Chapter 28: Detoxification (Part Three)

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The Boundless Venom Python was slowly corroded to death, its resentment immense. As a result, it dropped a soul bone.

Dugu Bo looked at the soul bone, his lips stretching into a wide grin that nearly reached his ears. It was a 70,000-year soul bone—valuable enough to allow a Title Douluo below level 95 to advance by one rank. A true treasure for poison-type soul masters.

Dugu Bo released his True Body and dispersed the soul skills he had used. The once green-tinted swamp returned to its original state. He picked up the dark green soul bone and examined it closely.

"Hmm~ Not bad luck at all—it's a right arm bone. Its value is almost on par with my Medusa Skull. I'll store it for now and continue hunting more soul beasts."

Dugu Bo placed the soul bone into his storage soul tool and moved deeper into Sunset Forest. He had several targets in mind: a fifty-thousand-year Mandrake Snake King, a fifty-thousand-year Cave Demon Spider, and a forty-thousand-year Ink Jade Black Mamba, among others.

Dugu Bo planned to confront these soul beasts first. If they dropped high-quality soul bones, it would be an incredible haul. The success of obtaining the first soul bone had boosted his confidence significantly.

Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well

Li Luochen and Dugu Yan were still discussing matters related to poisons. Having studied medicine since childhood, Li Luochen was no stranger to toxins. After all, as the saying goes, "Medicine and poison are two sides of the same coin."

Though Dugu Yan hadn't devoted much effort to studying poisons, she had learned enough to answer many of Li Luochen's questions. What surprised him most was that Dugu Bo knew how to use mixed poisons.

However, Dugu Bo referred to it as "fusion snake venom," combining various toxins with his Jade Phosphorous Snake Emperor venom. This was essentially the concept of mixing poisons, though Dugu Bo likely didn't know the term "mixed poisons" and thus called it fusion snake venom.

It made sense—how could someone who had spent decades mastering poisons not know how to mix them? However, Dugu Bo's focus had always been on survival. He hadn't had the time to delve deeply into poisons, prioritizing instead the resolution of his family's hereditary toxins.

But soon, the Dugu family would finally bid farewell to their inherited affliction. Li Luochen had already devised a plan to obtain the Herb Record.

First, he would have Dugu Bo and Dugu Yan equip soul bones, then force the toxins into the soul bones. Once the toxins were contained, they could begin treatment to prevent further erosion.

Overall, Li Luochen felt that aside from enduring a beating, things had turned out well. Not only had he gained access to immortal-grade herbs, but he had also met a remarkable girl. Though she was currently a bit "toxic," it wasn't a major issue.

In the coming days, Li Luochen planned to find a place to break through to level 38. He had already been at the peak of level 37 before consuming the two immortal herbs, which had granted him immunity to all poisons and significantly increased his resistance to fire and ice.

His martial soul had also evolved from a high-tier weapon to a top-tier one. Originally, Li Luochen estimated he had a 40% chance of becoming a Super Douluo through sheer hard work. Now, he was certain he would achieve that status, and even reaching the Limit Douluo level seemed within reach.

As for ascending to godhood—that was still far off. He didn't like indulging in empty fantasies. On the continent, only four paths led to divinity: the Rakshasa Goddess, unsuitable for him; the Angel God, already claimed by Qian Renxue; the Asura God, which he likely wouldn't qualify for; and the Sea God, whose selection he wasn't sure about.

For now, his goal was to become a Title Douluo and enjoy centuries of life. Ascending to godhood depended on fate—if it happened, great; if not, so be it.

Li Luochen circulated his Limitless Universe Technique. He noticed that after undergoing the Ice and Fire Forging, his meridians had become even tougher. Six of the eight extraordinary meridians were now open, two of which had been unblocked during the forging process.

His cultivation speed had also improved significantly. What would have taken over a year to break through to Spirit Ancestor now seemed achievable in just half a year. The effects of the Ice and Fire Herbs hadn't been fully absorbed yet, and by the time he reached Spirit Ancestor, he would likely be ready to consume the Ink Jade Divine Bamboo.

Two days later, Li Luochen successfully broke through to level 38. His spirit energy was abundant, and he realized that his Limitless Universe Technique could refine his spirit power. His spirit reserves far exceeded those of other Spirit Elders at the same level. He estimated that his spirit reserves were already comparable to those of a Spirit Ancestor.

In terms of physical strength, Li Luochen believed he had reached his limit. Originally, his body could withstand the soul ring of a ten-thousand-year soul beast. Now, he might be able to attempt a twenty-thousand-year soul ring.

As for his spiritual power, he wasn't in a rush. The Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well contained Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew and four Spirit Nourishing Flowers, enough to boost his spiritual power significantly. In fact, his current spiritual power could already withstand the soul shock of a ten-thousand-year soul beast. However, for safety's sake, he planned to consume herbs that enhanced spiritual power.

As for Dugu Yan, her age and relatively low spirit power meant that the toxins carried by her first and second soul rings weren't significant. Thus, she wasn't currently suffering from the corrosive effects of snake venom. Li Luochen planned to detoxify Dugu Bo first before addressing Dugu Yan's condition.

After all, in the future, Dugu Yan would carry a ten-thousand-year soul bone. If Dugu Bo was lucky, it might even be an exceptional one. In such a case, Dugu Yan could face danger, so Dugu Bo needed to grow stronger to protect both of them.

Since learning about her family's hereditary snake venom—and knowing that Li Luochen could help them detoxify—Dugu Yan's life had regained hope. Moreover, Li Luochen had become her first friend, and possibly her most important one in the future.

Now, aside from cultivating, she spent her time studying the cultivation notes Dugu Bo had left her. These notes detailed the methods of the Bi Lin family's cultivation and poison-making techniques. She was determined to grow stronger and not fall too far behind Li Luochen.

Li Luochen also studied poison-making techniques with Dugu Yan, believing that acquiring additional skills might prove useful in critical moments.

The distance between the two grew closer. They could feel each other's presence, gazing into each other's eyes. Their lips drew nearer, and just as they were about to kiss, a sudden cough interrupted them.

"Cough, cough."

The unexpected sound startled them apart. Turning around, they saw that it was Dugu Bo (the proverbial third wheel) who had returned.

Dugu Bo's thoughts raced: 'This brat! It's only been a few days, and he's already won over Yan Yan? If I'd returned a few days later, they might have already consummated their relationship. This rascal has already stolen my granddaughter's heart.'

Dugu Bo's head filled with black lines as he stared at Li Luochen and Dugu Yan, his scalp tingling. After all, the two had been caught in an intimate moment by a parent. However, Dugu Yan recovered quickly and ran up to Dugu Bo, grabbing his hand and shaking it excitedly.

"Grandpa, you're back! I've missed you so much! You must have had a fruitful hunt—we've been waiting for so long!"

"Hohoho, I'm sure you didn't miss me at all. Li boy, you're quite something. How did you manage to steal my granddaughter's heart in just a few days?"

Dugu Bo grumbled, his face dark. Dugu Yan's cheeks flushed red, while Li Luochen awkwardly scratched his head.

"Cough, cough, let's not talk about that. I did have a good harvest this time. By brutally killing over twenty ten-thousand-year poison-type soul beasts, I obtained three soul bones. Take a look."

Dugu Bo waved his hand, and three soul bones appeared—one right arm bone and two left arm bones.

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