Chapter 29: Absorbing the Immortal Herb — Dugu Yan Breaks Through!
At the edge of the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well—
Dugu Yan sat cross-legged in cultivation, a faint white halo radiating from her body.
The glow carried a subtle fragrance that made one feel refreshed and at ease.
Dugu Bo sat nearby at a stone table, tinkering with his hidden weapons.
Not long ago, he had explained the method of consuming the Daffodil Jade Flesh Bone to Dugu Yan and had her begin absorbing and refining the herb.
As for himself, he remained at her side to stand guard.
Although he was "guarding," the entire Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well was surrounded by the poison array he had set up. Almost no humans or soul beasts could approach.
Even if some reckless soul beast managed to break through, Dugu Bo would notice immediately.
So he calmly focused on working with his hidden weapons.
He arranged them one by one on the stone table. Then, extending one wrist, he casually made a small cut across it with his other hand.
A thin line of blood slowly seeped out.
Strangely, Dugu Bo's blood was not red—it was a dark purplish-black.
This was the flaw of the Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor martial soul. With prolonged use, the soul master would unknowingly be corroded by its poison.
Even their blood would gradually change from bright red to this purplish-black color.
In other words, his blood itself was the finest poison.
Seeing the blood flow, Dugu Bo quickly positioned his wrist above the hidden weapons.
Drip—
A drop of dark blood fell onto one of the weapons and was slowly absorbed.
This was the effect of adding deep silver.
However, deep silver was extremely rare, and most blacksmith shops didn't carry it. Previously, he had searched nearly all of Heaven Dou City's blacksmiths to craft these weapons, and later bought a piece at an auction for future use.
One by one, he infused the remaining hidden weapons with poison using his blood.
After finishing, Dugu Bo glanced at his granddaughter.
Seeing that she showed no signs of stopping anytime soon, he stood up and walked into the surrounding herb fields.
The area was filled with medicinal and poisonous plants. Some grew naturally in the Yin-Yang Well, while others had been planted by Dugu Bo himself.
Before this, the Yin-Yang Well had served not only to suppress the poison in his body but also as his personal herb garden.
He selected several highly toxic plants from those he had cultivated.
Then, carrying the herbs, he went to the edge of the extremely hot yang spring and sat down cross-legged.
With a wave of his hand, a bronze cauldron appeared.
He placed it by the spring, then took out from his storage soul tool the prototype of Yama's Invitation—
Two tiny needles, each barely over an inch long.
Taking advantage of Dugu Yan's absorption, he intended to refine the Life-Reaping Yama's Invitation.
He placed the needles at the bottom of the cauldron and used his soul power to suspend it about ten centimeters above the scorching spring.
This cauldron was specially made for crafting poisons, built from materials resistant to high temperatures.
As soon as it hovered above the spring, its temperature rose sharply.
Seizing the moment, Dugu Bo threw all the toxic herbs he had gathered into the cauldron—forty-eight kinds in total.
Under the intense heat, the herbs gradually began to melt.
Then, from the wound on his wrist, he forced out another thread of blood and guided it into the cauldron with his soul power.
Refining Yama's Invitation required forty-nine types of poison.
Forty-eight herbs—plus his blood—made forty-nine.
With that done, Dugu Bo let out a small breath.
Now he only needed to wait until everything melted into liquid, then temper the needles within it.
As the refinement began, thick purple smoke rose from the cauldron.
The smoke gathered above it without dispersing, gently swaying—an eerie sight.
Time passed.
After several hours, the herbs inside had almost completely liquefied.
The smoke gradually thinned, its color shifting—from purple to white, then from white to black—undergoing a strange transformation.
The process was long and tedious.
Just as Dugu Bo began to feel impatient, the black smoke finally settled and slowly receded back into the cauldron.
At that moment, he knew—
Yama's Invitation was complete.
He lowered the cauldron to the ground and turned to look at Dugu Yan.
The girl still sat motionless in her cultivation posture.
However, the white halo around her had already disappeared.
It seemed the absorption of the Daffodil Jade Flesh Bone was nearing completion.
Not wanting to disturb her, Dugu Bo turned back to the cauldron.
The intense heat had scorched the grass beneath it into a bare patch.
With a wave of his hand, the heavy lid flew off.
He then took out a prepared jade box and carefully placed the two pitch-black needles inside.
Even he, a Titled Douluo, could feel a faint sense of danger from them.
Clearly, the records about these hidden weapons weren't exaggerated.
"Phew—"
After storing Yama's Invitation, Dugu Bo finally relaxed, wiping his forehead out of habit.
Maintaining the cauldron above the blazing spring for so long had not been easy, even for him.
With another wave, both the cauldron and its lid were stored away.
"Grandpa! Grandpa!"
Just as he finished, Dugu Yan had already completed her cultivation and ran toward him excitedly.
Dugu Bo lifted her up and lightly tapped her nose.
"Hahaha! Well? Grandpa didn't lie to you, did he?"
Dugu Yan nodded rapidly.
"Mm-hmm!"
"My soul power went from level 26 to level 30! That's four whole levels! Just from eating one small herb!"
In truth, the increase should have been even greater.
Dugu Bo remembered that Tang San had once given this same herb to a girl named Zhu Zhuqing, who had gained seven levels after absorbing it.
Given that Dugu Yan was at the Grand Soul Master level, she should have gained at least eight levels.
Muah—
Dugu Yan happily kissed her grandfather on the cheek.
Wiping off the saliva, Dugu Bo grinned from ear to ear.
Ever since she grew older, she had rarely been this affectionate with him—let alone kissed him.
At that moment, he couldn't have been happier.
His hearty laughter echoed throughout the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well…