When Dugu Bo returned, he saw that Oscar had already entered the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well. After a moment's thought, he chose not to disturb him. Instead, he took Dugu Yan with him back up to the stone hut along the cliff face.
Dugu Bo now truly wanted to attempt the method Oscar had described. If it succeeded—and without side effects—then he would be able to make plans for his granddaughter sooner.
Oscar, meanwhile, had finished a simple survey of all the herbs within the Well, and the excitement in his heart gradually calmed.
If it had been anyone else who knew the effects of these plants, they would probably have already stuffed those heavenly treasures into their mouths in impatience.
But Oscar absolutely would not do that. Because he not only knew the miraculous benefits of these divine herbs, he also knew how dangerous they could be.
If misused, an immortal herb could easily become a fatal poison. The medicinal properties of these plants were extremely potent; too much of them would inevitably cause irreversible side effects.
Oscar understood well the principle of "over-supplementation becomes poison."
Still, he had to admit—he admired Dugu Bo greatly. Even if the elder didn't understand these herbs as thoroughly as he did, he must have known that many of them were beneficial. Yet Dugu Bo had resisted consuming them. That alone showed his restraint and knowledge of medicine.
Moreover, Dugu Bo's willpower was extraordinary, strong enough to hold back from reckless indulgence.
That was why he could reach the realm of Title Douluo—not just by luck, but through his own strength and resolve.
After his survey, Oscar realized he actually recognized several herbs here. Not all, of course, but at least the ones he needed most.
And that was enough. There would be plenty of time to study further in the future—right now, what he could use mattered most.
Once he confirmed what he needed, Oscar formed a plan. After hesitating for a while, he walked toward the extremely cold side of the spring.
Soon, he stopped before a snow-white plant.
At this moment, he circulated his soul power with full effort, but even so, a faint white mist appeared on his skin. Despite the soul power shield, his body trembled uncontrollably under the onslaught of extreme cold.
The white plant before him looked like a great eight-petaled blossom. Its center glittered like an ice crystal. Strangely, it exuded no fragrance at all.
It grew right at the core of the Frozen Yin Spring.
This was the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass—a flower of terrifying chill that could freeze one's consciousness, leaving the mind locked in cold.
Within ten meters of it, the cold was so intense it could drive icy poison into the heart. Lingering too long meant death without cure. Forget eating it—merely standing near it was already disastrous. To harvest it, one needed a tool of gold or steel.
Though the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass was indeed an immortal herb, it was not beneficial by itself. On the contrary, it was a rare and deadly poison.
But combined with another specific immortal herb, the two would complement one another perfectly, transforming into an unrivaled elixir that could even change a soul master's fate.
That other herb was the Blazing Delicate Apricot, whose effects were the exact opposite—an extreme heat to counter the extreme cold. Unlike the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass, it could only be harvested with jade; otherwise, its medicinal power would be lost.
Standing before the Ice Grass, Oscar dared not delay any longer. From his soul tool, he drew a dagger. With a swift slash, he severed the stalk cleanly above its root.
Then, soul power surged in his left hand, condensing into flawless jade-white. He formed a perfect Jade Hand, a manifestation of one of his Azure Spirit Jade Sword soul bone's skills.
Though the sword form best expressed the soul bone's power, Oscar could shape it into other objects if his soul power was sufficient.
With the conjured jade hand, he grasped the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass. Then, moving quickly, he rushed toward the fiery spring.
There, the Blazing Delicate Apricot glowed with brilliant red. Its shape resembled a strange vegetable, but its searing aura could incinerate anything that came near.
Oscar conjured a jade sword to slice the stalk cleanly, then another jade hand to hold it.
The moment both herbs were brought together before him, their extremities of cold and heat vanished.
Now, the Ice Grass was shrouded in faint red light, while the Apricot exuded a pale white mist.
Oscar knew he had no time to waste. When these two herbs touched, their energies neutralized each other—but after ten breaths, their medicinal essence would vanish entirely.
Without hesitation, he pressed both immortal herbs into his mouth.
Though deadly on their own, together they lost their tyrannical force. They melted instantly, sliding down his throat as fragrant nectar.
For a moment, Oscar felt refreshed. But within three breaths, his body convulsed violently.
From beneath his feet, an icy blue aura surged upward, staining his body blue in an instant. Then, in the next heartbeat, a burning red glow replaced it, making him look like a freshly boiled shrimp.
Blue, red—blue, red-the alternation continued rapidly. It was a sight both eerie and wondrous.
But inside, Oscar was being torn apart. The clash of these two extreme forces nearly shattered his spirit.
The agony dwarfed all the countless years of bitter training he had endured.
Barely maintaining control of his body, he forced a deep breath—and leapt forward, plunging straight into the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well.
With a splash, he fell precisely into the junction of the Frozen Yin Spring and the Blazing Yang Spring, vanishing beneath the waters.
He had timed it carefully. If he had jumped in even slightly earlier, before the herbs' effects had activated, his body would have been dissolved to nothing instantly.
Now, with the medicinal power raging inside him, his senses were overwhelmed. The torment from the Ice Grass and Blazing Apricot already made him numb to external sensations.
No longer thinking of anything else, Oscar poured all his focus into circulating his soul power, drawing upon the Well's unique properties to refine and absorb the herbs.
With the aid of the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well, the two poisonous immortal herbs transformed within him, their terrifying ice and fire energies redirected into forging his body—remaking him from within.