Sunset Forest, Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
Yun Ming sat cross-legged beside the Yin Yang Spring Eye, eyes tightly shut, his expression solemn.
Above his head, a pair of Sun Moon Phantom images rotated slowly, forming a vortex that wantonly devoured the majestic heaven and earth energy of this place.
High above the valley, Dugu Bo watched the astonishing phenomenon below, swallowing his saliva involuntarily before asking Yang Wudi beside him.
"Is he really going to be alright, devouring the extreme energy of this place so violently?"
Yang Wudi's eyes were complex as he spoke casually.
"No worries, it's just a small matter."
Only after truly possessing a Soul Core did he clearly realize just how insane and remarkable Yun Ming's actions were back then. Furthermore, Yun Ming's two Soul Cores were already tainted with the aura of this place, so having this ability was not surprising.
Hearing Yang Wudi's words, Dugu Bo clicked his tongue in wonder. He had long since experienced the terrifying intensity of the energy in this Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well; honestly, Yun Ming's ability to devour it like this was beyond his imagination.
"Then, how much longer will the Yun kid stay in this state?" Dugu Bo continued to ask.
Drawing on past experience, Yang Wudi replied.
"It should be soon."
He then turned his head to look at Dugu Bo and asked.
"Do you have business with him?"
Hearing his friend bring up serious matters, Dugu Bo shook his head.
"No, I came to find you."
Yang Wudi raised an eyebrow.
"Elaborate?"
Dugu Bo: "Do you remember the distinguished guest who arrived last at your Title Douluo banquet three months ago?"
Yang Wudi looked thoughtful as he spoke.
"Emperor Xue Ye?"
Dugu Bo nodded and said sternly.
"Yes, I am here precisely for him."
Yang Wudi did not interrupt, signaling for him to continue.
Dugu Bo explained the ins and outs of the situation.
"About two months ago, Emperor Xue Ye suddenly fell gravely ill. Prince Xue Xing felt the timing was too sudden and suspicious, so he invited me into the palace to help with a diagnosis. To my surprise, this investigation revealed a major problem."
"Emperor Xue Ye is not sick; he has been poisoned—a mixed poison."
Yang Wudi understood and asked in surprise.
"Could it be that even you cannot cure this poison?"
Dugu Bo's attainments in poison were already high, and having had Yang Wudi as a like-minded friend to discuss and exchange ideas with over the past few years, his level of expertise had become even more profound. It was truly rare for a poison to exist that even he could not cure!
Although Dugu Bo felt a bit embarrassed, he ultimately sighed helplessly.
"Sigh! Although I don't want to admit it, it is true—I failed."
"I initially managed to control the mixed poison. I used the venom of my Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor to counteract the poison, neutralizing its effects as much as possible. Then, I used medicine to slowly regulate his condition. But who would have thought that Emperor Xue Ye, whose condition had stabilized, would suddenly suffer a relapse half a month ago? And this time, the attack was even more violent."
"I carefully examined his blood and discovered that the toxins contained within it were constantly changing, and at an extremely rapid pace. Although my Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor venom can produce a neutralizing effect, every time the toxins in his body are neutralized, new, more potent poisons are generated shortly after. And these newly generated toxins have become even more virulent."
"I have calculated carefully: once I use the neutralization method for the seventh time to help Emperor Xue Ye suppress it, the next time the poison erupts, it will immediately take his life, leaving no chance for rescue."
"I have already used this method five times now. Each time, I forcibly neutralized the toxins when he was on the verge of death. But each time, the interval between his relapses has shortened. Therefore, unless absolutely necessary, I no longer dare to use this method to help him suppress the toxins in his body."
Hearing this, Yang Wudi frowned deeply.
This poison's characteristics are somewhat familiar, and the intensity is very similar. Is this a coincidence?
Afterward, Yang Wudi asked several key questions, which Dugu Bo answered one by one. After hearing all the answers, Yang Wudi's expression turned grim; it was almost certainly that.
Seeing the strange look on Yang Wudi's face, as if he knew something, Dugu Bo asked.
"Well? Brother Yang, do you know what kind of poison it is?"
Yang Wudi said in a deep voice.
"I have some leads, but without seeing the person, I cannot confirm."
Dugu Bo's spirits lifted, and he laughed.
"That's simple; we will head to the imperial palace right now."
As he spoke, he prepared to pull Yang Wudi away. Suddenly, however, the situation at the edge of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well changed again. The heaven and earth energy, which had been devouring quite steadily, began to turn violent, and the Sun Moon Phantom above Yun Ming's head shone brightly.
Dugu Bo didn't know if he was seeing things, but the Sun Moon Phantom seemed to be growing slowly. The two stopped in their tracks, silently watching the changes.
The mutation came quickly and went just as fast. Once all the surrounding phenomena vanished, Yun Ming opened his eyes. Those eyes, clear as lake water and bright as pearls, shimmered with spiritual light, manifesting the owner's profound Soul Power cultivation.
Sensing Yang Wudi and the other man above the valley, Yun Ming's figure flickered, and he arrived before them.
Seeing Yun Ming appear, Yang Wudi beamed with joy.
"You broke through?"
Yun Ming restrained his aura so perfectly that he couldn't sense it.
Yun Ming smiled slightly.
"Mm, one step closer to Title Douluo."
Hearing this from Yun Ming, Dugu Bo's expression shifted uncertainly, and then he said something that made Yun Ming's heart skip a beat.
"Yun kid, you're the Old Monster reborn, aren't you!"
Yun Ming: "!!!"
Dugu Bo's words gave him a fright. What was going on? How did he suddenly break through one level of Soul Power and reveal his foundation?!
Not noticing the shock beneath Yun Ming's calm exterior, Dugu Bo continued.
"Otherwise, a person couldn't, or at least shouldn't, be this monstrous!"
Even though he had long known that Yun Ming's cultivation speed was shockingly fast, seeing him already at the Soul Douluo stage and still leveling up every two or three months made him, someone who had struggled for nearly twenty years just to reach the Title Douluo stage, feel utterly ashamed.
Hearing Dugu Bo's follow-up, Yun Ming breathed a sigh of relief; it seemed it was just a guess.
Yang Wudi said smugly to Dugu Bo.
"Don't be sour, old brother. Even if you were reborn, you couldn't cultivate this fast. You'd better accept my grandson's unprecedented talent sooner rather than later!"
Dugu Bo calculated in his mind and realized it was true; even if he went back to his childhood with the Poison Devouring Method to recultivate, he probably wouldn't be as fast as Yun Ming.
Looking at Yang Wudi's smug expression, Dugu Bo couldn't help but curse the heavens for being unfair, not letting Yun Ming be born into his Dugu Family. That lucky dog; otherwise, he would be the one giving Yang Wudi a smug look regarding their descendants.
Dugu Bo didn't want to make himself uncomfortable anymore, so he said irritably.
"Alright, let's go! Shall I take you to identify a poison?"
Yun Ming asked in confusion.
"What poison?"
Hearing Yun Ming's question, Yang Wudi briefly explained the matter of Emperor Xue Ye being poisoned.
Upon hearing this, Yun Ming immediately recalled the historical timeline, though he remembered this event shouldn't happen for another two years. So, was this early arrival a chain reaction he had triggered?
Thinking that the masterminds were the Crown Prince and Martial Soul Hall, Yun Ming pondered for a moment and spoke up.
"I'll go take a look as well!"
Dugu Bo had no objections, especially since Yun Ming's attainments in medicine were not low. And so, the three of them set off together toward Heaven Dou Imperial City.
Once inside the imperial palace, with Dugu Bo present, the three of them did not encounter any obstruction.
As an Imperial Guest of the Heaven Dou Empire, Dugu Bo held great authority. He led Yun Ming and the other man all the way to Emperor Xue Ye's chambers before they were finally stopped.
───────────────
Translated by: randomtranslator.com
Proofread by: DaoistReader