Because the four of them were moving so quickly, when they returned to Heaven Dou City, many people in the streets and alleys were still discussing the grandeur of the noon auction, filled with longing for that exorbitantly priced item as well.
Bai Shu and his group did not linger in the city, flying directly toward Dugu Bo's residence.
Unexpectedly, the moment they arrived above the manor, Xie Biyan suddenly called everyone to a halt. Turning to Bai Shu, he said, "Young Master, there's a sneaky rat outside the manor. It seems to be trying to infiltrate Dugu Manor."
Bai Shu frowned. "Another rat? It's not those two from last time, is it?"
Xie Biyan shook his head. "No. Its aura is completely different, and somewhat stronger."
Bai Shu was puzzled as well. Since when had Titled Douluos become so cheap on the Douluo Continent, arriving one after another? He continued asking, "Where is it, and how strong is it?"
"Southwest of the manor, Rank 94." This time, it was not Xie Biyan who spoke, but Gui mei. His voice was hoarse, yet extremely confident.
Although Yue Guan was also sensing with all his strength, he had not detected anything unusual. Gui mei, however, relied on his uniquely exceptional spiritual power to similarly lock onto the "rat" Xie Biyan had mentioned.
Xie Biyan gave Gui mei a surprised glance, a trace of approval flashing through his eyes. He became somewhat more satisfied with this new subordinate the Young Master had taken in.
The corners of Bai Shu's lips curled up slightly as another idea suddenly came to him. He said calmly, "Rank 94? He came at just the right time. Yue Guan, Gui mei, the two of you will take him down later. Remember, don't make too much noise."
"Yes, Young Master!" Yue Guan and Gui mei bowed in unison. "Please rest assured, Young Master. We guarantee that we won't give him any chance to resist!"
They naturally understood that Bai Shu was testing their strength. After all, when Xie Biyan had captured them last time, they had been practically unable to put up any resistance.
After giving the order, Bai Shu did not have them act immediately. Instead, he made a gesture telling them to stay calm. He wanted to see what exactly the other party had come here to do.
Before long, Xie Biyan reminded him again, "Young Master, that person has entered Dugu Manor."
"Oh? Dugu Bo didn't notice?" Bai Shu asked with interest.
Xie Biyan explained:
"That person's concealment technique is quite superb. His Soul Power fluctuations have been suppressed to the extreme, and he is one rank higher than Dugu Bo, so Dugu Bo will most likely fail to notice him. However, judging by the direction in which he infiltrated, his target should be Dugu Bo himself."
"Dugu Bo is the target?" A thought flashed through Bai Shu's mind. Was this man brain-damaged, or did he have something to rely on?
One had to know that although Dugu Bo was weak among Titled Douluos and could be said to lose to anyone, killing him was far from simple. Once Dugu Bo escaped after an attack, he could easily slaughter a faction until only its Titled Douluos remained.
For that very reason, the major forces across the continent only sought to win him over and never dared offend him lightly.
In the brief moment Bai Shu was considering this, a battle suddenly erupted below without warning!
Dugu Bo, who had been leisurely drinking tea in a pavilion in the rear garden, abruptly changed expression! A deadly sense of crisis made his heart skip a beat! Relying almost entirely on battle instinct, he stomped his left foot fiercely against the ground without a second thought!
With a muffled boom, the hard bluestone ground instantly cracked. Borrowing the recoil, his entire body shot sideways to the right like a cannonball.
Screech—!
A frigid gleam, swift to the extreme and carrying piercing killing intent, instantly sliced through the spot where his neck had just been. That bone-chilling intent even left a hair-thin bloody mark on his skin, a crimson bead of blood slowly seeping out.
Dugu Bo flipped through the air and landed, instantly locking onto the intruder's location. He turned and roared, "What petty scoundrel dares cause trouble on this old man's territory?!"
Behind him stood an elderly white-haired man in plain white robes, though no one knew when he had appeared.
The old man held a pitch-black dagger, but his brows were deeply furrowed as he stared at Dugu Bo in uncertainty.
"You... actually dodged it? No, your Soul Power... Are you truly Dugu Bo? You've already reached Rank 93? You hid yourself quite deeply."
Seeing that the other party had failed to strike him yet showed no panic at all, still arrogantly judging him, Dugu Bo's anger flared at once.
In the past, he might have endured it when facing a Rank 94 powerhouse. After all, his granddaughter was still around, and he had to leave room for compromise in all things.
But now, not only had his strength broken through to Rank 93, he also had a mysterious Young Master behind him, one powerful enough that even someone like Xie Biyan was willing to serve as a subordinate! If he still swallowed his anger now, then what was the point of this breakthrough? What was the point of finding such a backer?
With that thought, Dugu Bo no longer hesitated in the slightest. His killing intent surged!
"Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor, Martial Soul Possession!"
With a furious shout, dark green Soul Power soared into the sky. His entire body was instantly covered in savage serpent scales, and nine soul rings abruptly emerged.
"Old bastard, let this old man see who gave you the courage to spout such nonsense in my manor!"
Before his words had even faded, he opened his mouth and spat out an incomparably solid jade-green poison arrow, which shot straight at the old man's face!
Faced with Dugu Bo's furious attack, the old man merely sneered disdainfully. His figure flickered, leaving behind an afterimage like a ghost as he easily evaded it.
At the same time, taking advantage of the gap after Dugu Bo unleashed his soul skill, he shifted his footwork and closed in again. The dagger in his hand transformed into a web of blades, striking directly at Dugu Bo's vital points.
Dugu Bo was startled. He had not expected the other party to be so fast. Instinctively, he retreated two steps and narrowly avoided the slashes.
But he was, after all, a battle-hardened Titled Douluo with immensely rich combat experience. In an instant, he judged that he could not let the other party entangle him in close combat.
"Want to play with speed? Then have a taste of what it feels like when there's nowhere to run!"
"Sixth Soul Skill, Azure Python Emperor Break!"
In the next moment, countless solid serpent-shaped bolts of poison burst wildly outward from Dugu Bo's body. After flying ten meters, these poisonous blasts exploded with a thunderous roar, turning into countless tiny jade-green poisonous scales that swept through the entire rear garden indiscriminately like a toxic storm!
In an instant, sizzling sounds rang out without end. The once lush and flourishing exotic flowers and plants withered, blackened, and turned to ash at a visible rate.
The old man did not escape unscathed either. Even with his Soul Power fully unleashed and his movement technique pushed to the limit, countless scattered scales still struck him. Dozens of tears appeared in his seemingly exquisite robe, leaving him in a miserable state.
The old man stopped and looked at his somewhat disheveled clothes. A trace of heartache unexpectedly appeared on his face as he said regretfully:
"What a pity. This was my favorite set of robes. Since that royal craftsman died, there has been no such craftsmanship left in the world. Every one I wear is one less."
Only then did he slowly raise his head and look at the wary Dugu Bo, saying arrogantly:
"Dugu Bo, your poison is of no use against a fellow Titled Douluo like me. Surrender obediently, and I can spare your granddaughter's life. What do you say?"
"What did you say?"
Dugu Bo's wary gaze instantly froze. The cold serpent pupils he had after Martial Soul Possession abruptly narrowed into vertical slits, and an unprecedentedly icy killing intent erupted from within him.
"Old bastard, if you dare touch my granddaughter, this old man swears here and now that I will leave no one alive in your entire family—not even the chickens and dogs!"
"Hehe, I believe you have that ability."
The old man's expression did not change in the slightest. He paid no heed to Dugu Bo's threat.
"But do you know who I am? And how would you find my family? If I do not release my Martial Soul, what can you possibly do to me?"
Before you continue