"Mm, it's just down below," Dugu Bo said, lifting his chin slightly.
Yang Yunhai stood up and looked over. Thick mist shrouded the steep cliff below, accompanied by a strong sulfuric smell.
"There's a hot spring down there?" he asked, feigning curiosity.
"You can tell just from the smell?" Dugu Bo was slightly surprised.
"This kind of sulfur smell usually only appears near volcanic hot springs," Yang Yunhai explained.
"You sure know a lot. But it's not a volcano down there." Dugu Bo walked to the edge of the cliff and turned his head with a teasing look. "It's pretty high down there. Do you need Grandpa Dugu to carry you down?"
Compared to Yu Tianheng, he found Yang Yunhai much more likable.
"That won't be necessary." Yang Yunhai smiled, stepped forward, summoned his spirit, and brought it close to his chest. As his soul power surged, a light mist sprayed out. In the next second, strands of Blue Silver Grass grew across the surface of his clothes, then quickly extended into vines wrapping around his upper body. Soon, six tentacle-like vines sprouted from his back.
"Thump, thump, thump",like they were alive, the vines plunged into the ground below, lifting Yang Yunhai's body up.
"Not bad. No wonder you could beat that kid Yu Tianheng." Though Dugu Bo was inwardly shocked by Yang Yunhai's control over his soul power and spirit, his expression remained calm with a slight nod.
Then he leapt off the cliff.
Yang Yunhai clicked his tongue and quickly controlled two vines to hook onto the cliffside for stability, while the remaining four moved like spider legs, carrying his body downward. As he descended, the vines anchored at the top extended to maintain his balance.
Before long, he landed with a soft thud.
Looking around, the entire valley was painted in stark red and blue, including the oval-shaped pond at the center. Dense mist rose from where the waters met, spreading upward to cover the opening of the valley.
Lush, colorful plants lined the banks of the pond.
"Well, Xiao Hai, is this enough for you?" Dugu Bo's voice rang out.
"It's enough." Yang Yunhai snapped back to attention and walked to Dugu Bo's side, his expression serious. "Grandpa Dugu, I'm now fully confident that I can cure both you and Sister Yan,and even help you both improve your strength."
"But before that, I need to use the herbs here to heal myself. The polar energies in this valley are too intense, and I can't withstand them with my current strength."
Half his body felt cold, the other half hot. Even just standing at the convergence point, the effects were obvious.
Still, he didn't plan to use soul power to protect himself.
"As long as you can cure me and Yan'er, you're free to use any herbs here," Dugu Bo said, eyes glowing. Especially if it would help them grow stronger...
"Grandpa Dugu, time is of the essence, I'll get started right away." Yang Yunhai nodded, scanned the area, and quickly walked over to a pink herb near the convergence zone. Following the method described in the Immortal Herb Compendium given to him by Chrysanthemum Douluo, he carefully harvested it.
As soon as he held it in his hand, the alternating sensations of hot and cold eased considerably, and he let out a breath of relief.
"What's this herb?" Dugu Bo asked curiously as he caught up.
"Fragrant Silk Immortal," Yang Yunhai explained. "It's a natural antidote,not to cure poison, but to prevent it. While within its aura, external toxins can't enter the body. Keeping it on me will greatly reduce the impact of the polar energies."
"Such an incredible herb!" Dugu Bo exclaimed in surprise.
"Grandpa Dugu, since you specialize in poison, once I'm done using this herb, you can carry it yourself. Just place it nearby when preparing poisons,it'll help you avoid contamination from the toxins," Yang Yunhai said with a smile. "But be careful. Don't let anyone else know you have it. To someone who works with poison, this herb is incredibly precious."
Hearing that, Dugu Bo felt a warmth in his heart. He had just revealed his ignorance by asking about the herb,Yang Yunhai could easily have lied or withheld the truth, then taken it for himself under the excuse of needing it to make an antidote. After all, Yang Yunhai also studied medicine and could use the herb for himself.
But instead, he immediately explained its effects and even warned him to protect it.
Clearly, Yang Yunhai truly treated him as a grandfather figure.
What a good kid!
And to think, just earlier, he was planning to kill this boy if he couldn't cure him and Yan'er, to keep the medicine garden a secret. That would've been despicable. Especially since this kid had taken the initiative to help Yan'er with her poisoning problem. Come to think of it, he was already a benefactor.
At that moment, Dugu Bo felt deeply ashamed of himself.
"Xiao Hai, Grandpa won't say anything more. If you ever need anything from me, just come find me," he said sincerely.
What a good kid! Talented, powerful, and kind. He'd make a perfect grandson-in-law. That thought rose unbidden in his heart.
"Grandpa Dugu, you're too kind. This herb belongs to you in the first place," Yang Yunhai replied with a smile. "Alright, time for me to continue."
"This herb is useful, but it's not enough to completely resist the polar energies."
As he spoke, he turned and walked toward another herb. "Grandpa Dugu, please come with me."
Dugu Bo nodded and followed.
Soon, the two arrived at the center of the hot zone, in front of a bright red plant.
"This is the Fiery Apricot Delicate Leaf, a rare herb with potent fire poison," Yang Yunhai said, pointing toward a white plant in the cold zone. "That one is the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass. It's the opposite,filled with powerful cold poison."
"If consumed together, the opposing toxins will balance each other and strengthen the body. Once absorbed, the user's body will become nearly immune to fire and ice. Though that's an exaggeration, it does grant strong resistance to both elements. And because the body contains both, it becomes highly resistant to poison in general."
"So if I take them, I can detoxify myself?" Dugu Bo's eyes lit up.
"You can detoxify, but you and Sister Yan can't take them," Yang Yunhai shook his head.
"Why not?!" Dugu Bo asked, anxious.
"Because taking them would create a miniature version of the pond inside your body,constantly neutralizing toxins," Yang Yunhai explained. "Which means, all poisons in your body would be broken down, including the Bi-Phosphorus Snake Venom."
"That serious?!" Dugu Bo was stunned. The venom from his spirit had formed a core in his body, contributing to a large portion of his cultivation. If it were removed, his strength would drop significantly.
That was a consequence he couldn't accept.
"Other herbs might be neutralized with others, but these two are too potent. If mishandled, they could lose their effects,or worse, become dangerous. And if that happens, I can't guarantee I can cure the poison in you and Sister Yan," Yang Yunhai said seriously.
"So, there's only one option."
"What is it?!" Dugu Bo asked urgently.
"I'll consume them. Then, I'll use my blood as a catalyst to make the medicine," Yang Yunhai said solemnly. "With the medicine diluted in my blood, it'll be much easier to mix and apply. More importantly, the medicinal effects will remain in my bloodstream. This means that after I take these herbs, if Sister Yan suffers from poison again while absorbing a spirit ring, she can come to me to detoxify."
"Also, there's one more benefit."
"Once I take them, my body will become highly resistant to both fire and ice. Then I'll be able to stay here without being harmed by the polar energies,free to harvest and prepare medicines."
Dugu Bo was shocked. This kid was turning himself into a walking medicine vat!
At the same time, he was deeply moved. To save him and his granddaughter, Yang Yunhai was willing to test such dangerous herbs on himself. Even though he didn't know their full properties, he could sense how potent the cold and fire poisons were. A single misstep would mean instant death.
"Isn't it dangerous?" Dugu Bo asked, worried.
"It should be fine," Yang Yunhai smiled, then sighed bitterly. "Besides, I don't have a choice anymore. Just standing here for a little while, the polar energies have already invaded my body and damaged my physical foundation."
"!!" Dugu Bo's expression changed. He quickly grabbed Yang Yunhai's wrist to check.
Damn, it really did seep in. His heart filled with guilt.
He came to help out of kindness, and now he was getting hurt for it. What a disaster...
"Ah… it's Grandpa's fault…" Dugu Bo let go, looking ashamed.
If you want to read 40 advanced chapters and 3 new chapters daily, please subscribe to my : patreon.com/Moorowkeel