Douluo: Iron-Eating Beast Martial Soul, Never a Slave

Zhao Mu suddenly felt the pressure on him grow several times heavier, while Dugu Bo's face had already turned grim. He said coldly, "Who gave you the nerve to spout such nonsense? Do you really think I won't kill you?"

Dugu Bo naturally knew his true condition. A Martial Soul defect was a major problem; once it became known to someone with ulterior motives, it would become his most fatal weakness.

However, recalling Zhao Mu's earlier claim that he could cure both him and Yan Yan, a faint trace of hope still lingered in Dugu Bo's heart.

After all, who would willingly die if they could live? Especially his granddaughter, whom Dugu Bo treasured like a jewel.

But when he saw how absurdly young Zhao Mu looked, coupled with Zhao Mu's lack of any background, Dugu Bo found it truly difficult to believe that Zhao Mu possessed the ability to cure him and Yan Yan.

Sometimes, appearances really were crucial. They could earn you plenty of extra credit. If Zhao Mu had looked older, even seventeen or eighteen, Dugu Bo would have found him much easier to believe.

Zhao Mu said calmly, "If I die, you'll only end up worse off than me. Maybe you aren't afraid of death, but what about your granddaughter? She may not have cultivated for long, but she inherited it from birth. Will she have the willpower to endure this ever-increasing pain in the future?"

Dugu Yan was Dugu Bo's weak spot, so bringing her up was the most effective way to deal with him.

In the end, Dugu Bo finally cast aside his pride and could not help asking, "You understand the Martial Soul Poison in Yan Yan and me? You can cure the poison in our bodies? But this is only our first meeting."

"Do you, whenever it's cloudy or raining, "

Damn it, Zhao Mu suddenly froze. He had not paid close enough attention when reading the book and could not remember Dugu Bo's exact symptoms. He only recalled that it seemed similar to joint disease and felt unpleasant on rainy days.

"Whenever it's cloudy or raining, does your whole body feel numb, itchy, and uncomfortable? Do you often get headaches in the middle of the night?"

"Y-you really know?" Although Zhao Mu's description was somewhat vague, it was not far off. Dugu Bo could no longer suppress his shock and blurted it out.

Zhao Mu looked around and said, "I can indeed cure the Martial Soul Poison in your body, but the prerequisite is that we must rely on this treasured place."

"So you do have some skill." Dugu Bo had calmed down by then. If he had held nine parts doubt toward Zhao Mu before, three parts had now disappeared.

Although Dugu Bo did not know why, he knew that this treasured place could indeed suppress the toxins within his body.

Had he not discovered this place by chance, he likely would not have been able to withstand the repeated backlash of the poison.

Dugu Bo's attitude gradually changed, and the pressure bearing down on Zhao Mu was withdrawn. However, his gaze toward Zhao Mu remained icy.

A Martial Soul could often influence a Soul Master's temperament.

Dugu Bo possessed the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Martial Soul. No matter how much his attitude changed, he could never become warm and approachable; he would always carry a chill, sinister air.

Soul Masters with powerful Beast Martial Souls were mostly brawny and built like hulking giants.

Those with smaller Beast Martial Souls, such as cats, were mostly sexy and tall.

Zhao Mu's Martial Soul was Heibai. Heibai was so adorably silly that Zhao Mu himself had become rather approachable as well.

For example, if someone's Martial Soul was grass, then they were truly grass.

"What makes you think I should believe you can remove the deadly poison in my body? Or rather, how will you prove that you can help me remove it?"

Zhao Mu spread his hands and replied indifferently, "And why do I need to prove to you that I can detoxify you? I already told you I can cure the poison. Believe it or not, that's up to you. I don't need to prove anything."

Dugu Bo paused. He had not expected this seven- or eight-year-old boy to be so difficult to deal with. He could not help snapping, "You little brat, have you not asked around? Who dares speak to me like that?"

"Now there is."

Seeing that Zhao Mu refused to budge, Dugu Bo became conflicted instead. He still had doubts about Zhao Mu and desperately wanted Zhao Mu to dispel them so he could be completely at ease, yet Zhao Mu refused to offer proof.

"How about this? As long as you prove that your skill with poison is greater than mine, I'll believe you. I'll give you one day to prepare whatever antidotes you wish. Afterward, I'll poison you with three toxins. If you remain unharmed, you'll have proven that you're qualified to detoxify me. Otherwise, you die!" Dugu Bo said.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Mu thought, Wasn't this the same routine Dugu Bo used on Tang San in the original story? Then he chuckled. "Do I need to rush to detoxify you? Get this straight: if I cure you, it's because you're asking me for help, not because I'm begging you. Can't you tell who's in the dominant position?"

Dugu Bo swept his gaze over Zhao Mu and said, "Kid, if you don't save me, I might not die. But you will die very soon."

Zhao Mu directly ignored Dugu Bo's threat and did not yield in the slightest.

"Would someone who has died once still fear death?"

Those who had survived a brush with death might fear it, but someone who had truly died once would not have much fear of death.

If he had not died once, how could Zhao Mu have transmigrated to Douluo Continent?

More importantly, based on the original story, Zhao Mu was certain that Dugu Bo would give in eventually, because Dugu Yan carried far too much weight in his heart.

Faced with Zhao Mu, Dugu Bo ultimately stopped insisting that Zhao Mu prove his detoxification abilities.

The key was that Zhao Mu did not understand detoxification at all. He only knew how to resolve Dugu Bo's poison.

He had graduated from a top university, not defected from the Tang Sect.

"Fine, little brat! You win. You're the first person on the entire continent who has made me yield! I can let you treat my poison, but you have to give me some assurance, don't you? I'm entrusting my life to you. If you treat me to death, you'll have to die with me!"

As he spoke, Dugu Bo opened his mouth and spat out a ray of green light. It slowly descended into his palm and turned into a jade-green pearl.

Dugu Bo introduced it, saying, "This is the Dan Pearl formed when my Jade Phosphorous Serpent evolved into the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor. You could say that half my strength is contained within this pearl. Only if you swallow it will I dare let you treat me without worry."

"The Dan Pearl is a means of keeping you in check, but it will also benefit your cultivation greatly. It can accelerate the gathering of your Soul Power. Once you cure Yan Yan and me, I will naturally take it back."

Zhao Mu knew Dugu Bo was not lying. This Dan Pearl could indeed accelerate cultivation, so if it was the Dan Pearl, he could accept it.

Zhao Mu took the jade-green Dan Pearl from Dugu Bo's hand. Just as he was about to put it into his mouth, he suddenly stopped.

"Little brat, weren't you unafraid of death? Don't tell me you don't even dare swallow this?" Dugu Bo sneered from the side, while the hand hidden beneath his sleeve slowly moved.

If Zhao Mu refused to eat it, he would force it down his throat.

Zhao Mu looked disgusted. "I'm not afraid of death, but I'm a germaphobe. You spat that thing out of your mouth, and now you want me to eat it? That would disgust me to death."

"Then it seems I'll need to help you." As Dugu Bo spoke, he prepared to walk toward Zhao Mu.

However, Zhao Mu pointed at Heibai in the distance, who was sitting on the ground and happily gnawing on an Immortal Herb that looked like Blood Ginseng. "Let it eat it. This guy isn't picky!"

Only after Zhao Mu's reminder did Dugu Bo recall that Zhao Mu had not entered alone; there had also been that strange bear.

And now, his granddaughter was feeding that bear.

"Kid, I've already yielded enough. I want you to swallow it, not your pet bear!" Dugu Bo's voice grew colder and colder. His repeated concessions had clearly begun to push the limits of his patience.

Zhao Mu hurriedly explained, "It isn't my pet bear. It's my Martial Soul!"

"You brat, do you really think I'm that easy to fool—"

Before Dugu Bo could finish angrily speaking, Zhao Mu directly dismissed his Martial Soul summon.

Heibai, who had been eating happily, instantly vanished into thin air.

The very next second, it suddenly reappeared beside Zhao Mu.

"Ah!"

The suddenly appearing Heibai still held the Blood Ginseng as if it were in the middle of a meal. It lowered its head and looked at its two front paws, only to find that the Blood Ginseng it had been eating was gone. Its huge black eyes spun in confusion. Once it realized what had happened, it immediately let out a groundhog-like scream.

Dugu Bo's full attention was now on the suddenly appearing Heibai. The fluctuation of Soul Power when Heibai vanished and reappeared was indeed identical to that of Martial Soul Possession. So this bear really was the kid's Martial Soul?

An external Beast Martial Soul? Or perhaps a corporeal Beast Martial Soul?

Dugu Yan, who had been feeding Heibai in the distance, was also stunned. She had just been wondering whether she could ask for Heibai and raise it herself. Dugu Yan had always liked keeping little pets, though she had previously raised snakes. But how could snakes compare to such a chubby little bear? She had wanted to build up a bond with it by feeding it.

Who would have thought that the little bear was actually a Martial Soul? If she wanted to raise that little bear as a pet, would she have to raise that little brother along with it?

"That little fellow is really your Martial Soul?" Even a Title Douluo like Dugu Bo, who had seen countless grand sights, found it difficult to calm his emotions.

Martial Soul mutations were already rare enough. A mutation into a corporeal Beast Martial Soul with an independent life was simply unheard of.

Of course, that was only because Dugu Bo had never heard of Yu Xiaogang.

Zhao Mu nodded. "Now that it will eat that pearl in my place, Senior Dugu should have no objections, right?"

Dugu Bo nodded subconsciously.

A Martial Soul and its Soul Master were closely connected. If something happened to the Martial Soul, the Soul Master would almost certainly not escape unharmed. Thus, after confirming that Heibai was Zhao Mu's Martial Soul, it made no difference to Dugu Bo which of them ate it.

Only after Dugu Bo raised no objections did Zhao Mu look at Heibai.

The little fellow was staring at Dugu Yan and the half-eaten Blood Ginseng on the ground, clearly about to run back over, but Zhao Mu grabbed it.

"Heibai, I'm treating you to something good."

Heibai raised an eyebrow in Zhao Mu's hands, its eyes full of disbelief.

This Soul Master who never acted human was actually treating it to food?

That made Heibai recall Zhao Mother's warning for the rare occasion.

Don't eat things given by strangers.

Zhao Mu was not a stranger, so that rule did not apply.

That purple-haired older sister, on the other hand, was a stranger, yet it had already eaten the food she gave it.

Next time. It would definitely remember next time.

Zhao Mother had also said that if someone gave it food for no reason, they definitely had no good intentions!

This rule fit perfectly!

Looking at Zhao Mu, who claimed he wanted to treat it to food, Heibai felt that he was clearly up to no good. Especially that smile—it was terrifying!

Awooo, awooo, awooo~

It wasn't eating anymore. It was full!