Jade Phosphorous Seven Absolute Poison Array

The moment his words fell—

"Boom!"

A terrifying pressure crashed down like collapsing mountains and raging seas!

The full might of a Titled Douluo erupted without restraint. The air throughout the valley seemed to grow thick and heavy. Loose stones trembled on the ground, and even the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well seemed to slow its rotation.

Liu Erlong stepped forward, shielding the three of them.

Dark-red Soul Power rose from her. She unleashed the full pressure of a Soul Saint, forcibly carving out a pocket of space within Dugu Bo's abyssal might. The two forces collided in midair, producing a soundless roar.

As for Yu Tiancheng—

He stood where he was, his expression calm, his clothes unmoving.

It wasn't that he couldn't feel the pressure.

On the contrary, the Titled Douluo's might bore down on him like something tangible. Every inch of his skin screamed, and every bone trembled. But the Time Dragon Emperor Martial Soul within him hummed softly. A power originating from his Martial Soul Origin flowed quietly through him, silently dispelling and redirecting the foreign pressure.

This wasn't a contest of strength, but a difference in the very nature of their Martial Souls.

Meeting Dugu Bo's vertical pupils, which seemed capable of piercing his soul, Yu Tiancheng slowly bowed.

"This junior is Yu Tiancheng. Greetings, Senior Poison Douluo."

His voice was calm and clear. In the pressure-filled valley, it sounded especially out of place.

Then he raised his head and looked straight into those emerald-green snake eyes, speaking each word distinctly:

"I can cure your poison."

"But before I treat you, I have one condition."

Dugu Bo's vertical pupils fixed on Yu Tiancheng. The killing intent in the air nearly congealed into something tangible.

"A condition?" His hoarse voice was laced with bone-chilling cold. "Boy, do you even understand the situation? You're the one asking me to let you treat me, not the other way around."

Yu Tiancheng's expression didn't change. "Senior, you misunderstand. I came here partly at Miss Dugu's request, and partly to obtain a few herbs from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. This is a trade, not charity."

"A trade?" Dugu Bo laughed, the sound dry and grating. "You're only a twenty-level Spirit Master. You think you're worthy of negotiating a trade with me?"

Before his words had even faded, he swept his sleeve.

"Vmmm—"

Centered on the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, seven layers of differently colored poisonous mist surged like waves, spreading out in overlapping layers at the entrance to the valley.

Each layer gave off a different kind of danger. Some reeked foully, some were colorless and odorless, and some even carried a strange, sweet fragrance.

"This is the 'Jade Phosphorous Seven Absolute Poison Array,' laid down with the poison of my Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor Origin."

Dugu Bo said coldly, "Seven deadly poisons layered one over another: corrosion, paralysis, bone erosion, heart burning, mind disruption, soul severing, and life ending. Anyone below the Titled Douluo level who enters without an antidote will die. Didn't you boast that you inherited the Myriad Poisons True Explanation? Then let me see how much that inheritance is worth. Pass through these seven layers of poison and come stand before me."

"Grandpa!" Dugu Yan cried anxiously. "You never let me anywhere near this array, and Yu Tiancheng is only a little over twenty levels..."

Dugu Bo looked at his granddaughter, the coldness in his vertical pupils easing slightly. "Yan'er, if he can't even break through this array, how can he claim to cure the poison in you and me?"

He turned back to Yu Tiancheng and said coolly, "Boy, you can still admit defeat. Get down on your knees, kowtow three times, and admit you were boasting. I'll let you leave unharmed."

Yu Tiancheng glanced at the emerald poison array, a look of understanding flashing in his eyes. The array seemed perilous, but it concealed a way through.

Dugu Bo had, after all, left him a way out.

"Senior," Yu Tiancheng said calmly, "if I can break through this array, will that prove my ability?"

Dugu Bo narrowed his eyes. "If you can make it in here unharmed, I'll believe you. Go ahead."

Yu Tiancheng looked at the thick poison array, said nothing more, and simply stepped inside.

The moment he entered, countless streams of poisonous gas surged toward him from every direction, frantically trying to burrow into his body.

Yu Tiancheng didn't panic. He began circulating the Myriad Poisons True Explanation cultivation method within him.

Rather than resist or evade like an ordinary person, he opened every one of his body's acupoints and let the poisonous gas pour in.

Liu Erlong's expression changed outside the array, while Dugu Yan let out a startled cry.

But the next moment, something astonishing happened.

The poisonous gas pouring into Yu Tiancheng's body didn't harm him. Instead, it seemed to have met its natural enemy. It flowed docilely through his meridians, then gathered in his dantian, where an invisible force refined and absorbed it.

Yu Tiancheng continued forward at an unhurried pace.

Wherever he went, the poisonous mist parted on its own, as if making way for him.

One step, two steps, three steps...

His stride was steady, his breathing even, and his complexion was even rosier than before.

After ten steps, he had reached the center of the poison array.

The concentration of poison here had reached its peak. Even the air had turned into thick, dark-green sludge. An ordinary Spirit Master would die instantly from a single breath.

Yu Tiancheng merely took a gentle breath.

Myriad Poisons True Explanation—Myriad Poisons Returning to the Origin.

Under the cultivation method's influence, the deadly poison entering his body was rapidly broken down and transformed into pure energy that nourished his entire body. His Soul Power increased at a visible rate, and the bottleneck at level twenty-eight shattered with a roar.

Level twenty-eight, level twenty-nine, level thirty...

By the time he reached the far end of the array, his Soul Power had settled firmly at level thirty.

"Phew—"

Yu Tiancheng breathed out gently. A stream of pure, dark-green vapor spilled from his mouth and hit the ground, corroding a deep hole into the rock.

The poison array slowly dissipated behind him.

He raised his head, looked at Dugu Bo, and cupped his hands.

"Senior, the array is broken."

The entire scene fell silent.

Dugu Yan's eyes widened in disbelief. The Nine Heart Begonia in Ye Lingling's hand trembled slightly.

Liu Erlong let out a long breath, a trace of pride flashing in her eyes.

Dugu Bo stared intently at Yu Tiancheng. After a long moment, he slowly exhaled.

"The Myriad Poisons True Explanation truly lives up to its reputation."

He walked up to Yu Tiancheng and, for the first time, looked at the boy as an equal. "You didn't just pass through the poison array—you used it to break through to level thirty. Good. Very good."

Yu Tiancheng smiled faintly. "Senior's poison array actually left a way through. Otherwise, this junior wouldn't have dared to be so confident."

A flash of surprise crossed Dugu Bo's eyes. "You noticed?"

"There was a chance for transformation at the array's core," Yu Tiancheng replied. "That was the flaw Senior deliberately left behind."

Dugu Bo fell silent.

After a long while, he slowly nodded. "That's right. I wanted to test your abilities, but I didn't want to truly upset Yan'er either. If you couldn't hold on, the poison array would have dispersed on its own."

He paused, then said solemnly, "Now you've earned the right to negotiate any terms with me. I'll agree to them. Treat my injuries first, and then we'll talk."