Yang Wudi Admits Defeat!

Dugu Bo finally moved.

He raised his right hand, palm facing forward.

Dark violet Nether Qi surged from his palm, transforming into a massive dragon claw—the Grasp of the Underworld.

Sixth Soul Skill.

The dragon claw opened, its five fingers like five sharp swords as they met Yang Wudi's Destruction Spear.

The instant the spear tip collided with the dragon claw, time seemed to freeze for a second.

Then, a deafening blast erupted.

Boom!

The soundwave became almost tangible as it spread in every direction.

The stone houses at the edge of the clearing cracked from the shock, and several old trees were uprooted.

Members of the Breaking Clan were thrown to the ground by the shockwave. Some clutched their ears and curled up in agony.

As the dust settled,

Yang Wudi was kneeling on one knee, his Soul Breaking Spear embedded in the ground beside him to support his body.

A trace of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth. His Martial Soul Avatar had automatically dissipated, returning him to normal.

The web between his right thumb and forefinger had split open, blood flowing down the spear shaft.

Dugu Bo stood where he was, his robes fluttering, completely unharmed.

His right hand remained in its striking pose before he slowly withdrew it.

The dark violet Nether Qi dissipated, and the dragon claw vanished.

"This old man's Sixth Soul Skill was not even used at full strength."

Dugu Bo's voice was not loud, but it reached every person present with perfect clarity.

"Your full-force attack was caught by one hand."

The entire area fell silent.

The Breaking Clan members stared blankly at the scene. No one spoke, and no one dared to.

An eighty-fifth-rank Soul Douluo, wielding the Soul Breaking Spear Martial Soul, delivering a full-force strike.

And Dugu Bo had caught it with one hand.

Was this what a Titled Douluo was?

No. This was a ninety-sixth-rank Super Douluo, the wielder of the Nine Nether Divine Dragon.

Yang Wudi slowly rose and recalled the Soul Breaking Spear into his body.

He walked before Dugu Bo, cupped his fists, and lowered his head.

"My skills are inferior. I lost."

Dugu Bo nodded without speaking.

Yang Wudi's surrender was clean and decisive. He made no excuses and showed no resentment.

A loss was a loss.

But when Yang Wudi raised his head, a flash of stubbornness passed through his eyes.

"But what does winning a fight prove?"

His voice carried the pride passed down through generations of the Breaking Clan.

"The Breaking Clan has refined medicine for generations. That is how we make our living. Only if you can beat me at medicine refining will I truly concede."

The corner of Dugu Bo's lips lifted slightly.

"Then we'll compete in medicine refining. You prepare the ingredients. This old man will not use his own Immortal Herbs. Fair and square."

Yang Wudi froze.

He had not expected Dugu Bo to agree so readily.

Medicine refining was not something mastered overnight. Dugu Bo was a Titled Douluo, not an alchemist.

What made him so confident?

"Are you sure?"

"I am."

Yang Wudi gritted his teeth and turned to enter the clan's medicinal storeroom.

He brought out medicinal ingredients the Breaking Clan had treasured for years.

Three-hundred-year Blood Coagulation Grass, five-hundred-year Lingzhi, and an eight-hundred-year Snow Lotus.

These ingredients were the Breaking Clan's most precious reserves. Under normal circumstances, he could not bear to use them.

What he intended to refine was the Breaking Clan's inherited Barrier Breaking Pill.

The Barrier Breaking Pill had only one effect.

It helped Soul Masters at the Soul Saint level break through their bottleneck and advance to Soul Douluo.

This represented the highest level of medicine refining in the Breaking Clan. Its secret formula had been passed down through generations and was the foundation of the Breaking Clan's foothold in the Xingluo Empire.

Yang Wudi arranged the ingredients atop a stone table and looked at Dugu Bo.

"Are these ingredients enough?"

Dugu Bo swept his gaze over them and nodded.

"They will do."

Yang Wudi took a deep breath and began refining medicine.

His techniques were adept, his fire control precise, and his handling of the ingredients experienced.

The Breaking Clan members watched from the side and nodded repeatedly. This was their clan chief, the Breaking Clan's finest medicine refiner.

Even if Dugu Bo was a Titled Douluo, medicine refining was not a skill one could cultivate overnight.

Flames danced in Yang Wudi's palm as he placed the Blood Coagulation Grass into the medicine furnace. The fire enveloped the herb, forcing out its medicinal potency bit by bit.

Then came the Lingzhi, followed by the Snow Lotus.

Every step was perfectly timed, and every ingredient was processed without flaw.

Around half an hour later, Yang Wudi withdrew the flames and opened the medicine furnace.

Three round pills lay at the bottom of the furnace, giving off a rich medicinal fragrance.

He carefully removed the pills and placed them on a jade tray.

The three Barrier Breaking Pills were evenly colored, richly fragrant, and of superior quality.

This was already the peak of his ability.

Yang Wudi wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked at Dugu Bo.

"Your turn."

Dugu Bo stepped up to the stone table and examined the remaining ingredients.

Yang Wudi had left him an identical set.

Blood Coagulation Grass, Lingzhi, and Snow Lotus—identical portions and identical quality.

He did not use a medicine furnace.

Netherworld Power surged from his palm, and dark violet Netherflame danced above it.

Dugu Bo threw all three ingredients into the Netherflame at once, and the flames instantly engulfed them.

Yang Wudi's pupils contracted.

Refining three ingredients simultaneously was an exceptionally difficult technique, requiring extraordinarily precise control over the flames.

The Netherflame danced in Dugu Bo's palm. The ingredients slowly melted within the fire, while every trace of medicinal potency was preserved.

The impurities were burned away by the Netherflame, leaving behind only the purest essence.

Dugu Bo's Nine Nether Power seeped into the pills, forming unique circuits of power within them.

It would not alter the pills' medicinal effects, but it would allow them to slowly mature in storage, their efficacy growing stronger over time.

In less than a quarter of an hour, Dugu Bo withdrew the flames.

Six pills floated out from his palm and hovered in midair.

Each was smooth and round, evenly colored, and gave off a faint fragrance.

Yang Wudi had produced three Barrier Breaking Pills. Dugu Bo had produced six.

Yang Wudi's Barrier Breaking Pills had a rich medicinal aroma, while Dugu Bo's pills smelled fresh and elegant.

Richness did not necessarily mean better, and light fragrance did not necessarily mean worse.

Yang Wudi stepped forward, picked up one of Dugu Bo's pills, and held it to the light.

The inside of the pill was translucent, without a trace of impurities.

He held it to his nose and inhaled. There was no harsh medicinal smell, only a faint fragrance of grass and wood.

He broke off a small piece and placed it in his mouth, closing his eyes as he savored it carefully.

His expression grew increasingly grim.

Its medicinal effect was at least thirty percent stronger than the Barrier Breaking Pills he had refined.

Moreover, the pill contained a power he could not understand, making its medicinal effects gentler and easier to absorb.

Yang Wudi opened his eyes, set down the pill, and let out a long sigh.

"I lost."

The two words were spoken softly, yet they carried immense weight.

He was the Breaking Clan's foremost medicine refiner. He had refined medicine his entire life, only to lose to a Titled Douluo.

And he conceded wholeheartedly.

"However." Yang Wudi raised his head and looked at Dugu Bo. "I do not understand how I lost. The fire you used was not ordinary flame. What was it?"

Dugu Bo looked at him, a dark violet gleam flashing through his Dark Golden Dragon Eyes.

"Nine Nether Power. It is a power innate to this old man's Martial Soul. You can use any flame you wish, and this old man will use the same conditions. Medicine refining is judged by the result, not the process. A loss is a loss."

Yang Wudi fell silent.

His skills were inferior. There was nothing more to say.

"I lost. The Breaking Clan will join the Nine Nether Hall, and I will not go back on my word."

Yang Wudi's voice was low. "But I want to know: what can the Breaking Clan gain by joining the Nine Nether Hall?"