Ah Yin hesitated, her soft blue petals shimmering faintly within Xiao Tian's spiritual space. Finally, she nodded, almost embarrassed. "Yes. I can feel it. The energy of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well is… very kind to plant-type soul beasts like me. If I could just step outside and bask in it directly, I think I could recover much faster."
Her aura had indeed changed. From the fragile state of a few hundred years after her rebirth, she now radiated nearly five thousand years of cultivation. All of that, of course, came thanks to her soul contract with Xiao Tian.
As long as she did not exceed the upper threshold of thirty thousand years—the current limit Xiao Tian's body could withstand—the contract would accelerate her cultivation speed monstrously, over ten thousand times faster than ordinary growth.
Da Ming's massive voice reverberated through the spirit sea, calm but cautious. "Wait. Xiao Tian is training now. Once he finishes, you can ask him. But remember—there's still an outsider here. Even if this place aids you, if you suddenly appear in front of Dugu Bo, can you guarantee he'll keep it secret? If not…"
He left his words hanging. Ah Yin and Er Ming exchanged a glance. They understood. Exposing themselves carelessly could spell disaster.
Half an hour later, Xiao Tian opened his eyes.
Inside, his spiritual sea had changed dramatically. The Longing Dew he had consumed merged into him, expanding the boundaries of his spiritual world. Suspended high in the void, eight crystalline sword shadows glimmered faintly, each shaped like a delicate thin blade.
These were no illusions. They were the very crystallization of his spirit power, grown by continuous practice of the Soul Refining Chapter of the Xuanyuan Sword Sutra.
Every sword crystal marked another stage of mental strength.
Eight crystals meant that his mental state had advanced to the level of a Soul Douluo.
Yet Xiao Tian's current soul power was only that of a Soul King at fifty-fourth rank. The disparity was terrifying. In mental might, he had far surpassed his own cultivation.
He clenched his fists, marveling quietly at the boon.
When he rose to stretch, his gaze unconsciously drifted toward Dugu Bo, who had been waiting not far away.
"Senior Dugu Bo," he asked curiously, still a little nervous, "how do you feel now?"
After all, Tang San in the "original" path had simply swallowed the two opposing immortal herbs directly and gained immunity to poisons. But Xiao Tian had taken the alchemist's route, refining them into pills. The effect was untested—it was no certainty.
Dugu Bo's face split into rare laughter. "Hahaha! Xiao Tian boy, this pill of yours is no fraud! I feel lighter than I've felt in decades. More importantly—" his emerald eyes gleamed, "—I can actually control my Green Phosphorus Snake Emperor venom far better! Before, every time I used my Origin Poison, it was… reckless. I'd wound the enemy, yes, but poison that leaked back into me would nearly cripple me. Strike the enemy a thousand, wound myself five hundred!" He spat the words bitterly. Then he grinned. "But now? Now the backlash is little more than a scratch!"
The pride buried in his tone was real.
Xiao Tian exhaled softly, relief washing over him. "That's good. I suspected as much—the elixir hasn't even fully taken effect yet. Its power is only beginning to spread through your blood. As it circulates, its benefits will only grow."
Dugu Bo's eyes flickered thoughtfully. "And what of Yanyan?"
"Ah." Xiao Tian's expression softened. He reached into his soul guide and drew out a flower unlike any other. Colorful and vibrant, its petals swirled like painted fire, veined through with eerie black patterns resembling strands of venom.
The moment it appeared, the air around them seemed to curdle.
"This," Xiao Tian said gravely, "is the All Poisons Return Flower. Wandu Guiyuanhua. Even its name speaks true—it is the sovereign of toxins. For you, Senior, it is perfect. If you absorb it, your Jade Phosphorus Snake King Poison will rise to an even greater potency. More than that, it will likely evolve your martial spirit itself."
Dugu Bo stared at the flower, color draining from his face. He swallowed hard. "And you expect me to just consume… that?" His voice wavered.
Cold sweat slipped down his neck. He was Poison Douluo, feared across the continent, yet here he was staring at a single flower as though it had fangs.
Chuckling, Xiao Tian shook his head. "Timid, Senior? If an ordinary spirit master even touched this, they would indeed disintegrate before your eyes. But for you, poison incarnate… what better match? Have you forgotten the principle of using poison to fight poison? The pain will be hell, yes. But it won't kill you." His smirk widened. "And may I remind you—the pill you just enjoyed was also born of the most extreme poisons?"
Dugu Bo coughed awkwardly, embarrassed at his own hesitation.
But Xiao Tian's expression sobered again. "That said—no, don't touch it yet. Even you aren't ready. Without control over your original venom, absorbing this herb would only accelerate your death."
Dugu Bo's confidence deflated instantly. "So it's impossible after all? Then what am I supposed to do?"
"There is a way."
Hope flickered in the old man's venomous eyes.
Xiao Tian smiled faintly. "Not a herb, but a technique. Allow me a few days. I will develop a circulation art—one tailored for you. With it, you can control your poison, gather it into your poison pill, and suppress it at will. Perhaps even turn it into power."
Dugu Bo blinked in disbelief. A technique?
He wasn't ignorant. Soul master cultivation was built on martial souls and soul rings, not obscure "kung fu." Yet Xiao Tian spoke with such calm certainty his words demanded belief.
The boy had surprised him too many times already. Dugu Bo clenched his fists. "Fine. I believe you. Create your technique. In the meantime, I will continue refining the remaining pills you designed, one by one."
Xiao Tian returned to meditation. He sat cross-legged beneath a gleaming herb bed, his mind entering a state of sharp calculation. He had an advantage others lacked—the system-enhanced comprehension.
He carried the memories of mundane Earth, the martial arts novels, the esoteric poison manuals in fiction and shows he once devoured. Here, now, he blended that knowledge with the mysteries of his own cultivation and sword sutra.
What could emerge was something brand new.
A poison-attribute cultivation art designed not just for survival, but for purification.
Days passed.
Ah Yin and the other contracted beasts watched quietly from within, recognizing his high concentration. Through the bond, they knew they must not disturb him.
For three full days he sat unmoving, his lips murmuring silent formulas, his mental sea alive with endless calculations.
Then finally—his eyes snapped open. Stars gleamed in them. Joy practically spilled from his gaze.
He had done it.
He named the technique with pride: The Poison Spirit Purification Art.
The essence was simple, yet profound—it guided poison qi through channels to condense into a core, then returned residual venom into circulation, purifying it against itself. Absolute poison, given clarity. A killing edge turned into armor.
Exhilarated, Xiao Tian tried to stand. But after three days of constant strain, his body was numb. Rising too quickly, he staggered sideways and fell.
Strong hands caught him before he hit the ground.
"Xiao Tian, boy, are you alright?!"
The worried roar was Dugu Bo's, his grip tight on Xiao Tian's shoulders. The poison master's face, usually sharp and cold, was now twisted with concern.
For the first time, the old monster realized how much this child had risked for him.
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