Time passed, and in the blink of an eye, Bai Shu had already waited quietly at Dugu Bo's residence for three days.
That morning, just as dawn began to break, a wild burst of laughter that had been suppressed for far too long suddenly tore through the residence's usual dead silence.
"Hahaha... I succeeded! This old man really succeeded! The cursed fate of our Dugu Family has finally been rewritten! Hahaha!"
In his bedroom, Bai Shu heard the sound and abruptly opened his eyes, a sharp glint flashing through them before vanishing.
"With such a commotion, it seems he made it."
Without wasting a moment, he grabbed Xiao Wu by the back of her collar as she sprawled across the bed asleep, then flashed out through the door.
"What are you doing, Bai Shu? I was dreaming about carrots..." Xiao Wu rubbed her sleepy eyes. Dangling from his grip with her feet off the ground, she looked thoroughly displeased.
"Go back to sleep later. I have a treasure for you."
"A treasure? What treasure? Your lotus seeds?" Xiao Wu's eyes lit up, and she instantly woke up. She had only eaten two of Bai Shu's Chaos Lotus Seeds. Since their effects diminished after that, Bai Shu had not given her any more. But she craved them. That ultimate life force was no less irresistible to her than catnip to a kitten. It smelled far too good.
Bai Shu ignored Xiao Wu, whose mind was entirely occupied with food, and took her straight to the rear courtyard.
The instant they rushed into the backyard, the sight before them gave both of them a fright.
Dugu Bo stood beside Xie Biyan, throwing back his head and howling toward the sky. His signature head of emerald-green hair had now turned snow-white, dancing wildly in the morning wind.
This was not a sign of aging, but the result of all the poison being purged from his body and his return to his original state.
Though he was laughing wildly, two streams of scalding tears ran freely down his deeply lined face. They were tears of joy, tears of relief, and tears of grief for the family members he had lost. Soul Power surged around him, and his aura was far more powerful than it had been three days ago.
Sensing Bai Shu's arrival, Dugu Bo's laughter abruptly stopped, and the turbulent aura around him instantly vanished without a trace.
His eyes red, he strode toward Bai Shu without a word.
This sudden move made Xie Biyan, standing nearby, instinctively tense up, thinking Dugu Bo might mean the Young Master harm.
Thud.
Having reached Bai Shu, Dugu Bo did not hesitate in the slightest. He immediately dropped to his knees and performed a grand bow before him. He understood very well that although Xie Biyan had passed the cultivation art on to him, Bai Shu was the one who truly called the shots.
With a muffled impact, dust rose into the air.
Under the astonished gazes of Bai Shu, Xie Biyan, and Xiao Wu, this Title Douluo who was renowned across the continent dropped heavily to both knees without the slightest hesitation and offered Bai Shu a full prostration. He knew clearly that while Xie Biyan had taught him the cultivation art, it was the unfathomable young man before him who had truly granted him new life and rewritten his family's fate.
"Thank you, Young Master, for bestowing this divine art and freeing the Dugu Family from the curse upon our bloodline! I can never repay such a life-changing kindness. From this day forward, at your command, Young Master, I will brave mountains of blades and seas of fire without hesitation, even if it costs me my life!" His voice was hoarse and trembling, every word carrying immense weight.
Bai Shu was shaken and hurried forward to help him up. "Senior Dugu, please rise. What are you doing?"
However, Dugu Bo was determined to remain kneeling this time. His knees seemed to have taken root in the ground. No matter how hard Bai Shu pulled, he did not budge in the slightest.
Bai Shu could understand how he felt. After all, this reclusive old man had watched his son and daughter-in-law die painfully before his eyes because of the cursed poison of their Spirit, while his granddaughter had been following in their footsteps.
Now that the Sword of Damocles which had hung over the entire family for hundreds of years had finally been cut down, how could he not lose control in his excitement?
But he could not stay kneeling forever. Bai Shu shot Xie Biyan a look.
Xie Biyan immediately understood. Stepping forward, he released powerful Soul Power from his palm, which transformed into an irresistible force and forcibly lifted Dugu Bo to his feet.
"Enough, Senior Dugu." Bai Shu's tone turned solemn. "Since you have sincerely pledged your loyalty to me, I naturally will not be stingy. One cultivation art is only the beginning. Tell me, what level has your cultivation reached now?"
Though Dugu Bo had been forcibly raised, he still bowed respectfully as he answered:
"Reporting to the Young Master, thanks to Senior Xie's guidance, this subordinate has successfully condensed a Poison Attribute Soul Core! My cultivation has now reached Rank 93! And because of the Soul Core, my Soul Power efficiency has more than doubled. I am confident that even against a Rank 94 Title Douluo, I would have the strength to fight—and might even defeat one!"
"Very good." Bai Shu nodded in satisfaction, a trace of delight flashing through his eyes. "Stabilize your realm first. After that, I have another important matter for you to handle."
"Young Master, stabilizing my cultivation can wait!" Dugu Bo said eagerly. Having witnessed such a miraculous cultivation art and the method of condensing a Soul Core, he was desperate to prove his worth.
"This subordinate possesses a treasured place. In the past, I used it to suppress the severe poison within my body. Now that the Young Master has resolved my greatest affliction, it is no longer of much use to me. This subordinate is willing to offer this place to the Young Master as a token of my gratitude!"
Bai Shu's heart stirred upon hearing that. A crucial part of his plan had been delivered to him so smoothly! Yet his expression remained calm as he smiled faintly. "You mean the medicinal garden in the heart of Sunset Forest, don't you?"
Dugu Bo's pupils abruptly contracted, and waves of shock rose in his heart! The Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well was his greatest secret, one he had never mentioned to anyone. Yet the Young Master had exposed it in a single sentence!
He became even more convinced that the youth before him was unfathomable. At the same time, relief welled up within him. Fortunately, he knew how to repay kindness and had offered it of his own accord, rather than waiting for the Young Master to ask for it.
"The Young Master truly sees all..."
"There is no rush." Bai Shu waved his hand, cutting him off. "Once Dugu Yan finishes converting her cultivation art, bring her along as well. That place will benefit her too."
Dugu Bo was instantly moved to tears. "Thank you for your concern, Young Master! Yan Yan's foundation is weak. She should finish around noon today."
Dugu Yan was slightly slower than expected.
After all, people in this world knew nothing about meridians, and the cultivation art Xie Biyan had taught her was a genuine low-grade Earth-tier art. It was only one minor tier below the Blood Soul Art he cultivated himself, so getting started with it was naturally extremely difficult.
Thus, by the time the group finally arrived at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, it was already evening, with the setting sun red as blood.
The moment he stepped into the valley, Bai Shu felt the Chaos Green Lotus Spirit within his dantian become restless as never before, transmitting an overwhelmingly intense desire. It was the excitement and craving of having discovered an immensely nourishing treasure.
"Could it be... that there is a spiritual treasure here capable of restoring the Chaos Green Lotus's origin even further?" Bai Shu's heartbeat quietly accelerated at that moment.
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