Soft and Hard Tactics, Subduing Dugu Bo

"Which thief dares to enter my Herb Garden without permission—"

Before he could finish speaking, that streak of emerald light had already shot into the Valley.

Then, it came to an abrupt halt.

Dugu Bo's body suddenly froze in place, his pupils shrinking to pinpoints.

What did he see?

Five people.

Five people who had all turned to look at him in unison.

The auras erupting from three of them instantly made even him, a Titled Douluo, feel his scalp tingle—

The two on either side both possessed Level 92 Soul Power,

while the man in green standing in the center with his hands behind his back and a calm expression...

Dugu Bo's throat bobbed slightly.

The overwhelming aura pressing down on him was as deep and unfathomable as an abyss.

A Level 97 Peak Douluo!

With a lineup like this, even if the entire Heaven Dou Empire mobilized, it would have to think twice.

The atmosphere in the Valley instantly froze.

Dugu Bo remained in the posture of having charged into the Valley, unable to advance or retreat.

The furious momentum he had displayed moments ago now felt as though someone had seized him by the throat, leaving it trapped in his chest with no way to vent it.

"..."

Qing Luan Douluo looked at him impassively and said nothing.

Yet that gaze falling upon Dugu Bo sent a chill down his spine.

Level 97.

Among Titled Douluo, especially after Level 95, the gap in Soul Power between each level was like a heavenly chasm.

Not to mention...

Dugu Bo glanced at the other two Titled Douluo from the corner of his eye and inwardly groaned.

He recognized both of them—Snake Lance Douluo and Porcupinefish Douluo. The latter's Pufferfish Spirit could be said to completely counter his Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor poison!

The Valley fell deathly silent.

Qian Renxue stood quietly beside Qing Luan Douluo. Dressed in simple, elegant fitted attire, her long hair was loosely pinned up with a jade hairpin. Her exquisitely beautiful face remained as calm as water as she silently watched Dugu Bo.

Ye Chen also watched the scene with great interest.

He knew that although Dugu Bo had an eccentric personality, he was not reckless. More importantly, he had his granddaughter as a weakness.

Faced with such a formation, the Poison Douluo would surely yield.

Sure enough.

The silence lasted for roughly ten breaths.

Dugu Bo took a deep breath and spoke word by word. "She Long... Ci Xue... I never expected it to be you two."

"Old Poison, long time no see."

Snake Lance Douluo merely snorted and did not reply. Porcupinefish Douluo, meanwhile, wore a false smile as poisonous mist faintly swirled around him, clearly showing no friendliness toward Dugu Bo.

Dugu Bo turned to Qing Luan Douluo and deeply cupped his hands, his hoarse, low voice filled with reverence.

"I did not know a senior had arrived. I was blind and acted disrespectfully just now."

"Mm."

Qing Luan Douluo looked at him indifferently before slowly speaking in an unquestionable tone. "Dugu Bo, this Valley and everything within it belong to me from this moment onward."

Dugu Bo's expression changed.

"What?"

He instinctively took a step forward, about to argue...

Qing Luan Douluo narrowed his eyes. Azure light surged around him as the pressure of a Level 97 Peak Douluo poured forth without reservation, bearing down upon Dugu Bo like Mount Tai.

Dugu Bo's body abruptly sank. His legs trembled slightly, and cold sweat instantly beaded across his forehead.

"You insulted us as 'thieves' just now,"

Qing Luan Douluo said calmly, though a trace of coldness colored his voice. "Consider this your apology. Otherwise, I would not mind stretching my limbs a little."

Stretching his limbs?

Dugu Bo's expression instantly became extremely ugly, shifting between green and white. His lips trembled slightly, but he ultimately did not dare retort.

That pressure was too powerful!

So powerful that he could not even summon the thought of resisting.

"I..."

Dugu Bo spoke with difficulty, his voice hoarse. "I need this place for cultivation. This Valley is of vital importance to me..."

"Cultivation?"

Qing Luan Douluo looked at him indifferently and did not withdraw his aura.

At that moment, Ye Chen suddenly spoke. "I'm afraid it's not that simple, is it?"

Dugu Bo's pupils contracted as he abruptly looked at the six-year-old child.

This child...

Qing Luan Douluo looked at Dugu Bo, his gaze becoming even sharper. "Speak."

A single simple word sent a chill down Dugu Bo's spine.

He clenched his teeth. In the end, under the pressure of a Peak Douluo, he still lowered his head.

"...My spirit is the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor. Its poison is extremely potent, but the deeper my cultivation becomes, the harsher the backlash." Dugu Bo's voice was low.

"Only by relying on this strange Pool can I barely suppress it."

As Dugu Bo spoke, his gaze swept over the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, his eyes filled with unwillingness.

Qing Luan Douluo's expression did not change, but Ye Chen's lips curved faintly upward.

This was exactly what he had been waiting to hear.

Dugu Bo, the master of group attacks who "never won a duel but never lost when bullying the weak," had poisoned tens of thousands of soldiers to death by himself in the Battle of Jialing Pass in the original story.

Ye Chen had long intended to subdue him.

If that failed, he could only eliminate him. Otherwise, the threat would be far too great!

Ye Chen turned to Qing Luan Douluo and blinked. "Grandpa."

Qing Luan Douluo understood and nodded slightly.

Although neither spoke, that exchange of glances made Dugu Bo's heart inexplicably skip a beat.

Sure enough, Qing Luan Douluo slowly said, "Dugu Bo, I will give you an opportunity."

Dugu Bo was stunned.

"Join Spirit Hall, and you may continue using this Pool." Qing Luan Douluo's tone was calm. "Not only that, Spirit Hall can also help resolve the backlash from the deadly poison within your body."

Dugu Bo's pupils contracted violently.

Join Spirit Hall?

He had roamed alone for half his life and had never considered pledging himself to any faction.

Moreover, Spirit Hall had previously sent people to hunt him down. Had Prince Xuexing's army not saved him, Dugu Bo might have died at Yue Guan's hands.

But...

Dugu Bo looked at Qing Luan Douluo, then at the red-and-blue Pool, and finally thought of his precious granddaughter, Dugu Yan...

"Grandpa is right."

Ye Chen spoke at the right moment, but his words shook Dugu Bo to the core. "Senior Dugu, even if today's incident had never occurred, you could only suppress the backlash from your poison, not cure it completely."

"But Spirit Hall has experts proficient in pharmacology, records detailing the properties of Immortal Herbs, and many healing-type Soul Sages and Soul Douluo!"

"Joining Spirit Hall is better than trying to figure out an antidote on your own."

Ye Chen paused, his smile harmless and innocent.

"Besides, do you think you can leave this Valley today if you refuse to join Spirit Hall?"

Dugu Bo looked at Ye Chen and fell silent for a moment.

This child...

Was he really only six years old?

His words were clear and well-organized, combining inducement and coercion. He had obviously come prepared.

Dugu Bo's gaze flickered as he looked toward Qing Luan Douluo.

Qing Luan Douluo stood with his hands behind his back, his expression calm as he did not urge him.

After a long while.

Dugu Bo took a deep breath, slowly bent at the waist, and deeply bowed to Qing Luan Douluo. "I... am willing to serve Spirit Hall."

Qing Luan Douluo nodded slightly, and a faint smile finally appeared on his face.

"Very good."

Standing to the side, Qian Renxue's eyes shifted as she glanced at Ye Chen. The corners of her lips lifted slightly.

This little fellow really knew how to calculate.

Ye Chen met her gaze and grinned.

Subduing a Titled Douluo—an expert in poison, no less—without suffering any loss at all. No matter how he calculated it, this deal was an absolute steal!