Dugu Yan

On the outskirts of Sunset Forest, an old man and a young man walked along at an unhurried pace.

"En'er, have you really decided not to obtain your fourth soul ring yet?"

Gu Rong turned to look at his grandson, his eyes full of gratification.

If an ordinary genius encountered such an opportunity to leap ten levels at once, they would probably have long since clamored to hunt a fifty-thousand-year soul beast. Yet Gu En was calm enough to unsettle anyone.

Gu En nodded, his expression composed.

"Grandfather, I advanced too quickly this time. Going from level thirty to level forty was practically instantaneous. Although the immortal herb and ten-thousand-year soul ring supported me, my soul power still needs to be tempered and condensed."

"If I obtain my fourth ring now, I could at most challenge a thirty-thousand-year ring. But if I train for half a year and let my body fully adapt to this power, perhaps my fourth ring... could reach the threshold of fifty thousand years or more."

"Good! Not being greedy for quick success—now that is the mindset of someone destined for greatness."

Gu Rong laughed heartily and casually swiped his hand, opening a spatial rift.

"Come on, let's return to the sect and give your Uncle Ning a surprise too!"

Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Sect Master's Hall.

The moment Gu En and Gu Rong stepped into the hall, they sensed a stifling, chilling aura.

Ning Fengzhi sat in the seat of honor, smiling as he spoke with an elderly man seated below.

The old man wore green robes. Though he sat upright, there was a hint of anxiety in his eyes.

Behind him stood a green-haired girl with a stubborn gaze. She was none other than Dugu Yan.

"Uncle Bone, En'er, you've finally returned."

Ning Fengzhi rose to his feet. His gaze swept over Gu Rong, and he immediately sensed that the pressure emanating from him had grown markedly stronger. Shock appeared on his face.

"Uncle Bone, your aura... have you broken through?"

"Haha, thanks to En'er, I'm level ninety-seven now!"

Gu Rong proudly raised his brows, showing off his precious grandson to everyone.

The moment those words fell, the air in the hall froze.

Dugu Bo abruptly rose to his feet, waves crashing through his heart.

Level ninety-seven? He remembered that Gu Rong had previously remained at level ninety-five. How long had it been since they last met? He had actually broken through two levels in a row?

But what truly horrified him came next.

His eyes shifted toward Gu En. When he sensed the faint soul power fluctuations around him, his entire body jolted as if struck by lightning.

"Level forty... a prospective Soul Ancestor? Kid, didn't you just break through level thirty?!"

Dugu Yan widened her beautiful eyes as well, staring fixedly at the boy who was several years younger than her.

She had always considered herself a genius, but before this boy, she felt like a joke.

Gu En bowed to Ning Fengzhi, then turned toward Dugu Bo with an amused smile at the corner of his lips.

"Senior Dugu, it seems you gave my suggestion considerable thought. You actually brought your granddaughter here so quickly."

Dugu Bo gave a bitter smile. Before absolute strength, the little pride he possessed as a Titled Douluo had long since vanished.

Especially after feeling the unfathomable spatial pressure from Gu Rong, he became even more certain that he had to rely on the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

"This old man's life is worthless, but Yan'er is still young."

Dugu Bo gave Gu En a slight bow, his tone carrying a trace of pleading.

"Little Friend Gu En, if you can cure Yan'er, then this life of mine will be yours from now on."

"Grandfather!"

Dugu Yan grew anxious and tried to pull Dugu Bo back.

Dugu Bo waved his hand, signaling for her not to speak.

Inside the secret chamber, a faint fragrance drifted from the incense burner. It was a calming medicinal powder specially prepared by Gu En.

Dugu Yan sat cross-legged on a stone bed, her face somewhat pale. Dugu Bo stood beside her, unconsciously rubbing his hands together, with none of the dignity of a Titled Douluo remaining.

"Senior Dugu, since we are going to treat this, there are some things I must make clear beforehand."

Gu En sat opposite them, his expression frank.

"To be honest, I am not an apothecary specializing in poison. Most of the knowledge I possess comes from incomplete fragments of lost ancient texts. As for completely curing Jade Phosphor Snake Poison, I currently have three approaches: inferior, middling, and superior."

Dugu Bo's expression tightened. "Please, explain."

"The inferior approach is to use top-grade immortal herbs to neutralize the poison."

Gu En raised one finger.

"I do possess such rare treasures, and they can instantly suppress the deadly poison within your bodies."

"But the price is that the poison attribute in your martial souls will be greatly reduced, possibly even causing your soul power levels to regress. To a soul master, that is no different from crippling one's own martial soul."

"No!"

Dugu Bo shook his head without hesitation.

He had made countless enemies throughout his life. Without his poison arts, neither he nor Yan'er would live to see tomorrow.

"The middling approach is Poison Transfer into Bone."

Gu En continued.

"Find a suitable soul bone, then use guidance to forcibly inject the toxins that ordinarily cannot be controlled and have spread through the meridians and internal organs into that soul bone. A soul bone can bear far more than the human body. This can preserve your poison arts while easing the backlash. It is also the most reliable method at present."

A sharp glint flashed through Dugu Bo's eyes as he pondered.

"However, soul bones are difficult to find. And even if we obtain one, precisely guiding the poison into it would also be a problem... Still, this is indeed a path to survival. Then... what is the superior approach?"

Gu En lifted his teacup and took a sip, gazing deeply at Dugu Bo.

"The superior approach is called the Artificial Poison Sac. Senior, have you ever considered why there are countless venomous snakes in this world? Their mouths contain venom, and venom flows through their bodies, yet they are never poisoned to death by their own venom."

Dugu Bo froze. He had dealt with snakes his entire life, yet he had never deeply considered such a basic question.

"That is... because they are born with venom glands and venom sacs. Their venom is isolated inside specific organs."

"Exactly."

Gu En nodded.

"The reason Jade Phosphor Snake martial souls suffer backlash is that, during cultivation, you have treated your bodies as venom sacs."

"The toxins mix with your blood and soul power. Over time, the body naturally collapses."

"And my superior approach is to use special secret techniques and medicine to open up a space within your bodies, similar to an inner core or venom sac, and gather all the toxins there."

"Then not only will the poison cease to cause backlash, its power will instead surpass what it was before due to its extreme concentration."

Dugu Bo's breathing grew rapid. This was practically a divine technique tailor-made for Jade Phosphor Snake soul masters!

"I choose the superior approach! Little Friend Gu En, please teach me the Artificial Poison Sac method!"

Dugu Bo said urgently.

But Gu En sighed, revealing a bitter smile.

"Senior, as I said, this is only the superior approach. It is also the most difficult one. Though I have the theory, I have never tested it on a human body."

"The human meridians are fragile. To forcibly create a space near the sea of qi or dantian capable of holding such deadly poison, even the slightest mistake could result in the body exploding and death."

Gu En paused, then sighed again.

"I cannot guarantee the risks involved."

Dugu Bo's expression shifted uncertainly.