"You've trained in poison techniques?"
"I haven't," Lü Buliang shook his head. "I don't know anything about poison."
"You don't?" Dugu Bo's voice turned cold. "Even I don't know the exact name or properties of this hot spring, yet you do. Also, the medicinal herbs near the spring—you were the one who dug them up, weren't you? And those two herbs at the center of the spring, the ones radiating extreme cold and heat—they're missing, with only their roots left. I suppose you took them too. Those herbs contained the highest-grade cold and fire toxins. If you know nothing about poison, how did you dare harvest them?"
"I already said—my ice and fire energy is extremely similar to the extreme yin and yang spirit energy this spring emits. It has a natural resistance to all poisons," Lü Buliang explained honestly. "I was only able to take the herbs because of the protection of my energy—not because I understand poison."
Hearing this, Dugu Bo recalled the events from just moments before—how the intense pain from his venom backlash had been unintentionally eased by this black-haired youth's ice and fire energy. With such protection, it made sense how a young Soul Elder could linger near this deadly hot spring for so long.
He glanced toward the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well. Though he didn't know its true nature, he did know the twin extremes of spirit energy it emitted had allowed him to suppress the backlash of his own venom and cultivate to the rank of Titled Douluo. For Dugu Bo, this spring was a rare treasure. Now that someone else not only knew its secret but could also help relieve his venom's pain—that made the youth highly valuable.
It was then that Dugu Bo began to wonder: where exactly did this youth's ice and fire energy come from? Was it the elemental property of his martial soul?
While rare, there were indeed martial souls in this continent that had dual elemental attributes. Then again, perhaps the energy didn't come from his martial soul at all—maybe he had consumed something here near the spring?
Dugu Bo looked again toward the two missing herbs at the center of the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well. Had the youth consumed them? Was that how he gained such energy?
If so, then killing the youth and extracting the medicinal effects now fused into his blood might allow him to use it later to relieve his venom backlash…
But after thinking it through, Dugu Bo dismissed the idea. He didn't recognize those two herbs, but he knew their toxins were extreme—deadly cold and searing heat. Even getting too close could be fatal. Not even he, the Poison Douluo, dared touch them—how could a mere Soul Elder possibly ingest them and live?
That meant the youth's ice and fire energy likely came from his martial soul.
Seeing that Dugu Bo no longer questioned him, Lü Buliang spoke, "Senior, I can't return the herbs I dug up. But I can give you something even more valuable."
Dugu Bo scoffed. "What could a little Soul Elder possibly offer me?"
"Didn't I just help you?" Lü Buliang replied. "My ice and fire energy should be more valuable to you than those herbs."
Dugu Bo raised an eyebrow. "Your ice and fire energy—is it from your martial soul?"
Lü Buliang smiled. "Senior, if you were in my place, would you reveal your secrets so easily?"
Dugu Bo's cold gaze locked onto him, silent.
Meeting his stare, Lü Buliang felt as though a massive serpent had coiled tightly around his body. He struggled to breathe, a suffocating pressure weighing down on him. Swallowing hard, he forced himself to stay calm. "I can't tell you my secret, but I can condense my ice and fire energy into a pill-like form. When taken, it can have the same effect as just now—easing your pain. I believe such a pill would be more valuable to you than those herbs I took."
Dugu Bo didn't respond immediately, his sharp eyes still fixed on the youth, silently testing the truth of his words, applying pressure.
Only after Lü Buliang finished speaking did he finally ease his spiritual pressure. After a moment's pause, Dugu Bo replied coldly, "Let's see it, then. If what you say is true, and this pill of yours is worth more than the herbs, I'll consider it an exchange. But if you're just talking nonsense—then I'll show you what it means to wish you were dead."
Lü Buliang let out a breath of relief and wiped the cold sweat from his face. He raised his right hand and, imitating the method he had seen Dugu Yan use to form an antidote pill, began infusing his soul power with his ice and fire energy.
From his palm, swirls of red and white energy coiled together, entwining like yin and yang. Gradually, they condensed into a red-and-white pill the size of a date, glowing faintly, giving off alternating sensations of heat and chill.
Dugu Bo's eyes narrowed. The technique looked surprisingly similar to how Poisonous Snake martial souls formed antidote pills for their teammates before battle. Could it be that this pill had a similar detoxifying effect?
Lü Buliang held out the pill. "This is what I meant—a condensed form of my ice and fire energy. After ingesting it and guiding it with soul power, the energy will circulate through your body, temporarily suppressing any type of poison. That agony you were in just now—that was from a poison attack, wasn't it? With this pill, you won't have to suffer through that again."
Dugu Bo took the pill and examined it closely. As the number one poison expert in the world, he could instantly sense whether something contained toxins. This pill wasn't made of any material—it was pure compressed energy, no poison whatsoever. And yet, it gave off a strange sensation, an alternating warmth and chill similar to the aura of the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well.
He looked up sharply. "Didn't you say you know nothing about poison? Then how did you know I was suffering from one?"
"I don't understand poison itself," Lü Buliang said carefully, hiding the fact he knew about the Jade Phosphor Serpent venom backlash. "But I can analyze changes in your body. Since my energy alleviated your pain, it must have suppressed some toxin. That just made me curious—what kind of poison could even affect someone like you, Poison Douluo?"
"That's none of your concern," Dugu Bo snapped, face darkening. To admit to a younger generation that he was poisoned—that was humiliating enough. If they found out it was his own Jade Phosphor Serpent venom attacking him from within, wouldn't he be laughed at?
To play with poison his whole life, only to be tormented by his own—that was a bitter truth.
Lü Buliang added, "If you don't trust the pill, Senior, you can try it now. You're a Titled Douluo. Even if I tried to harm you with this, I don't have the power to succeed. My thirty-seventh-level soul power can't possibly hurt you."
Dugu Bo weighed the pill in his hand. After a long moment, he made his decision and swallowed it. Carefully, he activated his soul power, directing it to dissolve the pill.
Warmth and cold surged from his dantian, merging into two distinct streams of gentle energy that flowed through his body. Areas that were usually itchy or painful from the venom suddenly felt calm. The constant burning on his scalp eased, his body relaxing for the first time in years.
The sensation was unbelievable—like the venom that had plagued him for decades had simply vanished. And yet, his poison cultivation wasn't affected.
As the energy spread throughout his body, Dugu Bo felt an otherworldly relief. It was deep into the night, raining hard—the worst time for venom flare-ups. But he felt nothing. The backlash… was truly suppressed.
He circulated his soul power again. A warm current swept out from within, no longer foul-smelling, but faintly tinged with a refreshing chill.
In that moment, Dugu Bo knew—this red-and-white pill was far more valuable to him than those herbs. If he couldn't eliminate the venom entirely, at least he could use the youth's ice and fire energy to endure it.
On this continent, controlling useful people could be done in two ways—force or willingness.
Force meant direct coercion, making them act against their will.
Willingness meant forming a bond—through marriage, alliance, brotherhood, or mentorship.
Dugu Bo knew—if he wanted to control this black-haired youth, brute force likely wouldn't work. The boy had already withstood his mental pressure earlier, which spoke of rare strength and courage. His martial soul was bizarre and powerful. Forcing him would probably backfire.
He hadn't yet figured out the youth's background, but judging by his clothes, he was likely a commoner without a powerful clan. And a commoner soul master without ties… could perhaps be recruited as a disciple.
"If I'm not mistaken, you don't look like a noble's child," Dugu Bo asked tentatively. "That black thread you used earlier—was that part of your martial soul?"
"I'm just a commoner," Lü Buliang replied truthfully. "And what bound you wasn't thread—it was shadow. The shadows of every object nearby."
"Shadow?" Dugu Bo's heart skipped. That word sounded familiar. His granddaughter had once mentioned a commoner soul master who enrolled in the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy as a special recruit—and his martial soul was shadow.
Could this be the same black-haired youth?
His expression turned grave. "What's your name?"
"Lü Buliang."
Just a few simple syllables—yet Dugu Bo froze.
That name—Lü Buliang—he remembered it well.
Wasn't that the same name his granddaughter had given him, when she asked for a treasured pouch to gift to someone?
So the one she wanted to gift it to… was this boy?
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