With Old Poison's temperament, who knew when he might throw him out as a hidden weapon!
"That is a problem..." Dugu Bo's brows knitted tightly.
Under the circumstances, he could not return to Sunset Forest. If he exposed the location of his lair, he would truly be finished.
He was no match for either Chrysanthemum or Ghost even one-on-one. If those two had not feared his serpent venom, he would not even have been able to escape.
Yue Guan and Gui Mei had pursued him all the way from the Star Luo Empire. Although he had temporarily shaken those two off, Spirit Hall had eyes everywhere, and they would soon find his location.
And this kid was so conspicuous...
"Hm?" Dugu Bo's gaze sharpened. He grabbed Xuan Ming and shot away.
"Old Poison! Stop running!"
A shrill shout rang out, and sharp, golden, petal-shaped throwing knives swept down from the sky.
"Damn it!" Dugu Bo's expression turned extremely ugly.
When he had recovered his strength just now, his Soul Power presence had flared briefly as he suppressed the venom's backlash.
Those two had actually already caught up to the vicinity!
"Old Poison, aren't you tired after running all the way here from the Star Luo Empire?" Yue Guan's rather exasperated voice drifted over.
"Why go to such lengths? Wouldn't it be better to obediently join Spirit Hall and enjoy wealth and glory?"
"Wealth and glory? What a joke! Become Spirit Hall's dogs like you?" Dugu Bo sneered.
"When Qian Xunji was beaten to death by Tang Hao, the two of you actually weren't buried with him. You must have become Bibi Dong's loyal hounds, then?"
"You!" Struck where it hurt, Yue Guan erupted with killing intent, and his attacks grew even fiercer.
Are you a fucking idiot?
Xuan Ming could barely hold back his curses.
Look how badly they're beating you, and you're still running your mouth?
Show off all you want, but leave me out of it!
"Senior, I'm holding you back. Put me down and run," Xuan Ming said.
You're the one they want to kill, not me!
Don't drag me down with you!
"Kid, I've always drawn a clear line between gratitude and grudges. Since you helped me, I naturally won't abandon you," Dugu Bo said.
"Besides, my Nine-Section Jade is still in your hands."
You little brat! Did you really think I couldn't tell what you were thinking?
Xuan Ming's expression was extremely ugly.
He truly wanted to give Old Poison a couple of bites right now!
But he was afraid of being slapped to death!
"Senior, I helped you, and you taught me to cultivate. We're even now, so I won't hold you back," Xuan Ming said through gritted teeth.
Stop dragging me down!
If anything went wrong with those golden petal throwing knives behind them, he would become minced meat in seconds!
"..."
Dugu Bo said nothing more and fled at full speed.
Yue Guan and Gui Mei, pursuing behind them, could not press too closely either. After all, they could sense that Dugu Bo's injuries had recovered considerably. If they pushed too hard and drove Old Poison into a frenzy of self-destruction, they would suffer too!
"Old Poison, what good will running do? Even if you escape today, what about tomorrow?" Yue Guan began urging him to surrender again.
"Once you've offended Spirit Hall, there is nowhere left for you on this continent!"
"Have you forgotten the Clear Sky Sect?"
"You actually have the nerve to mention the Clear Sky Sect?" Dugu Bo said disdainfully.
"You tried to murder someone for their treasures, only to be killed instead because you were outmatched. And you still had the nerve to turn around and denounce the Clear Sky Sect?"
"Everyone says I lack the bearing of a powerhouse, but compared with Spirit Hall, I can only bow to your superiority!"
"Old Poison, whatever the reason, the Clear Sky Sect was severely crippled and sealed its mountain to withdraw from the world. That is a fact!" Yue Guan said coldly.
"Don't expect the other sects to dare help you!"
"If you won't submit, death is your only option!"
"..."
"Why don't you surrender?" Xuan Ming said.
"Surrender, my ass! They've already decided I have to die!" Dugu Bo said darkly.
Recruitment like this offered only one chance!
If someone refused the first time, even if they later swallowed their pride and submitted, they would inevitably remain a hidden danger!
Even if he changed his mind and surrendered now, Spirit Hall would absolutely never tolerate him!
Chapter 7: Reason and instinct
"Old Ghost, get ahead and block him."
Seeing that Dugu Bo would not listen at all, Yue Guan no longer intended to waste time.
"His injuries have recovered considerably. Don't get too aggressive," Gui Mei warned. His entire body merged into the darkness, and his speed surged.
Back in the Star Luo Empire, they had underestimated Dugu Bo's serpent venom, and Yue Guan had been injured. Having to suppress the venom had allowed Old Poison to escape.
"Dugu Bo! I'll ask you one last time! Will you surrender or not?" Yue Guan shouted.
"In your dreams!" Dugu Bo did not look back.
A chill rose, and Xuan Ming instinctively glanced behind him.
What an enormous chrysanthemum!
"Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor Avatar!"
Dugu Bo gave a low shout. Xuan Ming felt the world spin as his view shot upward, rising above the treetops.
Boom!!!
Unleashing a Martial Soul Avatar produced an extremely terrifying mental pressure, let alone a collision between two Titled Douluos' Martial Soul Avatars. Even with Dugu Bo's protection, Xuan Ming still felt as though his head would explode.
"Damn it!"
The clash lasted only an instant. Dugu Bo did not linger to fight, turning to flee instead.
There was an absolute gap in Soul Power Level between him and Yue Guan. In a confrontation between Martial Soul Avatars, he was completely outmatched.
"Hey! Kid, still alive?" Dugu Bo glanced down at the dazed Xuan Ming.
"I think I'm a little dead," Xuan Ming said weakly.
"Don't worry, you're still very much alive," Dugu Bo said.
"That Martial Soul of yours is quite high-quality, though."
There was very pronounced bloodline suppression between Beast Martial Souls, especially those of the same kind.
The Jade Phosphorous Serpent belonged to the dragon-type Martial Souls. His Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor would suffer no bloodline suppression even when facing that old dragon from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.
He had just activated his Martial Soul Avatar, yet under that pressure, this kid's Black Dragon Martial Soul had shown no fear whatsoever. Instead, it had stared viciously at him and even tried to charge up and bite him.
Clearly, this special mutated Black Dragon Martial Soul had a very high bloodline rank, no lower than his Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor's.
"You..."
Before Xuan Ming could say anything else, his body became weightless again, immediately followed by another mental impact that nearly knocked him unconscious.
I'm going to die!
I'm really going to die!
Under the intense mental stimulation, Xuan Ming's body changed again, a savage presence spilling from his entire body.
Fighting Chrysanthemum and Ghost, Dugu Bo suddenly felt a violent killing intent fix on him from behind. Looking back, he saw that Xuan Ming, whom he was protecting behind him, had grown fangs. Faint black scales had appeared on all four limbs, and the two black dragons behind him in particular were frantically struggling against his Soul Power restraints!
"Kid! What are you doing!" Dugu Bo barked. His voice, carrying mental pressure, surged into Xuan Ming's mind, trying to wake him.
But he would have been better off not shouting. At that shout, Xuan Ming's presence became even more savage, and his struggles grew more violent.
Lost control? Dugu Bo cursed inwardly.
Damn it! Mutated Martial Souls often came with troublesome flaws!
The stronger the mutation, the more troublesome those flaws became!
Clearly, the kid had suffered too much mental stimulation because of their battle. His subconscious believed his life was threatened, and his Martial Soul had directly entered Berserk Transformation!
A dragon-type Martial Soul's Berserk Transformation brought an extremely terrifying boost. The reason that old dragon from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan could support the sect single-handedly was that, when he went mad, his destructive power was something even Titled Douluos above him dared not provoke!
But this Berserk Transformation also made it impossible to distinguish friend from foe!
It was a last resort for taking the enemy down with oneself!
"Roar!!!"
Before Dugu Bo could knock Xuan Ming unconscious, the latter roared outright. A savage, berserk presence burst outward with a ray of icy white light, enveloping all three battling Titled Douluos.
In that instant, all three felt their Soul Power briefly stagnate, as though their entire bodies had sunk into a mire.
But it lasted only an instant before they forcibly broke free with their powerful Soul Power.
"..."
All three stopped in unison. Yue Guan and Gui Mei did not continue attacking, and Dugu Bo did not turn and run either.
"A domain?" Yue Guan looked at Gui Mei.
There was no mistaking it!
This was a domain!
He had experienced Qian Xunji's Angel Domain, as well as the Divine Slaughter's Domain. He knew all too well the unfair suppression such domains brought!
"There's something strange about that kid." Gui Mei glanced at Xuan Ming behind Dugu Bo.
This domain was not Dugu Bo's. That child had released it.
An Innate Domain!
They had only ever seen such a thing in the Qian Family's Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul!
The domain released by a child who was not even a Soul Master could actually affect Titled Douluos!
Even if it lasted only an instant, that was enough to prove how unfair and terrifying this domain was!
"Take him back," Yue Guan said.
Gui Mei nodded.
After the Clear Sky Sect withdrew from the world, no Soul Master sect had dared oppose Spirit Hall again.
Spirit Hall was currently expanding its influence. Unaffiliated Titled Douluos like Dugu Bo had to be killed if recruitment failed, or Spirit Hall's prestige would suffer. This was the Elder Hall's resolution.
However, they could kill Dugu Bo anytime. A rare little brat like this was not something they could find whenever they pleased.
At least for now, that brat took priority over Dugu Bo!
"..."
Noticing the two rein in their imposing presence, Dugu Bo quickly realized what they wanted to do.
An Innate Domain that could affect Titled Douluos, along with Innate Full Soul Power-with such talent, if he did not die young, he would inevitably become an extremely powerful Titled Douluo!
Since Qian Xunji's death, Chrysanthemum and Ghost had attached themselves to Bibi Dong. The new Pope needed to secure her footing, and a brat with such exceptional talent was just right to nurture as part of her subordinate forces and consolidate her foundations.
"Old Poison, hand over that kid, and we can let you leave today," Yue Guan said.
"You're no match for us to begin with, and you're injured too. If you keep carrying that dead weight, you won't last much longer."