Dugu Bo Came Calling, an Oath on His Martial Soul

A short while later, Ye Han raised his hand and dispersed the last Fire Needle embedded in Dugu Yan's body.

"Mm..."

Dugu Yan, who had been lying limp in Ye Lingling's arms, let out a faint moan. Bracing herself against the ground, she slowly rose to her feet, swaying.

She tried moving her limbs. The heart-rending agony from moments before had vanished.

She looked up at Ye Han, disbelief filling her eyes.

Ye Han had actually managed to deal with the poison backlash that even a supreme healing martial soul like Nine Heart Begonia could do nothing about?

She could clearly sense that Ye Han's method had achieved much the same effect as when her grandfather, Dugu Bo, suppressed her poison: it provided only temporary relief.

And in terms of how firmly it held the poison in check, it fell somewhat short.

After all, Dugu Bo was a Titled Douluo, and his martial soul shared the same roots as her Jade Phosphorous Serpent. That was why his suppression was so powerful.

But Ye Han's soul power was still lower than hers, and his martial soul had no connection whatsoever to the Jade Phosphorous Serpent.

To Dugu Yan, even achieving this much was already inconceivable.

"Ye Han... thank you."

Dugu Yan's lips moved as she voiced her gratitude.

She rarely thanked anyone her own age.

Ye Han offered no polite demurral. He simply nodded and accepted her thanks.

He and Ye Lingling turned to leave, but he paused and looked back at Dugu Yan, his tone solemn as he cautioned her:

"The root of your condition is the deadly poison inherent in your martial soul. As a Jade Phosphorous Serpent Soul Master, you should know poison intimately. How could you let your own poison turn against you to this extent?"

His eyes still held the same pity Dugu Yan had seen earlier.

But after what had happened, she no longer found that look galling or difficult to accept.

Ye Han continued, "It would be best if you could find a way to stabilize the poison in your body. After years upon years of its corrosion, the toxicity being suppressed now will eventually erupt in full. When that day comes..."

Ye Han left it at that. Taking the still-dazed Ye Lingling by the hand, he strode toward the Mimicry Cultivation Area.

This time, however, his steps were unsteady, and his face was slightly pale.

Using the green lotus core flame to suppress Dugu Yan's poison had drained a considerable amount of his strength.

Dugu Yan stood alone where she was, oblivious to the rain soaking her hair and clothes.

Ye Han's final words exploded like thunder in her mind.

She thought of her parents, who had died so young, and of her grandfather's almost obsessive doting and protectiveness.

Countless details she had never understood suddenly fell into place.

Night fell.

Whoosh!

Two figures silently appeared outside the Heaven Dou Grade Dormitory.

Every Heaven Dou Grade student at the Heaven Dou Royal Academy had a room of their own.

Dugu Yan quietly tugged on Dugu Bo's sleeve and complained under her breath, "Grandpa, we agreed that if I told you what happened, you wouldn't go looking for trouble with Ye Han. Why did you drag me here?"

Dugu Bo's expression was grave. "I only came to ask him about the situation. I won't lay a hand on him. I won't have a moment's peace until I get to the bottom of this."

Despite his words, the restless soul power surging around him had already betrayed that he was far less calm than he appeared.

The deadly poison entwined within his granddaughter's body and his own was his deepest reverse scale, one he would never permit others to pry into.

If Dugu Yan had not repeatedly urged him to hold back today, and if Ye Han had not earned some gratitude by easing his granddaughter's suffering...

With his usual temperament, he would already have abducted Ye Han in secret and taken him somewhere deserted for a thorough interrogation.

Then, whether the boy answered would not have been up to him.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Just then, three figures arrived close behind them.

Meng Shenji, Bai Baoshan, and Zhi Lin had sensed Dugu Bo's presence and come as well.

Dugu Bo pulled Dugu Yan behind him and looked at the Three Education Committee Members who had just landed. Displeasure darkened his face, and his voice carried a sharp edge. "Meng Shenji, Bai Baoshan, Zhi Lin! What are you three old fools following me for? Do you have a death wish?"

A cold gleam flashed through his emerald eyes as his soul power surged and quaked. "I'm in a foul mood tonight. You'd best not provoke me!"

The door creaked.

Before the Three Education Committee Members could speak, the dormitory door slowly opened.

Ye Han emerged, stepped forward, and bowed to them. "Your student, Ye Han, thanks the Three Education Committee Members for coming."

After thanking them, he turned to Dugu Bo, his manner still composed. "Senior Poison Douluo has no intention of harming me. He only came to ask a few questions. I'm sorry for the trouble of making you come all this way."

Meng Shenji kept his gaze fixed on Ye Han and asked gravely, "Ye Han, are you certain you're all right? If someone tries to bully the weak with strength or throw his seniority around against a child, we three old men will never stand idly by!"

As he spoke, his sharp gaze swept toward Dugu Bo, making it clear that they intended to back Ye Han.

Dugu Bo was a rank ninety-one Titled Douluo, far stronger than any of the three.

But Meng Shenji and the others had worked together for years and understood one another perfectly. Holding Dugu Bo off for a short time would not be difficult.

Meeting Meng Shenji's concerned gaze, Ye Han nodded gently and replied with certainty, "Thank you for your concern, Chief. I'm fine. Senior only came to understand the situation."

Dugu Bo snorted beside them and forced down his anger. "I only want to question this boy in private. This concerns confidential matters, and I don't want outsiders listening in. I swear on my name as a Titled Douluo that I will not harm a hair on his head. Can you rest easy now?"

Hearing Dugu Bo personally swear an oath, and seeing no sign that Ye Han was being coerced, Meng Shenji and the others exchanged glances and relaxed somewhat.

Meng Shenji nodded. "In that case, we'll withdraw outside for now. If anything happens, we certainly won't ignore it."

With that, the three retreated to the open space outside, but did not leave.

Ye Han led Dugu Bo and Dugu Yan into his room.

The door closed, and the atmosphere inside abruptly grew heavy.

Both Dugu Bo and Dugu Yan fixed their gazes on Ye Han.

Ye Han spoke first. "I can roughly guess why you made a special trip here, Senior. It should be about the poison inside Senior Dugu Yan's body, and how I temporarily eased her poison backlash earlier today."

Dugu Bo narrowed his eyes slightly and slowly nodded, offering no denial.

Seeing this, Ye Han continued, "If you only want to know how I noticed that she was suffering from deadly poison, I can explain right now. But if you want to know how I suppressed it, and how to cure it..."

He paused, looking straight into Dugu Bo's serpentine eyes, which gleamed with an emerald chill. His tone was steady and firm:

"Then I must ask you to swear on your Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor Martial Soul that you will not reveal what I say next to a fourth person."

"What?! You dare demand that I swear an oath?!"

The instant Ye Han finished speaking, Dugu Bo flew into a rage!

The tremendous pressure of a Titled Douluo burst forth. The air in the room instantly seemed to freeze, and a crushing weight engulfed the entire room, making it almost impossible to breathe.

He stared fixedly at Ye Han, murderous intent churning in his eyes. "What an ignorant brat, with no idea how high the heavens are or how deep the earth runs! You keep crossing my bottom line! Do you really think I won't dare touch you just because those three old fools outside are backing you?"

Dugu Bo had swept through the Soul Master World for decades. When had a child not even ten years old ever made such a demand of him? To him, this was nothing less than a brazen affront.

Dugu Yan's expression changed. She hurried half a step forward, tugging at Dugu Bo's sleeve as she pleaded urgently, "Grandpa! Calm down! Ye Han isn't deliberately defying you. It's just that this matter..."

Ye Han did not retreat. Facing that terrifying pressure, he remained neither servile nor overbearing. "Senior, I have no intention of offending you. This method involves my secrets. If word of it gets out, it will bring disaster crashing down upon my head."

"As long as you take a martial soul oath, I will tell you everything I know. If you are unwilling, then we will only discuss how I recognized the poison backlash. As for the detoxification method, forgive me, but I cannot say another word."

Dugu Bo's chest heaved, fury churning in his emerald pupils. His pressure continued to pulse, but as he stared at Ye Han's unwavering stance, he weighed his options.

He had come to seek a hope of curing the poison. Actually attacking here would do neither him nor his granddaughter any good.

After a long while,

He suppressed his surging murderous intent, and his pressure slowly eased somewhat. He said coldly, "Fine! I agree! I, Dugu Bo, swear on my Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor Martial Soul that I will never disclose anything I hear today to an outsider. Should I break this oath, may my martial soul be damaged and deadly poison devour my heart! Are you satisfied now?"