Three days later, early in the morning, two luxurious carriages slowly departed from Heaven Dou Imperial Academy.
As the sun set and evening approached, in the desolate countryside,
"Hm?" Dugu Bo, who was secretly following the carriages, suddenly stopped in his tracks and turned his head toward the distance.
In the blink of an eye, a golden figure appeared within sight.
It was Chrysanthemum Douluo. Could it be… Dugu Bo's brows instantly furrowed. He glanced at the carriages moving farther away, then quickly turned and moved to confront the incoming enemy. When he landed a short distance in front of Chrysanthemum Douluo, he spoke in a deep voice: "Chrysanthemum Douluo, did Bibi Dong send you?"
"Hmph, your Spirit Hall has truly fallen. To think you would send a Titled Douluo to bully a junior."
He instinctively assumed Chrysanthemum Douluo had come to assassinate Yang Yunhai.
"Bah! I'm not like you, shameless enough to be a thief!" Chrysanthemum Douluo snapped angrily.
Dugu Bo's old face grew hot, but his expression remained unchanged, his tone still forceful.
"Don't bring that up again. Wasn't it just a few worthless herbs? Was it worth chasing me across half the continent? Hmph, if not for you, I wouldn't have missed seeing my son one last time."
"And that's somehow my fault?" Chrysanthemum Douluo's anger spiked. "If you hadn't destroyed the medicinal garden I spent years cultivating, would I have hunted you down? Besides, old poison, do you really think you, a Soul Douluo back then, could've escaped from me, a Titled Douluo?"
"Hmph, if it weren't for the fact that I pitied you, knowing everything you did was to save your son,barely making you a passable father,I would have killed you long ago."
"As for you, after the fact you provoked me again and again. If it were you, wouldn't you fight back?"
"Besides, when have I not let you off in the end?"
"If I were truly shameless, every time I could have brought along my old Ghost. Even with ten lives, you wouldn't have survived."
Dugu Bo was struck silent. Thinking back carefully, it was true.
Two against one, with their higher levels suppressing him,he wouldn't have had a chance to escape.
But even so, after nearly ten years of clashes, always beaten into retreat, that grudge was something he simply couldn't swallow.
"Hmph, enough talk. If it's a fight you want, come! I'm not afraid of you!" He straightened his back and spoke coldly.
"Fine, fine, fine." Chrysanthemum Douluo's face flushed with anger. "Old poison, it's been ten years. Our feud should be settled once and for all."
"All these years, I've had enough of you pestering me. This time, let's fight openly and fairly. Win or lose, our past grudges end here."
"Afterward, you walk your sunlit road, I'll cross my single-plank bridge. We stay out of each other's way. How about it?"
"And I won't take advantage of you,we'll both suppress our cultivation to level 91. Old poison, do you dare accept?"
"Fight it is. Do you think I'd be afraid of you?" Dugu Bo agreed at once.
The poison in himself and his granddaughter would soon be cured. From now on, he wouldn't need to worry about dying. If he could live well, who wouldn't want a peaceful life? Moreover, he needed to protect Xiao Hai and ensure his safe growth. Truly, the fewer troubles, the better.
"Then let's begin!" Chrysanthemum Douluo declared sharply, raising his hand and summoning his martial spirit, the Odd Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum.
Hm? His martial spirit seemed different than before,could it be he had broken through another realm? Seeing the chrysanthemum in Chrysanthemum Douluo's hand, Dugu Bo's brows furrowed. The golden sheen covering the petals was clearly broader and brighter than before, its texture like forged metal.
If he was right, the martial spirit's strength had greatly increased.
"So that's why you dared to challenge me,you've had another breakthrough!" Dugu Bo sneered as he summoned his martial spirit. Green light surged around him, his eyes turning into vertical pupils, exuding a sinister aura.
And for this, Chrysanthemum Douluo secretly felt delighted,it was thanks to the immortal herb the old poison had found for him.
After consuming the Odd Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum, his cultivation, which had been stuck for years, finally broke through. His soul power advanced to level 96. Most importantly, his martial spirit's strength had increased tremendously, tough as gold and iron, nearly rivaling top-tier weapon spirits like blades and swords.
His attack and defense had skyrocketed!
From then on, the weaknesses of plant-type martial spirits, insufficient strength and poor offense, were remedied.
"Old poison, I've already suppressed my level to match yours. I'm not taking advantage of you. If you're still bickering, does that mean you're afraid?"
He countered sharply, raising his martial spirit high. Surging soul power poured in, causing its size to expand rapidly.
"Afraid of you, Chrysanthemum Douluo? Hardly!" Dugu Bo snorted coldly, though inwardly he considered his situation. Chrysanthemum Douluo's offensive soul skills were mostly long-range, making it difficult for his Jade Phosphor Serpent venom to strike directly. His best chance was to immobilize him first, then poison him.
Thinking this, he shouted, "Seventh Soul Skill: Martial Spirit Avatar!" Light burst from him, and a massive phantom of the Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor appeared around him, quickly solidifying into a gigantic serpent.
Dugu Bo hid within the serpent's brow. As he clapped his hands together, the serpent writhed forward to attack.
So, you want to immobilize me with your Medusa's Gaze from the skull bone, then poison me? Having fought him for years, Chrysanthemum Douluo immediately saw through his plan. He raised his arms and shouted, "Seventh Soul Skill: Martial Spirit Avatar!"
"Sixth Soul Skill: Golden Petal Stream!"
He thrust both hands forward. From the massive chrysanthemum behind him, golden light erupted from its center, releasing countless golden rays that shot skyward before bending down to lock onto the serpent's head.
Dugu Bo frowned. He recalled that when Chrysanthemum Douluo had used this wide-range attack before, it couldn't pierce his Martial Spirit Avatar's defenses. Though his opponent had broken through and his martial spirit had grown stronger, it shouldn't have improved that much.
He chose to take the blow head-on.
"Hmph, do you think I'm still the same as before?" Chrysanthemum Douluo sneered.
As the golden light engulfed the serpent's head, cracks appeared across its surface like shattering glass.
"What!? His strength has increased this much!?" Dugu Bo was shocked. His Martial Spirit Avatar had been damaged, the backlash hitting his body instantly, forcing blood to surge up his throat. He gritted his teeth, suppressing it, and barely stabilized the serpent.
But just as he steadied himself,
"Eighth Soul Skill: Radiant Flow!" A golden pillar of light, as thick as two men could embrace, shot straight toward him.
"Damn it!" One miscalculation, one lost opening. Dugu Bo cursed furiously, but he had no choice. He could not use his skull bone's Medusa Gaze against such overwhelming energy, Chrysanthemum Douluo knew his abilities too well.
Left with no option, he used his only defensive technique.
"Eighth Soul Skill: Time Freeze!"
Spreading his arms wide, he unleashed a burst of light. A ripple spread outward, freezing even space and time itself. The golden beam halted midair.
The ripple continued outward, quickly approaching Chrysanthemum Douluo.
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