Chapter 94: Total Control
Upon hearing those words, Dugu Bo's gaze instantly became dangerous. This was a secret he had desperately tried to conceal, yet it was abruptly exposed by the unknown youngster standing before him.
"Brat, are you trying to threaten this old man?"
"And what makes you think you can escape and spread the word about the backlash of my poison?"
Seeing Dugu Bo preparing to strike again, Lin Beiya hurriedly reached out to stop him. Although he wasn't afraid, this obviously did not benefit him.
"Senior, I'm not threatening you. I simply possess a method that can resolve the poison backlash in your body."
"Hm?"
Lin Beiya's words made Dugu Bo halt immediately, and his expression cracked on the spot.
"Where did this youngster come from, daring to make fun of this old man?"
"I've spent decades painstakingly researching countless deadly poisons and still failed to solve my own poison backlash. Yet you claim you can fix it with just a glance?"
"Go to hell!"
Seeing that Dugu Bo wasn't listening at all, Lin Beiya could only sigh helplessly. It seemed he really needed to let the old man calm down.
Praesepe Underworld Waves
With a single move, the space beside him tore open, and Lin Beiya stepped directly into the Underworld.
Watching Lin Beiya vanish into thin air, Dugu Bo nearly had his eyes pop out. He hurriedly released his spiritual power, searching frantically for the boy's location.
But to his disappointment, not only was the valley empty, even within ten miles beyond it, he couldn't sense the slightest trace of the youth.
Dugu Bo's face darkened like the bottom of a pot. Lin Beiya already knew his secret. Now that the boy had disappeared, he would surely tell Dugu Bo's enemies. When that happened, trouble would come crashing down on him.
"Damn it."
Meanwhile, Lin Beiya lay back comfortably on a massive boulder within the Underworld, swinging his legs leisurely.
Let that old fossil cool down for a bit. Honestly, why do people his age love resorting to violence?
Just as Lin Beiya was pondering what might happen once he returned, several trembling soul bodies drifted toward him—the group of bandits he had casually killed when he entered the Sunset Forest.
"M–Milord… we were wrong… please let us out…"
His thoughts interrupted, Lin Beiya cast them an impatient glance. Were these fools still dreaming of leaving? Their bodies had likely already been devoured by unknown soul beasts, yet they still wanted to escape?
Praesepe Soul Burial Waves
Golden light bloomed from his palm. Dozens of begging bandits instantly froze in place. The next moment, their souls twisted violently before turning to dust, silently merging into the soil of Yomotsu Hirasaka. Not even a scream escaped them.
This move was from the Cancer Gold Cloth—specifically meant to annihilate soul bodies. Anyone whose soul wasn't strong enough would be obliterated instantly, never to return.
After dealing with the filthy souls, Lin Beiya estimated the timing and felt it should be about right.
He tore open the space beside him once more and returned to the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well.
The moment Lin Beiya reappeared, Dugu Bo's heart sank to the bottom of the abyss. The boy was clearly telling him: if I want to leave, there's nothing you can do to stop me.
"Has Senior calmed down a little? If I truly intended harm, I would have simply left just now. After all, you cannot keep me."
Silence fell. After weighing his options, Dugu Bo finally refrained from acting rashly again.
"Fine, speak. What method do you claim can resolve the poison backlash in my body?"
"No problem."
Lin Beiya nodded. It wasn't a rare or difficult method, and he wouldn't even need to exert much effort.
"It's actually quite simple. The senior just never thought of it."
"Oh? Go on."
Hearing this, Dugu Bo revealed a trace of interest, wanting to know what method he had overlooked.
"Soul bones. Force the poison inside your body into a soul bone. This way, you can still use the toxins during battle while greatly reducing the backlash they inflict on your body."
As Lin Beiya spoke, Dugu Bo's eyes instantly lit up. A moment later, his expression turned frustrated, and he slammed his fist into the ground.
"Right! Why didn't I think of that?"
Soul bones are mysterious items linked to soul masters yet independent of their physical form. Forcing the poison into a soul bone would indeed preserve combat strength while reducing physical harm.
"Ah… what a pity. Had I thought of this earlier, Yan Yan's father wouldn't have…"
"Oh? Senior's poison can be inherited by your descendants?"
Lin Beiya feigned surprise, looking shocked. Dugu Bo, on the other hand, was forced into another wave of regret and self-blame.
"Yes. Anyone who inherits the Jade Phosphor Serpent Martial Soul will naturally suffer from the same poison."
"My son failed to survive the Soul King bottleneck… and even dragged my daughter-in-law into death with him."
"But now that I finally have a solution, I just need to find a soul bone for my granddaughter."
"A ten-thousand-year soul bone is hard to find, but a thousand-year soul bone is manageable. Even if I have to slaughter the entire Sunset Forest, I will get one!"
The determination in Dugu Bo's eyes sent a chill down Lin Beiya's spine, raising concerns about the safety of the soul beasts in the Sunset Forest.
Resting his chin on his finger, Lin Beiya pondered for a moment before speaking:
"Senior, although the soul-bone method works, have you considered this? A thousand-year soul bone has a very limited capacity. If it becomes overloaded with accumulated poison, it will still erupt. And when it does, the concentrated toxins will be far more terrifying."
"That…"
Dugu Bo froze. He had originally thought his granddaughter could escape the torment of poison, but this solution was nothing more than a temporary fix.
"So it must be a ten-thousand-year soul bone?"
Soul bones are treasures that can spark bloodshed even at the hundred-year level. Ten-thousand-year soul bones are rarer than phoenix feathers. As a Titled Douluo, he only possessed a single ten-thousand-year skull bone. If it were another bone, he could remove it for his granddaughter… but the skull bone? What could he do?
Seeing Dugu Bo slip into madness again, Lin Beiya knew the time was ripe.
"Senior Dugu, don't panic just yet. May I ask—how old is your granddaughter?"
"Seven and a half. Why?"
"Mm. So she awakened her martial soul not long ago. That means the poison in her body is still shallow."
"I definitely cannot cure the poison in your body. But your granddaughter's… that I should still be able to suppress."
"R–Really?"
Dugu Bo looked at Lin Beiya in surprise, as though afraid the youth was merely comforting him. But after seeing the certainty in Lin Beiya's gaze, he finally believed—at least a little.
However, there is no free lunch under the sun. This, he knew well.
"Name your price. As long as you can resolve Yan Yan's poison, I will agree to anything."
"I do have a request. There are herbs in this medicinal garden that are useful to me. Those two in particular, I hope Senior can spare them."
Following Lin Beiya's gesture, Dugu Bo looked toward the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well.
The two immortal herbs in the center of the spring instantly filled his vision. His expression stiffened—not because he was unwilling to part with the herbs, but because he didn't believe Lin Beiya could safely retrieve and consume them.
If Lin Beiya died, that was fine. But if he died, what would happen to Dugu Yan?
End of Chapter