Half a month passed in the blink of an eye. Dugu Bo finally finished absorbing the Soul Bone and got his body back into good condition.
Without wasting any time, he set out for Qian Lingche's palace—the Eternal Freeze Hall.
The Eternal Freeze Hall stood in the heart of the Eternal Night Frost Song Hall. A faint, icy-blue glow enveloped the entire palace, making it look from afar like a work of art carved from ice and snow.
When Dugu Bo reached the palace gates, two guards clad in silver armor immediately stepped forward and bowed respectfully. "Elder Dugu, the hall master has been waiting for you inside. Please come in."
Dugu Bo nodded and entered the Eternal Freeze Hall.
The moment he stepped inside, a wave of cold washed over him.
For a Titled Douluo like him, however, the chill was nothing to worry about.
His expression unchanged, he swept his gaze around. The hall was lavishly decorated, its walls studded with countless sparkling Ice Crystals.
Dugu Bo crossed the main hall and entered the rear hall, where he finally found Qian Lingche.
Qian Lingche stood before a massive Ice Crystal window, his back to the entrance, apparently gazing out at the view.
Hearing footsteps, he slowly turned around. "You're here. Looks like you've finished absorbing the Soul Bone."
Dugu Bo nodded slightly. "That's right. I've fully absorbed the Soul Bone, and my condition is back to normal."
Just then, the faint sound of footsteps came from inside the hall.
Dugu Bo instinctively turned toward it. A woman with a cool, refined air was walking toward them. She wore a long blue-and-white dress, its hem swaying gently with each step.
What shocked him most was the aura radiating from her.
It was a strength beyond description. Dugu Bo felt his breath catch, and even his Soul Power seemed to be suppressed.
The woman stopped beside Qian Lingche and cast a cool glance at Dugu Bo. "Are you Dugu Bo?"
Dugu Bo suppressed his shock and bowed slightly. "That's me. May I ask who you are, senior...?"
At the Eternal Night Frost Song Hall's current level of strength... could it rival the Spirit Hall?
Qian Lingche introduced her softly. "This is the Snow Empress, currently the Grand Elder of the Eternal Night Frost Song Hall."
The elders in his hall were much like those in the Worship Hall—their ranks were determined by strength. And the Snow Empress's strength was unquestionably formidable.
Seeing the look of alarm on Dugu Bo's face, Qian Lingche shook his head helplessly. "Sister Xue, you've frightened him. Tone down your aura a little."
At that, the Snow Empress nodded and gradually reined in her aura.
Qian Lingche took a large cushion from the side and placed it on the floor, then turned to Dugu Bo. "Use your cultivation to force the toxins in your body into the Soul Bone. Sister Xue will keep your surging Soul Power under control."
Dugu Bo nodded. He went to the cushion, sat cross-legged, slowly closed his eyes, and began to circulate the Soul Power within him.
As his Soul Power flowed, the toxins in his body were gradually stirred up, and a cold, violent aura poured out of him.
"Just as you said: the toxins have seeped into his bones, and his Martial Soul is turning on him."
The Snow Empress walked behind Dugu Bo and gently raised one hand. An overwhelmingly powerful ice Soul Power surged into his body, firmly suppressing his rampaging Soul Power.
Standing to one side, Qian Lingche reminded him softly, "Dugu Bo, focus. Force the toxins into the Soul Bone."
As Dugu Bo cultivated, the toxins were gradually forced out of his body, turning into wisps of dark green mist that curled around him.
The toxins were so vicious that even the floor seemed to be corroded, making a faint sizzling sound.
But they did not spread. Guided by Dugu Bo's Soul Power, they slowly flowed back into the Soul Bone inside his body.
Qian Lingche stood nearby, watching Dugu Bo closely, his brows slightly furrowed.
Although the toxins had been forced out, it seemed the Soul Bone was not absorbing them all. Some kept seeping from Dugu Bo's skin, only for him to draw them back in.
This cycle was clearly putting considerable strain on Dugu Bo's body.
He murmured, "The toxins have become one with his body. Separating them completely won't be easy..."
The Snow Empress had noticed as well. She spoke coolly. "The toxins have seeped into his bones. Forcing them out would damage him at the root. This method is workable, though it will take time."
With her Soul Power suppressing Dugu Bo's rampaging energy, nothing should go wrong.
A week passed in the blink of an eye.
During that time, under the Snow Empress's protection, Dugu Bo circulated his Soul Power day and night without rest, forcing the toxins in his body into the Soul Bone bit by bit.
At first, the toxins fought back fiercely and nearly went out of control several times. But under the Snow Empress's powerful suppression, the entire process remained steady as a mountain.
At last, the final trace of toxin in Dugu Bo's body was forced into the Soul Bone.
He slowly opened his eyes and let out a long breath. A relieved smile spread across his face.
Now he had not only escaped the deadly poison that had plagued him for years, but had also grown far stronger. He was just one step away from reaching level 94.
Dugu Bo rose solemnly and bowed deeply to the Snow Empress and Qian Lingche. His voice brimmed with sincerity and gratitude. "Thank you, Hall Master, for saving my life, and thank you, Grand Elder, for your help during this time."
Hearing Dugu Bo address him differently, Qian Lingche understood what he meant.
The Snow Empress remained calm and gave a slight nod. "There's no need. Your success was mostly thanks to your own determination. I only offered a little help."
Seeing that Dugu Bo was out of danger, the Snow Empress said coolly, "Now that everything is settled, I'll return to the Snow God Hall."
Qian Lingche nodded lightly. "Take care, Sister Xue. Thank you for all your hard work."
The Snow Empress said nothing more. In an instant, she vanished from the hall.
Qian Lingche watched her leave, then turned back to Dugu Bo. "Dugu Bo, what do you plan to do now?"
Dugu Bo pondered for a moment before replying, "Hall Master, I plan to consolidate my cultivation first. I'm close to breaking through to level 94, and if you need anything, I'm at your disposal."
Qian Lingche waved a hand. "All right, go get some rest. Now that this matter is settled, you've finally put one of your worries to rest."
Dugu Bo said no more. He bowed to Qian Lingche, turned, and left the Eternal Freeze Hall.
The moment he stepped outside, he looked up at the sky, feeling as though a weight had lifted from his heart.
The shackles that had bound him for years had finally been broken. The toxins in his body had been completely forced into the Soul Bone, and his cultivation was on the verge of reaching a new realm.
But Qian Lingche was not in nearly as good a mood. Looking at the floor and walls corroded by Dugu Bo's poison, he couldn't help but twitch at the corners of his mouth.
Although the poison in the hall had been completely cleaned up, he was a neat freak.
"I should've known better than to let him come here. Now look at this—I'll have to rebuild the palace."