The pain receded swiftly, like a tide going out.
Dugu Yan gasped for breath and jerked her head up.
She found herself face-to-face with Xue Tianyu's peerlessly handsome face.
"Th-thank you."
Dugu Yan murmured her thanks.
Looking at his flawless, handsome face, she felt as if her heart had skipped a beat.
A powerful flutter spread through her chest, and an involuntary blush crept over her cheeks.
Xue Tianyu let go of her and spoke in an even tone.
"The snake poison in your body has already penetrated to the marrow."
"If you don't deal with it, you won't live past thirty."
Dugu Yan's face went pale with shock, and her eyes widened.
"How did you know?"
This was a secret even her grandfather, Dugu Bo, rarely mentioned to outsiders.
"I have my ways."
Xue Tianyu slipped his hands into his pockets and spoke bluntly.
"I'd like to meet your grandfather, Dugu Bo."
Still reeling, Dugu Yan heard him and instinctively nodded.
"All right. I'll take you to him."
This young man was far too mysterious. Perhaps he really could find a way to stop the backlash from the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Poison.
With Dugu Yan taken care of, Xue Tianyu turned and headed back to the Skywater Academy group.
"Bing'er, I'm leaving the academy for a few days to visit Poison Douluo Dugu Bo."
Shui Bing'er's brows immediately drew together.
Xue Wu, Shui Yue'er, and the others looked deeply worried.
"Dugu Bo is a Titled Douluo, and he has a temper. Wouldn't it be too dangerous to go looking for him?"
Just then, Skywater Academy's dean, Shui Xinrou, who had been standing quietly nearby, walked over.
She glanced at Qian Renxue in the distance, her expression complicated.
"Tian Yu, tell me honestly."
"Have you been recruited by Heaven Dou Royal Academy?"
Shui Xinrou was genuinely worried. Skywater Academy had finally produced a prodigy this extraordinary.
If the royal academy poached him under the pretext of this exchange, Skywater Academy would suffer a huge loss.
Xue Tianyu saw straight through Shui Xinrou and the girls' concerns.
He gave a derisive laugh. His voice was not loud, but everyone present heard him clearly.
"Don't worry, Dean."
"I wouldn't give Heaven Dou Royal Academy the time of day."
At those words, everyone nearby drew a sharp breath.
Shui Bing'er and the others stared wide-eyed, utterly astonished.
Just what was Tian Yu's mysterious background?
He was arrogant enough to say something like that!
After all, Heaven Dou Crown Prince Xue Qinghe was standing less than ten meters away!
To insult the royal academy right in front of the Crown Prince took unbelievable nerve.
Qian Renxue heard every word from not far away.
The fan in her hand paused, but, surprisingly, she did not argue. She simply remained silent.
For now, she could be certain of just one thing.
This young man called Xue Tianyu had no ordinary origins.
The force behind him might be so powerful that he didn't even care about the Heaven Dou Imperial Family.
Once everything had been arranged, Xue Tianyu didn't linger.
He brought along Ice Empress, who had been resting in the rear courtyard.
Then he set out for Heaven Dou City with the Imperial Fighting Team and Qian Renxue's group.
Several luxurious carriages sped along the main road.
Half a day later, the broad, bustling streets of Heaven Dou City came into view.
Xue Tianyu climbed down from the carriage and walked alongside Dugu Yan through the streets.
His snow-white robes and otherworldly good looks immediately drew waves of chatter from passersby.
"Look! That young man is so handsome!"
"Good heavens, I've never seen anyone so handsome in my life!"
"That bearing—he can't be from an ordinary family."
The young women and wives along the street all stared, whispering to one another with dreamy looks in their eyes.
On the other side of the street, the Shrek Seven Devils were out for a stroll when the commotion caught their attention.
Xiao Wu was holding a skewer of candied hawthorn.
The moment she turned and saw Xue Tianyu, the skewer nearly slipped from her hand.
She gazed blankly at the white-robed figure, her little face turning bright red.
Her heart pounded wildly, beyond her control.
He was so handsome!
Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing had also noticed Xue Tianyu across the street.
Ning Rongrong tugged at Zhu Zhuqing's sleeve and whispered.
"Zhuqing, look over there."
"That guy is so good-looking. He's got more class than those rich young nobles."
Zhu Zhuqing was usually cool and reserved, but now she too was staring without blinking in his direction. She gave a slight nod.
Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and Oscar, walking in front, saw the girls' reactions and were immediately annoyed.
Some pretty boy who'd appeared out of nowhere had stolen all the attention.
Ma Hongjun clenched his fist and snorted.
"What's he supposed to be? He thinks he can strut around Heaven Dou City like that?"
Dai Mubai's expression darkened too, and he stepped forward.
"Come on. Let's go see what he's made of!"
"I'll beat his face into a pig's head."
Tang San reacted quickly and grabbed Dai Mubai by the arm, shaking his head at the others.
"Mubai, don't cause trouble."
"This is Heaven Dou City. We don't know who he is, so don't invite trouble."
Held back by Tang San, Dai Mubai could only force himself to stop.
Ma Hongjun and Oscar huddled together, muttering in resentment.
"Tch, what's so great about being handsome?"
"Look at his tender skin. He's probably all looks and no backbone."
"Exactly. He's probably just a pretty boy who gets by on his face."
On this side of the street, Dugu Yan casually swept her gaze across the crowd and happened to spot the Shrek group.
When she saw Tang San, her eyes immediately filled with dislike and disgust.
She turned her head and gave Xue Tianyu a cold snort.
"See that guy over there in blue?"
"His name is Tang San."
Dugu Yan clenched her teeth, her face full of disdain.
"He's an utter hypocrite, acting one way in public and another behind people's backs."
"I can't stand him. I wish my grandfather would step in and teach him a good lesson."
Hearing this, Xue Tianyu followed her gaze.
Tang San.
He absolutely couldn't let Tang San get a chance to meet Dugu Bo.
"Having a Titled Douluo handle this would be beneath him."
Xue Tianyu said it casually.
At that, Dugu Yan's eyes lit up as an idea struck her.
She grabbed Xue Tianyu's sleeve, her voice carrying a hint of hopeful anticipation.
"Tian Yu, you're so strong."
"Why don't you teach that hypocrite Tang San a lesson for me?"
"If you help me vent my anger, I'll take you to my grandfather right away!"
Xue Tianyu hadn't planned to make a move just yet.
But his senses were far sharper than an ordinary person's, and every word of Ma Hongjun and Oscar's whispered conversation reached his ears from the Shrek group.
A handful of insignificant ants actually dared to talk about him behind his back.
A flicker of displeasure rose in Xue Tianyu's heart.
He turned to Dugu Yan and nodded without hesitation.
"All right."
At that moment,
Ma Hongjun was still babbling away to Oscar across the street, spraying spittle as he spoke.
"A pretty boy like that? I could kick ten of him flying with one foot."
"His face might fool a few girls, but once he's in a real fight, he'll be on his knees begging."
The more Ma Hongjun spoke, the more smug he became.
The instant his words fell,
a cool, casual voice suddenly rang out beside his ear.
"Pretty boy—are you talking about me?"
Ma Hongjun and the others jolted, nearly jumping out of their skins.
They spun around.
At some point, the white-robed young man who had been across the street had appeared less than half a meter in front of them without making a sound!
He had moved so fast that even Tang San's Purple Demon Eye hadn't caught a trace of him.
Though Ma Hongjun was drenched in cold sweat, he still had the numerical advantage of the Shrek group to lean on, so he stubbornly held his ground.
He stuck out his round belly and glared at Xue Tianyu, clearly displeased.
"Yeah, I was talking about you. So what?"
Before you continue