Dugu Bo was a man of his word. Since he had promised Chu Chengzhou to cherish the medicinal herbs, he did not delay.
Soon, the three of them left Dugu's mansion.
Dugu Bo took Chu Chengzhou directly through the air towards the herb garden in the Sunset Forest, while Ning Rongrong returned to the academy on her own.
Chu Chengzhou had not planned to bring Ning Rongrong along, as her second-ring Auxiliary Soul Master abilities would not be able to withstand the surrounding powers of water and fire near the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eye.
The Sunset Forest was not far from Heaven Dou City, and its size was much smaller compared to the Star Dou Forest. By noon, the two of them had already arrived at the central area of the Sunset Forest.
In midair, Chu Chengzhou noticed a small mountain below, surrounded by a faint purple poisonous mist.
In the center of the small mountain, there was an inverted cone-shaped valley.
A thick and humid heat rose from the valley, resembling a light mist, enveloping the top of the small mountain.
With his sharp eyes, Chu Chengzhou could clearly see an unusual oval spring at the center of the valley.
The color of the water in the spring was different from ordinary spring water, being a mix of milky white and crimson.
What was even stranger was that, although the milky white and crimson waters were in the same spring, they remained clearly separated, never mixing, each staying on its own side.
The rising steam was generated by the contact between the two waters, continuously rising until it dissipated slowly at the mountain's entrance.
This was the essential place for all Douluo World travelers—The Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eye!
"We're here. Let's go down!"
Saying this, Dugu Bo led Chu Chengzhou down towards the valley below.
Although Dugu Bo had planted many Green Phosphorus Seven-Exquisite Flowers around the small mountain, creating a protective ring of faint purple poisonous mist to guard against the soul beasts in the Sunset Forest, the mist only covered the area around the small mountain. If one had the ability to fly, they could bypass the mist.
Upon entering the valley and before reaching the Ice and Fire Spring, Chu Chengzhou immediately felt the invasive powers of water and fire spreading throughout his body.
Fortunately, he had mastered body refinement techniques, and his physical strength far exceeded that of ordinary Soul Masters. Although he couldn't completely ignore the effects of this water and fire power, as long as he didn't stay in the area for too long, he didn't need to worry about being overwhelmed.
Brushing off the discomfort caused by the powerful water and fire forces, Chu Chengzhou surveyed the entire valley.
Although the valley was shrouded in mist, it was daytime, so even without the ability to see through objects, he could still clearly make out the landscape.
Surrounding the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eye were numerous strange plants, all appearing to be part of a botanical paradise.
Although Chu Chengzhou wasn't well-versed in herbal medicine, just by looking at these plants, he could tell that every single one was a rare species, let alone the many immortal-grade medicinal herbs growing here.
"You see, kid, isn't my herb garden magnificent?"
Dugu Bo said proudly to Chu Chengzhou.
"Indeed, it's magnificent!"
Looking at the bizarre plants around the Ice and Fire Spring, Chu Chengzhou nodded in appreciation.
"I've said it before, you can pick any medicinal herb you like here. Just help yourself."
"But many of these herbs are poisonous, and their toxicity is quite strong. Be careful."
"By the way, don't go near the spring in the center. The extreme heat and cold there are unbearable, even for me. With your small frame, if you go near it, you'll surely meet your end."
Dugu Bo warned Chu Chengzhou.
When he first discovered this unusual spring, he suspected it was extraordinary and immediately tested it by throwing a ten-thousand-year soul beast into the spring.
Before the beast even sank into the water, it was reduced to a pile of bones.
Later, after becoming an eight-ringed Soul Douluo, Dugu Bo, feeling confident in his strength, tried it himself.
But within three seconds, his soul power was completely consumed, and if he hadn't pulled back quickly, one of his arms would have been destroyed.
Even so, his arm was badly burned and severely injured, which caused him to owe a favor to the Nine Heart Begonia Clan.
Had he not been a Title Douluo by then, he wouldn't have even been able to withstand it for a short time.
"Got it!"
Chu Chengzhou nodded like a chicken pecking at rice.
Of course, he agreed, but whatever he planned to do later, he would do.
Before coming here, Chu Chengzhou had already decided which immortal-grade medicinal herbs he wanted to consume.
Different immortal herbs might have some differences, but taking two would definitely improve his talents more than just one.
Besides the special herb for improving mental power, the Wangchuan Qiushui Dew, and the two herbs that complemented and restrained each other, the Eight-Petal Ice Crystal Grass and Fire Apricot Delicate Dew, he knew that consuming too many immortal herbs would cause their powers to clash.
Thus, his focus was on these three kinds of immortal herbs.
With countless precious herbs growing around the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eye, how would he find the immortal-grade herbs?
This wouldn't be a problem for Chu Chengzhou. Immortal herbs were extraordinary, and mature ones contained vast amounts of energy. With his perceptive abilities, he could sense them as long as they weren't too concealed.
Moreover, he had some vague memories of the descriptions of many immortal herbs from the original novel, so it wasn't too difficult for him.
The Eight-Petal Ice Crystal Grass. and Fire Apricot Delicate Dew were easy to find; one emitted a chilling aura, while the other radiated intense heat.
Chu Chengzhou continued searching for the herbs and found all of them, including some that were unfamiliar in appearance but aligned with descriptions from the original novel.
As he was searching, Chu Chengzhou finally stumbled upon the Qi Luo Youxiang herb, which he had initially been unsure about. The faint fragrance it emitted and the subtle pink glow around it made it clear to him that it was indeed the one.
With all the immortal herbs found, Chu Chengzhou began to consider how to harvest and use them carefully. He knew that the process of collecting and consuming these herbs required precision, and he was prepared to approach the task with caution.
Near the Fire Apricot Delicate Dew by the Yang Spring, Chu Chengzhou retrieved a jade slip from his storage necklace. With a twist of force in his hand, the jade slip shot out swiftly.
A flash of jade light appeared. The blazing red Fire Apricot Delicate Dew, shaped like a cabbage, fell in response and landed on the ground.
Immediately after, a blue radiance flickered on Chu Chengzhou's body. The Azure Cloud Pattern Armor manifested suddenly, and he quickly moved to the other side of the Ice-Fire Yin-Yang Well, next to the Eight-Petal Ice Crystal Grass.
Soul power surged within him, protecting his right hand beneath the gauntlet of the armor. With the lightning-fast hand speed of a man single for fourteen years, Chu Chengzhou swiftly picked the Eight-Petal Ice Crystal Grass and threw it toward the Fire Apricot Delicate Dew on the other side of the spring.
He moved with extreme speed, and with the protection of soul armor and power, even the fierce cold poison of the grass could not injure his arm.
Immediately after, Chu Chengzhou used his movement technique and quickly returned to the Yang Spring side.
By the spring, the Fire Apricot Delicate Dew and the Eight-Petal Ice Crystal Grass, which were previously blazing hot and freezing cold, instantly neutralized each other's aura upon contact. The cold and heat vanished simultaneously.
A faint red glow enveloped the formerly icy grass, while a soft white mist surrounded the fiery apricot herb.
Without paying attention to this strange phenomenon, Chu Chengzhou seized the opportunity. While the two toxic immortal herbs were weakened by each other's presence, he quickly picked them up and stuffed them into his mouth.
Though the herbs were poisonous, their mutual suppression made them less aggressive. As soon as he swallowed them, they turned into warm nectar and slid down his throat. Chu Chengzhou immediately felt a fresh, fragrant sensation bloom on his tongue.
Savoring the lingering flavor, he quickly removed the storage necklace from his neck and stripped down to his underwear, preparing to soak in the spring.
Soon, the medicinal effects of the herbs kicked in, and Chu Chengzhou's body began to tremble violently.
A layer of icy blue light rose from his feet, and in the blink of an eye, his entire body turned blue. Then, a fiery red glow surged up. He looked like a giant cooked shrimp—his body alternating between blue and red, a bizarre sight.
Despite the simplicity of this process, Chu Chengzhou felt intense pain. The clash of two extreme energies was even more agonizing than when he had absorbed the Fire Phoenix soul ring.
Yet, although it was painful, he found he could endure it.
After all, like Tang San in the original story, he was also a Soul Elder with three rings—but his physique far surpassed Tang San's.
Even excluding the powerful body forged by physical training techniques, the enhancements from his first millennial soul ring and his second and third ten-thousand-year rings gave him a body that couldn't be compared to Tang San's mere 3000 years' worth of rings. What Tang San couldn't withstand didn't mean he couldn't.
Thinking this, Chu Chengzhou immediately activated his soul power to refine the medicinal energy of the two herbs.
As for soaking in the Yin-Yang Well? He'd only do that if he couldn't endure it. If he could handle it himself, why bother?
To him, soaking in the spring after consuming the herbs had both pros and cons.
The benefit: the spring's power would help absorb the herbs without the risk of his body exploding from excess energy.
The drawback? Tang San's immunity to the extreme heat and cold came not from himself, but from the herbs he had consumed beforehand.
Energy is conserved—immunity to the spring's energy must come at the cost of consuming some of the herbs' power.
If Chu Chengzhou didn't soak, he could avoid wasting that energy. If that energy only boosted physique, fine—but what if it enhanced cultivation talent? That would be a major loss!
Though he wasn't sure if he was right, there was no harm in playing it safe.
On the other side of the hill where the Ice-Fire Yin-Yang Well lay was a nearly vertical cliff.
Inside a cave on the cliff, Dugu Bo was mixing pills to suppress his granddaughter Dugu Yan's internal toxins after collecting herbs.
Chu Chengzhou could detoxify Dugu Yan, but Dugu Bo knew that they weren't from the same academy, nor were they lovers—Chu Chengzhou wouldn't always be around when his granddaughter's toxins flared up. So the pills were essential.
After a while, Dugu Bo finished and exited the cave, heading to his herb garden to see how Chu Chengzhou was doing.
The moment he entered the valley, he saw Chu Chengzhou—bare-chested, wearing only underwear, his skin alternately glowing red and blue, his face contorted in pain.
Dugu Bo was stunned.
What the hell happened to this kid? He was fine earlier. Did he eat some weird herb?
He hesitated, but didn't step forward. He could tell Chu Chengzhou was in a state similar to absorbing a soul ring and couldn't be interrupted.
Suddenly, Dugu Bo noticed that the two distinctive herbs—one radiating intense cold, the other fiery poison—were gone from his garden.
His garden had many rare plants, so missing a few wouldn't be obvious. But these two were too unique—he noticed right away.
"Hiss—did this kid really eat them?!"
Shocked, Dugu Bo gasped.
He wasn't upset about the herbs—he had plenty. He was just stunned that the kid dared to eat such highly toxic plants.
Seeing Chu Chengzhou alternating between red and blue, Dugu Bo couldn't help but feel worried.
He wasn't a saint, but he believed in repaying kindness. Chu Chengzhou was his guest and had helped him—if something happened now, he'd feel terrible.
Time passed unknowingly. As night fell, Chu Chengzhou, still sitting beside the Yin-Yang Well, finally stopped flashing between red and blue.
Not long after, he opened his eyes.
He could feel the surrounding water and fire energy no longer corroding his body, and he nodded in satisfaction.
He knew this immunity to fire, water, and poison was only one of the benefits of the two herbs.
In fact, those were minor to him.
After all, immunity wasn't absolute—he could withstand weaker attacks, but if the intensity was too high, it would still harm him.
Ultimately, the immortal herbs near the Yin-Yang Well were formed from the lingering energy of the Ice-Fire Dragon King's corpse. In soul beast terms, their level was around that of 100,000-year beasts. Their effects couldn't be too heaven-defying.
Useful in early stages, but not much in late game.
What Chu Chengzhou valued most was the improvement in his cultivation talent.
The only pity? These two herbs didn't enhance soul power. Like Tang San in the original, his soul power didn't increase—he was still at level 36 Soul Elder.
He was a bit disappointed—but not too much.
His cultivation talent had undergone another evolution. A few soul power levels at this stage didn't matter much.
Back when he first awakened his martial soul, he had only half a level of innate soul power—practically a waste. Maybe even worse than another famous waste, Yu Xiaogang.
But after multiple evolutions of his martial soul, his talent already rivaled ordinary geniuses.
Now, after consuming the Ice-Fire immortal herbs, his cultivation talent definitely surpassed that of someone born with full innate soul power.
And if you factored in the Nine Breaths Meditation technique's soul power growth rate bonus, even Qian Renxue with 20 innate soul power couldn't compare to him!
Perhaps only Xiao Wu, who would also take immortal herbs in the future, could rival him.
Eight long years had passed.
At last, Chu Chengzhou had transformed from a super waste into a super genius!
Title Douluo-level potential?
Are you kidding me?!
I, Chu Chengzhou, am destined for godhood. God-King level!