"By the way, old man!"
"How are things with the Ye Family now?"
Xia Mu looked toward Dugu Bo. The Ye Family was also one of their partners, and he wanted to know what was happening with them.
"Other than seeing patients every day, Old Ye spends all his time scouring the market for rare spiritual herb seeds. I've been helping him look as well!"
"Old Ye is ten years older than me!"
"Though he's advanced to Soul Sage, his potential is lacking. I'm afraid he has no hope of becoming a Titled Douluo in this lifetime."
"On top of that, he's a support-type Soul Master, so his Soul Power advances slowly. Once he reaches fifty or sixty, his vitality will decline, and then there'll be even less hope."
"Now it depends on whether he can seize these last dozen or so years for cultivation. If he can advance to Soul Douluo, he'll be able to live a while longer."
Dugu Bo had advanced to Soul Douluo and was only six ranks of Soul Power away from Titled Douluo. With his talent, he would certainly break through to that realm in this lifetime.
Once a Soul Master became Titled, it was like a fish leaping over the Dragon Gate.
At that time, not only could one be reborn, but one's lifespan would also be several times longer than that of ordinary Soul Masters.
Soul Douluo was the peak of ordinary Soul Masters. A Soul Douluo generally lived around one hundred and fifty years.
Sea God Douluo Bo Saixi had once personally said that an ordinary Titled Douluo had a lifespan of around three hundred years.
For every rank a Titled Douluo advanced, they could live another hundred years. An ordinary Peerless Douluo could live for over a thousand years.
The first-generation Sea God, Poseidon, had spent a thousand years gathering enough faith as a Peerless Douluo before becoming the Sea God of Douluo Continent!
Ordinary people only lived sixty to eighty years. While Soul Masters lived somewhat longer, they generally did not exceed one hundred and twenty years!
Ye Renxin was over fifty and had advanced to a low-rank Soul Sage. That speed was not slow among support-type Soul Masters.
But the Nine-Heart Begonia Clan bore a heaven-defying curse. Ye Renxin had never expected to live on forever.
"By the way, Young Master!"
"There's something I forgot to tell you!"
"Old Ye asked me to test the waters. He said he wanted to give Zi Yi to you in marriage and arrange an engagement between you two!"
"He asked me to see what you thought!"
Dugu Bo's words were startling, but this was actually Ye Renxin's scheme—a beauty trap!
The Ye Family bore a curse: for every generation born, one generation had to die. It was an inescapable fate.
Ye Ziyi was no longer young either. During the last visit to the Dugu Family, she had taken a liking to Xia Mu.
After returning home, Ye Ziyi could neither eat nor sleep.
Ye Renxin knew that his daughter had fallen for someone, and he could not help but sigh.
His daughter had grown up. Her heart had grown wild, and she was hard to manage now!
Once his daughter married and gave birth to nephews and nieces, Ye Renxin's life would reach its end.
Rather than let Ye Ziyi marry someone else, he might as well let her marry the man she liked. Besides, the two heads of the Xia Family were genuine promising prospects!
That thought flashed through Ye Renxin's mind.
After Xia Feng broke through to Soul Sage, all the problems had been resolved. Ye Renxin finally felt at ease. At the very least, after his death, the Xia Family would be able to protect Ye Ziyi.
With Xia Mu, another promising prospect who had yet to show his strength, Ye Renxin planned to marry Ye Ziyi into the Xia Family.
But the prerequisite for all of this was Xia Mu's agreement. Otherwise, none of it would happen!
"Ye Ziyi?"
"Old Master Ye isn't looking for a suitable husband for Sister Zi Yi. He's looking for someone to rely on!"
Xia Mu chuckled, having grasped the key point.
"This matter can't be taken lightly!"
"The Ye Family is our partner, and Old Master Ye is also paving a way out for the Ye Family!"
"Nine-Heart Begonia, one pair in each generation!"
"When one person is born, another must die!"
"Old Ye wants Sister Zi Yi to marry me. He's using the Ye Family's assets as Sister Zi Yi's dowry!"
Xia Mu spoke softly. This already involved an exchange of family interests, so he could not casually state his position.
"Young Master, how did you know about this?"
Dugu Bo looked as if he had seen a ghost. He had not expected Xia Mu to know this secret as well.
"History's rise and fall can serve as a mirror!"
Xia Mu did not say more and quietly pondered for a moment.
"I'm planning to go out for a while!"
"When I return, I'll have to trouble you, old man, to act as an intermediary so we can discuss this matter!"
Only after Xia Mu finished speaking did he bid the two farewell.
Dugu Bo and Dugu Xin escorted Xia Mu out, watching him disappear into the distance before closing the gate.
"What a pity!"
"Our Dugu Family is so thin in numbers!"
"Otherwise, we could have become relatives too!"
Dugu Xin said frankly. Such a good opportunity had fallen to the Ye Family—why did they not have that kind of luck?
"Hm? Are you blaming me?"
Dugu Bo was instantly enraged. Back then, Dugu Xin's mother had even given up her life to give birth to this unfilial son.
And now this unfilial son actually dared to make sarcastic remarks.
"I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare!"
"Father, please calm down!"
Seeing that things were going badly, Dugu Xin immediately tried to slip away!
But Dugu Bo grabbed him and lifted him up, saying sinisterly, "You and Shasha have been married for nearly two years. Why is there still no movement in her belly?"
"You unfilial son, why are you so disappointing? If I hadn't met the Young Master, I'd probably be dead already. Why can't you fulfill one of my wishes?"
Dugu Bo was nearly fifty now. All day long, he thought about holding grandsons and granddaughters, yet his wish had not been fulfilled. The young couple seemed somewhat resistant to having children!
"Dad, aren't you alive after all?"
"Shasha and I discussed it. We're planning to have children later. While we're still young, we should cultivate properly. When we're older, it won't be too late to have them!"
The moment Dugu Xin said it, he appeared extremely filial, but his words nearly made Dugu Bo fume with rage.
"You unfilial son!"
"Do you really want me to die with my eyes still open?"
Dugu Bo was furious and immediately rebuked him.
"Father!"
"Why are you arguing with Brother Xin again?"
At that moment, Feng Yansha returned home.
"It's nothing, it's nothing!"
"Father and I were just fooling around!"
Dugu Xin waved his hand and walked over to Feng Yansha.
"Forget it, forget it!"
"Do whatever you want. I won't interfere in this matter anymore!"
Dugu Bo could not keep up appearances, so he flicked his sleeve and left for the quiet chamber to refine the Ten-Thousand-Year Medicine King.
Elsewhere, in Sunset Forest!
The bat wings on Xia Mu's back flapped, and his entire body became a streak of light as he flew toward the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well.
"Whoosh~"
Halfway there, he suddenly saw a woman flying toward him, with a soul beast chasing behind her.
"Help, save me!"
"I'm Ling Yuan from Blazing Academy. I was originally hunting soul beasts in Sunset Forest, but after I hunted a Blazing Golden Bird, it set its sights on me."
Ling Yuan hurriedly spoke as she arrived before Xia Mu.
"Ling Yuan?"
"The Ninth Elder of Spirit Hall—Ling Yuan?"
"She was currently just an ordinary student of Blazing Academy and hadn't joined Spirit Hall yet?"
Xia Mu looked at Ling Yuan. She was not very old, around twenty, and was a quasi-Soul Ancestor!
"Cry!"
With a shrill cry, the soul beast chasing Ling Yuan revealed itself. Its entire body burned with raging flames, while its magnificent tail feathers hung down and scattered endless radiance!
"Hiss!"
"That's a ninety-thousand-year Blazing Sun Golden Crow Emperor. The Blazing Golden Bird you hunted was its child!"
"Why did you have to provoke it?"
The Blazing Sun Golden Crow was a rare top-tier soul beast, possessing the three attributes of light, fire, and metal. Its temperament was violent.
The Blazing Sun Golden Crow Emperor was an outstanding member of its species, a true super soul beast!
Now that its child was dead, it had no mind to distinguish right from wrong or settle grievances. It only wanted to kill every human!
"What are you standing there for? Run!"
A ninety-thousand-year soul beast was comparable to a High-Rank Soul Douluo. Xia Mu could not fight it at all while dragging along dead weight.
Before you continue