Jade Phosphor Golden Dragon Martial Soul, Level 94 Dugu Bo

Three days later.

From deep within Sunset Forest, in that hidden valley, came an earth-shaking dragon roar.

The sound pierced through the valley's barrier, startling the birds and beasts for miles around. Even the distant Sunset Forest trembled from it.

Lin Chen, standing guard at the valley entrance, raised his head to look at the clouds above the valley, which had been churned into chaos by the shockwave. The corners of his lips curled slightly.

It had succeeded.

When he entered the valley, he saw Dugu Bo standing at the edge of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, his entire body bathed in a layer of golden light.

His appearance had undergone a complete transformation.

His once grizzled hair had turned a thick dark green, streaked with several strands of gold that gleamed with a metallic luster beneath the sunlight.

Most of the wrinkles on his face had faded, and his sickly pale complexion had become a healthy bronze. Most astonishing of all were his eyes.

His formerly dark green pupils had turned gold. Though they remained slit-shaped, the cold, serpentine aura had vanished completely, replaced by something more majestic and far more profound.

It was the aura of a dragon.

Dugu Bo raised his right hand, palm upward. A serpentine phantom, jade green all over with golden lines along the edges of its scales, danced in his palm.

Two tiny horns had grown atop the phantom's head, while the rudiments of four claws had emerged beneath its body.

"How does it feel?" Lin Chen asked with a smile, standing some distance away with his arms crossed.

Dugu Bo did not answer immediately. He closed his eyes, sensing the surging power within him, and only slowly opened them again after a long while.

"Level ninety-four." His voice trembled slightly. "My soul power... has broken through to level ninety-four."

More than that, the poisons that had tormented his body for decades had now been completely subdued.

Those Jade Phosphor Serpent toxins that had once caused him unbearable agony now felt like extensions of his limbs, entirely under his control.

He could even sense that the quality of his martial soul had undergone a qualitative leap.

All of this was because of the young man before him.

Dugu Bo turned to look at Lin Chen, complicated emotions surging in his eyes.

He had lived for so many years. He had seen countless geniuses and countless swindlers.

He had thought Lin Chen was merely a knowledgeable youth. Being able to identify his condition was already remarkable enough. Yet he had never expected that Lin Chen would not only recognize his illness, but also give him a true cure.

The Earth Dragon Golden Melon.

He had consumed that Earth Dragon Golden Melon according to Lin Chen's instructions, endured a full day and night of excruciating torment, and then been reborn.

"Lin Chen." Dugu Bo spoke, his voice somewhat hoarse. "I, Dugu Bo, have never owed anyone a favor in my life. But today, I owe you my life."

As he spoke, he actually bent at the waist and gave Lin Chen a deep bow.

A Title Douluo, a powerhouse above level ninety, bowing to a twelve-year-old boy. If outsiders saw this scene, their jaws would surely drop.

Lin Chen hurried forward to support him. "Senior, there's no need for this. I helped you because I had selfish motives too."

"No matter what selfish motives you may have." Dugu Bo straightened and looked at him solemnly. "From today onward, you, Lin Chen, are the benefactor of Dugu Bo. In Heaven Dou City, if anyone dares touch even a hair on your head, I, Dugu Bo, will be the first to object."

Lin Chen smiled. "With those words from you, Senior, I can rest easy."

Dugu Bo looked at him, finding him more pleasing the longer he watched.

This young man was so young, yet extraordinarily gifted, calm and steady in his conduct. He understood medicine, knew when to advance and when to retreat, and was neither arrogant nor impetuous.

Even rarer, he possessed a benevolent heart.

He clearly could have used the Earth Dragon Golden Melon to negotiate terms with him, yet he had simply handed it over without another word.

He clearly could have used this matter to coerce him into doing things for him, yet he had merely mentioned "selfish motives" in passing without even saying what those motives were.

Such a young man could not be found anywhere else on the entire continent.

The more Dugu Bo looked, the more he liked him, and a thought suddenly surfaced in his heart.

"Lin Chen," he said in a probing tone, "what do you think of my Yan'er?"

Lin Chen froze for a moment. "Sister Yan? She's quite good. She's talented and beautiful too, though her personality is a little cold."

"Cold is good, cold is good." Dugu Bo nodded repeatedly, a meaningful smile appearing on his face. "Once a cold girl falls in love, she'll be the most devoted. Look, my Yan'er is fourteen this year. She has the Jade Phosphor Serpent martial soul, and her talent is among the very best of her peers. As for her looks, you said it yourself—she's beautiful. She shouldn't be unworthy of you, should she?"

Lin Chen blinked, suddenly realizing what the old man was getting at.

"Senior, you wouldn't be thinking..."

"When a man comes of age, he should marry; when a woman comes of age, she should wed." Dugu Bo stroked his beard and said with a beaming smile, "You're twelve this year, and Yan'er is fourteen. Your ages are suitable too. If you're willing, I'll go speak with Yan'er right now and settle the engagement first. Once you're a few years older, we'll hold the wedding. What do you think?"

Lin Chen did not know whether to laugh or cry. But seeing how serious Dugu Bo was, he could not directly refuse him. After thinking it over, he said, "Senior, Sister Yan truly is wonderful, but we're both still young. It's too early to be discussing marriage. Besides, Sister Yan and I have only just met. We don't understand each other yet. Why don't we spend some time getting along first? As for the future, we can discuss it in the future."

Not only was Dugu Bo not disappointed by his answer, his eyes instead lit up even brighter.

He had not rejected it outright, which meant there was hope.

"Good, good, good. Get along first, get along first." Dugu Bo nodded repeatedly, grinning from ear to ear. "You're both at the same academy anyway, so there'll be plenty of chances to interact. Don't worry, I won't put any pressure on you. You're young people—take it slowly."

Lin Chen looked at him helplessly, but he also knew the old man meant well, so he said nothing further.

"Senior, let's discuss the poison in Sister Yan's body first." Lin Chen steered the conversation back on track.

"Right, right, right." Dugu Bo slapped his forehead. "I nearly forgot the important matter. You said you had a way to resolve the poison in Yan'er's body. What exactly do we need to do?"

Lin Chen walked to the edge of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, pointed at several strange immortal herbs beside the spring, and began explaining them one by one.

Dugu Bo listened intently and nodded again and again.

Though he had used poison for decades, his knowledge of these immortal herbs was far inferior to Lin Chen's. Listening to Lin Chen's detailed explanation now, he realized that he had guarded this treasure mountain for decades while wasting its riches all along.

"When can Yan'er begin treatment, then?" Dugu Bo asked.

"Any time," Lin Chen said. "Senior, bring her here tomorrow. I'll first give her a comprehensive examination, then formulate a treatment plan."

"Good, good." Dugu Bo nodded repeatedly, his gaze toward Lin Chen filled with gratitude and admiration.

This boy had not only saved him, but was also willing to save his granddaughter.

He, Dugu Bo, would remember this favor in his heart.

Standing at the edge of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, Lin Chen gazed at the Taiji-shaped spring and silently considered his next plan.