Three days after the momentous decision was made, a procession of understated power departed from the palatial grounds of the Seven Treasure Glaze Tile Sect. A single, luxurious carriage, its frame crafted from dark, polished wood and its wheels enchanted to glide silently over the cobblestones, made its way through the grand avenues of Heaven Dou City.
It bore no ostentatious emblems, but the four grim-faced Spirit Emperor guards who flanked it, and the almost imperceptible ripple of power that emanated from within, was a clear signal to all who saw it: this was a vessel of immense importance.
Inside, the atmosphere was a comfortable, powerful silence. Zhang Tian sat on one of the plush velvet benches, his expression serene, his blue eyes calm as he watched the vibrant life of the capital city pass by the window. Opposite him sat Ning Fengzhi, a picture of scholarly elegance, while the two imposing figures of Sword Douluo Chen Xin and Bone Douluo Gu Rong occupied the other seats, their auras contained but ever-present, like two slumbering volcanoes.
Their destination was the heart of the empire, the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace, a sprawling fortress of white stone and golden roofs that dominated the city's skyline. As their carriage passed through the final, heavily guarded gatehouse and into the immaculate inner courtyards, a figure was waiting for them.
He was a young man of perhaps twenty, dressed in the simple yet elegant robes of a prince. He possessed a handsome, gentle face, a warm, disarming smile, and a bearing that was both noble and approachable. It was the Crown Prince, Xue Qinghe.
"Teacher," he said, his voice a warm, pleasant tenor as he bowed respectfully to Ning Fengzhi. "It is good to see you. I heard from the Imperial attendants that you had requested an audience with His Majesty and Senior Dugu Bo. I was curious as to the reason for such a… rare gathering."
Ning Fengzhi smiled, a genuine fondness in his eyes as he looked upon his prized student. "Qinghe. It is good to see you as well. In truth, it is not I who sought this meeting, but this young friend of mine."
He gestured to Zhang Tian. "Allow me to make the introductions. This is Zhang Tian. He is a… very close friend of Rongrong's. In fact," he added, a proud, fatherly smile on his face, "he is her soon to be fiancé."
Xue Qinghe's eyes widened slightly, the polite smile on his face momentarily cracking with genuine surprise. He turned his full attention to the blue-haired young man, his gaze sharp and assessing.
'Rongrong's future fiancé?' he thought, his mind, the mind of Qian Renxue, racing with a thousand calculations. 'I had heard no news of this. The little princess has always been so flighty. For her to settle on someone… and for her doting father and those two old monsters to not only approve but to personally escort him to the palace… this boy is no simple character.'
Her gaze swept over Zhang Tian. He was, she had to admit, exceptionally handsome. The kind of ethereal, otherworldly beauty that could easily capture a young girl's heart. But she knew that in her world, looks were the least valuable currency.
'To earn the respect of Ning Fengzhi and the protection of two Super Douluos… he must possess a talent or a value that is truly extraordinary,' she concluded. 'I will have to investigate him. He is a new, unknown variable in my plans for the empire.'
Outwardly, her surprise melted back into a warm, princely grace. She extended a hand to Zhang Tian. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Brother Zhang Tian. Any man who can win the heart of my dear little sister Rongrong is a friend of mine. Please, you should call me Brother Qinghe."
Zhang Tian took the offered hand, his grip firm but respectful. "The pleasure is all mine, Your Highness," he replied, his voice a calm, even tone.
'So this is the great Qian Renxue,' he thought, observing the flawless performance. The warm smile, the sincere eyes, the perfect princely demeanor… it was a masterpiece of deception. He felt a flicker of professional admiration for her skill. 'She has fooled an entire empire for years. A truly formidable opponent. I must be careful around her.'
"Come," Xue Qinghe said, releasing his hand. "Father is waiting in the main audience hall. I will escort you."
He led them through a series of grand, echoing corridors, the walls adorned with priceless tapestries and ancient artifacts. As they walked, Xue Qinghe engaged them in light, polite conversation, skillfully probing for information about Zhang Tian without ever seeming intrusive. Zhang Tian, in turn, answered with a polite, practiced vagueness, a master of revealing nothing while seeming to reveal everything.
They arrived before a pair of massive, golden doors, which were pushed open by silent, uniformed guards. The hall beyond was a vast, opulent space, its ceiling held aloft by pillars of crimson and gold. At the far end, seated on a high, ornate throne, was a middle-aged man with a weary but regal face. Emperor Xue Ye. To his right stood his younger brother, Prince Xue Xing, his expression haughty and impatient.
But all eyes were drawn to the figure standing silently to the Emperor's left. He was an old man, tall and unnaturally thin, with a head of startling, jade-green hair that cascaded down his back. He wore simple, dark green robes, and his face was a mask of cold indifference. His eyes, however, were the most unsettling feature. They were long and narrow, like those of a serpent, and they glowed with a faint, cold light. This was the Poison Douluo, Dugu Bo.
The moment their party entered the hall, Dugu Bo's serpentine eyes narrowed. He had been expecting Ning Fengzhi, perhaps one of his guardians. He had not been expecting both.
'Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo,' he thought, a flicker of tension coiling in his gut. 'Why are they both here? Ning Fengzhi rarely travels with his full guard. To bring both of his pillars… is this a show of force? Are they planning something against me?' The thought, paranoid but not entirely unwarranted, put him instantly on edge.
After the formal greetings and pleasantries were exchanged with the Emperor, Ning Fengzhi smoothly made his intentions clear.
"Your Majesty," he said with a polite bow. "Thank you for arranging this meeting. As I mentioned in my request, it is not I who sought this audience with Senior Dugu Bo, but this young friend of mine, Zhang Tian."
All eyes in the hall—the Emperor's, the Prince's, and the Poison Douluo's—now focused on the calm, blue-haired young man.
Zhang Tian stepped forward and performed a respectful bow to the throne, and then to the Poison Douluo. "Senior Dugu Bo," he began, his voice clear and steady. "I am currently conducting research into the development of new medicinal pills. I believe my work could be greatly advanced with your unparalleled expertise in the fields of poisons and rare herbs. I have come today to humbly request your assistance, and to inquire if you would be willing to share some of your… unique materials for my research."
Dugu Bo let out a cold, derisive snort. The sound was like the hiss of a snake. "Share?" he echoed, his voice a dry, rasping whisper. "Boy, do you have any idea what you are asking for? The herbs in my garden, the poisons I have painstakingly cultivated… they are the work of a lifetime. Why in the world would I share them with a nameless junior like you?"
Zhang Tian did not seem offended. He did not argue. Instead, he simply reached into a small, elegant pouch at his waist. He produced two small, jade vials, one containing a single, translucent water-blue pill, the other a pill that glowed with a gentle, golden light.
He walked forward and presented them to a royal guard, who then carried them to the Poison Douluo. "I would not ask for something so valuable without offering a gesture of my own sincerity, Senior," Zhang Tian said.
He did not explain their effects. He simply looked at Dugu Bo, his expression one of quiet, confident expectation. "Considering your profound insights into the nature of medicinal energies, I am certain you can sense the purpose of these humble creations."
The cryptic statement drew looks of confusion from the Emperor and Prince Xue Xing. Even Xue Qinghe's polite smile faltered with a flicker of curiosity. What was this boy playing at?
Dugu Bo took the two vials, a look of bored contempt on his face. He uncorked the first one, the one with the blue pill. A faint, pure aura washed over his senses. His expression, which had been one of dismissive arrogance, flickered. He frowned, his serpentine eyes narrowing in concentration. He brought the vial closer, inhaling its scent.
'This energy…' he thought, his mind, a vast encyclopedia of pharmacological knowledge, racing through possibilities. 'It's pure. Unbelievably pure. There's a cleansing property to it, a power that… expands the meridians? And enhances innate aptitude? Impossible.'
He quickly opened the second vial. The golden pill radiated a different kind of energy. It was a dense, concentrated burst of pure, refined spirit power, yet it was gentle, stable. 'This one… a direct, clean boost to cultivation? With no impurities, no risk of overdrawing potential? Who is this boy?'
His initial contempt was completely gone, replaced by a solemn, intense focus. He looked up from the pills, his snake-like eyes locking onto Zhang Tian's. The dismissive look was gone, replaced by one of profound, serious inquiry. He had a faint, terrifying guess as to what these pills could do, but he had to be sure.
"Senior," Zhang Tian's calm voice cut through the silence. "I wish to create pills with even greater effects. Pills that can benefit Spirit Masters even at the highest levels of cultivation. For that, I require access to the rarest, most potent ingredients. Ingredients that only you possess. In return for your assistance, I am prepared to offer you the complete formulas for these two pills, and a share in the research of any new ones we create together."
The offer was staggering. Dugu Bo stared at him, his mind reeling. To have the ability to mass-produce pills like these… it would change everything.
He made his decision in an instant. "This is a matter of great importance," he said, his voice a low, serious rasp. "It is not something to be discussed in a crowd. I wish to speak with this boy. Alone."
The immediate, protective reaction from the Seven Treasure Glaze Tile Sect was a palpable wave of pressure in the hall. The Bone Douluo took a half-step forward, a low growl rumbling in his chest. The Sword Douluo's hand drifted subtly towards the hilt of his sword.
Ning Fengzhi's face was a mask of polite but icy disapproval. "Senior Dugu Bo," he said, his voice smooth but with an underlying edge of steel. "I must remind you that Zhang Tian is a core member of our Seven Treasure Glaze Tile Sect. He is, in fact, my future son-in-law. His engagement to my daughter Rongrong is to be held in two months' time."
The announcement was another bombshell that left the Emperor and Prince Xue Xing staring in stunned silence. The Crown Prince, Xue Qinghe, managed to maintain his calm, but his mind was racing. 'So it's true. This boy's connection to the sect is ironclad.'
Dugu Bo just let out another one of his cold, hissing sneers. "Do you think I, Dugu Bo, would stoop so low as to harm a junior in the halls of the Imperial Palace? I disdain such actions. I merely wish to discuss the specifics of this… potential partnership. To understand what kind of herbs and poisons he requires."
Before anyone else could object, Zhang Tian stepped forward. "I accept, Senior," he said, his voice calm and unwavering.
The two of them, the ancient, venomous Douluo and the impossibly calm young man, walked from the main hall out onto a wide, windswept balcony that overlooked the vast gardens of the palace.
The moment they were outside, a thick, cloying green mist erupted from Dugu Bo's body, forming a soundproof, semi-translucent barrier around them. "Now," he rasped, his eyes fixed on Zhang Tian. "We can speak freely. Tell me the truth. Do these pills truly have the effects I sense? To raise a Spirit Grandmaster's rank and enhance their innate talent?"
"They do," Zhang Tian confirmed without hesitation. "The Mystic Water Pill cleanses the meridians and can raise a user's innate spirit power by one full level, with the first three pills being effective. The Spirit Ascension Pill can provide a direct, clean rank-up for anyone below the thirtieth level."
Dugu Bo's breath hitched. It was true. The boy was a monster of alchemy.
Just as they were about to delve into the specifics of their deal, Zhang Tian's gaze drifted out over the gardens. "It is a beautiful day," he commented, his tone casual, almost conversational. "The sun is warm. The air is clear."
He then turned his calm, blue eyes back to the Poison Douluo. "Tell me, Senior Dugu Bo… do you like rainy days?"
The question was so random, so utterly out of place, that Dugu Bo was momentarily stunned into silence. He stared at the boy, his mind racing. 'Rainy days…'
His expression, which had been one of intense, professional focus, shifted. A flicker of something dark, something painful, crossed his face. He knew. He knew this was not a simple question about the weather.
On rainy days, when the air was thick with damp and yin energy, the poison in his body, the backlash from his own Jade Phosphor Serpent spirit, would flare up with a vengeance. It was a deep, gnawing pain that settled in his bones, a torment he had endured in secret for decades.
His voice, when he finally spoke, was a low, dangerous whisper. "What… did you just say, boy?"
~~
A/N: Check out my other novels like "Harem Master: Seduction System" and the "Villain: Manipulating the Heroines into hating the Protagonist" and I hope you like this story and those stories as well.
Check out more chapters on my P.atreon. The P.atreon will have 20+ Chapters ahead for this story. I hope you like it.
The link of p.atreon is: bit.ly/evildragon