Friction and Invitation (2)

Friction and Invitation (2)

"Dugu Bo, where do you think you're going!" Yue Guan's shrill, mocking voice rang through the dense forest. At the same time, a golden blade formed from golden flower stamens lit up. "Fifth Soul Skill—Gathering of Cold Essence!"

"Yue Guan, don't push your luck!"

"This old man has already withdrawn. Why are you still hounding me?"

Dugu Bo's face was dark, his expression as ugly as if his son had died. Looking at the golden blade aura, his experience from fighting Yue Guan several times told him that this blade aura not only possessed tremendous killing power, but also tracked its target. It was Yue Guan's strongest single-target Soul Skill. Left with no choice, he could only stop and take it head-on. "Fourth Soul Skill—Black Jade Serpent God Shroud!"

A dark-green poisonous gas barrier spread out three chi.

Its terrifying toxicity corroded every plant within the barrier's range into hollow husks. Even Yue Guan's strongest single-target Soul Skill could not slice through this poisonous barrier with devastating force. It could only be gradually eroded by the poison, its Soul Power worn away inch by inch until it was depleted.

At first glance, it seemed Dugu Bo had won that exchange.

In reality, he had suffered a major loss.

Yue Guan's Martial Soul was the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum, a rare immortal herb. Consuming one could open the flow of qi through the limbs and blood through the eight meridians, forging an indestructible body. Though it could not absolutely restrain Dugu Bo like Spiny Porpoise Douluo could, it still made Dugu Bo extremely uncomfortable to fight and granted immunity to most of his poisons.

The Black Jade Serpent God Shroud was a perfect example.

The terrifying trait of this poisonous barrier was its extremely concentrated poison. Most Soul Skills that struck it would be corroded and assimilated by the toxic gas.

Yet against Yue Guan, Dugu Bo could only take the attack head-on.

Because the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum was not afraid of poison.

And because Gathering of Cold Essence was a Fifth Soul Skill.

How could the power of a ten-thousand-year Soul Skill compare to that of a thousand-year Soul Skill?

Yue Guan's advantage over Dugu Bo had accumulated bit by bit in exactly this way.

Not to mention Guimei was holding the line nearby.

Although Guimei had remained with the squad for safety's sake, guarding against Dugu Bo losing his mind after being driven into a corner and turning back to slaughter the Soul Hunting Squad, he could still stand in place and provide Yue Guan support with certain long-range Soul Skills.

"Withdrawn?" Hearing Dugu Bo's angry rebuke, Yue Guan's smile became particularly dangerous. "You still have the strength to warn me not to push my luck and threaten me not to keep chasing you. That only proves you haven't withdrawn far enough!"

"Chrysanthemum Guan, are you saying this old man should kneel and kowtow to you twice?" Dugu Bo truly had no desire to tangle with Yue Guan. He normally would not have wanted to, much less now, less than a week after Ye Qingcang had planted the Bloodline Gu in his heart. It was devouring his vitality. Though it also purified his blood, he was genuinely weak at the moment. "This old man warns you: if you kill me, you cannot bear the consequences!"

What he said was correct.

But it still felt exceptionally awkward.

Ever since becoming Ye Qingcang's dog and having the Bloodline Gu planted in him, especially after Ye Qingcang deliberately made the Bloodline Gu twitch on his heart to prove its lethality because he feared Dugu Bo would not believe him, causing pain so unbearable that he wished for death, Dugu Bo had never had a good impression of Ye Qingcang. His fear outweighed his respect.

He had always regarded this identity as a humiliation.

Now, if anyone dared mention dogs in front of him, he would chop that person into pieces and feed them to dogs—except Ye Qingcang and anyone related to Ye Qingcang...

Yet now, he had to use his identity as a "dog" to threaten his sworn enemy...

There was no greater malice in this world!

But to Yue Guan, those words sounded like the ravings of a desperate man at the end of his rope. Dugu Bo had already lost his mind!

After letting out several mocking laughs, Yue Guan clenched his hand, and the golden blade gathered once more. "There is no consequence I cannot bear. Dugu Bo, whether the Heaven Dou Empire, the Star Luo Empire, or the Upper Three Sects stand behind you, my Spirit Hall will not fear them. At this moment, no one can save you. I said so. Again, Fifth Soul Skill—Gathering of Cold Essence!"

Since neither side had used their Martial Soul Avatar,

Dugu Bo had not used his.

So Yue Guan had not used his either.

They had been fighting a war of attrition the entire time.

Thus, Dugu Bo still had roughly two-thirds of his Soul Power left, while Yue Guan had around four-fifths remaining. Seeing the Gathering of Cold Essence he had taken several times before, an attack that made him feel sick enough to vomit at a glance, Dugu Bo suppressed his rage and prepared to unleash a Soul Skill.

Unexpectedly, a sudden pain stabbed through his heart.

His attempt to mobilize Soul Power failed.

The Soul Skill he had been about to release was forcibly interrupted.

He could only watch helplessly as the golden blade aura flew toward him!

"My life ends here!" Having foreseen his death, Dugu Bo accepted it. "Chrysanthemum Guan, this old man will wait for you below. Before beating a dog, one must consider its master. You self-righteous fool will die at my master's hands sooner or later. And you too, equally foolish Guimei!"

When a man was near death, his words tended to be kind.

Dugu Bo did not wish to revisit that humiliating history from seven days ago.

But if Yue Guan or Guimei were put in the place of that humiliated self, he suddenly felt that history was not so unacceptable after all!

He looked forward to Ye Qingcang torturing Yue Guan and Guimei with even crueler methods. It would be best if he used some punishment, such as the punishment Dugu Bo had surrendered before getting the chance to experience—the horrifying execution of a thousand cuts, death by a thousand cuts!

However, the Bloodline Gu would not move for no reason!

A dagger of decent force shot out from the forest!

It crossed through the air and blocked in front of Dugu Bo!

Immediately afterward, layers of black symbols unfurled from the dagger. Before Yue Guan's astonished eyes, they devoured the golden blade aura of Gathering of Cold Essence. Then, with merely a reverse spread of the black symbols, the golden blade aura was released intact the instant the dagger struck a tree trunk. Only its direction had changed. It sliced through dozens of towering ancient trees, completely losing its tracking ability, and saved Dugu Bo as he waited for death!

"Who?" Yue Guan's heart tightened.

A single dagger had redirected his Fifth Soul Skill.

If he had not seen it with his own eyes, he would have thought it was a joke!

But he had seen it himself, so it could not be false!

Since when had such a bizarre Soul Skill appeared on this continent?

"Sorry." A blonde girl wrapped in a black-and-gold cloak suddenly appeared atop a tree branch. Her silent entrance made Guimei's eyes light up. Especially when he saw the blood-red sword mark on the back of her black-and-gold cloak, not only he, but even Yue Guan, who had been bristling with hostility moments ago, softened his gaze considerably and patiently listened to her explanation. "I am a student of Blue Tyrant Academy, Violet. My master left this dog behind to provide support, but I did not expect him to come into conflict with everyone from Spirit Hall. My deepest apologies. Could we each take a step back? I will take him back to my master, and you can treat this as though it never happened?"

"Who do you think you are?"

"You dare speak to Their Majesties like that?"

"Take a step back? Do you deserve that?"

Yan was a simp.

But he was devoted enough.

No matter how beautiful Violet was, he could ignore it.

Hearing Violet's proposal, he shouted in dissatisfaction.

But in the next moment, Guimei, who was within the squad, rebuked him. "Silence. Do not be disrespectful. This young lady is an outstanding talent of Blue Tyrant Academy. The bloody sword scar on her cloak proves that she has personally slain Evil Soul Masters. In recent years, Evil Soul Masters have become so scarce within Heaven Dou because the many outstanding talents of Blue Tyrant Academy have killed them one by one. Pope Your Majesty has personally praised Blue Tyrant Academy's contributions and instructed Spirit Hall to link its Evil Soul Master wanted list with Blue Tyrant Academy, making it easier for them to kill Evil Soul Masters. Quite a few Blue Tyrant Academy students have also joined Spirit Hall. They are practically half one of our own. How could you berate this female student so harshly?"

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