Dugu Bo's eccentric temper was infamous throughout the Douluo Continent.
Thus, to prevent the old bastard from betraying Spirit Hall someday,
Bibi Dong had no choice but to use her will of domination.
Though Dugu Bo was utterly unwilling,
he could only obediently swear a Martial Soul Oath that he would never betray Spirit Hall.
Only then did Bibi Dong release her restraints on him.
"All right, old poison, since you survived, take this. It'll keep your injuries from getting worse."
As Yue Guan spoke, he took a pill from his Storage Soul Tool and handed it to Dugu Bo.
The latter shot his old rival an irritated glare, swallowed it, and sat cross-legged to regulate his breathing.
Only after quite some time did the feeling that he was about to meet his great-grandmother gradually fade.
During his earlier clash with Bibi Dong, Dugu Bo had clearly sensed that her two Spider Emperor Martial Souls also contained supremely potent poison!
Yet judging by Bibi Dong's appearance, she suffered none of the backlash from her Martial Souls' poison that plagued their Jade Phosphorous Serpent lineage.
Could the Pope have some way of controlling the poison?
At once, Dugu Bo cast aside any concern for his dignity as a Titled Douluo,
struggled to his feet,
and gave a full account of the danger posed by the poison backlash within himself and his granddaughter,
his face filled with hope as he begged Bibi Dong for a way to survive.
"Your Holiness, when I fought you earlier, I noticed that your Martial Souls also carried deadly poison."
"To tell you the truth, our Jade Phosphorous Serpent lineage has always suffered from the poison of our own Martial Souls. Throughout the generations, hardly any of us have met a peaceful end."
"At my age, my death would be no great loss, but my granddaughter is still so young. If possible, please save her life, Your Holiness. I would not shrink from dying ten thousand deaths in your service!"
The Jade Phosphorous Serpent lineage actually harbored such a danger?
This was something Bibi Dong had not anticipated.
Not only that, even Yue Guan looked in astonishment at this old rival he had fought for so many years.
Bibi Dong sent out a strand of purple-black Soul Power,
and after it swiftly circulated through Dugu Bo's body,
she soon understood the problem with his Martial Soul.
Simply put, those of the Jade Phosphorous Serpent lineage lacked a corresponding venom sac within their bodies to contain the poison produced by their Jade Phosphorous Serpent Martial Souls, so it constantly corroded the Soul Masters themselves.
By contrast, although Dongzi's two Spider Emperor Martial Souls also produced poison,
all the poison they generated was absorbed and stored by the Martial Souls' own Spider Spears.
As such, it naturally had no other effect on her as their host.
After a moment's thought, Bibi Dong slowly spoke.
"I can use my Spider Spears to draw out your Martial Soul's poison, but ultimately, that would only treat the symptoms, not the root."
Hearing this, Jiang Huai's eyes lit up. Wasn't this the perfect opportunity to win Dugu Bo over?
Giving him immortal herbs was out of the question, and the secret method of condensing a Soul Core would still require an opportunity for careful study in the future.
But couldn't they just copy Third Brother's method right now?
He leaned over and whispered a few words into Yue Guan's ear, and the latter's eyes instantly lit up!
This was nothing short of a stroke of genius!
Every immortal herb in the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well could transform someone down to their very bones. Naturally, they could not give them straight to Dugu Bo and his granddaughter, who had only just pledged allegiance.
But there were also plenty of high-grade medicinal herbs unavailable in the outside world, which could certainly be used to concoct pills to suppress the poison.
After Dugu Bo and his granddaughter took the pills, they could each use a Soul Bone and force the poison in their bodies into it, making it serve as a venom sac. That would extend their lives for a considerable time.
Once the grandfather and granddaughter had made sufficient contributions to Spirit Hall in the future, they could bring out the immortal herbs as rewards for their merits.
The plan was perfect.
After Yue Guan relayed it to Bibi Dong through voice transmission, she told Dugu Bo about the method.
"Poison Douluo, you are, after all, a Titled Douluo. Since you are willing to pledge allegiance to my Spirit Hall, I am willing to bestow a Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone upon you. Alternatively, it can be exchanged for two five-thousand-year Soul Bones, one each for you and your granddaughter to channel your poison into."
"Once I have truly seen your loyalty in the future, I will naturally grant you a way to resolve the danger posed by your Martial Souls once and for all."
Hearing this, Dugu Bo nearly wept with joy.
At last, there was hope for his granddaughter's poison!
That damned Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan actually dared to scheme against me, the Poison Douluo. They were simply courting death!
If I hadn't considered that I might not have long to live and could drop dead at any moment, why would I have turned a blind eye?
Now that he had a way out, how could Dugu Bo possibly let his granddaughter keep getting mixed up with that ant, Yu Tianheng?
Did they really think my Jade Phosphorous Serpent Poison was made of clay?
Spirit Hall had so many outstanding young talents. Even setting aside that boy who seemed to be the Pope's disciple, there was bound to be a suitable match for his granddaughter.
As for the favor he owed Prince Xue Xing from back then?
As far as Dugu Bo was concerned, it did not exist.
He was a noble Titled Douluo. Keeping his word for so many years was already rare enough.
"Your Holiness, just bestow that Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone upon Yanyan."
"I already have a Medusa Skull in my head. Now that there is a way to channel out the poison, I should be able to hold on for a long time with the help of the pills."
"From this day forward, I will bend my back to the task and give my all for you, Your Holiness, and for Spirit Hall!"
Since Dugu Bo had made his choice, Bibi Dong naturally did not try to persuade him further.
"Then, Poison Douluo, go and bring your granddaughter here. I will have Yue Guan stay here and prepare the medicinal herbs to detoxify you while awaiting your return."
"Understood."
After bowing respectfully, Dugu Bo swiftly darted away.
When Hu Liena slowly woke nearby, Bibi Dong stepped forward to examine the pair's current physical strength and discovered that it had improved by more than a notch compared to before they absorbed the immortal herbs.
A thousand-year first ring was no longer a problem for Jiang Huai.
For Hu Liena, a third Soul Ring of around three thousand years would also be easily within reach.
"Yue Guan, stay here and gather all the useful immortal herbs. While you're at it, refine the antidote for Dugu Bo."
"I will take Nana and Xiao Huai out now to complete their respective Soul Hunts."
With that, Bibi Dong enveloped Jiang Huai and Hu Liena in her Soul Power and vanished from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.