Douluo: Starting by Building Guns

Guard A nodded. "I know. That lord has a very distinctive appearance. You'd never forget him after seeing him once."

Guard B nodded and chimed in, "Exactly. That lord has green hair and green eyes. When he gets close, you can even smell an extremely strange odor. It makes you feel groggy and listless."

Shen Feng's lips curled slightly. "All right, I know. You two can get back to work."

"Yes, Vice Guild Master."

After the two guards left, Zhao Wuji asked curiously, "Xiao Feng, do you know who that person is?"

Shen Feng nodded. "Teacher Zhao, you might really be someone he can't afford to offend."

"Because he has nine Soul Rings!"

"N-nine???" Zhao Wuji froze on the spot.

"If I run now, I should still make it in time, right? Heh."

Shen Feng watched the entrance to Soul Hunting Town.

"Probably... not in time, though."

Zhao Wuji froze, then followed Shen Feng's gaze.

At the entrance to Soul Hunting Town, two familiar old friends slowly emerged: Shen Rui and Ling Na.

But that wasn't important. What mattered was that Shen Rui and Ling Na, the hosts, were walking behind an old man with dark green hair and beard.

And they treated the old man with a respect that was almost like that of juniors toward an elder.

What made Zhao Wuji's heart pound most was that he couldn't sense the old man's presence at all.

Gulp—

Zhao Wuji swallowed with difficulty. Cold sweat seeped uncontrollably from his forehead.

"Brother Zhao!"

Shen Rui's shout jolted Zhao Wuji out of his daze.

"So it really was you who came back! Earlier, senior said he sensed the presence of a Soul Saint, but I didn't believe him."

Shen Rui rushed over to Zhao Wuji in a few strides and slung an arm around his shoulders.

"Brother Zhao, you've worked hard. Look at all that sweat! This trip must have been tough. Xiao Feng, Xiao Ao, they didn't give you any trouble, did they?"

At the sight of Zhao Wuji, Shen Rui seemed to have endless things to say.

But that was only natural. A friendship forged through fists was as solid as they came.

"Uh, it wasn't hard. They didn't cause me any trouble."

Zhao Wuji was completely stunned. A Titled Douluo! In all these years, this was the first time he'd ever seen a living Titled Douluo.

Thinking about how brazen he'd been in front of those two guards earlier, Zhao Wuji could feel his hands and feet turning cold.

Shen Rui gave Zhao Wuji a strange look. Ignoring his resistance, he kept an arm around him and led him toward the entrance.

"Come on, Brother Zhao. Let me introduce you to a senior—a renowned figure throughout the Soul Master World."

Zhao Wuji's face turned deathly pale. "Uh, all right."

Little brother, please let me go. You're scaring the life out of this bear.

"Oh, right." Halfway there, Shen Rui turned to Shen Feng. "Xiao Feng, Xiao Ao, come over too."

"Especially you, Xiao Feng. Senior came here specifically to see you. Be sharp, and don't upset him."

After spending half a month with Dugu Bo, Shen Rui had more or less gotten a feel for his temperament.

As long as you gave him enough space and let him enjoy some peace and quiet, this poisonous snake was completely harmless.

His Martial Soul was a snake, and his habits were remarkably similar to one's.

Shen Feng glanced at Dugu Bo, who was standing by the entrance, and nodded slightly. "Don't worry, Dad. I'll be careful."

Leading the three over to Dugu Bo, Shen Rui gave a slight bow. "Brother Zhao, this is the senior I wanted to introduce to you. His title is Poison. He is His Excellency Poison Douluo, Dugu Bo."

Zhao Wuji quickly bowed. "Greetings, senior. I am Zhao Wuji."

Shen Rui smiled faintly and gestured toward Zhao Wuji. "Senior, this is my good brother. He's also our Soul Hunting Guild's designated vice guild master. In the Soul Master World, he's known as the Immovable Bright King, Zhao Wuji."

Dugu Bo glanced at Zhao Wuji, a glint flashing through his green eyes. "I know you. Many years ago, you fought your way out of an encirclement by sixteen opponents of the same rank from Spirit Hall. Your strength was decent, and your courage was admirable."

Many years ago, when Dugu Bo had just broken through to Titled Douluo, Spirit Hall had tried to recruit him. He had flatly refused.

If they couldn't have you, they'd destroy you. That was how the great powers usually operated, and Spirit Hall was no exception.

Dugu Bo's poison was especially troublesome, a powerful weapon capable of wiping out large areas.

Later, Spirit Hall sent Chrysanthemum Douluo to hunt him down. Chrysanthemum Douluo was Level 95, while Dugu Bo was only Level 91. The gap was too great, so Dugu Bo could only rely on his mastery of poison to keep his distance and flee.

When his life hung by a thread, Prince Xue Xing of the Heaven Dou Empire happened to pass by and rescued the gravely wounded Dugu Bo.

After that, Dugu Bo developed a basic goodwill toward Soul Masters who, like him, had offended Spirit Hall and still managed to escape its clutches.

After all, he'd held a grudge against Spirit Hall for a long time. Seeing it suffer made him feel good.

Zhao Wuji, unaware of the reason, felt a surge of excitement. He hurriedly bowed and said, "Thank you for your praise, senior. I'm honored. My small accomplishment is hardly worthy of your notice."

Dugu Bo waved a hand, cutting Zhao Wuji off, then turned his gaze to Shen Feng and Oscar.

"Which one of you is Shen Feng?"

Shen Feng stepped forward and cupped his hands in greeting. "Your Excellency, I am Shen Feng."

A flicker of surprise crossed Dugu Bo's green eyes. "How old are you this year?"

"Senior, I'm ten."

"Ten?" Dugu Bo was startled. He'd assumed Shen Feng only looked young, and that he was at least around the same age as his granddaughter.

He hadn't expected Shen Feng to be so young.

"Did you make the Paraquat?"

Shen Feng nodded. "Yes."

Dugu Bo furrowed his brows, his tone turning slightly unfriendly. He even released a trace of Soul Power pressure. "Are you sure?"

Shen Feng looked up into Dugu Bo's cold, emerald-green eyes and answered without fear. "I wouldn't dare deceive Your Excellency. I made it myself."

Dugu Bo's expression didn't change as he stared at Shen Feng for a long time.

Shen Feng met his gaze without flinching.

Shen Feng knew that Dugu Bo was one of the few nine-ring Titled Douluo experts in the world, while he was merely a three-ring Soul Elder, as insignificant as an ant.

And he was a three-ring Soul Elder with nothing to rely on.

His parents' Martial Soul Fusion Skill could only barely overpower a high-level Soul Saint.

Even with Zhao Wuji, a true Soul Saint, they wouldn't last a single round against Dugu Bo.

Even the weakest Titled Douluo was still a Titled Douluo. They had no way to stand against him right now.

So Shen Feng could only bring out his ultimate technique: sincerity!

As the saying went, lies might win someone's heart for a while, but sincerity was the ultimate weapon forever.

"Hahahaha!" Suddenly, Dugu Bo laughed, apparently quite delighted.

"Hahahaha!" Shen Feng laughed too, just as exaggeratedly as Dugu Bo.

Dugu Bo froze, then asked with a puzzled look, "What are you laughing at?"

Shen Feng tilted his head and put on an innocent expression. "Then what are you laughing at, old sir?"

Dugu Bo looked at Shen Feng with interest. "I saw the sincere heart of a child in your eyes. It reminded me of my dear granddaughter, and that made me happy. Naturally, I laughed."

"And what are you laughing at, boy?"

Shen Feng smiled faintly. "I saw a kind old grandfather who cares about his granddaughter. That made me happy too, so naturally I laughed."

Dugu Bo was momentarily speechless, then burst out laughing. "Hahaha! You're a good kid. You really are interesting. I like you."

"Come with me. I've been waiting for you for half a month, and I have a whole bellyful of questions for you to answer."

Watching Dugu Bo turn and head into Soul Hunting Town, Shen Feng let out a quiet sigh of relief.

Sure enough, there was no point trying to play mind games with these big shots. Sincerity really was the ultimate weapon.

Dugu Bo, the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, my medicinal cauldron. Heh heh heh.

"Xiao Feng, senior's already left. What are you still standing there for?"

"Oh, right. I'm coming."

Inside Soul Hunting Town's reception room, Shen Feng and Dugu Bo sat facing each other.

To get answers to his questions, Dugu Bo had everyone leave the room, leaving only him and Shen Feng behind to sit and discuss the Dao.

That was right: discuss the Dao.

The Paraquat Shen Feng had made was colorless and odorless, had a nearly one-hundred-percent fatality rate, and had left Dugu Bo unable to concoct an antidote no matter how hard he tried. Dugu Bo had to admit that Shen Feng was a poison master whose skill was no less than his own.

Their fields were different, but lessons in one area could apply to another. Maybe he could learn something.

Maybe Shen Feng could even help solve the flaw in his own Martial Soul.

He himself didn't matter, but his granddaughter Dugu Yan was in the prime of her life. Dugu Bo couldn't bear to lose another young family member.

That kind of pain was enough to endure once.

That was why he'd been willing to travel such a great distance, and even wait calmly for half a month in Soul Hunting Town for Shen Feng.

"Boy, I like your eyes. Sincere, without a hint of affectation."

"And I'm a man of my word. Let's be frank with each other."

Shen Feng nodded slightly. "Please go ahead, Your Excellency."

"What's the antidote for Paraquat?"

Shen Feng shook his head. "Your Excellency, there is no antidote for Paraquat."

"If an ordinary person accidentally ingests more than five drops, the chance of death is one hundred percent. Even extensive skin contact carries a high risk of death."

Dugu Bo furrowed his brows. "A deadly poison with no antidote? You're not lying to me?"

Shen Feng nodded. "I wouldn't dare deceive Your Excellency."

"Paraquat is a strange poison unlike anything found in nature. The damage it causes after entering the human body is completely irreversible."

"Once the dose reaches a certain level, it completely destroys the human respiratory system. The lungs dry out entirely and lose their function."

"And without the ability to breathe, the human body naturally suffocates to death."

Dugu Bo recalled the experiments he'd conducted with Paraquat using condemned prisoners, then nodded. "That's about the same conclusion I reached."

"But there's still something I don't understand. I need you to clear it up for me."

Shen Feng smiled faintly. "Please, go ahead, Your Excellency."

Dugu Bo thought for a moment. "I consider my skill with poison to be fairly advanced. I understand half of the poisonous substances in the world."

"But why can't I identify even one of the ingredients in your Paraquat?"

"Did you use some especially rare poisonous substance to make it?"

"No, that can't be right. Paraquat—you're extravagant enough to use it for killing weeds. It definitely can't be anything especially rare."

As he spoke, Dugu Bo began obsessing over the problem again.

When it came to poison, Dugu Bo was like a mathematician puzzling over a conjecture or a lecher who'd caught sight of a famous beauty. Unless he figured it out, he'd be so tormented that he couldn't rest.

Shen Feng covered his mouth and chuckled. "Your Excellency, hearing an explanation a thousand times is no match for trying it once yourself. How about I teach you to make it?"

Dugu Bo snapped out of his reverie, his eyes lighting up. "Really?"

Shen Feng nodded firmly. "Of course."