Dugu Bo

"You!"

Ye Renxin stared at Lu Xuan for a long while after hearing his string of wild ideas. At last, he said slowly, "You really are a genius of the strangest sort."

An outsider really did see things more clearly. Every avenue Lu Xuan had suggested struck at the heart of the matter.

His plans sounded fanciful, even a little childish and absurd. But on closer thought, they might be worth trying.

Lu Xuan took in every change in Ye Renxin's expression. He knew he was halfway there.

The Douluo Continent truly was the bottom of the barrel when it came to fantasy worlds—and its people's intelligence was in the basement.

In a world where running with weights counted as cultivation and raiding grain supplies was hailed as a brilliant strategy for the ages, even an elementary schooler could outthink them.

Lu Xuan did not know that the Ye Family's ancestors had already tried the methods he had just proposed. Every attempt had failed.

For generations, the Ye Family had waited until the previous Nine Heart Begonia Soul Master reached the end of their life and died peacefully before awakening the Martial Soul of a promising descendant.

But Ye Renxin's recent generations had each produced only one heir, and that old approach had gradually been forgotten.

Lu Xuan's words seemed to shift some of the weight crushing Ye Renxin's heart. All at once, he felt much lighter.

After all, if there was a chance to live a few more years, who would willingly go to their death?

Ye Renxin rose slowly, gave Lu Xuan's shoulder a firm pat, then turned and walked out.

He had made up his mind. He would no longer sit and wait for death. He would urge his daughter and son-in-law to have more children.

He also intended to investigate the other two avenues Lu Xuan had mentioned.

One was Fake Death Secret Medicine. The other was a degraded mutation of the Martial Soul.

If they could fool the rules governing Martial Souls and allow his granddaughter to awaken the Nine Heart Begonia, all would be well. Even if every plan failed, Lingling could still inherit her father's Phoenix Crying Spear. She was not entirely without another path.

Ye Renxin left in high spirits, and Ye Lingling came bouncing in.

"Brother Lu Xuan, I'm here to see you again!"

After breakfast the next day, everyone in the Ye Family gathered together.

Ye Renxin looked at his daughter and son-in-law, his expression grave. "I explained what's at stake yesterday. Qingxian, you mustn't take this lightly. You two need to give serious thought to having a second child."

A blush rose to Ye Qingxian's cheeks, and she nodded gently.

Beside her, Zhao Yan could not contain his smile. The corners of his mouth kept lifting.

Whether they had another child was not the important part. The important part was the process.

Before, he had always been the one to initiate things while his wife held back. But now...

Zhao Yan glanced at Lu Xuan. He was more pleased with this son-in-law by the day!

"Xiao Xuan, come with me to the Dugu Family in a little while." Ye Renxin turned to Lu Xuan, his expression serious. "We need to pursue all three options. If even one works, we'll be fortunate."

"No problem," Lu Xuan agreed readily.

He thought to himself that he was another step closer to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.

Just then, Ye Lingling spoke up. "Grandpa, I want to go too! I haven't seen Sister Yan in ages. I can go play with her today."

Ye Renxin nodded. He had no wish to interfere too much in the children's friendship. He was glad his granddaughter had a playmate her own age.

An hour later, Ye Renxin set out with Lu Xuan and Ye Lingling.

He had sent word of their visit the day before, so when they arrived at Dugu Manor, Dugu Bo and Dugu Yan were already waiting at home.

Dugu Bo looked like an older version of Dugu Xin. Both were tall and thin, with green hair and green eyes.

As he entered the hall, Lu Xuan bowed to the two men. "Lu Xuan greets Senior Dugu and Uncle Dugu."

When Lu Xuan had first arrived in this world and found himself stranded on the streets, Dugu Xin and Dugu Yan had rescued him. He had visited to thank them after becoming Ye Renxin's disciple, but he had yet to truly repay their kindness.

"No need for formalities, young friend." Dugu Xin nodded, his tone mild. "It was a small favor, hardly worth mentioning."

To Dugu Xin, it had been a rescue made on a whim for his daughter's sake. He had never expected anything in return.

But then his gaze swept over Lu Xuan, and his expression changed abruptly. "You... you've become a Soul Master?"

"Uncle Zhao took me to obtain a Soul Ring a few days ago." Lu Xuan nodded and answered calmly, "I'm only a one-ring Soul Master for now."

Dugu Bo had heard his granddaughter mention the rescue before, but he had taken it as a child's amusing story and paid it no mind.

Now, listening to his son speak with Lu Xuan, he suddenly realized that the boy before him was a genuine prodigy.

Despite his young age, Lu Xuan had already obtained a Soul Ring. His Soul Power was clearly above level eleven.

Dugu Bo glanced sideways at Dugu Yan. More than half a year had passed since his granddaughter awakened her Martial Soul, yet her Soul Power still had not reached level ten.

After they exchanged a few pleasantries, Ye Renxin got to the point. "Brother Dugu, I wouldn't have come without a reason. I'm here to ask you for a few poisons."

Ye Renxin explained what he needed, then said, "As you know, both our families' Martial Souls have innate flaws. The only way I can think of to preserve myself is to induce a detrimental mutation in my Martial Soul."

"Indeed." Dugu Bo let out a long sigh, his face full of feeling.

No more than two Nine Heart Begonia Soul Masters from the Ye Family could exist at once. As for the Dugu Family's Jade Phosphorous Serpent Martial Soul, its poison ate away at their lives generation after generation.

While the two family heads spoke, Lu Xuan, who had been listening quietly, suddenly said, "So Senior Dugu's Martial Soul has a flaw too? Is there no way to change it?"

Dugu Bo already knew that the idea behind Ye Renxin's request for poison had come from Lu Xuan. Hearing the boy's question, he looked at him with interest and smiled faintly. "Then what do you think we should do to change our fate, young friend?"

Lu Xuan tossed out another idea that sounded rather naive. "Why not avoid absorbing Soul Rings from poisonous Soul Beasts?"

"That doesn't work." Before Dugu Bo could answer, Dugu Xin shook his head. "You may not know this, young friend, but all five of my Soul Rings came from nonpoisonous Soul Beasts. In the end, my Soul Skills were mediocre, and the Jade Phosphorous Serpent's innate poison remained in my body."

"The poison that comes with your Martial Soul keeps eating away at your body, right?" Lu Xuan continued. "Uncle Dugu, your constitution is weak, so of course it's hard for you to withstand it. If you absorbed more Soul Rings from nonpoisonous Soul Beasts with powerful bodies—Diamond Pythons or Mighty Gorillas, for instance—you might be able to toughen your body enough to endure it for quite a while longer."

"That..." Dugu Xin hesitated at his words.