The two parties, who had been subtly testing and probing each other moments ago, now appeared as close as sworn brothers, agreeing to depart without further delay.
They greeted Li Rong, briefly explained the reason, and hurried out of the shop.
Li Rong understood their mindset perfectly. When he was young and played in the countryside, he had been exactly the same—grabbing a sturdy wooden stick and seeing monsters everywhere, trampling flowers and grass within several miles without restraint. Compared to that, Dugu Bo was far worse now. After all, he had obtained genuine cultivation methods and Spirit Ability secrets.
If not for the need to watch over the shop, Li Rong would have liked to follow along and witness the excitement himself.
…Wait.
As a belief collector of the Sacrificial Dao Lord, wasn't he technically able to observe without leaving?
Li Rong reacted instantly. Without hesitation, he opened the exchange interface, selected Ning Fengzhi's perspective, and leaned back comfortably in his recliner, watching the unfolding scene like a live broadcast, utterly satisfied.
After leaving the shop, the two sides arranged for their subordinates to guard the entrance. Moments later, they soared into the sky.
Sword Douluo carried Ning Fengzhi, while Dugu Bo brought Dugu Yan, the four of them landing in a desolate wilderness nearly a hundred miles outside Heaven Dou City.
Once Ning Fengzhi and Dugu Yan were settled safely to the side, Sword Douluo wasted no words. He extended his hand, and the Seven Kill Sword floated firmly into his grasp. Nine spirit rings rose silently from beneath his feet, their oppressive aura locking onto Dugu Bo in the distance.
Dugu Bo, however, merely crossed his arms. He neither revealed his spirit rings nor summoned his Martial Spirit. His posture was relaxed, almost casual, as though the opponent before him was of no consequence.
Sword Douluo's expression tightened. His vigilance rose sharply.
Seeing that Dugu Bo willingly relinquished the initiative, Sword Douluo did not hesitate. Without activating any spirit ring skills, he advanced directly, spirit power surging as he closed the distance, intending to probe Dugu Bo's foundation through close combat.
Dugu Bo carefully sensed the fluctuations of Sword Douluo's spirit power. Then he laughed aloud.
He did not dodge.
Instead, he stepped forward as well, condensing his spirit power into the form of a Green Scaled Snake, which coiled around his arm. The two collided head-on.
Boom!
Sword Douluo staggered backward several steps.
The result stunned everyone present.
A peak attack-type Tool Spirit… had lost in direct confrontation to a control-type Beast Spirit.
And the opponent hadn't even summoned his Martial Spirit.
Worse still, Dugu Bo's spirit power level was three ranks lower.
Ning Fengzhi's pupils shrank in disbelief. Dugu Bo, on the other hand, felt his confidence surge.
He had never intended to kill Chen Xin—this was merely a test. Bringing his palms together, he spoke sincerely, "I'll use some real skill now, Brother Chen. You'd best be careful."
As his voice fell, the Green Scaled Snake detached from his arm and slammed into the ground. Its body expanded explosively, stretching to more than forty meters in an instant.
The massive serpent coiled around Dugu Bo, forming an imposing formation. Its scales were each as large as a human head, the patterns vivid and solid as if forged from jade. Its entire body glowed an eerie emerald green. A single horn protruded from its enormous head, and poisonous mist poured continuously from its gaping jaws, filling the air with a suffocating menace.
Sword Douluo inhaled deeply. He refused to give Dugu Bo the first strike. His sixth and seventh spirit rings lit up simultaneously.
Entering his Seven Kill Sword True Body, he unleashed his ten-thousand-year sixth Spirit Ability—Myriad Swords Returning to One. With a sweeping motion, dozens of thick sword qi tore through the air.
Dugu Bo raised his hand slightly.
The Green Scaled Great Snake's tail, thick as a water vat, lashed out horizontally. Earth and stone were ripped from the ground as the tail smashed directly into the incoming sword qi, shattering it into countless fragments.
Only a handful of scales cracked.
Without losing momentum, the massive tail continued toward Chen Xin.
Chen Xin's expression darkened. His figure flashed as he narrowly avoided the strike, retreating dozens of steps while pushing his spirit power to its limits.
He activated his ninth Spirit Ability—Divine Demonic Twin Slash, pouring all his strength into a single decisive blow, intent on cleaving the spirit-power serpent in two.
The air detonated.
An overwhelming sword intent swept the battlefield. Nearby rocks exploded into fragments, dust and debris filling the sky.
Yet despite the terrifying momentum, the result was underwhelming.
A massive gash split open the serpent's body—but it did not sever it.
Emerald poisonous mist erupted from the wound, flooding outward. Wherever it spread, even the earth was corroded into pits dozens of meters wide.
Chen Xin was caught off guard and instantly engulfed. The protective spirit power around his body dissolved at a visible speed.
Seeing the poison about to reach his flesh, he retreated decisively and shouted, "I surrender!"
Ning Fengzhi's heart nearly leapt from his chest. If Chen Xin fell here, he would never forgive himself. Stepping forward, he spoke urgently, "Brother Dugu's strength is astonishing! Please show mercy!"
Dugu Bo had never intended to kill. Hearing this, he withdrew the poisonous mist, condensing it back into the serpent before slowly drawing both spirit power and poison back into his body.
Fast to release… slow to retract.
His Green Snake Strength was still lacking.
Minor success allowed free activation and withdrawal, but true mastery—control as natural as moving a limb—remained far away.
Still…
Forcing a victory over the former number-one attacker while down three levels.
If he achieved great success, wouldn't he truly be able to walk unchallenged across the continent?
And he still had a Soul Doubling Pill.
Little Yueyue… Grandpa is coming.
Don't worry. Since I didn't kill you back then, at most I'll beat you until you kneel and call me "Sir." I won't kill you—this time.
Dugu Bo had already decided. Once he returned, he would swallow the pill and head straight for Spirit City to settle accounts with Yue Guan.
If he delayed any longer, and that brat obtained another batch of high-grade medicinal herbs, he might never get another chance.
Ning Fengzhi hurried to Chen Xin's side, anxiously checking his condition.
Chen Xin waved him off, his voice steady. "I'm fine. Thank you for showing mercy, Brother Dugu."
"It was only a spar," Dugu Bo replied calmly. "I benefited from the Sacrificial Shop as well. Brother Chen's foundation is solid. If you one day exchange for a suitable secret manual, your strength will rise naturally. When that time comes, I'll return for another spar."
At the mention of secret manuals, Chen Xin felt envy—but no hope.
They were far too expensive. Even if he could afford one, cultivating it to even an introductory level would be extraordinarily difficult. Worse still, it could not be passed on—only explored alone.
To reach Dugu Bo's current level would likely require Body Infusion, making the total cost utterly unattainable for ordinary cultivators.
Seeing Chen Xin unharmed, Ning Fengzhi finally relaxed. "Brother Dugu is magnanimous. My Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School will remember this kindness."
He paused, then spoke carefully, "I would like to cooperate with Brother Dugu to earn sacrificial coins. What do you think?"
Dugu Bo stared at him, disgusted.
Your strength is inferior. Your resources are lacking. You even tried to rob me earlier.
What exactly do you have to cooperate with me?
Your silver tongue?
He said nothing.
"If I'm not mistaken," Ning Fengzhi continued, "Brother Dugu possesses a treasure land in the Sunset Forest suitable for cultivating medicinal herbs."
"I do," Dugu Bo replied flatly. "Why? Interested?"
"Please don't misunderstand," Ning Fengzhi said quickly. "I would never repay kindness with enmity."
He pressed on. "Brother Dugu exchanged a large quantity of medicinal herbs this time. Have you considered collecting seeds of fifth- and sixth-grade herbs and replanting them?"
Dugu Bo's eyes narrowed. "If you value my kindness, speak plainly. I don't have the patience for riddles."
Ning Fengzhi took a deep breath. "Brother Dugu has the land and unmatched strength, but no one can be in two places at once."
He continued steadily, "Once news of the Sacrificial Shop spreads, your strength won't remain hidden forever. Eventually, people will connect it to your treasure land. Even with your power, guarding it alone invites risk."
Dugu Bo frowned.
No matter how strong he was, he was still only one person.
If he guarded the garden, he couldn't move freely. One day, if the Sacrificial Shop updated its bounty list, he might not even be able to submit tasks. Opportunists would inevitably wait for him to leave before striking.
He glanced at Dugu Yan.
Too weak.
A wave of regret surged within him.
Why hadn't he concealed the existence of the separate mansion earlier?
Now, with careful investigation, anyone could roughly infer its location. Such a vast area, deep within the Sunset Forest—it was impossible to hide forever.
A fatal oversight.
"I propose cooperation," Ning Fengzhi said firmly. "Uncle Sword and Uncle Bone may not rival Brother Dugu, but together, few would dare trespass."
He continued, "Brother Dugu provides the land. My Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School will gather the seeds, assign caretakers, and handle daily guarding. Any losses due to negligence or theft will be compensated at full value."
Dugu Bo finally asked, "And the sacrificial coins?"
"When the herbs mature, we harvest together. The proceeds are split evenly—fifty-fifty."
"And long-term costs?" Dugu Bo pressed.
Ning Fengzhi smiled bitterly. "Seeds and fields are the core. Since you provide the land, we provide the seeds. Caretakers cost only gold coins. Compared to sacrificial coins, gold is trivial—consider it repayment for today's mercy."
He added quietly, "But against major external threats… we will still need Brother Dugu."
The unspoken name hung in the air.
Spirit Hall.
Other forces lacked the qualifications. Spirit Hall did not.
After decades of effort, if the harvest were stolen at the final moment, Ning Fengzhi would vomit blood from rage.
Among all continental forces, only Spirit Hall truly had the means to cultivate fifth- and sixth-grade herbs on a large scale.
Clear Sky Sect was in seclusion. Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect lacked manpower.
If Yu Yuanzhen dared to plant them, Ning Fengzhi would dare to burn them down in the dead of night.
Better me than Bibi Dong.
Upper Three Sects unity?
To hell with that.
He only wanted sacrificial coins.
_____________________
support me on patreon
https://[email protected]/mrSOMEONE01234? [replace @ with a]
For those who cannot become members, they can support with power stones
100 powerstone = 1 chapter [if this reaches top 35 in power stone ranking i will publish chapters till 35 for top 10 its 40 chapters]
5 review = 1 chapter
>>>>>I'm a student, and I'll try my best to keep uploading chapters regularly <<<<<
{shout out --Sarah, Brendan Cooper, Nour-eddine, AR, jetos } thanks for your support
[[READER TIER 1: translates stories {15$} ]] { RECOMENDED }
[[READER TIER 2: translated & original stories {20$} ]]
[[[[Please at least visit my patreon so I can have some traffic]]]]]
Also try
[[[Restaurant in Douluo Dalu (350+ch)]]] {6$}
[[[Lord's Unlimited Entries: The Baron's Awakened Heir (80+ch)]]] {7$}
[[[Swallowed Star: Ten Thousand time Growth (170+ch)]]] {6$}
[[[swallowed star : i can refine everything (01-60)]]] {6$}
[[[Anime Crossover: I Can Trade Everything (50+ch)]]] {6$}
{ life is getting shittier by the day and I need some money so I got patreon and started doing one thing I am decent }
(fuck who would have thought that buying a headphone is so hard in last i barely got 27$ and i need 300$-350$ fucccckkk )