Noticing Qi Lin's sudden gaze, Dugu Yan's heartbeat instantly skipped half a beat.
Oh no!
I can't keep looking into his eyes!
She hurriedly looked away and, after calming her emotions, quickly said, "Alright, let's hurry inside."
After speaking, Dugu Yan also swallowed a detoxification pill and took the lead, stepping into the purple poison mist.
Qi Lin followed closely behind.
Passing through the poisonous fog, a hill about four to five hundred meters tall emerged before them.
Seeing the hill, a smile surfaced on Dugu Yan's face.
"My grandfather and I live in a small valley behind this hill. He also has a medicinal garden there."
"He told me that there are a lot of treasures in the garden. If anything catches your eye, feel free to take it. No need to be polite."
"Well then, how could I possibly be polite to you, Yanzi?" Qi Lin laughed, teasing.
"That's more like it!" Yanzi responded boldly with a big wave of her hand.
With that, the two began climbing the hill.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the hill, in a mist-shrouded valley, Dugu Bo—who was seated cross-legged outside a red and white spring—suddenly opened his eyes.
As a Titled Douluo, Dugu Bo's senses were incredibly sharp. The moment Qi Lin and Dugu Yan stepped onto the hill, he had already sensed them.
"Yanyan is back! And with her is that Qi Lin boy."
After his previous meeting with Qi Lin, Dugu Bo had memorized his spiritual signature.
These days, he had been wondering how to make Qi Lin his grandson-in-law. Now that he saw the two returning together, a faint smile appeared on his face.
At the very least, it seems their relationship is going well. If I give it a little push, there's a good chance it'll work out.
But first… Yanyan still has some feelings for that Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon kid. I need to help her cut ties with him first.
And how to do that?
A cold glint flashed across Dugu Bo's face as he sneered.
No problem. I just need to leak the news about the hereditary poison backlash in our Dugu family, and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan will pull out on their own.
Oh, and I should add that even I, the Poison Douluo, am not immune to the backlash. That'll make it sound more credible.
But how to spread the news convincingly?
Maybe I should take a trip to the Nine-Star Begonia Clan and ask for their help in creating an illusion. Their heir is close with Yanyan—they'll probably agree to help.
By then, even if Qi Lin actually cured Yanyan, no one would believe a mere Soul King could solve a problem that even the Nine-Star Begonia Clan couldn't handle.
The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan wouldn't dare to gamble on that.
Perfectly reasonable. Absolutely flawless.
Dugu Bo stood up, satisfaction written all over his face. He took a step forward—seemingly slow, yet each step crossed dozens of meters, like a stroll in the courtyard.
(Author's note: In the original, he moves ten meters per step. Let's just assume he's not moving at full speed here.)
In no time, before Qi Lin and Dugu Yan reached the top of the hill, Dugu Bo appeared before them.
"Yanyan, and little Lin, you've both come."
As soon as Dugu Bo saw them, the coldness on his face vanished, replaced by a warm, kindly expression.
"Grandpa!"
Dugu Yan called out affectionately and ran to him.
Qi Lin also cupped his hands slightly in greeting.
"Senior Dugu, we meet again. Apologies for the unannounced visit."
Dugu Bo laughed heartily. "Little Lin, I'm more than happy that you came to visit this old man with Yanyan."
"Come, let's chat as we walk."
"Mm!"
As they walked, Dugu Yan couldn't wait to share the good news. "Grandpa, the poison backlash in my body is completely gone!"
Dugu Bo's pupils shrank sharply. His body trembled slightly.
Though he had already known that Qi Lin's fifth spirit ability might have the power to cure Yanyan, he didn't expect the surprise to come so suddenly.
"Is… is that true, Yanyan?"
He asked again, his voice trembling from excitement.
"It's true, Grandpa!"
"I really don't have to suffer the poison backlash anymore."
With her firm confirmation, Dugu Bo couldn't contain his joy and burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! Wonderful! Wonderful!"
"From now on, our Dugu family is finally free of this damn poison backlash!"
After watching his own son die from the same poison, this was the first time Dugu Bo had laughed so freely.
After the hearty laughter, he looked toward Qi Lin with a solemn expression.
"Little Lin, you saved Yanyan, and you saved the future of our Dugu family. If there's ever anything you need from this old man, just say the word."
Qi Lin waved his hand modestly. "There's no need, Senior. It was just a small effort on my part."
Dugu Bo shook his head. "It may have been effortless for you, but for Yanyan, it was a matter of life and death."
"No matter how I thank you, it's what you deserve."
"This promise is permanent!"
Seeing this, Qi Lin said nothing more.
Soon, the three of them reached the summit.
On the other side, a valley shrouded in mist spread out before them.
"Down there is my medicinal garden," Dugu Bo said, before grabbing the hands of Qi Lin and Dugu Yan and leaping down gracefully.
Qi Lin looked around. The valley was vast, and at its center was an oval-shaped hot spring.
Though not very large, the spring was split into two distinct zones—one side crimson red, the other milky white.
The two colors of water coexisted without blending, completely distinct.
This was unmistakably the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well—a landmark nearly every transmigrator would visit.
Surrounding the spring were countless exotic, uniquely shaped plants.
As expected, every one of them would be considered an extraordinary treasure in the outside world.
And the immortal herbs that had appeared in the original story were beyond priceless.
It could even be said that without the immortal herbs, only Tang San and Oscar would've had the potential to become gods among the original Shrek Seven Devils.
Noticing Qi Lin's interest, Dugu Bo gave a proud smile.
"The herbs in this garden are all rare and extraordinary. If any of them catch your eye—and I recognize them, and they're not too dangerous—you can have them."
He quickly added, "But don't move around carelessly in the garden. Some of the plants are extremely toxic, even I dare not touch them lightly."
Truth be told, Dugu Bo only recognized about 20–30% of the herbs in the garden.
Qi Lin responded with a confident smile, "Don't worry, Senior Dugu. I have my own way of identifying dangerous plants."
His fourth spirit ability, Natural Control, not only allowed him to manipulate all plants within a certain range, but also granted him full knowledge of any plant he controlled the moment he did.
Toxic or not, medicinal uses or hidden effects—once his spirit skill was activated, nothing could remain hidden from him.