Douluo: I, Unrivaled Thief—Explosive King Returns

Ning Rongrong's eyes were red as she threw herself into Ning Fengzhi's arms like a frightened fawn. Her slender shoulders trembled with sobs.

Ning Fengzhi gently patted her shoulder, his voice soft. "With Dad here, no one will bully you."

Bone Douluo strode forward and asked, "Rongrong, where have you been these past few days? Why weren't you traveling with the people from Shrek Academy?"

"Shrek?!" Ning Rongrong's lower lip trembled, tears trembling on her long lashes. "They excluded me and made me do the most basic training every day! I don't want to stay at that kind of academy any longer!"

"What? The people of Shrek Academy dared to treat you like this?!" Terrifying Soul Power erupted from Sword Douluo, making the air hum.

"They've got some nerve!" Black energy burst from Bone Douluo's body, and the temperature dropped several degrees. "I'll flatten that lousy academy right now and vent Rongrong's anger!"

Ning Fengzhi also frowned. This was rather different from what he had expected.

The day after Ning Rongrong joined Shrek Academy, he had someone deliver his personal letter to Flender.

With Flender's shrewd, merchant-like personality, he should not have neglected the treasured daughter of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect like this.

Could there be something more to this?

The more Ning Fengzhi thought about it, the stranger it seemed. He felt that someone was manipulating Shrek Academy from behind the scenes.

Seeing that the two Title Douluo were about to set off, Ning Fengzhi hurriedly stepped between them to stop them. "Uncle Sword, Uncle Bone, wait!"

"What?" Sword Douluo's white hair fluttered as a cold gleam flashed in his eyes. "Feng Zhi, are you going to stop us even now, when we're seeking justice for Rongrong?"

Bone Douluo was equally displeased. "That's right. No matter what, I'll make Shrek Academy pay the price this time!"

Seeing how furious the two elders were, Ning Fengzhi hurriedly said, "No, I only want to ask Rongrong a few questions first. Once I'm done, it won't be too late for Uncle Sword and Uncle Bone to take action!"

"You'd better be quick! My Seven Kill Sword is already thirsting for blood!"

Sword Douluo ultimately forced down his anger and closed his eyes to wait.

Ning Fengzhi breathed a sigh of relief and crouched slightly to meet Ning Rongrong at eye level. "Tell Dad, Rongrong. Who were you with these past few days? Where did you go?"

"I... I was with the Holy Son of Spirit Hall, and we went to the Star Dou Great Forest." Ning Rongrong lowered her head and twisted the corner of her skirt with her fingers as she spoke quietly.

"What?!" All three cried out at once.

Ning Fengzhi grabbed her shoulders and carefully inspected her. "Did they give you any trouble? The characteristics of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda are too obvious. They couldn't possibly have failed to recognize your identity."

"No." Ning Rongrong shook her head. "Not only did they not make things difficult for me, they even let me join their team."

As she said this, her breathing grew a little hurried. "If I hadn't been with him, I might not even have seen a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast!"

Ning Fengzhi's pupils shrank sharply, his expression turning grave. "Spirit Hall was hunting a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast?!"

"Not only that." Ning Rongrong's eyes sparkled. "That Holy Son even absorbed a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Ring as his fourth Soul Ring!"

"Impossible, absolutely impossible!" Ning Fengzhi immediately denied it. "Absorbing a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Ring at level forty? Isn't that courting death?!"

Yet Ning Rongrong shook her head and said seriously, "He succeeded! Although I didn't see the whole process, he truly absorbed the Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Ring!"

The moment those words came out, even Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo could not remain calm.

The two elders looked at each other, both seeing the shock in the other's eyes.

After all, neither of them, despite being Title Douluo, possessed a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Ring.

Could Spirit Hall's strength be about to increase once more?!

Spirit Hall's foundations already surpassed the Upper Three Sects and the Two Great Empires. Now, among the younger generation, they had both the Golden Generation and Spirit Hall's Holy Son.

Under that double pressure, even Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo felt immense strain.

Ning Fengzhi had seen many storms in his life, so he quickly calmed himself and continued questioning her.

"Then Rongrong, aside from hunting the Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, did the people of Spirit Hall do anything else?"

Ning Rongrong thought for a long while before suddenly recalling the conversation between Mighty Lion Douluo and Unrivaled Thief when he left.

"Other than hunting the Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, it seemed that Spirit Hall also captured a scruffy man named Tang Hao. They even seemed to be using him as Spirit Hall's watchdog!"

"Tang Hao?!" Ning Fengzhi's voice suddenly rose. "Spirit Hall dared to humiliate him like this? Aren't they afraid of retaliation from the Clear Sky Sect?"

Two days later, Unrivaled Thief and the others arrived at Sunset Forest.

"This is the place. I hope Old Poison is here. Otherwise, don't blame me for taking his Immortal Herbs for free!"

At that moment, an old man in an emerald-green robe beside the Ice Fire Yin Yang Eye shuddered.

"Hiss, why do I feel a chill down my back?! Could someone be setting their sights on me?!"

First Meeting with Dugu Bo, Poison Douluo Poisoned?! ### Sunset Forest, deep within.

Several figures raced through the forest. They were none other than Unrivaled Thief's group, who had come here from the Star Dou Great Forest.

"Ning Rongrong should have returned to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect by now. I wonder what choice Ning Fengzhi will make after learning all this?"

As Unrivaled Thief pondered this, a stretch of emerald poisonous mist suddenly appeared before him and blocked his path.

He raised a hand to signal everyone to stop, but an excited, eager curve rose at the corner of his lips.

"A poison barrier! Dugu Bo, I've finally found your lair." Unrivaled Thief secretly rejoiced.

Then Rebel Son staggered forward, covering his mouth and nose. "Boss, can this damned place really have treasures that can make us stronger? There isn't even a Soul Beast in sight!"

Indeed, the entire forest was terrifyingly silent.

There were no insects chirping, no birds calling—only deathly stillness.

Zhu Zhuqing and the others wore puzzled expressions. None of them believed there could be anything here capable of making them stronger.

However, Unrivaled Thief knew that the sight before them was merely someone's method of misleading others.

He did not explain anything to Rebel Son. Instead, he called out to Thousand Jun Douluo and Demon Subduer Douluo in the air.

"I'll have to trouble you two to invite this place's master out."

Thousand Jun Douluo and Demon Subduer Douluo nodded and summoned their Coiling Dragon Staffs at the same time.

Dragon patterns writhed along the dark-gold staffs, as though a true dragon had been engraved upon them.

Buzzz!

A hum that shook the soul suddenly rang out as the two Coiling Dragon Staffs rapidly expanded.

Break!

The two staffs struck out together, accompanied by earth-shaking dragon roars.

Violent Soul Power compressed the air into visible ripples. Everywhere it passed, the poisonous mist rapidly dissolved like snow meeting boiling water.

Boom!

With a thunderous explosion, a trench three zhang wide blasted open in the ground. The poisonous mist on both sides receded like a tide.

Whenever it tried to return, it was restrained by an invisible force and could only churn along the edges of the passage.

"Who is it?! Who dares trespass on my territory?!"

An aged, hoarse voice rang out like a venomous snake flicking its tongue. Then, from deep within the poisonous mist came the rustling sound of a snake's belly scraping across the ground.

Unrivaled Thief immediately activated the Wind Domain, instantly covering an area several hundred meters wide.

He instantly sensed an emerald snake shadow speeding through the poisonous mist, with a figure standing atop its head.

Dugu Bo, you've finally come?!

Before his thoughts had even faded, a tearing sound rang out as the snake shadow abruptly broke through the restraints of the poisonous mist.

A Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor, its body as thick as two or three grown men embracing it together, raised its head and emerged. Its emerald scales shone with a cold, eerie gleam beneath the sunlight.

Dugu Bo stood atop its head in a billowing emerald robe, carrying himself with the air of an expert.

However, the two men in the sky immediately mocked him.

"Heh, I wondered who could set up such a poison barrier." Thousand Jun Douluo rested his Coiling Dragon Staff on his shoulder. "So it's you, Old Poison."

Demon Subduer Douluo wore a disdainful expression, his tone frivolous. "After all these years, you're still stuck in the same place? Looks like you'll never shake off the title of weakest Title Douluo."

Dugu Bo, who had been imposing just moments ago, froze upon hearing those words.

He stared at the two figures in the air, his pupils shrinking to pinpoints as he cried out, "Qian Jun, Jiang Mo?! Why are you here?!"

Though they had not interacted much, it was hardly strange for fellow Title Douluo to know of one another's existence.

Thousand Jun Douluo sneered and looked down at him. "Do we need to report to you wherever we go?! Dugu Bo, don't think so highly of yourself."

"You!" Dugu Bo had no retort. His gaunt fingers clenched within his sleeves until they crackled, while emerald poisonous mist seeped uncontrollably from his body.

As the weakest Title Douluo, even Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan, an elder of Spirit Hall, could force him into a desperate situation.

Now he faced two Spirit Hall worshippers with Soul Power as high as level ninety-six. He had even less room to be arrogant.

Still, Dugu Bo quickly calmed down. His gaunt fingers slowly relaxed within his sleeves, and his voice was low like a snake's hiss.

"What exactly do you want here? Could it be that you've come to take my life?!"

"No, no, no. Killing you would be such a waste."

Before Thousand Jun Douluo and Demon Subduer Douluo could answer, a somewhat youthful voice answered first.

Unrivaled Thief slowly stepped forward, showing no fear despite the presence of three Title Douluo.

Dugu Bo froze and looked at Thousand Jun Douluo and Demon Subduer Douluo in disbelief.

Spirit Hall's worshippers had always been arrogant and lofty, yet they actually allowed a young man to interrupt their conversation without any reaction at all!

This was highly unusual!

"Dugu Bo!" Thousand Jun Douluo shouted coldly as he swung his Coiling Dragon Staff through the air. "Why do you not answer when the Holy Son of Spirit Hall questions you?!"

"What?! That little brat is the Holy Son of your Spirit Hall?!" Dugu Bo's pupils abruptly contracted as his gaze returned to the young man.

Although he had lived in seclusion for years, he had naturally heard of a major event such as Spirit Hall appointing a Holy Son.

He simply never imagined that Spirit Hall's Holy Son would be this seemingly harmless young man before him!

However, seeing this, he guessed why Thousand Jun Douluo and Demon Subduer Douluo had come here to find him.

This was probably all the handiwork of Spirit Hall's Holy Son.

But I have never met him before. Why would he come looking for me?

Unable to make sense of it, Dugu Bo directly probed him. "I have never met the Holy Son before. May I ask why the Holy Son has come seeking me?"

A faint smile tugged at the corner of Unrivaled Thief's lips.

We may never have met, but I know your story inside and out.

Still, Dugu Bo had not yet become Tang San's bodyguard, nor was he Tang San's enemy yet.

Unrivaled Thief clasped his hands and said, "It is true that we have never met, but I have long admired Poison Douluo's great reputation. I hope Poison Douluo will forgive this uninvited visit today!"

The scene fell silent.

The next moment, Dugu Bo suddenly threw back his head and laughed. His hoarse laughter startled a flock of birds into flight from the forest.

He stroked his dark-green beard, a trace of smugness flashing in his eyes. "Ho! I never expected even the Holy Son of Spirit Hall to have heard of my modest reputation!"

Thousand Jun Douluo and Demon Subduer Douluo exchanged looks. They truly could not understand when the Holy Son had come to hold this weakest Title Douluo in such high regard.

Unrivaled Thief's eye twitched slightly at the sight.

Dugu Bo's old face was practically splitting with laughter, and he could not suppress the grin on his lips.

Then he glanced at the two worshippers' ghostly expressions and immediately felt embarrassed.

This Old Poison really blooms at the slightest bit of sunshine, huh?

Should I just take it by force instead?!

Seeing the unfriendly expressions on Unrivaled Thief, Thousand Jun Douluo, and Demon Subduer Douluo, Dugu Bo hurriedly coughed a few times.

"Cough, cough. Since the Holy Son has come to find me, I will naturally fulfill my duties as host."

As he spoke, he waved his sleeve, and the poisonous mist ahead automatically parted to reveal a narrow path.

Yet that direction deliberately avoided the true location of the Ice Fire Yin Yang Eye.

However, Unrivaled Thief had activated the Wind Domain long ago and had already confirmed the Ice Fire Yin Yang Eye's location.