"Second Uncle, your nephew Dugu Shuo has come to pay his respects!"
A loud shout from outside the mansion made both Dugu Bo and Dugu Yan freeze momentarily.
"He dares to come? I'll see what he has to say!" Dugu Bo was furious.
He immediately had Dugu Shuo brought inside.
Upon entering, Dugu Shuo quickly noticed Dugu Yan's reddened eyes and thought to himself that his son had truly angered her.
"Dugu Shuo, do you no longer care for your son?" Dugu Bo asked calmly.
Dugu Shuo replied steadily, "It was I who instructed Feng'er to act this way. Even if Yan Yan hadn't made Feng'er take the stage, he would have proposed a duel. Yan Yan and Yu Tianheng are not suitable—"
Bang!
Before he could finish, Dugu Bo's eyes flashed with green light, and a tremendous force sent Dugu Shuo crashing into the door behind him.
"Do you truly consider yourself the head of the Dugu Family? Do you think Yan Yan's affairs are yours to meddle in?"
Dugu Bo's tone was icy.
"Second Uncle, you must understand—whether male or female, once the poison flares up in our Dugu Family, it affects our partners. If Yan Yan truly ends up with Yu Tianheng, how will she survive in the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Family when her poison manifests?"
Pain shot through Dugu Shuo's back, but his expression remained unchanged. "Yu Tianheng has been groomed since childhood as the heir of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Family. Do you really believe he pursued Yan Yan out of genuine affection? If so, Second Uncle, you underestimate Yu Yuanzhen far too much. That man even sent his own son—whose Martial Soul mutated into a useless form—to the Spirit Hall to secure benefits for his family. Among the Upper Three Sects, none are as cunning as Yu Yuanzhen.
"With the continent in turmoil and the Spirit Hall plotting to overthrow the Heaven Dou Empire, the incident with the Elephant Armor Sect and Chrysanthemum Douluo's attack on you were no coincidence. Heaven Dou City is at the heart of this storm, Second Uncle. Don't let yourself become a pawn for the Upper Three Sects!"
Dugu Shuo spoke slowly and deliberately.
"With Grandfather here, what could the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Family possibly do to me? You're the one relying on Grandfather's influence—otherwise, how could the Dugu Family dominate the Great Soul Arena's profits or dare to annihilate the Elephant Armor Sect?"
Dugu Yan suddenly erupted in anger.
Dugu Bo's face darkened as well, his voice dripping with malice. "You, a man who could drop dead from poison at any moment, are concerning yourself far too much!"
Dugu Shuo smiled.
"Second Uncle, the Dugu Family is a collective. As long as I live, I will act in its best interests. Even after I'm gone, there will still be Feng'er. One day, someone will refine the Poison Pill and solve the toxin issue.
"I came today to warn you—Xue Ye the Great has already been poisoned with a slow-acting toxin. The culprit is in Heaven Dou City, and I suspect the Spirit Hall also has a Titled Douluo with a poison-attribute Martial Soul. Yu Yuanzhen undoubtedly knows of the Spirit Hall's schemes, but has he shared any of this with you? Second Uncle, you must not leave the city anytime soon!"
Dugu Shuo spoke ambiguously, mixing truth with deception.
Dugu Yan's expression shifted slightly.
Dugu Bo's face flickered between emotions. He had always known his nephew was calculating and resourceful—but had he truly uncovered so much? Even Dugu Bo himself was unaware of these details. Yet he couldn't deny the killing intent he'd sensed from Yue Guan that day.
This nephew of his was undeniably formidable.
"Finished? Then get out."
"If you dare act on your own again in the future, I won't let you off!" Dugu Bo scolded.
In the end, he didn't take action.
Seeing this, Dugu Shuo turned and left without another word.
"Grandfather, is what he said true? Is the Spirit Hall trying to kill you?" Dugu Yan had noticed something amiss from her grandfather's reaction.
Dugu Bo replied confidently, "Yan'er, don't worry. They can't kill me!"
After a moment's thought, he added, "Yan'er, there's one thing he said that's correct—the Dugu Family is a united whole. That's also why few outsiders know about the conflict between our two lineages.
Don't underestimate Dugu Feng. Though young, he's not much weaker than my nephew! Moreover, I suspect they've found some method to resist poison. Otherwise, Dugu Feng wouldn't have lasted this long!"
This was Dugu Bo's speculation and the reason he hadn't escalated the conflict. He wasn't one to let personal grudges between lineages blind him to a potential solution for their poison problem. He wanted to see how far Dugu Shuo and Dugu Feng could go.
Additionally, there was the matter of Xue Ye the Great and the poison-attribute Titled Douluo—he needed to verify these claims.
Meanwhile, as Dugu Shuo stepped out of Dugu Mansion, he quietly let out a sigh of relief.
His uncle wasn't as foolish as he'd feared!
What did being a Titled Douluo matter? In the grand struggle between the continent's factions, even they could become cannon fodder at any moment.
For a family to endure, relying on one or two individuals wasn't enough. No matter what, the two lineages needed to maintain a peaceful front externally.
Originally, if Dugu Bo had refused to relent, he'd planned to reveal the method of using Soul Bones to mitigate poison.
Now, it seemed Dugu Bo still had some awareness of the Spirit Hall's threat.
The only downside was that relations with that old dragon Yu Yuanzhen would grow tense again. That scheming old serpent had been up to no good last time—it was best not to get too close to him.
He needed to break through to Soul Douluo as soon as possible. Soul Saint strength was far too weak!
Lost in thought, Dugu Shuo gradually made his way back to Dugu Mansion.
Upon returning to the ancestral hall, he found Dugu Feng waiting there.
Truthfully, Dugu Feng shared his father's view—the worst outcome would've been revealing the detoxification method. Since it wasn't a permanent cure, he wouldn't have regretted it.
"Feng'er, how do you think we should handle the Cultivated Serpent Lineage?"
Amid the swirling incense smoke in the ancestral hall, Dugu Shuo suddenly posed the question.
Dugu Feng's mind raced. Familiar with future events, he knew he couldn't let Dugu Bo continue serving as Tang San's enforcer. But he couldn't tell Dugu Shuo about things that hadn't happened yet.
"Everything should prioritize the family's legacy and strength," Dugu Feng replied after careful consideration.
"Your thinking is correct.
The Clear Sky Sect, once the world's top sect, knew when to bend and when to stand firm when faced with annihilation. They preserved their strength by sealing their sect.
As the future head of the Dugu Family, every decision you make must prioritize the family's survival and safety!"
Dugu Feng quickly nodded. "Yes, Father!"
"I'll be going into seclusion soon to attempt a breakthrough to Soul Douluo. You'll be in charge of family affairs during this time."
Dugu Feng nearly sighed. As expected—every time his father lectured him, it came with added responsibilities.
Shortly after, Dugu Feng left the family grounds and returned to the dormitory area of the Royal Elementary Soul Master Academy.
The first person he saw was Ning Rongrong, waiting for him.
"Why did you run off so fast? Were you afraid Dugu Yan would come after you? With me here, what's there to fear?"
Ning Rongrong complained.
Dugu Feng felt a warmth in his heart. Since returning to the academy from Slaughter City, his interactions with Ning Rongrong had been pleasant.
He hadn't experienced her spoiled side.
Instead, she was very dedicated to cultivation and treated him well.
"Something suddenly came to mind, so I went back to the residence for a bit. Let's continue cultivating—I need to break through to Soul Expert as soon as possible and absorb my third Spirit Ring!"
"Cultivation, all you think about is cultivation. Don't you have any other thoughts besides cultivation?"
Ning Rongrong was speechless.
Here you are with a great beauty like me, and all you can think about is cultivation? What's wrong with you?
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