Tang San's words exploded in Dugu Bo's mind like a thunderbolt out of a clear sky.
If that was the case, then everything really did make sense.
His life had been marked by countless farewells: he had lost his father in childhood, his wife in middle age, and his son in old age. Unless something changed, that same tragedy would repeat itself in another dozen years or so.
He had never quite managed to discern the pattern, but Tang San's words gave him a wake-up call. Why had his family's serpent venom been nowhere near this potent a few generations ago, only to grow stronger with each succeeding generation?
After that, every Jade Phosphorous Serpent Soul Master had died from serpent venom without exception. Before that generation's Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor appeared, only those with advanced cultivation had died from the venom, while the mediocre had been unharmed. Afterward, however, the situation had reversed: only those with advanced cultivation could live longer, while those of ordinary talent succumbed to the poison early.
If Tang San had not said anything, he might still have assumed it was simply a problem with the martial soul itself. But with that reminder, realization struck him instantly.
The problem most likely lay in their choice of soul rings, and it was a vicious cycle at that. Changes that soul rings made to a martial soul would also be recorded in the bloodline and passed down. Generally, those changes were beneficial, but his poison was a special case.
After achieving a certain level of success back then, Dugu Bo had drawn conclusions from information about martial soul configurations passed down through his family, changed several soul rings, and greatly strengthened his own poison.
He had later become the first Titled Douluo in the history of their