"Greetings, Senior Dugu." Yang Yunhai stepped forward and bowed politely. Zhu Zhuqing followed beside him, giving a respectful curtsy.
"No need for such formality." Dugu Bo gave a slight nod, his tone direct and straightforward. "Today, this old man came here with a request. Besides, you're Yan'er's friend."
"So just treat me as an ordinary elder. By seniority, you can call me Grandfather Dugu."
A youth with talent and diligence—if Yang Yunhai really could cure both him and his granddaughter, then Dugu Bo would be pleased to see his granddaughter make such a friend. The more allies she had, the smoother her future path as a Soul Master would be.
And most importantly, this boy, with no ties or obligations, had already taken the initiative to think of ways to cure his granddaughter's poison. In Dugu Bo's eyes, his character was unquestionably solid.
'Why do I feel like he's taking advantage of me here? Sure, in terms of seniority it makes sense, but I just wanted to be like Tang San in the original story—become your sworn brother, not your grandson. And now you want me to call you Grandfather?' Yang Yunhai silently grumbled.
But outwardly, his face remained all respectful and courteous, wearing the perfect look of a junior honoring his elder. With a smile, he gestured for them to come inside.
"Grandfather Dugu, Sister Yan, please come in first."
"Mm." Dugu Bo was satisfied with this response. He nodded slightly and followed Yang Yunhai into the house with Dugu Yan.
"Grandfather Dugu, Sister Yan, please sit in the living room for a while. Zhuqing and I just finished training, we're still sweaty. We'll wash up first and then come out to host you properly." Yang Yunhai led them to the table and chairs before speaking politely.
"Go ahead." Dugu Yan glanced at the dried sweat still on their faces and answered before her grandfather could.
The two quickly slipped into separate bedrooms.
Not long after, Yang Yunhai, freshly rinsed with cold water, came out first and quickly sat across from the grandfather and granddaughter, pouring tea for them.
"Xiao Hai, you're Yan'er's good friend, so this old man won't waste words." Dugu Bo, true to his nature, spoke directly. He extended his right hand, placing it flat on the table. With a slight nod, he said, "This old man is also poisoned. Help me take a look."
"Alright." Yang Yunhai nodded. He set down the teapot, summoned his martial soul, and extended a vine to wrap around Dugu Bo's wrist, channeling soul power into him.
'Such vibrant soul power—it even carries a trace of healing effect. This child is a natural born for the medical path. He claims he's just read a few medical texts, but whose teachings were those, I wonder?' Dugu Bo's expression didn't change, but his mind raced.
After all, medicine was not something one could just dabble in—it required legacy and transmission. Medical texts weren't something one could buy casually with money.
Clearly, this boy must have studied under a hidden master at some point.
'The continent is vast indeed. Even in a small city like Nuoding, such experts could be hiding.'
As Dugu Bo's thoughts turned, Yang Yunhai retracted his martial soul, his face solemn. "Grandfather Dugu, forgive me for speaking plainly. The poison in your body is even more potent than Sister Yan's."
Then his expression shifted slightly into puzzlement.
"However, it seems your poison has been suppressed by some special energy. Its activity is quite low. As long as you don't suffer sudden cold exposure or forcefully stir your blood during intense battle, you should remain stable."
'He really does have some skill.' Dugu Bo's spirit shook.
He had only just returned from the medicine garden these past two days. The poison in his body had indeed been suppressed by the yin-yang energies of Ice and Fire within the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
"With your method, do you have confidence to cure me?" he asked.
Yang Yunhai nodded. "I should be able to. But the requirements will be stricter. The cold and heat energies within the medicines must be stronger, and their compatibility with your body must be exact. Also, the soul bone used to transfer the poison must be of much higher quality and age."
"Grandfather Dugu, the truth is, the accumulated poison within your body is far too much, and far too strong. Soul bones may not be living things and thus cannot be poisoned, but in my view they must still have limits. If the toxins are too fierce, the bone may also be corroded, especially if it is not from a poison-type soul beast. Furthermore, soul bone capacity is fixed—it has an upper limit."
"It's not like the legendary external soul bones, which can evolve as the host grows stronger."
"So if the limit is exceeded, I worry the poison might overflow before it can even be expelled. The consequences, honestly, I cannot predict."
"That makes sense." Dugu Bo nodded. Soul bones, no matter how mighty, still came from soul beasts. Whatever strength the soul beast had before death, that was roughly the limit of the bone's strength.
Thus, its endurance also had limits.
If a ten-thousand-year poison beast poisoned a hundred-year beast, the result was obvious—the weaker would be utterly destroyed. Likewise, a soul bone from a hundred-year soul beast could never withstand the toxins of a ten-thousand-year poisonous beast.
By the same logic, if he used a mere hundred-year soul bone to hold his poison, it would be a waste—it might not even be stronger than his own bones.
After all, he was a Titled Douluo who had endured nine soul rings—the strength of his bones was anything but ordinary.
"So, in your estimation, how many years of soul bone do we need?" Dugu Bo asked.
Since Yang Yunhai had suggested using a soul bone to carry poison, he clearly had thought this through.
"Grandfather Dugu, for you, I estimate nothing less than ten thousand years. A poison-type soul bone would be best, since it would naturally have resistance to toxins. Second best would be a strength-type soul bone, since they generally have greater durability than others." Yang Yunhai replied, "As for Sister Yan, she is still only a Soul Elder. A thousand-year soul bone should suffice, but to be safe, it should be at least five thousand years."
A Soul Elder, with three rings combined, might have accumulated about 2800 years of ring age. Doubling that gave about 5600. So a 5000-year soul bone felt safe.
As for Dugu Bo, Yang Yunhai wasn't too worried. As a Titled Douluo with precise control and access to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, he could suppress the poison over time. But for the less experienced Dugu Yan, it was best to rely on the toughness of the bone itself.
He added, "After all, both your poisons have already mutated."
"Ten thousand… five thousand…" Dugu Yan murmured, her expression turning dazed, a trace of worry in her eyes.
A ten-thousand-year soul bone was exceedingly rare. Even five thousand years was not easy.
"You're right." Dugu Bo glanced at his granddaughter, then nodded.
If the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan refused even a five-thousand-year soul bone, then it would be nothing but an insult to him, a Titled Douluo. He only had one granddaughter—marrying her meant gaining his full support. Did they think that wasn't worth even one five-thousand-year soul bone?
He thought, then said, "In that case, no time to waste. Xiao Hai, tonight you'll come with me."
"The things you spoke of—I happen to have some collected. I'll take you to see them for yourself."
"As for the academy, we'll stop by Yan'er's dormitory later. I'll explain it to your teacher Qin Ming myself and get you leave."
(End of Chapter)
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