Dugu Bo

Time flew by, and soon ten days had passed. Through ten days of hard work, Ye Guchen had also crammed a mountain of theoretical knowledge on poisons.

Meanwhile, inside Dugu Manor, Dugu Bo had returned. Before him now lay all the information gathered on Ye Guchen since his arrival in Heaven Dou City.

Dugu Bo was currently studying the Detoxification Pill left behind by Ye Guchen, attempting to decipher its formula.

It is often said that poison and medicine are inseparable. As the person publicly recognized as the number one poison user on the Douluo Continent, Dugu Bo's medical skills were naturally top-tier.

"Strange. With my pharmacological knowledge, I am actually unable to see through this pill."

"Collecting herbs?"

He keenly caught onto the fact that among the items Ye Guchen had acquired were medicinal herbs, which, combined with this pill, led him to a bold conclusion.

Dugu Bo couldn't help but guess, "This brat must have a major family behind him that specializes in medicine!"

"It's possible it's just one person."

Dugu Yan reminded him.

"Impossible. He needs so many herbs; how could one person possibly consume them all?"

"Besides, to have the cultivation of a Soul King at such a young age, there must be a major power backing him!"

Dugu Bo directly dismissed her conjecture and stood up to walk toward the door.

"Let's go. Take me to see this brat."

Dugu Yan followed quickly, linking her arm with Dugu Bo's. Seeming a bit shy, she lowered her head and whispered.

"Be polite later, don't be too fierce..."

Hearing this, Dugu Bo's old face darkened. They had only known each other for a few days, and already she was starting to side with an outsider!

However, the hand Dugu Yan had linked with Dugu Bo's was already stealthily pinching a piece of his flesh.

Dugu Yan looked up and stared fixedly at Dugu Bo; the meaning was clear enough—think carefully before you speak.

"Fine, fine, fine."

Dugu Bo nodded helplessly.

"I knew it!"

Dugu Yan immediately returned to her usual self, shaking Dugu Bo's arm as she led him toward the direction of the Hundred Treasures Pavilion.

The storefront of the Hundred Treasures Pavilion was not large, at least not particularly eye-catching compared to the old-established shops in Heaven Dou City.

But when Dugu Bo walked up to the door, his footsteps faltered slightly.

His gaze fell upon the three characters "Hundred Treasures Pavilion" on the plaque, and a strange glint flashed in his eyes.

"Grandfather, what's wrong?"

Dugu Yan noticed Dugu Bo's abnormality and followed his gaze, but she couldn't make anything of it.

"Nothing."

Dugu Bo shook his head, though he was secretly on guard in his heart.

Those three characters looked plain and unremarkable, yet each stroke contained a hidden sharpness, and there was a faint circulation of soul power.

Of course, this was nothing rare; it was merely a Level 6 defensive Soul Tool meant to prevent small-time troublemakers from causing issues, which would be replaced with a higher-grade one in the future.

The person behind this brat is not simple.

He silently made this judgment in his heart, then lifted his foot and stepped into the shop.

The interior was simply furnished, with only a few counters displaying some rare metals and herbs that had been acquired. There wasn't even a clerk to greet them.

"Grandfather, this way."

Dugu Yan led Dugu Bo through the shop with practiced ease, arriving at the backyard.

In the courtyard, Ye Guchen was sitting by a stone table, holding a copy of Analysis of Hundred Poisons and reading it with great interest.

Zhu Zhuqing was still in the courtyard practicing. Although their relationship had warmed up rapidly, they did not interfere with each other when cultivating soul power.

"Ye Guchen! My grandfather is here!"

Dugu Yan called out from a distance, her tone carrying a touch of excitement she hadn't even noticed herself.

Dugu Bo's heart sank immediately; he had a feeling something was going wrong.

Ye Guchen looked up and caught sight of that tall, upright figure at a glance.

Dugu Bo looked to be only in his forties, with long, ink-green hair draped loosely over his shoulders. His face was stern, and his narrow eyes flickered with a ghostly green light, resembling the vertical pupils of a venomous snake.

The unique aura of a Title Douluo, even without being intentionally released, was enough to make one feel oppressed.

Ye Guchen closed his book, stood up, and cupped his hands.

"Junior Ye Guchen greets Your Excellency Dugu."

Dugu Bo did not respond immediately, instead looking the young man before him up and down.

He appeared to be around fourteen years old, with a handsome face and a composed temperament. Facing the pressure of a Title Douluo, he did not show the slightest sign of panic.

More importantly, the fluctuations of soul power contained within this boy's body were indeed, as Dugu Yan said, at least at the Spirit King level.

"Interesting."

Dugu Bo's lips curled upward slightly as he walked quickly to the stone table and sat down.

He skipped the pleasantries and directly slapped the Hundred Poison Clear pill that Ye Guchen had left behind onto the table.

"Did you refine this pill?"

His tone was direct, carrying the air of a superior scrutinizing a subordinate.

Ye Guchen was not annoyed, answering neither humbly nor arrogantly, "No. Senior should know that at my age, I would not possess such attainments."

Dugu Bo raised an eyebrow, keenly capturing the implication in Ye Guchen's words, "There is someone behind you capable of refining it?"

"Your Excellency has sharp eyes."

Ye Guchen admitted it frankly, "This pill does indeed come from a senior."

Hearing this, a flash of brilliance sparked in Dugu Bo's eyes.

This sentence revealed too much information—there was indeed someone behind Ye Guchen, and that person possessed a pill formula that even he could not decipher.

"Where is that senior now?"

"Roaming the world; this junior does not know their whereabouts either."

Ye Guchen shook his head, forced to fabricate a non-existent senior to respond flawlessly.

Dugu Bo was silent for a moment, then suddenly struck like lightning, grabbing Ye Guchen's wrist.

This move was as fast as thunder, so quick that even with Ye Guchen's Spirit King cultivation, he could not react in time.

Dugu Yan cried out in alarm, "Grandfather!"

Dugu Bo ignored his granddaughter, instead probing a strand of soul power into Ye Guchen's body to inspect him carefully.

A moment later, he released his grip, his expression becoming complex.

"Fourteen years old, level 54 soul power! And... the soul power is solid, not forcibly elevated."

His voice carried a hint of disbelief, and he nodded inwardly, This boy's talent is perhaps even more monstrous than that madwoman from the Martial Soul Hall.

Regardless of whether I can find a way to resolve the backlash of my Martial Soul's poison, I must befriend him. That way, after I die, Dugu Yan will have someone to rely on.

"Your Excellency is too kind with your praise."

Ye Guchen flexed his wrist, which had been pinched until it felt numb, his expression remaining calm.

Dugu Bo looked at him deeply and suddenly laughed.

That smile carried a measure of scrutiny and a touch of playfulness.

"Boy, there's no need for polite talk. I came here today for only one thing."

He picked up the Hundred Poison Clear pill from the table and flipped it between his fingertips.

"How did you neutralize the Jade Scale Snake Poison?"

As soon as this question was asked, the atmosphere in the courtyard instantly turned heavy.

Dugu Yan looked at Ye Guchen nervously, and Zhu Zhuqing also snapped out of her cultivation, her gaze falling on this side.

Ye Guchen did not answer immediately, instead picking up his teacup and taking a slow, leisurely sip.

He was not putting on an act; he was organizing his words.

Facing a Title Douluo, especially one famous for his use of poison, every word had to be carefully weighed.

"Your Excellency, this junior dares to ask a question."

Ye Guchen set down the teacup and looked Dugu Bo straight in the eyes.

"Is the antidote for the Jade Scale Snake Poison really that important?"

Dugu Bo frowned, "What do you mean?"

"I mean—"

Ye Guchen paused, saying each word clearly, "Compared to the antidote for the Jade Scale Snake Poison, Your Excellency should be more concerned with how to neutralize the poison within your own body."

As his voice fell, a deathly silence descended upon the courtyard.

Dugu Yan was stunned, and Zhu Zhuqing was stunned as well.

Dugu Bo's expression, meanwhile, turned as dark as ink in an instant.

A terrifying pressure erupted from his body—the killing intent of a Title Douluo released at full strength, enough to make an ordinary soul master collapse on the spot.

"Boy, what do you mean?"

Dugu Bo's voice was as cold as ten-thousand-year glacial ice.

The flowers and plants in the courtyard withered instantly, and Zhu Zhuqing's face turned pale as she subconsciously took a few steps back.

Yet, Ye Guchen remained seated, not moving a muscle.

Fine beads of sweat seeped from his forehead, but his eyes remained clear, even carrying a faint smile.

"Why must Your Excellency be so quick to anger?"

Ye Guchen's voice remained as steady as ever.

"Your martial soul is the Jade Scale Serpent Emperor. Having cultivated to this level, the toxic miasma has long since invaded your meridians. Every time the weather turns overcast or rainy, you experience a stabbing pain in your lower back, and this agony grows more intense with each passing year."

"Am I correct?"

Dugu Bo's expression froze completely.

His fists were clenched so tightly that his knuckles cracked, yet that overwhelming pressure dissipated as quickly as a punctured balloon.

"How do you know that?"

His voice was hoarse, carrying the instinctive wariness and unease of a man whose deepest secret had been laid bare.

He had never even told his beloved granddaughter about this affliction.

"Why must Your Excellency be like this? Isn't this the very reason you came here today?"

Dugu Bo stared fixedly at Ye Guchen, his gaze sharp as a blade, as if he were trying to see right through him.

Yet Ye Guchen merely returned the look with calm composure, even lifting his teacup to gesture for him to sit.