Happily Earns the Title of Little Monster

"Kid, was it you who dared to claim that my Jade Phosphor Snake Clan has long been poisoned?"

Dugu Bo slowly rose from the seat of honor. Under the candlelight, his tall figure cast a long shadow that engulfed Yun Chen.

As he spoke, the aura unique to a Titled Douluo erupted violently, clashing head-on with Yun Chen's undying fighting spirit.

Yun Chen's entire body trembled violently. No matter how powerful the Golden-Haired Lion Mastiff was, Yun Chen was only a Soul Elder in his thirties. No matter how greatly it suppressed other Martial Souls, it could not erase the gap between him and a Titled Douluo.

But Yun Chen would not admit defeat so easily.

Even beneath the pressure of a Titled Douluo, with his waist slightly bent and his bones and muscles creaking, he still held himself upright and struggled to raise his head.

Fine beads of sweat formed on his forehead, yet those Golden Eyes that never went out still blazed with dazzling light.

Dugu Bo's gaze sharpened. He had not expected Yun Chen to remain standing beneath the pressure of a Titled Douluo, even though he had not used his full strength.

Interesting... no wonder he is a genius capable of making Xue Ye use a forbidden trump card.

He can still remain standing beneath my pressure, and his Martial Soul is no ordinary one either. It can actually pressure my Martial Soul despite the difference in Soul Power. It is truly unbelievable. What exactly is his Martial Soul? Just how high is its quality?

And he is only nine years old, yet he is already a Soul Elder?

A trace of barely perceptible appreciation appeared in Dugu Bo's sinister eyes, but he quickly hid it. With a cold snort, he withdrew the pressure weighing down on Yun Chen.

"Not bad. You have not disappointed Xue Ye's assessment of you as a future pillar of the empire."

Dugu Bo slowly sat back down in the seat of honor, crossing one leg over the other. His calm gaze swept over the somewhat disheveled Yun Chen as he spoke slowly.

Damn it, you old poison freak. No wonder nobody likes you.

Yun Chen cursed inwardly, though nothing showed on his face.

He took a few light breaths and adjusted his breathing before slowly straightening up. His expression was calm, as though nothing had happened.

"Your Excellency Poison Douluo, you flatter me."

"This junior is merely a commoner who awakened a good Martial Soul and was blessed with some talent. Only through His Highness the Crown Prince's care have I come this far."

Yun Chen's expression was exceedingly humble as he spoke.

But Dugu Bo clearly heard something off in Yun Chen's words. His brows furrowed slightly as he casually glanced at him.

Yet Yun Chen's expression remained as calm and detached as ever, as though he had not noticed anything wrong with what he had said.

His Highness the Crown Prince? This kid...

After only a brief thought, Dugu Bo's expression returned to normal. He did not care about the affairs of the Heaven Dou Imperial Family. He had merely been somewhat surprised just now.

As for whom Yun Chen truly served, Dugu Bo did not care.

Still, gossip was human nature. From Yun Chen's remarks, Dugu Bo also came to realize that the imperial succession struggle in the Heaven Dou Empire was far fiercer than before.

"Hehe, you truly are humble."

"But you still have not answered my question. Why did you say that our Jade Phosphor Snake Clan has been deeply poisoned?"

Dugu Bo's eyes narrowed. As he spoke, deep-purple mist filled the entire room.

Behind Dugu Bo, an enormous serpent's head dozens of meters long slowly emerged and hissed at Yun Chen.

Faced with this terrifying sight, Yun Chen remained completely unaffected. He simply stood there calmly, as though everything around him had nothing to do with him. He smiled faintly, then spoke slowly.

"This junior did not dare offend you rashly before. It was only when I saw your granddaughter, Dugu Yan, that I was briefly surprised. After observing her closely, I discovered this."

"Oh? Then tell me, what did you discover?"

Upon hearing that Yun Chen had found the issue in Dugu Yan, Dugu Bo's curiosity was piqued.

Yun Chen felt rather helpless inside. What had he discovered? He had merely read the original novel and already knew about it. But since Dugu Bo had chosen to ask, there was no need to hesitate. He could simply recite the lines from the original novel.

"Your granddaughter, Dugu Yan, has a beautiful head of dark-green hair, and even her pupils are deep green."

After saying those two sentences, Yun Chen deliberately paused. He wanted to see Dugu Bo's reaction. Just as he expected, Dugu Bo's brows furrowed, seeming somewhat dissatisfied with what he had said.

After all, on Douluo Continent, was it not perfectly normal for soul masters to retain certain traits of their Martial Souls?

And Yun Chen did not continue speaking, making Dugu Bo think he had run out of words. He became somewhat angry.

He thought this kid was making a fool of him for amusement.

Don't be in such a hurry, old poison. Who told you to mess with me like that just now? I have to keep you in suspense for a bit.

Of course, merely keeping him in suspense would not do, because Dugu Bo's face in the seat of honor had already darkened.

Then Yun Chen slowly continued.

"You may think that it is perfectly normal for soul masters to retain some traits of their Martial Souls."

"But the problem lies precisely there. The human body is not like a soul beast's; it has no specialized organs for storing toxins. So when such toxins enter one's body, what happens then?"

Dugu Bo stroked his chin and pondered briefly. Then his eyes suddenly lit up, and a flash of surprise appeared in his gaze as he looked at Yun Chen.

This kid really knows his stuff.

"Continue."

Yun Chen was momentarily speechless. Dugu Bo's attitude was as arrogant as could be.

But circumstances were stronger than people. He still needed to earn Dugu Bo's trust and enter the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, so he had better humor the old man first.

"Therefore, after this junior fought Miss Dugu Yan, I became even more certain of my conclusion. Her Soul Power is slightly obstructed, and when she channels poison attributes for an extended period, she also suffers minor backlash."

"Clearly, these are signs of poisoning."

"And the poison she has been afflicted with is certainly not weak."

"This junior has also conducted some research into Martial Souls. Such signs of poisoning are entirely unlike what a Soul Grandmaster should possess. Ordinary poison-type soul masters only develop such severe poisoning reactions after obtaining their Martial Soul Avatar."

"And that leaves only one possibility."

After reaching this point, Yun Chen stopped speaking. He merely looked steadily at Dugu Bo, his meaning impossible to miss. Dugu Bo was no fool and naturally understood.

It had to have been carried from the womb. This poison was an innate inheritance.

Then Dugu Bo fell silent for a long time, because he understood that everything Yun Chen had said was correct.

Lies did not hurt people. The truth was the sharpest blade.

He truly is a little monster. Not only is he so strong in cultivation, but he is also extraordinarily gifted in theoretical research. To analyze so much from just this... this old man truly admires him.