"I've brought Yanyan!"
The voice was still outside the academy, but the expressions of Flender and the others had already changed.
A Titled Douluo visiting in person was an entirely different matter from an ordinary guest calling. Especially when that visitor was Poison Douluo Dugu Bo, a man as notorious for his temper as he was for his poison.
Before long, an old man and a young woman appeared at the entrance to the training grounds.
Dugu Bo wore his usual green robes, with Dugu Yan beside him. The girl had short purple hair and a cool, striking air, but her complexion was noticeably rosier than the last time they had met.
Flender was just about to step forward when Dugu Bo strode past everyone, spotting Ling Yun at once.
"You're certainly taking it easy, brat. I've been busy testing medicine for you, and you've come back to play team captain?"
Ling Yun chuckled. "Senior Dugu, that's hardly fair. The medicine is meant to treat you. Why do you make it sound as though you're testing poison for me?"
Dugu Bo snorted, though there was little anger on his face.
To Dai Mubai and the others, however, this exchange carried an entirely different weight.
They already knew Ling Yun knew Dugu Bo, but they had never imagined the two were this close. A thirteen-year-old Soul Ancestor actually dared joke right in Poison Douluo's face.
And the key was that Dugu Bo really wasn't angry.
Dugu Yan walked up to Ling Yun and held out her hand. "My right arm was still a little numb last night, but my chest isn't as tight as it used to be."
Ling Yun placed his fingers on her wrist and slowly probed with his soul power.
A moment later, he released her hand. "That's normal. The poison that accumulated in your meridians couldn't possibly be cleared out all at once. It's down by about seventy percent now. We'll deal with the rest gradually."
"Don't use large amounts of Jade Phosphorous Serpent Poison over the next few days."
Dugu Yan nodded without questioning him. In fact, she listened very attentively.
At this point, Ning Rongrong finally couldn't help asking, "You can treat poison, too?"
Before Ling Yun could answer, Dugu Bo spoke. "He can do more than that. This brat was the one who found a solution to the poison in both Yanyan and me."
That single sentence silenced the entire training ground.
Poison Douluo.
It was perfectly normal for him to poison others.
But what they had just heard was that Poison Douluo himself had been poisoned-and Ling Yun had found the solution?
Even Flender's expression changed. "Senior Dugu, your poison..."
Dugu Bo said evenly, "The poison from my Jade Phosphorous Serpent Martial Soul accumulated in my body for decades. But this brat found a way to resolve it gradually without having to destroy all my poison skill."
As he spoke, he raised his right hand.
"Some of the poison in my right arm has already been forced out. For the first time in all these years, I've realized I can sleep this soundly at night."
Everyone looked at Ling Yun in a completely different light.
Ma Hongjun couldn't help muttering, "Just how much more is this guy hiding?"
Ling Yun had sharp ears. "Not that much. Fighting, treating poison, recognizing a few medicinal herbs. And occasionally serving as team captain on the side."
The corner of Ma Hongjun's mouth twitched. You call that not much? Just then, Dugu Bo seemed to remember something and casually tossed over a dark green token.
Ling Yun raised a hand and caught it.
It bore a snake-head design.
It was the very access token Dugu Bo had given him before.
"You left in such a hurry last time, brat, you nearly left that at my place."
Dugu Bo said, "The Medicine Garden's rules are the same as before. Tell me in advance if you want anything. As long as you don't pluck my place bare, do as you please."
Ning Rongrong abruptly turned toward Ling Yun.
"Medicine Garden?"
Ling Yun nodded. "It's where I got the immortal herbs."
Now everyone understood.
They also had their answer as to where the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum in Liu Erlong's hands had come from, while Yu Xiaogang's gaze once again drifted uncontrollably toward Dugu Bo.
Immortal herbs.
And not just one.
An entire Medicine Garden might hold them.
How keen were Dugu Bo's senses? He quickly noticed the gaze. "And who is this?"
Flender coughed. "Yu Xiaogang."
"Oh." Understanding dawned on Dugu Bo.
Yu Xiaogang gave a slight nod. "Senior Poison Douluo."
Dugu Bo gave him no more than that single glance before losing interest.
Ling Yun, however, had no intention of letting him off. "Grandmaster was quite interested in immortal herbs just now. He even asked whether I had any others."
Yu Xiaogang's expression instantly stiffened.
Dugu Bo raised an eyebrow. "You want some?"
Yu Xiaogang was just about to explain when Ling Yun answered for him. "No, he only wants to research them."
Yu Xiaogang: "..."
With a perfectly straight face, Ling Yun said, "Grandmaster mainly researches theory. Actual specimens are too expensive to waste carelessly. Especially something like an immortal herb, which really does have an effect when eaten. If it turns out differently from what's written in the books, he'd have to come up with another explanation afterward."
Liu Erlong lowered her head, her shoulders already beginning to shake.
Although Dugu Bo knew nothing of their past grievances, he caught the undertone, and a hint of a smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
"My Medicine Garden isn't something just anyone can research because they feel like it."
His words were simple, but coming from a Titled Douluo, they carried an entirely different weight.
Yu Xiaogang could only remain silent.
Ling Yun twisted the knife from beside him. "Don't be disappointed, Grandmaster. It's theoretical research, after all. You can still research without any actual specimens."
"That's what you do best."
Flender turned away outright, afraid he would laugh. Yu Xiaogang's rigid face had visibly darkened, yet he couldn't say a single word.
Neither of these two intended to give him anything. He could hardly demand that a Titled Douluo provide immortal herbs to support his theoretical research.
Watching this, Dugu Yan suddenly found it rather strange. She had heard of Yu Xiaogang's reputation even at Heaven Dou Royal Academy, but why did he seem to be taking one defeat after another standing before Ling Yun today?
"Enough."
Dugu Bo waved a hand. "I didn't come here today to listen to you needle people, brat."
He patted Dugu Yan on the shoulder.
"Arrange the next stage of Yanyan's treatment first."
Ling Yun nodded. "No problem. But we'll have to take the second stage more slowly. She's different from you. Your body has adapted to the toxins over decades, so we can force them straight into a soul bone. She's still young. We need to clear the existing poison out of her meridians first."
After hearing him out, Dugu Bo agreed immediately. "You handle it."
Those three words sent another shock through everyone from Shrek.
A Titled Douluo, with his own granddaughter's health at stake, trusted Ling Yun enough to simply say, "You handle it."
Watching the scene before him, Yu Xiaogang's expression grew even more complicated.
When Ling Yun was six, Yu Xiaogang had faced that frog-type martial soul he had never seen before and concluded that, without sufficient information, he couldn't judge whether it was worth cultivating.
The child whose prospects he had once deemed uncertain now not only possessed four rings at thirteen, with a ten-thousand-year fourth soul ring, but had even prompted a Titled Douluo to visit in person and entrust his most precious granddaughter to him for treatment.
That contrast needed no further comment from Ling Yun. It was glaring enough on its own.
Yet Ling Yun seemed not to notice at all as he told Dugu Yan, "Come with me to the medicine room later. I'll check how your toxin levels have changed recently."
Dugu Yan nodded. Then, as though remembering something, she suddenly said, "Right, there's one more thing."
"What is it?"
"Before Grandpa came over today, Teacher Qin asked me to pass along a message."
Ling Yun raised an eyebrow slightly, and Dugu Yan looked toward everyone on the training grounds.
"We heard Blue Tyrant Academy has put together a new team for the tournament. Heaven Dou Royal Academy has also started preparing for the Soul Master Tournament."
She paused. "After Yu Tianheng and the others learned I was coming here today, they asked me to find out whether Blue Tyrant Academy dares to play an exhibition match ahead of time."
The expressions of Dai Mubai and the others changed instantly. The Imperial Fighting Team-that was Heaven Dou Royal Academy's true elite team.
Ling Yun, however, slowly smiled.
"An exhibition match?"
Dugu Yan nodded. "And Yu Tianheng singled out one thing in particular. He wants to see whether the person who has a ten-thousand-year fourth ring at thirteen is really as freakishly powerful as the rumors say."
Before you continue