However, after a brief moment of thought, he felt the words were quite fitting:
"That's actually not wrong, but it's only temporary."
"Previously, I was hindered by poison and couldn't make any progress in cultivation. After consuming the celestial herb Crystal Blood Dragon Ginseng, I've regained the potential to rise again. Things will be different from now on."
There was a hopeful gleam in Dugu Bo's eyes.
After all, he was merely a guest elder of the Heaven Dou Empire. They treated him with great respect but there was no binding relationship.
Now, the only people he truly cared about were Fang Ling and Dugu Yan.
If anyone dared lay a hand on them, it would be like releasing an uncontrollable, raging dragon.
No force could afford that kind of consequence.
It was precisely because his disciple was such a prodigy that his efforts to acquire high-level soul bones seemed all the more reasonable.
"Just focus on your cultivation without worry," Dugu Bo said, having decided not to mention quitting the academy again.
A sinister smile flickered across his face as he uttered chilling words:
"If anyone dares harm either of you, I'll make that force pay with their lives."
Fang Ling's eyes lit up and he cheered loudly:
"Awesome! Teacher truly deserves the title of the number one poison-type Titled Douluo in the world!"
"Hehe, Grandpa is amazing," Dugu Yan added, overjoyed by the transformation in her grandfather. He had always seemed lifeless in the past, but now he had finally regained the aura of a Titled Douluo.
Though in truth, Fang Ling was just hyping things up.
To truly be beyond the fear of Spirit Hall's suppression, the key still lay with Qian Renxue.
In a few months, when he turned twelve, he would return to the academy and let his astonishing cultivation level make waves.
The Heaven Dou Crown Prince, Xue Qinghe, would definitely come.
As long as he maintained a good relationship with the prince publicly, she would naturally confront her mother in private.
If Spirit Hall didn't intervene, no other faction would be a real threat.
They simply didn't have the strength to overpower Dugu Bo or the immunity to withstand his poison.
The soul ring hunt had concluded successfully, and Dugu Bo returned home with the two of them.
In the blink of an eye, six more months passed.
During this time, his cultivation didn't improve much. Fang Ling poured most of his effort into breaking through the "Warrior's Will" stage.
He had thought that once he made some progress, it wouldn't take long.
But training mental fortitude was far more difficult than he'd imagined.
He sparred fiercely with Dugu Bo, underwent brutal physical training under intense soul pressure, and engaged in deep meditation…
After four grueling months of pushing himself to the limit and exhausting his strength time and again, his willpower was tempered significantly, finally reaching Warrior's Will Level 5.
Warrior's Will Lv5
(A personal specialization born from life-and-death combat. This hardened battle will allows you to partially ignore physical pain. Your fighting spirit, forged through repeated extreme training, boosts your internal soul power flow speed by 35%.)
It had increased from 25% to 35%, more than doubling the original flow rate.
A 10% boost may not seem like much.
But cultivation after reaching level 40 was far harder. Even with the lingering medicinal effects, he only managed to gain two levels.
Now he was at level 46.
That was still an impressive feat.
After repeated discussions with Dugu Bo, they concluded that the use of the Strange Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum might be recognized by Chrysanthemum Douluo. Therefore, they decided to reveal the existence of that celestial herb.
By attributing his progress to the celestial herb, along with his past rapid cultivation and the appearance of a seemingly beyond-limit ten-thousand-year soul ring (though it wasn't truly beyond his level), they could cover their tracks reasonably well.
"Teacher, we're returning to the academy today," Fang Ling said goodbye to Dugu Bo, holding Dugu Yan's hand as they left.
The relationship between the two had grown much closer, no longer as distant as before.
But only Dugu Yan was with him,Ye Lingling was not.
Recently, Ye Lingling had only been visiting every few days.
Seeing Fang Ling and Dugu Yan improve so rapidly, she was determined not to fall behind. Under her father's guidance, she continued her training diligently while also studying her family's inheritance.
Over the past five months, Dugu Bo had spread the word, seeking a soul bone that could repair a severed limb for his disciple.
No one offered one.
Instead, it sparked widespread curiosity.
Just what kind of genius disciple could move the famous Poison Douluo to search the world for a soul bone?
They were about to find out.
At Heaven Dou Royal Academy, the grand entrance was adorned with intricately carved swan reliefs.
On either side stretched iron fences more than ten meters tall, disappearing into the distance.
Fang Ling, holding hands with both girls, gazed at the familiar scene before him with a touch of indescribable emotion.
He had finally returned.
It was here that his cultivation took off, where beauties accompanied him, and where he gained a powerful backing. This place could nearly be called his starting point for glory.
Fang Ling felt a bit like Xiao Yan, returning to school after an extended leave,only to show off.
He wasn't wearing his school uniform, as it had become too small.
The gate guards didn't recognize Fang Ling.
That was understandable.
Over the past year,his prime growth period,his body had transformed significantly under the influence of soul rings.
Now tall and well-proportioned, with defined but not bulky muscles, a resolute and handsome face, and piercing golden-red eyes brimming with intensity.
He wore a sleek battle outfit that faded from black to gray, exuding a calm and confident aura.
With such a striking presence, he was clearly not an ordinary person.
The guards didn't recognize Fang Ling, but they remembered the leg injury, and they knew Ye Lingling and Dugu Yan,so they didn't dare stop him.
Inside the academy, Fang Ling climbed the familiar white jade steps.
The academy hadn't changed much.
Following the familiar path, he arrived at the team's exclusive training ground, accompanied by the two girls.
The reserve team was no more,everyone had passed the required cultivation level and had been split into Team One and Team Two.
Qin Ming was in charge of Team One, and the former reserve team's training field was now allocated to them.
They were undergoing coordination drills and tactical exercises,clearly getting serious.
Only two people were missing, which left a noticeable gap in the formation.
Just then, Fang Ling, Dugu Yan, and Ye Lingling returned.
"Fang Ling!" Qin Ming sensed someone's presence, turned around, and upon seeing the stronger physique and completely different demeanor, his eyes lit up.
"Fang Ling, Yan, Lingling."
The other team members also noticed and saw that Fang Ling had returned with an arm around each girl.
Yu Tianheng's expression soured.
He had tried many times over the past year to approach Dugu Yan, but she had ignored him completely,not even giving him a chance to meet her.
He had wondered why, and now it was clear: Fang Ling, the student of the Jade Phosphor Crown, had gotten close to her first.
"Sorry everyone, I'm back from leave," Fang Ling said with a bright smile. He raised both hands,still holding each girl's hand,and waved them together.
"Oh, and by the way,Yan and Lingling are both my girlfriends now. Brother Tianheng, you might want to stop chasing Yan."
Yu Tianheng fell silent for a moment, eyes filled with confusion.
"Yan... why?"
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