A Deal with Dugu Bo

Shen Hanyu licked his somewhat dry lips and continued,

"As long as Lord Dugu swears upon his Martial Soul that he will not harm me, and gives me some additional medicinal herbs, I will certainly help you and your granddaughter alleviate, or even eliminate, the toxins in your bodies. What do you think?"

Dugu Bo took a deep breath and carefully examined Shen Hanyu before suddenly asking an abrupt question.

"How old are you this year?"

Shen Hanyu froze for a moment before answering truthfully.

"I just turned thirteen. Is there something you need, Senior Dugu?"

Dugu Bo nearly gasped. A thirteen-year-old Quasi-Soul King had never appeared in the entire history of Douluo Continent, yet one had now appeared right before his eyes.

A genius!

An absolute genius!

Dugu Bo's dark green eyes immediately shifted. The icy expression on his face finally softened somewhat. At the very least, he no longer looked like a wicked old man, and he even gained a trace of the gentleness and kindness expected of an elder his age.

According to Dugu Bo, when faced with a genius, one either befriended them or turned them into a pile of ashes.

Shen Hanyu, who could clearly identify the symptoms of the poisoning afflicting him and his granddaughter, naturally belonged to the former category. Besides, with such unprecedented cultivation talent, such strength at his age, and such heaven-defying Soul Ring configuration, Dugu Bo would never believe that there was no Titled Douluo backing him.

If he attacked this kid and provoked whoever stood behind him, wouldn't he, the gatekeeper among Titled Douluo, be finished on the spot?

Thinking this, Dugu Bo could only roar inwardly:

Impossible!

Absolutely impossible!

If Shen Hanyu knew what Dugu Bo was thinking, he would only say that one need not fear a clever enemy—only an enemy who was too clever and loved making things up in his own head...

Feeling the immense change in Dugu Bo's demeanor, Shen Hanyu was somewhat stunned as well. The next moment, Dugu Bo said,

"Fine! So what if this old man gives you some face? I swear upon my Martial Soul that I will not harm you. Now, little brother, can you tell me about this so-called method of detoxification?"

As though afraid Shen Hanyu would not believe him, Dugu Bo added,

"Young friend, do not worry. Though I, Dugu Bo, am no gentleman, I will certainly keep my word. You need not worry about that."

A faint smile curled Shen Hanyu's lips as he said,

"Senior Dugu is an esteemed Titled Douluo. Of course I believe your words. Since Senior Dugu trusts this junior so much, this junior naturally will not disappoint you."

"I have three methods in total. As for which one to choose, I ask that Senior Dugu listen to them all first."

A trace of joy appeared on Dugu Bo's face, but he said nothing.

Shen Hanyu cleared his throat and said,

"As for the first method, this treasure ground occupied by Senior Dugu is called the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. At the center of the banks surrounding the red and blue pools each grows an immortal herb, known as the Infernal Delicate Apricot and the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass. If one consumes them together and jumps into the pool, one can cultivate Ice and Fire Immunity and a Poison-Immune Body. However, the price is equally enormous. All toxins carried by the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor and the Jade Phosphorous Serpent will become ineffective, including the toxins attached to their Soul Rings. It is even possible that the Martial Soul's grade will fall, changing from a top-tier Beast Martial Soul into an inferior one. Lord Dugu may be able to accept that, but Lady Dugu cannot."

"Because Lady Dugu's Martial Soul is only the Jade Phosphorous Serpent. If she loses its poison attribute as well, it will probably not even compare to an ordinary Beast Martial Soul..."

Sure enough, the joy on Dugu Bo's face gradually faded, his expression darkening as though he were waiting for Shen Hanyu to continue.

Shen Hanyu immediately explained the second method.

"As for the second, Senior Dugu can find these toxins a place to reside—that is, a Soul Bone. Senior Dugu can drive all the toxins into a Soul Bone. After this junior consumes the two immortal herbs mentioned above and tempers his body into a golden body, his blood will also possess an immense detoxifying effect. With my blood as an aid then, you will be safe and sound."

He might as well have flung his abacus beads directly into the other man's face. If Dugu Bo still could not understand Shen Hanyu's true purpose, then he was unworthy of being a Titled Douluo...

Yet Dugu Bo's expression merely stiffened slightly, and he did not speak.

Shen Hanyu then continued with the third method he had devised.

"As for the third, I believe that if this method succeeds, it will become the fundamental solution that benefits the entire Dugu Family."

Dugu Bo looked deeply at Shen Hanyu and drew in a slight breath.

Looking at the other man's aged face, Shen Hanyu slowly said,

"I know that when Senior Dugu broke through to become a Titled Douluo, you only condensed a Dan Pearl. It even contains half of Senior Dugu's strength."

"Then has Senior Dugu ever considered compressing all the toxins in your body and condensing them into a Poison Pearl within your dantian? That would not only solve the problem of the toxins, but the cultivation you have accumulated over decades would also erupt all at once. Breaking through one or two levels then would be effortless. Wouldn't crushing Dead Chrysanthemum simply be a matter of time?"

Dugu Bo's eyes suddenly lit up. He excitedly paced several steps, then abruptly remembered something and said somewhat dejectedly,

"Your method is indeed somewhat feasible, but the toxins in this old man's body have already seeped into my marrow. It may sound like a joke, but I have played with poison all my life, yet I cannot even completely control the toxins within my own body..."

Shen Hanyu merely smiled softly and said,

"What if there were a medicinal herb capable of instantly amplifying the toxins in your body by a hundredfold, or even a thousandfold? Then what?"

Dugu Bo smiled and said,

"It has some potential, but where would one find such a medicinal herb? In all the world, I have never heard of a medicinal herb with such an effect. Now that I say it aloud, it truly is rather sad..."

Shen Hanyu was unconcerned.

"It is far away on the horizon, yet right before your eyes. You have searched the world, yet out of fear, you alone have refused to examine the medicinal herbs within this treasure ground. Sometimes, being willing to try is also a good habit."

Dugu Bo's expression remained unchanged, yet a relieved smile appeared at the corner of his lips.

"You are quite an interesting boy. Not only are you extraordinarily talented, but you are also remarkably knowledgeable, and your courage is equally great. Someone like you is rarely seen even across ten thousand years, before or after."

"Even this old man cannot help wanting to befriend you. How interesting. I never expected that in my declining years, I would still encounter such an interesting junior..."

Shen Hanyu smiled faintly and continued,

"People say that Poison Douluo yields to neither soft nor hard tactics, that he is narrow-minded and even heartless, wishing to kill every existence that might threaten him. But after meeting you today, although Senior may appear somewhat cold and heartless on the surface, you are actually just a bad-tempered old man whose nature is not bad. You could even be called somewhat kind. It seems there are some misunderstandings in what people say..."

Dugu Bo was stunned for a moment before bursting into laughter. Even the pain in his body seemed to lessen somewhat.

Looking at Dugu Bo before him, Shen Hanyu inexplicably thought of that pedantic, rigorous, yet kind old professor from his university days in his Previous Life...

He had been the same sort of person. He seemed difficult to get along with, but his nature was not bad. Once one became familiar with him, he would give everything from the heart. He was probably a good person whom the world refused to acknowledge...

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