Chapter 116: Dugu Shuo — Second Uncle Is Blind!
"Grandfather, what happened to me?" Dugu Yan awoke groggily, scanning her surroundings, noticing the signs of a battle.
She remembered Dugu Shuo threatening her grandfather and then everything going black.
Her eyes filled with anger as she glared at Dugu Shuo and his group.
"Yan Yan, it's fine now. Come, you've never visited the central medicinal garden of the Sunset Forest. I'll take you there."
Dugu Bo smiled at his granddaughter reassuringly.
Though confused, she obeyed. Judging by the situation, her grandfather and Dugu Shuo must have reached some sort of agreement while she was unconscious.
Ever since witnessing Dugu Feng defeat Yan, Dugu Yan had lost confidence—her self-belief shattered.
Now, curiosity toward the Poison Branch had taken root in her heart.
Perhaps this trip was a chance to finally understand their strength.
The five of them left Heaven Dou City and headed straight for the heart of the Sunset Forest.
The journey was quiet; no one spoke as they traveled swiftly toward their destination.
At the center of the forest rose a hill some five hundred meters tall.
At its base, Dugu Bo led Dugu Yan upward with the ease of walking flat ground.
Meanwhile, Dugu Feng summoned his two Emerald Dragon Snakes—Dugu Shuo rode one, while he and Old Snake rode the other—quickly following after Dugu Bo.
At the summit, a single glance revealed a cone-shaped valley ahead, steam rolling up thickly from its depths.
The air was warm and heavy, carrying a faint scent of sulfur.
Without pausing, Dugu Bo leapt straight down. Within seconds, both he and Dugu Yan vanished into the thick mist below.
Dugu Feng's group followed suit and descended into the valley.
In an instant, they reached the valley floor.
It wasn't large, but at its center lay a striking hot spring—oval in shape, divided perfectly in half: one side milky white, the other crimson red.
Despite sharing the same pool, the two colors remained perfectly separate—each pure, each untouched by the other.
"Amazing…" Dugu Feng murmured.
It was truly a land blessed by nature—two energies in perfect balance, coexisting yet inherently opposed.
Dugu Bo looked around with nostalgia. "Back when I left the clan and sought a place to cultivate, I discovered this hill.
I carved a cave within its slope for meditation. By sheer chance, I stumbled upon this valley and found that its hot springs could suppress the toxins in my body.
Here, countless medicinal and poisonous herbs grow naturally.
It's thanks to this place that I've survived to this day.
The air here contains profound cold and heat poison energies—anyone of low rank would die from exposure. Even I can only train here briefly when my toxins flare."
As he reminisced, Dugu Shuo and Old Snake explored their surroundings, marveling at the abundance of herbs.
For Old Snake, most were unrecognizable.
But Dugu Shuo's experienced eyes widened in disbelief.
Fragrant Qiluo Immortal Herb!
Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass!
Fiery Apricot Bloom!
Strange-Tongued Chrysanthemum!
What kind of paradise was this?
Every legendary plant he'd seen described only in their clan's secret records was here, growing as if heaven itself had nurtured them.
Only the clan head could access that ancient compendium—and only he and Dugu Feng had read it.
He quickly looked to his son, who maintained a composed face, betraying no surprise.
Dugu Shuo smiled inwardly. Ah, Feng'er, how well you've learned from me!
My second uncle truly lives with treasure yet sees nothing—blind to the gem beneath his feet.
"Old Snake," Dugu Shuo commanded, "have all clan members above the Soul King level come here once a month to train for an hour."
"Yes, Clan Leader!" Old Snake answered eagerly.
With such a sacred site and Dugu Feng's antidote methods, their family's rise was inevitable.
"Yan Yan isn't suited to train here just yet. I'll take her to find a spirit bone first," said Dugu Bo as he turned away.
He already possessed a spirit bone, but his granddaughter did not, and he was eager to change that.
As for the herbs scattered here, he merely sneered inwardly.
Most of them were toxic.
If his clan relatives couldn't resist touching them and died here, they'd have no one to blame but themselves.
Not a hint of warning left his mouth.
"Second Uncle, take care!" Dugu Shuo said with a serene smile.
Expression grim, Dugu Bo departed with Dugu Yan, their figures fading into the mist.
As for where he planned to obtain a spirit bone—by battle, by trade, or by theft—Dugu Feng and the others neither knew nor cared.
Once they were gone, Dugu Shuo began pacing around the valley, examining its terrain carefully.
He traced the entire perimeter, then circled the two-toned hot spring before stopping beside it.
"The water here holds both scorching heat and extreme cold—too violent for close contact. Do not approach!"
Though their clan's archives detailed many herbs, none mentioned the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
Using only his instincts, Dugu Shuo could tell it was perilous beyond measure.
Old Snake immediately sat down cross-legged at a safe distance, eager to meditate and feel the place's effects.
Dugu Feng, meanwhile, focused on sensing the energies—the interwoven heat and chill raced through the air like living fire and frost.
No wonder low-level soul masters couldn't survive here.
Just breathing made his throat burn.
After half a stick of incense's time, Dugu Shuo nodded to him.
That was the signal—Dugu Bo was far enough away. No need to hide further.
Dugu Feng stripped off his upper robe.
The scorpion claws on his shoulders and the Eight Spider Lances on his back erupted outwards.
The eight spikes plunged into the ground, lifting him more than a meter high.
The moment his external spirit bones emerged, a wave of relief washed through his body. The chill seeping into him was instantly absorbed by the scorpion claws.
The silver crystalline limbs extended nearly three meters, greedily drawing in the icy energy of the surroundings while sucking the cold poison from within his body.
Sensing motion, the Eight Spider Lances likewise flared with light, absorbing the fiery toxins in turn.
Each part worked in perfect harmony until Dugu Feng felt fully attuned to the valley's aura.
"Father, the cold and heat here can't harm me," Dugu Feng said.
Dugu Shuo nodded, excitement lighting his face. "Feng'er, this garden is our Dugu clan's greatest blessing. In your second uncle's hands it was wasted—he truly had eyes but could not see!"
Dugu Feng chuckled. "If Second Grandfather recognized the value of these immortal herbs, he would never have let us near this place. These celestial plants can completely transform our family's power."
"Ha!"
Dugu Shuo let out loud, unrestrained laughter—so joyous he nearly lost control. Not even breaking through to Soul Douluo had stirred him this greatly.
"Who knows when he'll return—quickly! Harvest the useful herbs first."
He pulled a small sachet from his waist—an enchanted soul guide pouch designed to preserve living plants—his personal herb storage tool.
(END CHAPTER)
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