Crisis, Toxic Reversal!

"Dugu Bo!" Yu Yuanzhen recognized the man at a glance. His tone held a hint of surprise, mixed with the complex emotions of an old acquaintance reunited.

The green-haired man turned at the sound. Upon seeing who it was, he paused briefly before cupping his hands in a salute, his voice raspy and low:

"So it is the Clan Master of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. It has been many years; your presence is even more imposing than I remember."

Dugu Bo. This name carried significant weight in the world of Spirit Masters.

Renowned for his mastery of poison, his conduct was neither strictly righteous nor evil, and his temperament was solitary and eccentric, yet his strength was beyond question.

He and Yu Yuanzhen were of a similar age, both celebrated geniuses of their generation. However, while Yu Yuanzhen hailed from a prestigious orthodox lineage, Dugu Bo was more like a lone wolf.

"You are too kind, Brother Dugu." Yu Yuanzhen returned the salute. His gaze swept over the snake carcass on the ground and the ten-thousand-year spirit ring, then shifted to the young man currently absorbing it. "Is this... your son?"

"Indeed, my boy, Dugu Ce." When Dugu Bo mentioned his son, a rare trace of paternal pride surfaced in his tone.

"Twenty-eight years old, and he just broke through to become a five-ring Spirit King. I brought him to the Star Dou Forest to try our luck, hoping to find a suitable ten-thousand-year spirit beast for his fifth ring. We were fortunate enough to encounter this Jade Phosphorus Snake; the age is just right."

The Jade Phosphorus Snake was highly venomous and agile, a notoriously difficult spirit beast to deal with. That this father-son duo could hunt it down was a testament to their formidable strength.

"A Spirit King at twenty-eight—your nephew has exceptional talent. You have a worthy successor, Brother Dugu," Yu Yuanzhen offered politely.

Dugu Bo's mouth twitched in response. His gaze drifted past Yu Yuanzhen to land on Yu Tianlong behind him, lingering for a moment on the two Luo Sanpaos—one gold, one silver—with a flicker of surprise in his eyes:

"And these are... the younger generation of the Yu family?"

"This is my son, Yu Xiaogang, and this is Yu Tianlong," Yu Yuanzhen introduced them briefly, omitting any mention of Yu Tianlong's unique traits.

Yu Tianlong stepped forward and bowed with measured respect: "Junior Yu Tianlong greets Senior Dugu."

Dugu Bo grunted, his eyes scanning him and then circling the two Luo Sanpaos. A strange look crossed his face, but he asked no further questions.

In his view, this was likely just a collateral descendant of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan who had awakened a mutated spirit. While twin spirits were rare, the form of Luo Sanpao... was hardly worth noting.

Yu Xiaogang, however, stiffened at the mention of the name "Dugu Bo."

Though young, he had heard of the terrifying reputation of this grandmaster of poison. He didn't dare breathe too loudly, standing quietly in the back and wishing he could make himself invisible.

The two sides exchanged a few more pleasantries before a silence fell over the clearing. Yu Tianlong stood to the side, his mind churning.

Dugu Bo! To actually run into Dugu Bo here!

This was far too coincidental. He had just been pondering how to make contact with this old monster of poison, and now, here he was.

Moreover, judging by Dugu Bo's current state, he had yet to break through to the Title Douluo rank. His aura was powerful, but compared to the steady, restrained presence of someone like Yu Yuanji, he was still a notch behind.

If I can establish a connection with him now, I'll have a path to the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well later... Yu Tianlong's thoughts raced. But I can't be too deliberate. I need a natural opening...

Just as he was thinking this, disaster struck!

"Pfft—!"

Dugu Ce, who was in the middle of absorbing the spirit ring, suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood!

The color of the blood was bizarre—not a normal crimson, but a murky mixture of emerald green and dark purple. As it hit the ground, it hissed with a corrosive sound, burning a small hole into the soil!

"Ce'er!" Dugu Bo's expression shifted to one of alarm. He lunged to his son's side, pressing his palms against his back and pouring in vast amounts of spirit power, attempting to stabilize the rampaging energy within him.

However, Dugu Ce's condition did not improve; it worsened.

His entire body shook violently, and terrifying emerald-green veins surfaced beneath his skin like writhing vipers. His complexion shifted rapidly between blue and purple, his lips turned black, and blood-tinged tears seeped from the corners of his eyes.

He opened his mouth, but no sound came out—only a wheezing, gasping noise, as if he were being strangled.

"This is bad!" Yu Yuanzhen's expression changed.

"The spirit ring he's absorbing from that Jade Phosphorus Snake is problematic! The residual toxicity is too strong, and the spirit power attribute is clashing with his own spirit! This isn't just a difficulty in absorption; the poison and his spirit power are backfiring!"

Dugu Bo's face turned ghastly. He was well aware of this, but as he poured in his own spirit power, it was like adding fuel to a fire. The poison and the rampaging energy inside Dugu Ce became even more violent, and it was clear he was on the verge of losing control!

"Ce'er! Hold on! Father will find a way!" Dugu Bo's eyes were bloodshot, his voice hoarse. For the first time, his usually cold and composed face betrayed a look of near-desperate panic.

Yu Tianlong stood not far away, watching the scene, his pupils constricting.

Jade Phosphorus Snake... toxic backlash... failed spirit ring absorption...

A thought flashed through his mind.

If I help him stabilize the situation... could I naturally forge a connection with Dugu Bo?

But the problem was, he was currently just a six-year-old child, a novice Spirit Master who had only just obtained his first spirit ring. How could he possibly intervene in a spirit ring absorption accident involving a Spirit King? Even if he wanted to help, what power did he have?

Unless... Little Silver.

Little Silver could absorb elemental energy. Could the toxicity be classified as a special "element"? If it could, and if Little Silver could drain a portion of the excess poison from Dugu Ce's body, it might just alleviate the crisis.

But this idea was too risky. Setting aside whether Little Silver could actually do it, would exposing Little Silver's unique ability in front of Dugu Bo invite unnecessary trouble?

In the one or two seconds he hesitated, Dugu Ce's condition deteriorated to the breaking point.

He widened his eyes, the whites filled with blood vessels, his pupils beginning to dilate. His body convulsed violently as if electrocuted, and the blood pouring from his mouth grew darker and thicker, turning almost pitch black!

"Ce'er!!!" Dugu Bo let out a heart-wrenching roar, his voice filled with despair and madness.

Yu Tianlong took a deep breath, no longer hesitating.

"Senior Dugu! Let me try!"