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Yang Xiong only glanced around the vicinity of the Ice-Fire Yin Yang Well before leaving without hesitation.
Given Dugu Bo's current strength, killing Yang Xiong would be as effortless as squashing an ant. If Yang Xiong were to encounter Dugu Bo, he wouldn't stand a chance of survival.
This was Dugu Bo's lair, and it was entirely possible that Dugu Bo was secretly observing him. Any hint of interest from Yang Xiong could provoke Dugu Bo into silencing him permanently—or at the very least, arouse suspicion, potentially causing trouble for him in the future.
With his current strength, Yang Xiong had no hope of entering the Ice-Fire Yin Yang Well. Only someone like Sword Elder or Bone Elder might have a chance, but they were unaware of its value and wouldn't risk offending Dugu Bo for something so mysterious. Moreover, Yang Xiong didn't want to reveal the true worth of the immortal herbs.
After leaving the area, Yang Xiong subtly made his way toward Tian Dou City. On one hand, he intended to continue his training; on the other, he awaited the opportune moment.
Yang Xiong had already calculated the timing carefully. In about a month, it would be Emperor Xue Ye's 80th birthday—the biggest event in the Tian Dou Empire in the past six months.
It was said that the Tian Dou Imperial Family had spared no effort in preparing for Emperor Xue Ye's birthday celebration. The banquet was expected to be extraordinarily grand.
To showcase the empire's prosperity, Emperor Xue Ye had invited guests from all over. Not only were the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan invited, but even minor sects across the empire had received invitations.
In Yang Xiong's estimation, this event would likely draw attendees not only from within the empire but also representatives from the Spirit Hall and the Star Luo Empire. After all, the Tian Dou Empire was one of the two dominant powers on the continent, officially recognized as the ruling authority.
At such a significant gathering, Dugu Bo—the sole Title Douluo serving as a guest elder of the Tian Dou Imperial Family—would undoubtedly attend. Without him, the empire wouldn't be able to handle the powerful figures from various factions, especially if the Spirit Hall sent someone like Ju Douluo.
Yang Xiong had been timing his stay in Sunset Forest precisely to locate the Ice-Fire Yin Yang Well before this event.
As for the ownership of the immortal herbs inside, they weren't planted by Dugu Bo—merely temporarily under his control. He didn't even recognize their value, making them essentially ownerless.
Whether Tang San and the Shrek Seven Devils would later obtain any immortal herbs wasn't something Yang Xiong concerned himself with.
In a sense, the Hao Tian Sect and the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect were allies. Yet, apart from selling expensive hidden weapons to the sect, Tang San hadn't done anything meaningful for the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect. In fact, the sect had sacrificed both Sword Elder and Bone Elder to save him—a transaction that could be considered the most costly loss for the sect.
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In the following days, Yang Xiong continued his training along this route. Occasionally, he engaged in battles with low-level spirit beasts, but he prioritized efficiency. If he couldn't defeat a spirit beast quickly, he would immediately teleport away.
One day, as Yang Xiong was battling a thousand-year Thousand-Pound Ant, a terrifying aura suddenly swept through the sky, as if a powerful figure was approaching from above.
Yang Xiong sensed that this aura was extraordinary—it was completely different from what he had felt from Sword Elder or Bone Elder. There was a faint stench of poison in the air.
Having studied various poisons extensively over the years, Yang Xiong immediately recognized the toxic nature of this aura. The overwhelming pressure clearly emanated from a Title Douluo. Had it been aimed at him, even just the poison alone would have been unbearable.
Pretending not to notice, Yang Xiong continued his fight with the Thousand-Pound Ant.
After half an hour, once he confirmed that Dugu Bo had left and wouldn't return, Yang Xiong swiftly made his way back to the Ice-Fire Yin Yang Well.
Calculating the time, there were still three full days until Emperor Xue Ye's actual birthday. This period represented his only opportunity. If he missed it, he'd have to wait a long time for another chance to enter.
To avoid arousing Dugu Bo's suspicion, Yang Xiong had deliberately trained twenty kilometers away from the Ice-Fire Yin Yang Well. This allowed him to monitor Dugu Bo's movements while remaining inconspicuous.
When Yang Xiong returned to the outskirts of the Ice-Fire Yin Yang Well, his eyes burned with excitement. Before him lay the greatest treasure in the world of Douluo—and its owner was temporarily absent.
Suppressing his inner thrill, Yang Xiong retrieved a peculiar suit of armor from his storage device.
The armor was split down the middle at the chest and had been crafted at great expense. Its main body was forged from deep-sea sunken silver, while the joints were connected with high-grade spirit beast hide—specifically, the skin of a ten-thousand-year Ice Crystal Toad.
The Ice Crystal Toad was known as the nemesis of snake-type spirit beasts, immune to all snake venoms. Its skin had a unique suppressive effect against the potent toxins of snake-type spirit beasts.
The helmet of the armor was crafted entirely from deep-sea sunken silver, with a piece of Black Crystal Stone embedded in the front. This stone was resistant to strong poisons and allowed light to pass through, albeit with limited visibility.
As an added precaution, Yang Xiong had coated the entire exterior of the armor with Ice Crystal Toad venom, forming an icy crystalline layer that could withstand the venom of the Jade Phosphorus Serpent.
Yang Xiong had tested the armor at home. Even submerged in his swimming pool, he could move freely while wearing it. He had spent half an hour underwater in the armor, and not a drop of water had seeped through.
However, the armor's drawback was its lack of flexibility. It allowed only minimal movement, and the fingers couldn't move at all. While it resembled the spacesuits of Earth's astronauts in appearance, its protection was far superior, though its mobility was significantly worse.
After donning the armor, Yang Xiong slung a thin, lengthy steel cable over his shoulder. One end of the cable was fitted with a sharp grappling hook.
Once everything was ready, he slowly began to make his way into the heart of the poisonous mist.
Visibility within the mist was extremely poor, and Dugu Bo's poison traps further complicated matters. However, the primary threat came from the ice and fire toxins of the Ice-Fire Yin Yang Well.
As Yang Xiong ventured deeper, the Ice Crystal Toad venom coating on the armor began to dissolve, and even the deep-sea sunken silver struggled to withstand the corrosive effects of the poison traps.
Gritting his teeth, Yang Xiong pushed forward, knowing he had to cross the trap zone as quickly as possible. Once the armor completely dissolved, he would be reduced to a pool of blood.
After nearly an hour of painstaking progress, he finally reached a cliffside. From below, he could feel an even stronger surge of ice and fire energy.
Overjoyed, Yang Xiong immediately used his soul power to drive the grappling hook into the cliff face. He then wrapped the cable around his arm several times and slowly began descending using his soul power to control the descent.
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