Sword Qi Vertical and Horizontal, Power Defeats Dugu Bo

Dugu Bo rubbed his knuckles upon hearing this. His Martial Soul had just evolved, and he, too, was itching for a hearty battle.

"Hahaha! That is exactly what I intended. How do you wish to spar?"

Ye Guchen did not mince words and immediately summoned his Shark Tooth Sword Martial Soul.

"Old Poison, you must suppress your soul power to level seventy to fight me. If you use any seventh soul skill or higher, you lose."

Dugu Bo did not find Ye Guchen arrogant upon hearing this; those who could grow to become a Douluo possessed innate talent that was never low to begin with.

It was precisely because of this that he could better appreciate the weight of Ye Guchen being a Soul King at such a young age.

"Good, good, good!"

After shouting "good" three times, Dugu Bo summoned his Jade Phosphor Poison Dragon Martial Soul.

Ninety percent of Dugu Bo's prowess lay in poison, and his close-combat ability was merely average.

The moment he initiated Martial Soul Possession, he retreated violently, putting distance between himself and Ye Guchen.

As Dugu Bo retreated, he flicked his hands, and three jade-green light shadows shot from his palms, transforming into three clawing, snarling dragon shadows in mid-air that lunged toward Ye Guchen's face.

Third soul skill: Jade Phosphorus Dragon Shadow!

"Well come!"

Ye Guchen's gaze sharpened. The Shark Tooth Sword vibrated, emitting a clear, resonant hum.

He did not retreat a single step. Instead, he stepped forward, and his sword light slashed out like a bolt of silk—Horizontal Sweep!

The moment the sword technique left its sheath, four fierce sword lights exploded simultaneously, indistinguishable between reality and illusion, as fast as lightning.

"Sss-sss-sss—"

The three dragon shadows collided with the sword light and were instantly shredded into a sky full of jade-green light spots, the poison mist scattering in all directions.

But this was exactly the effect Dugu Bo wanted!

The corners of his mouth curled up slightly as he activated his second soul skill, Jade Phosphorus Green Light.

The toxins shredded by the sword light did not dissipate; instead, they leveraged the momentum to transform into a thick green poison mist, rapidly spreading with Ye Guchen at its center.

Within a ten-meter radius, the air was dyed an eerie jade-green, carrying a nauseating, sweet, fishy stench.

Ye Guchen felt his breathing hitch. Although he had poison immunity, facing Dugu Bo, he still felt a stinging, burning sensation on the surface of his skin.

Yet, he did not even frown.

"Heaven and Earth Shift!"

His figure suddenly became erratic within the poison mist. With a light tap of his toes on the ground, he moved like a fallen leaf caught in the wind, vaulting into the air with the aid of his sword qi.

The Shark Tooth Sword dragged a silver-white trail of sword qi, tearing a blinding rift through the green poison mist.

Dugu Bo's pupils constricted.

So fast!

Ye Guchen's figure had already pierced through the poison mist, his sword tip pointed directly at his throat.

Before the sword arrived, the sword qi had already struck.

That extreme, piercing sharpness made Dugu Bo's Adam's apple tighten.

He did not take it head-on.

Dugu Bo stepped back repeatedly, his body twisting like a snake, barely evading the strike.

At the same time, he formed seals with his hands again, and his fourth soul skill, Jade Phosphorus Poison Swamp, was unleashed with a roar!

"Boom—"

With Dugu Bo as the center, the ground suddenly softened, turning into a treacherous swamp bubbling with green gas.

The muddy swamp expanded at a speed visible to the naked eye, and wherever it passed, the bluestone ground hissed as it was corroded.

As soon as Ye Guchen landed, he felt a sinking sensation beneath his feet, and the virulent poison began to crawl up his ankles.

But there was only battle intent in his eyes.

Long Rainbow Piercing the Sun!

With the Shark Tooth Sword held vertically before him, Ye Guchen condensed all his soul power into the tip of the blade in an instant, transforming himself into a silver-white pillar of light as he lunged in a straight line!

This strike had no frills—only extreme speed and power.

Wherever the sword light passed, the Jade Phosphorus Poison Swamp was torn open by a deep trench, mud and toxic liquid splashing to both sides, unable to block him in the slightest.

Dugu Bo's expression shifted slightly.

This brat... why does he only attack and never defend?

The edge of this strike was too sharp; he intuited that if he took it head-on, even with his soul power suppressed to level seventy, he would likely suffer a heavy loss.

He made a split-second decision: Sixth soul skill, Jade Phosphorus Ten Thousand Dragons!

"Roar, roar, roar—"

Countless jade-green poison dragon phantoms surged from behind Dugu Bo, dense and packed like a green tide, sweeping toward Ye Guchen.

Thousands of dragon shadows collided head-on with the sword light!

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang--"

A rapid series of explosive sounds erupted as silver-white sword qi and emerald-green dragon shadows tore at each other frantically.

Every time a dragon shadow was slashed to pieces, it would burst into a cloud of poison mist; with every step forward, Ye Guchen had to shatter dozens of phantom poison dragons.

Yet, his sword light did not falter in the slightest.

The momentum of Long Rainbow Piercing the Sun was unstoppable, and those poison dragons were simply unable to block his path.

The corner of Dugu Bo's eye twitched slightly.

This brat's sword was far too overbearing.

His expression darkened as he quietly activated his fifth soul skill, Jade Phosphorus Bone Erosion.

This move was formless and invisible, with the toxins seeping directly into the bones.

Ye Guchen felt a wave of soreness, numbness, and swelling pain spread through his limbs and bones, as if thousands of ants were crawling inside his skeleton, rapidly weakening his body's defense and resilience.

If it were any ordinary Soul King, they would have long since been unable to straighten their back from the pain.

But Ye Guchen's sword remained as steady as a rock.

It even became faster!

"Old Poison, watch out!"

Ye Guchen's voice came from within the sword light, carrying a hint of hearty laughter.

The moment he broke through the phantom dragon swarm, he stomped heavily on the ground and leaped up suddenly, soaring into the clouds like a giant roc spreading its wings.

Dugu Bo looked up abruptly.

Amidst the dazzling sunlight, a sword descended from the sky.

Sunset Banner!

That strike was so fast that its trajectory was almost impossible to see.

The sword light tore through the sky, carrying scorching sword qi like a ray of sunset afterglow falling from the horizon.

It was beautiful enough to leave one dazed, and fast enough to induce despair.

Dugu Bo's pupils shrank to pinpricks.

The sharpness of this sword... a level 70 soul power could absolutely not block it!

The suppression on his soul power was instantly lifted, and the soul power of a level 92 Title Douluo surged forth like a bursting dam.

"Seventh Soul Skill--Martial Soul Avatar!"

Dark golden light exploded from within Dugu Bo's body, and his Jade Phosphor Poison Dragon martial soul became nearly tangible. A dark golden giant dragon over ten meters long coiled behind him, spiraling forward to wrap around Dugu Bo entirely.

"Rumble--"

Sunset Banner collided with Martial Soul Avatar, erupting with a deafening roar.

The sword qi slashed against the dragon's body, tearing open a wound deep enough to see bone, and emerald-green dragon blood splattered everywhere.

But in the end, it did not break through.

Ye Guchen landed, sheathed his sword, and stood there with a smile on his lips.

Dugu Bo looked at the shocking sword mark on his dragon body, remained silent for a full three seconds, and then slowly looked up at the young man before him with a complex expression.

"Good lad."

His voice was somewhat hoarse.

"This strike of yours forced this old man to break the rules."

Ye Guchen spread his hands, and the Shark Tooth Sword transformed into his martial soul and returned to his body: "Old Poison, you flatter me."

Dugu Bo rolled his eyes.

Flatter?

Flatter his foot!

From start to finish, this brat had been suppressing him, forcing him to the point where he had to unleash his Martial Soul Avatar.

This wasn't a spar; this was clearly bullying an old man.

Dugu Bo retracted his Martial Soul Avatar and looked at the hideous wound on his dragon torso, clicking his tongue twice:

"Your swordsmanship is unreasonably fierce. I've lived for nearly a hundred years and have never seen a Soul King as unreasonable as you."

"If we only talk about attack power, ignoring technique, I'm afraid you have already surpassed Chen Xin in the way of the sword at the same level."

Ye Guchen was about to speak when a sharp cry came from behind him.

"Grandpa! What are you two doing!"

Both of them turned around at the same time.

They saw that Dugu Yan had finished absorbing the immortal herb at some point and was standing in the distance with her hands on her hips, her emerald-green eyes wide with indignation.

Behind her, the phantom of a Jade Phosphor Poison Dragon, more solid than before, flickered in and out of existence.

Yet at this moment, this Little Dragon Maiden, having just completed her evolution, was clearly not focused on herself.

She walked up in a few strides, first glancing at the wounds on Dugu Bo's body, then at Ye Guchen as he sheathed his sword, her expression subtle.

"You hurt my grandfather?"

There was no questioning in her tone, only disbelief that her grandfather had lost to Ye Guchen.

Ye Guchen immediately raised his hands in surrender: "Just a spar, just a spar. Old Poison himself said it was just a friendly exchange."

Dugu Bo hurriedly smoothed things over: "Yanyan, it's fine, it's fine. We were just sparring. This kid's swordsmanship is truly remarkable; I almost couldn't handle it..."

Dugu Yan huffed, her gaze shifting between the two before finally landing on Ye Guchen. Her lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, she simply turned her head away.

"Be careful next time."

The voice was tiny, like the hum of a mosquito.

Dugu Bo felt a sudden pang of heartache. "Ah... but I'm the one who's injured..."

Ye Guchen pretended not to hear anything and looked up at the sky:

"It's getting late. Old Poison, you and Miss Dugu Yan should head back first to adapt to your new martial souls. I'm going to take another look around the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well."

With that, he turned and left, his pace so hurried it looked as if he were being chased.

Watching his back as he practically fled, Dugu Yan let out a soft giggle before forcing her face to remain stern.

Dugu Bo stroked his beard, smiling without a word.

Ye Guchen arrived at the side of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well and clenched his fists. After the battle just now, he had a clear understanding of his current strength.

With my current combat power, even if I face some Soul Saints, I have the strength to fight. Although Dugu Bo is not skilled in offense, as a Title Douluo, even if he suppresses his strength to the Soul Saint level, his combat power is enough to rival some Power Attack Soul Saints.

Ye Guchen cast his gaze toward the icy and fiery springs nearby.

Ten Thousand Year Mysterious Ice Marrow... If I could transmit it to Dou I and give it to Xiao Bing to absorb, the soul power growth of those two bodies, which synchronize their cultivation with the soul beast, would also be greatly accelerated.