Let's Change Martial Souls

"The backlash from your Jade Scale Snake Poison has been resolved, but your descendants will not be so lucky. They will continue to suffer from it. The immortal herbs required to detoxify the bloodline cannot be grown in mere decades or centuries, and spirit bones are not so easily obtained. Therefore, I suggest the Dugu Family abandon the Jade Scale Snake inheritance and choose a different martial soul to pass down!"

Li Pu offered his advice with good intentions.

"The constitution of your Dugu Family is truly ill-suited for inheriting a martial soul like the Jade Scale Snake; there is no need to endure such suffering."

Among other top-tier martial souls, few carry such severe negative side effects as the Jade Scale Snake Poison.

Even those with ultimate attributes are designed to reinforce the body's capacity to host such power, causing no physical maladaptation whatsoever.

Furthermore, according to the theory of environmental adaptation, after so many years of inheritance, the Jade Scale Snake should have evolved to resolve the poison issue. Yet, after all this time, it remains unsolved—much like the Evil Fire Phoenix inheritance, which continues to suffer from the influence of evil fire even after ten thousand years, rendering even the cultivation to Title Douluo useless.

Therefore, in such a situation, switching to a different martial soul is the optimal choice.

"Switch to a different martial soul?" Dugu Bo muttered.

A martial soul represents a family; replacing an inherited martial soul is no simple matter.

Of course, it is not unheard of. Some noble families with low status and inferior martial souls often seek to replace them with powerful ones.

As long as the martial soul becomes part of their lineage and carries their surname, that is all that matters.

The acquisition of a powerful martial soul can elevate a family to new heights.

Powerful martial souls generally originate from powerful families. When those families have no opportunity to expand, they set their sights on commoners who have struck it lucky.

After all, the base of commoners is vast, and eventually, one or two existences with heaven-defying potential will appear; that is when their opportunity arises.

These spirit masters are either scouted by a noble family, stripped of their spirit power, and forced into marriage—the women becoming excellent vessels to pass on the martial soul, the men being crippled and forced into matrilocal marriage to replace the family's original martial soul.

Otherwise, they rise through the ranks of Martial Soul Hall.

It is not just nobles; sometimes even sects make this choice. Even if they don't need to, they develop these individuals into affiliates to serve their own sects!

Upon hearing that the final solution was for his family to replace their martial soul, Dugu Bo found it difficult to make a decision.

The Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well had already been handed over, and even if it hadn't, his descendants would still suffer the agony of the Jade Scale Snake Poison backlash.

The tragedy of his family must not continue to play out.

"You wouldn't want your children and grandchildren to continue suffering from the agony of the Jade Scale Snake Poison, would you?"

This single sentence settled the matter for Dugu Bo.

"Very well. I will carefully choose a suitable martial soul to replace it. There is no need for the tragedy of the Dugu Family to repeat itself."

"From this day forward, my Dugu Family is willing to join Martial Soul Hall!"

The plan to have the Dugu Family join Martial Soul Hall was complete.

The City-Slaughtering Poison would certainly make any organization wary of them.

Few can defeat them in the same realm, and they can quickly erase weaker opponents from existence.

"There is no need for you to join Martial Soul Hall for the time being. In the future, we will arrange for personnel to infiltrate the Heaven Dou Empire for a coup, and you will assist him when the time comes," Li Pu said, laying out the plan directly.

Dugu Bo's eyes widened. He knew Martial Soul Hall had ambitions to unify the continent, but he had not expected such a meticulous plan.

"How do you know of this plan, and why are you just blurting it out?" Guangling Douluo's expression froze.

"Dugu Bo is one of us now. Besides, given such a massive favor, he would never speak of it. Furthermore, we happen to need him as a hidden card here," Li Pu said.

Dugu Bo was a man of principle. If you offended him, a small grudge could make him hold a grudge for a lifetime, but conversely, a small favor could also make him remember it for a lifetime.

Not to mention, this was a favor that resolved his family's Jade Scale Snake Poison backlash.

He would never betray them.

"The Young Mistress has bestowed a great favor upon my Dugu Family. I, Dugu Bo, will never commit an act of betrayal. I am willing to swear upon my martial soul."

Dugu Bo did not know Li Pu's true identity, but seeing the Saintess treat him with such reverence, he assumed Li Pu might be the son of Pope Qian Xunji.

"I should hope you wouldn't dare!"

Guangling Douluo thought it over carefully; perhaps the card of Dugu Bo would truly be useful when the time came.

Li Pu continued, "In a few years, when you reach the rank of Title Douluo, come to Martial Soul Hall for certification. When you refuse Martial Soul Hall's invitation, they will hunt you down. Someone will be there to receive you, and you will then seize the opportunity to join the Heaven Dou Empire."

The original history was exactly like this. The reason Dugu Bo held such a deep prejudice against Martial Soul Hall was because they had hunted him down, and it was Prince Xue Xing who had protected him, thereby earning the favor of a Title Douluo.

Now, Li Pu was following the plan, keeping to the original script, only Dugu Bo had become one of their own.

Guangling Douluo was stunned; he had not expected everything to be so perfectly arranged.

"Yes, Young Mistress!" Dugu Bo replied.

Li Pu added, "One more thing: I am merely an elder, not what you think."

An elder? Dugu Bo was confused. Did Martial Soul Hall have an elder as young as this?

"Very well, Chrysanthemum Douluo, go and select suitable medicinal herbs for the Dugu Family now."

"Yes, Elder Li."

Chrysanthemum Douluo immediately rose to find the appropriate herbs.

Dugu Bo said, "Just prepare them for my son and granddaughter; I have no need for them."

"You don't need them?" Bibi Dong asked.

Dugu Bo explained, "According to family records, only upon reaching the Title Douluo rank is it possible to no longer suffer from the backlash of the Jade Scale Snake Poison."

In reality, even after becoming a Title Douluo, one is still deeply plagued by the backlash of the Jade Scale Snake Poison.

The important thing is that it is impossible for him to be given three stalks of those precious immortal herbs.

Li Pu thought for a moment and said, "If you could condense a Poison Core when the time comes, that might also be a solution."

"Is this the fourth method?"

Dugu Bo was astonished; could the poison be forced into a Poison Core?

For a moment, he didn't know how to view Li Pu; four methods in, he had been completely overwhelmed.

Li Pu also said uncertainly, "This is merely my conjecture; I am not certain either."

If Title Douluo truly had a solution, perhaps that pill-like bead condensed upon becoming a Title Douluo was the real answer.

"It's fine, as long as the problems for my son and granddaughter can be solved. As for me, I can just go find a few spirit bones."

Dugu Bo was also clear that these immortal herbs would likely end up being used to cultivate the new generation of the Martial Soul Hall. At their age, their talent had more or less reached its limit; without a stroke of fortune, breaking through any further was simply impossible.

He had only recently reached level eighty-nine. Don't let the fact that he was only one level away from level ninety fool you; at this stage, countless people had been stuck here for years, unable to advance any further, not to mention the fact that he was plagued by the backlash of the poison, otherwise he would have long since broken through to level ninety.