Chapter 42: Immune to Water and Fire, Impervious to All Poisons

This trip to the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well almost came to a premature end due to Dugu Bo's good intentions.

Not knowing how long it would take to absorb the two immortal herbs, and fearing that Dugu Bo might return and panic if he could not find him, Li Xun left a note in the most conspicuous spot.

After preparing to disrobe, Li Xun retrieved a gold dagger and a jade dagger from the soul storage device on the ground. He had prepared these specifically for the two immortal herbs. The Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass required a golden metal tool to harvest, so he had specially purchased a pure gold dagger to avoid any mishaps. As for the Burning Apricot, he had spent money to have a jade instrument custom-made for it.

Li Xun walked to a suitable vantage point and flicked his wrist. The two daggers turned into a golden beam and a white streak of light, shooting rapidly toward the two immortal treasures. As a self-proclaimed "Half-God of the Ninja World," Li Xun had great confidence in his hidden weapon techniques. Claiming to surpass Tang San might be an exaggeration, but he was certainly a master in his own right.

As the two streaks of light flashed, the two immortal treasures tilted and fell toward the ground. Li Xun immediately used Wood Release to catch them. Lacking a practical technique like the Crane-Capturing Dragon skill, he had to rely on the most laborious method, moving them toward himself bit by bit. The two herbs possessed extreme cold and extreme heat attributes, respectively, and ordinary wood could not withstand them for long. Li Xun had to continuously use Wood Release in a relay, preventing the wood from burning or freezing.

Although the process was cumbersome, the distance was short, and he soon had the two herbs before him. The moment they made contact, the extreme cold and extreme heat attributes reached an equilibrium. Li Xun immediately popped both herbs into his mouth, not even bothering to taste them before swallowing them whole.

The instant they hit his stomach, Li Xun felt the true agony of ice and fire. This overwhelming sensation was more than he could handle, so he leaped into the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well.

As he entered the water, the medicinal properties of the two herbs were instantly activated. The extreme heat and cold blended together, forming an even more violent energy that surged through his meridians, making them tougher and wider. Had it not been for Li Xun’s powerful willpower and the self-healing properties of Wood Release, his meridians might have shattered, leaving him unconscious. Even so, he was on the verge of collapse.

Enduring the agony, Li Xun opened his eyes beneath the water and positioned himself at the very center of the well. He glanced briefly at the depths below. It was tens of thousands of meters down, where the true greatest fortune of the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well lay—the dragon soul and dragon bones.

"A pity; with my current strength, it is impossible to go down there."

Dismissing the thought, Li Xun began to circulate his cultivation techniques. With the medicinal effects at their peak, he intended to use this opportunity to attempt to fuse his chakra and soul power.

Time passed. The two forces within him, which had been intertwined, showed signs of merging under the crushing pressure of the ice and fire energy. Li Xun felt a surge of joy and accelerated his cultivation, slipping into a state of deep meditation.

Time flew by, and before he knew it, it was late at night.

Dugu Bo was in a state of high agitation as he hurried back to the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well. The medicinal tools Li Xun had requested were extremely rare, and it had taken him a long time to gather them all. But thinking of the effects of the "Tears of the Dragon" and the "Blood of the Dragon's Heart," he felt the trouble was well worth it.

Without stopping, Dugu Bo flew straight through the barrier. "Little Xun, the items you asked for really took me a lot of effort to find!" His voice preceded his arrival. Dugu Bo laughed heartily as he landed near the two immortal herbs.

"Hmm? Where is he?" His smile vanished instantly as he scanned the surroundings. "What is this kid up to now?" He picked up the note Li Xun had left. Upon reading the words at the top, he gasped in shock and turned his gaze toward the pool. "What? Using the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well meant jumping into it?"

He had assumed that when Li Xun spoke of using the environment, he only meant meditating on the sidelines. He never imagined the boy would jump into such a dangerous pool. The temperatures on either side were so extreme that even his own soul power could not withstand them. How could a boy who wasn't even a Spirit Grandmaster dare to jump in?

Dugu Bo was frantic, ignoring the extreme temperatures as he rushed to the edge of the pool. After spending time together, he had come to truly appreciate Li Xun. He suspected that the boy had likely realized he didn't recognize the herbs here, yet when he saw the immortal treasures, he hadn't hidden anything and had chosen to tell the truth. Li Xun could have kept quiet and brought the Sword Douluo or Bone Douluo here later to strip the place clean without Dugu Bo ever knowing. But he hadn't. Since even the immortal herbs couldn't tempt him, Dugu Bo couldn't imagine how pure-hearted the boy must be.

"You good child, why must you do this?" Dugu Bo stared at the pool, the note and Li Xun’s clothes trembling in his hand. "If I had known, I would never have brought you here. Even just using the soul bone method, Yan-yan and I could have lived out our lives safely. Why did you have to risk your life testing medicine?"

Before he had forced his toxins into his soul bone, he had lived to eighty. Surely, having the soul bone wouldn't shorten his life? And now with the two dragon-type immortal herbs, Yan-yan wouldn't have to worry about breaking through to become a Title Douluo.

Just as Dugu Bo was filled with anxiety, Li Xun’s head suddenly broke the surface. He leaped out, chakra gathering under his feet, and stood directly upon the water.

"Hm? Grandpa Dugu! You're back?"

When Li Xun saw the figure on the shore, he felt incredibly awkward and immediately dispersed his chakra, letting his body sink back into the water. "Um, Grandpa Dugu, could you throw me my clothes...?"

Dugu Bo was stunned to see Li Xun alive and well. He narrowed his eyes. "Kid, you're not dead?"

"Heh, I’ve got a tough life, I won't die that easily," Li Xun said with an awkward smile. "Grandpa Dugu, my clothes..."

"You still want your clothes?" Seeing that Li Xun was fine, Dugu Bo’s heart finally settled. A cold smirk appeared on his face as he waved the clothes in his hand. "What did I tell you? I told you not to take risks, yet you wouldn't listen. Since you can handle the environment in the water, you might as well stay in there a while longer!"

With that, Dugu Bo turned and walked away with the clothes.

"Don't go!"

Li Xun had no desire to wander around in the moonlight like this. He soaked in the water for another hour before Dugu Bo’s anger faded and he finally returned the clothes.

"Did you gain anything from this adventure?" Dugu Bo asked once Li Xun was dressed.

"A great deal," Li Xun said, sitting beside him with a smile. "Though my soul power didn't increase, I have gained immunity to water and fire, and protection against all poisons. Furthermore, the toxins in your body and Sister Yan's can now be neutralized using my blood."

"That's it?" Dugu Bo looked skeptical. Such claims were vague and likely exaggerated.