"Please… please save my grandfather!"
Dugu Yan crawled over again, sobbing uncontrollably.
"Didn't I tell you to stop bothering me?!"
Bai Mu snapped impatiently. But as he spoke, he suddenly noticed that Dugu Bo lying on the ground had completely stopped moving, as if he were truly on the verge of death.
"…No, to hell with it."
"Your grandfather loves you so much, and this is how you repay him? He was practically dead, and you didn't even call me?"
Utterly speechless, Bai Mu kicked the unfilial granddaughter aside. At the same time, the first spirit ring beneath his feet lit up.
"Jungle Healing."
Bai Mu seemed to merge with nature itself. A gentle yet unique healing radiance spread instantly across the entire area.
When the light enveloped Dugu Bo—whose body was nearly dissolved into "syrupy sludge"—all external toxins were purged at once, and the light forcibly stabilized his blood and life force.
"Ah—!"
The glow continued to circulate. Moments later, Dugu Bo suddenly jolted awake and sat upright in terror.
Confusion and fear intermingled in his eyes.
It felt as if he had just died.
What shocked him even more was that the toxins that had permeated his entire body… were completely gone!
All that remained was the poison of his own origin.
The poison that had tormented him for decades… cured just like that?
So this… is what it feels like to be alive?
Dugu Bo clenched his fist experimentally and slowly pushed himself up from the ground.
Although his injuries and spirit power were far from recovered, his body felt lighter than ever before.
For the first time, he truly felt how wonderful it was to be alive.
"Grandfather…"
Dugu Yan rushed over and tightly hugged the "resurrected" Dugu Bo, tears streaming down her face.
"Yan Yan… don't cry. Grandpa's here."
Dugu Bo hugged her back, tears flowing freely.
Grandfather and granddaughter clung to each other—a genuinely moving scene.
"Saving a life is better than planting seven grapes. I really am such a good person."
Watching this, Bai Mu couldn't help but sigh in admiration.
At those words, both grandfather and granddaughter trembled.
"Yan Yan… it's Grandpa's fault for being useless…"
Dugu Bo said bitterly.
"It's not Grandpa's fault. This is fate… there was nothing we could do…"
Dugu Yan gently wiped away Dugu Bo's tears, her voice filled with helplessness.
"Yan Yan…"
"Grandpa…"
"That's enough. Stop this melodramatic nonsense. Who are you trying to fool?"
Bai Mu interrupted impatiently. He pulled out another recliner and sat down leisurely.
"Look at you, old man. Back then, you were so arrogant and condescending toward me. And yet I repaid past grievances with kindness and spared your life."
"You're fine being my dog from now on, right? How can you not be moved? Hurry up and thank me!"
"Th-thank you… Master."
Dugu Bo's lips trembled. After a long struggle, he finally managed to force the words out.
"No need to thank me, no need at all. Just have your granddaughter serve me well tonight."
Bai Mu turned to Dugu Yan. "What do you think, Yan Yan?"
"Yes… Master. I will serve you well."
Dugu Yan lowered her head and whispered softly.
Under the influence of the chain sticky cake, she had already resigned herself completely to her fate.
"That's more like it."
Bai Mu smiled in satisfaction, then seemed to remember something and looked back at Dugu Bo.
"Your Inner Alchemy Core belongs to me now. Any objections?"
"I'm a reasonable person. If you have opinions, speak up."
"No objections! The treasure rightfully belongs to Master."
Dugu Bo was furious inside but dared not voice it. His heart was in turmoil.
After losing contact with the Inner Alchemy Core, he could clearly feel his strength plummet and his spirit power regress.
He had become the first Titled Douluo in history to fall back to Level 90, his Martial Soul degenerating into the special Azure Serpent King.
More importantly, without the Inner Alchemy Core, his future prospects were bleak. If he wanted to advance again, he would have to condense a new one.
And even if he succeeded, there was no guarantee it would truly remain his.
Not to mention that the core had contained the origin of his Jade Phosphor Serpent and its powerful toxin-suppressing effects.
Now, with his poison resistance drastically reduced, he could already feel the jade phosphor serpent poison beginning to re-invade his body.
If left untreated, he would certainly die suddenly within three to five years.
"If you behave and help me with a few important matters, I can give you a chance to live a less painful life together with Yan Yan. Are you willing?"
Bai Mu gently stroked Zygarde, his gaze fixed firmly on Dugu Bo.
"I… am willing."
Dugu Bo made his decision. He had no path left to retreat.
If he died, his granddaughter would truly be left with no one to rely on.
"Excellent! As the saying goes, a wise man submits to circumstances. You truly live up to the reputation of the famous Poison Douluo!"
Bai Mu laughed heartily, then turned his gaze and tossed a portrait and a dossier to Dugu Bo.
"This is…?"
Dugu Bo opened the portrait to find a lively, beautiful, and adorable young girl.
The documents detailed her location, personality, spirit abilities, and preferences.
Bai Mu laughed softly.
"Xiao Wu—a hundred-thousand-year Soft Bone Rabbit in human form. The legendary future daughter-in-law of the Clear Sky Douluo."
A hundred-thousand-year spirit beast?
Future daughter-in-law of the Clear Sky Douluo?
Dugu Yan froze, eyes wide in shock.
Dugu Bo's body trembled slightly as he swallowed hard.
"Master… is this really true?"
"Of course it is."
Bai Mu smiled faintly, his gaze sharpening as his tone grew serious.
"My request is simple. Use whatever methods you like. Capture her alive and bring her here—to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well—within three months."
His smile softened again.
"If you do well and obey properly, perhaps Yan Yan, as my first woman, can be promoted a bit. Understand?"
The first…?
Dugu Bo glanced at Bai Mu in surprise, then immediately understood. He nodded solemnly.
"Understood."
After thinking for a moment, he asked cautiously, "If I may ask… what if the mission fails?"
"Die wherever you fail."
Bai Mu's smile vanished instantly as he looked toward the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
"And I'll take Yan Yan—whose life is as fragile as paper—to bathe with me there, to vent my frustration over your failure."
"The Clear Sky Douluo may be hiding among those little rabbit spirits. Don't disappoint me."
Dugu Bo glanced at the hot spring emitting billowing steam and icy breath and instantly broke out in a cold sweat.
He declared solemnly, "This old servant will absolutely succeed!"
At this moment, for Dugu Yan's sake, he had completely abandoned all dignity.
Whether by trickery or deception, that evil hundred-thousand-year rabbit spirit had to be captured and brought here, to be handed over to Bai Mu for severe punishment!
"Oh, right."
Bai Mu suddenly remembered something.
"I recall you and Xue Xing had a decent relationship."
"He once did me a favor," Dugu Bo replied honestly.
"This man is already courting death and won't live much longer. Do you intend to save him?" Bai Mu asked.
"No. I have no intention of saving him. My relationship with him is over."
Dugu Bo's voice grew colder.
"In fact, all I want now is to kill him."
If not for that bastard Xue Xing, he would never have become enemies with Bai Mu in the first place, nor ended up in his current predicament.
Instead, he would have sought Bai Mu out because of his granddaughter's discovery, hoping for a cure—or even recruitment.
No matter what, things would never have reached this point.
Unfortunately… there are no what ifs.
One wrong step, and everything collapses.
"Alright, that's enough. Everything that needed to be said has been said."
Bai Mu stretched lazily and led the dog and the snake away.
"You two can continue living normally. I'll come back later to check the results."
"Remember—you don't know me very well out there. Don't even think about betraying me, or else…"
He flashed an extremely friendly smile.
"You'll bear the consequences."
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