Thank you to our new Patrons: Dog Jay, Christopher Gärtner, Jose cabrera atzin, Luke Matthews, allen pellissery and mark74497! Your support means the world to me <3 We are up to Chapter 195: Why Target Us? on Patreon!
There's something for free patrons too! Free Patrons receive 1 chapter in advance :)
Patrons, don't forget to vote for the next novel to be released!!!
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Ke Jie arranged a faculty apartment for Dugu Bo.
Since Dugu Bo didn't plan to leave Tiandou City anytime soon, he decided to stay there.
As soon as they entered the apartment, Dugu Yan couldn't help but ask, "Grandfather, how did you end up becoming a specially appointed teacher at Seven Treasures Academy? Even if you wanted to teach, you should have gone to Tiandou Imperial Academy."
Dugu Bo looked at her affectionately and shook his head. "In your academy, aside from the few members of your team, all the other students are spoiled second-generation heirs. I like the learning atmosphere at Seven Treasures Academy—what's wrong with being a teacher? Educating others isn't a bad thing."
Dugu Yan had no counterargument.
Her grandfather was used to living a carefree life; whatever he wanted to do, she might as well let him be.
"Grandfather, why did you call me here? Is there something you need?" Dugu Yan couldn't help but ask.
Surely, he wasn't actually asking her to join Seven Treasures Academy, was he?
Dugu Bo's expression turned serious. "Yan Yan, do you know that our Dugu family's inherited martial soul has a fatal flaw?"
"A flaw? Grandfather, what are you talking about? I don't understand," Dugu Yan said, bewildered and at a loss.
A martial soul capable of reaching the level of a Title Douluo was already considered perfect—how could it have a flaw?
Dugu Bo sighed and explained, "Yan Yan, every time I see you, I ask if you've felt any abnormalities in your body. This is because the toxins within the Azure Phosphorus Snake martial soul seep into the soul master's body during cultivation. When one's strength reaches a certain level, it can even lead to sudden death."
"I was just lucky enough to break through to become a Title Douluo by chance, barely saving my own life…"
He spoke at length, leaving Dugu Yan stunned.
"So does that mean that once I break through to become a Soul Ancestor, the toxins in my martial soul will start harming me?" Dugu Yan's mind was in turmoil.
As a prodigy, how could she possibly allow her cultivation to fall behind others?
But according to Dugu Bo, if she didn't stop cultivating immediately after breaking through to Soul Ancestor, her life would be in danger.
Ning Tianchen couldn't help but interrupt, "Old man, are you really going to deceive your own granddaughter?"
When Dugu Yan heard his voice, a flicker of panic flashed in her eyes.
The secret of the Dugu family being overheard by an outsider—how could this be acceptable?
Dugu Bo laughed heartily. "Alright, Yan Yan, what I just said only applies to the original situation. Now, there's a solution to the problem of the martial soul's toxins—and we owe it all to this young man."
Dugu Yan's brows furrowed slightly, and her gaze toward Ning Tianchen grew complicated. "Him? Grandfather, are you joking? You're on such familiar terms with him—what am I supposed to call him?"
"Cough, cough—I wouldn't mind having one more granddaughter," Ning Tianchen grinned mischievously.
"Get out of here, don't take advantage of Yan Yan!" With that, Dugu Bo pulled Dugu Yan closer. "Yan Yan, the solution is to condense a poison pill. I'll teach you the specifics later."
"The amount of toxins accumulated in your body is minimal, so you won't need medicinal herbs to assist you. Go cultivate, and the young man and I will wait for you in the living room. If you encounter any issues, call out immediately."
Dugu Yan was half-skeptical.
Her grandfather's words shouldn't be false, but after decades of experience in pharmacology, he hadn't been able to find a cure. How could Ning Tianchen, a young prodigy, know so much?
Ning Tianchen reminded her, "By the way, after you finish condensing the poison pill, go ahead and absorb the immortal herb as well."
"That's right, I almost forgot."
---
The amount of toxins accumulated in Dugu Yan's body was very small, so the time required to condense the poison pill was much shorter than it had been for Dugu Bo.
By noon the next day, Dugu Yan had finished her cultivation.
During this time, she also absorbed the immortal herb.
"Grandfather, what kind of herb is this? How could my soul power level increase so much without any side effects?"
She could feel that after absorbing the soul ring, her soul power level would far exceed Level 41.
Dugu Bo's expression was complex as he replied, "This is an immortal herb. It originally grew naturally in my backyard. If it weren't for this young man, I would never have known the uses of these herbs in my lifetime."
Dugu Yan wasn't naive. After hearing Dugu Bo repeatedly express gratitude to Ning Tianchen, she roughly understood the situation.
Her attitude toward Ning Tianchen took a sharp turn. "Ning Tianchen, thank you. I apologize for my previous behavior."
After a pause, she added, "By the way, do you have any immortal herbs suitable for Tianheng?"
Before Ning Tianchen could respond, Dugu Bo's expression turned stern. "Yan Yan, the matter of the immortal herbs must not be disclosed to outsiders—especially that brat. Don't think for a moment that he truly loves you. Behind him stands the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon family, and he's trying to use you to tie me to their ship."
Ning Tianchen picked up where he left off. "Dugu Yan, the matter of the immortal herbs is of great importance. These herbs can directly enhance a soul master's innate talent and strength without any side effects. Do you think that if this information leaks, the major powers won't covet them?"
After the members of the Seven Treasures Team consumed the immortal herbs, he had strictly warned them not to disclose the secret.
---
"As for the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon family, don't assume they're as upright as they appear. Behind the scenes, they've committed countless despicable acts…"
The sibling romance between Yu Xiaogang and Liu Erlong was one thing, but the incident in Thunder Valley where they set him up was another. Once exposed, it would be enough to disgrace the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon family entirely.
What was most infuriating was that Ning Fengzhi had paid a million gold spirit coins for the scheme.
Not only did they accept the money, but they also set a trap—it was utterly despicable.
"Young man, are you sure about what you're saying?" Even Dugu Bo couldn't help but feel astonished.
Ning Tianchen responded gravely, "Absolutely. Principal Ke knows about this as well—you can go and verify it with him."
Dugu Bo wore a thoughtful expression. "It's not that I don't trust you. The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon family has always presented themselves as upright, but I never expected them to commit such underhanded deeds behind the scenes."
After a pause, he spoke solemnly. "Yan Yan, listen carefully. From now on, keep your distance from Yu Tianheng—he might harm you secretly. As for the origin of the immortal herbs, it's my backyard. If outsiders find out, the Dugu family will face catastrophic consequences. Think carefully about what's more important."
Dugu Yan wanted to defend Yu Tianheng, but seeing her grandfather's stern expression, she swallowed her words.
"Grandfather, how should I explain my sudden increase in strength when I return?"
Ning Tianchen offered her a suggestion. "That's easy. Just say it's a secret method Grandfather developed, one that only works for Azure Phosphorus Snake soul masters."
On the continent, any achievement related to a Title Douluo would be endlessly praised by countless people.
Attributing the matter to Dugu Bo would leave no trace for outsiders to detect.
"By the way, Grandfather, about this trip…"
Even if he didn't bring it up, Dugu Bo would surely question her about it.
This journey for training had been an absolute disaster.
At the end of the training expedition, Qin Ming, in his eagerness to curry favor with Shrek Academy, abandoned them outright.
------------------------------------------------------
Support my writing journey: patreon.com/EphemeralShadow
40+ Chapters Ahead Guaranteed.