Dugu Bo began chatting about gossip.
Ever since he had watched Fang Ling step by step analyze and test for him, giving him hope for detoxification, the shadow of death in his heart had completely dissipated. His whole demeanor had brightened significantly.
It was as if he had been given a new lease on life, experiencing a second spring.
No longer was he the solitary, lifeless man he had once been.
Fang Ling couldn't help but feel a little surprised. The man asking these questions was none other than Poison Douluo Dugu Bo, known for his erratic personality and morally ambiguous nature.
Yet here he was, relaxed and chatty, clearly in a much better mental state.
Still, Fang Ling needed Dugu Bo's help later to seize Zhu Zhuqing from Shrek Academy, so having this conversation now wasn't a bad thing.
"Second young lady of the Lingmao Duke's household of the Star Luo Empire, Zhu Zhuqing."
"Who?!" Dugu Bo halted suddenly at the name, stopping with Fang Ling amid the lush forest.
"Is she of the main bloodline?"
"Yes." Fang Ling nodded.
He set Fang Ling down, his brows furrowed in thought before his expression shifted in shock. "I remember the daughters of the Zhu family's main line are all... Star Luo royal consorts? You encountered her in the Heaven Dou Empire?"
A trace of recollection flashed across Fang Ling's face as he remembered the breathtaking moment he first opened his eyes after surviving a desperate situation. The corners of his lips lifted slightly.
"I was once being hunted by soul beasts in the Star Dou Forest while soul hunting. I was saved by someone she sent."
"She's very beautiful?" Dugu Bo murmured to himself, then answered his own question. "Of course, how could a royal consort not be stunning?"
His green eyes sparkled with a knowing look as he playfully slapped Fang Ling on the head, wearing the kind of grin all men understand.
"So, you're just a guy who fell for her looks."
Fang Ling smiled faintly, neither confirming nor denying. After all, who in this world wouldn't love a beauty?
Especially one as stunning and well-figured as Zhu Zhuqing.
He saw himself as an ordinary man, naturally drawn to such allure.
"I do like beautiful women, but it's not like I fall for someone after just one meeting. What's important is, she and I share a martial soul fusion skill."
"A martial soul fusion skill?!"
Dugu Bo froze on the spot. In his deep-set eyes flickered not just the image of the youth before him, but the overwhelming storm roiling in his heart.
This wasn't just surprise, this was thunder roaring in his chest.
After all, it was a martial soul fusion skill.
A long-handled war scythe and a Nether Cat?
Dugu Bo silently tried to deduce the compatibility between these two martial souls but only found it increasingly peculiar. There had to be something deeper.
He pondered for a moment, brow tightly knit, confusion clear on his face. "But if I recall correctly, doesn't the Zhu family already have a martial soul fusion skill with the royal family?"
"The two families have intermarried for generations. The name 'Hell White Tiger' isn't unfamiliar to me either."
A flash of longing crossed Fang Ling's eyes. "Yes, she shares a martial soul fusion skill with the third prince of Star Luo. But that doesn't stop her from having one with me, too."
"The moment we met, my martial soul stirred inexplicably. For something to resonate with a martial soul like that, I can't imagine any explanation other than a fusion skill."
"Teacher, you should know better than anyone, how rare it is to meet someone with whom you share a martial soul fusion skill."
His tone carried a new level of respect as he naturally began addressing Dugu Bo as "teacher."
"I know," Dugu Bo nodded slightly, his expression becoming more serious.
Fusion skills were rare treasures in the soul master world.
Even the most basic two-person fusion skill could yield astonishing power, enough to change fate and defeat stronger foes.
Just like the famous Dragon Serpent couple, known for rivaling Titled Douluo through their fusion skill.
There was even once a legendary, albeit brief, three-person fusion skill that amazed an entire generation.
"You're not lying?"
Dugu Bo wanted to confirm.
Fang Ling responded solemnly, his eyes flashing like cold stars. "Of course not. Martial souls don't lie."
For soul masters on the Douluo Continent, martial souls were of paramount importance, and so were fusion skills.
But was he really going to confront Star Luo just for this young man?
After a while, Dugu Bo made his decision.
That was impossible.
He simply shook his head, a trace of helplessness in his eyes.
"As I've said, Fang Ling, you're my disciple now, and while that's important, I can't go to Star Luo City just for a fusion skill."
"Do you really think you can snatch her from the Star Luo Empire on your own?"
Fang Ling smiled with confidence. "I've received word that she'll be coming to Heaven Dou."
"That will be the perfect opportunity to seize her."
Dugu Bo paused and gave him a deep look. "You're sure?"
"Absolutely," Fang Ling said firmly, leaving no room for doubt.
"Very well. As long as both I and Yan Yan are successfully detoxified, I'll back you up." Dugu Bo made the promise solemnly.
Though he took Fang Ling in as a disciple, the main reason was still the potential intel about immortal herbs from the Ye family.
That was the true payment for detoxification.
As long as they didn't have to confront the Star Luo Empire head-on, if it happened in Heaven Dou, then there was nothing to fear.
The Star Luo Empire had no Titled Douluo. Any lower-ranked soul masters they sent would be meaningless to Dugu Bo.
A Titled Douluo was still a Titled Douluo, even at the weakest level.
And no one would dare to hurt Dugu Yan. If she were injured, they'd have to pray she survived, she was Dugu Bo's last emotional anchor.
A poison-type Titled Douluo gone mad was something no one on the continent wanted to see.
"Does Ye Lingling know?" Dugu Bo asked thoughtfully.
"A bit. I emphasized it to her multiple times, but even then, I didn't expect to win her affection so easily."
A trace of helplessness, but also a bit of luck, passed across Fang Ling's face.
That's just how it was in the world of romantic entanglements. Ever since he had comforted Ye Lingling, and then tried to "borrow" her healing skills, things had gone down this path.
"And she still likes you..." Dugu Bo shook his head. "Just don't mess things up too badly."
Fang Ling immediately retorted:
"This isn't a game!"
"I'm someone who values emotions. I know full well how much Lingling fears and avoids you. That terror is etched deep in her heart."
"Even so, she still stepped forward to hold me back."
"That moment is engraved in my memory. When a beauty opens her heart to you, how could I let her down?"
"Besides, I'm destined to reach the summit. Teacher, why don't you consider marrying Sister Yan Yan to me too?"
Under Dugu Bo's now-glowing eyes, Fang Ling added casually:
"Anyway, I'm already your disciple. If I marry Yan Yan too, we'd truly be one family."
He said it half in jest, but also with a sincere tone.
Dugu Bo's face turned stern. "Don't push your luck, little Fang Ling."
"If you were sound of body and heart, and hadn't already fallen for someone else, I might have considered letting you and Yan Yan be together."
"But now you've got Ye Lingling, and you're planning to steal a Star Luo royal consort, if you dare to lay eyes on Yan Yan again, don't blame me for turning hostile."
"Haha." Fang Ling let out a couple of light chuckles.
He had already figured out where Dugu Bo stood.
Clearly, in Dugu Bo's eyes, his own talent still wasn't enough to truly impress.
The so-called disciple relationship was mostly due to gratitude for the detoxification and the potential information on immortal herbs from the Ye family.
He was still far from being truly important.
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