Chapter 14: Better Off Not Knowing

The Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and Fiery Apricot Delicate are both extremely toxic plants.

Ordinary people wouldn’t dare approach them. Within a three-meter radius, they’d either be burned to ashes by the fire poison or frozen into an ice sculpture by the cold poison.

However, if these plants are picked correctly and placed together, their opposing elements will neutralize each other, giving a ten-second window to consume them safely.

Refining the body with the combined powers of ice and fire grants immunity to all poisons and resistance to extreme temperatures!

A Soul Master’s physical strength has limits. No matter how much one trains, the first soul ring cannot exceed a hundred years because the level of soul power is restricted by the soul ring. Without absorbing a soul ring, one cannot increase their soul power level, and without increasing soul power, the body cannot be tempered by the soul ring, thus limiting physical strength.

Additionally, age imposes its own limitations. No matter how well one develops, absorbing a thousand-year soul ring as the first soul ring is considered impossible.

However, these immortal herbs can break this rule!

If Jiang Jie successfully consumes both ice and fire herbs, refining his body with their combined power, his physical attributes will greatly improve, making it possible to absorb a thousand-year soul ring as his first one!

Jiang Jie was confident, but Dugu Bo’s expression darkened.

“You reckless boy! If you want to die, don’t do it this way!” Dugu Bo snapped, smacking the back of Jiang Jie’s head. “First, you risk your life to condense a soul bone, nearly losing your life, and now you want to consume these two deadly plants.”

“Do you even know what they are? The cold and fire poisons they contain are so potent that even I, a Titled Douluo, wouldn’t dare touch them for long. You’re severely injured and haven’t even obtained your first soul ring yet. Just placing these poisonous plants in front of you would kill you, let alone consuming them!”

“Do you want to die?”

Though Dugu Bo’s tone was harsh, Jiang Jie could sense the concern and advice behind his words.

It was clear that Dugu Bo wanted to dissuade Jiang Jie from consuming the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and Fiery Apricot Delicate.

Feeling a pang of guilt, Jiang Jie realized that he had only seen Dugu Bo as a tool. Even becoming his disciple was just a strategy to gain his favor.

The incident with the soul bone was a mere accident driven by instinct, beyond Jiang Jie’s control.

By the time he realized the gravity of his actions, the process of condensing the soul bone was already irreversible.

His subsequent words were purely to win Dugu Bo’s favor.

Why bother?

The Eight Spider Lances didn’t suit him, and he couldn’t take the soul bone under Dugu Bo’s watchful eyes. So, he decided to give the soul bone to Dugu Bo and simultaneously win his and Dugu Yan’s goodwill.

He hadn’t expected such a quick return.

Dugu Bo brought him to the Yin-Yang Eyes of Ice and Fire and even promised that Jiang Jie could use the herbs there as long as he didn’t waste them.

Dugu Bo might not understand the value of these herbs, but Jiang Jie certainly did.

These herbs had created the Shrek Seven Devils and future gods!

‘I dislike Tang San, but I won’t become Tang San!’ Jiang Jie thought as he looked at Dugu Bo’s serious face. ‘I might have drawn a demon card, but that means following my heart, not losing my mind. I can fight, I can kill, I can indulge in desires, but I won’t betray my principles. I won’t bite the hand that feeds me!’

With that thought, Jiang Jie smiled and pointed to the two herbs. “Teacher, I wouldn’t do something I’m not confident about. My martial spirit craves these herbs, and I know how to use them effectively, so I dare to make this request!”

Craving?

Dugu Bo fell into deep thought, his mind racing and finally giving up.

“Fine, tell me how you plan to consume those poisonous plants. If you can explain it convincingly, I won’t stop you.” He waved his hand tiredly and rubbed his temples.

What could he do if Jiang Jie insisted?

Martial spirits, despite being studied for ages, were still full of mysteries. It was impossible to fully understand every martial spirit.

Jiang Jie’s Flame Wave Blood Blade martial spirit was unprecedented in its strength, with abilities never seen before, such as forcibly condensing a soul beast’s corpse into a soul bone. Dugu Bo couldn’t find any historical examples of such a power.

Now, if Jiang Jie’s martial spirit craved these toxic plants, it wasn’t entirely implausible.

Might as well listen to his explanation.

“My martial spirit tells me that the red, cabbage-like herb is called Fiery Apricot Delicate,” Jiang Jie explained, pointing to the herb. “It contains the most potent fire poison from this spring. Touching it means instant death. To pick it, one must use a jade tool to cut it off, or it will lose all its effects.”

‘This actually sounds plausible,’ Dugu Bo thought, stroking his beard as he looked at the Fiery Apricot Delicate. The name was unfamiliar to him, and Jiang Jie’s detailed explanation seemed credible.

“And that one is called Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass, complementing the Fiery Apricot Delicate with its extreme cold. To pick it, you need a metallic tool,” Jiang Jie continued. “To consume them, you must pick both simultaneously and place them together. Their ice and fire energies will neutralize each other.”

“In the brief moment of their energy fusion, you have ten seconds to consume them.”

“Really? So, there’s such a method?” Dugu Bo was astonished, frowning at the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and Fiery Apricot Delicate.

He realized that despite occupying this herb garden for years, he truly didn’t understand it.

Previously, he’d ignored the herbs he couldn’t identify, but knowing their uses now made him uneasy.

This echoed the saying that sometimes ignorance is bliss.

Just like in the original story, Dugu Bo, kept in the dark by Tang San, unknowingly let him reap all the benefits. If he had known, he might have felt the weight of his ignorance more acutely, ending up even more disheartened as his garden was emptied without his ability to reclaim what was rightfully his.

Better off not knowing.

Knowing only brings more frustration.

(End of Chapter)