Dugu Bo: Who Said I Was Unwilling?

"What is that?"

Bibi Dong stared at the enormous Jade Phosphorus Snake Emperor bound in the sky and could not help crying out.

"A Martial Soul Fusion Skill. And it was cast jointly by Ju and Gui, two Titled Douluo. Unless one has reached the level of an Ultimate Douluo, any soul master within its domain will have their soul skills interrupted and even their Soul Power sealed."

Qian Mochen swept his gaze over the disintegrating Jade Phosphorus Snake Emperor, then waved for someone to bring over Dugu Bo, who was unable to move and had his Soul Power sealed.

Once Dugu Bo had been subdued, Yue Guan and Gui Mei immediately released their Martial Soul Fusion Skill. After only a few breaths, both men looked somewhat pale after reappearing.

Yue Guan ignored his own weakness and walked over to Dugu Bo, sneering coldly. "Old poisoner, weren't you so arrogant before? How did you end up a prisoner now?"

Dugu Bo snorted and fixed his green eyes on Qian Mochen, who was clearly in charge.

"A loss is a loss. Kill me or torture me as you please. I, Dugu Bo, won't so much as furrow my brow!"

"Senior Dugu, we came here this time for one reason: to invite you to join Spirit Hall."

"Heh, this is how you invite someone?" Dugu Bo sneered, shaking the Soul-Suppressing Handcuffs around his wrists.

Yue Guan rebuked him, "Old poisoner, this is His Holiness the Pope of Spirit Hall. Apologize to His Holiness at once!"

Qian Mochen raised a hand to stop Yue Guan from speaking further. He was not angered by Dugu Bo's attitude.

Anyone who had been minding their own business at home when a gang of bandits suddenly stormed in and claimed they were there to invite them to join would lose their temper, no matter how good-natured they were.

Qian Mochen believed that Dugu Bo would definitely accept the terms he offered.

"Senior Dugu, what is your answer?"

"I'm used to being alone. I don't like being restrained!"

"Senior Dugu, don't rush to refuse. Let me first tell you the benefits of joining Spirit Hall."

"As long as you choose to join Spirit Hall, we will help you resolve the martial soul defect of the Dugu Clan."

"You!"

Dugu Bo abruptly turned his head. Shock swiftly filled his proud eyes. "What do you know?"

"I do not know much, only enough." Qian Mochen pressed both hands down slightly, signaling Dugu Bo to calm himself.

"For instance, as the cultivation of the Dugu Clan's Jade Phosphorus Snake Emperor martial soul rises, poison accumulates within the soul master's body. Every few months, the snake venom in their body erupts once."

"Senior Dugu, the reason you appeared here must be that the snake venom in your body had just erupted, correct?"

Dugu Bo's shock turned to surprise. As though he had thought of something, his eyes quickly settled into calm acceptance.

"You just said that you can resolve the martial soul defect of my Dugu Clan. Is that true?"

Meeting Dugu Bo's expectant gaze, Qian Mochen nodded firmly.

"Of course. To cure the root cause, I will need some medicinal herbs from this valley. I also have a temporary method to treat the symptoms, and we can verify it right now."

Since Qian Mochen had said this much, Dugu Bo naturally understood what this newly appointed Pope meant. He stated bluntly, "As long as Your Holiness's method is real, I, Dugu Bo, am willing to join Spirit Hall!"

"Remove Senior Dugu's restraints."

A voice transmission entered Dugu Bo's ear from Qian Mochen.

"Senior, for temporary suppression, you can force the snake venom into a Soul Bone and refine it into a Poison Pill. As long as the Soul Bone does not reach its limit, the defect of the Jade Phosphorus Snake Emperor martial soul will temporarily cease to threaten the soul master's life."

Dugu Bo pondered this for a moment. Soon, several traces of shock appeared on his face. He had just worked through the method in his mind, and Qian Mochen's proposal was indeed feasible.

Dugu Bo simply sat down where he was and began circulating his Soul Power, forcing the snake venom within his body into his Soul Bone. Two hours later, all the remaining snake venom in his body had been forced into the Soul Bone, and Dugu Bo delightedly discovered that his body had never felt better.

The stabbing pain that had once seeped through the gaps in his bones had completely vanished. His whole body seemed to have been reborn. Moreover, Dugu Bo had deliberately checked, and it was indeed as His Holiness had said: as long as his residual poison did not exceed the limit, the snake venom would remain sealed within the Soul Bone forever.

"Dugu Bo greets His Holiness the Pope!"

"From today onward, this life of Dugu Bo's belongs to Your Holiness!"

Dugu Bo decisively knelt and saluted.

"Senior Dugu, you flatter me. I am still waiting for Spirit Hall to gain another Titled Douluo."

"From today onward, Senior Dugu will receive treatment equal to that of a Titled Douluo. This is Spirit Hall's Elder Token. Please accept it, Senior Dugu. With this token, you may mobilize resources from any branch hall!"

"Thank you, Your Holiness!"

The moment Dugu Bo rose to his feet, an arm draped over his shoulder. Yue Guan leaned in with a smiling face. "Old poisoner, where did that arrogance of yours go?"

Dugu Bo snorted, then looked at Qian Mochen. After hesitating briefly, he could not help asking, "Your Holiness, the method you mentioned earlier for completely resolving my Dugu Clan's martial soul defect... what is it?"

"Of course I have a method, but..."

Qian Mochen paused before continuing, "Senior Dugu, Spirit Hall follows a merit system. You have yet to render a single service. If I simply told you the method now, it would be difficult for me to explain it to the other elders."

Dugu Bo nodded and quickly made his decision.

"Your Holiness, I have a patch of medicinal herbs in the valley that I wish to offer to Spirit Hall. Please assess how much merit those herbs are worth."

"Very well."

Qian Mochen's face remained calm, but inwardly, he was already ecstatic.

His patient guidance here had not been in vain. At last, he had gotten Dugu Bo to say those words.

Before entering, Qian Mochen glanced at Yue Guan and suddenly recalled that, in the original story, Yue Guan had been so excited upon seeing Dai Mubai after he consumed the Qirui Tongtian Chrysanthemum that he had nearly switched sides. Now that Yue Guan was about to see the real Qirui Tongtian Chrysanthemum, who knew how excited he would become.

"Yue Guan, lead the others and guard the valley entrance. Elder Gui Mei will enter with me."

Yue Guan did not understand what His Holiness's earlier glance had meant, but he could only agree.

Dugu Bo led Qian Mochen and the other two into the valley. After they had walked some distance, the surroundings suddenly grew warm. Several neat medicinal fields on either side of the path teemed with life.

Passing through a thick layer of mist, Bibi Dong saw the sight at the center of the valley and murmured unconsciously, "So beautiful!"

Even Gui Mei, who rarely spoke, had ripples of emotion stirring deep within his normally calm eyes.

Qian Mochen carefully examined the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well at the center. The Extreme Yang Spring and the Yin Spring converged here, while beneath the spring lay the remains of two former Dragon Clan God Kings.

It was precisely because the Ice Dragon King and the Fire Dragon King had fallen here that such a miraculous blessed land could exist on Douluo Continent.

Around the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well grew more than twenty immortal herbs, each rarer than anything in the world.

As Qian Mochen looked at this blessed land, an idea suddenly surfaced in his mind.

There was a high chance that the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, along with the immortal herbs surrounding it, had been deliberately arranged here by the Asura God.

Otherwise, why would the corpses of two Dragon Kings who had reached the realm of God Kings happen to fall here? And why would there just happen to be so many immortal herb seeds nearby?