Chapter 40: The Eye of Ice and Fire

Li Xun took a breath of wind head-on and couldn't help but let out a burp. At this moment, he was being carried by Dugu Bo, held firmly against his chest. He was serving as both a windbreak and a barrier against the cold for the elder.

"I never want to be carried by someone else again..."

The Sunset Forest was only a hundred miles from the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy, and after half a day of swallowing wind, Li Xun arrived. Dugu Bo carried him directly through the outer barrier of the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well. Once through, Dugu Bo set him down. The two walked along until they reached a basin. Li Xun looked down. At the very center of the basin, mist swirled and lingered, refusing to dissipate. A pungent scent of sulfur drilled incessantly into his nose.

"A smell of sulfur? Is there a hot spring down there?"

Dugu Bo chuckled, "You rascal, your nose is quite sharp."

"Come, I’ll take you down."

"No need, Senior, I'd rather go myself," Li Xun quickly declined; he truly couldn't stand being carried any longer. Without waiting for Dugu Bo’s response, he activated the Body Flicker Technique and moved toward the bottom of the basin. In just a few flashes, he reached the floor.

"Good lad, your movement technique is quite peculiar." Dugu Bo looked surprised and quickly flew down.

Excited to finally see the legendary Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well, Li Xun pressed forward. Before long, as the distance closed, a pool of water, half-red and half-blue, appeared before him. Even the surrounding scenery was stained by these red and blue hues, giving it a somewhat fairy-tale quality.

"This... I never expected it to be the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well," Li Xun sighed.

"What Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well?" Dugu Bo walked up from behind, looking at Li Xun with a puzzled expression.

"You don't know?" Enduring the extreme temperatures, Li Xun pointed at the dual-colored spring. "This is one of the world's three great treasure basins, the most suitable place for medicinal herbs to grow—the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well! Here, the growth rate of plants increases tenfold. Furthermore, only precious plants can survive here; ordinary ones simply cannot adapt to such an extreme environment."

"Heh, so this place is that precious? I honestly never paid much attention to the pool itself." Dugu Bo was bewildered. After the shock faded, he gave a sheepish smile. "Cough, lad, take a look and see if there are any other herbs that can cure the poison in me and Yan'yan."

Li Xun smiled at Dugu Bo. "Senior Dugu, this is a paradise of rare treasures. I only took a brief glance and already spotted two suspected immortal-grade herbs. While these two might not necessarily cure the poison in you and Sister Yan, they could bring you both immense improvements."

"Immortal-grade?" Dugu Bo looked at him doubtfully. "This is my first time hearing herbs described this way. Is there some mystery to it?"

"Senior, people have ranks, and so do herbs." Li Xun walked over to a pale pink herb and, following the descriptions in his books, plucked it. As he held it, he felt his body lighten, and the pressure from the environment of the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well instantly diminished.

"Ordinary herbs treat injuries, precious herbs strengthen the foundation and cultivate the essence, while the legendary immortal-grade herbs can bring the dead back to life and regrow flesh on bones. Of course, such immortal herbs are rare and require specific conditions to be used." Li Xun examined the herb in his hand. "Take this one as an example. Its name is the Fragrant Silk Luo. While it cannot cure poison, it is the nemesis of all toxins; as long as you carry it with you, even your poison arts will be significantly dampened."

"What? This big flower has such a magical effect?" Dugu Bo was stunned. He knew this place was miraculous, but years ago, when he had dared to consume some herbs, he had nearly died. Since then, he had treated the flora here with awe. Even if he suspected some of their functions, he never dared to test them for the sake of his young granddaughter, Dugu Yan.

"Heh, while this immortal herb has magical effects, it doesn't offer much help to the spirit master themselves. Other immortal herbs are different." Li Xun walked slowly toward the spring and pointed to a plant that looked like a flickering flame. "This is called the Blazing Apricot, and it only grows in extreme heat. It is a highly toxic immortal herb. The fire poison it contains would kill even a Title Douro like you if consumed."

"Opposite to it is that Eight-Sided Mysterious Ice Grass." Li Xun pointed to a herb in the frigid zone.

Dugu Bo walked to Li Xun’s side, looking solemnly at the bone-white herb. "Is this the herb you said could cure the Jade Phosphorus Snake poison in me? But if it’s so toxic, how is it to be consumed?"

"Though these two immortal herbs are highly toxic, they restrain each other. Consuming them together neutralizes the toxins and creates a complementary effect," Li Xun mused, deciding to be sincere. "If the user fully absorbs them, their physique will be greatly improved, creating an effect of being immune to fire and water, and impervious to all poisons."

"Impervious to all poisons?" Dugu Bo frowned. "Little Xun, if the ages of these two herbs differ, can the medicinal properties still be balanced? With your talent, you have a vast future; you shouldn't take such risks for me and Yan'yan. I will collect a small amount of each later to test them."

Dugu Bo was deeply moved. He didn't know these herbs, and Li Xun could have easily chosen not to tell him their true value, instead seeking some benefit for himself first. Yet, he hadn't done that. Even though Li Xun was a friend of Yan'yan, what were friends worth in the face of such profit?

"Senior, if these two herbs are consumed simultaneously, the balance can be maintained, but if you only take a small portion, even the slightest error could be fatal," Li Xun shook his head slowly and looked at Dugu Bo. "Besides, you cannot consume them directly. Think about it, Senior—if I could use my blood as a medium after consuming them to cleanse your poison, what would happen if you swallowed them directly?"

"The toxins in my body would be completely purged?" Dugu Bo’s expression grew grave. He had a 'Poison Core' within him, condensed from half of his cultivation; if the medicinal properties dissipated that core, his strength would be severely diminished.

"Yes. By then, the power of your Jade Phosphorus Snake poison would likely be greatly weakened." Li Xun nodded. Seeing Dugu Bo frown, he continued, "And don't worry, Senior. If I were to consume them, there might be risks, but the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well here happens to facilitate the absorption of the medicinal properties, reducing the risk to the absolute minimum."

Dugu Bo pondered for a long time, then finally shook his head. "Little Xun, let's wait. Now that we have the method involving spirit bones, there is no need to take such risks for now."

Li Xun felt a headache coming on. He realized that whatever he said now would be useless. Dugu Bo had made up his mind not to let him take the risk. Even though it was for his own good, this sentiment made him feel quite troubled.

Li Xun thought for a moment, and a flash of inspiration struck. "Since Senior Dugu is unwilling for me to take the risk, let’s set this matter aside for now. I will lead you to see two other immortal herbs. These two also have a certain chance of curing the poison in you and Sister Yan."