The Three Committee Members Were Stunned

"Bang!!"

Accompanied by an earth-shattering boom, the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor Avatar finally reached its limit under the charged strike of the Fire Qilin True Body and exploded with a deafening crash!

At the same time, Dugu Bo suffered a heavy blow and was sent flying dozens of meters before crashing heavily onto the hard ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

He then spat out a mouthful of thick blood, his face turning deathly pale as his aura weakened. He looked utterly wretched.

There was no trace left of the dignity of a Titled Douluo.

"Poison Douluo lost!"

Yu Tianheng and the others wore expressions of utter disbelief. Though they had vaguely anticipated this outcome, witnessing it with their own eyes still shook them deeply.

The famed Poison Douluo had actually been defeated by a young man in his twenties.

How unimaginable was that?

"Grandfather!"

Dugu Yan let out a heart-rending cry as tears streamed down her face. She tried to rush over without a second thought.

"Calm down!"

Yu Tianheng held Dugu Yan back with all his strength. Given Teacher Lin Mu's ruthless methods, if she went over now, she would definitely get beaten up—and might even lose her life.

As for Yu Feng, Osler, and the others, their minds were still completely blank.

If Lin Mu had been forty or fifty years old, it would have been understandable for him to possess the strength of a Titled Douluo. But Lin Mu was only in his twenties, barely older than them, yet he had defeated the Poison Douluo!

This was completely beyond their comprehension.

At that moment, Lin Mu had already dispelled his Martial Soul Avatar, with only the Flame of Nawa armor still covering his body.

Though Dugu Bo was severely injured and nearly powerless to resist, he was still a Titled Douluo. He might yet have some desperate trick up his sleeve.

"Cough, cough. This old man will submit to Your Excellency's disposal. I only ask that you spare Yan Yan."

"If it were you, would you spare them?"

Looking at the rather miserable Poison Douluo on the ground, Lin Mu asked in return.

Hearing this answer, Dugu Bo revealed a bitter expression. Having roamed the continent for so many years, how could he not understand the principle of eliminating the roots?

Just as his heart sank into despair, Lin Mu suddenly continued, "I'll give you a choice: submit or die."

Although Dugu Bo was the weakest among the Titled Douluo, he was also the strongest in group battles. A war would likely break out in the future, and this Poison Douluo could still prove useful.

Moreover, Dugu Bo had not tried to kill Tang San. He had merely wanted to seize the Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone.

Any other Titled Douluo would have done the same upon encountering a transformed soul beast.

"This old man is willing to submit!"

Dugu Bo completely cast aside the pride in his heart. For his granddaughter's safety, he could only choose submission.

Seeing this, Lin Mu nodded slightly. With the combat power of a Titled Douluo at his disposal, he would have a few more chances of success when hunting his Eighth Soul Ring in the future.

Without question, his Eighth Soul Ring had to be at least a hundred thousand years old. To hunt a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, he could not rely on himself alone.

However, this old poison freak had an eccentric personality. To prevent betrayal, he had to take a few precautions.

Lin Mu immediately pressed his index and middle fingers together and jabbed them directly at Dugu Bo's heart.

Right afterward, a wisp of Kirin Fire compressed to the extreme emerged from his fingertips and instantly burrowed into Dugu Bo's body.

"This Core Flame has been planted in your heart. With a single thought, I can detonate it. You should understand the consequences without me explaining them."

At those words, Dugu Bo's pupils contracted. He could indeed feel that his heart was abnormally scorching, as though it could explode at any moment. He no longer dared entertain the slightest ulterior thought.

So what if he was a Titled Douluo? If his heart exploded, he would still die.

"Th-this old slave understands. This old slave will never harbor disloyal thoughts."

Hearing the change in how he referred to himself, a trace of satisfaction flashed through Lin Mu's eyes. He then took out a pill from his Storage Bracelet and tossed it into Dugu Bo's hand.

Dugu Bo did not even glance at it before decisively putting it into his mouth.

His life was now at Lin Mu's mercy. Whether the pill was poisoned or not no longer mattered.

Once the pill entered his stomach, a gentle yet pure medicinal power rapidly spread through his body, nourishing his damaged Meridians and internal organs and partially easing his injuries.

Having witnessed the pill's efficacy, regret welled up in his heart even more strongly.

Had he not coveted the Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone, not only would he have avoided injury, he might even have had a chance to resolve the Martial Soul problem that had plagued him for years.

On the other side, Qin Ming was leading the three Committee Members as they hurried toward the training grounds.

Yet the instant they arrived outside the training grounds, all four froze at the sight before them.

The training ground had nearly become ruins. Scorched and cracked marks were everywhere, violent fire energy filled the air, and waves of heat rushed at them from within.

After a long while, the four of them barely recovered their senses. Their gazes first swept over Yu Tianheng and the others before quickly settling on Lin Mu and Dugu Bo.

On their way here, they had already felt that terrifying pressure and formed their own guesses.

In their eyes, no matter how formidable Lin Mu was, there was still a difference of nearly twenty levels between them. He could never have been the Poison Douluo's opponent.

It was precisely to save this young genius that the three Committee Members had rushed over so urgently.

But the scene before them was completely contrary to their expectations.

Clad in crimson armor, Lin Mu was not only in no danger, but even his armor remained completely unscathed.

Meanwhile, the Poison Douluo, who held an advantage of nearly twenty ranks in Soul Power, was raggedly dressed, his entire body charred black and covered in wounds and blood. He had suffered grave injuries.

"H-How is that possible?!"

The three Committee Members' pupils contracted in shock. This was completely beyond their expectations.

Clearly, Lin Mu had won this battle. As a Soul Sage, he had actually defeated a Titled Douluo across ranks!

From Lin Mu's previous battle with Qin Ming, they had known that Lin Mu's strength was extraordinary and that he likely possessed power comparable to a Soul Douluo. But now, it seemed they had still underestimated him.

The three Committee Members looked at one another, yet none of them spoke.

In their eyes, Lin Mu's talent was already absurd enough. They had never expected his strength to be even more terrifying. Defeating a Titled Douluo with the cultivation of a Soul Sage was something that had absolutely never appeared on the continent.

Qin Ming was even more dumbfounded. He knew Lin Mu was far stronger than him, but he had never imagined that he was powerful to such an extent.

Meng Shenji took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the shock in his heart. He quickly stepped forward and said with a trace of respect, "T-Teacher Lin Mu, what happened here?"

Bai Baoshan and Zhi Lin followed closely behind, their gazes filled with concern, though even more so with the reverence one held toward a powerful expert.

Lin Mu waved a hand and replied calmly, "Just a minor matter. It's already been resolved."

Hearing this, the three Committee Members could only suppress their curiosity. Whether it was Dugu Bo or the even stronger Lin Mu, neither was someone they could afford to provoke.

They simply had not expected Heaven Dou Royal Academy to have a teacher comparable to a Titled Douluo.

However, given Lin Mu's immense strength, the treatment they had offered him before was clearly insufficient. They had to grant him the highest level of benefits.

There were two reasons for not killing Dugu Bo. First, he was still useful. Second, if he were killed, there would be no way to handle Dugu Yan. If she were killed too, people would definitely complain. That simply was not General Duanmu's character—after all, she was not a soul beast. Moreover, it would trigger a chain reaction later on, such as Yu Tianheng's relationship with the academy. If he truly went on a killing spree, people would complain until it was changed overnight.