Douro Continent

Chapter 232 The Yin-Yang Well of Ice and Fire (Part 1)

"Can you cure the poison in my body?" Dugu Bo finally abandoned his pride and couldn't help but ask.

Tang San said calmly, "Even if I could cure you, I wouldn't. You'd only suffer more than me. Kill me. You might not be afraid of death yourself, after all, few live to seventy. But unfortunately, your beautiful granddaughter probably won't last as long as you, and she certainly doesn't have your willpower to endure the increasing pain. Her poison will only flare up more severely than yours, because she's been immersed in this toxin since birth."

To survive, Tang San began making a final effort. When he first met the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Soul Master, Dugu Yan, he had his suspicions based on her appearance alone, because as far as he knew, no one in the world had hair and eye colors like Dugu Yan's. Furthermore, the Jade Phosphorous Serpent venom she later used further solidified his suspicions.

Seeing Dugu Yan's grandfather again today, this old monster before him, further confirmed Tang San's judgment. While Dugu Yan had indeed inherited her grandfather's martial soul and possessed powerful poison abilities, she had also inherited the backlash of those poisons. Every word Tang San spoke was true, leaving even an arrogant figure like Dugu Bo speechless.

Releasing his grip, Dugu Bo let Tang San slip from his hand, coldly staring at him. "What makes you think you can cure me of this deadly poison?"

This time, Tang San simply refused to stand up and remained seated cross-legged on the ground. "Do I need to prove anything to you? You're going to kill me anyway. A person like you is nothing but a menace in this world. If I save you, I'll just be aiding and abetting evil."

Just as Tang San said, Dugu Bo might not care about his own life or death, but he couldn't ignore his granddaughter's future. Dugu Yan was only twenty years old, with a bright future ahead of her. Moreover, before Dugu Yan, he had already tasted the bitterness of losing loved ones, and he absolutely did not want the same situation to happen to him again.

Dugu Bo spent his life playing with poisons, but he was helpless against the deadly poison in his own body. He made countless attempts, but all he got in return was greater suffering.

His expression shifted, becoming increasingly uncertain. Dugu Bo slowly placed his hands behind his back, his tone softening slightly as he spoke, "I heard from Yan Yan that your name is Tang San, right?"

"A true man never changes his name or surname, that's right." Tang San said coldly, raising his head.

Dugu Bo snorted disdainfully, "A thirteen-year-old brat, a grown man? Alright, I won't waste my breath on you. If you can really cure the poison in my body and my granddaughter's body, then not only will I spare your life, but I will also agree to do three things for you. Three things that won't cross my bottom line."

Tang San said calmly, "You won't kill me? Just like you said, why should I trust you? Killing me would be a piece of cake for you. People like you repaying kindness with enmity is nothing new."

Dugu Bo was taken aback. He hadn't expected this boy, who looked to be only a teenager, to be so difficult to deal with. He couldn't help but retort angrily, "Don't you know my reputation? Although I've never considered myself a good person, I value my word above all else. No one has ever dared to disregard my integrity like this."

Tang San closed his eyes. "This is just empty talk. Unless you swear a solemn oath, I won't believe you."

A fierce glint flashed in Dugu Bo's eyes, and he almost couldn't hold back his anger, but when he thought of his granddaughter, he managed to suppress it.

"Sure. I'll swear if you can prove you can cure my poison."

A glimmer of hope had finally arrived, and Tang San secretly breathed a sigh of relief, though the back of his clothes was already soaked with sweat. Everyone fears death, and Tang San was no exception. Especially a death devoid of any value was something he desperately wanted.

He stood up again, retracting the eight spider spears from his back. "How do you want me to prove it?"

Dugu Bo concealed the fierce glint in his eyes. "I'll believe you if you prove your poison skills are superior to mine." Subconsciously, he harbored a deep distrust of Tang San. After all, the boy before him was only thirteen. Could a thirteen-year-old's mastery of poison compare to his own decades of experience? But Tang San's words had struck at his Achilles' heel, describing his symptoms with perfect accuracy. Faced with this opportunity, Dugu Bo had no choice but to try. Whether he killed Tang San or not was irrelevant to him. Even if Tang San possessed exceptional talent, it would take decades for him to reach a level that could threaten him. By then, Dugu Bo would likely be old and dead. What was there to fear? The most important thing for Dugu Bo was the ability to cure the poison, especially the hereditary toxin in his granddaughter's body.

Tang San spread his hands, saying helplessly, "I have nothing. How can I prove that my ability to use poison is stronger than yours?"

Dugu Bo coldly replied, "That's easy. This is my villa, where all kinds of medicinal herbs are widely cultivated. You can find whatever you want yourself. I'll give you one day. Within that day, you must prepare the various antidotes yourself. After one day, I will administer three kinds of poisons to you. If you can withstand the poisons I administer with the antidotes you prepare, it will prove that you are qualified to cure me. Otherwise, you will die."

Preparing an antidote within a day might seem like plenty of time, but in reality, there are countless types of poisons, each with its own characteristics. The poisons used by a master poisoner like Dugu Bo are certainly not ordinary. To prepare a poison inferior to his within a single day is an immense challenge.

Dugu Bo had expected Tang San to try and negotiate with him to gain more time, or even to delay the inevitable. However, Tang San's answer surprised him and even increased his confidence in Tang San.

"Alright. Take me to your herb garden, and don't disturb me for a day." Brushing the dust off his clothes, Tang San calmly agreed to Dugu Bo's request.

Dugu Bo glanced at him up and down, then turned and walked towards the cave exit. "Follow me."

Upon exiting the cave, Tang San discovered that he was in a dense forest, and they were currently on a hill about 500 meters high within the forest. Because it was nighttime, they couldn't see much of the outside scenery.

Dugu Bo climbed the mountain path as if walking on flat ground. He seemed to be walking very slowly, but each step was more than ten meters long and the distance of each step was extremely even. The whole process of climbing the mountain was as if he was ascending vertically.

Tang San hurriedly gathered his soul power and followed behind Dugu Bo. Of course, he didn't think that he could escape after leaving the cave. Trying to escape in front of a Title Douluo was just a joke.

Soon, Tang San, led by Dugu Bo, arrived at the mountaintop. Upon arrival, Tang San was startled by the terrain before him. In front of him was an inverted cone-shaped mountain hollow, and the mountaintop they were on was at the edge of this hollow. Thick, humid heat rose from the hollow, carrying a distinctive sulfurous smell.

"There's a hot spring here?" Tang San couldn't help but ask in surprise.

Dugu Bo glanced at him and said, "Kid, you seem to know a lot."

Tang San said, "I can't possibly be so ignorant as to not recognize the smell of a hot spring. Is your herb garden located on the edge of a hot spring? That's quite a nice place."

Hot springs themselves are not suitable for nourishing plants because they contain too many minerals, but some special plants are different. They need the minerals and heat from hot springs. As far as Tang San knew, this was true for many highly poisonous plants.

"Follow me." Dugu Bo leaped off the dark, bottomless mountainside in front of him. Due to the thick fog, the night, and the steepness of the cliff, Dugu Bo's figure disappeared into the mist in the blink of an eye.

"Is he deliberately making things difficult for me?" A hint of arrogance flashed in Tang San's eyes. "Dugu Bo, if you think you can stump me like this, you're mistaken."

A purple light flashed from behind, and the Eight Spider Spears were released again. Unlike Dugu Bo, Tang San did not leap down. The two lower spears of the Eight Spider Spears simultaneously thrust downwards and pierced the mountain wall with a whoosh. Then, the eight spider spears took turns exerting force, carrying Tang San as if walking on flat ground, and swiftly descended the mountain wall.

With its sharpness and the characteristics of spider legs, the Eight Spider Spears can ignore most terrain on the ground. Such steep mountain walls may be difficult for others, but they are not a problem for the Eight Spider Spears.

As Dugu Bo landed in the mountains, he couldn't help but feel a little smug. "Kid, you think you're so tough? Let's see how you get down here. If you run away, it just proves you're nothing but a cowardly junior."

Of course, if Tang San really jumped, Dugu Bo wouldn't let him get hurt; with his strength, catching Tang San would be a piece of cake. As Tang San displayed his composure and strength, Dugu Bo became increasingly interested in this young man. From him, Dugu Bo saw a maturity unlike that of ordinary teenagers, and a special quality: strategic planning.

After a while, seeing that Tang San hadn't jumped down, Dugu Bo felt a little disappointed for some reason. Just as he was thinking to himself that Tang San was just a cowardly child, he saw a figure rapidly approaching down the mountainside. With his eyesight, he naturally couldn't miss the figure.

(End of this chapter)