Hearing Tang San's words, Dugu Bo's heart tightened.
"Boy, what did you just say?! That herb thief isn't dead?!"
Tang San nodded slightly.
"It's possible. Are you certain that person fell into the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well?"
"When I arrived, I saw ripples still spreading at the point where the two springs meet. Something must have fallen in. Then I noticed that the two poisonous herbs were gone. In the entire Sunset Forest, there isn't a single soul beast that dares trespass into my territory. So I'm quite sure — it was a person who fell in."
"Did you find any traces around — fragments of stems or leaves?"
Dugu Bo shook his head.
"I checked carefully afterward. Although a few herbs were missing, there were no signs of destruction. Whoever that herb thief was, he must have been very meticulous — each herb was plucked with care."
Tang San's unease deepened.
"It seems… my suspicion was right."
"Impossible! Falling into those polar springs would dissolve a man into pus in an instant. How could he survive?"
Dugu Bo was beginning to feel uneasy himself.
Tang San, however, merely smiled and shook his head.
"You may not know this. If someone were to consume both of those two poisonous immortal herbs simultaneously, and then leap into the intersection of the twin springs, not only would he not be corroded — the spring's opposing forces would actually help him absorb the herbs' medicinal power more thoroughly."
"What?! Such a thing can happen?"
Dugu Bo stared in astonishment at the blazing red and icy white springs before him, struggling to believe what he'd heard.
Tang San continued calmly:
"Aside from those two poisonous herbs, did he take anything else? Can you recall?"
"He took several more plants. I don't remember most of them clearly, but two of them left an impression."
"Can you describe them?"
Dugu Bo paused, then said slowly:
"One of them was a strange, large flower that emitted a faint pink barrier of light. Its fragrance seemed to neutralize toxins, though even it couldn't cure the poison in my body."
Tang San's thoughts stirred. He muttered inwardly:
"A pink light barrier that neutralizes poison but can't cleanse Dugu Bo's venom… could that be the rare immortal herb, Fragment Jade Beauty ?"
"Boy, what are you thinking?" Dugu Bo interrupted impatiently.
"Nothing. What about the other one? What did it look like?"
Dugu Bo sighed and went on:
"The other was a plain-looking white flower, about the size of a palm, shaped like a peony, with no leaves. The strange thing was that its stem was attached to a piece of pitch-black stone.
On its white petals were streaks of vivid red — red as fresh blood — giving it a shockingly beautiful, almost unsettling appearance.
Of all the missing immortal herbs, it was the only one uprooted entirely, black stone and all.
I don't know its name, but I could tell — it was no ordinary plant."
As he spoke, Dugu Bo's face twisted with pain at the loss.
Tang San's frown deepened further.
"Could that be… the divine-grade immortal herb among all immortal herbs — the Lovesick Heartbroken Red?"
"Lovesick Heartbroken Red?" Dugu Bo repeated.
"That's right. The black stone at its base is called Wujue. The Lovesick Heartbroken Red is known as the King of Flowers. It can bring the dead back to life, regrow flesh on bones. But it only recognizes its master through blood — one must think sincerely of their beloved, with absolute devotion, to be acknowledged by it. The method of harvesting is extremely particular."
"So that's how it is. Boy, you sure know a lot. Even if I had been lucky enough to find it, it seems it would never have acknowledged me."
Tang San didn't respond, lost deep in thought.
From all the clues so far, it was clear:
the one who had stolen the herbs not only knew how to properly harvest the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass, Fiery Apricot Inferno, and Lovesick Heartbroken Red — but had done so without damaging the surrounding area.
That meant only one thing — this person was highly knowledgeable about medicinal plants.
"Boy, what are you thinking again?"
"Senior, in this world, besides you, who else has such deep knowledge of herbs?"
Dugu Bo gave a proud, almost smug smile.
"Old as I am, I've spent my whole life studying herbs. Few can rival me — perhaps only Chrysanthemum Douluo of Spirit Hall, and the clan chief of the Po Clan, Yang Wudi."
"Chrysanthemum Douluo? Yang Wudi?"
Tang San had never heard of either.
"Don't overthink it, boy. It couldn't be them. With their personalities, if they came here, they'd never leave with just a few plants.
Besides, it's been nearly a year since then. My garden has been perfectly fine — no intruders since. Maybe that person really did turn into a puddle of pus."
"I see… let's hope that's the case."
"Enough talk. Focus on developing the antidote. Remember what I said — without my permission, you are not to pick a single herb on your own."
"Understood."
Under Dugu Bo's watchful eyes, Tang San picked several herbs and began formulating his antidote.
~~~~~~~~
Time passed swiftly — three more months slipped away.
After finishing his cultivation one day, Yan felt a surge within his body — his spirit power had finally broken through the fiftieth level.
That meant he was now eligible to obtain his fifth spirit ring.
Excited, he immediately went to Yue Guan's residence to share the news.
Upon hearing that Yan had broken through to level fifty, Yue Guan (Chrysanthemum Douluo) beamed with delight.
"Yan, congratulations! You'll soon be able to obtain your first ten-thousand-year spirit ring."
"Teacher, could you accompany me to the Star Dou Great Forest?"
"Of course. Ten-thousand-year spirit beasts are far stronger than thousand-year ones. Why not bring Xie Yue and Nana along too? It'll be a good training experience for all three of you."
Yan shook his head lightly.
"That won't be necessary. They'll probably break through level fifty soon themselves — when that happens, we can go together.
This time, I want to rely solely on my own strength to hunt a ten-thousand-year spirit beast."
Yue Guan nodded, understanding his intent.
"Very well. But we'll still need to report this to the Supreme Pontiff first."
"Yes, I'll go inform her now."
Over the past year, as Yan continued to absorb the medicinal essence of the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and Fiery Apricot Inferno, his physique had grown stronger than ever.
Now that he had broken through level fifty, he was finally ready to consume the Phoenix Tail Crestflower .
But Yan wasn't planning to take it yet.
Once consumed, it would drastically accelerate his cultivation — something that might arouse Bibi Dong's suspicion.
He decided to wait until after the Spirit Master Tournament, to find a chance during his travels to take it safely.
Leaving Yue Guan's mansion, Yan went straight to the Supreme Pontiff's Palace to seek Bibi Dong's approval.
As always, Bibi Dong sat high upon the throne, cold and majestic.
The vast hall was utterly silent — only the two of them within, the air heavy with quiet tension.
Yan bowed respectfully.
"Your Holiness, I have broken through to level fifty. I wish to accompany Elder Chrysanthemum to the Star Dou Great Forest to hunt a spirit beast and obtain my fifth spirit ring."
Bibi Dong looked at him without expression, though a faint flicker of surprise passed through her eyes.
"Yan… to have reached level fifty this quickly — impressive."
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