Having lived two lifetimes and now nearing 30 years of age, Ye Wen still retained some awkwardness when it came to matters of love.
There was no helping it—he was, after all, a bashful bachelor himself.
Ye Wen scratched his head awkwardly and muttered softly, "Yan'yan."
"Mm." Dugu Yan responded with a radiant smile.
Seeing this, Dugu Bo sighed in relief. It had been a long time since he'd seen Yan'yan smile so happily.
On the surface, Huo Yu'er appeared magnanimous, but her hands under the table clenched tighter. She thought to herself, 'Maybe I should run away early. Boys around twelve or thirteen are already starting to develop in that area. If this mature flower snake were to accidentally take my hard-earned first encounter, that would be quite hilarious.'
Ye Wen, however, assumed Huo Yu'er was feeling upset internally and tightened his grip on her hand reassuringly. He then leaned close to her fragrant cheek and whispered softly:
"Don't worry, I'll always love you."
Though it was a simple declaration of love, Huo Yu'er felt a shiver run through her body. Her previously calm face flushed red.
Watching this scene, Huo Rui smiled. 'How wonderful—this is the happiness of young love.'
---
The night passed without incident.
The next day, the sound of hammering and construction echoed loudly near the Dugu residence.
This left Ye Wen, who was about to take Dugu Bo to the Ye family estate, feeling confused. What was going on?
Although many nobles in the Tian Dou Empire wanted to curry favor with Dugu Bo, dealing with his toxic powers as a Title Douluo was challenging. For those below the Title level, his toxins were lethal with pinpoint accuracy. As a result, few dared to live near the Dugu residence.
Perhaps sensing Ye Wen and Dugu Bo's presence, the person in charge of the neighboring estate stepped out.
It was none other than Chen Gang, along with his daughter and granddaughter, Ye Xixi and Ye Lingling.
Seeing the three of them, a flash of realization crossed Ye Wen's mind. He tentatively asked:
"Grandpa Chen Gang, are you moving here?"
Chen Gang's expression remained stern, showing no deference even in the presence of Dugu Bo. Nodding slightly, he replied, "That's right. Didn't we agree to form a new small faction together? Since we're part of the same group now, it doesn't make sense for our families to live too far apart. Besides, there aren't many people living around here, so we bought some land to establish a new family base."
"Not bad, old lion. I approve of your initiative. From now on, we're one family. If you ever need anything, feel free to come to me."
Dugu Bo chuckled as he spoke.
Chen Gang was somewhat surprised by Dugu Bo's warmth. But since a Title Douluo like Dugu Bo had already set aside his pride, it wouldn't do for him, a mere Soul Douluo, to remain aloof. He exchanged pleasantries with Dugu Bo.
This scene left Ye Xixi and her daughter dumbfounded. Was this really their usually stern father and grandfather, and the terrifying Poison Douluo?
As the two elders continued their conversation, Ye Wen couldn't interject. Instead, he turned to Ye Xixi and her daughter and said:
"I was planning to visit you later, but I didn't expect Mother-in-law Xixi and Lingling to come here instead. Since you're already here, please join me inside for a chat."
Ye Xixi accepted the invitation. Meanwhile, Ye Lingling was exactly as her outward demeanor suggested—like a shy mimosa plant that recoiled at the slightest touch. Even though Ye Wen hadn't said anything inappropriate yet, her ears were already burning red.
Upon hearing this, the awkwardly chatting Dugu Bo and Chen Gang also returned to the residence together.
---
Once everyone was seated, Ye Lingling no longer felt as flustered as before. Taking advantage of this moment, she began to observe Ye Wen more closely.
In the Douluo Continent, auxiliary martial soul families that managed to rise to prominence generally followed an unwritten rule: their partners had to be battle-type soul masters. Otherwise, in critical situations, two auxiliary soul masters would be utterly helpless.
Thus, Ye Lingling had long known that she had little say in choosing her partner.
To become a member of the Ye family, the potential partner had to meet three criteria: first, they must be a battle-type soul master; second, they must possess exceptional talent; and third, they must not dislike her.
Ye Wen fit these criteria almost perfectly.
After a brief interaction, Ye Lingling's initial resistance toward him diminished significantly.
In fact, she even began to think that having someone like Ye Wen as a husband might not be such a bad choice. After all, sharing a husband with her best friend—and knowing that this husband would grow immensely powerful in the future—seemed like a perfect arrangement.
Though this line of thinking might seem ridiculous to those obsessed with romance, it suited Ye Lingling just fine.
Ye Lingling was inherently kind-hearted. Despite being from the top-tier healing martial soul family, she wasn't spoiled or arrogant like Ning Rongrong. In fact, after her grandmother's passing and her own awakening of the cursed Nine-Heart Begonia martial soul, which could only be passed down to two individuals per generation, she had constantly tormented herself with guilt.
Since then, Ye Lingling had come to view every day of her life as a form of penance. As long as she treated those around her well and fulfilled her grandmother's wish to revive the Ye family, she didn't care what happened to her.
---
After a while of conversation, Chen Gang ultimately agreed with Ye Wen's suggestion to lay low and postpone the engagement banquet.
As their discussion progressed, they moved on to the main topic.
Ye Wen led the group deep into the Dugu residence, a place where outsiders were absolutely forbidden—even the servants of the Dugu household weren't allowed to enter. Anyone who trespassed here would be completely wiped out by Dugu Bo's deadly toxins without a trace.
Once they entered Dugu Bo's private cultivation chamber, Chen Gang's breathing grew heavier.
Now nearing the end of his lifespan, he was suddenly presented with the opportunity to break through to the realm that all soul masters on the continent dreamed of—the Title Douluo level.
Though limited by the constraints of his era, Chen Gang harbored some doubts.
But what if it worked?
Chen Gang admitted there was an element of gambling involved, but since he had nothing to lose either way, why not give it a try?
As Chen Gang sat cross-legged, Ye Wen retrieved from his storage soul tool the essence extracted from the immortal herb, Phoenix Crest Sunflower.
Even before opening the bottle, the faint yet pure fire elemental energy emanating from it caused Chen Gang's breath to catch.
At this moment, Ye Wen explained: "This is the essence extracted from the immortal herb, Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower. It greatly nourishes yang energy, significantly amplifying the user's soul power and purifying their fire attribute.
Although Grandpa Chen Gang, your cultivation has already reached its limit, I believe this substance will help your martial soul advance further.
Moreover, I can guarantee that anyone who consumes a immortal herb possesses the potential to reach the Title Douluo level. This means that after consuming this essence, you'll have the possibility to break through to the Title Douluo level.
Additionally, based on my analysis, the reason you haven't been able to break through to the Title Douluo level is due to your advanced age and insufficient blood vitality. With the aid of some additional methods, consuming this essence should allow you to overcome that barrier and achieve the breakthrough."
------------------------------------------------------
Support my writing journey: patreon.com/EphemeralShadow
40+ Chapters Ahead Guaranteed.