Dugu Senior, You're Not Dead, Are You?

"Senior, you jest. I have no connection to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect."

Yu Cheng said calmly.

"I once joined Spirit Hall, but I was never officially registered. I was merely a reserve member."

"Right now, my greatest backing is probably my title as a viscount of the Heaven Dou Empire and Lord of Nuoding City."

Dugu Bo sized Yu Cheng up, studying him for quite a while.

"Kid, there's nothing wrong with joining a sect for protection. Whether it's Spirit Hall or the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, that's your freedom."

Dugu Bo patted Yu Cheng on the shoulder and said earnestly,

"But remember this: once you enter a sect, it's as deep as the sea. Joining is easy, but getting out is difficult."

Back when he had become a Title Douluo, Spirit Hall had tried to recruit him.

He had not wanted to be bound by rules, so he refused.

Later, through a fortunate coincidence, he joined the Heaven Dou Imperial Family as a guest elder. Though he was technically free, there were still times when he could not act as he wished.

"Thank you for your earnest guidance, Senior. Yu Cheng will remember it!"

Yu Cheng nodded heavily.

"Fine. I can't be bothered to worry about you. Since you have no way to resolve Yan Yan's Snake Venom, I'll send you back tomorrow morning."

Dugu Bo looked into the distance.

Dark clouds rolled across the sky, heralding a storm.

"Kid, don't wander around tonight. If you hear anything strange, don't go outside."

Dugu Bo gave this inexplicable warning, then flew straight down the cliff.

Watching Dugu Bo's departing figure, Yu Cheng nodded inwardly.

It seemed Dugu Bo had begun accepting him. Otherwise, he would not have given him all those warnings.

"Even a Title Douluo can't do whatever he wants."

Yu Cheng sighed inwardly.

"Indeed."

Youth Yu Cheng agreed.

"Back then, I only wanted to dissect a few death-row prisoners, but a bunch of old fossils stopped me."

"..."

Yu Cheng fell silent for a moment.

This guy was way too fierce.

Dissecting corpses was one thing, but he had actually wanted to study living people?

The thinking on Douluo Continent was very conservative. Hardly anyone would accept behavior as unorthodox as Youth Yu Cheng's.

Fortunately, he had been with the Shrek faction, where the teachers were fiercely protective of their own.

In any other force, he would likely have been labeled an Evil Soul Master and thrown into Slaughter City.

"Man, stop dwelling on the past."

Yu Cheng looked at the steep cliff, the corner of his mouth twitching.

"How am I supposed to get down now?"

Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

Inside the main hall.

Ning Fengzhi lifted his teacup and took a sip.

"Uncle Jian, according to what you said, Yu Cheng may be Dugu Bo's disciple?"

He set down his cup, unable to keep from frowning.

"That's right."

Chen Xin nodded.

He carefully recalled the scene he had witnessed atop the mountain. Yu Cheng had looked natural, not as if Dugu Bo had been coercing him.

Clearly, there was some sort of relationship between them.

"No wonder Yu Cheng knows how to refine pills. That explains it."

Ning Fengzhi nodded to himself.

Then another question occurred to him. "How did Yu Cheng come to know Dugu Bo? I heard that ever since arriving at the Royal Academy, he has barely left his residence."

Chen Xin considered it for a moment. "I heard Yu Cheng has a good relationship with several members of the Imperial Dou Team. Dugu Yan is the team captain, so she probably introduced him."

"Smack!"

Ning Fengzhi slapped the table and said regretfully, "One move too late. If only we had sent Rongrong to the Royal Academy earlier."

"Then should Rongrong's schooling be postponed?"

Chen Xin asked.

In his view, Ning Rongrong had no need to deal with such interpersonal matters.

He and Gu Rong were still considered young among Title Douluo. At the very least, they could protect the sect for several more decades. Let Rongrong remain a carefree little princess.

Ning Fengzhi pondered for a while. "She should still go. It's never wrong to make a few more friends."

He rose to his feet and walked to the window.

In the distance, dark clouds blanketed the sky as lightning flashed and thunder rumbled.

"Since the Clear Sky Sect sealed itself away, the continent has been peaceful for many years. Yet I always feel that, beneath the surface, a new storm is brewing."

Ning Fengzhi sighed.

Chen Xin nodded. "Let's hope the next generation grows up quickly."

Behind a pillar, Ning Rongrong quietly pulled her head back.

"Stupid dad! He actually wants to send me to school! And Grandfather Jian too—why didn't he try to stop him?"

"Hmph, I'm not going to school. I haven't had enough fun yet."

Her eyes spun as an escape plan slowly took shape in her mind.

Crown Prince's Mansion, study.

Xue Qinghe sat in the seat of honor while two Title Douluo stood respectfully at the side.

"Are you certain that man was Chen Xin?"

Xue Qinghe asked again.

"That's right."

Ci Xue nodded with certainty.

If he had not used poison to conceal their tracks, they would likely have run into Chen Xin.

Xue Qinghe asked doubtfully, "When did Yu Cheng come into contact with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect?"

She Long and Ci Xue exchanged looks.

"Why are you looking at me? Your Highness is asking you!" She Long said, craning his neck.

Ci Xue spread his hands. "How would I know?"

Watching the two shirk responsibility, Xue Qinghe helplessly waved his hand. "You two have worked hard. Go rest first."

She Long and Ci Xue were fine as enforcers, but asking them to devise strategies was truly making things difficult for them.

"Yes."

The two answered respectfully and left the room.

"It seems my teacher is somewhat dissatisfied with the current state of affairs."

Xue Qinghe walked to the window. Looking at the distant dark clouds, his face darkened slightly.

He had only recently learned that Yu Cheng could refine medicine.

Yet Ning Fengzhi's information network was so well-informed that he had likely planted people within Heaven Dou Academy.

Originally, Xue Qinghe had merely wanted Yu Cheng to cultivate in peace.

Unexpectedly, Yu Cheng had not only quickly broken through level twenty, but also drawn the attention of every major force with his alchemy.

Lan Ba, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Dugu Bo...

It seems I need to increase my investment in Yu Cheng.

Xue Qinghe thought inwardly.

Since childhood, whenever she set her sights on something, no one had ever been able to take it from her!

Night.

"Rumble..."

Lightning flashed across the sky, thunder roared, and torrential rain poured down.

Yu Cheng lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep.

What had happened these past few days seemed even more eventful than the previous eleven years of his life.

Even four Title Douluo had appeared all at once!

In the latter half of the night, drowsiness finally washed over Yu Cheng.

"Mm..."

"Ah...!"

He had just closed his eyes when he suddenly heard a pained groan, faintly audible through the downpour.

"Damn this weather! Could Dugu Bo's Snake Venom be acting up?"

Yu Cheng sprang from the bed.

"Man, do you have a way to treat his Snake Venom?"

Yu Cheng asked inwardly.

"No."

Youth Yu Cheng shook his head. "Unless you tell Dugu Bo about the effects of the Immortal Herbs right now. But he may not believe you."

"Man, since Dugu Bo's Snake Venom originates in his bloodline, if I let some of his blood out, could that ease his pain?"

Yu Cheng asked.

He and Dugu Bo had already built a certain degree of trust. Yu Cheng felt somewhat guilty about simply standing by and doing nothing.

Besides, even if the treatment failed, he could at least make his presence known in front of Dugu Bo.

"You mean the Blood Sacrifice Array?"

Youth Yu Cheng thought for a moment. "It's worth trying."

Yu Cheng nodded.

He went to Dugu Bo's room and knocked heavily on the door.

"Senior Dugu, you're not dead, are you?"