Chapter 27: The Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well, Li Taixian’s Transformation Plan

Dugu Yan’s emerald pupils flashed with a ghostly light. The turquoise veins beneath her skin began to bulge uncontrollably.

"Hhh..."

She hunched over abruptly, vomiting large mouthfuls of thick, dark green mucus.

*Sizzle—! Sizzle—!*

The mucus splashed onto the bluestone, instantly corroding countless holes into the ground. A sweet, fishy stench exploded into the air, and the old locust tree in the courtyard withered and died before their very eyes.

Seeing the sickly green toxic mist beginning to spread, Li Zhexian said urgently:

"Senior Dugu!"

Dugu Bo swept his large sleeves, and the toxic mist vanished in an instant. He asked nervously:

"Yanyan, how do you feel?"

Dugu Yan panted heavily, drenched in sweat, her damp hair clinging to her cheeks. She stared blankly at her own fair, translucent skin, feeling the fresh air—not the fishy, sweet stench of poison—with every breath she took.

"Li Zhexian..."

"...Thank you."

As the words fell, Dugu Yan suddenly opened her arms and turned to hug Li Zhexian tightly. Caught off guard, Li Zhexian kept his hands suspended in the air, feeling awkward—to hug back or not felt equally improper.

However, he soon felt his chest dampen. He sighed silently in his heart. Patting her thin, trembling shoulders, he said softly:

"Spring has flowers, autumn the moon; summer has cool breezes, winter the snow. Congratulations on your rebirth, Sister Dugu. From this day forward, you shall be accompanied by the clear breeze, the bright moon, and the fragrance of the four seasons."

Dugu Bo’s hands clenched tightly inside his sleeves. He looked up at the sky, unable to hold back his tears.

"Spring has flowers, autumn the moon; summer has cool breezes, winter the snow..." Dugu Yan murmured in Li Zhexian’s arms, her delicate body trembling slightly. She lifted her tear-filled eyes to look at the handsome face so close to hers, and a shy blush rippled through her eyes, which had now returned to a deep, inky black.

Just then, catching a glimpse of her grandfather nearby, Dugu Yan woke as if from a dream. She hurriedly let go, her pretty face flushed crimson.

The atmosphere grew slightly tense. Li Zhexian coughed twice to break the silence.

"Senior Dugu, the snake venom in your body has been entrenched for decades. Coupled with the nourishment of your formidable Title Douluo soul power day and night, purging it... will likely be quite an undertaking."

Dugu Bo nodded with a smile. "Zhexian, whatever you say, I will do."

He trusted Li Zhexian implicitly now. A single cup of wine had cured his granddaughter’s poison—what more was there to doubt?

Li Zhexian pondered for a moment and said: "Senior Dugu, I need some of your snake venom to brew the antidote for you."

After careful consideration, Li Zhexian did not intend to let Dugu Bo drink his own wine. The reason was simple: Dugu Bo was not like Zhu Zhuqing or Dugu Yan. This old poison master had decades of experience and was one of the continent’s top powerhouses, with first-class insight and intellect. If he drank from the Clear Spring Wine Gourd and noticed something peculiar, it would not be ideal.

Li Zhexian knew Dugu Bo was a man of his word, but a gentleman does not stand under a dangerous wall. A secret is only a secret if only you know it. In any case, the goal was to cure the poison. Brewing the "Snake Saliva Rice Soul" using Dugu Bo’s own venom was a viable path.

"A small matter." Dugu Bo nodded without hesitation. "Zhexian, I know my poison is deep-rooted. If you need anything else, just say the word."

Li Zhexian scanned the courtyard. The old locust tree, which would normally require several men to encircle, had been completely withered by the toxic gas released by Dugu Yan just moments ago.

"The poison in your body, Senior Dugu, is far beyond what Sister Dugu’s was. Even the slightest leak would be a catastrophic disaster for Heaven Dou Imperial City."

Hearing this, Dugu Bo looked troubled. This was indeed a problem that had to be solved.

At that moment, he heard Li Zhexian whisper: "If there were a spiritual place that could suppress the snake venom... the problem would be solved."

"Hmm?!" Dugu Bo’s weathered face suddenly relaxed. "I do indeed have such a place!"

Sunset Forest was not far from Heaven Dou City. Relying on Dugu Bo’s speed, they arrived at the forest about an hour later. The three climbed the mountain path one after another and soon reached the summit.

The terrain was a conical depression. The mountaintop where they stood was the edge of this basin. Rolling heat surged up from the basin, carrying a humid, sulfurous scent.

"Hoo..." Li Zhexian exhaled slowly. Though his expression remained calm, his hands inside his sleeves were clenched tight.

The Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well... Li Zhexian had finally arrived. The legendary spot that raised the potential of the Shrek Seven Devils—he wondered how much stronger it could make him.

"In the art of brewing, there is a wine made from the water of conflicting yet symbiotic spiritual light, known as the 'Ice-Flame Immortal Dew.' The effects of this wine are heaven-defying; it enhances resistance to ice and fire-attribute attacks and can forge a powerful, unique physique. If my Wine Martial Spirit could merge with the Ice-Flame Immortal Dew... perhaps the second form of the 'Qinglian Sword Song' might also come to fruition..."

"Follow me." Dugu Bo’s figure expanded like a spreading nightingale, leaping into the pitch-black, bottomless cliff. With the cover of night, his figure disappeared into the mist in the blink of an eye.

"Let’s go too!" Dugu Yan turned to look at Li Zhexian. Her bright, black eyes shimmered with captivating colors as she generously reached out her hand to him.

"Right." Li Zhexian took Dugu Yan’s hand, and the two leapt down together.

Their toes tapped against the protruding rocks of the cliff in perfect sync. The whistling wind in their ears gradually faded until they landed steadily on the ground.

*Whoosh—! Whoosh—!*

As soon as Li Zhexian’s feet touched the ground, scorching and frigid gales rushed to meet him. His left cheek burned with pain, while a fine layer of ice crystals formed on his right. Li Zhexian’s soul power surged throughout his body, and only then did he feel more comfortable.

He looked around, stunned into silence.

A spiritual spring resembling crimson molten lava surged on the left, the rising heat waves distorting the air. On the right, however, lay a bottomless cold pool; ghostly white mist slithered across the water’s surface, leaving frost on every blade of grass it touched.

Though red and blue were within the same pool, they were clearly demarcated, neither encroaching upon the other. Along the banks of the crimson spring grew flame-shaped spiritual herbs, their petal edges dripping with sap. Around the azure cold pool spread ice-crystal-like immortal flowers, their leaves shimmering with frost.

Further away, countless spiritual herbs grew in a wild, interwoven tangle, their roots forming a web that erupted with spiritual energy.

These plants, filled with spiritual energy... Li Zhexian recognized them all.

All spiritual things under heaven can be used to brew wine. In his dreams, he had learned of most of the spiritual objects in the world. In his view, Tang San’s ability to identify herbs was as simple and immature as "one plus one equals two."

Li Zhexian saw the "Ghostly Fragrant Silk Immortal" emitting a pink halo, the "Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass" with its eight frost-covered corners, and the "Fiery Apricot Delicate" that looked like a red cabbage.

Seeing Li Zhexian’s joyful expression, Dugu Yan tugged hard on Dugu Bo’s sleeve. Her meaning was clear: *Grandpa! It’s time for you to pay up!*