Dugu Bo.

A week later. Near Dugu Bo mountain.

"Senior Ning, can you elaborate why do you need me here?" - Aiden was sitting in the room with Bone Titled Douluo and Ning Fengzhi.

"We were keeping tabs with you from time to time. You know that my clan has an extensive spy network, right? Well, actually the reason for inviting you is because of one of your recent mercenary tasks, where you healed a person from poison." - Aiden frowned. He didn't mind them collecting information about him, that is unavoidable and what's more – smart on their end.

What he frowned about is poison. He healed a little guy during his travels about nine months ago. The boy got lost in a forest and eventually suffered from a vicious poison.

"What does it have to do with the current situation?"

"You might not know, but the reason he got this poison is actually collateral damage from a recent fight between two powerful masters there." - Ning Fengzhi smiled mysteriously.

"So you are saying this poison is from Dugu Bo fight with someone else?" - Aiden just shook his head. Coincidences can happen. - "Okay, so he still can't cure his condition, but don't tell me you could not buy a herb from him all these years!"

"We really cannot do so!" - Ning Fengzhi sighed with a helpless expression. - "Old man is very stubborn and as a condition asked us to heal his poison. Actually, he wanted it to treat his granddaughter so I really can empathize with his plight. And then we heard you doing it for a kid!"

"I got a rough idea. But I have a condition. Healing his poison is actually not so hard, however, I will go there alone and stay at his mountain until he is fully healed and I will be taking Beautiful Silk Tulip and several other herbs to Shrek Academy. Don't worry, the Tulip will be gifted to Rong Rong, anyway."

He wanted time for Nexus to scan everything and he might need several days for that. After all these herbs are not some common goods. The thing is, he wanted to try some outrageous thing. Create herbs on his own using Krondan and life force of his fourth ring.

Or if not create, then try to plant and enhance their growth rate to an affordable time frame.

"That's it?" - actually Ning Fengzhi was more than happy to do it. He wanted the best for his daughter and in his eyes, Aiden was exactly that. The best. However, he never intended to pressure either of them, and letting her have this herb from his hands can elevate their relationship to another level. - "I agree!"

Aiden felt like landing in a trap but brushed it off.

They went through the portal Bone created and arrived at the edge of the mountain enshrouded in poison fog.

'One hell of a place to live in, like a den of an evil master. If I was him, at least I would have created a suitable abode.'

= Master, I detect many heavenly resources up the mountain.

Aiden sniffed for a while.

'Yeah, I detect too.' - he answered in thoughts with a glint in his eyes.

"So, why are you here again, Ning Fengzhi? And now with some brat at that." - sounded a husky voice from above and a figure descended from the sky on the head of a gigantic snake. But just as he was to pose like a bad-ass poison master, his snake ruined the occasion.

It stared at Aiden and suddenly bowed in greeting.

Inside Aiden's dantian platinum dragon lazily lifted his head and nodded, opening only one eye before going to sleep again. The snake was shaking its tail from happiness for quite a while now, acting very cute.

"Brat, you are something else!" - Dugu Bo narrowed his eyes, feeling uncomfortable all over from these feelings of submission. His spirit sent a wave of "meeting their god in flesh and blood" emotions, full of worship and happiness.

"Senior overpraising me, I was invited here because I healed your poison."

Actually Aiden knew little about healing, but he could get rid of the poison in the boy's body using his fourth skill of Tree of Life. It worked even on poisons. However, he knew that if he wants to do the same for Dugu Bo, it is just a futile dream. For him, Aiden prepared another method altogether that will create a powerful expert for humanity and made him owe Aiden his life and prosperity of his family for generations to come.

"You healed someone inflicted with my poison?" - Dugu Bo stopped for a bit. If it was just Aiden alone, he would have disregarded what he said, but with Nine Treasure Glassed Tile clan Patriarch and Guardian present it is a completely different matter. There is no way it is a lie. - "If that is the case and you can do me a favor, consider me owing you thrice. Follow me."

He took Aiden to his mountain.

"That place is a paradise for poison master and alchemists. Unbelievable." - he praised the landscape that was wreathed in misty herbal energy.

"Naturally." - Dugu Bo just said that and kept silent. They arrived at the cave entrance, but inside there was a dim double light – red and blue.

"Yin-Yang Pool." - Aiden said lightly.

"You know your stuff, kid." - he already was shocked by the talent of the youth. He was barely past twelve and stepped into spirit ancestor level. That is something unheard of.

"Contrary to what you say, I think I would be too ignorant if I didn't know." - shrugged Aiden. - "Anyway, let's get started. It won't take long actually, it all depends on you. But you will need help from me. Sit cross-legged. What I am to give you should stay a secret of your lineage, old man. You can give it to Dugu Yan, she will benefit from it."

Aiden walked up to him and transferred knowledge on the "Poison" mark.

"What... what is this?" - for the first time, Dugu Bo felt astonished.

"It is a way to create a special constitution for poison masters. If you use poison to converge marks, your body will change and enhance itself. Also, your condition became a blessing in disguise. Poison in your body is so strong and penetrated so deep, that changes to you would be even deeper, enhancing potential. Currently, you are only 92 level, but with this, you will have a chance for immortality." - Dugu Bo listened with a flabbergasted look. It was too perfect to believe, but he was a Titled Douluo after all and has his own thoughts of cultivation. He already guessed that marks are the real deal.

"If it is so, I owe you more than just three favors." - he said while calming down.

"Old man, let's first heal you and then talk about favors and whatnot." - Aiden waved his hand dismissively.

"Haha... your style of doing things is to my liking, youngster! Let's do it."

For two weeks the duo spent almost all time together. Aiden also took upon himself the cooking after eating a meal Dugu Bo prepared once.

He nearly broke his throat cursing at the old man's skills and made him so angry that the latter was on the verge of killing him. They even had a bet, but eventually after eating Aiden's meals old man came to enjoy them very much and from then on they always ate together.

If his skills in cooking sucked, his ways of brewing wine were excellence of their own level and for an entire day old man Dugu was grinning like a cute little maiden when Aiden praised him for it. The other day they will discuss cultivation and even the current state of the world.

Eventually, they grew close to each other and Aiden told a bit about his past, making Dugu Bo sympathetic. After he heard about his mother, the old man kept silent for a long time. Aiden never knew that it was this tale that broke the last wall between them, making them friends without age restriction.

The first mark Dugu Bo converged was deep black with even a hue of red. All that made him think more about where the quality of marks comes from and then finally realizing it, he cursed out loud because his mark is something very troublesome to train. It is one of the rare Primordial ones. The whole Great Way of a Titan has only six characters of Primordial level and they are "Space", "Time", "Chaos", "Order", "Creation", "Destruction".

His was "Chaos", that he chose for resistance to elements back then. Although those marks are very strong, stronger than others, still, for goodness' sake they are a pain in the ass to train! He roughly guessed what the method needs to elevate the quality of his marks to black.

"I will suffer for my choice." - he said himself but was ready. Still, there is much to prepare and he can't do it here and now.

"That chicken is exceptional. Make some more tomorrow." - Dugu Bo spit chicken bone out and drank some wine.

"Old Dugu, I will leave today." - Aiden felt reluctant.

"Oh." - the man nodded. After taking care of his poison, he again became younger and looked like a handsome middle-aged man. Also, he broke through to 95 level in one go, showing how much potential actually was suppressed by his poison. Also, markings refined his constitution further, making his potential way higher than it was before.

Just like Aiden said – 95 was only the start.

The old man understood that it was a lifesaving grace. Actually, he didn't even know how to repay it.

"Okay, then don't make me wait. State your three favors." - he said sipping wine while both soaked in the pool.

Currently, they were having a bath here and eating snacks from a floating wooden table.

"Then I won't be polite. My first request – I want twelve herbs of my choosing from your mountain." - Dugu Bo just nodded without hesitation. What twelve? Even if he asked for everything, he wouldn't mind.

"Second, I want you to use this artifact all the time and kill people you see strange no matter who they are. If you find it troublesome or it is someone you find good at heart, then bring them to me." - that request was unexpected, especially when Aiden gave him glasses to wear.

"Can you explain it further, little Monster?" - he called him that from some time ago.

"It is hard to explain and you will naturally understand if you know some records of ancient history. I can only tell you they are hostile to the world itself. They harness the power of corruption and chaos. The ones with that power are slaves of demons."

"Demons?" - Dugu Bo was shocked and agitated. - "You know about the Veil and Demons?"

"What? You heard about it too?" - now it was time for Aiden to become speechless. It was his first time meeting someone in the know.

"So it is real! Little Monster, do you know why I never moved Yin-Yang Pool from here? You should know that it is in my capability to change its location to my clan." - Dugu Bo drank another cup and pointed downward with his finger. - "It is because at the heart of this mountain there is a Demon General Ahtrokon sealed using it and the entire range as a suppressor."

"Now this is real trouble." - Aiden frowned. He can only imagine what level this demon is.

"I found its chamber and some war records there. But I am too concerned about the thing inside to reveal it. What if there are some idiots who choose to free him instead of killing? I stayed here partly to guard it and don't let anyone know."

'Nexus, are there many sites like this left in the world?'

= I will scan the database and compile the file about them. There should be extensive knowledge about sealed demons.

'Should have done it sooner.'

= What will it change? And you never commanded.

Aiden sighed inaudibly and couldn't help but agree. What is the difference if he knew about it earlier? Even now he can do nothing about the sealed foes. But it is always better to know than not.

"Good. That is imperative. Old man... let's cancel the second wish. It is better for you to stay here. Train and guard this place. I bet that when the time for their invasion comes again, your mountain will be one of the first things they will attack."

Dugu Bo nodded.

"Then for my second wish, I will ask you to open this mountain for the young people who I let in to train. And be a guide for them. Of course, it will be at most a month in a year or two."

"That is easy too." - Dugu Bo nodded.

"As for the third favor..." - Aiden thought and then just laughed. - "How about being friends with me?"

"You are one strange fellow, little Monster." - Dugu Bo smiled. - "I agree, finding a soul-mate although among the younger generation is not bad at all."

Aiden then again told Dugu Bo a story of his life, but this time he pointed out his encounter with demons and his findings of their power. Also, he told him about the Spirit Hall Divisions and how he found them to use demon rings. With that, he found a person to share a burden with.

"Old man... I have a set of battle methods for you to cultivate with the marks. It is called Divine Poison Extermination Art. Take it and train. And that is a set of weapons to use with it."

"Flying knives?"

"Not some regular ones, try them, a drop of blood for each and they will be bounded to you."

Dugu Bo placed a hand over them, and after binding his eyes went round. He could fuse them with his dantian and nourish there with poison, control with thought, and attack from a distance. Furthermore, they were very sharp and resilient.

"Unbelievable." - he was quite excited. - "This will be another killing weapon under my command." - then he looked to the side and sighed with some sadness. - "It is time for you to leave... choose the herbs you need, Bone is already waiting for you. I'll go to entertain him."

He was craving for a good fight.