"Still, being able to take two more Immortal Herbs here, I'm already very satisfied. Opportunities like this aren't something everyone can come across." Yang Yunhai's voice sounded again, tone relaxed. "Alright, Dugu Grandpa, we've talked long enough. I should get started."
"I really can't hold it much longer, better to deal with the problem at hand first. As for the future, who can say?"
Dugu Bo came back to his senses and quickly said, "Good, good, good. Then hurry up and begin."
"Mm." Yang Yunhai nodded, sliding his fingers across his chest to draw out from his Soul Tool a jade shovel and a dagger.
To harvest the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass, one needed a tool of gold or iron; for the Infernal Delicate Apricot, jade. In the original story Tang San had his Mysterious Jade Hand—Yang Yunhai had no such thing. So he had a jade shovel and dagger custom-made long ago.
Of course, he also had jade basins and jade boxes to store them.
'Yu Tianheng and Dugu Yan are lovers. If they really marry one day and have children, do you think Dugu Bo wouldn't want these herbs from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well for his great-grandchildren?'
'A life-saving favor is one thing. Helping them pick the right Immortal Herb to boost their strength is another. But compared to his own bloodline?'
'Nothing comes before his great-grandchild.'
'An investment is an investment, and gratitude is gratitude. They are two different things. I'd be a fool to underestimate human nature.'
'So besides telling him later that there are many herbs here I don't recognize, to make him wary of touching them, I also need another plan. That means pulling them out by the roots under the excuse of refining medicine.'
'Whether they can be replanted later—that's for the future.'
'For now, deal with what's in front of me. The rest, who knows?'
'If possible, I'd really rather not go down that road.' Yang Yunhai cast a sidelong glance at Dugu Bo, sighing inwardly.
The next second, he summoned his Martial Soul. Two vines extended outward, one wrapping around the thin-edged jade shovel, another curling around the dagger. Then, controlling the dagger-bearing vine to stretch toward the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass, he swung lightly, both tools moving together.
"Zzzzt—" Two sharp sounds rang out. The twin Immortal Herbs fell at the same time.
Seeing this, Yang Yunhai quickly retracted the vines and drew a jade box from his Soul Tool. Using the dagger, he scooped the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass into the box and snapped the lid shut, then wrapped the box with a vine and pulled it back at full speed.
In almost the blink of an eye, frost spread across the vine.
"What terrifying cold… even sealed in a jade box, it's still this fierce!" Yang Yunhai's heart trembled.
"Luckily it didn't touch directly. The spread is slower this way." He exhaled in relief, placing the jade box beside the Infernal Delicate Apricot. Then, releasing his soul power, he let the vines disperse to prevent the cold from creeping into his body. He quickly flipped open the jade box and dropped the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass next to the Infernal Delicate Apricot.
At once, the extreme cold and blistering heat canceled each other, the clash vanishing in an instant.
"Good thing I didn't touch them directly. Just harvesting them was already this troublesome." Dugu Bo felt a chill of fear.
"As expected, the herbs here can't be picked recklessly without the right method. Otherwise, the price would be huge—deadly even, turning you into fertilizer."
As the thought passed, Yang Yunhai bent down and shoved both herbs into his mouth at once.
Then, without hesitation, he ran to the pool, stripped down in moments, and with a splash dove in.
Dugu Bo blinked in surprise, then hurried to check. Seeing no problem, he secretly relaxed, though a flicker of astonishment crossed his face.
"He's really fine… incredible."
"Xiao Hai, since you're alright, Grandpa will go out and fetch the medicine refining tools." He gave a nod.
"Mm, Dugu Grandpa, please go and come back quickly." Yang Yunhai nodded from where he floated in the meeting point of hot and cold currents.
Thinking of the detoxification process, and the further strengthening from the other Immortal Herbs ahead, Dugu Bo's heart was full of anticipation. Without hesitation, he turned and left.
'Once the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's reply comes, I should also take the chance to ask Yan Yan whether she's ever gone too far with Yu Tianheng.'
'If not, and that boy performs poorly again, then maybe it's time to reconsider…'
Running, his thoughts churned.
He was deeply unsatisfied with Yu Tianheng's behavior earlier. But as Yang Yunhai had said, perhaps Yu Yuanzhen, the clan's master and Tianheng's grandfather, might understand the stakes and deliver a better answer, maybe even knock some sense into that blockhead.
If that happened, Dugu Bo wouldn't have to upset his granddaughter and break them apart.
But if not—then to hell with it. This grandson-in-law had to be changed.
In terms of background, Yang Yunhai couldn't compare. But in terms of talent and potential, he outshone Yu Tianheng by miles.
His Martial Soul had already evolved once, allowing him to crush Tianheng despite an eight-rank difference. That alone proved its quality—definitely no weaker than the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon. And in just a short while, his soul power had risen to rank 32, his physique far tougher than others of the same level. Dugu Bo had felt it with one touch.
After eating these two Immortal Herbs, his physical talent would leap higher still. Fire and ice immunity, resistance to poisons—these didn't just toughen the body, they made his Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul much harder to counter.
That kind of talent and potential? Yu Tianheng couldn't even compare.
In this world, strength mattered far more than status.
With Yang Yunhai's talent and diligence, reaching Titled Douluo was almost a certainty. And from his control, combat skill, and Martial Soul mastery, Dugu Bo was sure he wouldn't just be an ordinary Titled Douluo—he'd stand among the peak.
As for Yu Tianheng? Almost twenty years old and still stuck at rank 39. Not especially diligent, not especially bright. At best, he'd match his uncle Yu Luomian as a clan second-in-command. Titled Douluo? That hurdle, most likely impossible.
Even if he became clan head, he'd still be shackled, unable to truly protect Dugu Yan. After all, even Yu Yuanzhen, a Super Douluo, was constrained, and he hadn't been able to protect his own son. How could Tianheng manage?
But Yang Yunhai—so young, already rank 32, talented, hardworking, good-hearted, and deeply indebted to the Dugu family. Maybe he wanted to tie himself to Dugu Bo's thigh for protection, but a debt was a debt, and kindness was kindness. This favor was too great to ignore.
In the end, there was only one way to repay it: marry his granddaughter to him.
With Dugu Bo as their backing, Yang Yunhai would rise without fear. Dugu Yan, once detoxified and strengthened, could very well become a Titled Douluo herself. Then they'd have three Titled Douluo in one family. Would they still need to bow to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan?
And Yang Yunhai was an orphan. They could even rebuild a family around him—better than letting Yan Yan live under another's roof, watching others' faces.
'This garden, I can't let that Tianheng boy learn about it…' Dugu Bo clenched his jaw.
The more he thought, the more excited he became. Kicking off, he leapt skyward, soaring toward the cliff's edge.
Meanwhile, within the spring.
Yang Yunhai held his breath and dove beneath the surface, gazing into the depths before quickly bobbing back up.
"The Ice Dragon King and Fire Dragon King's souls are said to lie down there. Their bones too. With their power, some of those bones must've become soul bones. If I could get even one… it'd be a straight-up breakthrough!"
The thought made his heart pound.
"Too bad it's thousands of meters deep. With my current strength, I can't dive that far. What a shame…" He sighed.
Shaking his head, he forced his focus back to resisting the violent surges inside his body. Even with the two herbs neutralizing each other somewhat, swallowing them was another matter. And with the well's power amplifying their effects, the energy rampaged wildly inside him. If not for his soul bone strengthening his body and opening his meridians, he'd have fainted the moment he jumped in.
As it was, he barely held on for half a quarter-hour before darkness claimed him.
"Buzz, buzz…" As Yang Yunhai slipped into unconsciousness, faint blue light began to glow from his right leg beneath the surface.
Time passed. Day fell into night. The spring lay calm and quiet.
Until—"Splash!" Two feet hit the ground, breaking the silence.
(End of Chapter)
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