Douluo: Breathing Makes Me Stronger, Tang San Was Terrified! Chapter 43

He spoke irritably:

"You little brat, you're already criticizing your grandfather now. Anyone who didn't know better would think you and Lan Chen were family, while I, this old man, was the outsider."

Hearing this, Dugu Yan stomped her foot in embarrassment, pouted, and continued:

"Grandpa, I was only speaking fairly. Without Lan Chen's support, even if you defeated Chen Xin, if Chen Xin had defeated you instead, they definitely wouldn't have let us off."

"Even if they couldn't destroy the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect for various reasons, you still shouldn't have accepted their Spirit Bone. Wouldn't that mean we forgave them?"

Dugu Bo opened the brocade box again and looked at the 50,000-Year Human-Faced Demon Spider Emperor Right Leg Bone inside. He explained seriously:

"Your grandfather isn't someone without backbone. One Spirit Bone, even a fifty-thousand-year Spirit Bone, isn't enough to buy me off."

"I accepted this Spirit Bone because I wanted to give it to you, Yanyan. Your Martial Soul has already evolved from the Jade Phosphorous Serpent into the Jade Phosphorus Dragon. Your talent and potential both surpass mine."

"The fifty-thousand-year Human-Faced Demon Spider Emperor Right Leg Bone is enough to solidify your foundation and make your future cultivation path smoother."

"In this lifetime, breaking through to level ninety-five Soul Power may already be my limit. But you're different. I hope you can break through to level ninety-six Soul Power, even level ninety-seven Soul Power, and carry forward our bloodline."

After hearing Dugu Bo's words, Dugu Yan immediately fell silent.

If Dugu Bo had accepted the Spirit Bone for Dugu Yan's sake, then as the beneficiary, she had no right to blame him.

Dugu Yan had simply fallen for someone, so naturally her heart leaned toward the person she liked.

But she was not selfish or someone who only cared about her own interests. She could not do something like eating from the bowl and then cursing the cook.

Dugu Yan closed her mouth and turned to look at Lu Chen. She did not know what to do. She felt that absorbing this Spirit Bone would be letting Lu Chen down, and she hesitantly stammered:

"Lan Chen, I..."

Lu Chen smiled faintly and said indifferently:

"Yanyan, since Brother Dugu said this Spirit Bone is for you, absorb it later. Better not let trouble arise from delay."

"You don't need to have any concerns. I'm only a small Soul Sage right now. I can't possibly go head-to-head with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. Right now, I just want to cultivate properly and raise my Soul Power as quickly as possible."

"Brother Dugu's medicinal garden is quite good. It's rich in energy and suitable for cultivation. I plan to go there and enter seclusion for a while."

With Lu Chen's reassurance, Dugu Yan finally lost that sense of guilt. After letting out a sigh of relief, her expression relaxed, and she suddenly said with a cheerful grin:

"Lan Chen, since your true appearance has already been exposed before Grandpa and me, when we return to the medicinal garden in Sunset Forest, stop disguising yourself."

Lu Chen hesitated for a moment. Thinking that there truly were no outsiders in the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well, he reluctantly nodded.

"This... is fine. I disguise myself to hide from outsiders. Yanyan, you and Brother Dugu aren't outsiders. There's really no need for me to disguise myself in front of you."

Hearing this, Dugu Yan was delighted. This was Lu Chen's trust in them, and more importantly, Lu Chen's true appearance was that of an incredibly handsome man.

Thinking that she would be able to see Lu Chen's handsome face every day from now on, Dugu Yan's mood brightened. Beaming, she said:

"Yay!"

Meanwhile, Dugu Bo, who was standing nearby, nearly crushed the brocade box in his hand.

His granddaughter's emotions had changed so drastically because of a single sentence from Lu Chen. She clearly liked him.

That Born Evil Little Blue-Hair had actually made his granddaughter's heart flutter with nothing more than his face.

Dugu Bo's heart turned ice-cold.

The only thing that consoled him was that Lu Chen's talent was astonishing. At such a young age, he was already a Seven-Ring Soul Sage.

He was more than worthy of his granddaughter!

After thinking it over and over, Dugu Bo could only sigh.

The heavens wanted rain, and his granddaughter wanted to marry.

Let her be.

Not long afterward, Dugu Bo, Lu Chen, and Dugu Yan left Heaven Dou City, plunged straight into Sunset Forest, and returned to the valley where the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well was located.

On the other side!

Ning Fengzhi and Chen Xin, carrying the antidote Dugu Bo had given them, swiftly returned to their sect.

The moment they returned, Ning Fengzhi distributed the antidote and had people deliver it to the sect disciples who had been tortured half to death by the poison.

In Ning Fengzhi's view, since Dugu Bo had already accepted the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's Spirit Bone, he probably would not deceive them with fake antidote.

After all, a Titled Douluo had to care about his reputation.

Thus, Ning Fengzhi distributed the antidote without inspecting it at all.

Fortunately, Dugu Bo still cared about his reputation. The antidotes were genuine.

Those Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect disciples who took the antidote gradually recovered. In the end, more than four hundred Spirit Masters above the Soul Grandmaster rank were saved.

Unfortunately, later examinations revealed that although these Spirit Masters had survived, the poison's torment had left them with lasting aftereffects. Many had suffered damage to their talent and potential, making it difficult for them to achieve any major gains in strength in the future.

This made Ning Fengzhi grit his teeth in hatred!

Yet there was nothing he could do!

This time, the enormous Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had suffered devastating losses at the hands of Dugu Bo alone.

Not only had many Spirit Masters died, but their reputation and prestige had also been severely damaged, turning the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect into the laughingstock of others.

Ning Fengzhi had suffered a crippling loss!

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. Whenever he remembered this matter, he would slap his thigh in fury!

The other powers of Douluo Continent, such as the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, Elephant Armor Sect, Black Tiger Sect, Wind Sword Sect, Fire Leopard Sect, and even Spirit Hall—

Aside from laughing at the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, they all sent people to investigate what had happened.

The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect trio—Ning Fengzhi, Chen Xin, and Gu Rong—were all renowned figures across Douluo Continent.

After suffering such a tremendous loss, they had not retaliated against Dugu Bo. Clearly, Dugu Bo had beaten them into submission, which was why they had bowed their heads.

Dugu Bo, the publicly acknowledged weakest Titled Douluo—what ability did he possess to make Ning Fengzhi, Chen Xin, and Gu Rong lower their heads?

This made all the various factions curious!

As they investigated, the name Lan Chen entered their sights: a young but exceptionally gifted support Spirit Master.

By then, even if they had not personally witnessed the battle north of Jialing Pass, they could roughly infer what had happened.

It must have been with Lan Chen's support that Dugu Bo had caused Ning Fengzhi, Chen Xin, and Gu Rong to suffer a crushing defeat, forcing them to bow their heads.

Lan Chen, a support Spirit Master whose support abilities surpassed Ning Fengzhi's.

Very quickly, all the major factions began frantically investigating him.

Lan Chen had become famous!

Blue Silver Emperor! Spirit Beast Transformation?

Night!

The study of the Crown Prince Mansion!

After more than ten days spent consulting Spirit Hall's numerous records and documents, Snake Lance Douluo had finally figured out Lu Chen's Martial Soul. He immediately returned to Heaven Dou City.

When Xue Qinghe saw Snake Lance Douluo return, she revealed an interested expression.

"Snake Spear Elder, it seems the matter I asked you to investigate has yielded results. Quickly tell me, what Martial Soul does Lan Chen possess?"

Snake Spear Elder's expression was grave. He cupped his hands in salute and said:

"Reporting to Young Master, Lan Chen's Martial Soul has appeared only once in Spirit Hall's records, ten years ago."

"It is called the Blue Silver Emperor, and its domain is called the Blue Silver Domain. The previous wielder of the Blue Silver Emperor Martial Soul was a woman named Ah Yin."

"She was not human, but a Spirit Beast Transformation. Ten years ago, this woman fell in love with Tang Hao of the Clear Sky Sect and seemed to have become pregnant."

"After Spirit Hall learned of this news, the previous Pontiff led two elders to hunt down the Spirit Beast Transformation named Ah Yin."

"Young Master probably knows what happened afterward. Ah Yin sacrificed herself to Tang Hao, allowing Tang Hao to become a Titled Douluo with a Hundred-Thousand-Year Spirit Ring. Not only did he kill two Titled Douluo elders, he also severely wounded the previous Pontiff, who later died from his injuries."

"This directly led to the current Pontiff taking the throne, as well as the hostility between Spirit Hall and the Clear Sky Sect. Lan Chen's Martial Soul is also the Blue Silver Emperor."

"Young Master, this subordinate suspects that Lan Chen may have some sort of connection to Ah Yin..."

Xue Qinghe's eyes widened as she shot to her feet. She had not expected there to be so many hidden secrets involved.

Ah Yin, a Spirit Beast Transformation!

Tang Hao, the Clear Sky Douluo!

The previous Pontiff, Qian Xunji!

The current Pontiff, Bibi Dong!

One Lan Chen had actually implicated so many past events and so many people.

Xue Qinghe's expression became more complicated than ever.

Qian Xunji was her father, and he had ultimately died at Tang Hao's hands. Thus, Tang Hao was her father's killer.

If Lan Chen truly had some connection to Ah Yin, she did not even know whether she should continue trying to recruit him.

Then Xue Qinghe spoke sternly:

"Snake Spear Elder, stop hesitating. Tell me all your speculations!"

Having received Xue Qinghe's approval, Snake Lance Douluo immediately voiced his guess:

"Young Master, the Blue Silver Emperor Martial Soul had never appeared on the continent before. Only Ah Yin, that Spirit Beast Transformation, had ever possessed this Martial Soul."

"It is said that Ah Yin was once pregnant. Could Lan Chen be Ah Yin's descendant, which is why he awakened the Blue Silver Emperor Martial Soul? After all, that face of Lan Chen's is fake. Beneath his disguise, he may have an extremely youthful face..."

Hearing this absurd speculation, Xue Qinghe wore an expression that said, Are you joking? She looked at Snake Lance Douluo in annoyance and said:

"Snake Spear Elder, that speculation is far too absurd. Ah Yin was pregnant ten years ago. Even if she really gave birth to a descendant, that descendant would be at most around ten years old."

"Martial Soul Awakening occurs at six years old. Even if he had Innate Full Soul Power, it would be impossible for him to become a Seven-Ring Soul Sage in only four or five years."

"Could it be that someone could cultivate right after being born? Even then, it would be impossible to go from nothing to a Seven-Ring Soul Sage in ten years."

"I can't do it. Bibi Dong can't do it either. No one on this continent can do it. If someone truly could, that person could only be a Deity descended to the mortal world."

Even if she were beaten to death, Xue Qinghe would never imagine that someone truly could cultivate right after being born—and merely by breathing.

Snake Lance Douluo also found it absurd. He had merely offered a guess. Since Xue Qinghe did not believe it, he said no more and moved on to his second speculation:

"Young Master, if Lan Chen is not Ah Yin's descendant, then he can only be her brother. Ah Yin was a hundred-thousand-year Spirit Beast Transformation. This Lan Chen... may also be a hundred-thousand-year Spirit Beast Transformation."

"If this guess is true, it could explain Lan Chen's extraordinary talent. It is said that hundred-thousand-year Spirit Beast Transformations are born with Innate Full Soul Power and cultivate extremely quickly. That fits Lan Chen becoming a Seven-Ring Soul Sage at such a young age."

"Young Master, this Lan Chen is far too suspicious. He seems to have appeared out of nowhere on the continent. He has no past, and he does not dare show his true face. This perfectly matches the traits of a hundred-thousand-year Spirit Beast Transformation."

"Speaking of this, we may truly have wronged Sect Master Ning. Lan Chen changed his appearance and concealed his identity not because of persecution by the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, but because he is a hundred-thousand-year Spirit Beast Transformation."

It had to be said that Snake Lance Douluo's second speculation matched Lu Chen's traits perfectly.

If Ning Fengzhi learned this news, he might be so moved that tears filled his eyes. The injustice he had carried would finally be washed away.

At this moment, Xue Qinghe frowned tightly. According to Snake Lance Douluo's speculation, many of Lu Chen's actions now had explanations, but she still felt something was wrong.

Xue Qinghe kept shaking her head.

"Impossible, absolutely impossible!"

"If Lan Chen really is a hundred-thousand-year Spirit Beast Transformation, how would he dare approach and befriend Dugu Bo? After all, Titled Douluo can see through the true forms of hundred-thousand-year transformed Spirit Beasts."

"Besides Dugu Bo, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo, as well as you, Snake Spear Elder, and Pufferfish Elder—you have all seen Lan Chen. But did any of you see through his transformation?"

"Unless his disguise ability is so powerful that even Titled Douluo cannot see through his true form, he should have been exposed long ago!"

After those words, Xue Qinghe said nothing more. Snake Lance Douluo also fell silent, and the study became quiet for a time.

Xue Qinghe was deeply conflicted.

She had originally wanted to investigate Lan Chen's origins and background through his Martial Soul, then recruit him into her service accordingly.

But the information she had uncovered now left her unable to make up her mind.

Snake Lance Douluo's two speculations.

The first was too absurd. Xue Qinghe did not believe it at all.

The second was somewhat more reasonable, and Xue Qinghe was already beginning to believe it.