"Dugu Bo's Martial Soul was originally the Jade Phosphorous Serpent, one of the five Jade Phosphorus poisons. He later cultivated it into the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor, making it worthy of being called the progenitor of all serpents. His poison was unrivaled beneath the heavens. There was no other Titled Douluo known to be more skilled with poison, so people tended to call him 'Poison Douluo.'"
"Although he's my friend, he's not easy to get along with. He's a loner by nature, neither wholly good nor wholly evil, and has always acted according to his own whims. He won't yield to either force or persuasion, and can even stoop to bullying those weaker than him. But as long as you don't threaten or offend him, he won't go looking for trouble."
"If he hadn't come begging me that year to keep his son alive for another year, we might never have become friends. But sadly, his son still passed away. Sigh..."
Ye Renxin seemed lost in his memories, his expression tinged with sorrow.
"Dugu Bo repays even a drop of kindness with a flood of gratitude. Asking him to look into your problem shouldn't be an issue, but watch what you say. Whatever you do, don't provoke him. And right now, his granddaughter Dugu Yan is his only family. He treats her like the apple of his eye, so don't you dare mess with her."
"Rest assured!"
Xing Tian grew more and more eager. Poison Douluo, who reigns supreme over poison beneath the heavens. I wonder how his poison cultivation compares to the Ten Thousand Poisons Heart Sutra. Can he concoct poisons deadlier than the Thousand Blades Ten Thousand Ants Pill, the Ice Fire Bliss Pill, and Soul-Melting Drunken Dream Death? If I get the chance, I'll have to discuss the principles of poison with him.
The next day, just as Ye Renxin was directing the servants as they laid out the dishes, a deep but slightly aged voice came from outside the estate. "Brother Ye, I've come for the feast!"
Ye Renxin immediately went with Ye Lingling, Xing Tian, and the family elders to welcome him. By then, Dugu Bo had already entered.
Xing Tian finally got to see this Titled Douluo. Compared to the somewhat fearful looks in the eyes of the other elders and Ye Lingling, his own gaze was far bolder.
Dugu Bo was tall and slender, straight as a javelin. His eyes shone like green emeralds, and there was something ethereal about him, as though he were a phantom.
Dugu Bo hadn't come alone. He was holding the hand of a girl with dark purple short hair who was a little taller than Ye Lingling. She was probably his granddaughter, Dugu Yan.
Dugu Yan wasn't very old, but she already had a spirited air about her, along with an almost bewitching charm. Her eyes were green, too.
Xing Tian furrowed his brow, puzzled. Her hair and eyes are the wrong color, and there's a foul smell about her. Add in her features, her aura, her gait... Could they be poisoned?
It's common enough for people who use poison to be poisoned themselves, but the poison they're exposed to is usually negligible to a poison master. The poison affecting these two is far too potent. Could it be some special poison cultivation method? Or are all Poison-type Soul Masters on the Douluo Continent like this?
Xing Tian was a little vexed. Damn it, my theoretical knowledge of Soul Master cultivation is still too lacking, and my cultivation is too low. I haven't even practiced the Ten Thousand Poisons Heart Sutra yet. Otherwise, I could analyze it just by catching a whiff of the poison leaking from them.
"Brother Ye, it's been a long time. You still look as vigorous as ever."
After exchanging a few pleasantries with Ye Renxin, Dugu Bo's gaze fell on Ye Lingling. "This girl must be Lingling. I remember seeing her for the first time at her hundred-day celebration. Look at how much she's grown."
"Hello, Grandpa Dugu." Ye Lingling was a little nervous, but she still greeted him.
"Good, good." Dugu Bo nudged Dugu Yan toward Ye Lingling. "This is my granddaughter. She's a year older than you, and you'll be studying together at Heaven Dou Royal Academy. You should get to know each other."
Dugu Yan had been drawn to the cold, eerie look in Xing Tian's eyes, but Dugu Bo's nudge finally brought her back to her senses.
"Lingling, I'm Dugu Yan. My Martial Soul is the Jade Phosphorous Serpent, and I'm at level eighteen." Dugu Yan was a cheerful girl, and she introduced herself quite freely, though her actions were a little too forward.
She leaned right against Ye Lingling, wrapping one arm around her like a snake while draping the other over her shoulder. Reaching through Ye Lingling's veil, she pinched, tapped, and traced the girl's face.
Even the usually cool and reserved Ye Lingling was at a loss. "Hello. My Martial Soul is the Nine-Heart Begonia, and I'm at level fifteen."
"You're so cute!" Dugu Yan beamed even brighter as she looked at Ye Lingling. "But you're so pretty. Why are you wearing a veil?"
At those words, Ye Lingling's demeanor instantly returned to normal, while Dugu Bo grew angry with Dugu Yan—a rare sight. "Yanyan, don't be rude!"
"Oh!"
Dugu Yan pouted. She didn't understand why her grandfather had suddenly gotten angry or what she'd done wrong, but she obediently acted as if she were sorry and moved away from Ye Lingling.
Dugu Bo apologized. "Lingling, Yanyan's just like that. She can be too brash sometimes. Don't take it to heart."
"It's fine." Ye Lingling shook her head lightly.
Watching everything unfold, Xing Tian began to form a vague suspicion. Ye Renxin, meanwhile, hurried to invite everyone to take their seats.
As he passed Xing Tian, Dugu Bo glanced at him, his expression complicated.
Surprise, confusion, curiosity, and admiration.
After the feast, Ye Renxin led everyone into the study and had them sit down.
Dugu Bo looked at Xing Tian and asked, "Brother Ye, I meant to ask you earlier. Who is this child? I don't remember Lingling having a younger brother."
Since he needed Dugu Bo's help, Ye Renxin didn't conceal Xing Tian's background. He had discussed it with Xing Tian beforehand.
The Dugu grandfather and granddaughter were both deeply moved when they heard what had happened to Xing Tian. They hadn't expected a child who had only just awakened his Martial Soul to have already experienced death.
"Resurrection from the dead, and a Martial Soul re-forming after shattering. How is that so similar to that old Ghost?"
Ye Renxin said, "It is a little like Ghost Douluo, but Xiao Tian's Martial Soul is unstable right now, and the hidden dangers are too great. Do you know how to resolve it?"
Xing Tian immediately said respectfully, "I ask His Excellency Dugu to offer his guidance. This junior would be endlessly grateful."
"Very well. Since Brother Ye has asked, I'll help you. Release your Martial Soul."
Xing Tian released his Martial Soul at once. Dark purple mist billowed upward, and the flickering shadow of a mantis appeared behind him once more. A frigid aura spread out, and the purple mist seemed to devour the light, plunging the room into darkness.
Ye Lingling and Dugu Yan felt their souls tremble beneath that icy aura. It was the terror of facing eternal night and death, though the two reacted quite differently.
Ye Lingling couldn't help feeling conflicted. She both recoiled from it and yearned for it, unable to understand why she felt that way.
Dugu Yan, on the other hand, was purely terrified because of her Serpent Martial Soul's powerful sense of danger. Goosebumps rose all over her body, and she only wanted to get away.
"What a terrifying Martial Soul. Even in this form, it has such power. Is this what Innate Full Soul Power looks like?"
Dugu Bo composed himself after his momentary lapse and said calmly, "Put it away. You're lucky, boy. As it happens, I know how to resolve your problem."
Before you continue