I, Dugu Bo, Am Willing to Protect You for the Rest of My Life; Three Years Later, the Second Trial of Life

Dugu Bo's eyes flew open. A clear, jade-green light gleamed in his emerald eyes, like jade sinking into a deep pool.

"Phew~" He let out a long breath.

The breath condensed into a pillar of dark-green mist in the air, then slowly dispersed.

After he exhaled, Dugu Bo's hair, which had originally been green, visibly turned black.

Noticing the change in Dugu Bo's hair, Ye Shuyuan teased, "Well, look at that, Old Poison. Your hair actually turned black."

The mention of black hair made Dugu Bo's eyes light up. Excitement filled his voice as he stared intently at Ye Shuyuan.

"Is that really true?!"

Seeing Dugu Bo doubt him, Ye Shuyuan took offense. "Would I deceive you about something like this?"

He snorted, pulled a mirror from his Storage Soul Tool, and tossed it to Dugu Bo. "Take a look for yourself."

Dugu Bo caught the mirror and examined himself closely. When he saw that all his hair was black, he began bounding around the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, shrieking so loudly it pierced the air.

"Wonderful! Wonderful! The poison problem that has plagued the Dugu family for decades is finally solved!"

Ye Qingzhou, who was searching for Immortal Herbs, naturally heard Dugu Bo's mad laughter. His mouth twitched, and he felt both awkward and speechless.

"Is Dugu Bo really that excited?"

He hadn't even been this excited in the original story.

Suddenly, a line of text appeared in his mind, frame by frame.

[Number of injured people healed: 1/10]

Ye Qingzhou's little brain short-circuited. Wait, was that it? He'd completed it already?

Seeing Dugu Bo so excited, Ye Shuyuan was naturally happy for him, but surely he didn't have to get so excited that he was jumping all over the place.

Ye Shuyuan coughed once, but Dugu Bo didn't hear him. He coughed a second time, louder, and Dugu Bo still didn't hear him.

Only when Ye Shuyuan released the Soul Power pressure of a ninety-first-level Titled Douluo did the excited Dugu Bo finally calm down.

He barked at Dugu Bo, "Dugu Bo, calm down!"

Dugu Bo was a ninety-second-level control-type Titled Douluo. Ye Shuyuan, at level ninety-one, couldn't hurt him in the slightest, but he could certainly stop Dugu Bo from carrying on like a madman.

Once calm, Dugu Bo apologized sheepishly. "Sorry, sorry. I was just so excited that I got carried away."

If he were in Ye Shuyuan's place, having solved the problem of the Nine Heart Begonia clan, he'd be just as excited as Dugu Bo.

Dugu Bo shed his usual composure, his expression turning cold and serious. His voice held an unquestionable conviction.

"Old Ye, from today onward, I, Dugu Bo, will protect you for the rest of my life."

"Anyone who wants to hurt you or your family will have to step over my body."

"You're not only my lifesaver, but the benefactor of the entire Dugu family!"

"I..."

Before Dugu Bo could finish, Ye Shuyuan cut him off.

"Save it. Your promise is enough to put my mind at ease."

After the two chatted for a while, Ye Qingzhou came over with two Immortal Herbs in his hands.

"Grandpa, I found Immortal Herbs that are suitable for you and Sister Yanzi."

"They're the Ink Jade Divine Bamboo and the Earth Dragon Golden Melon."

The Ink Jade Divine Bamboo and Earth Dragon Golden Melon were Immortal Herbs that wouldn't appear until ten thousand years later. Like the other Immortal Herbs, neither had yet truly become a plant Soul Beast.

Looking at the two Immortal Herbs in Ye Qingzhou's hands, Ye Shuyuan said with a hearty laugh, "Not bad. My grandson has inherited my good eye."

The Ink Jade Divine Bamboo was the most suitable Immortal Herb in the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well for his Nine Heart Begonia. Its quality was among the top ten as well.

And the Earth Dragon Golden Melon would also be a good choice for that little girl, Dugu Yan.

Seeing Ye Qingzhou looking out for his granddaughter, Dugu Bo laughed and ruffled Ye Qingzhou's hair. "Good lad. I knew I was right about you."

With Dugu Bo messing up his hair, Ye Qingzhou felt utterly uncomfortable.

"Old Poison, keep that up and I'll never get my hair back!"

Dugu Bo didn't care in the slightest. "What's the big deal? With me around, finding you the best barber will be no problem."

But when he saw Ye Qingzhou's resentful look, he stopped.

Looking at the two Immortal Herbs in Ye Qingzhou's hands, Ye Shuyuan said, "No time to waste. Let's go back to Heaven Dou City first."

"Wait."

Before Ye Qingzhou could react, Dugu Bo tossed the Ruyi Hundred Treasure Pouch at him.

"Put the Immortal Herbs in here. From now on, this little thing is yours."

"Consider it the first gift I, Dugu Bo, have given you."

Holding the two Immortal Herbs, Ye Qingzhou fumbled to catch the Ruyi Hundred Treasure Pouch flying toward him.

Once he caught it safely, he breathed a sigh of relief and put the two Immortal Herbs inside.

He glared at Dugu Bo and grumbled, "Old Poison, couldn't you wait until my hands were free before throwing it?"

Dugu Bo hummed a little tune and shrugged. "But you caught it, didn't you?"

Watching the two of them bicker, Ye Shuyuan shook his head, though a smile lit his eyes.

The Divine Realm.

He had just watched the God of Life give Ye Qingzhou special treatment from start to finish.

"Xiao Lu, wasn't that a little too easy..."

The God of Life tilted her head, smiling as if she knew something he didn't. "Was it? I thought it was fine."

"Tell me, when Dugu Bo's poison was cured, was Ye Qingzhou there?"

"When I explained the Immortal Herbs, didn't he chime in?"

"When I healed the injured, did I mention any other requirements?"

Destruction was left speechless, but when he thought it over, his wife really did have a point.

"You win."

Seeing that Destruction had been convinced, the God of Life wore a smug little smile. "It's time to prepare the Second Trial. Let's make the Second Trial an easy one."

Three years later, Star Dou Great Forest.

Ye Qingzhou successfully absorbed his fourth black, ten-thousand-year Soul Ring.

The voice of the God of Life appeared in his mind.

[First Trial of Life: Reach Soul Ancestor before the age of twelve; number of injured people healed: 10/10; completed]

[Divine Trial Reward: 10% affinity with the Life God King; all Soul Ring ages increased by two thousand years.]

"It's finally complete—the First Trial of Life."

Ye Qingzhou felt a weight lift from his shoulders. After leaving the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well back then, he had first used the Earth Dragon Golden Melon to resolve the poison problem in Dugu Yan's body, then stayed by his grandfather's side as he completed the second part of the divine trial.

Besides healing the injured, he had also needed to meditate and cultivate.

Now that he had absorbed his Soul Ring, he had advanced in one leap to level forty-one, becoming a Soul Ancestor.

He rose to his feet, and four Soul Rings—purple, purple, purple, and black—appeared beneath him.

Ye Qingzhou stared at the first purple Soul Ring beneath his feet and murmured, "Only the first Soul Ring's color changed."

As soon as he finished speaking, the God of Life's voice appeared in his mind again.

[Second Trial of Life: Grasp the meaning of Wildfire Cannot Burn Out, Spring Breeze Brings Life Anew]