Seeing the mischievous smile on Dugu Yan's small face and her narrowed green eyes, Wang Zhong grinned and instinctively averted his gaze.
This made Dugu Yan even more certain that Wang Zhong had been lying earlier, but she wasn't the type to question everything.
Since Wang Zhong chose not to speak, she believed her friend likely had some unspoken concerns.
However, friends should be sincere with each other. She shook her hair vigorously, clasped her hands behind her back, and slowly strolled to the other side of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Wells.
Alas.
Wang Zhong let out a soft sigh and followed her, asking cautiously, "Are you angry?"
Dugu Yan, with her hands behind her back, glanced at him without speaking, continuing to walk slowly along the edge.
"Lying was wrong of me, but I have reasons I cannot disclose."
Wang Zhong pursed his lips, walking shoulder to shoulder with Dugu Yan, feeling helpless.
If the foundation of friendship isn't built on honesty, it won't last long.
"I know!"
Dugu Yan finally reached out and took Wang Zhong's hand, smiling lightly and responding with her head tilted.
"I'm not angry, I was just waiting for this apology."
"I don't know what your reasons are, but I accept any explanation you give me because I believe that as my best friend, you will eventually tell me everything."
"It will just take some time, and I will wait for your answer until then."
Dugu Yan's smile was gentle and peaceful, her words genuine and heartfelt, not deliberately affected.
"I believe that you, who have never looked at me differently, became my friend with the most sincere heart."
Feeling the warmth in his palm, Wang Zhong also smiled, a happy smile. Unknowingly, he had gained another sincere friend.
"Of course, this heart never faces those closest to it with lies!"
Wang Zhong's reply was pure and sincere.
Dugu Yan returned his smile, and the two of them walked slowly around the outermost perimeter of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Wells, as if on a leisurely stroll, chatting and sharing amusing anecdotes.
After circling the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Wells, Wang Zhong suddenly discovered something. He told Dugu Yan, "Wait for me!"
Then he turned and ran towards the center, plunging into the Yin Yang Wells. After a few breaths, Wang Zhong jumped out, dripping wet, holding a remarkably divine, emerald-green orchid in his hand.
"Zhong, what is this?"
Dugu Yan walked forward, intending to wipe the spring water from Wang Zhong's face with her sleeve, but Wang Zhong stopped her.
"Sister Yan, don't come closer! And don't touch me!"
"The spring water of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Wells is highly poisonous, and your strength is not yet sufficient to withstand it."
Dugu Yan halted her steps. Although puzzled, she did not approach.
Wang Zhong continued to advise Dugu Yan while circulating his soul power to dry off all the spring water from his body. Once he was sure not a single drop remained, he approached Dugu Yan.
Leading Dugu Yan to the edge, Wang Zhong then opened his palm, revealing the orchid he held.
The orchid was entirely jade-green, without a single impurity. In its center, a pistil extended from the petals. The tip of the pistil was forked. Combined with the overall shape of the orchid, Dugu Yan had the illusion that Wang Zhong was holding a snake.
"This is called the Jade Dragon Tongue Orchid, a very rare and highly potent medicinal herb with an extremely deep connection to snakes."
Wang Zhong pointed at the orchid in his palm and explained earnestly.
"A potent medicinal herb connected to snakes?"
Dugu Yan didn't fully grasp the meaning, but Wang Zhong didn't elaborate. Instead, he placed his hand on her shoulder and prompted her to sit down cross-legged.
Once she was seated, Wang Zhong crouched down, plucked a petal from the orchid, and offered it to Dugu Yan's mouth, urging, "Quick, eat the whole flower."
Her slender brows furrowed slightly. Dugu Yan had heard Dugu Bo mention that many of the herbs here were unknown to him, and most were highly poisonous, with even a slight touch being fatal.
But looking at Wang Zhong's hopeful and pure gaze, Dugu Yan finally bit into the orchid, chewed it a few times, and swallowed it. It had a slight sweetness and aroma, tasting quite pleasant.
Before she could savor it, the second petal was already offered to her mouth. She ate it in one bite, followed by the third, the fourth... a total of six petals were consumed. Dugu Yan felt no discomfort; instead, she felt a warm sensation throughout her body.
"Sister Yan, quickly release your martial soul and close your eyes to circulate your soul power, sending the medicinal properties of the Jade Dragon Tongue Orchid throughout your body."
Wang Zhong said urgently, but Dugu Yan acted far faster than he spoke.
Dugu Bo was the Poison Douluo, naturally attuned to poisons, and Dugu Yan had also mastered a unique poisonous scripture. She understood the efficacy of medicinal substances even better.
Without Wang Zhong's further instructions, as soon as she felt the medicinal energy, she had already begun regulating her circulation.
A fierce and ferocious Green Phosphorus Snake appeared behind Dugu Yan, its head held high, hissing as it flicked its tongue towards the sky. Its pair of cold, serpentine eyes now shimmered with an inexplicable light.
The aura around Dugu Yan grew increasingly profound and powerful. In a mere moment, she surged from level fourteen and broke through the twenty-level mark, reaching the Great Soul Master stage!
If not for the limitation of soul rings, she might have grown even further, but even so, the soul power brought by the potent medicinal properties continued to rise and settled within Dugu Yan's body, waiting to be fully released once she obtained her second soul ring.
However, the truly astonishing change was not in Dugu Yan's soul power, but in the Green Phosphorus Snake rearing its head behind her.
The massive snake's body suddenly expanded as if inflated. Its dense, hard scales reflected a chilling gleam. Due to the sudden expansion of its body, the Green Phosphorus Snake writhed restlessly, letting out a hissing sound that was almost painful.
This hissing had no effect on Dugu Yan, but Dugu Bo, who was within the formation, felt a sudden tightening in his heart. He sensed something extremely special.
With a few flashes, Dugu Bo appeared beside Wang Zhong, outside the formation. Looking at Dugu Yan, who was sitting cross-legged, her soul power having surpassed the Great Soul Master stage with a profound aura and a more solid foundation than before, his hand trembled.
"What's happening? Why has Yan Yan's strength increased so much!"
"And what's with this Green Phosphorus Snake martial soul? Why has its form changed like this? I can feel an extremely terrifying pressure and aura emanating from it."
Wang Zhong raised a finger to his lips and shushed Dugu Bo, signaling him to be quiet so as not to disturb Dugu Yan.
"Little fellow, did you feed Yan Yan something from this spring water!"
Dugu Bo stared at Wang Zhong with an unfriendly gaze and asked angrily through soul power transmission.
He knew that the things in this spring water were no ordinary items, but without understanding their medicinal properties, coupled with the terrifying toxins contained within the spring, Dugu Bo had always been hesitant to tamper with those herbs.
For a poison master, casually experimenting with unknown herbs was akin to seeking death, especially since many of them looked fiercely poisonous at first glance.
For example, he had almost been poisoned to death by the toxins of the two herbs at the center of the spring when he merely intended to touch them. It took him several months of careful recuperation to recover.
And now, Wang Zhong had fed Dugu Yan an herb that even he couldn't identify. This was an act that completely stirred his killing intent.
"Yes."
Wang Zhong replied with a single word, transmitted through Dugu Bo's soul power channel.
This single word caused Dugu Bo to clench his fists.
"What Sister Yan ate is called the Jade Dragon Tongue Orchid, a potent medicinal herb closely associated with snakes. Both snake soul beasts and soul masters who possess snake martial souls will undergo a remarkable evolution upon consuming this potent herb!"
"Evolution?"
Dugu Yan repeated the word, her heart stirred.
Her Green Phosphorus Snake Emperor martial soul was an evolved form of the Green Phosphorus Snake, something she had achieved through countless arduous cultivations. Yet, Dugu Yan was so young, and her soul power was at such a low level, and now she had this possibility.
"The Jade Dragon Tongue Orchid has another name..."
"Dragon Transformation Grass!"