"Come, follow me!"
Dugu Bo stood up and brought Wang Zhong to a precipitous cliff.
The cliff was towering and steep. Looking down from the edge, one could only see layers of thick fog and the biting cold wind.
Grasping Wang Zhong's arm, his Jade Phosphor Serpent martial soul materialized beneath their feet, lifting them high. The serpent's body slithered forward, and in mere breaths, they were transported to the bottom of the cliff.
When Wang Zhong stabilized himself, a scene unfolded before his eyes that caused his pupils to widen abruptly.
At the bottom of the cliff, a hot spring less than a hundred meters in diameter was slowly steaming. The pungent smell of sulfur assailed his nostrils, making Wang Zhong, who was already breathing heavily, struggle even more.
Generally, all hot springs in the world, due to their proximity to magma or volcanic craters, had high temperatures. Coupled with the large amount of naturally occurring sulfur, most hot spring waters were pale yellow. It was rare for a hot spring to have colorless water as clear as pure water.
However, the hot spring before Wang Zhong was not only milky white, but even more miraculously, a distinct boundary divided the entire spring from its source.
Half pale yellow, half pure white!
"Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well!"
Suddenly, something in Wang Zhong's mind stirred, and a name inexplicably appeared on his lips.
"Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well?"
"Little fellow, what is this? You know the name of this spring?"
Dugu Bo looked at Wang Zhong with curiosity. He had stumbled upon this spring by chance and discovered that it was surrounded by various rare, nearly extinct medicinal herbs when he first found it.
For his own needs, and to prevent others or spirit beasts from discovering and damaging it, Dugu Bo had set up layers of poison arrays around the spring, which was located within a volcanic crater.
Shaking his head vigorously, Wang Zhong patted his forehead and said with a trace of uncertainty, "I think I do, but it feels like I've never seen it before! It's a strange feeling of both familiarity and unfamiliarity."
Dugu Bo stroked his beard and shook his head, no longer dwelling on it.
"This is a treasure land I discovered by chance. Here, the growth of all medicinal herbs is greatly accelerated, and their medicinal properties are extremely potent."
"Therefore, I often cultivate various poisonous or medicinal plants that are rare outside here. Over time, this place has become like my personal medicinal field."
"Today, I brought you here for two reasons."
"Firstly, to let you witness my collection!"
"Secondly, as another test of your understanding of the medicinal scriptures!"
"I will give you one month. You can use the medicinal herbs here as you please. After one month, you must concoct a poison pill that satisfies me, and then concoct an antidote that can resist three-tenths of my snake venom!"
"If you can accomplish both tasks perfectly, then I will agree to Ju Hua Guan's request and become an guest elder of the Spirit Hall! And I promise, no matter what happens within the Spirit Hall, I will always stand by your side!"
Dugu Bo's expression became extremely solemn at this moment, his green eyes reflecting a gamble of all or nothing.
Wang Zhong's talent, cultivating to Level 35 Spirit Master at the age of eight, was astounding. And during this month of teaching him poison scriptures, Dugu Bo felt a deep, insurmountable admiration for his innate talent.
In the coming century, the entire spirit master world would be overshadowed by a single figure – the Wang Zhong before him, who still acted with the innocence and purity of a boy.
The Spirit Hall would expand unprecedentedly under his leadership, a conflagration sweeping across the land like a prairie fire, unstoppable and unyielding. Anyone who dared to stand in its path would be reduced to ashes!
With Ju Hua Guan's suggestion, the intimate sibling-like friendship between Dugu Yan and Wang Zhong, coupled with the knowledge he imparted over the past month, Dugu Bo wanted to secure a future for himself and find a true pillar of support for his granddaughter.
Although becoming an honorary elder would cost him a lot of freedom, sometimes, one could not gain what one desired without making sacrifices.
He also believed that this young man, out of consideration for Dugu Yan and his tutelage, would grant him the greatest freedom possible under his authority!
Wang Zhong furrowed his brows. Although young, his perceptiveness and intelligence far surpassed his age.
Even without fully understanding the true benefit of such a matter, Wang Zhong's instincts told him that this was a highly advantageous arrangement for himself.
"Good, it's a deal!"
Wang Zhong narrowed his eyes with a smile and extended his small palm towards Dugu Bo.
"Excellent, this old poison master will make a pact with you, young fellow, by striking hands!"
Two palms, one large and one small, met in mid-air, producing a crisp sound.
"Hahaha!"
"Little fellow, I'll see you again in a month!"
"Remember, do not approach or touch the hot spring before you. The medicinal herbs on the edge of the spring are enough for you to use!"
Dugu Bo, with his arms behind his back, laughed heartily and departed, climbing the cliff on his Jade Phosphor Serpent as Wang Zhong watched.
His gaze shifted from Dugu Bo, and Wang Zhong stood before the two-colored spring, his eyes flickering. In the few minutes of their conversation, memories and knowledge about the spring surfaced incessantly. Now, he fully understood everything about this spring.
One of the world's three great treasure basins!
Ice and fire coexist, yin and yang counteract each other!
The pale yellow spring, like water steeped in sulfur, was more scorching and terrifying than magma, capable of dissolving bones and blood, and melting iron and gold.
The pure white, milk-like water was the extreme of coldness, so intensely frigid that mere contact could freeze a person solid.
Step by step, Wang Zhong approached the pale yellow spring. He stared at his reflection in the water, his green eyes shimmering like brilliant emeralds under the sun.
Within the waters of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well lay the world's most precious and rare immortal-grade medicinal herbs, capable of resurrecting the dead and healing grievous wounds, truly defying the heavens.
However, these immortal herbs were not Wang Zhong's primary focus. What he yearned for was the pure, explosive extreme cold and heat within the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well itself!
This was a more extreme environment than any so-called simulated cultivation environment. Even the snow-covered cliffs and lava lands of the Spirit Hall Academy could not compare to this place.
Simulated cultivation environments were called perilous places; this was a death trap!
The cultivation of the Eight Extremes Heaven required one to be in a place that outsiders deemed a death trap!
His body slowly squatted down, Wang Zhong's hand trembling as he extended it. The spring water, which appeared calm and undisturbed to the naked eye, was filled with the most ferocious energy according to his perception.
He licked his slightly dry lips and slowly pressed his palm onto the calm, pale yellow pool. Suddenly, a fierce and violent flame ignited on his palm, quickly spreading throughout his body.
His clothes were instantly incinerated. Wang Zhong rapidly retreated, but even after leaving the spring, the ferocious flames continued to burn intensely on his flesh, growing larger and fiercer, as if determined to burn him to ashes!