"Let's go. We'll find somewhere to stay first, then head to the Hell Slaughter Arena."
The black-veiled woman's words had not frightened the three, who had already prepared themselves mentally. After she left, Yu Tianling led the two women off to find a suitable place to stay.
The stench of blood permeated every corner of Slaughter City, and hidden dangers lurked all around. It was clearly no good place to rest.
The three headed toward the edge of Slaughter City. The nauseating smell of blood grew fainter, and there were fewer and fewer people.
"Hmm? Ling, Sister Na, there's actually a little courtyard up ahead!"
Zhu Zhuqing suddenly stopped and pointed ahead to the left as she spoke to the other two, a trace of surprise in her voice.
The location of the little courtyard was simply too peculiar. Its surroundings were completely deserted. Slaughter City had no shortage of people, with plenty of them on every patch of land. By rights, such a fine spot should not have been left desolate.
"Come on. Once we go take a look, we'll know what's going on."
Hearing Yu Tianling's words, the two women, who had still been somewhat worried, hurried to follow him. The three approached the little courtyard step by step.
The entirety of the little courtyard gradually came into view.
It was an ordinary quadrangle courtyard, blackish-red throughout. They did not know what material it had been built from, but none of their spiritual power could penetrate it.
"Who's there!"
The three had only just reached the courtyard entrance and had yet to push the door open when a vigorous shout suddenly rang out from within.
The observant Yu Tianling, however, noticed that this seemingly vigorous voice was actually exceedingly weak-a strong shell with a hollow core.
At that thought, Yu Tianling's confidence steadied, and he pushed the door open and walked straight in.
What met their eyes was an old man lying in a reclining chair in the courtyard, his entire body purple. Sensing that someone had entered, the old man raised his heavy eyelids slightly and surveyed Yu Tianling and the two women who had suddenly intruded.
Yu Tianling and the two women also watched the old man, who was clearly poisoned and gravely injured, ready to respond to danger at any moment.
Just as the three thought the old man was about to attack, he unexpectedly caught sight of a jade pendant at Yu Tianling's waist. His expression changed drastically, and his feeble body struggled uncontrollably as he tried to rise. Yet even after a long while, he could not get up and could only remain helplessly slumped in the reclining chair. His eyes, however, were now clearly filled with excitement.
"Boy! Where did you get that jade pendant at your waist?"
"Hmm? My jade pendant?"
At the old man's question, Yu Tianling took the jade pendant from his waist and held it in his hand, as though he had returned to the day he first received it.
There was nothing particularly special about the jade pendant, only the character "Bi" and an image of a Death Spider Emperor. This was the personal jade pendant of Yu Tianling's master, Bibi Dong, a gift she had given him after he defeated her while she was suppressing her strength. It was said to be the only keepsake her father had left her when she was a child.
Bibi Dong truly regarded Yu Tianling as her own son, so this jade pendant could be considered something she had passed down to him.
Yu Tianling had clearly never expected an old man he happened upon in Slaughter City to recognize the jade pendant in his hand. Even Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo, who were closest to Bibi Dong within Spirit Hall, and his senior sister Hu Liena knew absolutely nothing of its existence.
"Could it be...!"
As he thought about this, a possibility suddenly occurred to Yu Tianling. He abruptly shifted his gaze from the jade pendant to the old man and saw that his features did indeed bear some resemblance to Bibi Dong's. His expression then turned solemn, and he asked respectfully, "This is a gift from my master, Bibi Dong. May I ask who you are, Senior, and why you recognize this jade pendant?"
"Oh... Dong'er's disciple?"
Hearing Yu Tianling's words, the excitement in the old man's eyes noticeably faded somewhat. He was clearly a little disappointed.
Then, looking at Yu Tianling, he slowly revealed his identity.
"I am Dong'er's biological father, so I suppose I count as your grandmaster. Known as 'Invincible in the Forest,' I am a rank ninety-nine Titled Douluo, with the Death Spider Emperor as my Martial Soul-Bi Gan, titled the Death God Douluo!"
The old man quickly adjusted his state of mind and looked with affection at the young man to whom his daughter had been willing to entrust her jade pendant.
"Just as I thought!"
Hearing this answer, Yu Tianling understood at once, though his expression remained calm. The two women beside him were far from calm.
"What! The Death God Douluo!"
Hu Liena and Zhu Zhuqing were utterly stunned to hear this title. It truly was an illustrious name.
It was said that fifty years ago, the Death God Douluo had burst onto the scene, becoming a Titled Douluo at forty-five and shocking the entire Douluo Continent. He had then swept through the major factions, remaining active for eight years before falling silent. Everyone had thought he had died under a joint assault by the major factions. They had never imagined he would be here.
"Yu Tianling, Holy Son of Spirit Hall and disciple of Supreme Pontiff Bibi Dong, pays his respects to Grandmaster!"
Now that Yu Tianling had confirmed the old man's identity, he naturally bowed respectfully at once. The two women behind him reacted quickly and followed his movements.
To be honest, Yu Tianling had never imagined that his master Bibi Dong's father would be the Death God Douluo, a figure who had once taken the continent by storm. He had always thought that both her parents had died when she was young.
Still, the present circumstances explained the source of Bibi Dong's talent. Clearly, her parents had possessed exceptional talent, and she had inherited it perfectly.
"Good... good child. To hear news of Dong'er again here, I can truly die without regrets."
"Pfft..."
The old man spoke with a strained smile, feeling genuine happiness for the first time in all these years. As he spoke, he suddenly spat out a mouthful of purplish-black blood. His presence weakened further, and he fell unconscious on the spot.
"Ah!"
The expressions of all three changed drastically at the sight.
Yu Tianling reacted fastest, darting straight to his grandmaster's side and examining him carefully.
"Little Brother Ling, what poison is Grandmaster suffering from? Can you cure it?"
"This is rather troublesome. Grandmaster has clearly been poisoned for many years. Only because he's kept resisting it with his Soul Power all these years has it not reached a completely incurable stage. But that has also left him unable to move, which is why he never left this place."
At this point, Yu Tianling continued with some self-reproach, "But this time, because we suddenly appeared, Grandmaster's wish was fulfilled. The poison attacked his heart, and now it's begun spreading again."
"Then what do we do!"
Both women were frantic. Although Bibi Dong had not accepted Zhu Zhuqing as a disciple, she had always taken considerable care of her. Now that they had finally found Bibi Dong's father, Zhu Zhuqing wanted the two to reunite as well.
"Fight poison with poison!"
Seeing the poison in Bi Gan's body spreading rapidly, Yu Tianling anxiously considered possible solutions. Finally, a feasible plan flashed through his mind.
Aside from the various pills Spirit Pill Douluo had prepared, Yu Tianling also had a highly poisonous immortal herb on him: the Snow Swan Kiss.
Yu Tianling's idea was to use the Snow Swan Kiss to combat the poison, then nourish the body with pills afterward. There was a certain chance this could successfully cure the poison.
But this method carried enormous risks, because the Snow Swan Kiss's toxicity was simply too terrifying. A single misstep could hasten Bi Gan's death!