugu Bo frowned.
"Then what exactly can you teach?"
"I can teach you the basics of how everything works," Cheng Yang said with a shrug.
"Matter, energy, life, what they really are. From there, you'll have to find your own path."
The more Cheng Yang spoke, the more Dugu Bo's face darkened.
'You tell me this now? After I nearly died eating your herbs?!'
But regret was useless.
With a resigned breath, Dugu Bo knelt, pressing his forehead to the ground.
"Master," he said quietly, "please accept this disciple."
Cheng Yang's playful expression softened.
His spiritual power rippled outward, forming a long robe around him, his features sharpening with quiet dignity.
In that moment, he truly looked like a teacher. He helped Dugu Bo to his feet.
"Rise. Since you've chosen this path, let's start with your first lesson. You've lost your snake venom, so we'll begin with how venom works. The principles behind it, what makes it deadly."
He began to explain, his tone patient but steady.
"There are neurotoxins, hemotoxins, cytotoxins, each works differently. Neurotoxins attack the nerves, hemotoxins destroy blood cells, and cytotoxins… well, they melt you from the inside out."
At first, Dugu Bo followed along, fascinated.
Cheng Yang's knowledge of poison went far beyond any technique or secret manual; he was breaking down the logic of venom itself.
Dugu Bo nodded repeatedly, his mind racing.
But as Cheng Yang went deeper, talking about cells, proteins, and chemical bonds, Dugu Bo's expression slowly turned blank.
"Wait… what's a peptide?" he muttered under his breath.
Cheng Yang chuckled.
"Ah, don't worry about that part yet. We'll start simple, just think of it as the 'core' of what makes venom venomous."
Bing Di, lounging nearby, smirked.
"You really enjoy confusing people, don't you?"
Cheng Yang grinned.
"Of course. That's how learning begins."
Dugu Bo sighed, rubbing his temples, but for the first time in years, he felt something new stirring inside him, not poison, not power… but curiosity.
Cheng Yang watched Dugu Bo's blank stare and rubbed the back of his head with a sheepish grin.
"Yeah… this might be a bit much for you right now. Let's save the deeper stuff for later. When there's time, I'll give you a proper lesson on the human body, organs, cells, and the whole system. It'll help you a lot with poison work. You'll finally see the difference between toxins and viruses instead of mixing them up."
He sighed softly, realizing how ridiculous it was to try explaining high school-level biology to someone who'd never even heard the word "cell."
One step at a time, he thought.
Still, Dugu Bo was utterly entranced.
Even if he didn't understand half of what Cheng Yang said, every sentence felt like a revelation.
For the first time in years, he wasn't just memorizing recipes for poison, he was beginning to understand it.
Each fragment of Cheng Yang's explanation pieced together a world he never knew existed.
'So that's how it really works,' he thought, eyes wide.
'How could I have missed this all along?'
Cheng Yang stretched and let out a long yawn.
Dawn was already breaking, the horizon awash with pale gold light.
He hadn't slept all night, yet he felt wide awake.
Turning toward the ice spring, he saw Bing Di still sleeping soundly, half-submerged in the freezing water, her long hair drifting like silver threads.
"Wake up," he said, nudging her gently.
"Come on, we're heading back to Tiandou City. You don't seriously plan to stay here for another ten thousand years, do you?"
Bing Di stirred, blinking sleepily. Her voice was low and husky, tinged with annoyance.
"Tiandou City? Why? It's fine here. Peaceful. Full of spiritual energy. Perfect for cultivation. Why leave?"
Cheng Yang crouched beside her, smirking.
"You've been here for hundreds of thousands of years. Don't you ever get bored? Don't you want to eat candied haws? Sleep in a soft, warm bed instead of ice? Go shopping? Explore? You can't do any of that sitting in a cave."
Bing Di frowned, torn between pride and curiosity.
"You could just buy those things for me," she muttered, almost pouting.
"Why should I risk going to a city full of humans?"
Cheng Yang blinked.
"Wait, what am I, your errand boy?" He crossed his arms, feigning exasperation.
"If you really don't want to mingle with humans, fine. There's this human thing called being a 'shut-in.' They stay home all day and somehow live pretty well. You might like that."
Bing Di's eyes lit up a little, her lips twitching in amusement.
"That… doesn't sound so bad," she admitted.
"But fine. If you insist, I'll go. What exactly are you planning to do there, anyway?"
Cheng Yang's grin turned sly.
"You'll find out when we get there. You've lived for tens of thousands of years, it's about time you learned how to live a little. Life isn't just about cultivation."
He waved over to Dugu Bo, who was still sitting cross-legged, furiously scribbling notes with a serious expression.
The man looked as if he were trying to record the secrets of the universe.
"Alright, little scholar," Cheng Yang called out.
"Pack it up. Time to move. We're heading back to Tiandou City."
Dugu Bo blinked, startled.
"Already? But"
"No buts," Cheng Yang interrupted with a grin.
"The world won't wait for you to finish your homework."
As the three of them prepared to leave, the first sunlight touched the twin springs, casting twin reflections, one of fire, one of ice.
For a brief moment, the ancient valley looked alive, as if blessing the strange trio heading out to meet the world beyond.
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