Despair on the Brink of Death!

"Offline meetup? What's that?"

Chen Xin, Gu Rong, and the others widened their eyes.

They looked at one another, all completely baffled.

"Probably meeting a friend I've never met in person."

Chen Xun explained it to them.

He had only learned the term "offline meetup" from Chen Luo yesterday.

He and Chen Luo had agreed that if Chen Xun could defeat Qian Daoliu, Chen Luo would tell him his address and they would have an offline meetup.

When Chen Xun had first seen the term, he had been just as confused as Chen Xin and the others. Only after Chen Luo patiently explained it to him had he understood.

"I see. A pen pal?"

Chen Xin suddenly understood.

If they were friends who had never met, they must have communicated through letters.

Yet the doubts in Chen Xin's heart only grew.

Since his grandfather and that person could be pen pals, they must have exchanged letters for quite some time.

But his grandfather had clearly only crawled out of his grave a few days ago. Could it be that he had started writing letters while still in the grave?

The more Chen Xin thought about it, the more absurd it seemed.

Still, his grandfather had just defeated Qian Daoliu. There was probably no one left in the world who could hurt him.

There was no need for him to worry blindly about his grandfather's affairs.

"By the way, that friend seems to be in Heaven Dou City. You're headed that way too, so why don't we travel together?"

"I also happen to want to hear about how the continent has changed over the years."

Chen Xun looked at Chen Xin and smiled warmly.

"Of course. If there's anything you want to know, Grandfather, just ask."

Before Chen Xun, Chen Xin possessed none of his usual imposing dignity. All he had was a grandson's admiration for his grandfather.

Soon after,

Chen Xun followed the trio from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect toward Heaven Dou City.

"Your Highness the First Prince, what should we do now?"

A guard looked at Dai Weisi and asked.

The Star Luo Empire had sent Dai Weisi personally this time in order to win over this never-before-seen expert.

But once they learned that he was the grandfather of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's Sword Douluo, they completely abandoned any thought of recruiting him.

Although Sword Master had never explicitly stated which faction he favored, his grandson was in the Heaven Dou Empire. Surely he would not join the Star Luo Empire and turn against his own grandson?

"Return to the empire first. We must report this matter to Father Emperor."

Dai Weisi's gaze was deep, his tone exceptionally calm.

"Yes, Your Highness the First Prince."

The other factions, including the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, also left Spirit City one after another.

Thus, the climactic battle that had drawn the continent's attention came to an end.

Night fell.

The sky was dim and lightless.

Dark clouds blanketed the heavens, while lightning tore through the sky like gleaming blades.

With a thunderclap that shook heaven and earth,

torrential rain poured down.

Dense curtains of rain lashed at the branches and leaves of the forest. Several blurred figures darted swiftly through the muddy, slippery woods.

"Old Poison, you can't escape! Surrender obediently!"

Yue Guan's sharp, effeminate voice pierced through the rain curtain.

It echoed silently through the pitch-black forest, as though it came from everywhere.

His voice carried the teasing amusement of a cat toying with a mouse.

Ahead,

Dugu Bo's dark green robes had been torn into a miserable state by rainwater and thorns.

Without looking back, he condensed a wisp of emerald poison mist in his palm.

"Nine-Striped Serpent Emperor's Poison!"

A faint purple poison mist, nearly invisible to the naked eye, mixed with the rain and spread through the air.

The surrounding grass and trees instantly withered and blackened at an astonishing speed, releasing sizzling sounds of corrosion.

Dugu Bo knew clearly that this was nothing but a futile struggle.

The Soul Power within his body was draining away as rapidly as an ebbing tide.

His speed gradually slowed as well.

"Damn it..."

Dugu Bo gritted his teeth.

Rainwater streamed down his gaunt cheeks, and under the flashes of lightning, his expression looked increasingly grim and terrifying.

"Yue Guan is a level ninety-five Titled Douluo, while I'm only level ninety-two."

"After a Soul Master reaches level ninety, even a single level of difference is like heaven and earth!"

He had originally planned to use the chaos caused by Qian Daoliu's defeat to leave Spirit City.

It had been a perfect plan.

Yet Bibi Dong, that madwoman, had ignored everything else and sent Ghost Douluo and Chrysanthemum Douluo after him first.

How could Dugu Bo have known

that news of Qian Daoliu's defeat and injuries was not bad news to Bibi Dong at all? On the contrary, it suited her perfectly.

Bibi Dong had always hated the Angel Family. For years, she had secretly fought Qian Daoliu within Spirit Hall for influence and control.

Originally, their powers had remained evenly balanced.

But after Qian Daoliu was defeated by Chen Xun today,

everything would change.

Bibi Dong had to seize this opportunity to swiftly raise her prestige within Spirit Hall.

And so,

Dugu Bo became Bibi Dong's first target.

"If this keeps up, he'll wear me down until I die."

Just as his attention wavered for an instant,

the shadow cast by a massive ancient tree beside him seemed to come alive, silently twisting and stretching!

A cold figure emerged from within without warning.

No footsteps, no aura, not even the slightest killing intent—everything had been perfectly concealed!

Only when that sinister ghostly claw, carrying a chill that could tear apart the soul, silently swept toward his throat did he realize it!

"Only a ghostly shadow, no soul rings!"

The figure was none other than Ghost Douluo!

He had been lurking at the side all along, waiting for this chance to deliver a fatal blow!

Dugu Bo's pupils suddenly contracted. An intense premonition of death made every hair on his body stand on end.

At that critical moment,

he abruptly leaned backward, his body nearly parallel to the ground, narrowly dodging the deadly claw.

Yet the icy gust whipped up by its talons still left a bloody mark on the side of his neck.

"Tch, not a slow reaction, Old Poison."

The effeminate voice rang out again, carrying a trace of regret.

Ahead,

Yue Guan descended gracefully from the sky, blocking his path.

The Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum in his hand shimmered with golden light. As its petals opened and closed, it dispersed and purified the Snake Venom lingering in the air.

Golden Soul Power rippled around him,

utterly at odds with the dark, rain-soaked surroundings, yet radiating an even more dangerous aura.

Pinned between them!

Dugu Bo steadied himself.

His chest heaved violently, rainwater mixed with blood from his neck soaking into his collar.

He looked at the smiling Yue Guan ahead, then glanced from the corner of his eye at Ghost Douluo behind him, who had once again melted into the shadows and waited like a venomous snake for his chance to strike.

It was over.

His heart sank completely.

He had thought Yue Guan was the only one pursuing him. He had never expected that Ghost Douluo, that old ghost, had come as well.

In this forest ravaged by the torrential rain, he was a turtle trapped in a jar.

Yue Guan toyed with a petal and said with a smile, "Why keep making pointless struggles? Come back with us, or... die here. Choose."

A resolute glint flashed through Dugu Bo's eyes.

He slowly straightened up.

The Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor martial soul faintly appeared behind him, its tongue flicking as it hissed.

Though its light was dim, it still carried the final majesty of a Titled Douluo.

"Heh, even if I die, I'll drag one of you down with me!"

Dugu Bo prepared to burn the last of the Soul Power in his body and unleash his Ninth Spirit Ability in a desperate fight.

But suddenly, a bolt of lightning that tore through the heavens crashed down!

The world turned as bright as day.

A figure silently appeared between the three of them without warning.

Author's note: The trial results are a little poor, so I'd like to ask—are there still people reading?

I hope all my readers will support me. Please remember to keep following over the next few days, and votes, recommendation tickets, and monthly tickets are all welcome. My deepest thanks!!!!