Douluo: Emerald Poison Emperor

"Xiao Ming, how did you know the name of this thing? And what is that stone you're holding?" Dugu Bo, feeling awkward and embarrassed, stuttered as he tried to change the subject, not wanting to further damage his fragile ego.

"How should I put it..." Chen Ming organized his thoughts before responding.

"If it's inconvenient, you don't have to explain. After all, everyone has their secrets. I'm just a little curious, that's all," Dugu Bo said quickly, thinking Chen Ming was unwilling to elaborate, and immediately tried to explain himself.

"It's not that it's inconvenient. Since we're on the same side, there's no problem sharing. I just don't know how to put it into words."

"I have an innate talent... I can perceive very abstract things."

"Not physical, not mental, but something deeper—things that can't be described with language. It's a sort of spiritual talent."

"Spiritual?" Dugu Bo was puzzled. He thought deeply about his understanding of the term, then tentatively asked, "Do you mean the soul?"

In this era where the evil soul masters were almost extinct, few people had witnessed such an intangible concept. Most could only infer the existence of souls indirectly through a soul master's martial soul or the soul rings left behind by soul beasts after their death.

Being a seasoned expert, Dugu Bo had indeed encountered souls before—ghosts born under unique circumstances. However, he had little in-depth understanding of what a soul truly was.

"Similar, but not the same. Even things without souls have spirituality. With my current knowledge, it's hard to explain."

"Alright, Xiao Ming, you don't need to explain further. I probably don't have the talent to understand this." Having been humbled countless times in a single day, Dugu Bo gave up trying to understand and instead began thinking about more pleasant matters.

"If you have this kind of talent, does that mean you can identify the names and properties of all these herbs here?"

"I've been guarding this treasure trove for so many years, and now, finally, there's a breakthrough. Fate truly works in mysterious ways."

"For the most part, I can identify them," Chen Ming replied, pausing for a moment to correct Dugu Bo's assumption.

"But it's not that I recognize them—it's that they tell me themselves. This Nine-Curve Ascension Dragon Grass, for example, was named in ancient times, and its uses were fixed back then. That's why I can speak about it so clearly. If it were any other immortal herb, I might not be so certain."

"However, I can generally discern their medicinal properties."

"That's good." Dugu Bo let out a sigh of relief. His gaze at the Nine-Curve Ascension Dragon Grass was filled with fervor.

"As for this stone, it was sent to me a few days ago by someone under His Highness the Crown Prince. It's the remains of a 100,000-year-old soul beast that fell in Biluoxia Canyon. It's something akin to a dragon core, but it's heavily damaged and doesn't have much functionality for now."

"The Crown Prince..." Hearing Chen Ming refer to Xue Qinghe as "His Highness the Crown Prince," Dugu Bo felt a headache coming on.

He had once been saved by Prince Xue Xing, and over the years, he had aligned himself with Xue Xing's faction. Although the favor had long been repaid, he had maintained close ties with Prince Xue Xing all this time.

It was well known that Prince Xue Xing didn't get along with the current Crown Prince, Xue Qinghe. While the two factions hadn't reached the point of open conflict, they were at least as incompatible as water and fire.

Now, Chen Ming, who had a close relationship with him, also seemed to be on good terms with the Crown Prince.

Forget it, forget it. Each generation has its destiny. Why should I concern myself with all this? After all, I've long since repaid my debts. These years, I've just been a nominal advisor. Why should I meddle in royal affairs?

Dugu Bo, unwilling to get involved in political matters, dismissed the thought after a brief headache and refocused on his concerns.

"Xiao Ming, do you think I can still consume this herb? If I can't, could Yan Yan use it instead?"

"In theory, it's still edible. But since you've already consumed it once and condensed an inner core, the herb's effect will be diminished. While eating it again won't be as painful, the most it can do now is improve your martial soul's quality."

"As for Yan Yan..." Chen Ming thought for a moment, then shook his head hesitantly.

"This herb works by activating one's essence and using its medicinal properties to assist in forming a dragon core. But Yan Yan's soul power level is too low, and her martial soul essence isn't strong enough. If she consumes the herb, she's guaranteed to fail in forming a core."

"At the very least, she'd need to reach level 40 and obtain her fourth soul ring before she could take this immortal herb and hope to form a core."

"Yan Yan can't take it for now, huh." Dugu Bo was slightly disappointed after hearing this, but he didn't dwell on it too much. After all, with such miraculous effects, it would be suspicious if there were no restrictions. "I'll save a few good herbs for Yan Yan. Once she's ready, I'll take one or two more myself to enhance my martial soul. That shouldn't be a problem, right?"

Dugu Bo rubbed his hands together, already fantasizing about his martial soul transforming into a dragon.

"I suggest you deal with your poison first before consuming them. Otherwise, if it gets out of control, it might be worse than not eating them at all."

Chen Ming's cold words brought Dugu Bo back to reality. Looking at the Nine-Curve Ascension Dragon Grass on the ground, which he had always avoided in the past, Dugu Bo felt a pang in his heart.

"I didn't dare eat it completely before because I didn't know its effects. Now that I know, I still can't eat it. What a cruel twist of fate."

Dugu Bo muttered to himself, turning away and forcing himself not to look at the precious herbs on the ground. But when his gaze landed on the unfamiliar herbs in the distance, his heart started racing again.

"If this herb alone has such incredible effects, then the others must be extraordinary as well. Are there any other treasures here that Yan Yan and I can use?"

"I've heard of miraculous herbs on the continent that can increase innate soul power. Maybe there's one or two of those in my garden? If Yan Yan eats them, could her talent improve even further?"

Dugu Bo rubbed his hands together, feeling parched with excitement.

This sense of exhilaration was the same as when he had first discovered this treasure trove.

Chen Ming stood up, still holding the dragon core in his hand, and began exploring nearby.

As he ventured further, the immortal herbs mentioned in the original story gradually appeared before him.

The most eye-catching was the pale pink Aromatic Silk Beauty, whose effects were truly unique.

When Chen Ming passed by and inhaled a faint whiff of its fragrance, his poison-based abilities were instantly suppressed.

It was strange—his poison attribute soul power was purified without causing him any harm. But when he moved further away, his poison attribute soul power returned to normal.

What puzzled him even more was that Dugu Bo didn't seem to notice the detoxifying effect of the Aromatic Silk Beauty. Seeing Chen Ming's bewildered expression, Dugu Bo was confused.

"Xiao Ming, what's wrong? Is there something wrong with this herb?"

"Grandpa, didn't you feel that when you got close to this flower, your poison abilities were instantly suppressed?"

Chen Ming pointed at the Aromatic Silk Beauty and asked Dugu Bo.

"Nope, I feel completely normal," Dugu Bo said as he moved closer, checking his soul power. He spread his hands, looking utterly baffled.

"Grandpa, why don't you release a bit of your poison attribute soul power and test it?" With the original story in mind and Dugu Bo's situation, Chen Ming had a bold hypothesis.

Hearing this, Dugu Bo raised his hand and released a small amount of poison attribute soul power. To avoid damaging the herb, the released soul power was weak and carefully controlled. But the moment it appeared, the poison attribute was purified, instantly turning into non-elemental soul power.

Unconvinced, Dugu Bo released a stronger stream of poison attribute soul power, but it was once again purified into pure soul power upon release.

Frustrated, he released a concentrated dose of pure poison. The result was even more shocking—it dissipated entirely upon release as if it had never existed.

This bizarre outcome startled Dugu Bo, and he quickly moved away from the Aromatic Silk Beauty's range.