Among all the immortal herbs, Autumn Water Dew was by no means the rarest.
Compared to those miraculous plants capable of directly enhancing soul power, its effects seemed rather ordinary.
Yet it was precisely this seemingly unremarkable auxiliary herb that Yan now needed most.
Though Autumn Water Dew couldn't strengthen one's soul power outright, it possessed wondrous properties that enhanced vision and sharpened mental focus.
As an assault-type soul master, Yan had long felt that his spiritual power lagged slightly behind his physical abilities after years of training and battle.
This herb could perfectly compensate for that weakness.
Once absorbed, it would significantly improve his eyesight and mental acuity — benefits of immense value for future cultivation and combat.
Without hesitation, Yan carefully placed the Autumn Water Dew into the Ten Thousand Spirits Treasure Box, saving it for later use.
Then he continued his search.
Suddenly, a massive chrysanthemum entered his sight.
It was of a dazzling, mysterious purple hue. Each petal was soft and downy, delicate yet vibrant. Though the flower was unusually large, it did not appear cumbersome — instead, it radiated a natural, effortless beauty.
Curiously, despite its vivid color, it emitted no fragrance at all, as though every trace of its aroma had been sealed tightly within its core.
The flower's stamen rose a full half foot above its petals, glowing faintly with a golden radiance, as if it contained a mysterious and potent power.
Yan recognized it at once — this was a neutral-type immortal herb, the Strange Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum.
He knew that this very herb was the perfect match for Yue Guan's martial soul.
Over the past half year, Yue Guan had done more for him than anyone else — gifting him the precious Ice Silkworm Pearl and the Ten Thousand Spirits Treasure Box, and imparting to him a wealth of knowledge about flora and medicinal herbs.
Without Yue Guan's patient guidance, Yan would never have been able to identify so many immortal herbs here.
With deep gratitude, he plucked the Strange Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum and stored it away before resuming his search.
He went on to gather the Fragrant Jade Beauty — bane of all poisons;
the Lovesick Heartbroken Red — the king among flowers;
the Snow Swan Kiss — which could stimulate latent toxins;
and the supreme auxiliary herb, the Jade Beauty Tulip.
During his search, Yan also discovered an earth-attribute plant — the Earth Dragon Golden Melon.
However, it had yet to fully mature, so he decided to leave it for another time.
With clear goals and every herb etched into his memory, Yan efficiently collected all his desired immortal herbs within half an hour.
Throughout that short time, his nerves remained taut — tense yet exhilarated.
Fortunately, Dugu Bo had not appeared.
Yan didn't know how the battle between Dugu Bo and Yue Guan was progressing,
but no matter what, he had to leave as soon as possible.
Only one step remained: to pluck the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and Fiery Apricot, consume them together, and then make his escape.
These two supreme herbs were both highly toxic, and their harvesting required special care.
But this posed no problem for Yan — he had prepared for it in advance.
The frigid Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass had to be cut with a blade of gold or steel,
while the blazing Fiery Apricot could only be harvested with a tool made of jade.
Yan drew two daggers — one golden, one white jade — and hurled them simultaneously.
The blades flew straight and true, slicing neatly through the stems of the two herbs at their bases.
In the instant the herbs were severed, two slabs of granite shot forth like lightning to catch them midair, then sped toward Yan.
In a flash, one stone was frozen solid by the extreme cold and shattered into fragments,
while the other was reduced to ash under the scorching heat.
The two immortal herbs landed side by side on the ground before him.
Just as Yan had expected, when these two polar-opposite herbs came into proximity, their opposing energies of cold and heat instantly neutralized each other.
A faint red glow now enveloped the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass,
while a soft white chill surrounded the Fiery Apricot.
Though their auras counteracted each other, this balance would last only a fleeting moment before both would lose their potency entirely.
Without a second's hesitation, Yan picked them up and stuffed them into his mouth.
In theory, anyone with a strong enough constitution and proper technique could consume these two herbs simultaneously,for even within the body their properties continued to restrain each other.
Though both were inherently poisonous, once mutually neutralized, their ferocity vanished completely.
They melted the moment they touched his tongue, flooding him with a rush of clarity and vitality.
Still, Yan did not dare relax.
He knew that next, the two forces would surge wildly through his body in violent conflict.
He immediately sat cross-legged and began to circulate the Tai Chi Harmonizing Technique.
This method specialized in balancing yin and yang, fusing spirit and energy.
Ever since being reborn into this world, Yan had practiced it every night to harmonize the flow of his soul power and inner breath, ensuring smooth circulation throughout his body.
Today, it would serve its greatest purpose.
By now, the effects of the two herbs had fully erupted —the opposing powers of extreme cold and burning heat rampaged through his meridians, wracking him with pain.
Fortunately, under the steady rhythm of the Tai Chi Harmonizing Technique, the violent energies gradually began to subside.
Yan knew that, once the herbs' power awakened, he could also immerse himself at the junction of the Icefire Yin Yang Well —
where the cold and hot springs met — to better absorb their medicinal essence.
But now was not the time for that.
To completely refine the energy of these two immortal herbs would take years, perhaps even decades.
For now, survival was his only concern.
Once the two energies within him stabilized even slightly, he would have to leave immediately.
If Dugu Bo returned before then, escape would be impossible.
As Yan continued to regulate his breath, a sudden wave of powerful energy rippled from high above.
The aura was so overwhelming that, even from a distance, Yan could sense its might.
"Not good… Dugu Bo!"
His heart jolted. He sprang to his feet without a moment's thought.
Without hesitation, he dove headfirst into the meeting point of the twin springs,
his body vanishing beneath the surface.
At that very moment, Dugu Bo descended into the valley.
Casting his gaze around, he immediately sensed that something was off.
The surroundings of the Icefire Yin Yang Well felt… emptier than before.
Yet he couldn't pinpoint what exactly was missing.
Many of the herbs here were so rare and exotic that even he couldn't recognize them all.
Then realization struck — someone had been here.
But when he extended his powerful spiritual sense, he found… nothing.
Not a single trace of another presence.
"How strange… I came straight down from above. There was no sign of anyone nearby.
No one should be able to escape my perception. How is this possible?"
As his gaze swept across the slightly rippling surface of the twin springs,a sudden chill ran through him.
Only then did he notice—the two toxic immortal herbs at the center of the yin-yang springs were… gone.
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