Husband?

"No, my cultivation isn't high enough."

After listening to all of Dugu Bo's experience cultivating his Poison Bead, Gu Ping'an had his clones combine that experience with his own understanding of Soul Cores and begin experimenting.

But after a few attempts, Gu Ping'an stopped.

It wasn't that he didn't want to work out a Soul Core cultivation method.

His cultivation was too low, and his physical foundation fell far short.

Just like Yu Xiaogang, who was only level twenty-nine yet insisted on reaching for knowledge beyond his grasp, only to remain unaware that a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring even caused Soul Shock.

"Sigh! It's fine. It doesn't matter if you can't work it out.

"It's only poison backlash. It's not as though it absolutely has to be cured."

Dugu Bo spoke with a show of nonchalance.

"What's the rush? I only said I can't work it out right now."

Gu Ping'an glanced at Dugu Bo.

He certainly wouldn't give up on developing a Soul Core cultivation method.

Helping Dugu Bo was merely a bonus.

"There's another way to keep the poison backlash at bay temporarily."

With no other options, Gu Ping'an decided to bring out Tang San's method from the original story to tide Dugu Bo over.

"What way?" Dugu Bo's interest was rekindled.

"A Soul Bone! Use a Soul Bone to store the poison."

Gu Ping'an cut a small nick in his fingertip, letting drops of blood fall.

"I've consumed octagonal mysterious ice grass and infernal delicate apricot, and soaked in the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.

"My blood can help loosen the poison accumulated in your body and gather it into a Soul Bone."

"An arm or leg Soul Bone would be best for storing the poison, in case something goes wrong.

"Like the Soul Bone getting damaged, or the stored poison reaching its limit."

"This pool has such a marvelous use?" Dugu Bo caught the blood dripping from Gu Ping'an's fingertip with his Soul Power, his gaze unconsciously shifting toward the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.

Gu Ping'an followed Dugu Bo's gaze. How could he not know what the man was thinking?

He was surely wondering whether taking the herbs himself and having a soak would resolve his poison backlash.

"Don't even think about it. Taking octagonal mysterious ice grass and infernal delicate apricot together and soaking in the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well would indeed resolve your poison backlash.

"But the price would be purifying away all your poison."

"Young friend, why not give me a little more blood? Two drops aren't enough!"

Gu Ping'an turned back to find Dugu Bo shamelessly squeezing his finger. At some point, a Green Vial had appeared beneath it to catch his blood.

"Aren't you already squeezing it?" Gu Ping'an stared expressionlessly at Dugu Bo.

Dugu Bo pretended not to notice and kept squeezing as he said, "But nothing's coming out."

Nothing's coming out?

Gu Ping'an looked again. The cut on his fingertip had already healed. No wonder Dugu Bo couldn't squeeze anything out.

Resigned, he pulled his hand back and cut his palm, letting the blood drip into the Green Vial.

"I can't help you with the Soul Bone. You'll have to find one yourself."

After filling the Green Vial, Gu Ping'an cast Healing on himself and began gathering the immortal herbs around the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.

Supposedly, Tang San was a counterfeit child of destiny whom Asura had brought to Douluo.

Anything associated with destiny demanded caution. What if Tang San stumbled into the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well on his own without Dugu Bo?

"Grandpa, he's picking your herbs."

Seeing what Gu Ping'an was doing, Dugu Yan, still a young girl, tugged Dugu Bo down and whispered into his ear.

"It's fine. I gave them all to him."

Once he had gathered all the immortal herbs, Gu Ping'an took out the nine-grade purple ganoderma and tossed it to Dugu Bo.

"Nine-grade purple ganoderma. It strengthens your foundation, nourishes your vitality, replenishes your energy, and improves your cultivation. Just the thing to make up for the damage decades of poison backlash have done to your body."

"Thank you, young friend." Dugu Bo caught the nine-grade purple ganoderma and raised his hand in thanks.

With Dugu Bo's problem resolved, Gu Ping'an took out the Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew.

His second Soul Ring was five thousand years old. For his third, he wanted to try a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring.

The Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew was essential.

He tilted the leaf slightly, and the dew at its center, containing all its medicinal potency, rolled like a bead into Gu Ping'an's mouth.

Without its dew, the entire Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew rapidly withered.

As he swallowed the dew, a cool sensation flowed into his mind.

Even his thoughts seemed to move a little faster.

Unlike Tang San, he had no Purple Demon Eye, so he could only infer from his own sensations that his Spiritual Power had increased.

"Your Eminence Poison Douluo, when are you going to help me capture earth-, wood-, and metal-attribute Soul Beasts?"

After refining the medicinal potency of the Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew, Gu Ping'an turned to Dugu Bo.

The man had promised to help him capture Soul Beasts, yet last time he had only brought back a single Thousand-Leaf Clone Vine.

"Young friend, Yanyan has already broken through to level thirty. How about I help you capture Soul Beasts after taking her to hunt for a Soul Ring?"

"Take me along," Gu Ping'an said after a moment's thought.

He needed to keep filling out the five attributes of his Blue Silver Grass: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. If they encountered any suitable Soul Beasts that were difficult to handle, he could have Dugu Bo lend a hand.

"Of course. Get ready, young friend, and we'll set off!"

Gu Ping'an, Dugu Bo, and Dugu Yan walked slowly through Sunset Forest.

"Your Eminence Poison Douluo, what sort of Soul Beast are you planning to find for your granddaughter?"

Once he left the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well and connected to the Blue Silver Grass in Sunset Forest, Gu Ping'an felt like a blind man regaining his sight.

Everything within several kilometers flowed into his mind.

"I plan to get Yanyan a fifteen-hundred-year-old Jade Poison Scorpion."

"Uh..."

Gu Ping'an looked at Dugu Bo as though he were an idiot.

"Have you forgotten?

"Dugu Yan's Martial Soul has already evolved into a dragon-type Martial Soul?"

Her Martial Soul had evolved, yet he was still choosing Soul Rings according to the Jade Phosphorous Serpent's plan. Wouldn't that render the evolution pointless?

"Young friend... what would you suggest, then?" Dugu Bo asked quietly.

He really had forgotten. In a momentary lapse, he had simply thought according to the Jade Phosphorous Serpent's Soul Ring acquisition plan.

Then he remembered that Dugu Yan's Martial Soul had evolved, and his mind went numb.

Being a Titled Douluo didn't mean he knew everything.

He could offer guidance on cultivating a Jade Phosphorous Serpent Martial Soul without issue, but when it came to cultivating a dragon-type Martial Soul, he could only say he knew a little.

Truly, only a little.

"Dugu Yan, release your Martial Soul and carefully feel how it differs from before."

Rather than answering Dugu Bo, Gu Ping'an looked at Dugu Yan beside him.

"Mm, you can just call me Yanyan from now on, too.

"And what should I call you?

"Husband?

"But I'm still too young."

Dugu Yan shyly released her Martial Soul.

Then Gu Ping'an sensed a pair of eyes, cold and sinister as a venomous snake's, locked firmly onto him.

He looked up to find Dugu Bo staring at him expressionlessly.

"Young friend, do you know Yanyan is only thirteen?"

"I'm only six."

"..."

Dead silence fell around them.

Gu Ping'an's mind was a tangled mess.

He had meant to say that he had no idea how Dugu Yan had come out with "husband," or what she had been thinking.

Yet after Dugu Bo said Yanyan was only thirteen, his tongue had slipped, and he had said he was only six instead.

Dugu Bo stared at Gu Ping'an, the corners of his eyes twitching.

The boy's words seemed perfectly reasonable. Yanyan was only thirteen, but he was even younger—only six.

So who was getting the short end of the stick here?

"Grandpa? Why have you both stopped talking?

"I saw his body. What's wrong with taking responsibility for him?"

The corners of Dugu Bo's eyes twitched again.

This time, Gu Ping'an's eyes couldn't help twitching either.

They had found the cause.

Now they knew why Dugu Yan had said that.

This is your fault. She only saw because you brought Dugu Yan into the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well... Gu Ping'an looked at Dugu Bo, speaking with his eyes.

If you hadn't been bathing in the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, how could Yanyan have seen you? Dugu Bo answered with his own gaze.

"Grandpa, why have you both stopped talking?" Dugu Yan broke the silence, looking innocently at the two of them.

Dugu Bo quickly retreated two steps, moving away and leaving Gu Ping'an to face Dugu Yan alone.

Gu Ping'an's toes curled slightly as he looked helplessly at Dugu Yan.

"Yanyan, my name is Gu Ping'an. You can just call me Big Brother Ping'an."

"Mm, okay."

Dugu Yan activated Martial Soul Possession, her earthy-gold, slit-pupiled dragon eyes fixed on Gu Ping'an.

"Little Brother Ping'an, remember this: you already belong to me, Dugu Yan. From now on, only I'm allowed to look."

An inexplicable domineering CEO aura spread from Dugu Yan.

"..."

"Old man, let's find Yanyan a Soul Ring first!"

At a loss for how to respond, Gu Ping'an turned toward Dugu Bo, who had retreated to the side.

"Mm, you're right. We should find a Soul Ring first.

"What Soul Beast do you think would provide a suitable Soul Ring?" Dugu Bo half-tilted his head toward the sky and spoke as though nothing had happened.

"Yanyan consumed the earth dragon golden melon, so her Martial Soul underwent Dragon Transformation and her physique grew stronger."

"The earth dragon golden melon also has the earth attribute, so I think an earth-attribute Earth Tyrannosaur aged a little over twenty-three hundred years would be the best fit."

Gu Ping'an raised his hand and pointed in a direction. According to the Blue Silver Grass's feedback, there happened to be an Earth Tyrannosaur a little over twenty-three hundred years old that way.