"Fifth Soul Skill, Frost Petal Barrier!"
Already prepared, Chrysanthemum Douluo bent his body slightly. Golden light erupted around him, swiftly condensing into a golden shield that wrapped around his body. It clashed with the strange ripples spreading outward, the surrounding space even twisting at the point of impact.
Within the shield, golden light surged endlessly across his body, feeding energy into the barrier to resist the rippling force.
On the surface of the shield, golden light roared and surged like turbulent currents.
"Old poison, your eighth soul skill covers too wide a range. My fifth soul skill focuses on point-defense. Now, it can neutralize your influence, and it doesn't consume much. But you? Every time you use your eighth soul skill, your soul power drains in massive amounts. Hmph, let's see who runs out first."
At this moment, Chrysanthemum Douluo was basking in triumph, practically singing like a freed peasant.
What the hell, did this Chrysanthemum take some medicine? Why are all his soul skills so much stronger than before? Dugu Bo's heart was in chaos.
"If you've got more tricks, bring them out!" Chrysanthemum Douluo spoke firmly, though his tone carried a strange air of affected sharpness.
"Don't get too pleased with yourself, Chrysanthemum!" Dugu Bo snorted coldly. He clapped his hands together, and the massive serpent's vertical pupils in his Martial Spirit Avatar glowed white. In the blink of an eye, they turned deathly pale. The next second, two beams of pale light shot out from the serpent's eyes.
It was the soul bone skill,Medusa's Gaze!
"Hmph, old poison, that soul bone skill of yours can't restrain me anymore." Chrysanthemum Douluo looked calm and unbothered. He crossed his hands in front of him, golden light rapidly covering his body until he looked like a small golden man.
At the same time, golden rays gathered around him, reinforcing the outer barrier until it grew visibly solid.
In the next moment, he spread his arms wide, and the shield suddenly expanded outward.
"Bang!" The golden shield clashed with the white beams, deflecting them instantly.
Taking the opportunity, Chrysanthemum Douluo raised his right hand. Behind him, the giant Odd Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum exploded outward.
"Ninth Soul Skill, Withered Chrysanthemum, Petals of Sorrow!"
Countless petals transformed into enormous blades, swirling rapidly around him.
A terrifying gale howled through the air. The ground, plants, and grass in the area were shredded to pieces.
"Old poison, your ninth soul skill takes too long to prepare. Your eighth soul skill drains too much energy. The rest of your skills can't hurt me. As for poison, it can't break through this storm of blades, let alone harm me." Chrysanthemum Douluo's voice rang with confidence.
"Admit defeat, old poison. Today isn't a life-or-death duel. There's no need for you to get injured."
Dugu Bo's expression turned dark as he stared at the massive golden tornado of blades before him.
"Of course, if you want to try again another time, just come find me for a spar. Just don't come making trouble." Chrysanthemum Douluo added.
"Hmph! This time, I'll concede! But don't get too proud,next time we meet, I'll win it back." Once I've taken the Nine-Grade Purple Zhi and the Earth Dragon Gold Melon, I refuse to believe I can't beat you. Dugu Bo snorted coldly, withdrawing his Martial Spirit Avatar.
As long as the green hills remain, there will always be firewood to burn!
"Heh, then you'd better train hard. I'm already at level 96 as a Titled Douluo." Chrysanthemum Douluo couldn't resist showing off.
He dismissed his soul skills and gently floated to the ground.
"..." Dugu Bo, still only at level 91, had no desire to respond. He simply turned and left.
"Ah, refreshing!" Chrysanthemum Douluo straightened his back, striding away with haughty steps.
"Next, I'll have to deal with the Pope." His faint murmur drifted in the air.
Several days later, on the west side of Heaven Dou City, in the Haagen-Dazs Kingdom, Sol City's Great Spirit Arena,
Yang Yunhai and the others followed their leader Qin Ming into the arena to begin the first match of their tournament circuit.
But this time, as the team's core controller, Yang Yunhai did not take the stage.
The reason was the same as before in Heaven Dou City's Great Spirit Arena. Qin Ming didn't want the team to win too easily, nor did he want the members to become overly reliant on Yang Yunhai. It was also to ensure the best training results.
Thus, unless facing a truly strong team, Yang Yunhai wasn't allowed to play.
Yang Yunhai didn't mind at all. He used the extra time for individual matches and experimenting with his martial spirit's abilities.
Time passed day by day. After completing their training in Sol City, the team set out for Xilu City.
According to plan, the next stop was Hanhai City, then out of the Haagen-Dazs Kingdom into the Fasno Province, and then onward to the Barak Kingdom.
The entire route circled around Heaven Dou City in a counter-clockwise loop through the surrounding duchies.
While Yang Yunhai's special training was in full swing, in another place,the Pope's Palace of Spirit City,
Chrysanthemum Douluo, newly returned, followed Ghost Douluo to meet Bibi Dong at once.
"Elder Chrysanthemum, it seems your trip was quite fruitful," Bibi Dong said with a faint smile, sensing the subtle change in his aura.
"Resolving an old grudge lifted a weight from my heart, and by chance I broke through," Chrysanthemum Douluo replied respectfully.
Bibi Dong nodded slightly. "Then this reconciliation has brought more than one benefit."
"Your Majesty, there is another matter, concerning my disciple." Chrysanthemum Douluo continued, "On this trip, I took the chance to meet my disciple and learned a few things. According to him, the soul bone poison-transfer method he proposed wasn't meant to cure Dugu Yan's old ailment, but rather the inherited mixed poison within Dugu Bo and his granddaughter."
"The decline of the Dugu family stems from this."
"This inherited poison comes from the Jade Phosphor Serpent martial spirit's innate venom, mixed with the life-poison of soul beasts whose rings they absorbed. Over generations, the venom mutated, becoming hereditary. With each descendant, every new poisonous soul ring absorbed would cause the poison to mutate further."
"This makes it extremely difficult to remove, and many unfortunate heirs succumbed to it."
"My disciple's method of transferring the poison to a soul bone is unconventional, but it works well enough. Reportedly, the poison in both of them will soon be resolved."
No wonder Dugu Bo treated that child so kindly. It was a debt of life itself… Bibi Dong's eyes flickered.
"In addition," Chrysanthemum Douluo went on, "my disciple deliberately approached Dugu Yan not only to connect with Dugu Bo and seek his protection, but also to win him over to Spirit Hall. To this end, he subtly stirred the rift between the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan and Dugu Bo. And judging from the results, Dugu Bo has clearly grown dissatisfied with Yu Tianheng."
True or false, all of it is thanks to my disciple!
"This much is clear from Dugu Bo's recent replies to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. As for Dugu Yan, she seems to be distancing herself from Yu Tianheng. According to Salas' investigation, during the Heaven Dou Royal Team's training in the Great Spirit Arena, Dugu Yan always shared quarters with another female teammate. Their behavior was far less intimate than before."
"Your Majesty, if those two truly break up, cutting ties with the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, even turning into enemies, then with my disciple's life-saving grace, I believe the chances of recruiting Dugu Bo will be quite high."
"Also, according to my disciple, during this training journey with the Heaven Dou Royal Team, Dugu Bo himself volunteered to accompany and protect them, solely to prevent the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan from making a move. I intercepted him midway, and he even mistook me for someone sent to kill Xiao Hai, proving just how much he values that child."
Having said his piece, he fell silent.
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