Douluo Continent: Simulating Douluo Dalu III, Targeting Tang San

Dugu Bo asked, "Why?"

"Sigh... old man, why don't you use your brain?" Gong Yu said, somewhat exasperated. "Think about it. Your granddaughter is only a three-ring Soul Master now, so clearing the poison from her body won't have much effect on her. She's still young, anyway, so whether she uses poison doesn't mean much to her.

"Besides, once the poison from her Martial Soul is cleared away, it won't be passed down to the next generation. From her onward, none of your descendants will suffer from the Jade Phosphorus Snake's poison again. But that depends on the Jade Phosphorus Snake Martial Soul being passed down. After your granddaughter, I'm afraid it won't appear again."

Chapter 80: The Poison Core Method

Dugu Bo fell into thought after hearing Gong Yu's words. But when he remembered the latter part, he immediately asked, "What did you mean by that last part? Why would the Jade Phosphorus Snake Martial Soul cease to exist after my granddaughter?"

"Old man, are you stupid?" A trace of mockery appeared on Gong Yu's face. "Let me ask you first: what do you think of the Grandmess Yu Xiaogang's theory of the Ten Core Competencies of Martial Souls?"

Dugu Bo looked utterly uninterested. "What do I think? It's a clown's theory. What Grandmaster? He's obviously a clown."

Gong Yu gave him a thumbs-up, agreeing with him ten thousand percent. Even so, he said, "That fellow really is a clown of a Grandmaster, but we have to admit that he copied some things correctly. For example, 'A Martial Soul is inherited from the stronger and more outstanding of one's two parents.'"

"I agree with that," Dugu Bo said mildly. "But that isn't his theory."

Gong Yu continued, "Let's not worry about whose theory it is for now. Since you agree, let's use it to discuss your granddaughter's situation. Your granddaughter has gotten together with Yu Tianheng of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. If they have children in the future, whose Martial Soul do you think the children will inherit?"

"This..." Dugu Bo's eyes went wide. Did that even need asking?

Although the theory was not necessarily accurate, Dugu Bo had to admit that if his granddaughter Dugu Yan and Yu Tianheng got together, the children they had would certainly be more likely to awaken the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul than the Jade Phosphorus Snake Martial Soul. After all, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon was of higher quality than the Jade Phosphorus Snake.

If the Jade Phosphorus Snake Martial Soul was to be passed down, Dugu Yan would have to have children desperately to gamble on the odds. Or perhaps one day she could cuckold Yu Tianheng and borrow the seed of someone with a lower-quality Martial Soul. Only then might her children awaken the Jade Phosphorus Snake Martial Soul.

A ruthless glint appeared in Dugu Bo's eyes, and he said bitterly, "No, Yanyan must never be with Yu Tianheng. I'll break them up when I get back. If nothing else works, I'll poison Yu Tianheng and make him unable to perform as a man."

Hearing that, Gong Yu inwardly thought, What the fuck. As expected of Dugu Bo. Poison users really are ruthless, always talking about poisoning someone until he can't perform as a man.

"Fine, fine, that's your family's business. Whatever you do is up to you," Gong Yu continued. "Let's talk about controlling your poison."

Dugu Bo immediately came back to his senses. Controlling his poison was the most important thing now. As for Yu Tianheng, if nothing else worked, he could find a way to kill him, as long as it was done without anyone noticing.

Seeing that Dugu Bo had quieted down, Gong Yu said, "The second method treats the root cause. It doesn't cost much, and it can solve the poison problem in your body without destroying your poison cultivation. But if you want to know it, you'll have to give me something in exchange."

Dugu Bo was stunned again. He asked for confirmation, "There really is a way to solve the poison in my body without destroying my poison cultivation?"

"Yes." Gong Yu nodded.

"All right, tell me what you want from me," Dugu Bo said seriously. "As long as I can give it to you, I won't refuse."

Gong Yu said, "It's nothing important to you. I know you condensed an Inner Core, so I want your method for condensing one."

Although Dugu Bo was somewhat weak, he had many worthwhile qualities. Take his method of condensing an Inner Core, for example: what it condensed was not a Soul Core, but an Inner Core.

Dugu Bo's Inner Core was fundamentally different from a Soul Core. Instead, it was somewhat like the Inner Core of the Daoist tradition.

Gong Yu cultivated the Quanzhen Great Dao Song. Once cultivated to a certain level, this technique naturally followed the Daoist path of condensing an Inner Core, but it did not specify a method for doing so.

Fortunately, the old man Dugu Bo knew how. Though he had probably stumbled into condensing an Inner Core by accident when he became a Titled Douluo and condensed his Soul Core, the method was just what Gong Yu needed.

"That's all?" Dugu Bo had thought he would have to pay some great price, but in his eyes, a mere method of condensing an Inner Core was nothing precious. He immediately agreed. "Fine. It's only a method of condensing an Inner Core. I can give it to you right now."

Dugu Bo took a booklet out of his Soul Tool and handed it to Gong Yu. "I recorded a lifetime's cultivation experience in this booklet. Take it. The method of condensing an Inner Core is in there too."

"Then thank you." Gong Yu did not stand on ceremony and took the booklet. Although Dugu Bo's cultivation experience was useless to him, there was no harm in having it.

"Then... what about the poison-control method?" Dugu Bo asked.

Gong Yu nodded. "Actually, this method of controlling poison is also related to your Inner Core. I call it the Poison Core Method. You can condense all the poison into your Inner Core to form a Poison Core. When you need it, you can simply draw the poison out of the Inner Core."

"Can... can that really work?" Dugu Bo asked doubtfully.

Gong Yu smiled. "Whether it works or not, won't you know once you try merging a trace of poison into your Inner Core? The poison is yours, and so is the Inner Core, so naturally there won't be any rejection."

"That makes sense. I'll try it." Dugu Bo nodded and tried it right there. Afterward, he felt as though his eyes had been opened.

He could not help clicking his tongue in wonder. "Who would have thought? The key to cultivating the Jade Phosphorus Snake Martial Soul of my lineage actually lies in the Inner Core."

Only then did Gong Yu continue, "Actually, your cultivation method has been wrong all along. You cultivated poison and Soul Power separately, which simply wasn't advisable.

"Your Martial Soul is poisonous to begin with, but you left the poison in your body and condensed your Soul Power in your Inner Core. That only made you spend twice as much time on two separate things. You should merge poison and Soul Power in your cultivation, cultivate Poison Soul Power, and condense a Poison Core directly. That's the correct way."

Gong Yu's words once again opened Dugu Bo's eyes. If someone had reminded him of this back then, he might have condensed a Poison Core long ago, and his body would not have been poisoned into such a ghastly state.

But he had another question, so he asked Gong Yu again, "Before reaching the Titled Douluo level, the Soul Power in one's body isn't concentrated enough to condense an Inner Core. What about my granddaughter? Surely she doesn't have to cultivate all the way to Titled Douluo before she can condense a Poison Core?"

Gong Yu smiled faintly. "Your granddaughter isn't a Titled Douluo, but I already gave you a method for her. Either use the first method that treats the root cause, or combine the method that treats the symptoms with this one."

"Wonderful! Combining the two methods to treat both the symptoms and the root cause is indeed good." Dugu Bo clapped his hands together, excitement rising in him.

Gong Yu added, "You also need to combine the two methods, because your poison has already seeped deep into your bone marrow. You can only force it out bit by bit. To keep the poison in your body from running wild, you'd better first force some of it into your Soul Bone to ease the burden, then merge it with your Inner Core."

Chapter 81: Na'er Leaves

"I understand. The poison in my body is too concentrated. If I rashly transfer too much, there is indeed a danger of it running wild. Once that happens, it will be the day I die, so I won't gamble with my life," Dugu Bo said with a bitter smile.

Gong Yu nodded. "As long as you understand. Besides, your poison can no longer be completely removed. After all, it has seeped into your bone marrow, and extracting it would mean enduring the agony of having your marrow drawn out.

"Under those circumstances, it's hard to say whether you'd even be able to spare the attention to control the poison. If you lost control and it ran wild, you'd be finished."

Dugu Bo nodded and said mildly, "Indeed. Completely controlling all the poison in my body isn't something that can be done in a day or two, so I must take it slowly.

"But now that I know how to control it, I don't mind taking my time. As long as I can ease the pain when it flares up as much as possible, I'll be content."

Gong Yu smiled beside him. "Haven't you noticed any change in yourself now?"

"What change?" Dugu Bo looked puzzled, not quite understanding what Gong Yu meant.

"Your poison flared up last night. Didn't my elder sister treat you?" The elder sister he meant was, of course, Bi Ji. Gong Yu only pretended to ask; Bi Ji had already explained the situation to him through voice transmission.

Dugu Bo looked at Bi Ji, his eyes full of reverence, and nodded. "Indeed. Her Excellency treated me last night. I have never seen such a powerful healing-type Soul Master. If Her Excellency were to reveal herself to the world, I'm afraid the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda would have to surrender its title as the world's number one support."

Gong Yu merely chuckled. "What is the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda worth? Just a bunch of trash that can never break through level 79. My elder sister is a level 99 Limit healing-type Soul Master. How could the mere Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda compare?"

Given the number of years Bi Ji had cultivated, if converted to the cultivation of a human Soul Master, she should have reached level 99. Even if she had not, she would at least be at the peak of level 98, so Gong Yu did not mind talking nonsense in front of Dugu Bo.

"Limit?" Hearing Gong Yu's words, Dugu Bo's eyes widened for the third time that day. He silently imagined Gong Yu's background and even considered matching his granddaughter with him. But after glancing at the group of girls nearby, he shook his head.

With Dugu Yan's looks, she would not rank last among the girls, but she would not rank near the front either. Her aptitude was also far worse than theirs, so matching her with Gong Yu was practically impossible.

Gong Yu did not know what Dugu Bo was thinking, but he spoke again. "My elder sister treated you, so there shouldn't be any danger of your poison flaring up for a month. That's the change in your body."

"It won't flare up for a month?" Dugu Bo was startled again. A level 99 healing-type Soul Master really is powerful.

"That's right." Gong Yu nodded. Bi Ji had told him everything through voice transmission earlier. He continued, "You can use this month to transfer some of the poison into your Soul Bone and ease your condition first.

"As for the poison you transfer to your Inner Core, you'll have to take it slowly. It isn't simply a matter of transferring it; afterward, you also have to merge it with your Soul Power, so you can't rush it. If you hadn't cultivated Soul Power and poison separately from the start, it wouldn't be this troublesome."

Dugu Bo sighed. "Things have come to this. What else can I do but take it slowly? But now that I've learned my lesson, I naturally won't let my Yanyan keep going down the wrong path. Once I return, I'll adjust her cultivation method!"

Seeing that Dugu Bo's affairs were mostly settled and the rest was up to Dugu Bo himself, Gong Yu said, "I've now told you how to control the poison, so our agreement is settled. I hope you won't go back on your word. Guard the herb garden for me for ten years. If you dare break your promise, don't blame me for showing no mercy."

Dugu Bo said, "Rest assured. Though I'm no good man, I've always kept my word. Unless I die, I will certainly do what I've promised."

"All right, you can leave now," Gong Yu said. "We'll still be cultivating here for a while over the next two months, so come back after two months!"

Dugu Bo stood, nodded to Bi Ji, then turned and left.

He did not even dare look at Zi JI. He was still frightened at the thought of her. He was a dignified Titled Douluo, yet she had restrained him from behind without him noticing. Just how powerful did she have to be? She was probably at the Limit level too!

Gong Yu did not know that Dugu Bo had imagined so much after leaving. If he had, he would probably have doubled over laughing.

Zi JI's ghostlike comings and goings were entirely due to her control over the ultimate darkness element, which allowed her to act without anyone noticing. But she was not at the Limit level.

After Dugu Bo left, Na'er came over to Gong Yu.

Gong Yu saw at once that she had something to say, so he asked first, "Na'er, what is it?"

Na'er said, "Brother Yu, I have to go."

"Go?" Gong Yu was startled. "Where?"

"Back to the Star Dou Great Forest. I have to return and go into hibernation!"

It felt rather sudden to Gong Yu, so he asked, "Why are you suddenly going back to hibernate when everything's fine?"

Na'er said with a hint of reproach, "Brother Yu, you're so silly! It's obviously because I ate that herb. I didn't know it would have such a great effect on me, so I have to merge with her as soon as possible, then hibernate and digest its medicinal power to heal my injuries!"

Gong Yu asked, "How long will you hibernate this time? You won't sleep for tens of thousands of years again, will you?"

"No. With Brother Yu in this world, how could I possibly hibernate for tens of thousands of years again?" A faint smile appeared on Na'er's face, and her eyes were full of affection. "One year at the shortest, two at the longest, and I'll be able to digest all the medicinal power. Once I've absorbed it completely, my injuries will have healed by at least another thirty percent."

"So it's only one or two years!" Gong Yu breathed a sigh of relief, his mind at ease. If Na'er really had to hibernate for ten thousand years, he could not wait that long.

He smiled and said, "Then go without worry. I'll wait for you to come back!"

Na'er nodded. "I'll leave Bi Ji here. Zi JI will escort me back first, then return to protect you!"

"All right, no problem. Go without worry," Gong Yu said. "I shouldn't be in any danger for now! My greatest enemy, Tang Hao, should be guarding his son, and he won't appear in Heaven Dou City for the time being. Even if he comes, he can only hide from us, so I'll be fine!"

Na'er then gave Bi Ji some instructions and left with Zi JI.

Gong Yu returned to the girls. They naturally asked where Na'er had gone, and he fobbed them off with a casual excuse.

In the days that followed, everyone entered cultivation mode.

Chapter 82: Attracting Soul Beasts

Among the girls, only Gong Xue and Gong Yue had yet to reach level 40, though they were close.

Gong Yue was now level 39. Since the Emerald Swan had sacrificed herself to her, her aptitude had surpassed Gong Xue's and her cultivation speed had increased considerably. Though she had started later, she had overtaken Gong Xue in Soul Power Level as well. After eating the Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid and gaining five levels, she had reached level 39.

Gong Xue had also gained five Soul Power levels from eating the Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower, but she had originally been one level below Gong Yue, so she had only reached level 38. However, her level 38 Soul Power was already close to full, and she would likely advance again within a few days.

Sure enough, after everyone cultivated around the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well for seven days, Gong Xue broke through to level 39.

Everyone waited for Gong Yue and Gong Xue to reach level 40 so they could all go obtain Soul Rings together.

Cultivating near the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well would normally have been unsuitable for others, especially Soul Masters without plant Martial Souls.

But Gong Yu's large group was different. First, everyone had eaten Immortal Herbs from the area. Second, most of them had plant Martial Souls: bamboo, cabbage, Blue Silver Grass, chrysanthemum, and rose were all plants.

The remaining three did not have plant Martial Souls, but one had the Ten-Colored Amethyst Lamp Martial Soul with the attributes of Ultimate Light and Ultimate Fire, while another had the Nebula Martial Soul with the ultimate cold attribute. The two could cultivate around the Yang Spring and Cold Spring of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well respectively.

The last was Gong Xue's Beast Martial Soul. However, her Martial Soul had also evolved into a top-tier Martial Soul, and after she took the Blazing Gum, the trace of impurity in her flames had been removed. Her flames had also reached the ultimate level, so cultivating around the Yang Spring posed no problem at all.

Moreover, because everyone could adapt to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, cultivating nearby was beneficial to them. For those with plant Martial Souls in particular, the well could also give them a slight boost to their cultivation speed.

In the following days, everyone kept busy cultivating. Gong Yu's Soul Power had reached the level 50 bottleneck, and his Soul Power Level was already much higher than everyone else's, so he did not cultivate it much. Instead, he focused on the Dragon Elephant Prajna.

Usually, while the girls diligently cultivated their Soul Power, he went in and out of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, using its power to cultivate the Dragon Elephant Prajna.

Two months passed in the blink of an eye.

One day, Gong Yu was cultivating in the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well when he suddenly felt a barrier within his body burst open. A surge of presence shot skyward from him, and he slowly opened his eyes.

"Haha, I've finally broken through to the sixth level of the Dragon Elephant Prajna!" Feeling the strength of his body, Gong Yu spread the wings on his back and flew straight out of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.

When he reached the girls, he found that everyone had been waiting for quite some time. They had agreed to hunt Soul Beasts and obtain Soul Rings that day. Gong Yue had reached level 40 half a month ago, and Gong Xue had broken through to level 40 three days ago.

But just before they set out, Gong Yu had sensed an opportunity to break through in his technique, so they had delayed another half day to let him make the breakthrough.

"All right, we can set out now." Gong Yu looked at the girls and said mildly, "But we don't need to go far. We can stay inside the poison formation and draw the Soul Beasts over."

Hearing Gong Yu say this, everyone looked at him strangely, including Bi Ji and Dugu Bo.

Two months had passed, so Dugu Bo had come as promised. His hair had turned black, and even the green in his eyes had faded. Clearly, controlling the poison had had some effect, and his Soul Power had also risen by one level afterward.

Of everyone there, only Gong Xi'er understood what Gong Yu meant. She said, "When the young master says to draw the Soul Beasts over, he means me. But I don't need to attract them personally; I'll use my Martial Soul."

Gong Xue, usually the most lively, asked curiously, "Your Martial Soul can attract Soul Beasts? How come I've never heard you mention it before?"

"Of course it couldn't before," Gong Xi'er said. "But ever since my Pink Rose merged with the Aromatic Silk Beauty, my Martial Soul itself has carried that immortal herb's delicate fragrance. And that fragrance happens to be irresistible to most Soul Beasts. They'll keep being drawn over by it."

Gong Xue understood. "So that's how it is. It'll be much more convenient when we hunt Soul Beasts in the future."

Hearing Gong Xue, everyone understood that she had asked so many questions because she was lazy and wanted things to be convenient in the future!

Before long, everyone arrived near the poison formation.

Gong Xi'er summoned her Martial Soul, which released a delicate fragrance. Streams of purple vapor immediately dispersed the surrounding poisonous gas.

Dugu Bo was dumbfounded at the sight and immediately shouted, "Stop! Your fragrance can disperse poisonous gas. If this continues, you'll destroy the entire poison formation! It has to stay here to protect the herb garden. It can't be ruined."

Gong Xi'er's face immediately showed her embarrassment.

She nodded and, with a thought, stopped the Pink Rose from releasing its fragrance. Then she looked at Gong Yu and asked, "Young master, what do we do now?"

Gong Yu walked over to Gong Xi'er and asked in return, "Can the power-form roses you create with your first Soul Skill release this fragrance?"

Gong Xi'er nodded. "They can."