Seeing the situation, Lin Fan knew he couldn't continue fighting Dugu Bo any longer.
If their battle kept going, the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well's surrounding herbs and plants might get destroyed, which would be a huge loss.
After all, in Lin Fan's eyes, Dugu Bo wasn't worth nearly as much as these precious immortal herbs.
Without hesitation, Lin Fan advanced swiftly, completely ignoring Dugu Bo's poisonous attacks along the way, and instantly drew his sword.
"Draw Sword Slash!"
A flash of azure light struck fiercely, appearing right in front of Dugu Bo, who couldn't help but freeze in shock.
Lin Fan had ignored his poisons entirely and charged straight at him. Dugu Bo had no time to summon his martial soul to defend.
"Jade Phosphor Heavenly Shield!"
In a rush, Dugu Bo hastily released a defensive skill, but Lin Fan's slash shattered it instantly. The overwhelming force sent Dugu Bo flying, slamming him hard into the rocky cliff near his cave entrance.
"How… how is this possible?! You're immune to my poison?!" Dugu Bo stared up at Lin Fan in disbelief.
By his estimation, although only about two minutes had passed since their battle began, the potency of his poisons should have already taken effect—even he feared his toxins. Lin Fan, however, showed no signs of poisoning. His exposed skin remained perfectly normal.
"You noticed? Without preparation, how would I dare to come here?" Lin Fan said calmly. "Perhaps you thought you were the only one who knew about this place. But I discovered this treasure trove back when I was only a Spirit Ancestor."
"Later, when I reached the Spirit Emperor level, I realized you had already occupied it. I had no choice but to back off temporarily and retreat."
Dugu Bo's brows furrowed. "So… you're not from Spirit Hall?"
"When did I ever say I was from Spirit Hall? You attacked first without even letting me explain."
"Now, victory speaks for itself. Your poisons are useless against me. In my eyes, without your toxins, you're nothing more than a high-level Spirit Douluo."
"Leave this place, and I'll let you go. Otherwise, I won't just kill you—I'll also silence anyone else who knows about this place, including your granddaughter, Dugu Yan."
Lin Fan coldly pointed his sword at Dugu Bo, issuing the threat without hesitation.
He wasn't worried about Dugu Bo leaking news of this place, let alone reporting to Spirit Hall.
Besides, Dugu Bo didn't even understand the true value of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. To him, it was merely a place that suppressed the toxins in his body.
Lin Fan could kill Dugu Bo, but there wasn't much benefit in doing so. Keeping Dugu Bo alive might be useful later.
After all, Lin Fan's main goal was to occupy the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. If Dugu Bo willingly gave it up, he could still be a valuable asset as a fellow Title Douluo.
Killing him would be a waste.
"I can tell from your martial soul that you don't specialize in poisons. Though this place is rich in spiritual energy, it's chaotic and violent. It's nothing more than a spot that temporarily suppresses poison masters' toxins," Dugu Bo muttered, his gaze dark.
"You schemed against me just to seize this small place? You're willing to make an enemy of a Title Douluo for it?"
In Dugu Bo's eyes, this valley had merely been a refuge where he could suppress his poisons for years. He had studied poisons extensively because of his condition and knew these plants were highly toxic species unseen elsewhere.
But aside from being beautiful, he saw no other special value in this valley.
"That's none of your concern," Lin Fan replied coldly. "Just answer me—are you leaving or not?"
"…Can you at least tell me your Title?" Dugu Bo asked after thinking it over.
"'Sword Shadow,'" Lin Fan replied.
"Sword Shadow?" Dugu Bo's mind whirled. "A Title Douluo with 92 levels of spirit power—he must have reached this level years ago. Yet I've never heard of this title."
His heart sank.
"Plus, his spirit power is higher than mine, and he's immune to my poisons. I'm no match for him."
"What's more, he knows about my background… and even my granddaughter, Yan Yan."
"…Forget it. I've been stuck here for years without progress."
"Since he's not from Spirit Hall and I need to prioritize Yan Yan's safety, it's not worth making an enemy of him. I'll agree for now."
In that moment, countless thoughts raced through Dugu Bo's mind. Though he'd been threatened, just the mention of Dugu Yan was enough to crush most of his resistance.
Besides, with Lin Fan immune to his poisons and stronger, Dugu Bo couldn't win. He also suspected that Lin Fan had deep knowledge of toxins. He decided to first find out more about Lin Fan's background.
If Lin Fan wasn't from Spirit Hall, perhaps… he might even be able to cure Dugu Bo's poison someday.
"…Very well," Dugu Bo finally said. "Since you claim you discovered this place first as a Spirit Ancestor, then by rights, it should belong to you. I'll yield it to you."
He withdrew his martial soul, giving himself a way out gracefully.
"Good. A wise man knows when to retreat. It's better to seek harmony than to fight." Lin Fan smiled faintly and sheathed his Azure Shadow Sword.
Seeing this, Dugu Bo left the valley, walking into the poisonous mist and vanishing from sight.
Lin Fan followed after him for a while, making sure Dugu Bo was truly gone before returning to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
He planned to temper his body here soon. If Dugu Bo were to come back halfway, it might interfere, especially since Lin Fan had just threatened his granddaughter.
Suddenly, the system's voice rang in Lin Fan's mind:
[Congratulations! You've cleverly reached the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well under the watch of Title Douluo Dugu Bo. Task complete.]
[Rewards: +3 levels of Spirit Ancestor spirit power, a guaranteed 10,000-year fourth spirit ring for Spirit Sect advancement, and the Encyclopedia of Rare Treasures.]
"Huh? 'Cleverly'?" Lin Fan muttered. "I fought him head-on, yet you call me clever?"
"System, you are slow."
Though he was speechless, Lin Fan soon had no time to complain. A torrent of information suddenly flooded into his mind.
It was the knowledge from the Encyclopedia of Rare Treasures.
This book contained far more comprehensive knowledge than even Tang San's Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record. It covered exotic beasts, rare herbs, precious minerals, and more.
"Amazing!" Lin Fan's eyes lit up.
Previously, he had worried about not recognizing certain immortal herbs or knowing their correct usage.
But now, thanks to the system's "thoughtful" reward, he had a complete encyclopedia at his disposal. He no longer had to worry.
The information flowed smoothly into his mind, and Lin Fan quickly understood everything.
Without hesitation, he leapt down to the bottom of the valley, near the spring.
His gaze immediately locked onto the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and Infernal Delicate Apricot, the two herbs that could enhance his physical body.
These two plants were considered the very embodiment of the Yin-Yang Well. Consuming them allowed a cultivator to enter the spring and refine their body.
"They're all mine now," Lin Fan grinned.
Following the system's detailed guidance, he used his spirit power to carefully pick up both herbs and consumed them together.
Once the medicinal effects kicked in, Lin Fan leapt straight into the spring at the center.
The moment he entered, a wave of unbearable pain washed over him. Even with his Title Douluo physique, he nearly passed out from the agony.
Fortunately, he bit down hard and endured, circulating his spirit power to absorb the energy from the spring and strengthen his body.
Gradually, the pain lessened, and Lin Fan stabilized, entering a trance-like state of focused cultivation.
Time seemed to lose all meaning in this sunless place.
When Lin Fan finally emerged from this deep state, he found that the spring felt no different from an ordinary hot spring.
He knew then—his body refinement was complete.