Dugu Bo backed down

Should he greatly enhance his physique and talent?

Or attempt an idea with an uncertain future?

Greatly enhancing his physique and talent would all but guarantee he became a god. Failing that, he could still try to inherit the Sea God Godhood.

His idea held an uncertain future. Whether he could become a god was unknown; he might lose his chance at godhood, or he might rise above all the gods.

"If I'm going to gamble, I'll gamble big!"

Gritting his teeth, Gu Ping'an headed toward the Earth Dragon Golden Melon and dug it up. After a brief hesitation, he took a bite.

Once he finished the entire Earth Dragon Golden Melon, a weighty power carrying boundless majesty began flowing through his body.

Sitting cross-legged, Gu Ping'an did his best to refine the Earth Dragon Golden Melon's power into his martial soul.

About an hour later, Gu Ping'an opened his eyes, a glimmer of delight showing within them.

He summoned his martial soul. A heavy, earthy hue now tinged the Blue Silver Emperor's golden patterns, giving even the Blue Silver Emperor itself a sense of weight.

"It worked."

A power approaching ultimate earth.

The Blue Silver Emperor grew from the earth and naturally possessed wood-attribute power. Adding earth-attribute power made it even stronger.

His gaze returned to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well at the center.

Gu Ping'an tentatively guided the Blue Silver Emperor closer to absorb the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well's power.

At first, he only brought it close without extending it directly into the pool, letting it devour and refine the power spilling from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well nearby.

Even so, Gu Ping'an felt as though his body had been plunged into a realm of both ice and fire.

One moment freezing cold, the next scorching hot.

Only after three days did Gu Ping'an gradually adapt to the power spilling from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.

He drew the Blue Silver Emperor away from the well and extended it before him.

Different leaves radiated either searing heat or icy cold.

"As expected, devouring allows me to add other attributes to the Blue Silver Emperor after its formation."

Gu Ping'an examined the changes carefully. Not only had the Blue Silver Emperor improved, but his own body's resistance to both ice and fire had also increased.

Just as Gu Ping'an was about to extend the Blue Silver Emperor into the pool to absorb more ice and fire power, a cold, sinister shout came from afar.

"What little thief dares steal from me, Dugu Bo?"

Gu Ping'an looked toward the voice and saw a gaunt, sinister old man radiating a chilling aura, staring at him with hostile eyes.

Dugu Bo!

Why has he suddenly come to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well?

He looked up at the sky. It was overcast.

So that's why.

Gu Ping'an placed Spatial Isolation around himself before studying Dugu Bo closely.

"Little thief, tell me how you entered this place.

"Speak, and I'll grant you a quick death."

Dugu Bo's emerald eyes fixed coldly on Gu Ping'an. Soul power surged around him, and the imposing pressure of a Titled Douluo bore down in every direction.

The Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well was where he suppressed the poison within his body. Its existence absolutely could not be leaked.

"I suggest you don't attack. I may not be able to do anything to you, but you still have a granddaughter."

"Heh heh..."

Dugu Bo let out a sinister chuckle brimming with murderous intent.

"Boy, you dare threaten me with my granddaughter? I'll make your entire body fester and leave you to die in agony."

As he spoke, he fired a wisp of eerie green soul power.

Dugu Bo had decided to torture him thoroughly before killing him.

Facing the incoming poisonous green soul power, Gu Ping'an gave a mocking smile and stood quietly in place, watching him.

The poisonous green soul power passed through Gu Ping'an as though through empty air, causing no harm.

"Dugu Bo, why don't you try your eighth soul skill, Time Freeze?"

Dugu Bo froze in place, staring at Gu Ping'an gravely.

Not only did this boy know his eighth soul skill, but attacks could not touch him.

I can't let him leave.

As the thought flashed through his mind, Dugu Bo immediately gave a sharp cry.

"Eighth soul skill: Time Freeze!"

The soul skill swept over him, and Gu Ping'an tentatively moved his hand.

Unaffected!

He had isolated himself within a separate space. Time Freeze could not control him either; it could only freeze the space outside that he had previously shared with Dugu Bo.

"Dugu Bo, it seems you can't restrain me."

Gu Ping'an looked at Dugu Bo with a smile full of malice.

"Next, I'll go find your granddaughter, Dugu Yan.

"I hope she can evade my ambush.

"Unless you can stay beside her while she eats, sleeps, and bathes, otherwise..."

"Heh heh heh..."

That wicked laughter sent a chill through Dugu Bo.

He could neither hit the boy nor restrain him.

With the boy's strange abilities, his granddaughter would likely be unable to cope.

"Dugu Bo, I'm off to find your granddaughter!"

With that, Gu Ping'an's figure flickered, passing straight through Dugu Bo.

Teleportation!

Dugu Bo instantly recognized Gu Ping'an's method, and regret for attacking him began rising in his heart.

Teleportation, untouchable by attacks, and impossible to restrain.

His granddaughter would certainly be unable to cope.

"Wait! What do you want?

"I can compensate you with anything. I can even give you this place.

"Just spare my granddaughter."

Dugu Bo turned, his eyes bloodshot, to look at Gu Ping'an, who had already reached the Poison Miasma.

He could do nothing to the boy, yet the boy had the ability to deal with Dugu Yan.

If the boy was determined to kill Dugu Yan, Dugu Bo would have to remain by her side at all times.

But how was that possible?

People ate, slept, bathed, and relieved themselves. There would always be moments when they were alone.

Especially since Dugu Yan was a girl.

He simply did not dare gamble.

He would rather die himself than let his granddaughter die.

"Oh?"

Gu Ping'an turned to look at Dugu Bo behind him, his expression carrying equal measures of contempt and mockery.

"Huh?"

With a soft sound of surprise, Gu Ping'an stared at Dugu Bo's bloodshot eyes.

Hadn't I only said I was going to find Dugu Yan?

I didn't even say what I would do to her. Why does Dugu Bo look like he's about to fall apart?

"If you want me to leave Dugu Yan alone, that's fine.

"Swear on your martial soul that you will never attack me.

"And give this place to me."

Gu Ping'an spoke while staring into Dugu Bo's eyes.

Dugu Bo's face tightened. His fingers, wreathed in eerie green poison, clenched and relaxed, then clenched again.

Without the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well suppressing the poison within him, he would soon die when it flared up.

But if he refused, he likely would not be able to protect his granddaughter.

"Fine." After a long silence, Dugu Bo spoke in a low voice, all his vitality seeming to collapse.

"I, Dugu Bo, swear on my martial soul..."

After taking the oath, Dugu Bo staggered toward the exit of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.

As he passed Gu Ping'an, Gu Ping'an caught the trembling of his fingers and the twitching of his neck.

Has the poison flared up?

Is this old fellow planning to leave just like that?

He's always relied on the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well to suppress his poison. If he leaves now, he might not even survive this flare-up.

Dugu Bo really does make every word stick like a nail driven home.

"Wait!"

Gu Ping'an suddenly called out, stopping him.

"You came to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well to suppress the poison inside you, didn't you?

"You can continue suppressing it here.

"I only need the immortal herbs growing here."

Dugu Bo stiffened when Gu Ping'an stopped him. He had no idea how Gu Ping'an knew that he had been poisoned by his own martial soul.

If I suppress the poison here, will he ambush me?

Or should I just leave?

After a moment of hesitation, Dugu Bo silently turned and walked to one side of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.

If he left and failed to suppress the poison, he would die.

If he suppressed it here, there was only a chance that the boy would ambush him while he was powerless to resist.

As long as Dugu Yan was not involved, he was still willing to take a gamble.

Gu Ping'an paid Dugu Bo no further attention. He walked alone to the other side of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, summoned the Blue Silver Emperor, and continued devouring the power of ice and fire.

"Ngh... ngh..."

"Ngh... ah..."

"Aaaagh!"

Dugu Bo had initially sat cross-legged, then collapsed to the ground, convulsing and groaning despite himself. Eventually, he was doing nothing but screaming in agony.

On the other side, Gu Ping'an's brows knitted tightly.

It was not because he had encountered a problem devouring the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well's energy.

Dugu Bo's screams were simply making it impossible for him to settle his mind.

"First Soul Skill: Healing!"

Blue silver grass extended continuously, winding around Dugu Bo as he screamed in agony.

The soul skill activated.

The gentle healing energy of the blue silver grass flowed unceasingly into Dugu Bo's body.

The screams gradually faded, becoming intermittent groans once more.

Six hours later, Dugu Bo lay sprawled on the ground like a corpse.

"He finally stopped!"

Gu Ping'an let out a great sigh of relief.

Three double-hours meant six hours.

It was almost impossible to imagine how Dugu Bo endured each flare-up of the poison.

Six hours of screaming in torment worse than death?

He withdrew the blue silver grass and extended it toward the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well again, continuously devouring and refining the power of ice and fire.

"I, Dugu Bo, thank you for your help, young friend."

After a long while, Dugu Bo gradually recovered as he lay on the ground. The first thing he did was thank Gu Ping'an.

"It's nothing. Since I took your medicinal garden, it's only right that I lend you a hand.

"You can dig beneath that vine and see whether there are any more Earth Dragon golden melons."

Gu Ping'an pointed to the spot where he had dug up the Earth Dragon golden melon earlier.

Dugu Bo was puzzled, but he still followed Gu Ping'an's instructions, went to the Earth Dragon golden melon vine, and began digging.

Before long, he unearthed a gleaming golden Earth Dragon golden melon.

"Young friend, is this the Earth Dragon golden melon you mentioned?"

Dugu Bo picked up the Earth Dragon Golden Melon and asked.

"Yes! Have Dugu Yan eat the Earth Dragon Golden Melon. There's a good chance she'll undergo Martial Soul Evolution, correcting the flaw in your Jade Phosphor Clan's Martial Soul.

"But in exchange, you'll have to catch some soul beasts rich in earth-attribute and wood-attribute power for me."