Ying Chengfeng's greatest fear had come to pass.
Dugu Bo was indeed difficult to deal with.
The instant he formed a thought, he could spread his Soul Power outward.
To block all that Soul Power, Azure Luan Elder would have to expend several times as much of his own.
In other words, if Azure Luan Elder wanted to keep Ying Chengfeng and the other two safe, he couldn't use his full strength.
He might not even be able to fight at half strength.
Ying Chengfeng looked at Dugu Bo with a grave expression.
He was certain this man was capable of killing children.
Dugu Bo really did have no scruples.
With a little poison at his disposal, he'd become utterly arrogant.
But did he really think Ying Chengfeng was a pushover?
Ying Chengfeng grabbed Qian Renxue and Yu Feiyan.
He unleashed the Wind Domain at full strength and instantly retreated four hundred meters.
After absorbing his second Soul Ring, Ying Chengfeng's Wind Domain had expanded to a radius of four hundred meters.
Then Ying Chengfeng called out to Azure Luan Elder, "Grandpa, don't worry about us. Kill him!"
At once, Azure Luan Elder attacked Dugu Bo.
He had no choice but to act now.
His own grandson was already intent on killing the man.
Dugu Bo had never expected his threat to make his opponent attack even sooner.
As he fended off Azure Luan Elder's attacks, he retreated toward the direction Ying Chengfeng and the others had gone.
The three children had already retreated eight hundred meters away.
Dugu Bo was even more shocked and alarmed.
He hadn't expected his opponent to fight him while sending the three children away.
That's right—Dugu Bo mistakenly thought Azure Luan Elder had sent the children away.
It never crossed his mind that Ying Chengfeng had done it himself.
Dugu Bo fought as he retreated, heading toward the direction the children had gone.
Azure Luan Elder saw what he was planning and gave a cold snort.
"You think I'll let you get over there and attack him? Die!"
As he spoke, Azure Luan Elder's wings beat fiercely behind him.
Countless blue feathers shot toward Dugu Bo.
Dugu Bo raised a Soul Power barrier to withstand the rain of feathers.
But his Soul Power was far weaker than Azure Luan Elder's. The impact sent him flying dozens of meters, where he crashed into several trees and knocked them down.
Pfft!
Dugu Bo couldn't help spitting out a mouthful of blood. His aura turned feeble.
When Azure Luan Elder's next attack came, he gritted his teeth and fought on.
Azure Luan Elder sensed something strange.
"You're not going to run?"
This was nothing like he'd expected.
He couldn't understand why Dugu Bo wouldn't flee when he knew he was outmatched.
That brief moment of hesitation gave Dugu Bo a chance to catch his breath.
Dugu Bo's voice sounded weak as he said, "You came to seize my Herb Garden, didn't you? If you keep pressing me, I don't mind destroying it myself."
At that, Azure Luan Elder hesitated.
Azure Luan Elder's expression was cold, with a hint of disdain. "First you threatened us with the children, and now you're threatening us with the Herb Garden?"
"Heh. Poison Douluo, I gave you too much credit."
Humiliated so bluntly by Azure Luan Elder, Dugu Bo ground his back teeth together.
But seeing that Azure Luan Elder wasn't pressing the attack, Dugu Bo felt more confident and said:
"You really did come to seize my Herb Garden. How is that any different from a robber who mocks another for stealing?"
Azure Luan Elder didn't answer. Instead, he studied their surroundings.
The trees around them had already rotted over a wide area.
Only because his Soul Power was so profound had Dugu Bo's poison failed to seep into his body.
Then Azure Luan Elder looked away.
He turned his gaze back to Dugu Bo and said, "You could destroy the Herb Garden and escape. I might not even be able to stop you."
"But you don't plan to leave. I'm guessing something is keeping you here."
Azure Luan Elder stared hard at Dugu Bo's face, watching for the slightest change in expression.
He spotted a flicker of evasion in Dugu Bo's eyes.
"Looks like I guessed right. You don't dare destroy the Herb Garden—or someone is inside it."
At those words, Dugu Bo could no longer hide his reaction.
"Seems I was right." Azure Luan Elder smiled.
A helpless, conflicted look crossed Dugu Bo's face. "Perhaps we can talk."
Azure Luan Elder didn't answer immediately. Instead, he called to Ying Chengfeng in the distance, "What do you think?"
Ying Chengfeng was standing on a treetop eight hundred meters away. "We'll borrow the Herb Garden for a while. If he agrees, we can talk."
Only then did Azure Luan Elder look at Dugu Bo. He said nothing.
He was putting pressure on Dugu Bo.
Facing Azure Luan Elder, Dugu Bo couldn't guess what he was thinking.
Not knowing his opponent's intentions meant facing the unknown, and Dugu Bo couldn't take the initiative.
But he couldn't afford to drag things out.
"What do you want? Name your terms," Dugu Bo said with a slight sigh.
He was bound to be at a disadvantage in these negotiations.
Azure Luan Elder chuckled. "We already stated our terms."
Dugu Bo clenched his teeth, holding back his anger. "There are countless rare treasures in the Herb Garden that I've carefully tended. Can you guarantee you won't touch them?"
Azure Luan Elder's eyes narrowed at once, and his voice turned cold. "I said we'd borrow the Herb Garden for a while. During that time, it belongs to us."
"Don't push me too far!" Dugu Bo raised his voice. "I can destroy every one of those treasures. Then no one gets anything."
At that moment, Ying Chengfeng spoke up. "We'll take at most half."
"Half!?" Dugu Bo glared at Ying Chengfeng.
The child looked small, but his appetite was anything but.
Ying Chengfeng shrugged. "Your granddaughter is nearby too, isn't she? Hiding in the Herb Garden?"
At those words, Dugu Bo's body jolted.
At that moment, Ying Chengfeng felt more dangerous to him than Azure Luan Elder did.
Ying Chengfeng continued, "I'm not fond of threatening people. How about I fight your granddaughter?"
"You?" Dugu Bo looked at Ying Chengfeng with a frown.
Before, he wouldn't have given Ying Chengfeng a second thought.
But now, the boy even knew his granddaughter was there.
That was terrifying.
Had he sensed her? Or did he have some ability Dugu Bo couldn't understand?
Even the mysterious Titled Douluo fighting him had only guessed that someone was here.
Yet this child had named the specific person.
After a moment, Dugu Bo said, "What happens if you win? And what if you lose?"
"If I win, the Herb Garden belongs to us," Ying Chengfeng said.
Dugu Bo waited for Ying Chengfeng to say more, but he didn't.
Impatient, he asked, "And if you lose?"
"The Herb Garden belongs to us," Ying Chengfeng repeated.
Dugu Bo was about to fly into a rage when Ying Chengfeng added, "I can't lose."
This was the first time Dugu Bo had seen such an arrogant youngster.
The child looked only seven or eight years old. At most, he'd obtained one Soul Ring, right?
And he dared to say he couldn't lose?
Dugu Bo gave a soft snort. "My granddaughter is thirteen, a Level 24 Soul Grandmaster. If you lose, I'll give you a few rare treasures, and we'll let the matter end there. How about it?"
For Dugu Bo to offer that much was already a huge concession.
"Sure." Ying Chengfeng curled his lips into a smile. "Then ask your granddaughter to come out and fight."
Before you continue