"If you want me to compete with you in the use of poison, that's fine. But how exactly do you want to compete, Senior Poison Douluo? Also, I don't have anything with me right now—how can I prove that my ability to use poison is stronger than yours?"
Tang San was calm and collected because he knew the other party was Dugu Yan's grandfather. Their relationship as classmates reassured him that Dugu Bo would not take his life.
Dugu Bo replied, "This is easy to handle. This place is my personal retreat, and I have a wide variety of medicinal plants cultivated here. Whatever you need, just go and gather it yourself. But remember, only take what you need. If you get greedy and take something else, don't blame me for being ruthless—even if you are Yanyan's classmate."
After issuing this warning, Dugu Bo continued:
"I'll give you three days. Within those three days, you must prepare various antidotes and also create two poisons."
"In three days, we will have three competitions."
"In the first round, I will poison you. You must use your own antidote to counteract the poison I inflict."
"In the second round, you will plant poison on me."
"The third round will be the most critical."
"We will each use our most powerful poison to try and kill someone. And this person is no ordinary individual—he is a Titled Douluo who is currently trapped outside in my poison formation."
"The roar you heard earlier was from that Titled Douluo. Whoever manages to poison him to death will be the final winner."
Dugu Bo's words made Tang San's expression grow serious.
Although Tang San had confidence in his use of poison and didn't think he would lose to Dugu Bo, poisoning a Titled Douluo to death was no small task.
Moreover, having to prepare both antidotes and refine poisons within three days was far more challenging than it sounded. There were millions of types of poisons, each with its unique properties.
To prepare something potent enough to counteract the poison from a master like Dugu Bo—and to refine an equally deadly poison in such a short time—was a Herculean challenge.
Tang San originally considered negotiating for more time, planning to bargain or even delay the competition. However, his response surprised Dugu Bo and, in turn, boosted the old man's confidence in him.
"Alright. Take me to your medicine garden and leave me alone for three days," Tang San said calmly, dusting off his clothes as if unbothered.
Dugu Bo gave Tang San a scrutinizing glance, then turned and walked toward the cave entrance. "Follow me."
Once outside the cave, Tang San discovered that they were in a large, dense forest, situated on a hill about five hundred meters high.
Dugu Bo climbed the mountain trail with remarkable ease. Though his pace appeared slow, every step he took covered ten meters, with a rhythm so precise it seemed he was ascending in a straight line.
Tang San quickly gathered his soul power and followed closely behind.
Before long, Tang San reached the top of the mountain under Dugu Bo's guidance.
Upon arrival, Tang San was astonished by the terrain before him.
What lay ahead was an inverted cone-shaped mountain hollow. The summit where they stood bordered the edge of this hollow, from which thick, humid heat rose into the air, carrying a faint sulfuric odor.
"Is there a hot spring here?" Tang San asked in surprise.
Dugu Bo gave him a sidelong glance and said, "Boy, you know quite a lot."
Tang San replied, "It's hard not to recognize the smell of hot springs. Is your medicine garden located at the edge of these hot springs? This is an excellent place for cultivation."
Hot springs were generally unsuitable for growing most plants because of their high mineral content, but Tang San knew that certain special plants thrived under such conditions.
What these plants needed were the minerals and heat from the hot springs.
As far as Tang San knew, many types of highly poisonous plants thrived in such conditions.
"Follow me," Dugu Bo said as he extended his body and leaped directly off the edge of the mountain, disappearing into the unseen depths below.
Is he deliberately trying to make this difficult for me?
A hint of pride flashed in Tang San's eyes.
Dugu Bo, if you think something like this can stop me, you're underestimating me.
A purple light flashed behind him as the Eight Spider Spears emerged once again. Unlike Dugu Bo, Tang San didn't simply jump down. Instead, the two lower spears of the Eight Spider Spears extended downward, piercing the mountain wall with a sharp clang. The spears alternated their movements, gripping the rock as they propelled Tang San downward, letting him move effortlessly along the cliff face as if walking on flat ground.
Thanks to the sharpness and unique traits of the Eight Spider Spears, Tang San could ignore most obstacles. A steep mountain wall like this, which might be insurmountable for others, posed no challenge to him.
"Can an external soul bone really be used in such a way?" A trace of surprise flashed in Dugu Bo's eyes as he watched Tang San descend. He had already reached the bottom, where the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well was located.
However, Dugu Bo said nothing further. He merely observed the Eight Spider Spears rapidly pulling Tang San down the cliff face, allowing him to arrive in front of him in moments.
Tang San, meanwhile, paid no attention to Dugu Bo. His gaze was fixed intently on the scene before him in the valley.
To his surprise, the hot springs in the valley were completely different from what he had imagined.
The hot spring area was not particularly large, but it was divided into two distinct halves. The oval pool contained water of two contrasting colors—milky white on one side and vermilion red on the other.
What was even more astonishing was that, despite sharing the same pool, the two types of water remained perfectly separate. They did not mix or invade each other's space, as if held apart by an invisible boundary.
The water vapor that billowed upward originated from the point where the two hot springs met. The steam rose steadily, dispersing slowly as it reached the mountain's edge.
"This... this is..." Tang San stared at the scene before him, his body trembling uncontrollably with excitement.
He had never expected to witness such a magnificent sight in this world.
Although he had never seen it with his own eyes, there were descriptions of a similar phenomenon in his memory.
In addition to hidden weapons, Xuantian Baolu's chapter on poisons also contained records of extremely rare medicinal plants—both highly poisonous ones and natural treasures.
At the end of this secret chapter, three great "treasure troves" were described in detail.
These so-called "cornucopias" did not refer to material wealth like gold or silver but rather to environments where medicinal treasures could thrive.
These three environments were unique natural wonders.
In these locations, ordinary plants could not survive, as they were unable to adapt to the extreme conditions. However, the three cornucopias were the birthplace of all rare and extraordinary plants.
What made these environments even more incredible was their ability to accelerate the growth of rare plants tenfold. For instance, a Ganoderma plant that typically required a hundred years to mature could achieve the same effect in just ten years within these cornucopias.
The Eyes of Ice and Fire. This is the legendary Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well?
Tang San's eyes widened in shock, his heart filled with awe and excitement.
Discovering this treasure greatly boosted his confidence in defeating Dugu Bo.
But in the next moment, Tang San's expression turned puzzled.
He scanned the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well carefully, but he could not find the top-grade immortal herbs described in the Mysterious Heaven Record.
In particular, the two legendary immortal grasses with ice and fire attributes were nowhere to be seen.
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