Dugu Bo Joins Spirit Hall

"A Yi, this is Dugu Bo. You know who he is, don't you?" Qian Xunji had Huang Tieyi brought over and pointed to Dugu Bo.

"Greetings, Senior Dugu." Huang Tieyi nodded and bowed respectfully to Dugu Bo.

"You know him? Tell me what you know," Qian Xunji said with curiosity.

"Your Holiness, talking about someone while he's standing right here... isn't that a bit rude?" Huang Tieyi looked troubled.

"It's fine. I tried to recruit this old rascal once, and he wouldn't give me the time of day. Now that he's here, he can forget about saving face." Qian Xunji spoke teasingly.

"Dugu Bo's Martial Soul is the Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor. I don't know which Soul Ring in his Soul Ring Configuration caused its Martial Soul Evolution," Huang Tieyi said evenly. "The Jade Phosphorous Serpent Martial Soul is a Beast Martial Soul, inherently possessing potent venom. Senior Dugu obtained each of his Soul Rings by hunting venomous snake Soul Beasts.

"His hair was originally black, but now it's green, which shows how deeply he's been poisoned. He's had three wives. His first wife died after living with him for five years; his second, after three years; and his third fared even worse, dying before they'd been together six months. All three died from chronic poisoning of their internal organs."

Huang Tieyi straightened up. Looking at the frowning Qian Xunji, he asked, enunciating each word, "Your Holiness, who do you think could have poisoned Dugu Bo's wives?"

"You mean Dugu Bo was poisoning his wives just by sleeping with them?" Qian Xunji caught on, his face full of shock. "You old rascal! You didn't even need an excuse to get a new wife!"

"Your Holiness, please stop teasing me!" Dugu Bo said with a bitter smile. "I never imagined this would happen either."

"A Yi, you're a bookworm. Do you have a way to save this old rascal and his son?" Qian Xunji asked, his expression turning serious.

Before Huang Tieyi could answer, Dugu Bo rose, pulled his son Dugu Sheng down with him, and dropped to his knees with a thud. "Thank you, Your Holiness."

"Old rascal, what are you doing?" Qian Xunji's expression remained calm. With a slight lift of his hand, a gentle force helped Dugu Bo and Dugu Sheng to their feet.

"Dugu Bo, I can't save your son," Qian Xunji said coolly. "And I don't know whether this boy has a way!"

Dugu Bo turned to Huang Tieyi, his gaze eager. He knew anyone Qian Xunji valued could not be ordinary.

"A Yi, do you know how to deal with Martial Soul Poison?" Qian Xunji asked Huang Tieyi again.

"Senior Dugu, there's no way to eradicate the Martial Soul Poison from your body now. You only need to find a suitable Soul Bone, then draw the poison out of your Soul Power and store it there," Huang Tieyi said after a moment's silence.

"I understand. Thank you!" Worry tinged Dugu Bo's voice as he asked, "Can my son do the same?"

"Of course he can. But that isn't a cure. Your Dugu Family has few descendants, and with this method, it'll be difficult to carry on the family line..." Huang Tieyi said.

Seeing that Huang Tieyi had left the thought unfinished, Dugu Bo paused, then immediately understood why.

"Your Holiness, I, Dugu Bo, ask to join Spirit Hall. From this day forward, I'll share in its glory and disgrace alike!" Dugu Bo's words rang out with force, though his voice was respectful and humble.

"Good. A wise man knows when to act. Spirit Hall welcomes you." Qian Xunji stepped forward, helped the bowing Dugu Bo straighten up, and patted his arm. "Once we return to Spirit Hall, I'll arrange for you to join the Elder Council."

"You brat, tell him the cure you've thought of," Qian Xunji said.

"It's simple. The Jade Phosphor Snake Martial Soul just needs to follow the Beast Martial Soul path. I read about a path of Snake-to-Dragon Transformation in a book. That Soul Master also had a venomous snake Martial Soul, but he chose to focus on its beast aspect and abandon its poisonous trait," Huang Tieyi explained. "I read it in the Golden Books Section."

"A Soul Master with a snake Martial Soul? There shouldn't be anyone famous like that in Spirit Hall's records. If he's mentioned in the Golden Books Section, how could there be no legend of him on Douluo Continent?" Golden Crocodile Douluo asked, puzzled.

"Consecrated Golden Crocodile, the reason that Soul Master has no great reputation on Douluo Continent is that his surname was Yu—the Yu of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan," Huang Tieyi said solemnly. "That Soul Master's line passed through who knows how many generations before its Martial Soul finally evolved into today's Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon.

"As one of the Upper Three Sects, would they dare reveal their ancestor's origins? Their earliest records of their ancestors must begin with the generation that founded the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan."

"I see. Thank you for showing me the way, Young Master." After hearing Huang Tieyi's explanation, Dugu Bo felt confident at last.

"Senior Dugu, all your abilities come from poison. You can't purge it now. If you did, your strength would be ruined, and you'd lose even the chance to become a Titled Douluo," Huang Tieyi said gravely. "But your son can. Don't rush to obtain Soul Rings for him this time. After you return, have a Soul Master with the Nine Heart Begonia Martial Soul treat him. They should be able to clear the poison from his body. Then bring him to Spirit City, and I'll give you the best way forward."

"On behalf of all the ancestors of the Dugu Family, thank you," Dugu Bo said with heartfelt sincerity.

"Old rascal, taking the snake-to-dragon path really is a novel idea. Now that you know about it, don't go back to Heaven Dou City and refuse to return just to dodge your promise!" Qian Xunji teased.

"Rest assured, Your Holiness. My word is my bond—once I've said it, it's nailed down. I would never go back on it," Dugu Bo said earnestly.

"I was only joking. Don't take it seriously." Qian Xunji smiled. "I trust your character, Dugu Bo."

"Your Holiness, I think this boy is quite remarkable. Might we arrange a marriage? My daughter is rather pretty," Dugu Bo said, looking at Huang Tieyi before turning a serious gaze on Qian Xunji.

"He is remarkable. He's already a Soul Saint, the same rank as you—the foremost of the younger generation, with no predecessor to match him," Qian Xunji said, looking at Huang Tieyi with unmistakable approval. "Did you think you were the only one to notice such a monstrous genius?"

"Plenty of people in Spirit Hall have their eyes on him." Qian Xunji pointed to Golden Crocodile Douluo, who was drinking tea nearby. "His great-granddaughter, Jin Xiaoyu, has even declared that she'll marry no one else. Do you dare compete with a level ninety-nine Super Peak Douluo for his great-grandson-in-law?"

"Boy Dugu, if you can accept your daughter being the junior wife, I have no objections," Golden Crocodile Douluo said with a smile.

"I respect my daughter's wishes..." Dugu Bo said, feeling rather uncertain.