Helping Dugu Bo

"You're right." Dugu Bo snorted coldly. The pressure around him eased slightly, yet he still carried an overbearing presence that brooked no defiance. "There are only two ways to settle this—either you obediently help me detoxify myself, and we part in peace; or you dare play even the slightest trick, and this forest will be your burial ground today."

He paused, his withered fingers lightly tapping his sleeve as his tone gained another layer of leverage. "But if you truly can cure Yan Yan and me of our poison, I am not someone who fails to weigh the pros and cons. If your Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect ever needs it in the future, I could even join the sect and lend you my support."

It sounded like a concession, but its edges were razor-sharp. Dugu Bo's calculations were clear: even if he truly killed Wang Chuan and drew the pursuit of Chen Xin and Gu Rong, he had a way out. As long as he broke into the heart of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and unleashed the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor's large-scale poisonous soul skill, none of the sect's disciples below the rank of Titled Douluo would survive. At that point, the two Douluo would have no choice but to compromise.

Wang Chuan heard the threat in his words, but remained unmoved. He merely nodded faintly. "Thank you for your 'trust,' Poison Douluo. Due to certain special opportunities, I am indeed well versed in medicinal principles and pill refinement, and I have cured quite a few unusual poisons before." His tone shifted, and his gaze became solemn. "But those are only temporary measures. Pills can temporarily suppress the poison in your body, but they cannot eradicate the source of poison inherent in your spirit."

As his words fell, a gentle green glow suddenly bloomed around Wang Chuan. A slender yet vitality-filled phantom slowly rose behind him—a small tree with entwined branches and leaves that shimmered with pearly white light. Faint golden patterns flowed across its trunk, and whenever a leaf trembled, it seemed as though tiny specks of life-light were scattering down.

"This is... a Second Spirit?!" Dugu Bo's pupils contracted sharply, the composure on his face instantly replaced by shock. Twin Martial Souls! A supreme talent that might not appear even once in several centuries had appeared in this young man! He secretly rejoiced that he had not acted rashly earlier—if he had killed such a genius, that old man Chen Xin, who was so fiercely protective of his own, would surely chase him to the ends of the earth with the Seven Kill Sword, never resting until one of them died.

"Good lad, your secret is buried even deeper than my Jade Phosphor Serpent Poison." There was now genuine admiration in Dugu Bo's voice, and the way he looked at Wang Chuan shifted from scrutiny to seriousness.

"You flatter me, Your Excellency." Wang Chuan concealed the faint light in his eyes, his tone still calm. "Now that you know the secret of my spirit, and I know the hidden danger of yours, we are even, aren't we?"

"We are indeed even." Dugu Bo finally withdrew his pressure completely. He slowly sat cross-legged, formed a hand seal, and began circulating his Soul Power. "You said pills treat the symptoms but not the root cause. Then try using your spirit. Since I have seen your secret, I should naturally give you some trust in return—go ahead and do what you must."

Wang Chuan walked behind Dugu Bo and gently pressed both hands against the center of his back. The green glow at his fingertips grew increasingly dense. As he circulated his Soul Power, the phantom of the Jianmu Spirit behind him suddenly brightened, and countless threads of light brimming with vigorous vitality slowly seeped into Dugu Bo's body through his palms.

Dugu Bo felt a warm yet powerful life force instantly spread through every limb and bone, like sweet rain falling upon drought-stricken earth. The meridians that had long been stiffened by poison slowly began to loosen under the nourishment of that power, and even the sluggishness in his Soul Power circulation faded by more than half. The long-lost sensation of ease made him let out an involuntary sigh, and his taut body completely relaxed.

Then Wang Chuan gave a low shout. The leaves of the Jianmu Spirit shook violently, and a ball of light containing the power of "abundance" gathered at the top of the spirit before flowing into Dugu Bo through the threads of light. Like a gentle stream, that power wrapped around the Jade Phosphor poison entrenched in his meridians, gradually breaking it down and transforming it. The originally cold, tyrannical poison slowly became pure poison-attributed Soul Power, flowing through his meridians and merging into his Dantian as though it had been part of his body from the very beginning.

Half an hour later, cold sweat covered Wang Chuan's forehead, and his face had turned pale. He could clearly feel that nearly ninety percent of his Soul Power had been consumed, leaving him barely able to stop Blessing of Abundance. At this point, roughly five percent of the poison in Dugu Bo's body had been transformed, and his formerly dull Soul Power now carried a faint clarity.

"Pfft—" Wang Chuan's Soul Power was exhausted. His body went limp as he fell backward. Dugu Bo reacted swiftly, using a gentle stream of Soul Power to catch him and slowly lower him onto the grass. Then he raised a hand and summoned his spirit. Pale green flames ignited in his palm, yet they carried no heat at all. Instead, they held a faint toxicity—his First Soul Skill, Jade Phosphor Poison Fire.

The poison fire spread outward, but rather than harming the surrounding plants, it burned away the impurities and trace toxins in the air. At the same time, Dugu Bo clearly felt that there was none of the previous sluggishness when he released his soul skill. The range of his poison fire had expanded by nearly half, and its toxicity had become even more concentrated.

"It really works!" Dugu Bo was overjoyed and did not dare delay any longer. He carefully lifted Wang Chuan with his Soul Power, then dispelled the Soul Power barrier trapping Dugu Yan and picked her up.

"He only exhausted his Soul Power. He'll be fine after resting for a while." Dugu Bo's tone softened somewhat. "We'll go to my sanctuary now. The spiritual energy of heaven and earth there is best suited for recovery, and it will help him recuperate faster."

The flames in the blacksmith shop's furnace gradually weakened. Yu Tianheng gripped the newly repaired Soul Tool, but a chill crept into his fingertips—nearly an hour had passed since Dugu Yan had left with the communication paper crane.

At first, he had been able to wait patiently. But as the setting sun slowly sank behind the western hills, there was still no movement from the forest, and the "safe arrival message" Dugu Yan had promised had yet to come. The unease in Yu Tianheng's heart grew wildly like creeping vines. He could no longer sit still. Grabbing the Soul Tool beside him, he hurried toward the "western corner of the forest" Dugu Yan had mentioned before leaving.

The wind among the trees carried the dampness of late spring, rustling the leaves, but not a single human voice could be heard. Yu Tianheng moved through the forest along the route he remembered, his heart sinking deeper the farther he went—until he reached that moss-covered clearing, and his pupils suddenly shrank.

The clearing was empty. Only a few freshly trampled grass stalks remained, while Dugu Yan and Wang Chuan had long since vanished. Yu Tianheng crouched down and lightly brushed his fingertips across the ground. An extremely faint yet familiar scent entered his nose—it was the poison-attributed Soul Power unique to the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor. Though it had weakened to the point of nearly dispersing, it could not escape the perception he had developed from fighting alongside Dugu Yan for years.

"This is bad!" Yu Tianheng abruptly stood up. He knew all too well what that aura meant—apart from Dugu Yan, the only person on the entire Douluo Continent capable of releasing such pure Jade Phosphor Serpent Poison was her grandfather, Poison Douluo Dugu Bo!

Wang Chuan was Sword Douluo's disciple. If Dugu Bo had truly attacked them, the consequences would be unthinkable. Yet with his strength alone, let alone finding them in the vast forest, even if he encountered a Titled Douluo, he would have no room to resist.

In a flash, a thought crossed Yu Tianheng's mind—the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. Wang Chuan had deep ties to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Sword Douluo Chen Xin was his master, and Douluo Gu Rong also thought highly of the boy. If he could persuade the two Titled Douluo to act, not only would they find them faster, but even if they truly faced Dugu Bo, they would have enough power to protect Wang Chuan.

Without the slightest hesitation, Yu Tianheng turned and sprinted toward the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. The evening wind whipped up his robes, while the scenery became a blur behind him and the forest trees rushed backward. He clenched his fists, holding only one thought in his heart: he had to reach the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect as quickly as possible. Nothing could happen to Wang Chuan.