Finding a Pretty Boy to Back Her Up

The guards dared not delay and hurriedly ran into the mansion to report. Before long, a series of heavy footsteps came from inside the mansion, and an old man who was over two meters tall, with muscles as bulging as if cast in steel, and white hair and beard but vigorous spirit, strode out. It was none other than the patriarch of the Strength Clan, the Strength God Tai Tan.

Behind Tai Tan were several distinguished middle-aged men, clearly experts from the clan. His gaze swept over Liu Erlong and his companions, lingering briefly on Liu Erlong. A hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, followed by disdain.

"Who do we have here? It's Liu Erlong from the Blue Tyrant Academy." Tai Tan's voice boomed, filled with undisguised sarcasm. "What, wasn't the lesson I taught you last time enough? You dare to come and provoke us again today?"

Sensing the Soul Douluo aura emanating from Liu Erlong, he scoffed, "Oh? You've broken through? That's some progress. But, having just broken through to Soul Douluo, your foundation is unstable, yet you dare to come looking for trouble with this old man? You truly don't know your own limitations!"

His gaze then turned to Dugu Bo beside him. Dugu Bo's appearance had changed drastically; he was now heroic and extraordinary, with a deep and restrained aura, completely different from the gloomy and aged Poison Douluo of the past.

Tai Tan didn't recognize him, assuming he was just a helper Liu Erlong had brought, and his contempt only grew stronger.

"And who is this guy? He looks all respectable." Tai Tan sized up Dugu Bo, his tone full of provocation. "What, Liu Erlong, you didn't dare come alone, so you specially brought a lover to back you up? Too bad, you found Xiao Bai, all looks and no substance. I'm afraid he'll be stuck here with you today!"

Upon hearing this, anger flared in Liu Erlong's eyes, and Yan Zu also frowned.

Dugu Bo's dark golden eyes narrowed suddenly, and his aura instantly turned icy cold.

"Hehehehe----" Dugu Bo chuckled softly, his laughter carrying a chilling undertone, "For a long time----for a long time~"

Nobody here~

How dare you be so insolent in front of me!!!

He slowly took a step forward, his dark green robe fluttering without wind, and an extremely terrifying pressure, like an ancient Ferocious Beast awakening, suddenly erupted!

That wasn't just simple Soul Power suppression; it was a destructive aura that made one's soul tremble, formed by the fusion of the Jade Phosphorous Poison Dragon Emperor's deadly poison and the vast Soul Power of a peak Titled Douluo!

"I am Dugu Bo."

Those four simple words struck the hearts of every member of the Strength Clan like a thunderclap!

Dugu Bo?!

That Poison Douluo, infamous for his poisons, with his eccentric personality, feared by countless people?! But—this person before me—

Her appearance, demeanor, and voice are all completely different from what was rumored!

Tai Tan's expression changed drastically, his pupils contracted, and he instinctively took a half-step back, his face filled with disbelief. "You—you're Dugu Bo? Impossible! How could Poison Douluo— "

"What, I've made some progress, do I need to report to you?" Dugu Bo's voice was icy, his dark golden eyes locked onto Tai Tan like a venomous snake eyeing its prey. "Just now, who did you call Xiao Bai? Who's all looks and no substance?"

Before he could finish speaking, Dugu Bo's figure vanished!

Alarm bells rang in Tai Tan's mind. His fighting instincts as Soul Douluo made him instantly unleash his Soul Power to the limit. With the Great Strength Gorilla Martial Soul Possession, his already burly body swelled up again. He crossed his arms in front of him, and his skin gleamed with a metallic gray-black luster. It was the signature defensive Soul Skill of the Strength Clan!

However, "Bang!"

With a muffled thud, Tai Tan was struck as if by a heavy hammer. His arms throbbed with pain, and he was sent flying backward like a cannonball, crashing heavily into the thick stone wall of the mansion behind him! The stone wall shattered with a deafening roar, and dust billowed everywhere.

"Clan leader!" the experts of the Strength Clan exclaimed, all wanting to step forward.

"Don't move!" Tai Tan's hoarse and pained voice came from the smoke and dust. He struggled to his feet from the rubble, his arms trembling, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, his clothes torn at the chest, revealing a clear emerald green palm print, the skin around the palm print turning bluish-black and ulcerating at a visible speed!

Dugu Bo reappeared in the same spot, hands behind his back, as if he had never moved. He Lengleng looked at Tai Tan: "This palm strike only used thirty percent of my strength. If it weren't for Erlong's presence today, this old man would have taken your life with this one strike."

The power of Titled Douluo is terrifying!

With just 30% of his power, he severely injured Tai Tan, the Soul Douluo, who was known for his strength defense!

Tai Tan's face was deathly pale as he felt the deadly poison eroding his life force and the excruciating pain from the fractured bones in his arms. His heart was filled with fear and humiliation.

He never expected that the man whose appearance had changed so drastically was actually the infamous Poison Douluo, and his strength seemed to be even more terrifying than the rumors suggested!

He knew he had met his match. With Dugu Bo around, no one in the Strength Clan could rival him.

"Poison— Poison Douluo, Your Majesty—" Tai Tan, enduring excruciating pain and humiliation, his voice hoarse, "Just now, I was blind and offended Your Majesty. I beg Your Majesty—to show mercy. Today's matter is a private grudge between my Strength Clan and Liu Erlong, and has nothing to do with Your Majesty—"

He wanted to use words to put Dugu Bo in a difficult position, to tell him not to interfere.

Dugu Bo scoffed, "Unrelated? When you insulted me, calling me Xiao Bai and a lover, why didn't you think it was related to me? Now you're scared? Too late!"

He paused, looked at Liu Erlong, and his tone softened. "Erlong, I'm leaving this old scoundrel to you. I'll just keep watch today and make sure no one bothers you."

Liu Erlong nodded to Dugu Bo, saying, "Thank Senior Dugu."

She stepped forward, her Scarlet Flame Dragon King Martial Soul manifesting, fiery red dragon scales covering her entire body, eight Soul Ring pulsating beneath her feet, radiating a chilling pressure. The Lava Earth Core Python's Soul Spirit, "Earthcore," remained hidden, her trump card prepared to deal with the real crisis.

Tai Tan felt somewhat relieved when he saw that Dugu Bo had indeed stopped making a move, but he still dared not be careless in the face of the aggressive Liu Erlong.

He forcefully summoned his Soul Power to suppress the poison within his body and said in a deep voice, "Liu Erlong, do you really intend to take advantage of my injuries? If word gets out, aren't you afraid the world will ridicule you for taking advantage of someone in distress?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Erlong seemed to have heard the biggest joke in the world. She threw her head back and laughed, her laughter filled with mockery and anger. "Taking advantage of someone's misfortune? Hahahaha! Tai Tan, you old dog, you dare to utter those four words?!"

Her laughter abruptly stopped, her gaze sharp as a knife, fixed on Tai Tan: "Back then at my Blue Tyrant Academy, when you, a level 86 Soul Douluo, brazenly attacked me, a mere Soul Saint, severely injuring me, did you ever consider taking advantage of my vulnerability?! When you relied on your age, bullied the weak, and used your power to bully the small, did you ever think of the word 'shameless'?!"

"Today, I, Liu Erlong, as a Soul Douluo, challenge you! You are injured? That's your own fault for your reckless words and offense against Titled Douluo senior! This injury is the first price you must pay today!"

"Enough with the nonsense! Today, you're going to fight whether you like it or not!"

Before she finished speaking, Liu Erlong's Third Soul Ring suddenly shone brightly!

Third Soul Skill: Fire Dragon's Fury!

Parts of her body Dragon Transformation, and her strength and speed increased dramatically! She became a streak of crimson light, instantly charging towards Tai Tan!

Tai Tan was both shocked and furious. He hadn't expected Liu Erlong to be so resolute, giving him no chance to breathe. Although he was injured, his Soul Douluo foundation remained. With a roar, his Fifth Soul Ring lit up. "Fifth Soul Skill: Tai Tan's Fist!" His arm muscles swelled again, and he threw out his fists with the force of shattering mountains and splitting rocks, meeting Liu Erlong head-on.

First Soul Skill: Fire Dragon's Claw!

The dragon claw collided with the giant fist, producing a deafening roar. The shockwave rippled outwards, and the ground cracked.

Liu Erlong was forced back three steps, while Tai Tan retreated seven steps. The emerald green palm print on his chest was in even greater pain, and the poison's corrosive effects made his Soul Power circulation somewhat sluggish.

He was horrified; Liu Erlong's power was incredibly formidable! She didn't seem like someone who had just broken through to the Soul Douluo!

"Fourth Soul Skill: Fire Dragon Mountain-Crushing Strike!" Liu Erlong pressed her advantage, leaping up suddenly and crashing down like a meteor!

Tai Tan hurriedly used his defensive Soul Skill, crossing his arms to block.

"Boom!" This time, Tai Tan was smashed to his knees, a clear cracking sound coming from his arms, and he spat out a mouthful of blood, which was tinged with a greenish hue.

"How is this possible—your power—" Tai Tan exclaimed in disbelief.

"How could you possibly fathom my teacher?" Yan Zu said Lengleng from the side. Liu Erlong had taken various pills to improve her physique, and her Martial Soul had evolved. Her Eighth Soul Ring was even 75,000 years old. Her foundation was so solid and her power so formidable that it far surpassed that of ordinary newly-broken Soul Douluo, and was comparable to some low-level Titled Douluo powerhouses.

Furthermore, Tai Tan was poisoned and his strength was greatly reduced. With this shift in power, Liu Erlong completely gained the upper hand.

"Fifth Soul Skill: Fire Dragon Roar Bullet!" Liu Erlong showed no mercy, unleashing a highly compressed, blazing fireball aimed directly at Tai Tan's face.

Tai Tan barely managed to dodge by turning his head, the fireball grazing his cheek and burning his skin raw with intense heat.

"Sixth Soul Skill: Fire Dragon Body Protection!" A fiery barrier rose around Liu Erlong, deflecting all of Tai Tan's flustered counterattacks and inflicting a burning effect.

"Take this! My Self-Created Soul Skill: Red Dragon Continuous Strikes!" Liu Erlong skillfully connected her first, third, and fourth Soul Skill, unleashing Dragon Claw, Dragon Flame, and Mountain Crash Strike like a storm upon Tai Tan.

Tai Tan was already severely injured and was further poisoned, so he could only barely hold on. New wounds kept appearing on his body, which was charred black and looked terrible.

"Enough! Liu Erlong! Do you really want to kill us all?!" Tai Tan roared, fear finally showing in his eyes.

"To annihilate them all?" Liu Erlong stopped her attack, looking at him Lengleng. "If I hadn't been lucky that day, I would have died at your hands long ago."

"Fine! Today, I'm just going to let you taste the bitterness of serious injury, and make your Strength Clan bow down and be subservient to me from now on!"

She took a deep breath, and her Eighth Soul Ring, that deep, abyss-like black Soul Ring, lit up for the first time in battle!

Eighth Soul Skill: Dragon Flame Heaven-Burning Array!