By the time the sky had fully brightened, Dugu Bo finally brought Chen Ming to the edge of a ring of emerald-green poisonous mist. Wrapping Chen Ming in his Spirit Power for protection, he leapt forward without hesitation, plunging straight into the toxic barrier.
What unfolded before Chen Ming's eyes was nothing short of breathtaking.
Countless rare and precious herbs grew across the earth like ordinary weeds, thriving in wild abundance. Streams of icy and fiery energy collided endlessly in the air, their constant clash giving rise to a strange, vibrant life force that nourished both the land and everything living upon it.
It was… incomprehensible.
Absolutely incomprehensible.
Even though Chen Ming had read descriptions of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well in his previous life—and had imagined what it might look like in this one—the moment he began analyzing it seriously, his mind flooded with contradictions and inconsistencies.
Existence implies reason… but what is the reason here?
He couldn't reconcile it.
The miraculous nature of this place undoubtedly stemmed from the fallen Ice and Fire Dragon Kings, yet the way their residual energies interacted—the transformation of opposing elements into something resembling a balanced yin-yang harmony—was beyond anything he could comprehend.
What kind of principle could make such an impossible phenomenon… possible?
If he truly were an emotionless AI capable of endless computation, he might have continued analyzing until his mind "crashed" on the spot. Fortunately, he could still pull himself back from the edge.
Seeing the shock written plainly across Chen Ming's face, Dugu Bo curled his lips into a faint, prideful smile.
"This is my treasured land," he said, a hint of arrogance in his voice. "Aside from me, you are the only one in this world who knows of it. If you can cure my poison, everything here is yours to use. But if you can't… then I'll have no choice but to keep you here forever."
Chen Ming didn't immediately respond. Instead, his gaze swept across the basin-like terrain, the icy peaks rising within the Yin Yang Well.
"Senior Dugu," he said slowly, "do you know why Sunset Forest is called Sunset Forest?"
Dugu Bo glanced at him, slightly surprised by the question, but answered anyway.
"There are three common explanations. One says the sunsets here are particularly beautiful. Another claims that the founding emperor of the Heaven Dou Empire named it after defeating a powerful enemy and destroying a nation here. The third… is simply that it has always been called Sunset Forest, so the name stuck."
Chen Ming shook his head faintly.
"The third explanation actually originates from a vague legend, though most people dismiss it as nothing more than myth."
He paused, then recited:
"Hundreds of thousands of years ago, the heavens collapsed and the earth split apart. A great star fell from the sky—the 'sun' itself descended, crashing into the land. Lava surged, blood rained from the heavens, and ghosts wailed across the world. Ten thousand years later, Sunset Forest was formed."
"This description appears in the geographical records of the Heaven Dou Empire, though its source is long lost."
Chen Ming gestured toward the surrounding terrain.
"But looking at this landscape… don't you think it resembles something that was struck by a massive falling object?"
"Sunset Forest… 'falling sun.' Which came first—the 'sun' or the forest?"
Dugu Bo fell silent.
"Sunset… falling sun…" he murmured, rolling the words over in his mind as his gaze swept across the sunken terrain.
In that instant, it was as though a bolt of lightning flashed through his thoughts.
Yes—why couldn't it be literal?
What if the forest was named not for its sunsets, but because a "sun" had truly fallen here?
This place… the very heart of Sunset Forest… might well be the impact site of that ancient celestial fall.
And this treasure basin, rich beyond imagination, could very well have been born from that very event.
"…I see now," Dugu Bo muttered, a newfound clarity settling over him. "That makes far more sense."
...
Because Chen Ming's cultivation level was still too low, Dugu Bo could only allow him to remain at the outer edge of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, near the poisonous barrier. If he went any deeper, the violent clash of energies would easily throw his body into imbalance.
It was only at this moment, his earlier excitement cooling slightly, that Dugu Bo realized just how recklessly he had acted—placing his trust in a boy younger than his own granddaughter, and even bringing him into his most secret sanctuary.
Yet, after thinking it through, he could only sigh inwardly.
He truly had no other choice.
Not to mention the fact that even if other long-famous experts could see through his poisoning, simply asking them for treatment would come at an unknown and likely enormous cost. And even then, whether it could actually be cured—or to what extent—was completely uncertain.
Worse still, if someone with ulterior motives followed the trail back here, even this hidden sanctuary of his might no longer be safe.
But this boy… the way he spoke, so structured and convincing—surely he wasn't completely incompetent.
With that thought in mind, Dugu Bo began deliberately testing Chen Ming's knowledge of medicine and poison. Yet after only a few questions, he found himself in a state of utter confusion.
"Your theories are all correct. Your concepts are sound—some of them are even things I hadn't considered, and they've given me quite a bit of inspiration," Dugu Bo said, his expression growing increasingly strange. "But when it comes to actual prescriptions, or how to prepare and counteract poisons… you don't know a thing. Can you even call that studying medicine?"
He frowned deeply, clearly unsettled.
"How in the world did you end up like this?"
To him, Chen Ming was utterly contradictory. When speaking broadly, he sounded like a seasoned master, enough to make even Dugu Bo feel like an inexperienced novice. But the moment specifics came into play—formulas, preparation, detoxification—he was completely clueless.
In all his years, Dugu Bo had never encountered someone so… bizarre.
"I've just read some books and thought things through on my own," Chen Ming replied calmly. "If Senior is willing to teach me some poison and medical techniques, I believe I can learn quite quickly."
"Oh?" Dugu Bo raised a brow. "How quickly?"
"I have a photographic memory," Chen Ming said simply, "and I can infer many things from a single example."
"…Fine."
With a snort, Dugu Bo tossed one of his personal poison manuals toward him and sat down cross-legged in front of him.
"I'll give you an hour. Memorize it."
Chen Ming caught the book, flipped it open, and glanced at its thin pages—barely thicker than his palm.
"An hour won't be necessary. Half that will suffice."
As he spoke, he began flipping through the pages at a rapid pace, his mind already accelerating into overdrive.
Using his eyes as input, he recorded every word and diagram into memory, cataloging and cross-referencing them against the knowledge he had accumulated. Even while deliberately slowing himself down to avoid appearing too inhuman—and taking time to integrate the information with his existing understanding—the twenty-thousand-word manual took him only a little over ten minutes to fully absorb.
"Senior, I'm done," Chen Ming said, closing the book and handing it back.
Dugu Bo didn't respond immediately. Instead, he casually flipped to a random page and began testing him.
"What's written on page three?"
"It covers the classification of snake venoms," Chen Ming answered without hesitation. "From pages two to five, eleven types of snake poison are described in detail. Starting from page five, the methods of treatment are listed."
"There are six pages of treatments, but only nine actual solutions. Two types of venom are considered incurable—one from the Nine Segment Jade Serpent, and the other from the Nether Poison Python."
"The Nine Segment Jade Serpent's poison acts too quickly and penetrates too deeply, destroying the body before treatment can even begin. As for the Nether Poison Python, its toxin embeds itself in both soul power and spirit. Treating the physical body alone is useless. The book suggests that only a Spirit Master specializing in purification might be able to cure it—conventional medicine cannot."
"…."
Dugu Bo flipped through the pages, confirming each point. Not a single detail was off.
Silently, he placed the book beside his leg… then pulled out two more and tossed them to Chen Ming.
An hour later, staring at the small stack of books piled beside him, Dugu Bo felt cold sweat trickling down his back.