Encountering Dugu Bo Again

"Xu Qianqian."

Unlike when she had met Ning Fengzhi, Xu Qianqian hesitated for a moment before telling him her real name.

He had just said that she had been asleep for two months, and she still had no idea what had happened during that time.

Given the circumstances, it was better to show her true face. Hiding her name as well would be somewhat disrespectful toward a Titled Douluo.

Besides, she did not know much about Dugu Bo's personality.

Judging by his tone, he even seemed rather wary of her?

"Is that so..." Dugu Bo did not ask further, merely looking curious. "Why did you appear in my herb garden?"

The aura around her could faintly alter the energy of the entire Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.

It suppressed his poison even more effectively. If not for that, Dugu Bo would have wanted to study her no matter what.

Of course, that was assuming he could manage it.

"I failed to obtain a soul ring, and then I don't remember anything after that?" Xu Qianqian chose her words carefully before changing the subject. "Senior, your name is Dugu Bo... could you be the Poison Douluo?"

"Hehe, it seems you know this old man as well." Dugu Bo stroked his long beard and said proudly, "That's right. I am Dugu Bo, the Poison Douluo."

Xu Qianqian quickly cupped her hands in salute. "Junior greets Your Excellency Dugu."

"Enough, enough." Dugu Bo waved his hand. "I'm very curious about your martial soul. What exactly is going on with it?"

"This..." Xu Qianqian looked puzzled. "May I ask what happened while I was unconscious?"

"You truly don't know anything?"

Dugu Bo frowned tightly. Seeing that Xu Qianqian did not seem to be pretending, he explained, "Your martial soul can protect its master. And those two ten-thousand-year soul rings... they're truly impressive!"

Xu Qianqian's expression changed, but she quickly regained her composure.

"It seems you do know about the soul rings." Dugu Bo had only meant to test Xu Qianqian, but it had instead piqued his curiosity. "Could you tell me about them? Consider it a favor I owe you."

"May I ask why Your Excellency Dugu is so curious about my martial soul?"

"If I told you that I was nearly killed by something your martial soul controlled, would you believe me?"

Dugu Bo's face darkened. If it had not involved himself—and the poison afflicting both him and his granddaughter—he would never have been so anxious.

Xu Qianqian was wary of Dugu Bo, but Dugu Bo was equally wary of her.

"Um..." Xu Qianqian's mouth twitched.

So that really was it. I was wondering when Dugu Bo had become so easygoing.

So my martial soul did something again while I had no idea?

It automatically protected its master?

"Would it be convenient for you to tell me what happened before?"

"Hmph!" Dugu Bo sneered. "What, are you trying to get rid of me?"

"Little girl, if you couldn't use the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well to suppress my poison, you might not be a match for me."

"Besides, if I toss you out of here, you're nothing more than a twenty-ninth-rank Grand Soul Master."

Though he said that, Dugu Bo was far from confident.

Damn it, it had already been unbelievable enough for a little girl like her to appear in his herb garden.

When he had just gone to see what was happening, the entire herb garden had begun to surge on its own.

Especially within the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, where two dragons had actually burst out.

At the time, Dugu Bo had been terrified.

They had only been phantoms, but the pressure they radiated was something Dugu Bo never wanted to encounter again.

Dugu Bo had always placed great importance on the effects of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, but now, he did not even dare approach it too closely.

After all, those two dragon phantoms had emerged from within it.

Who knew whether they might appear again?

"Senior Dugu Bo, is it because of the poison in your body?"

"You..." A flash of shock crossed Dugu Bo's face. Just as he was about to deny it, he saw Xu Qianqian shake her head.

"What if I said that, in the future, I might have a way to help you eliminate the harm the poison causes to your body?"

Silence. Dugu Bo fell silent.

If any ordinary twenty-ninth-rank soul master had said such a thing, Dugu Bo would have slapped them across the face immediately.

But the girl before him looked several years younger than even his granddaughter, yet her first two soul rings were both ten-thousand-year rings.

And she could control the "dragons" within the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well?

"I already said that if you can do it, I, Dugu Bo, will owe you a favor."

"Your Excellency's favor is naturally precious, but I hope you can become my guardian on the path."

"A guardian on the path?" Dugu Bo froze. There was no such term on the Douluo Continent.

"That's right. Protect me for five years while I'm still weak, and assist my cultivation."

"Within five years, I'll definitely find a way to detoxify you. Besides, it can be considered an investment. With my talent, I should be worth it, right?" Xu Qianqian said seriously.

"Agreed." Dugu Bo felt that five years was entirely acceptable.

"Good." Xu Qianqian nodded, then said, "In that case, Senior, swear it upon your martial soul."

"I will also swear upon my martial soul that I'll remove the side effects of Senior's martial soul within five years."

With both sides swearing upon their martial souls, they could be said to have laid everything bare.

"Since that's settled, I'll first tell you a method that treats the symptoms. Senior can use spirit bones to store the excess toxins, reducing the burden on your body."

"Spirit bones?"

"That's right." Xu Qianqian nodded. "However, this can only treat the symptoms. It will lessen your side effects, and spirit bones have a limit to how much they can store."

"But in the short term, it can still reduce the damage the toxins inflict on your body."

Dugu Bo pondered it and stored his poison within his spirit bones.

Sure enough, the discomfort in his body eased considerably. Even his hair was no longer so damp.

"You're impressive." Dugu Bo nodded. As a Titled Douluo, he naturally understood his own condition. "I'm now even more confident that you can remove the side effects of my poisoning within five years."

"Then, Senior, could you tell me what happened while I was asleep?" Xu Qianqian was still rather curious.

"I can," Dugu Bo replied.

So, he told her how he had arrived at the herb garden and seen Xu Qianqian madly absorbing the rampant energy within it, as well as how he had intended to examine her condition.

Naturally, he did not explain how he had examined her, but he did mention the two dragon-shaped phantoms that had suddenly burst out from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.

They had given Dugu Bo quite a fright at the time, and he particularly emphasized how terrifying they had been.

After a long silence, Xu Qianqian summoned her martial soul. Feeling the vast energy gathered within the Book of Wind, she sucked in a cold breath.

"Nice. I've got insurance now."

Moreover, after hearing Dugu Bo's description, Xu Qianqian gained a deeper understanding of her martial soul.

She also vaguely found a clue as to how she could break through to level thirty.

"It seems that no matter how violent the world's elemental energy is, I can absorb it."

Of course, the less she did such things, the better. The Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well was still a place where people could remain. If she went somewhere ordinary people could not survive just to absorb the world's elemental energy, she would be gambling with her life.

Previously, in order to awaken the Book of Wind, she had no choice but to do so and head to Hurricane Valley.

Now, she probably no longer had that kind of courage.

At the very least, her ten-thousand-year second soul ring and ten-thousand-year first soul ring should be enough to ensure her safety.

"Senior Poison Douluo, could you help me enter Heaven Dou Royal Academy?"