Amid the countless discussions among the viewers.
A young man with silver-white hair and a long, pale ice-blue consecration robe stepped out.
"Who are you? Why have you trespassed into my medicinal garden?"
Dugu Bo didn't let his guard down just because the other person looked young. If anything, he grew even more wary.
Once someone reached a certain level of strength, appearance was no longer the only way to judge their age.
"Why?" Radiant Douluo sneered, a playful look crossing his face.
"You can only blame yourself for laying a hand on someone you shouldn't have."
"Someone I shouldn't have touched?" Dugu Bo immediately glanced at Tang San beside him.
[What the—? So Tang Hao didn't make a move. But this guy came all this way to help Tang San. Could he be one of Tang Hao's subordinates?]
[Possibly. He is the Clear Sky Douluo, after all. It wouldn't be surprising if he had a few hidden powerhouses under his command.]
[I thought Tang San was a nobody who rose to the top, but it turns out he has several Titled Douluos backing him.]
[Still, it's hard to say who's stronger, Poison Douluo or this guy. Can he get Tang San out of there?]
[What are you thinking, upstairs? Tang San's the protagonist. How could he die so easily?]
[Since Tang Hao sent someone else to help, he must be watching nearby. He just doesn't want to show himself and meet Tang San in person.]
[If Tang San really gets into danger, wouldn't it be perfectly normal for Tang Hao to step in?]
The viewers chimed in one after another, quickly branding Radiant Douluo as one of Tang Hao's subordinates.
"Sir, I didn't know Tang San had a powerhouse like you backing him," Dugu Bo said gravely.
"But I haven't hurt Tang San. I was only curious about how he broke my poison, so we discussed it a little."
"Now I'll hand Tang San over to you. Let's not let this sour our relations, shall we?"
Dugu Bo could tell that Radiant Douluo was far stronger than him.
Unfortunately, Radiant Douluo had shut himself away in the Worship Hall for decades. Even Dugu Bo couldn't identify exactly who he was.
Hearing Dugu Bo's words, Tang San couldn't possibly swallow his anger.
The other man had abducted him for no reason and even tried to poison him. In Tang San's eyes, that was grounds for death.
Tang San had also taken note of Dugu Bo's medicinal garden. It was a rare treasure trove, brimming with Immortal Herbs.
He didn't want to leave with his tail between his legs without taking a few of them.
"Senior, that old poisoner just tried to poison me!" Tang San called out to Radiant Douluo.
"But I haven't actually done anything to you, have I?" Dugu Bo retorted.
"And all I wanted was to poison you and see if you could break it."
"Since I can poison you, naturally I can also cure the poison in your body. Your life was never in danger."
Listening to the two of them, Radiant Douluo shook his head with a cold laugh.
"You can leave, but this medicinal garden belongs to me now. Consider it an apology. How about that?"
As he spoke, an Ice Crystal Longbow appeared in Radiant Douluo's hand.
Yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black, black, black—nine Soul Rings circled around him.
"He's a Super Douluo!"
Feeling Radiant Douluo's aura, Dugu Bo's pupils contracted.
He had thought the other man was merely a little stronger than himself. He hadn't expected him to be a Super Douluo above level 95.
Without a moment's hesitation, Dugu Bo chose to back down and leave.
"If that's what you want, sir, then take the medicinal garden as my apology."
Though Dugu Bo was loath to give up the naturally blessed Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eye,
the gap between Super Douluos grew earth-shatteringly wider with every level.
If a Super Douluo resolved to keep him from leaving alive, they absolutely had the power to kill Dugu Bo.
It would only take some time.
"A wise choice."
Holding the longbow, Radiant Douluo simply watched Dugu Bo's retreating figure.
Only after the other man had vanished completely did he withdraw his Martial Soul.
"Thank you for saving my life, senior."
Seeing this, Tang San immediately expressed his gratitude, hoping to get closer to him.
"But may I ask why you saved me? Could you tell me your name? I, Tang San, will surely repay you someday."
Hearing Tang San's words, Radiant Douluo immediately stopped him.
"Hold it. I have nothing to do with you, and I don't need you to repay me."
[??? What was that? Wasn't this Titled Douluo sent by Tang Hao?] one viewer wondered.
[Oh, wow. Is this going to be one of those "he just happened to dislike Dugu Bo" storylines?]
[He just happens to dislike Dugu Bo, so he steps in to teach him a lesson. Then he gradually gets along with Tang San and ends up protecting him?]
[Maybe, but didn't he just tell Dugu Bo, "You laid a hand on someone you shouldn't have"?]
[If he really has nothing to do with Tang Hao, why would he say that?]
While the live-stream comments kept flooding in, trying to guess Radiant Douluo's origins,
the valley fell quiet.
Tang San was gazing eagerly at Radiant Douluo, waiting for him to say something,
when a figure strolled out of the shadows in the distant gorge.
A red trench coat flapped noisily in the mountain wind, its hem embroidered with dark gold patterns. Black hair fell across his forehead.
Tang San froze the moment he saw who it was, blurting out,
"Han Xing? Why are you here?"
Han Xing didn't stop walking. He had no intention of acknowledging Tang San at all.
Only when he reached Radiant Douluo's side did he speak calmly. "Teacher, did everything go as planned?"
Radiant Douluo chuckled. "Just as you expected, Dugu Bo wasn't willing to fight a Super Douluo to the death."
"He's already handed over the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eye as an apology and left on his own."
At those words, Tang San's mind short-circuited. He froze in place.
The live-stream comments erupted in an instant:
[Holy crap? That silver-haired Titled Douluo belongs to Han Xing? Isn't he an orphan with no one?]
[We all thought he was one of Tang Hao's subordinates, but he's actually Han Xing's teacher?]
[That aloof genius Han Xing from Notting Academy has a level 96 Super Douluo backing him?]
[For some reason, I feel like the protagonist and the supporting character got their treatment switched.]
[The protagonist, Tang San, gets mocked and ridiculed at every turn, then becomes the disciple of Yu Xiaogang, a level 29 Grandmaster.]
[The supporting character, Han Xing, is cherished as a genius disciple by Spirit Hall from childhood and becomes the disciple of a level 96 Super Douluo.]
[There's nothing wrong with Tang San's circumstances. Protagonists are always universally disliked. It'd be stranger if no one picked on him.]
[The real issue is the difference between their teachers. One has a Super Douluo, the other a Soul Grandmaster. That gap is massive.]
[Grandmaster's only lacking in strength. His abilities are fine, okay?]
[Didn't Flender and Liu Erlong let him head the Wisdom Horn?]
[Uh... that's true, but the gap still feels huge.]
Tang San swallowed and couldn't help asking,
"Han Xing, is this senior... your teacher? Was it your plan to drive Poison Douluo away just now?"