The Pope's Personal Disciple? Dugu Yan's Shock!

Dugu Yan thought as she walked barefoot across the grass toward Dugu Bo.

Dugu Bo was sitting cross-legged atop a large boulder, his eyes closed as he dutifully stood guard for Ning Chen.

Hearing footsteps, Dugu Bo opened his eyes and saw his granddaughter approaching.

"Grandfather, why did you come out?"

Dugu Yan walked over to Dugu Bo's side, peered into the poison formation, and asked in confusion,

"Where's Ning Chen? Why didn't he come out with you?"

When he heard his granddaughter directly call Ning Chen by name, Dugu Bo's expression instantly turned stern.

He rose from the boulder, his face severe as he looked at Dugu Yan and said in an extremely harsh tone,

"Yan Yan, don't be disrespectful! You are not allowed to call him by his name again!"

Dugu Yan was startled by her grandfather's sudden severity.

Ever since she was little, her grandfather had never even said a harsh word to her. Why was he scolding her over Ning Chen today?

"Grandfather, what's wrong with you? What's wrong with calling him by name? Isn't his name Ning Chen?"

Dugu Yan pouted and spoke somewhat aggrievedly.

Dugu Bo sighed and lowered his voice.

"Yan Yan, listen to Grandfather. From now on, both you and I belong to Spirit Hall."

"From now on, you must call him Young Master. You absolutely must not address the Young Master by his true name again. Rules are rules."

Upon hearing this, Dugu Yan froze completely. Her eyes widened as she stared at Dugu Bo, disbelief written all over her face.

"Spirit Hall? Young Master?" Dugu Yan stammered.

"Grandfather, what exactly is going on? When did we become part of Spirit Hall? You're a Titled Douluo—why are you calling him Young Master?"

Dugu Yan was completely baffled. Of course she knew what kind of existence Spirit Hall was.

It was the strongest soul master organization on the entire continent, one that even the Heaven Dou Empire's royal family feared.

But her grandfather had always been a lone wolf. Even when the Heaven Dou Empire recruited him, he had only accepted the nominal title of guest elder. How had he suddenly joined Spirit Hall, and even acknowledged a teenage boy as Young Master?

Seeing how shocked his granddaughter was, Dugu Bo knew this revelation had hit her hard.

He then pulled Dugu Yan over to sit on the boulder and began explaining.

"Yan Yan, do you think the Young Master is merely an ordinary soul master with slightly better talent?" Dugu Bo shook his head, deep reverence in his voice.

"You're wrong. Terribly wrong."

"If I told you the Young Master's identity, it would scare you to death."

Dugu Bo paused, looked into Dugu Yan's eyes, and said each word distinctly.

"The Young Master is not only Spirit Hall's Holy Son. He is also the Pope's personal disciple!"

"What?!"

Dugu Yan shot to her feet from the boulder, her face filled with disbelief.

Spirit Hall's Holy Son? The Pope's personal disciple?

Either of those titles alone was enough to let someone swagger across Douluo Continent.

Yet both titles belonged to the same person!

Only then did Dugu Yan finally understand why Ning Chen had reached rank forty-four soul power at fourteen, why his fourth soul ring was ten-thousand-year level, and why he could remain utterly calm before her grandfather, a Titled Douluo, even daring to tease him.

So the force backing him was the lofty Pope of Spirit Hall, who ruled over more than half of the soul master world!

"No wonder... no wonder he's so powerful," Dugu Yan murmured.

"So Ning Chen is actually Spirit Hall's Holy Son, and the Pope's personal disciple!"

Dugu Yan recalled how she had argued with Ning Chen earlier and even threatened him with her grandfather.

Thinking about it now, it was simply ridiculous.

As Spirit Hall's Holy Son, who knew how many experts were secretly protecting him? Why would he possibly fear a Poison Douluo?

And despite holding such a noble status, he had willingly rushed into the attack range of an eight-thousand-year soul beast to save her without the slightest hesitation, then personally carried her as he flew for so long.

At that thought, Dugu Yan's heartbeat involuntarily quickened, and a blush spread across her face.

Seeing his granddaughter's reaction, Dugu Bo nodded in satisfaction.

He knew Yan Yan had high standards. Now that she knew the Young Master's identity, she definitely would not reject him anymore.

"Yan Yan, now you understand why Grandfather told you to call him Young Master, right?" Dugu Bo said.

"The Young Master has bestowed upon our Dugu Clan a grace akin to rebirth. Joining Spirit Hall and following the Young Master is the best choice for us."

Dugu Yan nodded obediently.

"Grandfather, I understand. Then... what is the Young Master doing inside right now? Shouldn't we go in and help him?"

Dugu Bo waved a hand.

"Yan Yan, the Young Master is absorbing immortal herbs inside. He specifically instructed that no one was to enter and disturb him. We'll stand guard outside and go nowhere."

"Absorbing immortal herbs?" Dugu Yan was somewhat worried.

"It's so dangerous in there. Can he manage by himself?"

"Don't worry. Since the Young Master dared to go in, he must be confident. He's far more capable than you think."

Dugu Bo now had blind confidence in Ning Chen.

He then changed the subject, looking at Dugu Yan with concern as he asked,

"Yan Yan, forget about the Young Master for now. Tell Grandfather quickly—how do you feel after your Martial Soul evolved? Does your body still feel uncomfortable anywhere?"

When her grandfather asked about this, an excited smile immediately appeared on Dugu Yan's face.

She stepped back two paces and mobilized the soul power within her body.

"Grandfather, look!"

Dugu Yan gave a low cry, and a mass of jade-green light erupted from within her body.

Immediately afterward, a dark gold jade-green flood dragon over ten meters long coiled above her head.

The golden horn atop the flood dragon's head gleamed beneath the sunlight.

The pair of three-toed claws on its abdomen looked incomparably sharp.

As Dugu Bo looked at the majestic flood dragon, his beard bristled with excitement.

"Good! Good! Good!" Dugu Bo said "good" three times in a row.

Dugu Yan withdrew her Martial Soul, walked to Dugu Bo's side, and said with a smile,

"Grandfather, my Martial Soul has evolved from the Jade-Scaled Serpent into the Jade-Scaled Venom Flood Dragon."

"I can feel that the problem of Martial Soul Backlash has been completely resolved. That cold, itchy feeling inside my body is gone entirely."

"Moreover, my poison is now completely under my control. It will only grow stronger along with my soul power and will never backlash against me again."

After hearing this, Dugu Bo lovingly rubbed Dugu Yan's head, his eyes moistening once more.

"Wonderful, truly wonderful. Heaven has eyes—it hasn't let our Dugu Clan die out," Dugu Bo sighed.

Then Dugu Bo's expression turned serious. Looking at Dugu Yan, he spoke earnestly.

"Yan Yan, the Young Master has given you such an immense blessing."

"When the Young Master comes out later, you must thank him properly. Do you understand?"

Dugu Bo placed especially heavy emphasis on the words "thank him properly," and there was a meaningful glint in his eyes.

Dugu Yan was so clever that she immediately understood the implication behind her grandfather's words.

Her grandfather was hinting that the debt of gratitude was too great, that ordinary gifts would never suffice, and that she might as well offer herself to him.

Dugu Yan's face instantly turned red.

She clutched the hem of her robe in both hands, kneading it constantly as she lowered her head, not daring to meet Dugu Bo's eyes.