"It's nothing..."
Dugu Bo couldn't even find a reason to get angry.
"By the way, Senior Dugu, over the past two years, while sparring with Sister Yanyan, I discovered that rapidly swirling wind can gradually strip away Jade Phosphorous Serpent Poison. If you ever encounter an expert who uses wind, please be careful."
Xue Yao said with a smile. But when he finished, Dugu Bo's eyes widened until they were as big as cowbells.
"What did you say?!"
The terrifying pressure that had filled the training room vanished without a trace.
At that moment, the Poison Douluo who struck fear into the hearts of countless Soul Masters was trembling slightly at Xue Yao's words.
"Rapidly swirling wind can gradually strip away Jade Phosphorous Serpent Poison?!"
Those words struck Dugu Bo's heart like a heavy hammer.
He stared fixedly into Xue Yao's deep, calm eyes, trying to find even the slightest trace of a lie or exaggeration.
But he failed.
All he saw in the young man's eyes was a composure and confidence that made his heart skip a beat.
"You did it?"
Dugu Bo's voice was hoarse.
"Of course I did."
Xue Yao still wore the same smile as he spoke.
"Why do you ask, Old Senior Dugu? Could it be..."
As he spoke, an exaggerated look of shock appeared on Xue Yao's face. His acting was good enough to win an award.
After a long while, the sharpness and wariness in Dugu Bo's eyes faded completely.
He let out a long sigh, his voice filled with boundless weariness and the weight of age.
"Yes."
"You guessed right. Returning to the origin, unity between heaven and man—it's all bullshit."
"My Dugu Clan has passed down the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Martial Soul for generations. Though its poison dominates the world, the Martial Soul itself is a curse. As one's cultivation deepens, the poison invades the host's internal organs. My son was tortured to death by that damned poison!"
"I spent most of my life searching for a way to break the curse, but never found one. Now my body has reached its limit. I won't live much longer..."
"My death would be no great loss. I've killed countless people in my life; I've had my fill."
Dugu Bo abruptly raised his head and looked at Xue Yao with burning eyes. His voice grew more solemn and earnest than ever before.
"But Yanyan is innocent! She's the only blood relative I have left in this world. And now, whenever it rains, she also feels an itching under her ribs... The poison has already begun to turn on her!"
Dugu Bo took a deep breath, as if he'd made some momentous decision, and stared straight at Xue Yao.
"Xue Yao, you're an exceptionally clever boy. Don't tell me you can't see how Yanyan feels about you!"
"That girl was spoiled rotten by me from a young age, but ever since you came to the academy, she's been like a different person. She trains herself to the brink not only to defeat you, but also to become worthy of standing by your side, so you'll look her way!"
"She's entered closed-door cultivation several times over these past three months and nearly gone mad from it. All she murmurs is your name!"
"I was still hesitating, but today, after seeing your intelligence and ability, I admit defeat. Xue Yao, if the day comes when I can't hold on any longer, I'll entrust Yanyan to you! As long as you keep her alive and cure the poison in her body, this old life of mine, all the resources at my disposal, even everything belonging to the Dugu Clan—from this day forth, it's all yours!"
This was the last, desperate plea of a Titled Douluo at the end of his road, a grandfather who loved his granddaughter dearly—a most humble and weighty entrustment.
Faced with Dugu Bo's heartfelt confession, Xue Yao let the composure and smile fall from his face.
He stood and solemnly offered Dugu Bo the formal salute of a junior.
"I admire the love you bear your granddaughter, Old Senior Dugu."
"I can feel the affection Sister Yanyan has for me; I'm not made of wood. Though she may seem willful, she's kind at heart—a good girl who deserves to be cherished."
"I can promise you that as long as I'm alive, I will never let Yanyan suffer any mistreatment. And as for the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Poison turning on you both, not only do I have a way to suppress it, I'm even absolutely certain I can completely transform the poison in your bodies into nourishment that will increase your strength!"
Hearing this solemn promise, a spark of light burst into Dugu Bo's dim eyes.
But before he could thank him, Xue Yao's next words made his expression freeze.
"But."
"Senior, there's something I need to make clear to you today, so there won't be any resentment between us in the future."
"Yanyan's affection is precious, and I won't betray it. But I won't betray Lingling, either."
Xue Yao lifted his head slightly, and Ye Lingling's cool, lonely yet tender eyes surfaced in his mind.
"Lingling has quietly stayed by my side for the past two years. Her feelings for me are every bit as strong as Yanyan's. I'm greedy; I don't like multiple-choice questions. I won't give up Lingling for Yanyan, and I certainly won't make up some lie about loving only Yanyan just to appease you."
"I'll use everything I have to protect the women I care about. What I want is for all of them to stand openly and safely by my side. If you think I'm too greedy, or that this would wrong Yanyan, you can take her away right now. But my promise to cure the poison still stands."
At those words, the air in the training room seemed to freeze all over again.
Dugu Bo stared at Xue Yao with wide eyes, as if he were looking at a monster.
He'd lived for most of his life and seen countless hypocrites, pretentious to the core and full of lies.
The playboys from the great clans, all eager for his protection and Dugu Yan's beauty—didn't every one of them swear they'd love only her for the rest of their lives? Yet behind closed doors, they were all carrying on with other men and women.
But this young man before him was something else. When entrusted with a Titled Douluo's granddaughter, he actually dared to declare to his face, "I want your granddaughter, but I want another girl, too, and I'm not letting go of either of them!"
"You... you little brat!"
Dugu Bo was so furious that he bristled and glared.
"My granddaughter, the heir of the mighty Poison Douluo—you actually want her to share a husband with another woman?! What do you take the Dugu Clan for?!"
Dugu Bo glared at Xue Yao, panting heavily.
But when he saw Xue Yao's eyes, the anger in his heart gradually ebbed for some reason.
Thinking it over, on this continent where strength reigned supreme, it was commonplace for powerful male Soul Masters to have several partners.
What truly mattered to Dugu Bo wasn't how many women Xue Yao had, but how he treated Dugu Yan.
If Xue Yao had falsely sworn today that he would love only Dugu Yan, Dugu Bo would instead have thought the boy was far too scheming and definitely not the right man for her.
By contrast, Xue Yao dared to shoulder the pressure of a Titled Douluo and openly declare his responsibility toward both girls.
That willingness to take responsibility proved he was a man who valued loyalty and affection!
Dugu Bo's stern face suddenly relaxed, and he even managed an extremely awkward bitter smile.
"You little monster, you've got an even harder head than this old man."
"Enough, enough. The young make their own fortunes. I'm too lazy to meddle in the love lives of you young people, and there's no way I could anyway."
"As long as you remember what you said today, don't let Yanyan suffer, and don't love 'em and leave 'em. Then even if I die, I'll rest easy."
"Don't worry, Senior. My word is my bond."
"Then, Senior, shouldn't you take me to see that 'treasure land' you use to suppress the poison?"
Dugu Bo's hand stopped abruptly as he held his teacup. His bean-sized eyes widened again, and he stared at Xue Yao in disbelief. "Y-you even know about the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well?!"
Before you continue