The morning sun filtered through the dense canopy of Sunset Forest, casting shifting patterns on the forest floor. Jiang Yun moved with quiet confidence, steps deliberate. Behind him, Zhu Zhuqing kept pace, silent and alert, her sharp eyes sweeping the surroundings.
Something about this forest felt off.
"No beasts," she finally muttered. "Too quiet."
Jiang Yun nodded. "We're deep enough in that only powerful ones remain. Most weaker creatures stay away from here."
They pushed forward, weaving between thick trees and winding vines. Though they hadn't said much, the silence between them wasn't tense—it was the kind shared between those used to dangerous paths.
Hours passed before the scent in the air changed. Subtle, sweet, almost floral.
Zhu Zhuqing wrinkled her nose. "That smell…"
"Poison," Jiang Yun said, crouching beside a strange, brightly colored mushroom. He didn't touch it, but examined the soil beneath. "There's a layer of toxins spreading from somewhere nearby. We need to stay cautious."
They altered their route, veering around the thickest patches of strange flora. At one point, Jiang Yun reached out to stop Zhu Zhuqing from stepping on a deceptively beautiful vine. It twitched at their approach—alive.
By mid-afternoon, they came to a stream laced with red-tinted mist. Jiang Yun stood at its edge, staring into the water.
"This is it," he murmured.
Zhu Zhuqing approached, gaze wary. "What is?"
"A place I've only heard about in fragments—where two opposing forces meet. If my guess is right… we're near something extremely rare."
She didn't ask for more. Zhu Zhuqing wasn't one to pry, especially when the air itself warned of danger.
They kept moving, more cautiously now. The trees grew denser, and the light overhead dimmed even though it was still early evening. Birds no longer sang. The forest watched them in silence.
As dusk fell, they made camp high in a thick-branched tree. Jiang Yun took the first watch, eyes scanning below.
Zhu Zhuqing asked. "Do you think someone lives in this part of the forest?"
"It's possible," Jiang Yun said without looking at her. "Someone strong enough to claim this place. The poisons feel… controlled."
Zhu Zhuqing tilted her head. "A spirit master?"
"Likely."
She nodded, then fell into quiet. The two rested in turns, both sleeping lightly.
---
Sometime in the night, a faint rustle in the underbrush pulled them both from sleep.
Zhu Zhuqing was already crouched on a branch, ready to spring. "Something's down there."
Jiang Yun remained calm, eyes scanning the shadows. His senses told him they weren't alone. But whatever it was, it wasn't attacking.
"Watching," he muttered.
They didn't speak further. Both understood—if someone was observing them silently this deep into the forest, they were either extremely confident… or extremely dangerous.
They waited until the presence faded, leaving only the hum of insects and the distant hoot of an owl.
Zhu Zhuqing exhaled slowly. "Whoever that was… they didn't want a fight. Yet."
Jiang Yun looked into the darkness. "Let's hope it stays that way."
Morning arrived veiled in fog, the trees casting long shadows over the forest floor. Jiang Yun and Zhu Zhuqing broke camp quietly, their movements swift and silent. The heavy atmosphere had not lifted—it pressed on them like a warning.
As they moved deeper, the forest began to change again.
The air shifted, strangely humid on one side, and freezing cold on the other. The temperature fluctuated unnaturally between patches of ground.
Zhu Zhuqing stopped, her brows knitting. "What… is this?"
Jiang Yun crouched, placing his hand on the soil. "We're close."
The path before them opened into a small valley. From above, it looked like a crater nestled among jagged rocks, and at its center—an impossible sight.
Twin pools, one boiling and red like molten blood, the other icy blue and steaming cold, coiled side by side. They didn't mix, but rather repelled each other, keeping a perfect yin-yang balance. Vegetation around the springs grew in wild, vibrant patterns—flowers that should've died in poison, herbs glowing faintly in the mist.
Jiang Yun narrowed his eyes. "The Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well."
Zhu Zhuqing took an instinctive step back. "This place feels... unnatural."
"It is," Jiang Yun said. "Deadly and miraculous at once."
He didn't approach directly. His eyes scanned the area first—the uneven terrain, the pungent scent of herbs and toxins… and the faint pressure lingering in the air.
"We're not alone," he murmured.
"Same as last night?" she asked, already tense.
"No. Closer. Watching."
Suddenly, a whispering sound—a snake slithering? A wind in the grass? Neither could be seen.
Then, a voice echoed through the valley, cold and deep.
"You two… are very bold."
Jiang Yun stepped in front of Zhu Zhuqing instinctively, his gaze sharp. "We didn't come to steal or fight. Just to observe."
A figure emerged from the mist.
Clad in long green robes, with venomous energy coiling around him like living mist, stood an elderly man. His eyes gleamed with toxic brilliance, and his presence made even the poisonous herbs bow away.
Zhu Zhuqing stiffened. "That aura…"
"Dugu Bo," Jiang Yun said quietly. "The Poison Douluo."
Dugu Bo studied them, amused. "You know my name. That spares you a painful mistake. Few walk into this place and walk back out."
"We came without ill intent," Jiang Yun said calmly. "And if we've intruded on your domain, we'll leave."
Dugu Bo's expression shifted slightly, curious now. "You're not arrogant like most brats. Strange… your body doesn't feel like any normal spirit master either."
He stepped closer, but Jiang Yun didn't flinch. He could sense it—this man could kill them in a heartbeat if he wished. But something held him back.
"Tell me your name, boy."
"Jiang Yun."
Dugu Bo tilted his head. "And hers?"
"Zhu Zhuqing."
"Hmph. A pair of quiet ones. Rare." Dugu Bo turned his gaze back to the spring. "This well… I've guarded it for years. You'll not touch its waters unless I allow it."
Jiang Yun bowed slightly, respectful but not submissive. "We understand."
Dugu Bo chuckled. "Then you may stay. For now. I'm curious about you… Jiang Yun."
With a flick of his sleeve, he vanished into the mist again, leaving behind only a lingering pressure in the air.
Zhu Zhuqing released a breath she didn't know she was holding. "He let us go."
"For now," Jiang Yun said. "We'll need to earn the right to be here."