Dugu Bo Arrives

Jiang Baiyu was still smiling. Ye Lingling sighed helplessly. "We lost."

"All right." The Shennong Cauldron beside Jiang Baiyu flashed, and a speck of green light flowed into Ye Lingling's martial soul.

"What is this?!" Ye Lingling cried as she felt her martial soul change.

"Just a small favor. It was no trouble." Jiang Baiyu smiled apologetically. "Give me a hand treating your teammates. I hit them pretty hard with that explosion."

The Hundred Herbs Domain spread out again. Feeling the rich vitality around her and the excitement of her own martial soul, Ye Lingling could not help saying, "Fighting you is miserable. My martial soul was so suppressed I could barely release it. But being your teammate? That's a healing soul master's dream."

As she spoke, she drew on the abundant vitality, sending petals drifting toward the others.

White light enveloped those injured by the explosion, and their wounds healed before their eyes.

Before long, Dugu Yan and Yu Feng stirred awake. One look at their surroundings told them how the match had ended. They smiled bitterly. "We lost."

Under the Shennong Cauldron's immense vitality and the Nine-Hearted Begonia's healing, Yu Tianheng also recovered from the head-on collision with the Spirit Deer Nine Seals. His expression was grim and his clothes were in tatters, but he forced himself up and bowed. "We lost. Thank you for holding back." He had felt the explosive energy inside the Nine-Colored Spirit Deer when it struck him and had braced himself to be blown away. Instead, a tremendous force had simply sent him flying.

"It's fine," Jiang Baiyu said with a smile. "You were so strong I had no choice but to use my trump card. I hope you understand."

He turned toward the still-unconscious Shi Brothers. Specks of green light from the Shennong Cauldron flowed into their bodies. "They took eighty percent of the impact. Their martial souls suffered some damage, and then they were caught in the explosion. They may need time to recover. They can also come to my courtyard, and I'll prescribe them some medicine."

"Thank you, Brother Jiang." Yu Tianheng cupped his fists and helped Shi Mo up, while Yu Feng and Osler lifted his brother. Osler looked at Zhu Zhuqing. "You're strong." Jiang Baiyu's Medicine Flame had evened out the gap in their Soul Power, but Zhu Zhuqing had used her agility to drive him out of the arena.

Zhu Zhuqing nodded. "Thank you."

Dugu Yan looked at Jiang Baiyu. "What's going on with your soul skill?"

"You saw what it does. And that isn't the only way I can do it," Jiang Baiyu said evenly. "Come to my courtyard, all of you. You can pick up some medicine there."

"All right," Yu Tianheng said. "Thanks."

The group left with the Shi Brothers.

The moment they departed, cries of astonishment erupted from the crowd below.

"He won! He actually won!"

"Did you see that? A thousand-year Soul Ring! Another thousand-year Soul Ring!"

"How is that possible? How could someone at level thirty have a thousand-year Soul Ring?"

Even Qin Ming, who had served as referee, was stunned. Two thousand-year Soul Rings meant Jiang Baiyu's second Soul Ring had already been a thousand-year ring. How was that possible?

Then an authoritative voice rang out. "Well, that was a thoroughly satisfying challenge match."

Meng Shenji had spoken.

"Greetings, Education Committee Member Meng," everyone said, bowing.

"At ease. The Education Committee has checked Jiang Baiyu's Soul Power. He is indeed a Soul Elder. As for his Soul Rings, those are his private affairs, and Heaven Dou Royal Academy will not investigate." Meng Shenji paused, then added as though it had only just occurred to him, "Jiang Baiyu was personally invited here by His Highness the Crown Prince. Now, get back to your training."

"Yes," everyone replied. Once Meng Shenji mentioned the Crown Prince, understanding dawned in the eyes of some students below the stage. They grasped the committee member's meaning, asked no more questions, and left with the others.

Meanwhile, the Imperial Fighting Team had brought the Shi Brothers back to Jiang Baiyu's courtyard. The moment they stepped inside, the courtyard he shared with Zhu Zhuqing left them stunned.

The medicinal plants filling the courtyard and the dense vitality in the air made them fiercely envious.

"Why is your courtyard so much better than ours?" Dugu Yan demanded, disgruntled.

"Maybe because the Crown Prince brought me here," Jiang Baiyu said.

Only then did they remember that Jiang Baiyu was more than a gifted young man. He had been invited by the Crown Prince himself.

"Enough. Put them there. Zhuqing, help me fetch a few medicinal ingredients."

Zhu Zhuqing went into the house.

"Do you need my help?" Ye Lingling asked. The Nine-Hearted Begonia family had a long history of studying medicine.

"Sure. Help me prepare a restorative tonic. We should have all the ingredients here," Jiang Baiyu said.

Ye Lingling nodded and went with Zhu Zhuqing.

Jiang Baiyu turned to Dugu Yan. "Now release your poison mist at me again."

His domain covered the courtyard, protecting every medicinal plant.

Dugu Yan did not hesitate. A wisp of green poison mist spread outward.

Jiang Baiyu tossed out a Clay Pot. A touch of Soul Power shattered it, spilling its contents toward the mist.

A rich scent of wine filled the air. To everyone's surprise, Dugu Yan's poison stopped advancing as though it had met its natural enemy.

"How is that possible?!" Dugu Yan exclaimed.

Jiang Baiyu was baffled too. Realgar Wine could not actually neutralize poison, yet for some reason, in this world it was particularly effective against snakes. Still, it worked, and that was enough.

"Will you agree to my request now?"

Jiang Baiyu waited for her answer.

"Wait here. I'll tell my grandfather right away," Dugu Yan said. "Sorry, everyone, but something urgent has come up. I can't stay." With that, she hurried off.

No one took offense at her reaction. The Dugu family's Jade Phosphorous Serpent Poison was renowned throughout the continent. It would be one thing if Jiang Baiyu's soul skill countered it, but if ordinary wine could do the same, that was a serious problem.

Yu Tianheng had reached the same conclusion. He looked at his teammates. "I'm sorry, but I have to say this: if word of this gets out, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan will hold everyone responsible."

Yu Feng and Osler immediately promised to keep quiet. Why would they betray their own captain and vice-captain?

Before long, the medicinal ingredients were ready. Together, they lifted the Shi Brothers into tubs of Medicinal Bath.

Ye Lingling finished preparing the medicine for their injuries and handed it out to everyone.

"Where's Yan?" she asked.

"Something urgent came up. She left early," Yu Tianheng said.

Ye Lingling asked no more.

Jiang Baiyu looked at the Shi Brothers soaking in the Medicinal Bath tubs. They had pushed themselves too far in the arena, and the shock to their internal organs had kept them unconscious.

"Ye Lingling, give me a hand," Jiang Baiyu said.

Ye Lingling nodded, and the Nine-Hearted Begonia glowed faintly white. Jiang Baiyu sat before them on a stone stool and raised his hand, drawing another faint glow from the Shennong Cauldron.

Fine threads of gentle, pure medicinal energy flowed into the brothers, precisely mending their damaged meridians and soothing the internal injuries caused by the backlash of their Soul Power.

A moment later, two soft groans sounded. The Shi Brothers' eyelids fluttered, and they slowly woke. Their bodies felt at ease, with none of the agonizing exhaustion they had suffered in the arena.

Feeling the warmth around them and seeing that they were somewhere unfamiliar, the brothers asked, "Where are we?"

"My place. You exhausted yourselves in the arena and injured your meridians, so I brought you back for treatment," Jiang Baiyu said.

Hearing this, the bare-chested brothers sat up. "Thank you, Brother Jiang."

"It was nothing."

Yu Tianheng came over with two bowls of medicine. "Here. Lingling made a tonic for your meridians."

The brothers took a bowl each. After putting on their clothes, they looked around. "Huh? Where's Yan?"

"She had something urgent to discuss with her grandfather, so she left early."

The Shi Brothers were no fools. Jiang Baiyu had arranged this match to find Dugu Bo, then demonstrated in the arena that he could counter Jade Phosphorous Serpent Poison. Of course Dugu Yan was in a hurry.

Seeing that the Shi Brothers were all right, Yu Tianheng rose to take his leave. "We'll be going, then. Think about joining the team."

"We will," Jiang Baiyu said with a smile. Yu Tianheng had just invited him and Zhu Zhuqing to join the Imperial Fighting Team.

"Goodbye."

After everyone left, Jiang Baiyu settled comfortably into a lounge chair. "I wonder where that little old man Su Wu has gone now. He hasn't sent a word."

"Well, Zhuqing? I told you we'd win." He looked at Zhu Zhuqing, who was still busy nearby. "Take a break."

"Mm," Zhu Zhuqing replied, her hands still moving.

Jiang Baiyu pulled her over to another lounge chair and made her lie down. "We just won. Rest a while."

Sunlight warmed Zhu Zhuqing's skin. She narrowed her eyes and stretched comfortably.

"Don't rush. Trust your senior brother," Jiang Baiyu said.

"Mm. I've always trusted you," Zhu Zhuqing replied.

"Zhuqing, let me tell you something. I can tell fortunes, and you're destined to become a god."

Zhu Zhuqing was half stunned and half touched. Becoming a god was such a distant, uncertain thing, yet Jiang Baiyu spoke of it so casually when it came to her.

"I mean it. Trust me."

"Mm. I do," Zhu Zhuqing said.

They paid no mind to the uproar their victory over the Imperial Fighting Team had caused or to how many powerful factions were studying their records. They simply enjoyed the sunshine.

For several days, they divided their time between rest and cultivation. Meng Shenji visited once, but otherwise no one disturbed them.

Meanwhile, Dugu Yan led a green-haired middle-aged man into the academy.