A sharp cry rang out.
Dugu Bo's figure appeared before the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, his face filled with vigilance as he stared at Bibi Dong and Su Linfeng.
So this is Dugu Bo?
Su Linfeng arched a brow. His body was indeed thin and lanky, but his appearance wasn't as old as expected—he looked barely over fifty. Yet those deep green eyes glowed with a chilling, sinister light.
"Who are you?"
Dugu Bo narrowed his eyes at Bibi Dong, his voice cold: "Why trespass in my medicine garden?"
"You're a Titled Douluo?"
Bibi Dong's brows knitted. She had already sensed his level of power. With a frown, she asked, "If you are, then why isn't your name recorded in Spirit Hall's registry of Titled Douluo?"
Of course, he wasn't in the registry.
Dugu Bo was a man of shifting morals—sometimes righteous, sometimes evil. He always acted on his own whims. Naturally, he hadn't gone to register with Spirit Hall.
It was reasonable that Bibi Dong did not recognize him.
"As I thought!"
Dugu Bo's poisonous eyes narrowed sharply, his tone icy: "I should have killed those who trespassed last time instead of sparing them. And now, you dogs still dare return!"
"What do you mean, your medicine garden?"
Bibi Dong's expression chilled. "Does Sunset Forest belong to you as well? You wounded Spirit Hall's elites. Today—"
Before she could finish, Su Linfeng hugged her thigh.
What had they agreed on before coming?
If it could be avoided, don't fight. Unless there is no other choice, don't rip the veil.
Truly, one thing restrains another.
Bibi Dong forcibly pressed down her rising anger.
"Senior."
Seeing Bibi Dong calm slightly, Su Linfeng finally spoke: "Spirit Hall doesn't intend to seize your cultivation grounds. We only came to collect a few immortal herbs. If you would grant us this convenience, not only will we not pursue the matter of our injured elites, but we'd even like to make a trade with you."
"Hm?"
Only now did Dugu Bo notice Su Linfeng.
A brat!
He looked even younger than Yan. Could such a child represent Spirit Hall? Talk of trade—ridiculous!
Small body, big mouth!
Dugu Bo ignored him entirely, dismissing his words outright.
As Su Linfeng had anticipated, no one in their right mind would take a child's words seriously—let alone a Titled Douluo.
Lack of attention only meant his bargaining chip wasn't big enough.
Yet even Dugu Bo, hard and unyielding as he was, still had weaknesses.
Su Linfeng wasn't anxious. He simply smiled. "Senior, you can ignore me—but you can't ignore the snake venom in your own body."
Dugu Bo's eyes flickered.
"From the color of your pupils, if I'm not mistaken, your martial spirit has a defect. It harms not only you, but also your descendants."
His body trembled faintly.
How does he know?!
How could this child see through the flaws of his martial spirit—flaws that cursed his bloodline itself? Could this so-called "trade" really…
Before Dugu Bo could gather his thoughts, Su Linfeng pressed on: "Since you don't wish to trade, then there's nothing more to say. You should know—you alone cannot protect this place."
With that, he turned to Bibi Dong, eyes sharp. "Elder Sister, seems there's no negotiating. Beat him up!"
Dugu Bo: "Wait!"
Wait?
Too late.
He had just been given the chance, and squandered it. If he lost later, the price would only go up.
Besides, Bibi Dong wasn't going to wait. Dugu Bo's earlier hostility had already soured her mood.
Buzz—
A wave of powerful spirit energy erupted.
Yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black, black, black, red.
Nine spirit rings rose beneath Bibi Dong's feet.
Her overwhelming aura crashed straight into Dugu Bo.
Seeing the configuration, even the Titled Douluo himself sucked in a cold breath.
A hundred-thousand-year spirit ring!
Too late to react. In the blink of an eye, Bibi Dong was upon him. Dugu Bo had no time to hesitate and unleashed his martial spirit in a full counterattack.
Boom!
Boom, boom!!
Boom, boom, boom!!!
The collision of two Titled Douluo's power shattered the air itself.
As for Su Linfeng—
He wasn't worried in the slightest. Even three Dugu Bos might not match Bibi Dong.
With the obstruction removed, he strolled boldly toward the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
When he saw the immortal herbs swaying in the waves of spirit energy, his eyes burned red.
These… these are the capital with which I'll demand repayment from Bibi Dong later!
The immortal herbs were right before him.
Yet Su Linfeng didn't lose his head. His gaze locked onto a single stalk—the Fragrant Odd Velvet Immortal Herb.
So many immortal herbs, yet why did he choose the one that, apart from curing poison, seemed the most "useless"?
Useless?
Not at all!
The Fragrant Odd Velvet Immortal Herb was the true King of Flowers—the only herb with heaven-defying effects on spiritual power.
Otherwise, why would Tang San later use it to lure powerful soul beasts?
Just because it dispelled poison?
Of course not. The stronger the beast, the harder it was to resist. Intelligence had always been the soul beasts' weakness. This herb could greatly enhance spiritual power, even granting ten-thousand-year beasts early sapience.
As for Tang San, a human spirit master, he had no idea of its true value to soul beasts.
The Fragrant Odd Velvet Immortal Herb could resonate with the essence of a soul beast, cleansing and nourishing its mind. It could even lead beasts into dreamlike visions, unlocking hidden wisdom.
To help Bibi Dong refine the Rakshasa divine sense, Su Linfeng would need a powerful soul.
And if he wanted to consume the other immortal herbs, this one had to be taken first. Without great spiritual strength, it would be impossible to fully absorb their medicinal effects.
Moreover, besides the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and Fiery Apricot, this was the only herb surpassing the hundred-thousand-year threshold. Its rarity rivaled a hundred-thousand-year spirit ring.
Of course, this was not in the strictest sense, but thanks to the miraculous Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, ordinary herbs could gain the aura of ten thousand years after only millennia of growth.
Dugu Bo was strong, but he knew nothing of the immortal herbs' true worth. His role here was little more than that of a guardian beast.
Without hesitation—
Su Linfeng plucked the Fragrant Odd Velvet Immortal Herb and swallowed it whole.
Truly an immortal herb!
It melted instantly, flowing down like a spring of crystal water.
Boom!!!
His spiritual sea exploded.
In that instant, Su Linfeng was dragged into the world of the Fragrant Odd Velvet Immortal Herb.
An endless, ancient starry sky spread around him.
Beneath the heavens, sun and moon hung side by side, radiating an aura of primordial mystery.
"You've arrived."
A voice, aged and boundless, resonated from the depths of the cosmos. "After so long, finally a descendant with spiritual power strong enough to sense my presence."
Su Linfeng's eyes narrowed. "Who are you?"
"I have forgotten my own name."
The ancient voice echoed again. A long time ago, some called me one of the Four Great Primordial Elemental Spirits—the Spirit of Fire. Others called me Di Jun, the fierce and tyrannical Demon Emperor.