The detoxification process went exceptionally smooth.
The initial attempt carried a hint of trepidation, but when the stubborn toxins within his body were truly stirred and drawn into his soul core, Dugu Bo could not help but feel a surge of emotion.
On the other side.
[You are diligently diagnosing and treating a patient, curing an incurable disease. Your medical skills are world-shaking. "Physician" Profession Experience +1.]
Halfway through roasting meat, Zhao Liuyun noticed his Physician experience suddenly began to skyrocket. A flash of surprise crossed his mind, and a look of joy appeared in his eyes.
"It's started."
By the time all the sounds quieted down, it had increased by a total of 306 points!
[Profession: Physician Lv1 (10425/10000)]
Clearing a potent poison was never something that could be achieved overnight; it was a long-term process. The medicinal power contained in two or three drops of blood was not enough to draw out too many toxins at once. There also needed to be a certain interval between each session of drawing poison into the soul core—at least half a year or so—before the vast majority could be integrated into the soul bone.
It sounded troublesome, yet aside from preparing the medicine, Zhao Liuyun expended almost no mental effort. The tiny wound on his fingertip healed in an instant. This steady stream of experience was practically like picking it up for free.
By the time Dugu Bo was cured, the "Physician" profession would be ready for its second advancement. It was simply a beautiful prospect.
While Zhao Liuyun was reveling in his delight, he saw Dugu Bo drift down from mid-air. Without standing on ceremony, the older man tore off a large piece of roasted meat and began to feast heartily.
So that's how it is—
Zhao Liuyun's eye twitched slightly as he immediately understood. No wonder he had felt something was odd. It turned out his teacher, Dugu Bo, was hungry and didn't want to chew on dry rations, nor could he be bothered to make a special trip to Heaven Dou City. That was why he had made him cook.
Composing himself, Zhao Liuyun asked in a low voice, "Teacher, how was the effect?"
Dugu Bo had changed. His face was still haggard, his dark green hair disheveled, and his green eyes glowed with an unfathomable luster, making him still look unlike a healthy, living human. A single session of poison extraction was not enough to reverse the appearance carved by years of toxic erosion, but it had significantly improved his temperament.
Being tortured by lethal poison year-round, facing the heavy pressure of the line between life and death for years, enduring the pain of the early passing of his closest kin, and even being able to clearly perceive his own life slipping away like an hourglass while worrying about the safety of his granddaughter...
Any one of these misfortunes would be enough to drive a person to the brink. When they were all added to a single person, the fact that he could maintain his sanity proved Dugu Bo's iron will.
But now, the sparks of hope had been relit. When the heart is moved, the eyes shine bright. Zhao Liuyun could clearly perceive that in Dugu Bo's dissipated mental energy, the original indifference had been replaced by a kind of light.
He heard Dugu Bo declare loudly, "A turn for the better! There is nothing greater than this!"
It seemed like an indirect answer, but it was the most powerful affirmation of the treatment's efficacy.
"Liuyun, my disciple, you are the benefactor of my Dugu family."
Dugu Bo gazed at Zhao Liuyun with a gentle and sincere look, as if he were looking at his own biological granddaughter, his eyes full of gratification and affection. That gaze was so warm that it made Zhao Liuyun feel somewhat uneasy, causing him to lower his eyes. "Teacher, you overstate it."
Dugu Bo laughed heartily and teased in a relaxed tone, "If there is a girl you fancy, just tell your teacher. I will personally go and propose the marriage for you."
"Cough, cough, cough—" Zhao Liuyun was startled by Dugu Bo's leap in logic and hurriedly declined. "Teacher, you need not trouble yourself with such things!"
"This disciple is only eleven, an age for focusing on cultivation. I do not wish to delay my progress because of romantic entanglements."
The smile in Dugu Bo's eyes deepened. "The Ye family recruited you as a reserve guest elder, but they are clearly raising you as a future grandson-in-law and a pillar of the family. Anyone with eyes can see that. What? Does that girl Ye Lingling not suit your heart? True, the Nine Heart Begonia restriction—"
"No, no, that's not it, Teacher." Zhao Liuyun hurriedly stopped him from his thought of going to cause trouble for the Ye family. "The Ye family has treated me well, pouring out resources to help me grow. I cannot commit an act of ingratitude."
Even in Zhao Liuyun's worst-case scenario—where Dugu Bo insisted on giving the immortal herb to Dugu Yan early, leading to the exposure of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well and forcing him to change sects for his cultivation—he had never thought of betraying the Ye family.
"Just as you became a guest elder of the Heaven Dou Imperial Family, I too am a man of honor."
Tang San was an exception. Stealing the Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record, preparing to scavenge the hundred-thousand-year soul bone, and having naturally opposing stances meant they were born enemies. Anything done against him was justifiable.
As soon as these words were spoken, Dugu Bo's original intent of matchmaking vanished, replaced by a deeper level of approval. "Having sentiment and loyalty is good!"
He felt secretly delighted: This boy is just like me!
After finishing dinner and chatting for a while longer, having roughly understood his disciple's thoughts, Dugu Bo carried him to a rock cave at the foot of the mountain. Only a small amount of the toxins had been cleared, and the onset of symptoms was still unavoidable. His appearance while struggling with the pain was too pathetic; he couldn't let his disciple see it, as it would damage his dignity as a teacher.
Early the next morning, after consulting with Zhao Liuyun, Dugu Bo brought him back to the manor. Since the main ingredient of the medicine was his disciple's blood containing the medicinal power of the immortal herb, there was no need to stay at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
Dugu Bo summoned the butler, servants, and all the guards to the hall. His voice was somber. "Zhao Liuyun has extraordinary talent, and I have taken him as my disciple. You must remember clearly: from this day forward, he is also a master of this manor."
After everyone received their orders and withdrew, Dugu Bo took up his duties as a teacher, his tone softening slightly. "Since you love reading, I will send word to the Heaven Dou Imperial Family later. You may go to the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy Library and the Imperial Book Vault at any time to read the classics."
This was the wish Zhao Liuyun had revealed during their conversation the previous night—
"To read all the world's classics, gather thousands of pieces of knowledge, and use the wisdom of all living beings to achieve my own Great Dao."
Dugu Bo held reservations about this; he didn't think it would serve much purpose. But as long as the cultivation did not stray, a genius should be allowed to have his own ideas. Reading could broaden one's horizons, and it was certainly better than Yan Yan following Yu Tianheng around to play all day. As a teacher, he expressed his support.
"Inside the manor's library pavilion, there are also classics collected by my Dugu family. You may access them at any time."
Zhao Liuyun nodded gently.
Dugu Bo reached out to straighten his disciple's collar. "Do you need your teacher to spread the word about your apprenticeship?"
With the fierce reputation of the "Poison Douluo," the identity of his disciple was undoubtedly an excellent protective talisman. Ordinary people would never dare provoke him.
Zhao Liuyun pondered for a moment and then decisively refused. "No, Teacher. Those who should know will find out on their own, and for those who don't know, knowing wouldn't make much difference."
The matter of Dugu Bo taking a disciple was not a secret, and high-level Spirit Masters had their own channels to obtain information. As for low-level Spirit Masters, whether they knew or not was inconsequential. He didn't plan on acting under his master's name; he only wished to cultivate in peace and live a stable life without the need for intentional publicity.
He had been away for nearly a week, and he had gone to the manor of a Titled Douluo with such a notorious reputation as Dugu Bo. If he wasn't mistaken, Ye Lingling was likely already fraught with worry, fearing he had met with some accident. Zhao Liuyun would not burn his bridges; he had to go back to help stabilize her mental state. He couldn't let her fall back into that meaningless state of emptiness. One couldn't pull someone out of the abyss one moment and then watch them fall back in the next.
Dugu Bo's eyes held a smile, his tone gentle. "You may come to your teacher with any confusion. Whether it is a bottleneck in cultivation or any other difficulty, just speak up."
As a Titled Douluo, he could provide guidance on cultivation, assist in hunting spirits, and use the knowledge and networking resources he had accumulated over the years to smooth the path for his disciple at critical moments. This was the significance of having a Titled Douluo as a teacher.
"I will, Teacher," Zhao Liuyun nodded slightly. "I will prepare the Whale Glue as medicine and send it then. The detoxification medicine will also be delivered on time."
He bid farewell to Dugu Bo.
"Teacher, I shall take my leave first."
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