Ning Xiaochun's words crashed into Dugu Bo's heart like a boulder thrown into a deep pool, sending towering waves surging through him. The atmosphere in the estate's reception hall was so oppressive it was almost suffocating.
Dugu Yan clutched her grandfather's sleeve tightly, her little face pale, her strange green eyes brimming with fear and confusion.
Shui Bing'er stood quietly some distance away, her icy blue eyes fixed on Ning Xiaochun, who was shielded between two Douluo. Strange ripples stirred in her heart.
This six-year-old boy had faced Poison Douluo's terrifying killing intent and calmly made such a world-shaking pronouncement...
Dugu Bo stared hard at Ning Xiaochun, his gaze sharp as a knife, as if he meant to dissect the child's very soul.
After a long while, he finally spoke, his voice hoarse and strained, every word carrying a chill as deadly as poison.
"What do you know? And what makes you think you can cure it?"
Ning Xiaochun was sweating bullets inside, but he did his best to keep his face composed.
He knew he'd made the right bet. A powerhouse of Dugu Bo's caliber might be tempted by money, but what could truly sway him and make him sit down to talk had to touch on what mattered most to him—and his fatal weakness: the lives of him and his granddaughter, Dugu Yan.
"This junior is no great talent, but I've read a little about Martial Soul Theory and various strange tales."
Ning Xiaochun began to "talk nonsense." After all, his knowledge as a transmigrator was his confidence.
"The Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor is the most poisonous Martial Soul under the heavens. Senior achieved the rank of Titled Douluo through it, and its power is unmatched. But all medicine carries some poison, let alone a deadly poison tied to one's very life. I suspect that after years of testing poisons on yourself and cultivating poison arts, the toxins have seeped deep into your bones and become entangled with your Soul Power and life force.
"You may be able to suppress them with your formidable cultivation most of the time, but it's like holding a barrel of gunpowder. The moment you can't keep them in check, or something happens to your body, they'll... explode in an instant, beyond even the gods' power to save."
He paused and turned his gaze to Dugu Yan, whose face had grown even paler. His tone softened with sympathy.
"And Sister Yan inherited your Martial Soul. Her cultivation is still shallow, but I'm afraid the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor's poison has already taken root inside her and begun to accumulate. As her cultivation rises,
"and she uses her Martial Soul more often, the poison will burrow deeper and deeper. This junior dares to guess that if nothing is done, Sister Yan... will suffer the backlash of the deadly poison within ten years. By then..."
He didn't finish, but the meaning was clear enough.
"Ten years?!" Dugu Yan cried out. Her delicate body swayed, and she nearly fell.
She'd always thought her grandfather, a Titled Douluo, was all-powerful. She only occasionally felt a little unwell and had never imagined such a deadly danger was lurking inside her!
Dugu Bo's body jolted. He steadied his granddaughter by the shoulders, his arms trembling slightly.
Ning Xiaochun's words were like a cold dagger, piercing straight into his deepest fear.
He could feel the poison in his body growing harder and harder to control. Each time he suppressed it, it took more effort. The Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well's environment was the only thing keeping him alive.
And Yan... he had indeed noticed a source of poison quietly taking shape within his granddaughter. It was his greatest worry! Ten years? Perhaps... she had even less time than that!
"You... who exactly are you?"
Dugu Bo's voice trembled almost imperceptibly. His killing intent had faded, replaced by suspicion and the frantic urgency of someone who'd just grasped at a lifeline.
"My name is Ning Xiaochun, son of Ning Fengzhi of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. I'm a Support System Soul Master who's afraid of dying, but wants to live a good life—and wants the people he cares about to live one too."
Ning Xiaochun answered frankly, even with a touch of self-mockery. He took one small step forward. Though he still remained within the protection of Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo, he lowered his posture and spoke with utmost sincerity.
"Senior Dugu, as I said, we aren't here to take the place that's keeping you alive. Ten million Gold Soul Coins are a show of good faith. We want you to know we've come with the best intentions, and are willing to pay the greatest price for a chance at cooperation that benefits us both."
"But since your greatest concern is your lives, the Gold Soul Coins are just a bonus." Ning Xiaochun's little face grew stern, his expression exceptionally serious.
"The real prize is—the cure!"
Dugu Bo's eyes flickered violently. "A cure? You? You're a green boy, a Support System Soul Master. What do you know about curing poison? I've spent my entire life studying poison, and even I can do nothing!"
"One person's wisdom is limited, but many people together can see further. Just because you haven't found a way doesn't mean no one else can, or that pooling our knowledge won't lead us to one."
Ning Xiaochun didn't back down. His eyes shone brightly. "And who says poison must be countered with poison, or medicine with medicine? Sometimes, all it takes is a change in perspective to open up a whole new world."
"What perspective?" Dugu Bo asked without thinking.
Ning Xiaochun didn't answer directly. Instead, he changed tack, letting his little face take on a look of "admiration" and "sincerity" as he looked at Dugu Bo.
"Senior Dugu, to be honest... the moment I first saw you, I felt a special closeness. There's something about you... that solitary, fiercely protective aura reminds me of Grandpa Sword and Grandpa Bone.
"I know this might sound a little presumptuous, but... if—just if—I'm lucky enough to help you and Sister Yan, would you be willing to... take me in as your adopted grandson?"
Silence.
A deathly silence.
Sword Douluo Chen Xin and Bone Douluo Gu Rong wore instantly strange expressions.
Chen Xin's mouth twitched, while Gu Rong looked as if he couldn't believe what he'd heard. Then his shoulders began to shake suspiciously.
Ning Fengzhi's face darkened visibly, veins throbbing at his temples.
An adopted grandson? He wanted Poison Douluo as his adopted grandpa? Where did that leave his real father?!
That brat would stop at nothing to win someone over! Where on earth had he gotten that nerve?!
A flash of astonishment passed through Shui Bing'er's icy blue eyes. She looked at Ning Xiaochun's "sincere" little face, then at Dugu Bo's dark green hair and cold demeanor. It was hard to connect him with the word "close."
This child... he stayed calm in danger, planned every step, and now he was playing the emotional card, asking for an adopted family? Was he really only six years old?
His cunning and courage, and the way he could bend without breaking—sometimes timid, sometimes a smooth talker... Shui Bing'er suddenly felt that she had only just begun to understand this "fiancé."
Ning Xiaochun's sudden request to "join the family" had left Dugu Bo stunned too.
He looked at the little boy before him, with his big eyes, handsome face, and smooth-talking ways. For some reason, the killing intent and wariness in his heart had truly faded, replaced by an absurd urge to laugh.
This kid had thick skin, a quick mind, and plenty of guts! He was clearly scared stiff of dying, but when it mattered, he could talk circles around anyone.
"Hahahaha!" Dugu Bo suddenly threw back his head and laughed. His laughter was hoarse, but it carried a sense of relief and release.
"Good! Good lad! You've got guts! For that courage—and that shamelessness—I like you! Fine! If you really can cure the poison in me and Yan, I wouldn't just take you as my adopted grandson. I'd even be your bodyguard for ten years! But if you fail..."
His laughter stopped, and his green eyes fixed on Ning Xiaochun. "I'll still recognize you as my adopted grandson, seeing as you dared to run your mouth in front of Poison Douluo and even make demands! But whether your little body can withstand my poison—that'll be up to fate!"
Before you continue