Seeking the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud, to cure Xue Ye's poison?

"Protect the carriage! Assassins!"

The Royal Imperial Guard reacted in an instant, their long spears forming a forest and their spirit rings flickering as they tightly surrounded the extravagantly luxurious royal carriage.

"What is there to panic about?"

An aged yet majestic voice drifted down from the treetops by the roadside.

Everyone looked up to see Dugu Bo standing with his hands behind his back, dressed in a dark green robe, while Dugu Yan stood quietly by his side with a cold, detached expression.

"Your Excellency Poison Douluo?"

The captain of the guard recognized the man and let out a sigh of relief, though he did not lower his weapon, asking vigilantly, "May I ask why Your Excellency has intercepted His Majesty's carriage?"

"This old man just finished watching the match and happened to be passing by. I caught a whiff of death emanating from this carriage, and since it didn't sit well with me, I stopped to take a look."

Dugu Bo's figure flickered, landing as lightly as a falling leaf ten meters in front of the carriage, completely ignoring the cold, gleaming blades surrounding him.

The carriage curtain was lifted.

Xue Qinghe helped Emperor Xue Ye out.

Although Emperor Xue Ye's face was pale, he forced a smile when he saw Dugu Bo: "So it is Mr. Dugu. You are a guest advisor to the Heaven Dou Empire, so why be so formal? Since we have crossed paths, why not return to the palace with us for a chat?"

Dugu Bo was a guest advisor at the Xue Xing Prince Mansion.

By saying this, Xue Ye was undoubtedly trying to build rapport.

Dugu Bo did not correct him.

Xue Qinghe also offered a gentle smile and cupped his hands: "Senior Dugu, Father has been unwell lately and we were just planning to invite you to the palace for a consultation. To run into you here—it is truly fate."

Looking at Xue Qinghe's flawless, smiling face, Dugu Bo sneered inwardly.

Fate?

This is a "fate" that this old man prepared specifically for you.

"Fate is a strong word."

Dugu Bo glanced at Xue Qinghe—or rather, Qian Renxue.

Yu Nan had given instructions.

They could not expose Qian Renxue's identity just yet.

They had to avoid drawing the attention of Martial Soul Hall to themselves.

The next few years of development time were precious.

He would prescribe some medicine for Xue Ye that could delay the illness.

Finally, he would demand the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud as the price for becoming a permanent guest elder of the Heaven Dou Empire.

That should be no problem at all!

"Your Majesty's complexion... it doesn't look very good."

Dugu Bo kept his hands behind his back, his gaze sweeping over Emperor Xue Ye like two sharp swords, his tone casual yet hitting the mark: "Your forehead is dark and your aura is unstable. If you continue to let those quacks in the palace stuff you with their nonsensical tonics, I fear you are not far from your demise."

As soon as these words were spoken, the surrounding Royal Imperial Guard were shocked, glaring at him with fury.

Had they not been terrified of his status as a Title Douluo, they would have likely charged forward to fight to the death.

However, upon hearing this, Emperor Xue Ye did not get angry; instead, a startling brilliance erupted in his eyes.

He knew his own body best. For days, he had felt his energy waning and his health declining, and though he had cycled through batch after batch of imperial physicians, they could only prescribe mild tonics and could never identify the root cause.

Now that Dugu Bo had pinpointed the issue, it gave him a glimmer of hope.

"Sir... can you identify the nature of Our illness?"

Emperor Xue Ye pushed aside Xue Qinghe's support and took two steps forward, his tone urgent: "It is said that medicine and poison are two sides of the same coin. You are the foremost master of poison in this world, so you must have unique insights into medical principles. If you are willing to save Us, We will surely reward you handsomely!"

Standing to the side, "Xue Qinghe" clenched his hands tightly within his sleeves, his heart skipping a beat.

Damn it!

Why would that Old Poison Freak suddenly intervene?

The poison she administered was a secret concoction from Martial Soul Hall—colorless, odorless, and possessing an incredibly long incubation period.

It permeated the system bit by bit through daily meals and incense; even a Title Douluo, unless well-versed in pharmacology, would find it nearly impossible to detect.

If Dugu Bo were to discover that this was poison, wouldn't her years of deep-cover infiltration go to waste?

"Imperial Father..."

A look of perfectly measured concern appeared on Xue Qinghe's face as he softly dissuaded him:

"Although Senior Dugu possesses formidable strength, everyone has their own area of expertise. Imperial Father's dragon body is precious; if we were to act rashly... this son is worried..."

"Is Your Highness saying you do not trust this old man?"

Dugu Bo cast a sidelong glance at Xue Qinghe, a cold sneer curling his lips:

"Or perhaps, Your Highness believes that watching His Majesty wither away day by day is the true path of filial piety?"

The words were heavy, pinning the label of "unfilial" directly onto him.

Xue Qinghe's expression stiffened, and he hurriedly lowered his head in feigned panic:

"Qinghe would not dare!

Qinghe is merely worried for Imperial Father's safety. Since the Senior is confident, then it is a blessing for Imperial Father, and a blessing for Heaven Dou."

She dared not obstruct him further, lest she appear too deliberate and invite suspicion.

She could only pray silently in her heart; the composition of this mixed poison was extremely complex.

Even if Dugu Bo could identify it as poison, he might not be able to cure it, and certainly might not be able to trace its source.

"In that case, let us not waste time standing here on the main road."

Dugu Bo flicked his sleeve and said indifferently:

"Return to the palace. This old man requires a quiet environment to check His Majesty's pulse."

Inside the bedchamber of the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace.

The resplendent palace was deathly silent, with only a few trusted attendants and Xue Qinghe standing guard outside the doors.

Dugu Bo sat by the bedside, three fingers resting upon the wrist of Emperor Xue Ye.

A strand of emerald-green soul power flowed from his fingertips, wandering through the meridians of Xue Ye.

Dugu Yan stood quietly to the side, watching her grandfather's grave expression, unable to suppress the tension in her heart.

"Old Poison Freak, how is it?"

Yu Nan's voice echoed in Dugu Bo's mind.

"It is exactly as the Senior predicted."

Dugu Bo responded in his heart, his tone heavy:

"This poison is incredibly insidious. It is not a single toxin, but a mixture of various drugs.

It appears to be a tonic on the surface, but in reality, it is overdrawing his life force.

Now that the toxins have seeped into the bone marrow, uprooting them completely is as difficult as ascending to the heavens."

"That is only natural. This is something that old fellow Qian Daoliu has been preparing for over a decade for this very day."

Yu Nan let out a cold snort:

"However, you do not need to cure him completely.

You only need to ensure he does not die and can linger on for a few more years; that will be enough for us to obtain the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud."

"Understood."

Dugu Bo withdrew his fingers, and the emerald light dissipated along with them.

His brows were locked in a deep frown as he let out a long sigh and slowly shook his head.

That single sigh made the heart of Xue Ye, who had been staring intently at him, turn cold, and he asked with a trembling voice:

"Sir... my body... is it possible that even you are powerless?"

Standing to the side, Xue Qinghe appeared concerned, but in reality, she pricked up her ears, sneering inwardly: It seems this Old Poison Freak is all reputation and no substance.

Dugu Bo remained silent for a moment before speaking slowly, his tone carrying a hint of reservation:

"Your Majesty, forgive this old man for speaking bluntly, but your condition is not a simple illness."

Xue Ye asked urgently:

"Then what is the reason?"