Is This... a Dowry?

Is This... a Dowry?

The change in his Martial Soul made Dugu Bo temporarily forget the joy of leveling up.

Yu Xiaowei was so moved that tears welled up in his eyes.

After all these years, a Martial Soul had finally undergone a beneficial mutation under his radiation.

Dugu Bo excitedly used his Martial Soul Avatar, repeatedly testing his newly transformed dragon-form Martial Soul.

In the past, he had been limited by his serpent body. Even after becoming a Titled Douluo, when his Jade Phosphorous Serpent Martial Soul evolved into a top-tier Beast Martial Soul, and even though the evolved Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor was also of dragon lineage...

A snake was still a snake.

Against Beast Martial Souls that were natural predators of serpents—especially true dragon breeds like the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon—it had almost no ability to fight back.

This was what earned him the title of the weakest Titled Douluo.

But things were different now. Like Carp Leaping Over the Dragon Gate, his Martial Soul had transformed into a dragon in a single leap. It would no longer be suppressed by true dragons.

"Ha ha—"

"From now on, my Martial Soul shall be called the Jade Phosphor True Dragon!!!"

His hearty laughter echoed through the valley. His Soul Power had increased, his Martial Soul had evolved, and all the poison in his body had been purged. Dugu Bo now wanted nothing more than to find Yue Guan and fight him immediately, avenging all the beatings he had taken over the years.

But as he laughed, his voice suddenly cut off. Horror appeared in his huge dragon eyes.

"Senior, what happened?"

Seeing Dugu Bo's expression as if he were facing a formidable enemy, Yu Xiaowei hurriedly asked.

Dugu Bo said nothing. Instead, he suddenly lunged toward the spring of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, opened his mouth wide, and used the water as a mirror.

In an instant, the temperature around the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well plummeted. Even the blazing heat of the fire spring could not suppress the surging chill.

Dugu Bo's body trembled violently, and a shrill howl made the entire valley shake.

"Where are my teeth!!!"

Evening.

As Yu Xiaowei walked home, he kept sucking at his teeth.

So something had still gone wrong.

Dugu Bo's Martial Soul had indeed evolved into the Jade Phosphor True Dragon. When he used his Martial Soul Avatar, his attack, defense, strength, and speed all rose sharply.

More importantly, the weakened period after his Martial Soul Avatar ended had disappeared as well. In other words, as long as his Soul Power recovered, he could use his Martial Soul Avatar again.

The problem was that the Jade Phosphor True Dragon had no teeth.

Although Dugu Bo had never liked attacking enemies with his teeth, it was like his bald head, completely devoid of hair, which people mocked every day.

If he revealed this Martial Soul in the future, wouldn't people laugh themselves to death?

Faced with Dugu Bo's murderous glare, Yu Xiaowei stubbornly refused to admit that the Martial Soul mutation had anything to do with him. He insisted that after Dugu Bo's poison was cured, his Martial Soul had evolved on its own. That was the only reason he escaped a beating.

When he was almost home...

Yu Xiaowei saw a petite figure anxiously pacing around by the door.

Who else could it be but Ning Rongrong?

That little girl had behaved herself for a few days. Why had she come looking for him again so late at night?

"Rongrong, why are you here at this hour?"

Yu Xiaowei called out from afar.

The moment she heard his voice, Ning Rongrong excitedly ran over, grabbed his hand, and kept shaking it.

"Brother Xiaowei, where have you been? My father said he needed to see you, but no one saw you all day."

"Why is Uncle Ning looking for me?"

"I don't know either. He just told me to find you and said it was something good."

Ning Rongrong dragged Yu Xiaowei along and hurried toward the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

Chen Xin asked Ning Fengzhi worriedly, "Fengzhi, is it really appropriate to give something so valuable to that kid?"

"Old Sword Freak, you're the only one with so much to say. I think it's perfect to give it to Xiaowei. If he becomes stronger, he can better protect Rongrong."

Gu Rong disdainfully added from the side, "If you ask me, you're just biased against Xiaowei."

"Biased my ass!"

Chen Xin immediately flew into a rage, blowing his beard and glaring as he cursed, "I'm worried that he'll invite trouble by possessing such a treasure."

"He's only level 38. What if someone with ill intentions sets their sights on him because he's carrying such a valuable treasure?"

"You, me, and Yu Yuanzhen—who among us can stay by his side and protect him at all times?"

"If you ask me, we should wait until he's at least a Soul Emperor before giving it to him."

Ning Fengzhi raised a hand to stop their argument and said firmly, "Sword Uncle, say no more. My mind is made up. Xiaowei is a child with limitless potential. He is worthy of this item."

Even from far away, Yu Xiaowei could hear the argument inside the house.

Leaning close to Ning Rongrong's ear, he whispered, "Rongrong, what exactly is your father giving me? Why are they talking about Soul Emperors again? What are they even arguing about?"

A flush instantly spread across Ning Rongrong's face, and she whispered back, "I don't know either. They're acting all mysterious."

Just as the two of them were whispering, Chen Xin shouted, "What are you two whispering about outside? You're already home, so hurry up and come in!"

"Hehe..."

Yu Xiaowei immediately took Ning Rongrong's hand and awkwardly walked into the main hall.

The moment he entered, he saw Ning Fengzhi holding a wooden box, his face conflicted.

Chen Xin and Gu Rong were red in the face, glaring at each other. Judging by their tense expressions, they looked ready to go loosen up their muscles again before long.

"Xiaowei, come here."

Ning Fengzhi smiled and beckoned to Yu Xiaowei.

"Hello, Uncle Ning. Hello, Grandpa Sword. Hello, Grandpa Bone."

Yu Xiaowei politely stepped forward and greeted them one by one.

Seeing the well-behaved Yu Xiaowei, Ning Fengzhi smiled warmly, while Gu Rong looked at him with affection. Only Chen Xin let out a cold snort.

"Xiaowei, do you know who was behind the attempt on your life this time?"

The first to speak was not Ning Fengzhi, but Gu Rong.

"A Titled Douluo from the Star Luo Empire?"

Yu Xiaowei was baffled. Wasn't Ning Fengzhi supposed to give him a gift? Why had they suddenly brought up that old man who had tried to kill him?

Gu Rong nodded.

"That's right. That old fellow was an imperial consecrated expert of the Star Luo Empire."

"But he wasn't a member of the imperial clan. He came from a collateral branch, and the Martial Soul he awakened wasn't the White Tiger, but a mutated Black Tiger."

"Your Grandpa Sword, your uncle, and I joined forces to kill him."

Yu Xiaowei was startled. That day, he had not sensed any earth-shattering battle at all. He had assumed that the Golden Robe Elder had merely been driven away by Gu Rong and the others.

He had not expected the man to have been killed.

He said worriedly, "Grandpa Bone, won't that start a war between the two nations?"

After the three of them exchanged glances, they smiled.

"For a Titled Douluo who had only just reached level 91? A useless fool who couldn't even defeat Dugu Bo? The Star Luo Imperial Family would never offend our two factions for his sake."

Poor old Dugu. He had become a unit of measurement.

After silently mourning for Dugu Bo for a second, Yu Xiaowei continued listening to what Gu Rong had to say.

He vaguely had a feeling that the item Ning Fengzhi wanted to give him was probably related to that old man.

"We found a treasure on that old fellow."

"Its quality was extraordinarily good."

Emphasizing the words "extraordinarily good," Gu Rong gestured for Ning Fengzhi to open the box.

A miniature left leg bone lay quietly inside the box, golden light continuously flickering across its surface.

"A Soul Bone!!!"

Yu Xiaowei cried out.

If it had merely been an ordinary Soul Bone, he would not have lost his composure like this.

But this was an exceptionally complete Soul Bone. From the thigh bone to the shin bone, it was flawless, and the immense energy contained within it seemed ready to burst forth.

Ning Fengzhi closed the box and handed it to Yu Xiaowei.

"A Soul Bone of at least fifty thousand years. Xiaowei, Uncle Ning is giving it to you today."

Chen Xin, standing beside him, looked as though he wanted to say something, but Ning Fengzhi had already spoken. He could only shake his head and sigh.

Gu Rong, meanwhile, happily watched as Yu Xiaowei accepted the Soul Bone.

Clutching the box containing the Soul Bone tightly to his chest, Yu Xiaowei grinned foolishly for a long while.

Then, as though he had suddenly thought of something, he drew in a sharp breath.

Under Ning Fengzhi and the others' puzzled gazes, Yu Xiaowei timidly asked, "Uncle Ning, does this count as... Rongrong's dowry?"

Sorry, I mixed up dowry and bride price. What the bride's side gives should be called a dowry.