As soon as he finished speaking, Dugu Bo turned sharply toward Yu Tianjiao. All traces of his earlier scrutiny and displeasure were gone, replaced by deep gratitude, admiration, and the satisfaction of a man looking at a precious family treasure.
"Boy! A great kindness like this can't be repaid with mere words!"
Dugu Bo strode over to Yu Tianjiao and gave him a hearty slap on the shoulder.
"From now on, you're the grandson-in-law I, Dugu Bo, approve of! Everything here is my granddaughter's dowry. Since you can refine pills of that caliber, handing these medicinal herbs over to you is the best way to make full use of them.
"So from this moment on, everything here belongs to you. If anyone dares touch even a single blade of grass, I'll skin them alive!"
If Yu Tianjiao hadn't been the man his granddaughter liked, Dugu Bo would have wanted to take him as a kindred spirit and call him his sworn brother.
Dugu Yan was already so moved that tears brimmed in her eyes. Hearing her grandfather's words made her both bashful and overjoyed, and she could hold back no longer. She flung herself into Yu Tianjiao's arms.
"Tianjiao! Thank you! Thank you so much!"
Ye Lingling stood to one side, watching them with a gentle smile on her face.
Yu Tianjiao wrapped his arms around Dugu Yan, feeling her delicate body tremble with excitement, then smiled at Dugu Bo.
"You're too kind, Senior. I'm glad I could help. This herb garden is full of treasures. They've grown so well thanks to all your care."
"Don't call me Senior!" Dugu Bo waved a hand, pretending to be displeased. "Call me Grandpa! We're family now!"
Looking at the two embracing, then at the Immortal Herbs flourishing throughout the garden and the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well suffused with spiritual energy nearby, he felt more at ease and content than ever before.
The hidden danger that had plagued him for years had been eliminated, his granddaughter had found someone reliable to entrust herself to, and even his Martial Soul had evolved. His Soul Power had also risen considerably as a result.
Dugu Bo felt that this was the happiest day of his life!
"Grandpa."
Yu Tianjiao had been waiting for him to say that, and immediately began calling him Grandpa.
"Hahaha, good lad! From now on, I'll be your strongest backing. If anyone dares lay a hand on you, I'll poison their whole family!"
Dugu Bo threw his head back and laughed, his laughter echoing through the valley, lingering long after.
A moment later, his laughter faded. He clenched his fist, and Soul Power surged through his body like a tide. It was no longer the cold, sluggish energy of the past, but vast and primordial, domineering and unmatched.
His eyes gleamed as he looked at Yu Tianjiao and said with a laugh,
"Boy, thanks to you, my Martial Soul has completely evolved!"
Before his words had even faded, Soul Power roiled around Dugu Bo, and emerald-green light shot into the sky.
A colossal phantom abruptly took shape behind him.
It was no longer the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor of old, but a giant serpent covered from head to tail in jade-green scales that gleamed like glass.
Its body was thicker and more imposing. Its eyes, like green gemstones, were gentle yet carried the aura of primordial wilderness. Its fangs were sharp as heavenly blades, and a suffocating ancient pressure radiated from its body.
"Now, it seems this Martial Soul is called...the Ancient Sky Serpent?"
A satisfied expression appeared on Dugu Bo's face as he said this.
The Ancient Sky Serpent Martial Soul not only possessed venom even deadlier than the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor's, but also had formidable physical strength. It exerted a pronounced bloodline suppression over most Soul Beasts, considerably boosting Dugu Bo's own combat prowess.
Now he could unleash poison over a wide area or fight one-on-one at close quarters. At the same level, he feared no opponent!
"That's the Ancient Sky Serpent?!"
Yu Tianjiao's pupils contracted at Dugu Bo's words, astonishment appearing on his weary face.
He knew Martial Souls could mutate, but he'd never expected one to evolve directly to such a legendary level!
Dugu Yan was nestled in his arms, gazing at the Ancient Sky Serpent Martial Soul. Even just looking at it, she could feel the aura of a powerful being. Her beautiful eyes brimmed with delight.
Grandpa's Martial Soul had evolved. What about her own?
Could hers evolve like his, too?
Dugu Bo continued with a laugh,
"And that's not all—not just my Martial Soul! My Soul Power has made a considerable breakthrough, too!"
As he spoke, he stirred his thoughts, and nine Soul Rings rose from beneath his feet—yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black, black, black.
His Soul Power, which had stagnated at level 91 because he'd been suppressing his poison, now surged upward like an erupting volcano.
The Soul Rings blazed brightly, and the Soul Power in the air roiled wildly before finally stabilizing at level 93.
"With my strength now, I could even fight a level 94 Titled Douluo!"
Dugu Bo said confidently.
"Congratulations, Grandpa, on your great increase in strength!"
Dugu Yan said with a beaming smile.
Yu Tianjiao and Ye Lingling joined in, offering their congratulations.
Dugu Bo smiled and nodded. Then he put away his Martial Soul, walked over to Yu Tianjiao and Dugu Yan, and took their hands. With great solemnity, he placed them together and held them tightly.
"Grandpa?"
Dugu Yan blushed a little, but she was also secretly pleased.
"Boy, I trust you completely. You saved my life, so I won't say any of that 'if you ever treat Yanyan badly, I'll do this or that to you' nonsense. I know what kind of person you are. You're the sort who responds to gentleness, not force.
"So I'm entrusting Yanyan to you. She can be a handful, so you'll have to be patient with her. Just treat each other well."
Dugu Bo's gaze was serious, but his voice was gentle. At that moment, he wasn't the Poison Douluo—just a grandfather hoping his granddaughter would find happiness.
"Don't worry, Grandpa. I'll treat Yanzi well. As for the poison in her body, I'll take care of it. I won't let the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Poison affect the next generation."
Yu Tianjiao wore a serious expression, but his words made Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling beside them blush.
Affect the next generation?
Dugu Bo was taken aback, but he didn't fly into a rage or show any displeasure. Instead, he burst out laughing.
"Hahaha, you've got some nerve, boy, saying something like that right in front of me! But I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of genius great-grandchild you'll have once Yanyan's Martial Soul evolves like mine and combines with your Ancient Void Dragon Martial Soul!"
At that, Dugu Yan's face grew even redder, as if blood might drip from it. She stamped her little foot and chided him coyly,
"Grandpa! You're...you're so shameless at your age!"
Dugu Bo kept laughing. He'd never been this happy in his life.
"Haha, look at our Yanyan, getting all shy! But you're already a grown woman, while Tianjiao's still young. Don't you go bullying him."
Dugu Bo continued teasing his granddaughter with a grin.
"I'm not talking to you anymore!"
Dugu Yan dashed off toward a nearby room, her face bright red.
Ye Lingling, standing nearby, felt as if her eyes had been opened.
So this was what Grandpa Dugu was like in private?
He was quite lively...
"Lingling, what I just said about Yanyan applies to you, too. You're my granddaughter as well, after all. You two are both older than Tianjiao, so don't tempt him into doing anything he shouldn't."
Dugu Bo said with a laugh.
"Grandpa Dugu..."
Ye Lingling flushed, too.
What did he mean by saying they'd tempt Tianjiao into doing something wrong?
But when she thought about it, she and Dugu Yan really had been the ones to kiss him first last night...
At that thought, Ye Lingling could no longer keep a straight face. She hurried off, just as flustered as Dugu Yan.
"Grandpa..."
Watching his two girlfriends flee one after the other, Yu Tianjiao looked at Dugu Bo helplessly.
"Haha, you'd better keep yourself in check, too. I don't want to meddle in you young people's affairs, but you're still young. If you end up with a child, it'll get in the way of your cultivation and waste your talent."
Dugu Bo chuckled, but then his expression turned serious.
"Don't worry, Grandpa. I know what I'm doing."
Yu Tianjiao replied with a faint smile.
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