Hot Pot with Ice and Fire

Chapter 12 Hot Pot with Ice and Fire

Zhongli was naturally unaware of the master's pain and helplessness at that moment. Even if he did know, he wouldn't feel much pity.

Having read the original "Douluo Continent" novel, he knew all too well what kind of person this "Master" was. In his thousands of years of life as the Rock King Emperor, he believed he had rarely encountered such a shameless person.

He clearly exploited his relationship with Bibi Dong and her affection for him to extract information and hard work compiled by countless predecessors of the Spirit Hall, and dared to claim it as his own, even believing that Bibi Dong had wronged him.

What's even more infuriating is that, in Zhong Li's memory, there was a plot in the original work where Yu Xiaogang, in order to fulfill his wish and make Tang San, the Sea God, realize his talent of twin martial souls, actually had the audacity to go to Bibi Dong, the Pope of the Spirit Hall, who was a mortal enemy of the Clear Sky Sect and the Tang family, to ask for a method to cultivate twin martial souls without exploding his body.

A tree without bark is doomed to die; a person without shame is invincible.

He felt that to unleash a killing blow on such a clown and fraudster would be to desecrate his divine weapon.

Ironically, in the original timeline, this kind of deceitful and charlatan was actually renowned throughout the world, with his statue standing in the central square of Shrek City for ten thousand years.

Zhong Li shook his head, deciding to stop thinking about it. He had essentially achieved his goal of coming to Soto City to see Shrek Academy and Tang San and his group of original protagonists firsthand. However, since he had finally managed to get out of the city, he didn't plan to return to the capital immediately.

At least go and get to that "big hot pot" first.

Zhongli is already planning how to allocate the resources in the Yin-Yang Well. These are rare strategic resources in the world; in the original work, Tang San and his group were able to break through to level 100 and become gods thanks to the help of these flowers and plants.

First is the Golden Dragon Sweet Potato, which can purify the bloodline of the dragon race; a candidate has already been chosen for this.

The reason Dugu Bo followed Zhong Li and protected him in the shadows like a bodyguard was certainly not because of the Heavenly Dou Empire or his emperor father. Let alone the fifth prince, even Prince Xuexing, who had been kind to Dugu Bo, wouldn't necessarily agree to such a trip; however, doing so would essentially erase the debt of gratitude.

Zhongli, naturally, bestowed upon him a debt of gratitude ten or even a hundred times greater than that of Prince Xuexing, a debt that Dugu Bo could never repay.

When they first met, Zhongli took the opportunity, just like Tang San in the original novel, to point out the problems with Dugu Bo.

"Whenever it's cloudy or rainy, do you experience a tingling or itchy sensation in your rib area, which gradually intensifies? This usually occurs around noon and midnight, and given your current condition, each episode should last for at least an hour. Also, around midnight, you experience needle-like stabbing pains on the top of your head and around your heart. You also experience full-body spasms that last for at least half an hour."

Then, Zhongli offered two solutions.

One method is the one given by Tang San in the original work: as long as Dugu Bo slowly guides the poison into his soul bone, he can gradually resolve the backlash and no longer need to endure such unbearable pain every day.

However, this method also has limitations, at least Zhongli could see it at a glance. In fact, it's quite simple: the amount of toxins a soul bone can hold is limited, especially toxins at the level of a Title Douluo.

A person can only possess a maximum of six soul bones, excluding rare external soul bones, and Dugu Bo hasn't even collected all six yet. This method, which only addresses the symptoms, might work for eight or ten years, but if it goes on any longer, the consequences are unpredictable.

However, Zhongli also told Dugu Bo a second method that could address both the symptoms and the root cause. That was to consume the "Golden Dragon Sweet Potato" grown within the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well, and then refine it using the immortal cultivation method Zhongli provided. This would give him an 80-90% chance of his "Azure Phosphorous Serpent Emperor" martial soul evolving, freeing him from the toxin's affliction. After all, the toxin's backlash was essentially a flaw in his martial soul.

Dugu Bo sighed softly and told Zhongli with some emotion that there were indeed plants in the Yin-Yang Eyes that matched Zhongli's description of the Golden Dragon Sweet Potato; however, there was probably only one mature and edible Golden Dragon Sweet Potato at present.

This situation isn't entirely unexpected; after all, the Golden Dragon Sweet Potato was mentioned in the original "Douluo Continent" series during the third part, "Legend of the Dragon King," which was 20,000 years ago. 20,000 years isn't a long time for such a rare and precious treasure, but it's not short either.

After much pain and hesitation, Dugu Bo finally made a decision: he would use the first method Zhongli had suggested to temporarily suppress the toxins in his body, leaving the opportunity to purify his martial soul to his granddaughter.

"I have no chance of making any progress. But Yan'er is still young, she still has a chance. Alas."

Zhong Li still remembers the look of melancholy and desolation on Dugu Bo's face at that time.

Zhong Li didn't say anything at the time. However, for Zhong Li, if Dugu Bo could truly fulfill his alliance with him in the future, then not only would purifying a martial soul for him be acceptable, but even helping him break through to the so-called "level 100" in this world wouldn't be out of the question!

In Morax, throughout his long life spanning thousands of years, all the affections and sentiments were deeply etched in his heart, as if they were engraved on rocks.

However, all of this was based on Zhong Li's impressions of the Douluo Continent novel. In fact, this was his first time actually visiting the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well.

Dugu Bo, Zhong Li, and Ying headed north into the Sunset Forest. The air was much cooler there; it was a forest of spirit beasts somewhat close to the frigid zone.

As Zhongli entered the forest, he heard the roars of beasts. The atmosphere here was completely different from the artificially maintained royal hunting grounds; it possessed a wild, untamed quality. The roars here carried less of a despairing sadness and more of a free and unrestrained pride.

For a moment, Zhongli couldn't help but recall the days he spent roaming the mountains and fields with his old friends in that most ancient era, before the founding of Liyue.

"Both of you, take this pill and you'll be fine once you enter the poisonous fog."

Dugu Bo handed Zhongli and Ying a dark green pill each and gave them instructions.

Zhong Li didn't hesitate much and swallowed the pill directly. Having read the original Douluo Continent novel, he naturally knew Dugu Bo's character; and seeing Zhong Li take the pill, Ying didn't hesitate either, and swallowed the pill as well.

Seeing this, even Dugu Bo felt a pang of emotion. He knew, of course, that Zhongli was no naive young master who knew nothing; on the contrary, he was extremely shrewd and unfathomable. Sometimes, facing this boy who clearly looked no more than twelve years old, he felt as if he were facing an even older monster.

If the other party does this, there's only one possibility: they genuinely trust you. That's all.

After crossing the poison array, the legendary Yin-Yang Eye of Ice and Fire finally appeared before Zhongli.

"I see."

Seeing through appearances to the essence. The moment Zhongli stood before the Yin-Yang Well of Ice and Fire, his spiritual senses detected the aura of "laws." Although this aura was extremely faint, it was undeniably real, existing beneath the two colors of the lake.

For demon gods like Morax and Balzeb at their peak, this law was weak, not even comparable to the demonic obstacles that were ubiquitous in Liyue. However, compared to the titled Douluo of this world, it was a power on a completely different level.

It was under the influence of this force that, after countless millennia, this strange Yin-Yang Eye of Ice and Fire was formed.

"Are these the remains of the Ice Dragon King and the Fire Dragon King?"

Zhong Li recalled a setting mentioned later in the original work: after the two great dragon kings of the divine realm perished, the Yin-Yang Well of Ice and Fire was formed here. Indeed, dragons seemed to be extremely powerful beings in every world. In truth, he himself had some connection with beings like "dragons."

"Young friend, where is this place? I sense a faint trace of dragon energy. Although it's very weak, it is indeed of some use to me."

The voice of "Brother Zheng," who hadn't spoken for a long time, rang in Zhong Li's mind.

"This place is the Yin-Yang Well of Ice and Fire. There is an ice dragon and a fire dragon, and their souls are still at the bottom of this pool."

Zhong Li explained.

"I see. You can stay here a little longer. Once I've absorbed all the dragon energy overflowing from here, I might gain more power."

"Brother Zheng," he said. Zhong Li nodded in agreement.

"Your Highness, do you recognize all the medicinal herbs here?"

Dugu Bo, unable to contain his curiosity, asked.

(End of this chapter)