A Bountiful Haul, Protected by a Titled Douluo!

Dugu Bo's voice carried a rare trace of urgency.

This was exactly what Lin Ye had been waiting for.

"Senior, if you want to fundamentally solve the poison backlash from the martial soul, you must find a permanent host for the poison."

"A host?"

"That's right!"

"But what could serve as a host for the poison?"

Lin Ye slowly raised a finger.

"Naturally, a Soul Bone!"

"And it must be a Soul Bone with an attribute similar to her martial soul, to serve as the vessel for the poison."

"Once she has a Soul Bone, force the backlash poison produced by her martial soul into it.

That way, those toxins will no longer erode her own meridians."

Dugu Bo stared fixedly into Lin Ye's eyes.

Half believing, half doubting,

"Boy, you're not fooling this old man, are you?"

"Senior." Lin Ye's expression remained unchanged.

"You saw the results with your own eyes just now. If I truly meant to deceive you, why would I go this far in front of you?"

He paused, then added,

"And it isn't just your granddaughter's poison that can be cured this way. The toxins that have accumulated in your body over seventy-eight years can be treated the same way."

At those words, Dugu Bo's breathing noticeably grew heavier.

"But this process will take time."

Lin Ye held out his hand and spread his five fingers.

"The poison cannot be cleared all at once. It must be removed gradually in stages, while also allowing the Soul Bone to adapt and fuse."

"Conservatively speaking, the entire process will take... at least a year."

"A year..."

Dugu Bo mulled over that length of time again and again.

But Lin Ye did not see it that way.

With the efficiency of his Devour skill, he would not even need half a year.

Yet he had deliberately said one year.

The reason was simple.

A one-year detoxification period meant that Dugu Bo would have to remain in close contact with him throughout that year.

Which meant he would have the protection of a Titled Douluo!

And for someone who was currently only level twenty-eight, the protection of a Titled Douluo was practically a death-immunity token.

Whether it was some insignificant bastard or any other demon or monster,

with Dugu Bo backing him, almost no one would dare touch him.

This deal was an absolute steal!

Dugu Yan, who had listened from the side for so long, had also lost her earlier disgust and impatience.

She lowered her head and looked at her hands, feeling the long-lost lightness within her body.

The shackles that had weighed upon her since childhood had been removed by more than half tonight.

She had nearly forgotten what it felt like to live without the burden of poison.

"Grandfather."

Dugu Yan raised her head. For once, she put away her playful expression and said seriously,

"I think he's telling the truth. I really do feel much better now. My meridians feel clearer than they have in the past three years combined."

Dugu Bo then raised his head.

He looked at his granddaughter, then at Lin Ye.

The killing intent in those dark green eyes had long since vanished.

In its place was a deep, searching scrutiny.

He remained silent for a full ten seconds.

"Boy."

Dugu Bo finally spoke.

"This old man has lived for seventy-eight years. I have never owed anyone a favor, nor do I easily trust others."

He walked over to Lin Ye. A rare smile appeared on his withered face.

"But what you accomplished tonight has left this old man with no choice but to believe."

"One year it is."

Dugu Bo's voice was low and resolute.

One year.

That was not a short time.

But if it could truly cure the martial soul backlash poison that had plagued his Lineage for two generations,

let alone one year,

he could wait ten!

"Boy, from today onward, for this coming year, I, Dugu Bo, will ensure your safety."

"Your affairs are this old man's affairs. Whoever touches you will be making an enemy of me."

Hearing those words, the stone in Lin Ye's heart finally fell away.

It worked.

It had finally worked!

The protection of a Titled Douluo was secured.

Yet his expression remained calm. He merely clasped his hands and bowed slightly.

"Thank you for your trust, Senior."

Dugu Bo then turned his back to him and stood with his hands behind him.

"And... those medicinal herbs you stole tonight."

Lin Ye's movements stiffened for an instant.

"Consider them a gift from this old man."

"Senior is most generous. Lin Ye is deeply grateful!"

Lin Ye stood where he was, ecstatic inside.

Done.

The protection of a Titled Douluo, secured.

Immortal Herbs, secured.

A massive increase in spiritual power, secured.

All he had to do next was proceed steadily. Within a year, his strength would at least double or triple again.

The greater the risk,

the greater the reward!

This was fucking awesome!

"Boy."

Dugu Bo suddenly spoke, his tone much gentler than before.

"This old man has a question. You must answer truthfully."

"Please ask, Senior."

"What is your relationship with Spirit Hall?"

The moment those words were spoken, the atmosphere immediately froze.

Lin Ye then raised his head and looked Dugu Bo straight in the eye.

"Senior, I have no relationship with Spirit Hall whatsoever."

At Lin Ye's answer, Dugu Bo's pupils contracted sharply.

No relationship?

He had originally assumed that, across all of Douluo Continent, aside from those old immortals in Spirit Hall, no one else could possibly cultivate such a monstrous prodigy.

But on second thought, it did add up.

If this boy truly belonged to Spirit Hall, there was no way he would have traveled without anyone accompanying him.

Spirit Hall had always spared no expense in nurturing geniuses.

There would certainly be guards traveling with him and sentries watching from the shadows.

Yet this boy had entered Sunset Forest alone from beginning to end.

He did not even have a helper.

"Boy, do you truly belong to no faction? Including those sects?"

Dugu Bo's tone became subtle.

"Senior is correct." Lin Ye spread his hands, his tone casual.

"I, Lin Ye, have been an orphan since childhood, with no one to rely on. It was already difficult enough to survive to the age of six."

Dugu Bo's expression softened slightly at those words.

An orphan?

He possessed such a heaven-defying martial soul and talent, yet he was an orphan without parents?

If he had been in Spirit Hall or one of those sects, they would probably have worshipped him like an ancestor by now.

But...

"Wait."

Something suddenly flashed through Dugu Bo's mind, and he abruptly raised his head.

"Boy, you just said... you managed to survive until today?"

"Yes."

"How old are you this year?"

Lin Ye thought for a moment, then held out one hand and spread its five fingers.

Then he raised the index finger of his other hand.

"Six."

"What did you say?"

Dugu Bo's voice suddenly rose, and his dark green eyes sharply narrowed.

"Boy, you're only... six years old?!"

Dugu Yan, standing nearby, was completely stunned as well.

Her mouth hung open, her eyes wide and round. She looked at Lin Ye as though she were seeing a monster with three heads and six arms.

"Six... six years old?"

Dugu Yan's voice even stumbled.

"You're actually that much younger than me?!"

She instinctively examined Lin Ye again.

He had a sturdy build, and although his face still retained childish traces,

his dark eyes held a depth and composure far beyond his age.

Before, she had thought Lin Ye was at most twelve or thirteen, perhaps merely an unusually mature young genius.

But six?

Six!

A six-year-old Great Soul Master!

A six-year-old with two Thousand-Year Spirit Rings!

At six, he could already pass through a Titled Douluo's poison barrier, steal an entire herb garden clean,

and even turn around and sit down to negotiate terms with her grandfather?!

"That's impossible..."

Dugu Yan muttered, her voice utterly stripped of its earlier arrogance.