Upon hearing this, Lin Mo looked at Dugu Bo with considerable surprise.
"Senior, during the two or three years I was gone, did anything happen that I didn't know about?"
He asked out of curiosity.
At the same time, he seemed to have something on his mind.
Could it be that Qian Renxue's side made a move beforehand?
Soon, Dugu Yan spoke first.
Her opening remarks were a bombshell.
" Xue Ye's health is in trouble."
Lin Mo's pupils contracted almost imperceptibly.
Dugu Yan continued, "And the problem is serious; I heard he doesn't have long to live."
Prince Xue Xing has visited my grandfather several times in the past six months, and he has also contacted Grandpa Ye, hoping to invite them to visit the palace.
"Grandpa couldn't leave because he had to stay here to watch over you during your seclusion, so he never went to see you."
Upon hearing this, Lin Mo felt ashamed.
At the same time, he confirmed his own suspicions.
Qian Renxue made her move ahead of time.
Ye Lingling added from the side, "Grandpa couldn't resist Prince Xue Xing's invitation, and with the connection to Grandpa Dugu, he simply went to visit."
She frowned slightly, recalling the situation at the time.
"But even Grandpa's Nine Heart Begonia, which had already reached the Titled Douluo, was powerless to address the strange phenomena on Xue Ye."
"In my grandfather's words, the condition of Xue Ye seemed more like that of someone who had naturally aged to the limit."
Life has withered away, like a lamp running out of oil.
Nine Heart Begonia can heal injuries, but it has little effect on this kind of natural depletion that originates from Life itself.
Ye Lingling paused, her voice becoming even softer.
"Grandpa said that Xue Ye, this generation's great ruler, has at most less than six months to live—and that's only after using all sorts of precious medicinal herbs to Sheer Force prolong his life."
Upon hearing this, Lin Mo remained silent for a moment.
A sense of relief washed over me.
The others were unaware of what had happened to Xue Ye, but based on what he remembered, it seemed that Qian Renxue had acted beforehand.
The ineffectiveness of the Nine Heart Begonia Martial Soul's healing effect is not due to natural aging, as Ye Lingling claimed.
It's because of toxins.
A slow-acting toxin so subtle that even most Titled Douluo) would have difficulty Frisk.
The person who poisoned her was none other than Qian Renxue, who had been lurking in the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace for many years.
The reason why the Nine Heart Begonia Martial Soul's healing was ineffective was not due to natural aging, but because the Nine Heart Begonia's abilities did not include purifying toxins.
If Dugu Bo were to go, given his expertise in poisons, he might be able to uncover some clues.
But since Dugu Bo didn't choose to go, then so be it.
He had no intention of interfering with Qian Renxue and the Spirit Hall's plans.
For him to confront the behemoth that is the Spirit Hall head-on is no different from a mantis trying to stop a chariot.
A head-on confrontation is an extremely irrational act.
What he needs now is time; he doesn't want himself or his people to be prematurely drawn into the vortex of the struggle between the two great empires and the Spirit Hall.
Seeing Lin Mo remain silent, Dugu Yan seemed to remember something and spoke.
"By the way, A-Mo. Because you haven't shown your face in public for several years, there are quite a few rumors circulating in Heaven Dou City."
Her tone was somewhat dissatisfied.
"Some say you're not even at the Dugu Manor, some even say you left Heaven Dou City long ago to train elsewhere."
"However, with Grandpa here, no one dares to come and investigate."
Lin Mo nodded.
This was exactly what he had expected.
The trip to the Slaughter City took two and a half years.
It's normal for such a long period of absence to cause speculation.
However, with Dugu Bo, a Titled Douluo, around, it did save them a lot of trouble.
Dugu Bo waved his hand, interrupting the topic.
There's no need to dwell on this anymore.
"From now on, our focus should remain on cultivation. No matter what happens outside, improving our own strength is the most important thing."
A glint of light flashed in Dugu Bo's eyes.
"Once you obtain your Seventh Soul Ring, even the Spirit Hall won't be willing to provoke us so easily."
Upon hearing this, Lin Mo nodded in agreement.
Although their side wasn't large, their strength was undeniable.
Dugu Bo, a level 96 Titled Douluo, is unparalleled in poison skills.
Ye Linyuan, the owner of the Nine Heart Begonia Martial Soul, is a healing type, but his cultivation has also reached the level of Titled Douluo, making him extremely strong in terms of survival and support abilities.
In addition, there's Lin Mo himself.
Once he successfully acquires his Seventh Soul Ring and officially enters the Soul Saint realm, with the foundation of his Twin Martial Souls, coupled with the Divine Slaughter's Domain, his Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone, Soul Core, and Self Martial Soul Fusion Skill—
Its true combat strength is by no means weak even among Titled Douluo.
In this way, their side would have three combatants at the Titled Douluo level.
The number of Titled Douluo on the surface is even equal to that of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, which ranks second among the Upper Three Sects.
Moreover, they are not burdened by a massive force like the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, giving them greater freedom of action and fewer concerns.
Even the Spirit Hall wouldn't easily offend such a being without absolute certainty of victory.
Offending Titled Douluo with a sect or a powerful sect is different from offending Titled Douluo who is a free spirit with no ties to the sect.
With the agreement reached, Lin Mo prepared to rest for one night and officially begin his seclusion the next day.
Next, with the protection of two Titled Douluo, Dugu Bo and Ye Linyuan, the Dugu Manor is one of the safest places in the world.
Moreover, his next task is to condense his own Bloodline Soul Core, and to complete the Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone of the Scarlet Blood Heart.
Advancement.
Either of these two tasks, if accomplished, would likely cause an unprecedented upheaval.
Especially the condensation of the Soul Core.
That was a significant turning point on the path of Soul Master's cultivation, the key to a qualitative change in Soul Power.
Once it begins, it cannot be disturbed in any way.
Moreover, due to the nature of his Soul Core, this seclusion is not suitable for him to go to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
The abundance of Fire-type Heaven and Earth Origin Power there can interfere with the condensation of Bloodline Power.
Having two Titled Douluo guarding the Dugu Manor would be the best option.
That night, the moon was bright and the stars were few.
After washing up, Lin Mo changed into a loose bathrobe and returned to his room.
The Scald washed away the dust from days of travel, and completely relaxed his tense mind.
Pushing open the door, I found the room dark, with only a few drops of moonlight streaming in from the window, casting a hazy glow.
Lin Mo closed the door behind him and was about to walk towards the bed.
But then he suddenly stopped.
My gaze fell on the chair by the window on the inside of the room.
There, a slender and beautiful figure had appeared without anyone noticing.