......
Dugu Bo suddenly bit the tip of his tongue and spat out a mouthful of vital blood essence. It transformed into the purest form of mental energy and slammed fiercely into the center of his dantian.
*Hum—!*
At the very center of Dugu Bo's dantian, the furiously spinning vortex suddenly contracted sharply inward; in that instant, all the liquid spirit power collapsed and solidified completely!
A spirit core—no larger than a soybean and possessing a translucent, ink-green luster—floated silently within Dugu Bo's dantian.
The spirit core had successfully formed!
The moment the spirit core took shape, the previously violent spirit power surging through Dugu Bo's body seemed to find a central anchor; it instantly became incredibly docile.
It began to circulate spontaneously, with the spirit core at its center.
With every cycle, the spirit power was purified and compressed by the core, becoming even more refined and potent!
Dugu Bo slowly opened his eyes.
He stared blankly at his hands, sensing the terrifying power within him that had undergone a world-shaking transformation; he was utterly overwhelmed by shock and ecstasy.
"Is... is this the power of a spirit core?"
Dugu Bo murmured to himself, his voice trembling uncontrollably.
Suddenly, he sensed an incredible change occurring within his body.
The backlash from his poison—it was gone!
It had vanished completely and utterly! In the past, although Luo Nan had taught him the technique to channel the toxins into his spirit bones—allowing him to largely ignore the Jade Phosphorus Serpent Emperor poison that had tormented him for most of his life—
Dugu Bo knew full well that this was merely treating the symptoms, not the root cause.
The toxins still existed within his body; they were merely temporarily sealed away in his spirit bones. Should those bones sustain damage, the toxins still risked erupting once more.
But now, the situation was entirely different!
After successfully condensing his spirit core, every trace of the Jade Phosphorus Serpent Emperor poison within him...
...had been forcibly absorbed, compressed, and purified by that terrifying spirit core, ultimately transforming into the core's very essence!
He was no longer a mere vessel for toxins; he was now the true Master of All Poisons!
Those virulent toxins that once caused him excruciating agony had transformed into an innate power he could wield at will—never again would they inflict even the slightest backlash upon him!
The problem had finally been resolved at its very source!
"Hahaha! I have finally shaken off this damned toxic backlash for good!"
Dugu Bo couldn't help but throw his head back and roar with laughter—a sound filled with boundless exhilaration and relief.
As the laughter subsided, Dugu Bo clenched his fists tightly.
He sensed the majestic spirit power surging within him—an endless, ceaseless force as unfathomable as the deep ocean.
He felt terrifyingly powerful!
With a spirit power level of ninety-five, two top-tier ten-thousand-year spirit bones, and this newly condensed spirit core...
Dugu Bo had a strong intuition: if he were to face the elders of Spirit Hall now, he could certainly give them a surprise they would never forget.
"Chrysanthemum Pass, Ghost..."
"If I were to run into you two old geezers now, I wouldn't be afraid in the slightest!"
"Even with your Spirit Fusion Skill, I could use this boundless sea of poison to simply wear you down until you die!"
Possessing a spirit core meant having virtually inexhaustible stamina and explosive power.
At the same rank, a Titled Douluo with a spirit core could utterly crush an opponent who lacked one!
At this thought, Dugu Bo suddenly shuddered and whipped his head around to look at Luo Nan, who was standing calmly on the shore.
He finally realized a truly terrifying fact.
The reason Luo Nan was so incredibly powerful—strong enough to easily insta-kill a Super Douluo and even withstand the overwhelming pressure of the Ancient Thunder Dragon King—must be because he had long since formed a Spirit Core!
Moreover, Luo Nan's Spirit Core was undoubtedly countless times more powerful than the one he had just condensed himself!
"His Excellency's strength is simply unfathomable..." Dugu Bo marveled inwardly.
Immediately afterward, another thought crossed Dugu Bo's mind.
Luo Nan possessed such terrifying strength and mastered such heaven-defying secret techniques.
Yet, when faced with the schemes and provocations of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, he had merely taught them a small lesson rather than outright slaughtering the entire sect.
"His Excellency is truly too merciful, too kind-hearted!" Dugu Bo reflected with deep emotion.
Given Dugu Bo's own vindictive nature—one that demanded an eye for an eye—if the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had dared to pull such stunts on him...
He would have long since snuck into their headquarters under the cover of darkness and poisoned every single person in the sect to death!
He would have poisoned everyone—not even sparing a single dog!
Yet Luo Nan had not done so; in Dugu Bo's eyes, this was nothing short of the compassion of a Bodhisattva.
What moved Dugu Bo even more deeply was the fact that Luo Nan was willing to impart the method for condensing a Spirit Core—a secret technique capable of altering the entire landscape of the Douluo Continent—to him without reservation!
What did this signify?
It meant that Luo Nan truly regarded him as an absolute confidant—as one of his own inner circle!
"Your Excellency's immense kindness is something this old man will never forget!"
Dugu Bo leapt down from the rock, dropping to one knee before Luo Nan; his eyes were rimmed with red, and his voice choked with emotion.
"From this day forth, this old man's life belongs to Your Excellency! Wherever your sword points, my poisonous mist shall follow!"
Watching Dugu Bo, who was overcome with agitation, Luo Nan merely glanced at him coolly, completely unconcerned with the chaotic thoughts and assumptions swirling in the old man's mind.
Benevolence? Kindness?
"Alright, get up," Luo Nan said calmly, waving his hand.
"Now that your strength has stabilized, I have an important task to entrust to you."
"Please, Your Excellency, give your orders!" Dugu Bo stood up immediately, his expression solemn.
"I will be leaving Heaven Dou City for a while to attend to some personal matters. My return date is undecided."
Luo Nan looked at Dugu Bo and spoke in a deep, serious tone.
"During this time, I want you to stand guard at Moon Pavilion. Protect Yuehua well; do not let anyone disturb her."
Hearing that Luo Nan was leaving, Dugu Bo felt a jolt of anxiety, but he immediately thumped his chest and declared loudly:
"Rest assured, Your Excellency! I swear to guard Moon Pavilion with my life!"
"As long as I draw breath, I will not let anyone set foot inside Moon Pavilion!"
"If the slightest mishap befalls Moon Pavilion, I shall offer my head in atonement!"
With his strength greatly increased, Dugu Bo had been looking for a chance to prove his loyalty to Luo Nan; guarding Moon Pavilion was a duty he felt honor-bound to undertake.
He even secretly vowed that if anyone dared to cause trouble at Moon Pavilion during this time, he would make them taste the power of his Jade Phosphorus Serpent Emperor poison, now amplified by his Spirit Core!
Seeing Dugu Bo's posture—as if facing a formidable enemy and ready to fight to the death at a moment's notice—Luo Nan couldn't help but chuckle softly.
"Alright, there's no need to be so tense; it's not that serious."
Luo Nan patted Dugu Bo on the shoulder. "Given your current strength—Level 95, plus two top-tier ten-thousand-year spirit bones, and that spirit core you just condensed..."
......
*******************************
Enjoying the story? Don't forget to drop a review, leave a comment, and smash that like button! Every Power Stone helps push the story further—thanks for reading and supporting! 🚀