The Thirty-Ninth Poison Douluo Bows and Hugs a Thigh

The morning mist in Sunset Forest had yet to dissipate when various Soul Tool carriages had already filled the entrance to the valley. The Poison Valley, which people usually avoided, had now become the liveliest "social hub" on Douluo Continent. Envoys from major powers, holding rare resources, stood respectfully at the edge of the miasma, not daring to breathe loudly, for fear of disturbing the "big figure" in the valley.

"Lord Dugu Douluo, this is the Thousand Year Glazed Jade our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect recently harvested. It can stabilize Soul Power and nourish the meridians. Please take a look..." Ning Fengzhi's personal guard held a brocade box, his tone respectful to the point of subservience. In the past, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, as one of the Upper Three Sects, rarely bowed to anyone. Yet now, facing Dugu Bo, they had lowered all their pretenses.

The hem of his ink-black robe fluttered slightly in the morning breeze as Dugu Bo slowly walked out of the valley. A faint Poison Battle Qi enveloped him, no longer the terrifying ferocity of the past, but exuding a steady pressure. He took the brocade box and opened it. The warm luster of the glazed jade reflected in his eyes, and a barely perceptible smile curved his lips. "Sect Master Ning is thoughtful. Lord Lin Yue is currently organizing Combat Skill scrolls. I will mention your request to him, but whether you get priority will depend on the auction house's rules."

"Yes, yes, yes! It's all up to Lord Dugu Douluo's arrangements!" the guard nodded repeatedly, a look of joy appearing on his face as if he had received an immense promise.

Watching the guard's retreating back, Dugu Bo felt a surge of exhilaration. He used to be the "Poison Old Freak" everyone avoided. People from Martial Soul Hall would mock him when they saw him. Now, people from the Upper Three Sects bowed to him, and envoys from the two great empires queued up three days in advance just to ask him to speak to Lin Yue. This transformation from "weakest" to "top-tier" made him increasingly fond of the honorific title "Dugu Douluo"—after all, his current strength truly deserved such respect.

"Yan Yan would definitely be very happy if she saw me now," Dugu Bo murmured, a hint of tenderness flashing in his eyes. He remembered his granddaughter Dugu Yan always complaining about him being bullied, and recalled how he could only watch her envy others in the past. A sense of determination grew in his heart.

He turned back into the valley, his gaze sweeping over the poisonous grass everywhere—these things, considered "trash" by others before, were now treasures that could be exchanged for points. The Nether Luo Grass could be exchanged for a million, so wouldn't the rarer "Corpse Heart Flower" and "Bone Gnawing Vine" be worth even more? Once he accumulated enough points, he would not only exchange for Mysterious Tier Combat Skills for himself but also for a Combat Skill suitable for an agile attack system for Yan Yan, allowing her to become someone others envied.

With this thought, Dugu Bo wasted no more time. He circulated his "幽毒" movement technique, his figure transforming into a purple shadow, darting into the depths of the valley. He carefully picked the poisonous herbs, packing them into specially made jade boxes, afraid of damaging their quality—these were his future "capital," the foundation for holding onto the auction house's support.

Three days later, Dugu Bo's figure reappeared before the black jade main building of the Otherworld Auction House. This time, he brought five rare poisonous herbs, two of which were "Corpse Heart Flowers" emitting a dark red luster. The poison on their petals could corrode Soul Bones, making them key ingredients for refining high-level poison pills.

"Lord Mo Chen, please inform him. This old man requests an audience with Lord Lin Yue." Dugu Bo cupped his hands in greeting to Mo Chen at the entrance, his tone respectful, showing no airs of a Titled Douluo. In the past, he was defiant towards everyone, but facing the people of the auction house, he willingly lowered his stance—he knew that everything he had now was given by the auction house, and only by holding onto this support could he establish himself on Douluo Continent.

Mo Chen smiled and nodded. "Lord Dugu Douluo is too kind. The master is already waiting for you inside."

Following Mo Chen into the inner hall, Dugu Bo immediately saw Lin Yue sitting at a tea table, fiddling with a pale blue jade pendant in his hand. He quickly stepped forward and placed the jade box containing the poisonous herbs on the table. "Lord Lin Yue, these are the poisonous herbs this old man recently collected. Please see if they meet your approval."

Lin Yue opened the jade box and brushed his fingertips over the petals of the Corpse Heart Flower, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. "Corpse Heart Flower, it grows in ten-thousand-year miasma and needs to absorb the essence blood of Soul Beasts to mature. It is indeed rare. These five poisonous herbs are in perfect condition, and the auction house is willing to purchase them for 1.2 million points."

"1.2 million?!" Dugu Bo's eyes widened abruptly, a wave of ecstasy washing over him. He had expected at most a million, but it turned out to be 200,000 more! This was enough for his exchange!

"Lord Lin Yue, this old man has another humble request." Dugu Bo took a deep breath and bowed. "My granddaughter is an agile attack Soul Master. Does the auction house have any suitable Combat Skills for her? If so, this old man is willing to exchange more poisonous herbs."

Lin Yue looked at his respectful demeanor and smiled. "There are indeed Combat Skills for agile attack systems. The Yellow Tier high-grade 'Shadow Kill Technique' is suitable for stealth and surprise attacks. However, Mysterious Tier Combat Skills require more points, and you don't have enough yet."

"It's okay if it's not enough!" Dugu Bo said quickly, his eyes full of urgency. "This old man still has a lot of poisonous herbs in his valley. I will definitely bring more next time! I only ask that Lord Lin Yue reserve a 'Shadow Kill Technique' for this old man. I would be eternally grateful!" As he spoke, he even bowed deeply to Lin Yue—a Titled Douluo, for his granddaughter, for a Combat Skill, willingly bowed to someone of unknown origin. If this were to spread, it would likely shock the entire continent.

Lin Yue understood his situation and nodded. "Alright. If you can bring 'Bone Gnawing Vine' next time, I will reserve 'Shadow Kill Technique' for you."

"Thank you, Lord Lin Yue! Thank you, Lord Lin Yue!" Dugu Bo was overjoyed and thanked him repeatedly. As he exited the inner hall, his steps were almost buoyant. He walked through the auction house corridors, looking at the passing Soul Masters, his heart filled with emotion—he used to not even dare to enter the auction house, but now he could receive special treatment here. All of this was because he had latched onto the right support. In the future, he would come to the auction house more often and maintain a good relationship with Lin Yue, perhaps even obtaining higher-tier Combat Skills.

"The Otherworld Auction House will hold a grand auction in seven days. This auction will include Yellow Tier high-grade Combat Skills 'Chasing Wind Steps' and 'Mountain Splitting Fist,' as well as several mysterious high-grade Combat Skill fragments..."

When the auction preview lit up on the golden screen, the entire Douluo Continent erupted. Although they were only Yellow Tier Combat Skills, Dugu Bo's example was right before their eyes—a single Yellow Tier high-grade Combat Skill could allow a level 91 Titled Douluo to counterattack and reach level 97 strength. Who wouldn't want one?

The reaction from the major powers was more frantic than expected—in the Worship Hall of Martial Soul City, Qian Daoliu's hand trembled slightly as he looked at the auction preview, his Angel Sacred Sword vibrating.