"Yes, Grandpa."
Dugu Yan was filled with anticipation at the thought of channeling lightning into her body. She trusted Ignaz and had faith in her grandfather's ability to rescue her in critical moments.
After several hours of waiting, a thunderstorm once again descended upon Thunder Canyon's center. After Ignaz completed all the preliminary preparations for lightning channeling, he took Dugu Yan's small hand and gently comforted her nervousness:
"Little sister, the path to strength is difficult, but don't be afraid—I'm here for you."
As a heavenly lightning bolt struck the lightning rod, electricity surged through two Lightning-Dispersing Rods of different lengths. Dugu Yan's limbs began to tremble and go numb, but she stared intently at Ignaz, gritting her teeth and pushing through:
"Brother Ignaz, this tingly, numbing sensation—I can still handle it!"
As soon as she finished speaking, the Rock Domain Poison Dragon behind Dugu Yan automatically manifested, letting out a long dragon's cry toward the sky.
The lightning arcs conducting into and around Dugu Yan's body mysteriously dispersed, though her physical constitution continued to improve slowly.
Having learned from the previous incident, Ignaz removed three sections of the Lightning-Dispersing Rods, using his current physical limits to complete the lightning body tempering process.
As time passed, two months flew by in the blink of an eye. Through lightning body tempering, Ignaz not only fully absorbed the remaining medicinal power in his body, but his spirit power also increased by one level, reaching rank 47.
Dugu Yan's cultivation speed was even more astonishing—she advanced two levels to rank 38 in spirit power. However, Dugu Yan now had far more internal injuries than Ignaz.
Watching his granddaughter endure so much, Dugu Bo felt truly heartbroken. While healing her injuries with spirit power and medicinal herbs, he said reluctantly:
"Yanyan, we shouldn't push it with Ignaz's desperate lightning channeling method. If I hadn't treated you, you'd probably be a cripple by now."
"Besides, it's been two months already. Your vacation should be ending soon—time to return to the academy."
Dugu Yan took Dugu Bo's left arm, saying happily:
"Alright, alright! I haven't seen Lingling in a long time, anyway. Plus, Brother Ignaz said we can't channel lightning for extended periods—we need proper rest. We'll come back again next year at this time."
"You, you—now it's 'Brother Ignaz' this and 'Brother Ignaz' that. I think there's no place for Grandpa in Yanyan's heart anymore."
Dugu Bo lightly flicked Dugu Yan's forehead, genuinely somewhat angry—his carefully raised granddaughter had thrown herself into that kid's embrace under his deliberate matchmaking. Which family's daughter could move so fast?
"Grandpa, isn't this what you wanted to see? Brother Ignaz has shown kindness to our family, so I had no choice but to—"
Dugu Yan spoke halfway, then deliberately glanced at Ignaz, who was organizing and packing things, guarding the camp not far away. Her face reddened as she leaned close to Dugu Bo's ear and continued:
"Had no choice but to repay him with my body."
Dugu Bo pointed at Dugu Yan, who was already running toward Ignaz: "You..."
Shortly after, the three boarded a carriage heading toward Heaven Dou City. Along the way, Ignaz sat at the front, holding the reins, feeling speechless:
"What's gotten into Dugu Bo now? Wasn't he fine with me before? How did he suddenly change?"
Just as they passed the Ye Family Medical Hall in Heaven Dou City, Dugu Bo became serious and immediately shouted:
"Iggy, stop the carriage!"
Dugu Bo then flashed forward, sitting directly in front of the carriage. He looked at Ignaz beside him:
"Iggy, get back in the carriage. Take Yanyan and hide in the medical hall for a while—that old dragon is here."
As a fellow Titled Douluo who frequently dealt with the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, Dugu Bo sensed the old dragon's mental power the moment the carriage stopped.
Just then, another carriage approached from ahead, with an equally resentful, robust elderly man sitting at its front:
"You old poison, haven't seen you in years, yet your nose is still so sharp. What a pity."
"Likewise. What brings you here, old dragon?"
Dugu Bo feigned complete ignorance, asking with apparent confusion.
Seeing Dugu Bo put on this act, the fury in Yu Yuanzhen's heart became even harder to extinguish. He stared at the people in the carriage, saying forcefully:
"Old poison, that's meaningless talk. The kid in your carriage injured my grandson. When the young one gets hurt, it damages my Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's reputation. Tell me, shouldn't I have come?"
"This matter ended when I helped remove the poison from your grandson and treated his injuries. Don't tell me you old dragon wants to press the issue and be unreasonable too"
Dugu Bo sternly refused. Ignaz was now considered his granddaughter's husband-to-be. If his hands were severed, his life would be ruined, and his spirit power might even stagnate, making Yanyan sad as well.
"In that case, it's inconvenient to talk and handle matters here. Old poison, do you dare follow me?"
"What wouldn't I dare?"
The two quickly flashed and leaped away, leaving Heaven Dou City for a steep mountain forest dense with trees and jagged rocks.
Both immediately released their Titled Douluo mental power in competition. For a moment, they were evenly matched, but after just ten seconds, Yu Yuanzhen's soul was forcibly injured by Dugu Bo's powerful mental power. He was greatly shocked:
"How did your strength increase so much? No wonder you dare challenge me directly."
Looking at Dugu Bo ahead, who emanated spirit power fluctuations of the same level as himself, Yu Yuanzhen was extremely curious. In just a few years, Dugu Bo had jumped from rank 92 to three levels higher, matching the strength of an Upper Three Clans patriarch.
This was why he was unwilling to act within Heaven Dou City. First, he wanted to know the secret of Dugu Bo's rapid spirit power advancement. Second, Dugu Bo's importance to their Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan had risen a notch.
If their Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan could simultaneously possess two Super Douluo and obtain the secret of rapid spirit power advancement, they would be invincible.
Besides, his purpose in coming was just to vent anger for his grandson—not to have a death match with Dugu Bo.
"How I improve my strength—must I explain in detail to you, old dragon?"
"Old poison, everything can be negotiated. I can overlook Tianheng's matter and won't touch that kid surnamed Cross, but you must join my Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan."
Yu Yuanzhen's tone remained forceful. After all, he was a rank 95 Thunder Douluo. Even if Dugu Bo, before him, was also rank 95, his martial spirit was a snake, while his own was a dragon. Dragons were the overlords of all beast martial spirits—at the same level, he would surely remain undefeated.
۞۞۞۞
~ Push the story forward with your Power Stones