The Grandmaster and his two companions had barely left when Dugu Bo arrived at Shrek Academy, asking specifically to see Zhao Su.
At the academy gates, the guards were exceptionally respectful at the sight of a Titled Douluo and led Dugu Bo to the conference room.
They also reported Dugu Bo's arrival to Zhao Wuji, who was currently in charge of the academy.
Before long, Zhao Wuji accompanied Zhao Su to the conference room.
Upon seeing Zhao Su, Dugu Bo immediately put aside his usual arrogance and became exceedingly respectful.
"Senior, have you thought of a way to completely cure the chronic affliction in my body, as you mentioned?"
Standing beside Zhao Su, Dugu Bo lowered his head and spoke softly.
"It's actually very simple. Since it's poison, all we need to do is draw it out!"
"Senior, I tried that long ago. It simply doesn't work. Once the poison is drawn out, new, even more potent toxins develop the next day, and the suffering becomes worse."
"When I say draw it out, I mean channel it into an external soul bone. That would not only spare you the daily agony of poison gnawing at your heart, but also give you another trump card."
"Channel it into an external soul bone?"
Dugu Bo had actually tried a method like this before. Although an external soul bone fused with its owner, it was ultimately not an original part of the body.
There was simply no way to channel the toxins produced by his martial soul into it.
"What external soul bone do you have now?"
"I don't have an external soul bone yet!"
Dugu Bo's weathered face reddened slightly as he said this, though it was understandable.
Never mind Dugu Bo-even Titled Douluo of a higher level than him commonly lacked external soul bones.
"Then how many soul bones do you have?"
"Only one. It's a skull bone obtained from a ten-thousand-year Serpent Emperor Medusa I carefully raised."
After some thought, Dugu Bo told Zhao Su everything without concealing anything. By now, he regarded Zhao Su as his last hope.
Most importantly, if Zhao Su could find a way to cure his chronic affliction, the toxins in his granddaughter Dugu Yan's body would naturally be a trivial matter.
"Then gather all six Medusa soul bones!"
"Senior, how could that possibly be done?"
"Nothing is impossible."
As he spoke, Zhao Su silently opened the System Shop and found the six Medusa soul bones available there: the five other than the skull bone, plus the Snake Tail External Soul Bone.
Apart from the six soul bones of the Holy Angel Set, the other soul bones in the System Shop were all cheap.
Zhao Su still had over fifty thousand energy points, enough to redeem them.
"These are the soul bones from Medusa's other five body parts, along with the Snake Tail External Soul Bone. Fuse with them yourself!"
Zhao Su casually tossed the six soul bones onto the table beside Dugu Bo.
"These, these... these are all soul bones dropped by Medusa?"
Seeing Zhao Su casually produce an entire set of Medusa soul bones, including an external soul bone also dropped by Medusa, stunned Dugu Bo.
He was so shocked that he could no longer speak.
"While you fuse with them, I'll help open a passage in your body to channel the toxins into the Snake Tail External Soul Bone, allowing you to fully integrate all the soul bones!"
In contrast to Dugu Bo's astonishment, Zhao Su sat there perfectly calmly.
It was as though these soul bones were nothing rare, merely ordinary old bones.
"From this day forward, I, Dugu Bo, will follow your lead, Senior. Every member of my Jade Phosphorous Serpent Family is willing to die for you, sir!"
The excitement in Dugu Bo's heart was beyond words.
He dropped to his knees before Zhao Su, prostrating himself fully.
"Enough. Spare me the nonsense. I still have things to do, so hurry up and fuse with them!"
Zhao Su's tone remained casual.
"Yes!"
Dugu Bo rose and reached with trembling hands for the soul bones lying quietly on the table.
Even when his fingers finally touched them, it still felt slightly unreal.
Yet he hesitated no longer. Sitting cross-legged right there on the floor, he began fusing with the soul bones.
When he started fusing with the Snake Tail External Soul Bone, Zhao Su also acted, sending a powerful surge of sacred intent into Dugu Bo's body.
At the same time, the spiritual power that had already taken tangible form within the Golden Pool in Zhao Su's mind revealed its terrifying might.
The moment the external snake tail fused with the tail of Dugu Bo's martial soul, the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor, Dugu Bo felt a warm current flow into the external soul bone.
The toxins accumulated in his body over all these years slowly flowed into the Snake Tail External Soul Bone.
Finally, once all the toxins had drained away, another powerful surge of soul power flowed from the Snake Tail External Soul Bone back into Dugu Bo's body.
The Snake Tail External Soul Bone had converted the toxins into soul power and fed it back to Dugu Bo.
This way, the toxins produced by the Jade Phosphorous Serpent were no longer a poison that tormented him, but a remedy that aided his cultivation.
"Thank you, sir!"
Once the fusion was complete, Dugu Bo naturally sensed the change in the toxins within his body and knelt again.
"Enough. Just remember what you promised me!"
"Of course!"
Dugu Bo rose and looked at Zhao Su. He wanted to say something else, but could not bring himself to speak.
"Your granddaughter is still young, and the toxins haven't taken deep root. You only need to find her an external soul bone and channel them into it."
As he spoke, Zhao Su handed Dugu Bo a small porcelain bottle. "Have her take this pill when she fuses with the external soul bone. After that, you only need to wait."
"Thank you, sir..."
"Enough. Stop wasting words and go. You've just fused with your soul bones, so spend some time getting accustomed to them. It'll do you good!"
"Yes. Then I'll take my leave!"
Dugu Bo first bowed to Zhao Su, then nodded to Zhao Wuji, who sat nearby, before slowly withdrawing.
"With Dugu Bo's help, I think the Heaven Dou Empire's downfall is as good as sealed."
Only after Dugu Bo left did Zhao Wuji speak to Zhao Su.
Although Zhao Wuji's soul power level had barely increased over the years, he had, just like Dugu Bo, fused with all six soul bones dropped by a Titan Giant Ape.
Though his soul power level fell short of a Titled Douluo's, in an actual fight, a Titled Douluo might not necessarily be stronger than Zhao Wuji.
That was how outrageously powerful soul bones could be.
The reason they were in no hurry to raise Zhao Wuji's soul power level was that they did not want to reveal themselves too soon.
"It's still too early to say. We're not the only ones eyeing the Heaven Dou Empire!" Something occurred to Zhao Su as he spoke, and he continued, "I should go seek someone else's help."
"Who?"
"Someone said to have a special relationship with Xue Ye!"
Zhao Su did not name this person, and seeing that, Zhao Wuji refrained from asking any further questions.
"I'll say the same thing as before. I hope you can spare Flender's life when the time comes."
"As long as he doesn't oppose me, I won't kill him. Killing him wouldn't benefit me anyway!"
"I'm off!"
Zhao Wuji nodded, turned, and left the conference room. He was now the vice dean of the new Shrek Academy, and with several hundred students attending, there were many matters he needed to handle.
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