Dugu Bo stood beside Yu Yuanzhen, stroking his beard as a hint of amusement flashed through his eyes. "Why aren't you drinking, Salas? Afraid I'll poison you?"
Before his words had faded.
A faint green mist suddenly spread from his body, frightening several Spirit Hall deacons into instinctively retreating half a step.
The muscles in Salas's face twitched slightly as he forced a stiff smile. "You jest, Poison Douluo. It's just that my stomach has been upset lately..."
As he spoke, his expression suddenly changed, and he staggered, almost falling.
Looking down,
He saw that the stones paving the ground were glowing a faint bluish purple, with electrical currents faintly flowing through them.
Yu Yuanzhen gave a feigned cry of surprise. "Oh dear! I forgot to mention, these are our Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's Heavenly Thunder Stones. They promote blood circulation and dispel blood stasis, and greatly benefit cultivation."
As he spoke, he deliberately stamped on them twice. The stones immediately shone brighter, yet had no effect on him whatsoever.
The lightning in these Heavenly Thunder Stones was not particularly powerful,
But Soul Masters without the lightning attribute would find it difficult to resist with their bodies alone unless they used Soul Power to block it.
Caught off guard, Salas had made a fool of himself in full view of everyone.
"You..."
Salas knew Yu Yuanzhen had done it deliberately and reached out to point at him in accusation. But he had barely raised his hand when his gaze met Yu Yuanzhen's icy eyes, sending a chill through his heart.
The accusation reached his lips, only to be swallowed back down.
"Drink!"
Dugu Bo picked up a teacup and thrust it right before Salas without giving him time to refuse, speaking in a low voice.
"I'm personally offering you tea, and you still won't drink? Do you look down on me?"
Salas's expression shifted uncertainly as he stared at the strange, dark green tea before him. He wanted to refuse, but feared Dugu Bo would use that as a pretext to make trouble for him.
The Spirit Hall knights behind him tightened their grips on their spears, and the atmosphere instantly became one of drawn swords and bent bows.
"What?"
Dugu Bo narrowed his eyes, Soul Power surging around him as he said disdainfully, "A mighty Platinum Bishop doesn't even dare drink a cup of tea?"
Yu Yuanzhen stepped forward at just the right moment and said gently, "Brother Dugu, Bishop Salas has traveled a long way. Perhaps he truly isn't feeling well.
How about this..."
He took the teacup from Dugu Bo, sipped it lightly, and smiled. "See? This tea really isn't poisoned. It's merely a specialty of our Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan that refreshes the mind."
Seeing Yu Yuanzhen personally taste the tea eased Salas's mind somewhat, though he remained suspicious.
He accepted the cup, hesitated a moment, and finally tilted his head back and drained it.
"Excellent tea!"
Salas detected nothing wrong with its taste and forced a smile.
An almost imperceptible smile curled at the corner of Dugu Bo's mouth. "Since you like it, have a few more cups."
As he spoke, he offered another cup.
Like a man riding a tiger who could no longer dismount, Salas could only drain it again.
Just then,
A sudden commotion came from the distance.
Yu Tianming emerged from within the sect with Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling.
"Bishop Salas, I trust you've been well."
Yu Tianming sat on the steps, looking down from above at the disheveled Salas.
"Ah, Young Master Yu."
After exchanging a perfunctory greeting with Yu Tianming, Salas said nothing further. They had nearly clashed at the Heaven Dou Auction House last time.
"Sect Master Yu, I've come on behalf of Spirit Hall to discuss a matter..."
Not wanting to waste time on anything else, Salas went straight to the point.
"Who discusses business at the entrance? Let's speak inside the sect's main hall."
Yu Yuanzhen interrupted him outright and pointed through the gates.
Seeing this,
Salas considered briefly, then nodded in agreement. He followed Yu Yuanzhen into the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan and all the way to the sect's main hall.
He sat in a guest chair, surveying the hall's furnishings out of the corner of his eye.
Yu Yuanzhen sat in the seat of honor.
Dugu Bo, Yu Tianming, Dugu Yan, and Ye Lingling sat opposite Salas, while the Spirit Hall deacons stood behind him.
"What brings you here today, Bishop?" Yu Yuanzhen raised his teacup and asked with seeming casualness.
Salas straightened his robes and said solemnly, "To be frank, Spirit Hall wishes to purchase a batch of Whale Rubber from your sect and establish a partnership to sell Whale Rubber together."
The temperature inside the hall abruptly dropped a few degrees.
"Our Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan has already purchased ninety percent of the aged Whale Rubber on the market. Why should I cooperate with you?"
Yu Yuanzhen's gaze was sharp, and he yielded nothing.
Dugu Bo toyed with the object in his hand, narrowing his eyes slightly. "Whale Rubber strengthens the body and raises the limit for absorbing Soul Rings. Demand outstrips supply... everyone knows how enormous the profits are."
"You think a few flaps of your lips are enough for Spirit Hall to muscle in? You certainly have some nerve!"
Compared with Yu Yuanzhen, Dugu Bo was far more direct.
He had left Salas no face whatsoever!
"You jest, Poison Douluo."
Salas's expression darkened, but he still suppressed his anger. "These are His Holiness the Pope's wishes. I am merely conveying them."
"Heh, and what of it?" Dugu Bo sneered.
Salas's expression grew uglier still, and he said gravely, "Spirit Hall sincerely wishes to cooperate. Will the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan refuse to give us even this much face?"
"Hmph!"
At those words, Yu Yuanzhen abruptly rose to his feet and stared coldly at Salas.
"Sincere cooperation? Face?"
"Salas, setting aside whether Spirit Hall has any sincerity at all, the face of a mere Platinum Bishop isn't enough to muscle in on the Whale Rubber business!"
Intimidated by Yu Yuanzhen's imposing presence, Salas's face alternated between green and white.
Sensing the suddenly tense atmosphere in the hall, the Spirit Hall deacons behind him exchanged glances, faint fluctuations of Soul Power stirring around them.
Dugu Bo suddenly laughed, a sinister chill in his laughter. "What's this? Does Bishop Salas intend to fight on our Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's territory?"
Nine Soul Rings slowly appeared beneath his feet, exuding a presence that made hearts tremble.
Cold sweat seeped from Salas's forehead as he forced himself to remain calm. "You misunderstand, Poison Douluo. We came only to discuss cooperation, with absolutely no other intentions."
Sitting to one side, Yu Tianming watched Salas with a faint, ambiguous smile. "Bishop, since we can't reach an agreement, please leave."
"Our Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan has many affairs to attend to. We don't have so much time to spare."
A shadow flashed through Salas's eyes, but the next moment, his vision suddenly blurred. His mind grew dazed, and he began hallucinating.
In his eyes, the figures of Yu Tianming and the others wavered, becoming unreal...
He bit down hard on the tip of his tongue. The intense pain cleared his mind somewhat, and cold sweat had already seeped from his forehead.
Immediately afterward,
He hurriedly stood and cupped his hands. "In that case, I'll take my leave. However, I have conveyed His Holiness the Pope's wishes. I hope Sect Master Yu will reconsider."
Seeing Salas in this state, Yu Yuanzhen knew that the poison Dugu Bo had administered-A Moment of Spring Night-had taken effect.
However,
Outwardly, he still snorted coldly and swept his sleeve. "I won't see you out!"
Fighting through his dizziness, Salas turned and hurried away with the Spirit Hall party.
Before he had even left the hall, his legs buckled, and he nearly fell. Fortunately, the quick-eyed, quick-handed deacon behind him caught him.
"Bishop, what's wrong?" a deacon asked quietly.
Salas's eyes grew unfocused, his body heated up, and he became exceptionally excited. Gritting his teeth, he said, "Go... leave this place immediately!"