Poison Was Not Truly the Martial Soul's Fault

"It should be possible."

After giving it some thought and considering her own family's situation, Dugu Yan quickly gave her answer.

In contrast, Dugu Bo's expression became unpredictable, green light flickering in his eyes.

"Brat, are you mocking me?"

"Not at all." Even with the chilling aura pressing against his back like needles, Ouyang Ling remained composed. He even calmly took a sip of tea.

This behavior surprised Dugu Bo once again.

He had not expected the boy to remain as calm as if nothing had happened beneath his aura. He was no ordinary person.

As Dugu Bo silently admired him, Ouyang Ling continued. "The reason I asked that question was to make Senior Dugu realize something. There is only one way for a venomous snake to poison itself to death: by injecting poison into itself. The same applies to a martial soul. Senior Dugu's situation cannot be considered an inherited calamity, can it?"

Dugu Bo frowned deeply at those words.

"Brat, what do you mean?"

Ouyang Ling said, "I've studied many things, including all kinds of poison-attribute martial souls. Yet I have never found a single case among poison-attribute beast martial souls where a Soul Master was killed by the backlash of their own poison."

Dugu Bo snorted dismissively.

"That was because they weren't strong enough."

But the moment those words left his mouth, Ouyang Ling refuted him. "There have been quite a few Titled Douluo with poison-attribute beast martial souls recorded throughout history."

Before he could continue, Ouyang Ling said, "Senior, your family's poisoning has never been caused by the Jade Phosphor Snake Martial Soul. It was caused by you!"

That sentence struck straight at the heart!

It also thoroughly enraged Dugu Bo!

"What did you say?!"

The next second, the immense soul power pressure of a Titled Douluo erupted from Dugu Bo's body. Like an endless sea carrying the crushing force of Mount Tai, it swept toward Ouyang Ling and brought the surrounding air to a standstill.

Ouyang Ling, who was being targeted, felt as though his organs were churning like a stormy sea and his entire body had been struck by heavy hammers.

Before anyone could react, Dugu Bo's hand had already shot out, locking onto his throat like a ghost.

"Brat! Say that again!"

Dugu Bo's voice was icy to the bone, his snake-like eyes fixed fiercely upon Ouyang Ling.

Ouyang Ling had expected this. "..."

Well! This old poison freak really was a moody, temperamental bastard. He actually attacked right away.

"Grandfather!"

Dugu Yan, finally reacting, was shocked. She slapped the table and rose to her feet, grabbing Dugu Bo's arm. "Let go of him now! We already agreed on this!"

Yet unlike usual, Dugu Bo said nothing. He simply stared at Ouyang Ling. However, the hand locked around Ouyang Ling's throat was not exerting any force. As the person involved, Ouyang Ling could even sense a faint tremor.

Clearly, he was holding back because of Dugu Yan.

As for why he was trembling...

Ouyang Ling thought, It seems this Poison Douluo has realized the true meaning behind my words. He is somewhat afraid to face it.

Dugu Bo's tone was grim, yet it concealed a fear no one else knew. "Brat! You must take responsibility for your words!"

With people protecting him both openly and secretly, Ouyang Ling remained calm even with his neck caught. "Of course. A true man must dare to take responsibility for what he does."

It was a double entendre.

At that moment, the atmosphere seemed to fall into a stalemate.

Fortunately, Dugu Yan was already frantic with worry that her classmate and friend had been harmed because of her. Unable to pull her grandfather's arm away, she flew into a rage. "Grandfather! If you don't let Little Ling go, I'll never speak to you again!"

Dugu Bo froze, then loosened his hand. In the shadows, Porcupinefish Douluo also stopped moving.

Freed at last, Ouyang Ling rubbed the faint red mark on his throat to ease the slight discomfort.

Although he was displeased, he still looked up at Dugu Bo, who was being scolded by Dugu Yan for "breaking his promise," and spoke to draw his attention. "Senior Dugu, would you like me to continue explaining my judgment?"

Dugu Bo's expression was complicated, and remorse flashed in his eyes. "Speak. This old man is listening. But if you..."

"Grandfather!"

Before he could finish, he was interrupted.

Thus, Dugu Bo could only fall silent. Avoiding his granddaughter's gaze, he gave Ouyang Ling a meaningful look from the corner of his eye, leaving him to figure it out himself.

Ouyang Ling did not mind. He nodded.

"Then I'll continue."

"The real reason you were poisoned was likely the Poison Cultivation you practiced. Ordinary poison-attribute Soul Masters, aside from obtaining soul rings and cultivating soul power, do not deliberately cultivate their own poison. Under such circumstances, poison is merely a manifestation of soul power, just like wind, lightning, water, or fire."

"As long as a martial soul has not developed flaws through mutation, its influence alone can never endanger its Soul Master's life. But is the Jade Phosphor Snake Martial Soul truly a flawed martial soul?"

Ouyang Ling's gaze was burning.

Dugu Bo did not say a word.

Did the Jade Phosphor Snake Martial Soul have flaws?

Of course not!

In fact, martial souls like the Jade Phosphor Snake had long been clearly documented and gradually became a lineage passed down through a single family. But honestly, the Jade Phosphor Snake was not particularly powerful. Among beast martial souls, it could only be placed alongside types like the Ghost Leopard. The truly powerful one was the Jade Phosphor Snake Emperor!

After hearing Ouyang Ling's judgment, Dugu Bo could not help recalling what had happened back then.

In order to become a powerful Soul Master, he had taken a different path and practiced Poison Cultivation, combining poison with soul power. He had wanted to make the Jade Phosphor Snake's venom unrivaled in the world. As a result, by sheer coincidence, he had set the Jade Phosphor Snake Martial Soul upon the path of evolution.

Who could have expected that this would also be the beginning of his retribution?

Practicing Poison Cultivation had caused him to suffer backlash from the innate poison of his martial soul. Not only had he lost his wife in middle age, but he had also brought disaster upon his descendants, losing both his son and daughter-in-law. It was a regret that would haunt him for life!

Yet even until the moment before Ouyang Ling spoke, he had never believed Poison Cultivation was the cause. Instead, he believed that once the Jade Phosphor Snake Martial Soul was cultivated to a sufficiently high level, one would suffer backlash from the martial soul.

After all, before Dugu Bo appeared, his ancestors had lacked sufficient talent and could at most cultivate to the rank of Soul Emperor. Not even a Soul Sage had ever appeared among them.

At that moment, Dugu Bo seemed to have suffered a devastating blow. In an instant, his spirit and vitality appeared to age by more than thirty years.

By now, he believed Ouyang Ling's judgment. Just as Ouyang Ling had said, there had been no shortage of Titled Douluo with poison-attribute beast martial souls throughout history, yet none of them had brought harm upon themselves or poisoned their descendants. Only him! Only Dugu Bo!

Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined that the source of it all was his decision to take another path and practice Poison Cultivation! He himself was the true culprit behind everything!

"Grandfather..."

Heartache flashed through Dugu Yan's eyes. Her voice also pulled Dugu Bo from his remorse.

"Senior Dugu, it is not too late."

Those words completely brought his thoughts back.

That was right. It was not too late. There was still Yan Yan...

As long as the poison Dugu Yan had carried since her mother's womb could be cured, and she did not practice his Poison Cultivation afterward but only cultivated her martial soul, there would be no more problems. As for whether she would become powerful in the future... as long as Yan Yan could live happily, that would be enough!

Having realized this, Dugu Bo took a deep breath and completely suppressed his emotions before looking at Ouyang Ling.

His attitude became solemn, and his tone was no longer as cold as before. "Brat, if you can cure the poison in Yan Yan's body, I can promise to do three things for you—three things that do not violate my bottom line. As you said, a true man must dare to take responsibility for what he does!"

Unexpectedly, Ouyang Ling asked another question.

"Doesn't Senior also want your poison cured?"

Dugu Bo abruptly raised his head, and his eyes lit up!

"You can cure my poison too?"

"Perhaps I can give it a try."

Ouyang Ling did not make any absolute claims.

First, he did not want to reveal that Deep Blue Purification could cure all poisons. He had to keep something in reserve. Second, he wanted an excuse to have Dugu Bo take him to the Ice-Fire Yin-Yang Eyes. Those immortal herbs were the real priority.