Dugu Bo's corruption? No, he wasn't a righteous character to begin with

Though temporarily suppressed by the pressure, Dugu Bo did not believe he would lose.

What a joke. My poison is unmatched beneath heaven, and I'm supposed to avoid her edge?

"Do you really think this old man is so easy to bully?!"

Dugu Bo ground his teeth, preparing to withstand the pressure and fight Ye Xishui head-on.

Seeing how unyielding Dugu Bo was, Meng Chen could only sigh.

"Since Poison Douluo refuses to have a proper conversation, then we can only talk with strength."

At those words, Ye Xishui immediately stepped forward.

Just as Dugu Bo exerted all his strength, he suddenly felt that terrifying pressure intensify. The Soul Power he had just gathered was suppressed once more.

Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding!

Nine soul rings emerged in sequence—six black and three red. The black ones were deep and profound, the red ones bewitching, arranged in neat and distinct layers.

Holy shit!

Dugu Bo's pupils contracted violently at the sight of those nine soul rings, his face filled with shock.

Was this even right?

Normally, the first soul ring could at most be a hundred-year one, yet this woman had absorbed a ten-thousand-year ring?

And three hundred-thousand-year ones?

Since when had hundred-thousand-year soul rings become so worthless?

Dugu Bo's head buzzed, his mind going completely blank.

This scene, which defied all common sense, was like following an impossibly gorgeous, soft, sweet beauty, only for her to pull out a Christmas tree with two bells hanging from it and ask whether it was big.

Anyone would break down at the sight. Their minds would be left with nothing but "Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way."

However, something even more terrifying was yet to come.

After releasing her soul rings, Ye Xishui's already suffocating pressure surged like a mountain flood, sweeping across heaven and earth.

Dugu Bo felt dizzy and disoriented, as if someone had smashed his head with a hammer.

He desperately mobilized the Soul Power within his body to resist, but it was utterly useless.

Dugu Bo felt as though the entire sky had collapsed upon him. He let out an unwilling roar, then his old ass rose high as he knelt on the ground in an exceedingly humiliating pose.

Meng Chen: "..."

That pose...

All he could say was that it was fortunate they were not in Chengdu.

Forced to his knees, Dugu Bo's eyes cleared up. Trembling, he said, "You... you are... an Ultimate Douluo!"

To crush him so effortlessly while possessing such a terrifying soul ring configuration—she was undoubtedly a level ninety-nine Ultimate Douluo.

That was a height he could never reach even in his entire lifetime. On the continent, the only known Ultimate Douluo was likely that one from Spirit Hall.

Where had this terrifying woman come from?

Dugu Bo did his best to crane his head up at Ye Xishui's bewitchingly beautiful face, when a chill suddenly shot up his spine.

He had actually considered fighting someone like her just moments ago. If she truly wanted to kill him, it would be as easy as turning her hand over!

Seeing Dugu Bo drenched in cold sweat from lingering fear, Meng Chen knew the time was ripe.

He sauntered over, squatted before Dugu Bo, and said with an innocent smile, "Poison Douluo, don't be so nervous. Look, I could clearly slap you to death, yet I'm choosing to reason with you. Where else can you find such a good person?"

Reason with me? Making me stick my ass up counts as reasoning with me?

Ten thousand alpacas stampeded through Dugu Bo's heart.

"Besides, I was even thinking of helping you resolve the poison backlash inside your body."

Resolve the poison backlash?!

Those words shocked Dugu Bo even more than Ye Xishui had.

How did this brat know?!

Over the years, the poison backlash had brought Dugu Bo endless pain. It had also caused him to lose his father in childhood, his wife in middle age, and his son in old age!

And now, his granddaughter was about to enter the grave in the prime of her youth because of the poison.

A problem that had plagued Dugu Bo and the entire Dugu family, and now some snot-nosed brat was suddenly claiming he could solve it?

When an opportunity to escape suffering was placed before someone, humanity's first response was doubt.

Thus, upon hearing Meng Chen's words, Dugu Bo froze for a moment before bursting into mad laughter.

"Hahahaha... Help this old man detoxify? What arrogance! This old man's Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor Poison has long since seeped into my bones and marrow. You think you can cure the chronic ailment that has plagued me my whole life?"

Meng Chen said disdainfully, "Oh, really? Then let me ask you: on rainy days, do you feel numb and itchy, like you have gout? Let me ask you: every night, does your head ache? Let me ask you: does your entire body convulse?"

Meng Chen could not remember how the original work had described it, but he vaguely recalled the symptoms being something like this.

Even if he failed to bluff him, it did not matter. Ye Xishui would step in.

Dugu Bo was greatly alarmed. His late-night emotional breakdowns were his deepest secret; even Dugu Yan did not know about them.

It seemed this kid really had some skill.

He immediately believed that Meng Chen could resolve his poison backlash.

But... there was never a free lunch in this world.

Yet to cure this chronic ailment, Dugu Bo was willing to pay any price.

And if he could be cured, it meant his granddaughter could live on with a smile as well.

Dugu Bo gritted his teeth. "Then... what do you want from this old man?"

Good, they had finally gotten to the point.

"Talking to smart people really is effortless." Meng Chen smiled gently, but his voice suddenly turned cold. "From today onward, submit to me!"

Since Ye Xishui could not easily show herself in public, Meng Chen felt it was necessary to subdue Dugu Bo. That way, he would have a Titled Douluo backing him on the surface.

Dugu Bo's eyes immediately widened in fury. "Impossible! You're just a snot-nosed child, yet you dare dream of making a Titled Douluo submit to you?!"

"Even the current emperor of the Heaven Dou Empire has to treat me with respect!"

"Poison Douluo, you need to understand that you are not qualified to bargain with me right now. Only because I am giving you a chance can we have a proper discussion. If I don't give you that chance, you should be begging me to detoxify you!"

Meng Chen's tone was icy. More frighteningly, he suddenly leaned close and whispered into Dugu Bo's ear, "You wouldn't want your granddaughter to be poisoned to death, would you?"

The strong always had their pride, so Meng Chen had no choice but to use both carrot and stick on this stubborn mule, Dugu Bo.

Those words instantly shattered the last of Dugu Bo's dignity.

Dugu Yan was the last bloodline left by his son.

At that moment, Dugu Bo understood that he had never had a choice from the beginning.

"Fine... this old man understands."

Dugu Bo gritted out those words and completely relinquished his resistance, allowing his ass to rise even higher as a sign of submission.

Meng Chen nodded in satisfaction, and Ye Xishui immediately withdrew her pressure.

A wave of accomplishment welled up in Meng Chen's heart. He discovered that subduing a Titled Douluo felt this good.

No wonder Tang San had trained Huo Yuhao into Dai Yuhao in the original work.

Since Dugu Bo had submitted, Meng Chen no longer needed to maintain that overbearing attitude. He reached out and helped Dugu Bo up.

"Poison Douluo, there's no need to be so humble. Just call me Young Master Chen."

If he had not truly needed a Titled Douluo to protect him, Meng Chen really would not have wanted to subdue Dugu Bo this way.

Although Dugu Bo was still unconvinced by Meng Chen in his heart, he had no choice but to yield outwardly. "Yes... Young Master Chen."

Meng Chen nodded. "Though Poison Douluo has submitted to me, you are not some servant. From now on, you will serve as an elder of the Holy Spirit Cult and protect me."

With an Ultimate Douluo by your side, you still need me to protect you?

And what exactly is this Holy Spirit Cult?

Though his heart was full of questions, the old fox Dugu Bo kept them buried, merely saying respectfully, "Yes. Young Master Chen, since this old man has accepted your terms, then regarding the detoxification..."

Hearing Dugu Bo say this, Ye Xishui interjected, "As for detoxification, our Holy Spirit Cult has a secret technique that uses poison to nourish poison. It is perfectly suited for you."

Such a thing existed?

Dugu Bo was overjoyed. It seemed becoming an elder of this Holy Spirit Cult was not so bad after all.

Seeing Dugu Bo's delighted expression, Meng Chen found it somewhat strange.

Was he making a righteous elder fall to evil?

No, Dugu Bo did not count as righteous either. He was not even an elder of Spirit Hall.