A cold light flickered in Liu Erlong's eyes. "What a pity. If our strength were greater—if we could reach the Soul Douluo realm and unleash our Martial Soul Fusion Technique—we might have killed that old monster just now."
The Great Master shook his head. "It wouldn't be that easy. Did you notice that Dugu Bo seemed to be holding back during our fight? He wasn't using his full power. Otherwise, I doubt any of us would have lasted that long."
Flandre nodded. "Once we get back, we'll immediately send people to find Tang San's father. As long as we can bring him here, then it won't matter what Dugu Bo's true intentions are."
The three of them had recovered a portion of their Soul Power by now. With the pills Dugu Bo had given them in their mouths, they began making their way out of the Setting Sun Great Forest.
Dugu Bo returned to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. With the aid of his Eight Spider Lances, Tang San managed to keep up without falling behind. By now, the sky had gradually brightened. After an entire night of turmoil, a faint trace of weariness showed on Dugu Bo's aged face.
Although his strength far exceeded that of the Great Master's trio, the time when the Golden Iron Triangle had arrived happened to coincide with the worst period of his daily agony—the hours when he wished for death. The subsequent battle had also placed considerable pressure on him. His Soul Power was still ample, but his physical stamina had dipped somewhat.
After all, age spares no one.
Dugu Bo glanced at Tang San, noting the changes in the Eight Spider Lances behind him. "Boy, did you eat something? Don't say I didn't warn you—the medicinal properties of the herbs here are far more potent than ordinary ones. Even a tonic could prove fatal."
Tang San smiled faintly. "Old monster, since when did you start caring about me? I thought you couldn't wait for me to die."
Dugu Bo's expression turned cold. "That's right. If you fail my test, you still die. Time's up—are you ready?"
Tang San stepped sideways across three paces along the spring, planted his feet, and said calmly, "Come at me."
Dugu Bo regarded him with some puzzlement. "You're really ready?"
Tang San nodded again and made a beckoning gesture.
Dugu Bo gave a cold snort. He flicked his right middle finger toward Tang San, and a wisp of pale green mist drifted silently forth. Dugu Bo truly deserved his reputation as a grandmaster among Poison Soul Masters—what appeared to be a simple act of poisoning had the green fog spreading in an instant, blanketing Tang San's body completely.
Tang San stood there without so much as a flinch, watching him calmly. "Old monster, this is your first test, right? Hurry up and bring on the second. Your Jade Phosphor Serpent venom is too mild—completely useless."
Dugu Bo was momentarily stunned. What he was seeing plainly contradicted everything he knew about poisons. Tang San hadn't taken any antidote at all—he was simply standing there, chatting and smiling without a care. As the green mist dissipated, not a single change showed on his body. He didn't look poisoned in the slightest.
The green mist Dugu Bo had released was only a probing attack, easily neutralized at the best of times, but for Tang San to dismiss it so effortlessly was something he hadn't anticipated. Although he had already decided not to kill Tang San, his pride in his mastery of poison was absolute.
A competitive spark ignited in his eyes. His gaze flashed with an emerald gleam, and with a flip of his palm, a small jade-green snake appeared in his hand.
"Second test—just let it bite you." As he spoke, he tossed the little snake toward Tang San.
The reason Tang San had so easily withstood Dugu Bo's first wave of poison mist was quite simple. Those few sideways steps he had taken earlier had placed him precisely within the protective range of the Delicate Fairy Fragrance. Forget that Dugu Bo hadn't been using his full power—even if he had unleashed his most potent toxin, it wouldn't have harmed Tang San in the slightest.
From the fact that Dugu Bo remained completely unaware of this, Tang San could tell that this Poison Douluo didn't recognize all the herbs growing here.
However, this second-stage test would not be so easy to deflect. The Delicate Fairy Fragrance could only block external toxins—once poison entered the bloodstream, it had no power to help.
Tang San flipped his wrist, and the small jade-green snake landed in his palm. The creature's body was nearly transparent, about five inches long, with a soft green luminescence swirling within. Its pair of tiny crimson eyes made it look oddly adorable. On its green body were nine horizontal bands resembling bamboo joints. It wriggled gently in Tang San's palm before opening its mouth without hesitation and biting down.
Hiss. The little green snake's body convulsed. That bite hadn't made a dent. Though it was a creature of supreme venom, Tang San's Mysterious Jade Hand was specifically designed to counter all manner of poisons and was extraordinarily resilient—clearly far beyond what its fangs could penetrate.