Lin Xia took a deep breath, no longer hesitating, and looked straight at Bulbasaur.
"Bulbasaur… did you hear that? This place might be perfect for your cultivation."
"Do you… like the aura here? Just like how you like sunlight and fertile soil?"
"Da—na!"
Bulbasaur's response was no longer questioning, but filled with clear excitement and affirmation.
Its small paws eagerly tugged at Lin Xia's arm, and the purple mist around its body suddenly expanded, actively coiling toward a drifting wisp of multicolored poisonous fog.
The moment the colorful poison mist touched the purple haze, it seemed to dissolve and rapidly merge into it. Bulbasaur's eyes instantly lit up as it let out a comfortable, low cry. The seed on its back actually stretched slightly, as if breathing in this "sweet" air.
Bulbasaur then turned its head toward the deepest part of the courtyard, where the poisonous mist was thickest, its longing obvious.
Their hearts were completely in sync.
Lin Xia raised his head, his gaze becoming incomparably firm as he met Yue Hongsheng's burning eyes, and clearly spoke two words:
"Senior, we're willing."
"Good, good, good. You two can cultivate here. Use anything in the courtyard as you please. If you can't hold on, just shout, and I'll come save you!"
After Yue Hongsheng left, Lin Xia looked at the eerie poisonous plants filling the courtyard. The air was saturated with a sweet yet bone-chilling toxic mist. He took a deep breath.
"Let's begin, Bulbasaur!"
"Da-na!"
Bulbasaur's reply was full of excitement. Lin Xia could clearly sense its eagerness.
The little fellow nimbly hopped into the area where the poison mist was densest. The mystical seed on its back slowly opened and closed as wisps of multicolored poison mist, drawn by an invisible force, began to gather and seep inside.
What shocked Lin Xia even more was that Bulbasaur didn't seem to be merely "absorbing" or "resisting" the poison—it was treating it as energy to be refined.
The hazy purple aura swirling around the seed gradually grew darker and denser, shifting from light purple to deep violet, even tinged with black.
At the same time, Bulbasaur's skin seemed to toughen, a faint metallic sheen appearing beneath its blue-green surface, especially along the edges of the dark green markings.
"As expected… it really is using poison to nourish itself!"
Lin Xia stared intently, his heart trembling.
Senior Yue Hongsheng's judgment had been completely correct.
Lin Xia didn't remain idle. Since he was cultivating here, he sat down cross-legged and began circulating his spirit power, trying to absorb the dense life essence permeating the courtyard.
But this life essence had long been tainted by poison. The moment it entered his body, a sharp stinging numbness spread through his meridians, forcing a groan from him as his expression changed.
"So overbearing…"
Lin Xia immediately stopped the reckless absorption and instead maintained his close connection with Bulbasaur.
Then, something marvelous happened.
As Bulbasaur continuously absorbed and refined the poisonous mist, converting it into pure poison-attribute spirit power, Lin Xia felt a warm stream feeding back through their spiritual bond.
Although this energy still carried a hint of toxic coldness, it had lost its destructive corrosiveness.
It surged into Lin Xia's body, nourishing his spirit power while also causing extremely subtle changes to his physique. The discomfort from earlier exposure to the poison began to weaken, replaced by a strange sense of "adaptation."
At first, breathing the air made his throat itch and sting slightly, but after a few days, the sensation faded completely. The pungent odor even began to carry a faint sweetness that refreshed his spirit.
When his skin brushed against drifting poison powder, there was only a brief numbness that vanished almost instantly.
Lin Xia carefully guided a wisp of aura from a relatively mild poisonous plant toward his skin. To his astonishment, there was no swelling or ulceration—only a slight burning sensation, like being splashed with warm water, which disappeared in an instant.
"I'm… actually gaining resistance to poison?"
Lin Xia could hardly believe it.
This wasn't Bulbasaur directly transferring energy like it did with life force. Instead, his body was passively adapting to the highly toxic environment through Bulbasaur's efficient refinement and their close symbiosis.
Just like how long-term exposure to thin air naturally increases the body's oxygen-carrying capacity.
Another miracle born from symbiotic feedback.
In the days that followed, man and beast settled into cultivation within the highly toxic courtyard.
Bulbasaur became the core of the poison mist vortex. The purple halo around its body grew deeper and denser. At times, when its attack instinct flared, ink-black venom seeped from the tips of its Vine Whips, dripping onto the stone slabs and corroding deep pits with a sizzling sound, showcasing terrifying toxicity.
Bulbasaur's mastery over its dual Grass and Poison attributes—especially the purity, intensity, and application of poison—advanced at a visible pace. Its Poison Powder, mist condensation, and venom release all improved rapidly, with its poison talent now clearly surpassing its grass talent.
In this extreme environment, Lin Xia cultivated his spirit power with the help of energy filtered and refined by Bulbasaur, while also strengthening his own tolerance to toxins.
From initially needing full concentration to resist the ambient poison, he gradually reached a point where he could meditate almost as calmly as in a normal environment. The only difference was that his spirit power now carried a faint cold, corrosive quality, giving his attacks a subtle erosive edge.
At the same time, the mental connection between Lin Xia and Bulbasaur grew ever more harmonious. His perception and control of the quietly growing poison energy within his body became increasingly refined.
Under this near-frantic pace of cultivation, time flew by.
No one knew how many days passed.
Then, at a certain moment, Lin Xia and Bulbasaur felt a sense of "saturation" at nearly the same time.
Bulbasaur seemed completely filled. The seed on its back slowly closed, the swirling poison mist fully absorbed. The dense purple light around its body withdrew inward, radiating a heavy sense of stability.
The lake of spirit power within Lin Xia had also reached its current limit. The surging vitality mixed with resilient poison attributes made his peak Rank 10 state exceptionally solid.
Lin Xia opened his eyes and exhaled deeply, the breath carrying a faint fishy sweetness.
He could feel that his body had been tempered—his muscles and bones tougher, his resistance to toxins far greater than before.
Bulbasaur's condition was even more astonishing. The deep purple sheen on its body resembled a finely polished gemstone, radiating inherent danger.
At that moment, the courtyard door was gently pushed open, and Yue Hongsheng appeared as expected.
His sharp gaze swept over Lin Xia and Bulbasaur, and a look of deep satisfaction spread across his face.
"Good! A perfect, naturally achieved success."
Yue Hongsheng clapped his hands and laughed, his eyes filled with appreciation and anticipation.
"You've absorbed everything this place can offer at your current level. This foundation is far beyond what an ordinary Rank 10 could ever achieve."
"Xiao Xia, once you absorb a spirit ring, you'll surely leap several ranks at once."
After speaking to Lin Xia, Yue Hongsheng walked over to Bulbasaur. His withered fingers brushed against the poison aura on its skin—so dense it was nearly tangible—and he clicked his tongue in amazement.
"This poison is incredibly pure… truly excellent. More than twice as strong as when you first arrived."
He turned back to Lin Xia, his expression solemn.
"Xiao Xia, the time has come. Rank 10 is the starting point of a Spirit Master's metamorphosis, the threshold where true potential is revealed."
"Bulbasaur's poison path has been initially awakened, but its foundation still lies in rich plant vitality."
"The first spirit ring will be crucial. It will determine the primary direction of your Spirit's future development."
Lin Xia's heart tightened. He knew the most critical moment had arrived.
"Senior… do you have any recommendations? Where are we going?"