Does the Douluo Continent possess a will of its own?
Of course it does. Otherwise, there wouldn't be any concept of a "Child of Destiny," nor would there be those fated opportunities that seem to appear out of nowhere.
In fact, as the story progresses, the Will of Douluo Continent is even directly influenced by Tang San's mother. From that alone, it can be inferred that the continent's Will is under the sway—and even interference—of the Divine Realm.
If not for Li Chang'an's intervention today, following the original timeline, Tang San would have become the next ruler of the Divine Realm. The Immortal herbs of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well served as the perfect foundation for Tang San and the Shrek Seven Devils to rise.
So Li Chang'an's actions today, in the short term, sever one of Tang San's pivotal opportunities. In the long term, it's a test—a probe—of the continent's own Will. Make no mistake, this move was at least five layers deep in calculation.
Aside from Tang San, the only other person in Douluo Continent known for his expertise in flora is Chrysanthemum Douluo. After all, if not for him, how would he have recognized so many rare herbs on the Shrek Seven Devils back then?
That's why Li Chang'an planned to bring Chrysanthemum Douluo directly to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
If all went well, he also intended to reach out to Poison Douluo afterward—so that the Spirit Hall could fully take control of that treasure trove. No exaggeration here: with the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, it wouldn't be surprising if the Spirit Hall gained a few more Title Douluo in a short time.
As it happened, Chrysanthemum Douluo hadn't gone on any missions recently and was still in Spirit City. Li Chang'an was on good terms with both Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo. After exchanging a few greetings, Chrysanthemum Douluo filed a report at the Pope's Palace, and left with Li Chang'an.
"Well now, little Chang'an," Chrysanthemum Douluo said with a smile, clad in golden robes and armor, "What's this mysterious matter you called me out for?"
He'd always been quite fond of this young Holy Son, so his tone was casual and friendly.
"Heh, Uncle Yue Guan, do you know about the Lovesick Heartbreak Red?" Li Chang'an grinned, dropping the first bombshell.
"Hm? The King of Flowers—the Lovesick Heartbreak Red? How would you know about that?" Chrysanthemum Douluo looked at him, puzzled. After all, knowledge of such plants was extremely rare.
"Uncle Yue Guan, what if I told you I not only know about the Lovesick Heartbreak Red, but also the Awakened Celestial Chrysanthemum, the Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid, and many more such immortal herbs? And... I know exactly where they are. Would you come with me?"
"You're serious? You really know where they are?" Chrysanthemum Douluo's composure cracked. If what Li Chang'an said was true, then even dying after seeing those herbs wouldn't be a regret for him...
"Yes, Uncle Yue Guan. They're all in the Sunset Forest, in an herb garden that Dugu Bo stumbled upon by chance," Li Chang'an answered straightforwardly, not bothering to keep any secrets.
As for where he got this information—he wasn't worried that Chrysanthemum Douluo would press him for details. Smart people know better than to ask questions with no good answers.
"Dugu Bo, that old poison freak…" Chrysanthemum Douluo muttered, rubbing his chin in thought. After a pause, he finally said, "Alright, I'll go with you to see if your claims hold water. And perhaps check if that old poison freak's still alive."
"That's great! Uncle Yue Guan, how should we get there?" Li Chang'an asked uncertainly.
After all, the Sunset Forest was quite far from here. Flying the entire way would be exhausting—even for his teacher, let alone Chrysanthemum Douluo. And frankly, Li Chang'an wasn't too keen on being carried by another man the whole journey...
"Mm, it is a bit of a distance," Chrysanthemum Douluo admitted. "We'll ride horses for a while, then fly the rest of the way."
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The Sunset Forest was within the borders of the Heaven Dou Empire—not too far from Heaven Dou City. It was one of the known spirit beast habitats on the Douluo Continent. Though compared to the Star Dou Great Forest, its spirit beast population was less impressive in quality.
Two figures descended gently from the sky, landing at the outskirts of the forest—Chrysanthemum Douluo and Li Chang'an.
Even though Chrysanthemum Douluo was a Title Douluo, flying high over such a forest was still unwise, so he chose to proceed more discreetly.
"What a pity. That old freak isn't here today. Let's move," Chrysanthemum Douluo said, scanning the forest with his spiritual sense. While he couldn't cover the entire forest, his probing would certainly be noticed by someone like Dugu Bo—if he were around.
Li Chang'an glanced at the tallest mountain peak in the distance and nodded inwardly, saying to Chrysanthemum Douluo, "Uncle Yue Guan, let's check over there."
"Alright," Chrysanthemum Douluo agreed, and the two headed in that direction.
After walking a while, they soon encountered a swirling green mist up ahead. Chrysanthemum Douluo chuckled. "Heh, that old poison freak really hasn't changed. Stay close to me, little Chang'an."
The toxic barrier ahead was a foggy green haze, beautiful and ethereal in appearance—but it was a poisonous ward Dugu Bo had set up to keep both spirit beasts and intruders out.
Chrysanthemum Douluo conjured a golden, circular barrier around himself, then handed Li Chang'an a pill and motioned for him to take it.
Though the green mist was thin at first, it still gave off a menacing aura. But with Chrysanthemum Douluo shielding him, Li Chang'an had nothing to worry about. The mist couldn't even touch him—he walked forward boldly and confidently.
After passing through the poison ward, they arrived at the base of a mountain over 900 meters tall. According to Li Chang'an's knowledge, the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well should be somewhere inside.
"What a rich floral scent... and I can feel two completely opposite and extreme elemental forces here. That poison freak really did find something good! Let's go, little Chang'an!"
With that, Chrysanthemum Douluo grabbed Li Chang'an and leapt effortlessly to the top of the mountain, taking in the view below.
And then—they were both stunned.
What lay before them was a bowl-shaped depression in the mountain, like an inverted cone. They stood on the rim of this natural formation. From the center rose a thick mist—hot, humid, and tinged with the distinct smell of sulfur.
Clearly, there were hot springs here. And sure enough, the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well was right below them!
"Let's go!" Chrysanthemum Douluo exclaimed excitedly, dragging Li Chang'an with him as he leapt directly into the valley. He didn't care about the dangerous terrain—this was the confidence of a Title Douluo!
Once they landed, both Li Chang'an and Chrysanthemum Douluo were once again floored by what they saw.
Hearing about it was one thing. Seeing it with their own eyes was something else entirely.
What lay before them was a hot spring—but unlike any ordinary spring. It wasn't very large, and its shape was a single, oval pool. However, its waters were split in two: one side milky white, the other a vivid crimson.
What was truly astonishing was that even though these two colors shared the same pool, they remained completely distinct—like black and white ink on paper, each firmly holding its ground, never mixing.
The rising steam from the spring was generated by the collision of these two forces, spiraling up and gradually dissipating as it reached the mountain's crest.
This miraculous spring—like a masterpiece crafted by nature—was none other than the legendary Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
And at that moment, an overwhelming instinctive thought suddenly surged into both their minds:
"Leave this place"
It was as if the very heavens and earth were speaking directly to them…
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