Repaying a Favor

Whoosh!

A streak of golden light flashed across the sky, only to vanish in the blink of an eye.

Sunset Forest!

At the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.

Dugu Bo had just endured another agonizing full-moon night and was absorbing the ice-and-fire Soul Power within the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well to suppress the toxins in his body.

Then he suddenly turned around.

"What the hell!?"

Dugu Bo frowned and shot into the air. He sensed a terrifying fluctuation of Soul Power, and its target was unmistakably clear—it was heading straight for him.

Passing through the Poison Mist, Dugu Bo immediately saw the source of that Soul Power.

A golden meteor was speeding toward his location from the horizon, and the Soul Power it radiated was no weaker than his own.

"This Soul Power fluctuation... an Angel Martial Soul?"

Seeing that golden blaze of Soul Power, Dugu Bo reached the same conclusion Tang Hao had.

His expression became extremely grave.

Though he believed he had never offended the owner of an Angel Martial Soul, this person clearly seemed to have come with ill intent.

Two yellow, two purple, five black!

Dugu Bo instantly completed Martial Soul Possession. The phantom of an enormous Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor rose behind him, its cold vertical pupils fixed firmly on that meteor.

Boom!

The meteor abruptly stopped before Dugu Bo, and the gale it carried erupted outward, shaking the entire forest without end.

This person is no weaker than me!

Dugu Bo stood with his hands behind his back. A pale green Soul Power Shield before him blocked all the wind and dust, but his expression was incomparably serious.

"Not an Angel Martial Soul!"

As the dust settled, Dugu Bo saw the figure within the golden meteor and immediately relaxed inwardly.

Yet he was still somewhat uncertain, for he had never heard of such a powerful expert on the continent.

"Such a youthful face. This woman could not have become a Titled Douluo after the age of forty!"

Dugu Bo was inwardly shocked as he studied Zhu Zhuqing's face.

In her Holy Light White Tiger state, Zhu Zhuqing seemed to have matured considerably. Coupled with the regal aura surrounding her, Dugu Bo could not determine her true age.

"May I ask why you have come to find this old man?"

Looking at the extraordinary Zhu Zhuqing, Dugu Bo cupped his hands and asked.

He did not sense any hostility from Zhu Zhuqing, so when facing a powerhouse of his own level, he was willing to take a slight step back.

Zhu Zhuqing looked very young. She was his equal now, but surpassing him in the future was only a matter of time.

"Yes, I came to repay a favor!"

The first thing Zhu Zhuqing did after her breakthrough was come to Dugu Bo to settle this debt of karma.

Those two Immortal Grade Herbs had helped her tremendously over the past two years. Not only had they directly pushed her to a nearly invincible level, but she had also found a trace of inspiration for condensing a Soul Core from Dugu Bo.

Though Dugu Bo did not know it, she had her own measure for such matters.

She had not dared to repay him before because she had not been strong enough. Without sufficient strength, she would likely have been treated in all sorts of ways, just like Tang San.

She had no interest in torturing herself, but now, her strength had risen.

Whether Dugu Bo believed her or not, he could no longer do anything to her.

If Dugu Bo believed her, then neither side would lose out.

If Dugu Bo did not, she could still remain clear in her conscience.

"A favor?"

Dugu Bo frowned slightly. He was certain he did not know Zhu Zhuqing. How could she possibly owe him a favor?

"Senior Dugu, this junior once visited the Medicine Garden behind you!"

Zhu Zhuqing said, glancing behind Dugu Bo.

Whoosh!

In an instant, Dugu Bo felt his hair stand on end. What was this? This person had been to his Medicine Garden?

Did that mean...

Hiss!

At the thought of that possibility, Dugu Bo sharply inhaled.

However, he did not react too aggressively. Zhu Zhuqing had only said she had been to his Medicine Garden, and she had not attacked him or anything of the sort.

"You took something from my garden?"

Dugu Bo was no fool and had roughly guessed why Zhu Zhuqing brought this up.

His Medicine Garden contained countless Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, but he had suffered from a lack of knowledge and did not recognize most of them.

The woman before him must have stumbled in by mistake and taken several medicinal herbs.

Though it was somewhat akin to theft, she had the courage to admit it and had even come to repay the favor...

Well, Dugu Bo appreciated people like that.

"I took three medicinal herbs and reached my current level with their assistance!"

Zhu Zhuqing nodded in confirmation.

Hiss!

Hearing Zhu Zhuqing's words, Dugu Bo inhaled sharply again.

Good heavens, this was quite a substantial favor. A favor that had helped someone break through to Titled Douluo...

Dugu Bo had already begun thinking of what he could ask in return.

For example, he could have this expert protect his granddaughter after he was gone.

A Titled Douluo's favor was simply too valuable!

"Hahaha, no problem, no problem. They were only a few medicinal herbs, nothing worth mentioning.

May I know your name, young friend?"

The gloomy expression on Dugu Bo's face instantly blossomed into a smile. He withdrew his Martial Soul and became a kindly old grandfather.

"This junior is Zhu Zhuqing!"

While inwardly sighing that strength truly gave one the right to speak, Zhu Zhuqing also withdrew her Martial Soul.

"Zhu Zhuqing, what a fine name. Since you have come from afar, young friend, please come inside and chat with this old man!"

Once Dugu Bo confirmed that Zhu Zhuqing truly intended to repay the favor, his old face nearly split with smiles.

He liked honest people like Zhu Zhuqing best of all, especially honest powerhouses. He was willing to give them the respect they deserved.

Though Zhu Zhuqing had "taken" three medicinal herbs from him, and though those three herbs were certainly not Mortal Grade if they could help someone break through to Titled Douluo—

She had already consumed them, yet despite Dugu Bo having known nothing about it, she had now honestly come to his door to repay such a great favor.

No matter how he looked at it, Zhu Zhuqing did not seem like a bad person.

"Thank you for the trouble, Senior!"

Zhu Zhuqing nodded and followed Dugu Bo toward the area covered by the Poison Array.

Unlike Dugu Bo, who directly merged into the Poison Array, the instant Zhu Zhuqing stepped inside, pure radiance surged around her. Wherever she passed, the poisonous fog dissolved.

"As expected of someone capable of entering my Poison Array. You truly have some skill!"

Seeing Zhu Zhuqing effortlessly dissolve the toxins within his Poison Array, Dugu Bo nodded approvingly.

"What impressive methods, young friend!"

As he watched Zhu Zhuqing effortlessly purify his poison, a possibility flashed through Dugu Bo's mind, though he did not forget to offer a few words of praise.

"I merely borrowed the light of my Martial Soul. Otherwise, even an ordinary Titled Douluo would not be able to last long in Senior's Poison Array!"

Zhu Zhuqing was not proud of dissolving toxins.

She truly was relying on the advantage of her Martial Soul.

"Heh, sometimes luck and one's Martial Soul are also part of one's strength!"

Dugu Bo spoke with a hint of emotion, then led Zhu Zhuqing to the place where he usually lived.

"Young friend, you said you came to repay this old man's favor. How exactly do you intend to do that?"

After inviting Zhu Zhuqing to sit, Dugu Bo asked curiously.

To repay a favor, the most basic requirement was that Dugu Bo needed something.

If Dugu Bo did not need anything, then the favor could not be repaid.

But Dugu Bo himself did not even know what he needed, so he was truly curious how Zhu Zhuqing intended to repay him.

And this was a great favor that had helped her achieve the rank of "Titled Douluo"!