"Don't worry. I'm not going to beg you to take me as your disciple. Someone who can't even control his own aura? I have absolutely no interest in that level of skill!"
Dugu Bo's face stiffened. His anger flared, and he fought the urge to attack again. "You... What did you say?"
"Am I wrong? When you use Martial Soul Possession, you turn green all over. And even if I overlook the foul stench, you still smell the same after retracting your Martial Soul."
"With a stink that strong, are you just not bothering to cover it up? Who would want to smell awful all the time?"
"This is clearly a sign that you can't control yourself!"
Dugu Bo's face shifted again and again. What kind of brat was this, always rubbing salt into other people's wounds?
Didn't he know to respect his elders? Didn't he know to show some consideration for his seniors?
"You... I..." Dugu Bo tried to argue back, but for a moment, he couldn't think of what to say.
Seeing that, Ling Yun continued, "If I'm not mistaken, your Martial Soul has been biting back! The Jade Phosphorous Serpent Poison must be miserable when it turns against you, right?"
"Whenever it rains, do you get numb, itchy sensations along both sides of your ribs? Do they gradually grow stronger, flaring up once at noon and again at midnight, and lasting quite a while?"
"Around the third watch, do you feel needle-like pain in the soles of your feet and the top of your head? Does your whole body spasm until you're in unbearable agony?"
"You came here to use the extreme Ice and Fire Elemental Power to suppress the restless poison in your body and ease the pain when it erupts, didn't you?"
"How do you know?" Dugu Bo blurted out in shock.
His expression turned stormy, and a heavy pressure filled the air. A secret he had guarded so fiercely had just been exposed by a child!
The description was so precise, it was as if Ling Yun had seen it with his own eyes. It was terrifying. If this secret got out, what if his old rivals came looking for trouble whenever his poison flared up?
Kill him to silence him. He had to kill him.
Dugu Bo's killing intent surged again, and this time it grew purer.
It was the kind of killing intent that cast aside all hesitation and wanted nothing but for the other person to disappear.
Ling Yun sensed the change in the atmosphere and smiled as if everything were under his control, then dropped a bombshell.
"I can solve the problem in your body. I can even take your strength a step further. So rein in that killing intent!"
Dugu Bo's killing intent weakened, but he didn't withdraw it completely.
Who knew whether this was true? Then again, what if it was? He himself might not care, but he still had a precious granddaughter!
"How am I supposed to know whether what you're saying is true?"
"I have three methods. Three ways to keep the serpent poison from tormenting you."
Dugu Bo gave a cold laugh. He had spent years searching for a solution without finding the slightest clue. This kid was claiming he had three ways to deal with the poison right off the bat. What nonsense.
"Do you know what happens to people who toy with me?"
"What do I gain by lying to you? Would it make you angrier and more eager to kill me?"
"Fine. Let's hear it!"
"If your method really works, I'll grant you three conditions!"
"Do you mean it?"
"The Soul Master World calls me, Dugu Bo, treacherous and ruthless, and says I use underhanded methods. I'll own up to all that, but that doesn't mean I break my word."
"I may be a Titled Douluo, but I have at least that much integrity."
"If your method is genuinely viable in theory, I'll let you off for taking so many of my medicinal herbs."
Dugu Bo figured he might as well take a shot in the dark. If Ling Yun really had a solution, so what if he gave him the entire garden?
All he had ever wanted was to solve the problem with the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Martial Soul, so his family's tragedy wouldn't keep repeating itself.
"First method: force the poison into a Soul Bone. An External Soul Bone would be best, of course!"
"Brat, are you playing me?" Dugu Bo was furious. "If you can see what's wrong with me, you should know that this poison has been fused with my body for years. Forcing it into a Soul Bone is harder than reaching the heavens. One wrong move, and the backlash will be even worse. You're telling me to kill myself!"
"Look at you, getting worked up again!"
"I'm not telling you to force it in without preparation! With medicinal herbs to help, the process will be difficult, but it won't fail."
"Think about it: why aren't Soul Beasts that are snakes poisoned by their own venom? Because they have special venom sacs to store it, so the venom never enters their bloodstream. Humans don't have an organ like that, so we need to find something similar to take its place."
"A Soul Bone is the perfect choice!"
"An External Soul Bone is best. It can store any amount of poison."
"If you don't have one, an ordinary Soul Bone will do, but with your strength as a Titled Douluo, it'll have to be at least a Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone. That way, it can store all your poison. Once it reaches its limit, it's like water overflowing a full cup: just expel the excess from your body."
"And that little bit of excess is negligible compared to the total. You can deal with it in an instant."
Dugu Bo's anger slowly ebbed as he finished listening. "It does work in theory, but it depends on the supporting medicine. Do you have it?"
"Of course!"
"The Viscera-Moistening and Meridian-Protecting Pill is made from fifteen medicinal ingredients. It nourishes the five viscera and six bowels and protects the meridians."
"Take it, and you'll be perfectly safe while forcing out the poison!"
Ling Yun flicked a finger. A gap appeared in the water barrier formed by the Ice and Fire Spring Water, and a pill flew out through it. It sailed through the air and was suspended by Dugu Bo's Soul Power.
He inspected it carefully. There was nothing wrong with the pill.
Dugu Bo wasn't lacking in knowledge of medicinal properties. Most of what he knew concerned poisons, but it was enough to judge the pill's quality.
"You should have a Soul Bone, right? You can try it out!"
After confirming that nothing was wrong with the pill, Dugu Bo didn't hesitate. He popped it into his mouth in front of Ling Yun. It melted instantly, and the distinct flavor of medicinal herbs spread from his throat throughout his body. It was as if he'd shed a layer of armor—he felt completely at ease.
The next moment, he shot into the air and disappeared from Ling Yun's sight, flying into a cave near the top of the valley.
This was a cave dwelling Dugu Bo had carved out himself. Inside were all sorts of jars and bottles, along with an alchemy furnace.
After sealing the entrance, he sat cross-legged, separated the poison from his blood, and forced it into his Soul Bone.
About half an hour later, as the medicine's effects gradually wore off, Dugu Bo stopped forcing out the poison and got to his feet to stretch. His whole body felt relaxed—more so than after using Ice and Fire Elemental Power to suppress the poison ten times over.
The method had worked.
Dugu Bo was in high spirits. The problem that had tormented him for years had finally been solved. It was a pity his son and daughter-in-law hadn't lived to see this day.
Whatever else happened, his granddaughter would never again have to suffer the agony of the serpent poison turning against her! Dugu Bo left the cave and appeared before Ling Yun once more.
The earlier tension had vanished. The two stared at each other in silence until Dugu Bo broke it first.
"I, Dugu Bo, keep my word. I won't hold you responsible for the herbs. Consider them a gift."
"But you have to give me the recipe for the Viscera-Moistening and Meridian-Protecting Pill."
"Are you sure?"
"Don't you want to know the other two methods?"
"If I can only choose one, I want the recipe."
With a definite solution in hand, Dugu Bo grew much calmer. For now, the recipe filled his thoughts.
Without it, he'd have to keep asking Ling Yun for pills. How could that be acceptable? What if Ling Yun changed his mind? What would he do then?
No matter what, he had to get his hands on the recipe.
Before you continue