The journey through the Sunset Forest was a stark reminder of the untamed power of this world. Song Qing moved with a caution that belied his young age, his senses constantly on high alert. The air hummed with the raw energy of countless spirit beasts, and every rustle of leaves, every snap of a twig, sent a jolt of awareness through him. 'This place is truly dangerous,' he thought, his eyes scanning the dense foliage.
He was heading towards the infamous Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, a location etched in his fragmented memories as the domain of the Dugu family. The journey, even at his quickest pace utilizing the Abyssal Shadow Dash in short bursts, was not without its perils. He had to be constantly vigilant, his Primordial Life Tree Spirit's sensing ability working overtime to detect any approaching threats.
'Thousand-year-old beasts… they're manageable, but not without risk,' he mused, his hand instinctively reaching towards the hilt of a shadow dagger he had conjured with Shadow Dominion. He had encountered several such beasts during his trek, their auras radiating a power that demanded respect. Each time, he had chosen the wiser course, diverting his path or finding a secure hiding spot until the danger had passed. A confrontation, even if he emerged victorious, would only serve to attract unwanted attention in this already hostile environment.
The thought of encountering a ten-thousand-year-old beast sent a shiver down his spine, despite his best efforts to remain calm. 'That would be instant death,' he thought grimly. He had felt the oppressive aura of such creatures on a couple of occasions, distant but unmistakable, and he had gone to extreme lengths to avoid their territories, sometimes adding hours to his journey. The primal fear those encounters had instilled was a stark reminder of his current limitations.
There were moments when he felt the unsettling sensation of being tracked, the subtle shift in the forest's energy indicating the presence of a predator. His heart would pound in his chest, and a surge of adrenaline would course through him. 'Barely escaped that one,' he would think, his breath catching in his throat as he managed to slip away, utilizing his agility and the cover of the undergrowth to lose his pursuer. It was a thrilling and terrifying experience, a constant test of his wits and abilities.
He was meticulous about covering his tracks, using his knowledge of the forest to his advantage. He would walk through streams, step on rocks, and even use his Shadow Dominion to subtly manipulate the environment, ensuring that no scent or trail would lead any curious beasts in his direction. 'Can't afford any unwanted company,' he thought, his mind focused on reaching his destination undetected.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Song Qing sensed a change in the forest's energy. The air grew thick with a peculiar mix of heat and cold, and the vibrant life force of numerous rare herbs filled his senses. He had reached the vicinity of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. 'There it is,' he thought, a sense of anticipation building within him.
He focused his sensing ability, and soon he detected three distinct auras nearby. Two of them pulsed with a potent, almost overwhelming toxicity. 'Dugu Bo and… likely Dugu Xin,' he surmised, recognizing the signature of powerful poison. The third aura was much weaker, almost fragile, but he could still sense a faint trace of the same underlying poison. 'Dugu Yan,' he realized, his thoughts turning to the young girl he remembered from the novel. 'It seems the poison is dormant within her for now.'
He observed their energy signatures for a while, noting that none of them seemed to be in immediate danger of succumbing to the poison. 'Good, I have some time,' he thought. His first priority was to deal with the concentrated poisons in the air around the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. He activated the passive ability of his second soul ring, Venomous Entanglement, and began to subtly draw in the toxic mist, his Primordial Life Tree Spirit greedily absorbing the various compounds.
He could feel his spirit growing stronger, more complex, as it assimilated the different types of poisons. Mental notifications flickered in his mind, informing him of the new toxins his spirit could now produce. 'This is even better than I had hoped,' he thought, a sense of satisfaction washing over him. With the immediate threat of the airborne poisons neutralized for himself, Song Qing turned his attention towards the source of the auras – the Dugu family's residence.
He approached cautiously, his heart pounding slightly in his chest. 'This is it,' he thought. 'Time to face the Poison Douluo.' He knew he was walking into a potentially dangerous situation. A Soul Grandmaster with a mere Level 28 soul power had no real defense against a Titled Douluo who might perceive him as a threat. 'I'm incredibly weak compared to them,' he reminded himself, trying to suppress the rising nervousness.
The thought of revealing his Primordial Life Tree Spirit also made him uneasy. It was a secret he had guarded fiercely, and once the Dugu family realized its nature, they would undoubtedly understand the implications of him possessing twin Martial Souls, both of them extraordinary. 'This could be bad,' he thought, the fear of his trump card being revealed weighing on him. 'This information could spread, and the Spirit Hall might try to exploit me even more, or worse, other powerful entities might target me.'
Despite the risks, Song Qing felt a sense of determination overriding his apprehension. 'The potential rewards are too great to ignore,' he reasoned. Saving the Dugu family, especially Dugu Yan, could secure him a powerful ally in the future. The thought of having a Titled Douluo like Dugu Bo indebted to him was a significant incentive. 'It's a gamble, but one I have to take.'
He finally reached the vicinity of what appeared to be a secluded dwelling, surrounded by a vibrant, albeit slightly eerie, garden filled with strange and colorful plants. He could sense the three individuals inside. Taking a deep breath, Song Qing stepped forward and gently knocked on the door.
A moment of silence hung in the air before the door creaked open, revealing a young girl with long, striking purple hair and equally vibrant green eyes. Her expression was wary as she took in the sight of the small boy standing on her doorstep. "Who are you?" Dugu Yan asked, her voice carrying a hint of suspicion, mirroring her earlier counterpart in the Zhu family forest.
Before Song Qing could answer, a gruff voice echoed from within the dwelling. "Yan'er, who is it?" A tall, imposing figure with long, distinctly green hair and piercing green eyes appeared behind Dugu Yan. His face was stern, etched with years of suffering, but there was also a hint of protectiveness in his gaze as he looked at the young boy. This was Dugu Bo.
Standing slightly behind Dugu Bo was another figure, also with long, green-tinged hair, though his features were sharper and his expression more guarded. This had to be Dugu Xin. Song Qing knew this was the moment of truth. He had to make his intentions clear and hope that the Dugu family would listen. "Greetings, Senior Dugu Bo, Miss Dugu Yan," Song Qing said respectfully, offering a polite bow. "My name is Song Qing, and I have come here to offer my assistance."
The dense foliage of the Sunset Forest swayed gently, the rustling of leaves barely masking the subtle hum of spirit energy saturating the air. Deep within its heart, where even seasoned Spirit Masters treaded cautiously, an eerie silence pervaded the surroundings.
Dugu Bo, his seventy years weighing heavily upon his frame despite the undeniable aura of power he exuded, narrowed his sharp green eyes. He was a Soul Douluo, a figure of formidable renown, standing at the peak of the Spirit Master world with a soul power of eighty-nine. And yet, before him stood a mere child—no older than six—staring back with an unsettling calmness.
'A child? Here? In the depths of the Sunset Forest?' Suspicion flared in Dugu Bo's mind like a viper coiling to strike. 'This must be a trick… Some sort of deception.'
Beside him, his granddaughter, Dugu Yan, barely weeks away from her twelfth birthday, tilted her head, her wide green eyes filled with curiosity rather than wariness. The boy was small, delicate even, with soft features that gave him an almost cherubic charm. Unlike her grandfather, she felt no immediate threat from him—just an odd sense of fascination.
'He's kind of cute,' she mused, a tiny smile tugging at her lips. Something about his presence was… strangely reassuring.
A few paces away, Dugu Bo's son, Dugu Xin, a seasoned Soul Saint with a soul power of seventy-one, studied the boy with guarded skepticism. "A child reaching this place unscathed?" His voice was low but edged with disbelief. 'This is no ordinary child. He must have some kind of backing… Someone powerful.'
His father's cold voice cut through the silence. "Assistance?" Dugu Bo's sharp gaze bore into the boy, his suspicion evident. "A mere child like you claims to offer the Dugu family assistance? And how do you even know who we are?"
Most children would have cowered under such scrutiny. But Song Qing—standing barely half Dugu Bo's height—remained unshaken. Instead, he lifted his gaze to meet the Poison Douluo's without a hint of fear. There was something profound in his dark eyes, something unbefitting of his tender age.
"Senior," Song Qing began, his voice crisp yet gentle, "please don't misunderstand my intentions. My spirit is plant-type, and it has some… unique passive abilities that I believe could help with the condition affecting your esteemed family."
He deliberately avoided revealing the name of his spirit, the Primordial Life Tree, wanting to first gauge their reaction.
Dugu Bo's expression darkened. "A plant-type spirit with abilities that counteract poison?" His voice carried both doubt and intrigue. 'That's not unheard of, but… It's rare. Too rare.' He had encountered countless Spirit Masters in his long life, but never one with such a peculiar claim.
His sharp gaze didn't waver. "How do you know about our affliction? That is not common knowledge."
Song Qing tilted his head, his innocent expression giving him an air of pure-hearted sincerity. "Well, Senior…" His tone was light, almost as if he were explaining something simple to a friend. "My plant spirit lets me sense… a lot of poison in the air. When I got close to this mysterious place, I felt an extremely strong concentration of it. At first, I thought it might be useful for me—I can absorb certain poisons to nourish my spirit."
His small hands gestured lightly, as though he were trying to simplify something complex. "But then, I sensed three people nearby. You, your son, and your granddaughter." He paused, his eyes flickering between them. "And the three of you… your poison wasn't like the poison in the air. It was inside you."
His words were simple, but they landed like a thunderclap.
Dugu Bo's suspicion deepened. 'This child can sense the poison in our blood? Even among top-tier healers, few could discern it so clearly. And yet, a six-year-old stands before me claiming such an ability?'
Dugu Xin folded his arms, his sharp gaze narrowing. "And you expect us to believe you came to such a conclusion simply by sensing the air?"
Song Qing blinked at him, his innocent gaze almost making Dugu Xin feel ridiculous for questioning him. "Of course not," he said with a small, playful smile. "That was just my first clue."
He turned back to Dugu Bo, his tone becoming more thoughtful. "After that, I thought about it carefully. There are very few Spirit Masters known for their connection to poison. And only one powerful Soul Douluo with long green hair, a fearsome poison-type Beast Spirit, and a legacy that stretches across generations in the last hundred years. Naturally, I realized that you must be Senior Dugu Bo, and that this must be the esteemed Dugu Family."
His voice carried an earnest admiration, as though he were speaking of a legend he had read in books. Then, as if remembering something, his cheeks puffed slightly, and he added, "Besides, your hair is really distinct. It makes you look quite cool, Senior."
For a moment, there was stunned silence.
Dugu Yan couldn't help it—she giggled. "Grandfather, he called you cool," she teased.
Dugu Bo exhaled sharply through his nose. "Hmph." The boy was sharp, that much was undeniable. And his flattery, however innocent it appeared, was well-placed. But flattery alone wouldn't save him.
"You mentioned your spirit might help us," Dugu Bo said, his voice carrying a thread of cautious curiosity. "What exactly do you intend to do with those… vines?"
Song Qing raised his tiny hand, palm facing upward, and with a soft pulse of energy, a few emerald-green vines sprouted forth, curling lazily in the air. At that moment, a ring of deep purple light materialized beneath him—a thousand-year spirit ring.
The expressions of the three Dugu family members changed instantly.
Dugu Xin's breath hitched. "A… thousand-year first ring?" His previous disdain vanished, replaced with sheer disbelief. 'A six-year-old Soul Grandmaster with a thousand-year ring? Even among the most elite of noble clans, this is unheard of!'
Dugu Bo's green eyes flickered with rare surprise. 'A six-year-old reaching Soul Grandmaster… and obtaining a thousand-year ring at his first breakthrough? This child… what kind of monstrous talent does he have?'
"I know this might sound strange," Song Qing continued, his voice still as light and sweet as before. "But my spirit works in a way that's hard to explain. If you let me, I'd like to try something. But I'll need all three of you to unleash your Beast Spirits completely."
Dugu Bo's gaze turned steely once more. "And why would we do that?"
Song Qing clasped his hands behind his back, his eyes twinkling with an almost mischievous charm. "Because if I wanted to harm you, Senior, wouldn't I already be dead?" He giggled lightly, his innocent tone somehow disarming. "I mean… you're really strong."
Dugu Bo's lips twitched. The boy was audacious, but his logic was… impeccable.
After exchanging glances, the Dugu family made their decision.
Green light erupted from Dugu Bo's body as his formidable Jade Phosphorous Serpent Beast Spirit took full form. His son followed, his humanoid serpentine transformation exuding a deadly venomous aura. Lastly, Dugu Yan hesitated but eventually activated her own spirit, her form shifting into a sleeker, more agile serpent.
Song Qing's vines pulsed with vibrant emerald energy, and a soothing aura expanded outward.
Dugu Bo's sharp inhale was the first sign of change.
The pain—the gnawing, ceaseless torment they had all learned to live with—eased. Their poison, once a curse waging war within their veins, now felt… natural. Their bodies no longer rejected it.
Dugu Xin clenched his fist. "This… feels different," he murmured in awe.
Dugu Yan blinked, touching her arm. "Grandfather… I think I feel… normal."
Dugu Bo remained silent for a long moment before finally speaking.
"Boy," he said, his tone heavy, unreadable. "Just what… are you?"
Song Qing merely smiled, the very picture of innocence. "Me? I'm just a little boy who loves plants."
And for the first time in decades, Dugu Bo found himself at a loss for words.