Douluo Dalu - Volume 09 - Golden Iron Triangle Read online

  “There’s a hot spring here?”

  Tang San astonished couldn’t help but say.

  Dugu Bo shot him a glance,

  “Kid, you know more than I expected.”

  Tang San said:

  “I’d never fail to recognize the smell of a hot spring. Your medicine garden is at the edge of a hot spring? This is a good location.”

  Hot springs generally weren’t suitable for nourishing plants because of the excessive mineral content in the water, but some special plants were different. They required precisely the minerals and heat of the hot spring. According to what Tang San knew, there were a lot of poisonous plants that were like this.

  “Follow me.”

  Dugu Bo displayed his strength, directly leaping into the bottomless darkness from side of the mountain. Because of the thick mist and night, as well as the sharpness of the overhanging cliff, Dugu Bo’s silhouette disappeared into the watery mist in just the blink of an eye.

  ‘Is he deliberately making things difficult for me?’ Pride flashed in Tang San’s eyes, ‘If you think something like this will hinder me, then think again.’

  Purple light flashed from his back as Eight Spider Lances released once again. Tang San didn’t jump off like Dugu Bo, but rather relied on the lower two lances of Eight Spider Lances to stretch downwards and, with a cheng sound, thrust into the mountain wall. Immediately afterward, the eight spider legs alternately used force, swiftly bringing Tang San down the mountain wall as if his shoes stepped on level ground.

  With the sharpness and spider leg properties of Eight Spider Lances, they could ignore the vast majority of terrain. Such a precipitous mountain wall might be able to hinder other people, but it caused no problems for Eight Spider Lances.

  As Dugu Bo fell into the mountain he couldn’t help but be pleased with himself, ‘Kid, I won’t pull you, I’ll see how you get down. If you run away, then that only proves you’re just a cowardly little junior.’

  Of course, if Tang San truly jumped down, Dugu Bo Wouldn’t let him be injured. With his strength, catching Tang San was a simple matter. Along with Tang San showing his cool head and strength, Dugu Bo had already become more and more interested in this kid. From what he’d seen, Dugu Bo thought he was more mature than ordinary youngsters, and still had a kind of special character, a planning strategist.

  After a long time without seeing Tang San jump down, Dugu Bo didn’t know why, but he felt somewhat disappointed. As he’d just started thinking this was just a cowardly child, he saw a silhouette quickly make its way along the mountain wall. With his eyesight he could naturally see the circumstances of that silhouette.

  Part 2 (TL by Bagelson)

  “That external spirit bone can even be used like this?”

  Astonishment flashed through Dugu Bo’s eyes but he didn’t say anything, only looked at Tang San with the Eight Spider Lances on his back moving swiftly, in a moment arriving in front of him.

  With Purple Demon Eye, Tang San’s eyesight wasn’t any worse than Dugu Bo’s at night. Tang San didn’t look at Dugu Bo, but rather gazed into the scene in the ravine. What made him astonished was that the hot spring in the ravine wasn’t anything like he had imagined. While the hot spring wasn’t large, it was split into two parts: in the oval pool the waters of the hot spring was actually separately colored milky white and vermillion. Even more bizarre, even though they were in the same pool they remained clearly separated, not encroaching on each other and constantly keeping to their own sides.

  That surging mist rose from the center of these two kinds of hot spring waters, unceasingly rising until it scattered at the top of the ravine.

  “This, this is……”

  As Tang San looked at this scene he couldn’t keep from trembling in excitement. He had never expected to see such a magnificent sight in this world. Even though he had never seen it before, he remembered a description of something similar.

  In Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record’s Hundred Weapon Separation, besides hidden weapons, was a chapter specially dedicated to poison. Recorded inside were some extremely rare drugs and potent toxins, as well as heavenly treasure materials. But at the end of this chapter were the detailed accounts of three great treasure bowls[ A “treasure bowl” is a treasure that can create unlimited riches, the Chinese equivalent of the Greek horn of plenty or Sampo from the Finnish Kalevala epic.].

  What is called ‘treasures’ doesn’t actually refer to gold or gems, but rather treasure bowls of medicine, three kinds of natural environments. Ordinary plants were basically unable to grow in these three great treasure bowl environments since they couldn’t adapt to that special atmosphere, but certain valuable plants could nevertheless be cultured in these three great treasure bowls. Moreover, the time required for these rare plants to grow would be reduced tenfold. Simply put, if a lingzhi mushroom[ (灵芝) Lingzhi mushroom is a medical plant in traditional Chinese medicine.] grew in any one of the three great treasure bowls for ten years, it would have the effect of a hundred year lingzhi mushroom.

  The three great treasure bowls were rich in resources, pregnant with beauty and productive of talent, a place where the spiritual influence of Heaven gathered. And wasn’t this scene exactly identical to one of the three great treasure bowls described in the Mysterious Heavenly Treasure Record?

  “Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. Is this actually an Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well?”

  An Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well referred to just this kind of Heaven favored spring, two wells in one, yin and yang mutually restraining each other. Ten million years might not be enough to form such a precious place!

  In his life being able to see one of the three great treasure bowls where the quintessence of Heaven was condensed, how could Tang San not be excited? Now he finally understood how this old freak could still survive despite his own powerful poison and was even able to cultivate to the Title Douluo realm. This was inextricably linked to this Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.

  The Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well wasn’t just for growing things. At the same time it had extremely unusual effects on the human body. If humans or maybe animals stayed at the side of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, then in a very short time their bodies would be attacked by two kinds of extremely potent Heavenly spiritual influences. If they didn’t leave fast enough, their bodies were bound to burst and die. But to someone as toxic as Dugu Bo, it could have enormous benefits. Extreme heat and extreme cold both had a restraining effect on poisonous substances. And a Heavenly treasure location like this Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well had an even greater restraining effect on poison. Otherwise it would still be impossible for all kinds of rare plants to grow here simultaneously.

  With the suppression of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, Dugu Bo was able to all along keep the poison in his body from flaring up. The Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well’s properties protected the plants in the surroundings, and became a contributing factor to Dugu Bo’s survival.

  “Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well? What are you talking about?”

  Dugu Bo somewhat suspicious looked at Tang San.

  Tang San forcefully calmed his surging mind, doing his utmost not to let his joy out,

  “It’s nothing, I just didn’t expect there would actually be such a good place here. If I originally only had a thirty percent chance of treating your poison, then with this Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, my certainty has increased to fifty percent.”

  “What? Only fifty percent?”

  Dugu Bo’s tone of voice immediately displayed an ill intent,

  “Kid, are you trying to cheat me?”

  Tang San coldly said:

  “Why would I need to cheat you? You’ve been steeped in excessive poison mist for so many years, having a fifty percent probability of a cure is already the maximum. Otherwise, even if I can’t cure you, it will still be enough to blunt the pain. As for your granddaughter, I’m confident in my ability to treat her even without the help of this Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.

  Dugu Bo’s
complexion improved a bit at this, pointing to the surroundings of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well he said:

  “All my medical plants grow here. Every kind of poison and tonic. You can use whatever you like, but if you dare wreck this place I’ll make you wish you were dead. I’ll relax the time restrictions a bit. The day after tomorrow, if you can’t pass my test, then it will be your last day. Of course, you can still try to run. But let me tell you that this is a well known spirit beast forest, apart from this mountain where spirit beasts don’t dare enter because of my poison, the spirit beasts outside are of at least the thousand year level. If you run, the spirit beasts will tear you to pieces without me needing to dirty my hands.”

  Finished speaking, Dugu Bo leapt up, the tips of his toes touching the mountain wall, climbing out of the ravine like a giant bird. As his silhouette disappeared above, his voice once again echoed down,

  “Kid, bear in mind, don’t get close to that double hot spring. Even I can’t endure the blazing heat and extreme cold there for long. If you touch it, you will die.”

  Watching Dugu Bo’s silhouette gradually disappear in the watery mist, Tang San’s lip gradually turned into an arc, ‘What are you saying? I won’t commit suicide again, how would I let myself easily turn into ash in the waters of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well?’ In fact, that might be the coldest and hottest place between heaven and earth.

  With Dugu Bo gone, Tang San no longer had to restrain his excitement, quickly stepping over to the side of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well with fiery red spring water. Bizarrely, the surface of this tranquil hot spring didn’t seem to give off any heat at all.

  Tang San of course wouldn’t be deceived, the temperature of this red liquid could be compared to lava. If curiosity compelled him to reach down and touch it, then wherever it touched him would instantly burn away.

  Drawing a deep breath, Tang San only felt his heartbeat constantly speed up. This was the first time he had been so uncontainably excited in this life, even in his last life it could only compare to when he made the Buddha Fury Tang Lotus.

  Focusing his eyes, Purple Demon Eye activated.

  Sparkling and translucent purple light condensed in his eyes. Under the full effect of Mysterious Heaven Skill, everything became exceptionally clear to his eyes. Even in the watery mist, the light from the moon and stars was enough for Tang San to be able to see everything around him clearly.

  The surroundings of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well were covered with all sorts of plants, in different poses and with different expressions, it seemed like a botanical paradise. And all the plants here were precious and uncommon, just a glance left Tang San somewhat stunned.

  Not far away, close to the edge of the milky white side of the hot spring, was a small thing looking like a tiny larvae. Tang San cautiously crouched, observing it attentively, and was immediately shocked.

  “This, this is snow silkworm? The top quality winter larvae summer grass[ (冬虫夏草) “Winter larvae summer grass” is a literal translation of what is called “caterpillar fungus” in English, but a literal translation is used to make sense of the following text. It’s a real thing: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ophiocordyceps_sinensis ], snow silkworm?”

  He recognized it at a glance, and his heartbeat seemed to speed up even more.

  Tang Sect was world-renowned for their poison, and their research into medicine was exceedingly thorough, the life’s work of countless Tang Sect members. As an outer sect disciple, even though Tang San originally couldn’t study the essence of the inner sect, his understanding of every kind of medicine was extremely profound since he would frequently temper the mechanical type hidden weapons he made with poison. Whether it was poison or antidotes, he was incomparably proficient in both. Otherwise how could he have recognized at a glance that Poison Douluo Dugu Bo was suffering the side effects of his own poison?

  The larvae grass was in itself a kind of top quality drug ingredient. What was called winter larvae summer grass, “larvae grass” for short, was actually a kind of parasitic fungus growing from larvae. This kind of larvae grass fungus would in the winter live in the larvae, chrysalis or imago of certain Lepitoptera class insects — alpine moths and wasps, infecting their bodies, absorbing nutrients, the mycelium gradually spreading through the body of the larvae, the larvae stiffening and dying. Then in spring and summer, the fungal spores would germinate in the dead larvae, sprouting as a stick like fruiting body from the larvae’s head. Like this it earned the name larvae grass.

  And snow silkworm was another name for the best quality of larvae grass. This kind of larvae grass was ash white on the outside with ring marks; its whole body had more than eight, the four middle ones most distinct. Snapping it to discern quality, the break surface should be quite smooth, white with a bit of yellow, the fruiting body slender, dark brown, almost coconut color, cylindrical, longer than the larvae. The topmost part swollen with spores, the outside yellow, the inside white, rounded and fat, not only bigger than common larvae grass, but also with much better efficacy.

  The snow silkworms in front of Tang San were twice the size of those he had seen in his previous life, this cluster had at least several jin’s worth. Even though snow silkworms were regarded as a heavenly treasure material, Tang San had never even heard of ones with such quality.

  Immediately afterward, Tang San also took note of another plant right next to the snow silkworm. This thing had a tan surface and yellow red cross section, single leaf alternate phyllotaxy, the stalk slender and curved, the leaves ovate-cordate, the tip coming to a point, from the leaves sprouting yellowish green and purple spotted little flowers, with winding stripes, extremely bizarre.

  Part 3 (TL by Bagelson)

  “This is a cinnabar lotus? It actually grows this big?”

  Unlike the nourishing larvae grass, cinnabar lotus’ nature was inclined towards cold yin, its coldness very powerful. Subduing dry heat, it was also a kind of precious medical ingredient, with surprising effectiveness when treating fire type poison.

  Whether it was snow silkworm or cinnabar lotus, both were rare and precious things.

  Ordinarily if he’d seen these two kinds of medicinal herbs, Tang San might have immediately been interested, but right now he was too busy carefully looking around, because his gaze had very quickly been drawn in the direction of a faint fragrance.

  That was a light pink large flower, leafless, its stem three chi[ 3尺 = 1m] long, its flower enormous, more than a chi in diameter, each petal appearing as translucent and sparkling as crystal. The light pink flower lightly swayed along with the steam, growing by the shore where the red and white spring water met. Right now Tang San was ten meters away, but he could still catch that delicate fragrance.

  The stamen was light purple, as if a purple diamond was embedded there. Even though the fragrance reached far, it wasn’t heavy. A faint sweet scent like a maiden’s touch.

  As Tang San saw this pink great flower he couldn’t help but stare listlessly. Because of the distance he hadn’t immediately recognized just what this kind of flower actually was. Subconsciously taking a few steps he arrived at its side, lightly sniffing.

  The fragrance was still sweet, without growing heavy as he came closer, still that kind of faintly sweet hint, seeping deeply into the heart. What was this thing that could ease the unwellness Tang San had started to feel from being next to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well? Feeling somewhat baffled, Tang San vaguely felt he had an impression of this kind of flower somewhere in his mind, but for the moment he couldn’t recall it. The one thing he could be certain of was that this flower wasn’t a heavenly treasure material, it was a genuine immortal treasure.

  Tang San subconsciously turned around, thinking to go have a look at some other medicinal ingredients, but just as he turned he suddenly saw a bizarre scene.

  The surroundings were originally completely dark, but at this moment it was bathed in pink. This pink color reached about ten meters in diameter. The light was very m
ild, but with the acute eyesight of Purple Demon Eye, Tang San immediately determined that his eyes weren’t playing tricks. Turning back around he discovered that the source of this faint light was the heart of the big flower.

  The blocks in his mind immediately connected, and in a flash of divine insight, Tang San blurted out the name of this flower,

  “Aromatic silk beauty immortal treasure[ (幽香) “Delicate fragrance” (绮罗) “beautiful silk fabrics” or “person in beautiful silks” (仙品) “immortal goods”].”

  Indeed, it was an aromatic silk beauty immortal treasure. Tang San’s heart had already begun to tremble. Snow silkworm and cinnabar lotuses were things he had still seen before, even if not at the same quality as here, they were still things he had encountered. But this leisurely swaying pink big flower was a rare treasure he had never seen before, a treasured object recounted in the last secret book of the Mysterious Heavenly Treasure Record.

  Tang San could almost be certain that this aromatic silk beauty immortal treasure was born from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, rather than something the old freak had transplanted here.

  The aromatic silk beauty immortal treasure was the bane of all kinds of poisons, effective at neutralizing any poison. It wasn’t detoxifying in itself, but it could subdue poison. The faint light Tang San saw right now was actually the range within which it could restrain poison, and this pink sheen couldn’t be seen outside of the light.

  The aromatic silk beauty fragrance was understated and elegant, but within its range no poison would have any effect, the fragrance itself neutralizing all kinds of poison.

  Of course, if one was already poisoned when entering the range of this aroma, the aromatic silk beauty immortal treasure wouldn’t have any effect. In other words it was a medicinal herb with the best defense against poison, but didn’t have any detoxifying effect.