As a physician, Ye Renxin adhered strictly to professional ethics and principles—he knew better than to expose a patient's private condition. Yet, upon seeing Dugu Bo in person, he found himself momentarily unable to restrain his emotions.
Just by observing Dugu Bo's complexion and sensing the rhythm of his breathing, Ye Renxin could already tell that his condition had improved far beyond what it used to be.
In the past, it had been obvious at a glance that Dugu Bo was merely relying on his strength as a Titled Douluo to forcibly suppress the toxins within his body. But now, while the poison hadn't been completely eradicated, it was no longer in a state of violent turmoil, and his overall condition had clearly been liberated to a significant degree.
Ye Renxin himself had once attempted to treat Dugu Bo, but Dugu Bo's condition had proven far more complicated than expected—and highly unconventional. Even within the records of the Nine Heart Begonia, such cases were exceedingly rare.
At first, Ye Renxin had been able to stabilize the situation somewhat. But as time passed, and as Dugu Bo's strength continued to grow, his condition spiraled further out of control. Eventually, Ye Renxin could do little more than prescribe pain relief—and even that gradually lost its effectiveness.
By his original estimation, Dugu Bo had perhaps a little over a decade left to live. Yet now, judging by his current state, living another twenty years would hardly be a problem.
After all, Dugu Bo was only in his seventies or eighties. For a Titled Douluo, that was still considered the prime of life. Under normal circumstances, one could live to a hundred and fifty years or more. The fact that he had already lost so much lifespan was entirely due to his own condition.
"Brother Ye, let's speak inside," Dugu Bo said, giving him a subtle look.
Ye Renxin immediately understood and nodded, leading him further into the residence. Only then did he notice that Dugu Bo was accompanied by a young man.
At first glance, nothing seemed unusual—but upon closer inspection, Ye Renxin was genuinely startled.
Chen Ming's complexion appeared excellent at a casual glance. But the more closely one looked, the more astonishing it became—his condition was, in fact, better than anyone Ye Renxin had ever seen.
It wasn't merely a matter of vitality or spirit. Ye Renxin had encountered countless individuals with stronger presence or energy than Chen Ming. The true difference lay in the purity and balance of his essence, vitality, and spirit. Each aspect was stable and refined, complementing the others perfectly to form an exceptionally harmonious whole.
His complexion was rosy, his skin fair, his hair dark and lustrous, his pupils clear and bright, and his breathing steady. There wasn't a single blemish or imperfection visible on him. Any one of these traits alone would not be remarkable—but together, in such flawless combination, they formed something extraordinary.
Healthy.
Unprecedentedly healthy.
So healthy that it was almost unbelievable.
For a moment, Ye Renxin nearly blurted out in astonishment—how could someone be this healthy?
"This is… your disciple, Brother Dugu?"
As he led the way forward, he couldn't help but ask, curiosity slipping into his voice.
"This… you could say he's more of a friend across generations," Dugu Bo replied, somewhat awkwardly, clearly reluctant to tell the full truth.
After all, aside from the first few days—when Chen Ming had practically drained him of knowledge and he had managed to teach a fair bit—the rest of the time had been the opposite. Chen Ming had taken his own lines of thought and solutions, broken them down, and fed them to him piece by piece.
Even with his less-than-stellar learning ability, Dugu Bo could feel that over this period, both his knowledge base and his ability to think through problems had risen by an entire level compared to his former self.
Things he once understood only on a superficial level—knowing that they worked but not why—could now be examined in depth. He was finally able to analyze and explore their underlying principles, attempting to uncover the true mechanisms behind them.
Even his understanding of his own condition had changed. For the first time in decades, Dugu Bo could independently think of methods to stabilize himself—something he had never been capable of before.
If one had to describe the relationship between the two, then in terms of learning, Dugu Bo felt more like Chen Ming's student than the other way around.
Ye Renxin paused slightly, his thoughts unclear, but the way he looked at Chen Ming had subtly changed.
Walking along a pebble-paved path, Ye Renxin led the two through a quiet bamboo grove before arriving at a side chamber where they took their seats.
The room itself didn't appear large, yet inside stood several towering bookshelves that reached the floor. The walls were adorned with detailed diagrams of the human meridians and anatomical structures. Some shelves were filled with medical texts, while others held various tools used for treatment.
In one corner, a row of wooden tables displayed an assortment of specimens and sculpted models of rare plants.
The most striking feature, however, was a massive glass cabinet containing a human skeleton mounted on a metal frame. Judging by its structure, it had once belonged to a tall adult male, and it had been preserved in excellent condition.
Thanks to the peculiar nature of Spirit Power, Spirit Abilities, and the unique material sciences of this world, the skeleton—despite having been on display for who knew how long—still retained a faint trace of vitality, even carrying a subtle, overbearing aura.
There was no scent of medicinal herbs in the room. Instead, a faint smell reminiscent of disinfectant lingered in the air. From the smallest details, it was clear that the room was cleaned regularly—there was barely any dust, even in the corners.
The entire space exuded a strong medical atmosphere, yet at the same time, it carried a peculiar sense of coldness and quiet.
"Brother Dugu, I must congratulate you," Ye Renxin said as he clasped his hands in greeting. "Your condition has clearly taken a turn for the better. You'll surely gain several more decades of life—and even your descendants may see hope now."
"Brother Ye, I've only reached this point thanks to a great stroke of fortune," Dugu Bo replied. As he spoke, he pushed Chen Ming's chair slightly forward, then stood up and moved behind him, placing both hands on Chen Ming's shoulders with visible enthusiasm.
"Brother Ye, this right here is my great fortune—a young prodigy. It's precisely this young genius who helped me bring my toxins under control."
"This…?" Ye Renxin hesitated.
He had no reason to doubt Dugu Bo's honesty, yet looking at Chen Ming, he found it hard to believe all the same.
It wasn't that he underestimated the young—he firmly believed that talent could emerge early. But Chen Ming looked, at most, fourteen or fifteen years old, perhaps not even fully grown.
Someone like that… could solve such a problem?
"Brother Dugu, please sit. Let me fetch a few things."
Without waiting for a response, Ye Renxin pressed Dugu Bo back into his seat, then turned to retrieve his usual instruments from a nearby shelf. He carefully opened a bottle and disinfected his tools—silver needles and the like.
Chen Ming's nose twitched slightly as he caught the scent.
Alcohol.
Though… the purity didn't seem particularly high.
Then again, compared to the so-called "strong spirits" outside—barely thirty or forty percent alcohol—this was certainly stronger. But compared to proper medical alcohol, it still fell short. At most, it was probably under sixty percent.
Even so, for this era, the mere act of disinfecting tools before examination already set Ye Renxin far above ordinary practitioners.
Ye Renxin began his examination—checking Dugu Bo's pupils, listening to his heartbeat, and taking his pulse to assess the state of his Spirit Power and vitality.
Finally, he reached for what appeared to be a decorative specimen nearby and took out a jade-white toad. Carefully, he drew a drop of blood from Dugu Bo's fingertip and let it fall onto the toad.
As he observed the color that spread across the jade-like surface—still dark, yet far lighter than before—Ye Renxin rubbed his eyes in disbelief. He drew in a sharp breath, his worldview, built over decades of medical practice, beginning to waver at that very moment.