Tangsan awoke in a very dark forest, snakes roaming everywhere. His body was slightly aching as he recollected what had happened to him.
The occurrences of the previous day, not that he knew how long he had been asleep, coming back to him.
He had been walking back to meet up with his friends, deciding that it was best to give Er Long and Master some privacy. But then he encountered Du Gu Bo, the Great Soul Land Master and then now he awoke in a creepy cave full of snakes just outside a very dark forest.
He tried to stay still and study his surroundings first and know where exactly where he was, but that didn't work.
"Stop pretending,I know that you are awake." Du Gu Bo said to the boy as he walked forward.
He then snapped his fingers making the dark cave illuminated with green flames, somehow making the place look creepier than it did before.
"Kid, you are Tangsan if I'm not mistaken?" Finally reaching him,Du Gu Bo asked, his voice and demeanor intimidating to anyone else but Tangsan wasn't fazed.
"Yes, I am." He replied with a cold voice. He wasn't very keen on the idea of him being kidnapped for only God's knows what reason.
"I have heard that you broke my granddaughter's third soul skill and even suppressed it with poison of your own." That was all this was about.
A Great Soul Land Master kidnapped him because his granddaughter lost in a battle and found out that her poison could actually be neutralized, not being all that it's crapped up to be.
No, that couldn't be it. There had to be something more. Secretly activating his Demon Purple Eyes,Tang looked at the man as he spoke.
"How did you cure the venom? I believe there's something else other than liquor." Then Tangsan saw it. He finally understood why he was in the snake infested cave to begin with.
"How dare you call yourself the Soul Land Venom. If you don't know that realgar powder can cure snake venom?" Tangsan accused the man that now had his back facing him.
"Hmmm.... It's been a long time since someone has talked to me in that way. Kid you are bold. How dare you suspect my venom?" Du Gu Bo let out a bit of his green poisonous gas thus intensifying the green flames in the cave as a means of intimidation but Tangsan again wasn't fazed.
"Hmm.... Your poison is mere rubbish." This enraged the Soul Land Venom. Using some of his soul power he picked up the young blacksmith from the ground and sent him flying into a wall.
Tangsan however wasn't afraid by that. It was painful but he could manage. He slowly got up from the ground with a smirk. "Your poison is indeed effective but it's still useless. Poison strike is to attack others. But now that you're poisoned too, what are you if not useless?"
Du Gu Bo was startled by that but he didn't show it as he circled the boy still trying to act intimidating." So you're saying that I was poisoned by myself. I'm seventy eight years old and only I can cast poison to others. Never, not even once have I ever been poisoned."
Tangsan could see right through the Soul Land Venom facade. "If that's true,tell me why then when it's cloudy or raining do you feel your ribs go numb. It happens once at noon and 11:00pm. From what I can see, everytime it lasts for at least two hours. Besides during midnight, your head and feet will have prickling pain, am I right? That's overwhelming pain, you won't feel that unless you have been poisoned. And not only have you been poisoned but the venom has also entered your marrow."
Du Gu Bo stopped when he heard that releasing a powerful burst of soul power that would have killed Tangsan if he hadn't activated his soul bone of eight spiders to block it.
Tang then released his Blue Sliver Plant first soul skill. Intertwine. But that didn't have any effect on the powerful soul master who was able to suppress it easily.
Du Gu Bo looked at the soul bone in surprise. 'An attached and external soul bone? No wonder Yan lost.'
Having enough of all of this. The vines evaporated into green ashes,he also pulling the boy rather violently to come in front of him but with the help of his soul bone and his third soul skill Tangsan was able to stop himself from going any further against his will, but even then he was struggling. The man's power was mighty and he hadn't even done anything but lift his right hand.
Tangsan never thought in all his thirteen years of living in the Douluo world that he would be killed by someone who uses useless poison. It wasn't worthy in his book.
Du Gu Bo intensified his spirit pressure making all the vines that held Tangsan to be broken one at a time.
"Didn't you say that my poison was useless? Yet you have still been defeated by me and I haven't even used any soul skill yet." Tang was in pain and his face reflected that really well. The man's pressure intensified once again pulling the boy to him.
"That's my biggest regret! If I was given time, even if I don't use my martial soul I'll kill you too." This caused the Soul Land Venom blood to boil with pure anger that he brought the boy to meet his hand.
Now in a choke hold, hands tightening with every second that passed Tangsan couldn't breath. He tried to use his soul bone to attack the old man but the Soul Land Venom's domain didn't make that possible.
"Your poison..... pumm.... not only harms yourself but also ruins your descendants. You're an ultimate rubbish." True Tangsan was being an idiot at the moment, but he still had his pride and wouldn't cower to the man in front of him.
"What did you say?" His griped softened just enough to make sure that Tangsan wouldn't die but still tight enough to make the boy's neck feel uncomfortable.
"You know exactly what I mean." Du Gu Bo looked at the boy curiously.
"You can cure my poison?" He asked.
"I won't even if I can. You'll only suffer more than I do. Just like me, maybe you're not afraid of death but your dearest granddaughter may not hold on as long as you. Her condition will only be severe once the poison attacks. Since she was in her mother's womb, she has already been in touch with the poison."Tangsan stated viciously even though he could probably die at any moment.
That however seemed to get the Soul Land Venom to release him. Tangsan desperately taking in huge breaths of air.
Du Gu Yan's unique semblance and her Jade Phosphor Serpent Venom must have been inherited from Du Gu Bo's Martial Soul. Therefore even if she had a great ability to poison at the same time she inherited the counter charge of her own poison. It was a long stretch but Tangsan got it right which was the only reason he was currently alive.
"Why should I believe that you have the ability to cure my poison?" Du Gu Bo's voice sounded a bit hopeful this time.
"Do I even have to prove it to you. You're killing me anyway. It's having you alive that's a great threat to the world. Saving you is just like holding the candle to the devil."
Du Gu Bo snarled at that. 'I've been living with poison all my life,yet I can't even cure the poison within my body. But my granddaughter........'
"Alright! If you can cure both my and my granddaughter's poison then I won't kill you and I promise to help you with three things that don't violate my base line." The Soul Land e said but Tangsan was a bit spectacle. Just like that , the man was putting down his pride.
That didn't sound like anything a person with high power would do. And what was the grantee that he wouldn't just kill him after he had cured him.
"You're not killing me. Why should I believe you? People like you always repay kindness with ingratitude."
"Isn't my fame enough to prove it?" The Soul Land Venom raised his voice but like every other time Tangsan was not intimidated in the slightest.
"Stop making empty promises, unless you make a vow." Du Gu Bo eyes narrowed at the boy but be couldn't really say anything,he was desperate and needed to cure his granddaughter.
"Alright then. As long as you can prove to me that you can cure my poison. I can make the vow. But fail me and I will kill the thing you love most, Lixue wasn't that his name?" Tangsan eyes darkened when he heard the last part.
"You so much as look in his direct with your poisonous gaze and I will kill you." Du Gu Bo smiled,he now had something that would make the boy do his very best to cure him and his granddaughter.
"Then don't fail if you want him to live. But like I said I can make the vow." Tangsan reluctantly agreed,his mind finally remembering that Lixue would probably be worried about him.
"How do you want me to prove that I can cure you?" Love can make a person do anything.
"I want you to prove that you can cast poison better than I can. Then will I believe you." That was a ridiculous thing to ask.
"I have nothing with me now, since you brought me here against my will."
"Easy. This is my house. All herbs are widely grown here. I'll give you one day to figure out all sorts of antidotes After that I'll cast three type of poison on you. If you cure my poisons with your antidotes that means you're qualified. Or else to hell your lover goes." Tangsan clenched his fists at that but he needed to be level headed if he wanted to protect his fiance. Taking in a deep breath be spoke.
"Alright, bring me to your herb garden and don't disturb me for a day." They both walked to his garden which was located near a hot spring.
It was a great place. The hot spring itself wasn't suitable for plant nourishment, but some special plants were different. These special plants needed minerals and heat from a hot spring.
Moving further down they reached a place full of red and pale blue crystals. It was really a beautiful site and when Tangsan explored more of the area he came to know what the place actually was.
This place was Ice Fire Spring Mouth. Both ice and fire which restrict each other in one spring mouth. It was one of the three treasures of the hidden weapons in Xuan Tian Records.
Tangsan couldn't believe that the rare Ice Fire Spring Mouth appeared in Soul Land Venom's house. No wonder the old man could still survive even though he's severely poisoned. He even managed to train himself to become a Great Soul Land Master.
"Ice Fire Spring Mouth! What are you talking about?" It seems the Soul Land Venom didn't even know the Ture name of the place was and Tangsan intended to keep it that way.
"Nothing. I just never expected such a great place to exist. If I was thirty percent (30%)sure that I could cure your poison, now with this hot spring it has been increased to fifty percent (50%)."
"What! Only fifty percent (50%)? Kid have you been lying to me all this time." Du Gu Bo asked angrily to which Tangsan sighed giving a simple answer.
"You have soaked with poison for years. Fifty percent (50%) is already my best bet to curing you. But even if you're not fully recovered it will ease your pain. But I'm positive that I can cure your granddaughter." Du Gu Bo was shell shocked to say the least. Did he really have that low of a chance at being cured. That didn't really matter anyway,as low as his granddaughter could be cured and live a normal life then it was okay with him.
"All my herbs are planted here. You may use them. But if you dare to ruin my place, I'll make sure you go through a living hell. I'll also give you more time. If you can't pass the test I have given you the morning after tomorrow. It'll be your doomsday." And maybe because he thought Tangsan would try to run he added.
"This is a special Soul beast forest with very powerful beasts roaming around everywhere except this mountain as it's being sealed by poison formation and the soul beasts dare not enter. Millennium soul beast are out here so if you try to run away before I find you then the soul beast will tear you apart." Suddenly his head and feet began to let out some sort of green gas and he was in a lot of pain.
It was midnight and the poison was taking effect. He however did a good job of not showing it as left but not before giving Tangsan one last warning.
"Kid, remember, don't touch those two hot springs. Not even I can withstand the heat and frost for too long. No one can save you if you do." Tangsan smirked when he heard that. Of course he was aware of that. This was the coldest and hottest place in the world..... well he was half right but we won't get into that now. It still didn't change the fact that the place was powerful.
Human or soul beast alike who stay by the Ice Fire Eyes would be hurt by the extreme heaven and earth auras in a short time and their bodies would explode if they don't leave immediately. But for someone who is poisoned like Du Gu Bo this is the greatest place for him.
Extreme frost or heat is effective against the venom. Not to mention this treasured place of Ice Fire Spring Mouth.
Tangsan walked a bit closer to the Ice Fire spring side where he explained the temperature. There was no temperature on the surface of the hot spring. He then turned on his Demon Purple Eyes looking at his surroundings.
There were so many rare ones to choose from. But his eyes landed on a few in particular.
First was the snow silkworm. The most ultimate herb of the winter worm and summer grass.
Next was the vermilion lotus. He didn't even know that one could go that size.
The sent of another rear plant caught his nostrils. He moved to check it and couldn't believe what he saw. It was the Fragrant Silk Woven Flower. It was the best antidote recorded in the secret list of the Xuan Tian Records. Within it's range,no poison would be effective. It's fragrance was able to neutralize all and any sorts of poison. Too bad it only neutralized the point instead of curing it.
He then proceed to explore more, finding different types of plants everywhere.
Now he had to meditate, and recall everything in Xuan Tian Records to find out which herbs would best help his cost.
Sitting with his legs crossed and eyes closed he began to do just that. Wether Du Gu Bo kept his promises or not,he had to hedge his bet.
Tangsan would always remain a man of his word.
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'Unedited.'