The Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well had lost the Dragon Souls and Divine Bones of the Water and Fire Dragon Kings.
While the miraculous dual springs still retained some potency, they were now a shadow of their former selves. In a few thousand years, they would completely lose their magical properties and cease to be the legendary "treasure trove" they once were.
As Li Si finished absorbing the energy of the herbs and the Dragon Kings' gifts, he became acutely aware of two searing gazes boring into him.
The intense scrutiny made his scalp tingle.
Though he had gained immunity to both extreme cold and searing heat after consuming the Eight-Petal Ice Grass and Infernal Delicate Apricot—not to mention the gifts of the Dragon Kings—there was still one significant problem:
His clothes were not immune.
"Uh… could someone get me some clothes first? Then we can talk," Li Si muttered nervously to Tang Hao and Dugu Bo.
Hearing this, Dugu Bo coughed awkwardly, turning away as he shuffled off into the distance.
Meanwhile, Tang Hao remained calm, removing a bracelet-like Soul Tool from his belongings and placing it on the shore.
"This was your mother's keepsake. You've grown up now, so it's time you had it."
Tang Hao's voice was low and gruff.
"There are clothes inside—enough to last from infancy to adulthood. Some she bought; others she made by hand."
With that, Tang Hao turned and walked away without another word.
Li Si stared at the bracelet, his emotions complicated.
"So, Mom left me all these clothes, and yet you let me run around in patched rags? Really?"
Shaking his head, Li Si approached the bracelet, which was a delicate, light-blue band that exuded a feminine elegance.
Injecting it with soul power, Li Si accessed the storage space inside—about ten cubic meters in size.
The contents included a few coins, stacks of neatly folded clothes, and a rectangular wooden box.
Li Si's gaze lingered briefly on the box. Without opening it, he already knew what it contained:
The 100,000-year Blue Silver Emperor Right Leg Bone.
He looked away almost immediately, feeling no desire to use it.
Taking a soul bone from his own mother? That wasn't just disrespectful—it was abhorrent.
"I'm not like that hypocrite Tang San."
"At least I have a conscience."
Li Si chose a set of clothes that fit him and changed quickly. Dressed in clean, comfortable attire, he felt a newfound sense of confidence as he approached Tang Hao and Dugu Bo.
"Old Poison, let's skip the pleasantries," Li Si said bluntly.
"I'll cure the Martial Soul backlash poisoning for you and your granddaughter. In exchange, the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well belongs to me. Deal?"
Tang Hao raised an eyebrow, recalling how Li Si had previously mentioned that Dugu Bo and his granddaughter were poisoned by their own Martial Souls. He had doubted the claim at the time—how could a Title Douluo, an expert in poison, be harmed by his own techniques?
But the look on Dugu Bo's face right now told a different story.
Dugu Bo's entire body stiffened, his expression shifting between anger and shock. He wanted to grab Li Si by the collar and demand an explanation, but just as his fury boiled over, his gaze landed on Tang Hao.
Would he, Dugu Bo, stoop to bullying a junior in front of someone like Tang Hao?
No. Absolutely not.
"Kid… you're serious about this?" Dugu Bo finally asked, his voice trembling.
Li Si nodded. "Follow me."
Without waiting for a response, he led the way back to the spot where he had reburied the two Earth Dragon Golden Gourds.
Dugu Bo hesitated for only a moment before gritting his teeth and following. He had no other choice.
If Li Si had wanted to rob the well, he and Tang Hao could have done so without negotiation.
When they reached the site, Li Si knelt down and carefully unearthed the two Golden Gourds.
The sight of them still filled him with temptation, but his current state of energy saturation left no room for further absorption.
Holding up the gourds, Li Si turned to Dugu Bo.
"Old Poison, these are Earth Dragon Golden Gourds. They contain traces of dragon bloodline essence. Consume one, and both you and your granddaughter stand a high chance of evolving your Martial Souls."
Dugu Bo's emotions were a whirlwind.
"If this is true, then all this time…"
The solution to his decades-long struggle with Martial Soul backlash poisoning had been right here, buried under the soil.
"What am I, a fool?"
No, not a fool. A… lucky little cutie.
"You're sure about this?" Dugu Bo asked, his voice tinged with disbelief.
"Of course. If you don't want to use these, I have other methods to cure you—but forget about evolving your Martial Soul."
Li Si casually mentioned an alternative treatment. Though he could replicate Tang San's approach of using blood to neutralize the poison, his own blood was now far too potent and unpredictable. A single drop could kill Dugu Bo outright.
After a lengthy pause and much internal debate, Dugu Bo made his decision.
He would consume the Earth Dragon Golden Gourd.
Better to gamble on evolution than settle for a simple cure.
While Dugu Bo began the process of absorbing the gourd's power, Tang Hao turned to Li Si.
"Let's go. Show me where you replanted the Blue Silver Emperor."
With that, Tang Hao grabbed Li Si and shot off toward the sacred tree's new location.
Meanwhile, in Douluo Dalu (Anime) World
In the Shrek Academy courtyard, Dai Mubai was barking orders, his voice ringing loud and clear.
"Three months remain until the All-Continent Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament! During this time, we will undergo hellish training!"
"Do you understand?!"
"YES!"
"Good! Split into two groups!"
Dai Mubai smirked as he began assigning members to teams.
"Zhu Zhuqing, Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, Dugu Yan, Ye Lingling… and Jiang Zhu, come over here."
His tone was firm, but his intentions were… questionable.
(End of Chapter)