Tang San didn't waste any time. After settling all matters, he went to the guest room to change into fresh clothes, leaving all his belongings with Poison Douluo without carrying any Soul Guidance Devices. He only needed to bring his wits.
After changing, Dugu Bo said to Dugu Yan, "Yan Yan, Grandpa will be going somewhere with Young Sect Master Tang. If all goes well and my poison can be cured, I'll help detoxify you too. For now, stay in Heaven Dou Imperial City."
Dugu Yan nodded. She vaguely understood the situation—she was essentially a hostage who couldn't leave Heaven Dou Imperial City until Tang San returned.
Dugu Bo then produced a small pill. "This is a Coma Pill. After taking it, you'll fall unconscious. I'll detoxify you when we reach our destination."
Tang San accepted the pill, giving Dugu Bo a strange look. "You carry this kind of medicine with you? Seems you've done plenty of shady things."
Dugu Bo rolled his eyes at Tang San—this kid really had a sharp tongue.
Without hesitation, Tang San swallowed the Coma Pill. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. The Immortal Grade Herbs were too crucial for his upcoming cultivation—he had to go no matter what.
A wave of dizziness washed over Tang San's mind before everything went black. When he awoke again, Dugu Bo had already brought him to a hidden location surrounded by pitch darkness—not because the space was small, but because night had fallen. Only two eerie green lights glowed in the dark.
Dugu Bo then lit a torch, illuminating their surroundings—a simple wooden cabin.
"We're here."
Sitting up from the bed, Tang San immediately checked his body with Soul Power. Confirming his Soul Power and Martial Soul were still functional, he began observing his surroundings while thinking: It was noon when I left, now it's night. Dugu Bo is a Titled Douluo with a Beast Spirit, so his movement speed must be extraordinary. Yet even a Titled Douluo needed most of the day to get here. This place must be quite far from Heaven Dou Imperial City—farther than the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School's castle at least.
Though it's also possible Dugu Bo deliberately delayed the detoxification to create false distance perception.
Had Dugu Bo known Tang San's suspicions, he'd have been furious. The old man genuinely hadn't considered such tricks—he'd detoxified Tang San immediately upon arrival without any ulterior motives.
Brushing dust off his clothes, Tang San stood and surveyed the cabin. "Since we've arrived, you should take me to your Immortal Grade Herbs storage now. I hope your preservation methods haven't damaged them."
Dugu Bo, not overthinking it, answered truthfully: "There's no storage. I have a Herb Garden—you can pick whatever herbs you need for the detox. If you can cure my poison, I'll share this garden with you as promised."
Tang San's expression shifted before settling into deep disappointment. He sighed heavily. "A Herb Garden? Ah..."
"What are you sighing about?"
Tang San sighed helplessly, "Senior Dugu, for someone who's a Titled Douluo and specializes in poison, it's surprising you don't understand this. Even the most fertile land couldn't produce Immortal Grade Herbs covering entire mountainsides."
"The rarity of Immortal Grade Herbs comes from two factors. First, their growth cycle is extremely long. Second, their growth requires enormous amounts of energy that would drain the land's essence dry. Otherwise, they wouldn't possess such miraculous effects."
The principle of energy conservation applied here—a single plot of land couldn't sustain two Immortal Grade Herbs because even exhausting the land's energy wouldn't be enough.
Tang San had initially thought Dugu Bo had discovered an ancient sect's medicinal warehouse containing well-preserved Immortal Grade Herbs.
Seeing Tang San's reaction, Dugu Bo instead wore a smug expression and chuckled, "I never thought I'd see the day when the ever-shrewd Young Sect Master Tang San would misjudge something."
"Hmm?"
"Follow me."
Exiting the wooden cabin and then the cave, Tang San realized they were in a dense forest surrounded by a peculiar Poisonous Miasma that completely sealed off the area—undoubtedly Dugu Bo's doing.
Through the miasma's haze, Tang San could tell they were on a forested hillside, though the thick fumes prevented him from seeing beyond to their exact location.
Dugu Bo led Tang San effortlessly along the mountain path, each step covering dozens of meters. Soon, they arrived at a steep cliff.
Here, the terrain startled Tang San. Before them lay an inverted conical valley, with their position at its rim. Thick, humid steam rose from below, carrying a distinct sulfurous odor.
"There's a hot spring here?" Tang San exclaimed in surprise. "A geothermal hotspot? While such heat could provide substantial energy, this environment only suits heat-resistant herbs—not ideal for most medicinal plants."
"Just come with me," Dugu Bo said. "Though I'm no herbalist, my years of experience have sharpened my judgment." With that, he grabbed Tang San and leaped off the pitch-black, bottomless cliff edge.
With a splash, they plunged through scalding vapor. An intense heat washed over them momentarily before they emerged on the other side.
To Tang San's astonishment, the hot spring below wasn't what he'd imagined. The oval-shaped pool was divided into two distinct sections—one milky white, the other vermilion red. The waters remained strictly separated, never mixing at their boundary.
The billowing steam originated precisely where the two springs met, rising continuously until dissipating near the mountaintop.
Seeing this, Tang San's pupils contracted. While others might not recognize it, the Tang Sect's Soul Guidance Device records had described this very place.
"The Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well!!" Tang San thought in amazement. He never expected Dugu Bo to have stumbled upon such an extraordinary natural treasure!
This is a treasure basin! This place is actually similar to the Holy Spirit Sect's Spirit Gathering Basin, but the difference is that the Spirit Gathering Basin is a place of evil spirits and malevolent thoughts, breeding wicked intentions, whereas the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well gives birth to heavenly treasures.
The Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well refers to the uniquely blessed spring before his eyes—a single spring with dual origins, the two polarities restraining each other.
"The Yi Jing states: 'In the beginning, there was the Supreme Ultimate, which gave rise to the two polarities. The two polarities gave rise to the four phenomena, and the four phenomena gave rise to the eight trigrams. The Supreme Ultimate refers to the undivided chaos before heaven and earth, where the primordial qi was blended into one—that is, the Great Beginning, the Great Oneness.'" Though Tang San's face showed no expression, his heart was already filled with astonishment.
This was the land of the Great Beginning!
(End of Chapter)