"Hmm! That does seem somewhat feasible!"
Dugu Bo's eyes lit up as he gazed intently at Li Xun. "Why didn't I think of this before?"
Because you're both foolish and unlucky, that's why!
While Hai Bodong is a big angel in the investment world, you're the big fool of the investment world.
Li Xun glanced at the ceiling. "However, this method also has its drawbacks."
"The amount of poison a Soul Bone can store must have an upper limit, and the lower the age of the Soul Bone, the less poison it can hold."
"Once the Soul Bone reaches its limit, the poison will still erupt."
Dugu Bo stroked his chin and nodded. "That makes sense."
"But high-year Soul Bones are rare. If there's really no other way, we'll have to get Yan Yan a set of slightly lower-year Soul Bones. After all, survival is the most important thing."
"As for how to obtain the Soul Bones..."
Dugu Bo lowered his head in deep thought, a cold glint in his eyes.
Soul Bones that are tens of thousands of years old are indeed hard to come by, but slightly inferior ones are possessed by many people.
As for External Soul Bones, he didn't even consider them.
"Ahem! Don't rush just yet. If you truly can't find high-year Soul Bones, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School is willing to lend a hand."
Seeing the cold look in Dugu Bo's eyes, Li Xun felt uneasy.
This old poison master is a man who kills without blinking.
Perhaps he can't defeat other Titled Douluo, but below that level, he has no problem killing people to obtain their bones.
Li Xun quickly brought up the second method. "Senior Dugu, as you know."
"I've been deeply devoted to the study of medicine these years, spending a considerable amount just to acquire rare texts."
"Though some say I'm extravagant, it seems to have paid off now."
Dugu Bo looked up at Li Xun, waiting for him to continue.
Back then, Yan Yan had brought this young man to see him, saying there were some unresolved issues regarding medicine.
Pressed by Yan Yan's coquettishness and considering the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, he had given some guidance.
Unexpectedly, Li Xun did have some talent in medicine, sometimes even stumping him with his insightful questions.
Through their interactions, they had become somewhat familiar.
Later, he even heard that this young man spent no less than two to three thousand Gold Soul Coins annually on books.
"I once came across a text that mentioned two herbs: the Eight-Horned Mystic Ice Herb and the Fierce Fire Apricot Delicate Frond."
Li Xun dipped his finger in some tea and roughly sketched an image on the table. "However, these two herbs have extremely stringent growing conditions and can only thrive in extremely cold or hot regions."
"If you want to find them, you might have to search places like the far north or volcanic areas."
Hearing that the herbs grew in such extreme conditions and looking at Li Xun's simple sketch, Dugu Bo's heart stirred.
"Xiao Xun, what are the specific effects of these two herbs?"
Li Xun chuckled and poured himself a fresh cup of tea. "They are incredibly toxic! Even harvesting them requires specific methods."
"But if you can find them and combine them with the first method, you and Sister Yan will no longer have to worry about poison."
"Haha, good, good! 'Incredibly toxic,' you plan to use poison to counteract poison?"
Dugu Bo was momentarily stunned, then chuckled.
As a master of poison, he immediately thought of the traditional approach.
"Yes, and no."
Li Xun shook his head with a smile. "It's still too early to discuss this, Senior Dugu. You should focus on finding the herbs first."
"Otherwise, it's all just empty talk."
Seeing Li Xun leave his words half-spoken, Dugu Bo's eyes flickered.
From the earlier conversation and the simple diagram Li Xun had drawn, Dugu Bo had already roughly guessed which two herbs from the Yin Yang Well were being referred to.
However, the effects of those two herbs were unknown, and they were extremely potent. Even with his Soul Power, he couldn't stay near them for long.
He truly couldn't imagine what method Li Xun had to utilize these two herbs to detoxify both himself and Yan Yan.
If this kid weren't Ning Fengzhi's disciple, he would have tied him up and forced him to reveal how to use these two herbs.
Dugu Bo frowned and pondered for a while before saying thoughtfully, "Kid, I have a medicinal garden, and it happens to have two herbs similar to what you described. But are you really confident you can detoxify me and my granddaughter?"
"Since I've brought it up, I naturally have confidence," Li Xun replied with a serious expression. "Moreover, these two herbs aren't something you and Sister Yan can use directly."
"I'll need to consume them first to dilute their potency, then use my blood as a medicinal catalyst to prepare the antidote."
"You're going to consume them to prepare the antidote?" Dugu Bo was shocked. "Those two herbs are so potent that just standing near them for too long can be fatal!"
"This is also a way for me to prove that the method is viable," Li Xun said gravely. "If I die from consuming the herbs, then there's no need for you to try. But if I survive, not only will I be able to detoxify you and Sister Yan, but I might also gain some benefits from it."
In order to win Dugu Bo over to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, Li Xun spoke with a mix of truth and falsehood, appearing extremely sincere.
Dugu Bo was deeply astonished. He hadn't expected Li Xun to be willing to test the herbs on himself.
Although the kid mentioned potential benefits, such unverified speculation was undoubtedly a gamble with his life.
"Xiao Xun, let's forget it. Let's think of another way. Consuming something like that is almost certain death. If something happens to you, I won't be able to explain it to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School," Dugu Bo said after a long pause, sighing. "Just coming up with the first method is already beyond my expectations."
After struggling internally for a while, Dugu Bo's emotions of gratitude ultimately prevailed, and he didn't want Li Xun to take such a risk.
Oh no! Did I come across as too sincere? If I'd known, I would have only revealed half the truth and let him take me to the Yin Yang Well.
Li Xun's eyes widened in surprise, realizing he might have overplayed his hand.
"Don't worry, I'll handle things with the sect. And I have confidence in my medicinal skills—I won't die," Li Xun assured him.
Dugu Bo was still hesitant and shook his head. "Xiao Xun, you're a good kid, and your talent surpasses even Yan Yan's. It's not worth taking such a risk."
Li Xun quickly stood up and walked over to Dugu Bo, grasping his arm. "Senior Dugu, even if I don't consume them, I still want to see those two rare herbs!"
"You must understand the agony of hearing about such treasures but not being able to see them, especially for someone as obsessed with medicinal studies as I am."
"And since your medicinal garden has these two herbs, who knows if there might be others that could cure you and Sister Yan?"
Dugu Bo's eyes lit up. "That's true. My garden has countless herbs. It's possible there are some I haven't identified that could detoxify me and Yan Yan."
Dugu Bo didn't have the heart to admit that he barely recognized any of the herbs in the Yin Yang Well.
But since Li Xun knew about the Octagonal Ice Grass and the Fierce Fire Apricot Delicate Frond, it was possible he might recognize other herbs that could have similar curative effects.
Li Xun nodded repeatedly on the side, "Yes, yes."
"Let's set off now and I'll show you my herb garden."
Dugu Bo smiled and stood up abruptly.
The two walked out of the dormitory one after the other.
Dugu Bo glanced back at Li Xun, "Walking is too slow, I'll fly you there."
Hearing this, Li Xun's face stiffened as he suddenly remembered the cold at high altitudes.
"Senior Dugu, I should go back first—"
But Dugu Bo, too excited to wait for Li Xun to finish, scooped him up in his arms.
PS: After the events at the Yin Yang Well, there will be significant changes to the plot. The protagonist will not join Shrek Academy, and his level will skyrocket
(End of Chapter)