Chapter 210: Striking at Dugu Bo
"This time you've done well. You'll grow stronger for it. Only through battle can true strength be forged—you'll become even more powerful in the future."
Dugu Feng praised sincerely.
The Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass seemed to sense his approval.
Its leaves swayed gently, and the crystal within its blossom flickered with light, radiating pure joy.
Soon, Dugu Feng returned to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
As he landed from the mountain peak, his eyes met those of a stunned Dugu Bo.
"You… You've reached Soul King?"
Dugu Bo was completely shocked.
He had visited the Yin Yang Well several times recently and often saw Dugu Feng cultivating between the cold spring and hot spring.
At those times, Dugu Feng always used Martial Spirit Possession, his Four-Color Venom shielding his spiritual signature.
Seeing his grandson cultivating diligently, Dugu Bo hadn't disturbed him—he would just suppress his own poison here and leave afterward.
Now, suddenly confronted with Dugu Feng's surging soul power, his mind reeled.
If that overwhelming aura wasn't of a Soul King, then what else could it be?
He's only sixteen, about seven years younger than Yan Yan!
The realization left Dugu Bo breathless.
"Greetings, Your Excellency. I was fortunate enough to break through recently—just finished absorbing my new ring," Dugu Feng said calmly.
Dugu Bo's pupils contracted further. He noticed something in Dugu Feng's hand—the cold-poison herb that grew beside the Yin spring.
He recognized it instantly. That herb, along with the one near the hot spring infused with fire poison, had both been tested by him before.
Even with his immense soul power, purging just a trace of those poisons had taken great effort.
Yet here Dugu Feng stood, holding one of them effortlessly.
What… what kind of monster is this boy?
Eyes narrowing, Dugu Bo demanded in a low tone, "How did you do that?"
Dugu Feng ignored him at first, stepping over to the twin springs. He carefully placed the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass back by the cold spring to let it recover its medicinal power.
"And the fiery poison herb from the other side—did you take that too?" Dugu Bo asked bitterly.
He already knew the truth. Some of the herbs here had long gone missing—most taken by Dugu Shuo for the family's use.
But seeing this boy casually wield what even he dared not touch triggered a pang of resentment.
This was his paradise—his private medicine garden. Yet he couldn't even use its treasures.
Meanwhile, Dugu Feng had turned those same herbs into catalysts for his meteoric rise.
"Risking one's life to refine both frost and flame poisons, fusing them into one's strength—that's the path of our poison lineage," Dugu Feng said evenly, turning back toward his elder.
Dugu Bo froze.
"Are you implying I'm afraid to die?" he snapped angrily.
"I'm saying, Your Excellency, that using these poisons safely takes generations of accumulated research.
Every herb here is heaven's treasure.
My father could create antidote elixirs because of what our ancestors left behind.
After defeating Yang Wushuang in Heaven Dou City, our family gained the Pharmacist Clan's refining methods as well.
We've been building this knowledge for decades.
Your Excellency, you've battled poison for years without ever trying to solve it through medicinals.
You've never studied these herbs deeply. But the Pharmacist Clan could have known their secrets.
Perhaps Spirit Hall's archives contain records—or even the Clear Sky and Seven Treasure Clans might hold relevant texts.
Yet you've chosen avoidance instead of resolution."
Dugu Feng's words struck directly at Dugu Bo's pride.
Ever since he'd discovered this sacred ground, Dugu Bo's only thought had been to use the Yin Yang Well to suppress his poison.
Even if he never solved it, he could still live a hundred years or more.
If his granddaughter reached a high enough realm, she too could use this method.
As for other solutions—he'd simply never looked.
"Bold of you to lecture me as though you've forgotten my status!" Dugu Bo roared, ashamed and furious.
He refused to admit incompetence. Refused to admit cowardice. Refused to admit that the paradise which had empowered him also bound him here.
A flash of green light filled his eyes. Raising his right hand, he unleashed a surge of violet soul power.
He would teach this insolent youth a lesson.
Too arrogant!
But Dugu Feng didn't even move.
A soft white glow spread outward.
The Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass, now nestled in its rightful place, revived instantly—its cold energy surging upward.
The freezing domain expelled Dugu Bo's soul power as if it had never existed.
He blinked in disbelief.
"So that's why you're so bold—you're protected by the Yin Yang Well! You think this makes you untouchable?"
"Your Excellency," Dugu Feng replied softly, "I wasn't being arrogant.
I meant to tell you that through continued research into poison, our Dugu bloodline can completely overcome its martial spirit flaw.
My father reached Soul Douluo. Old Snake did as well. Both are living proof.
Free the Jade Phosphor Serpent from its congenital defect—let our descendants live without fear of poison backlash. It is possible.
Please… think on it carefully."
With that, Dugu Feng sat cross-legged and began to meditate.
Dugu Bo's expression wavered.
The poison cultivators were lunatics—but perhaps, he admitted to himself, lunatics who might just succeed.
This boy was even more monstrous than his father Dugu Shuo.
And from him, Dugu Bo glimpsed a real possibility—maybe, just maybe, their family's curse could be broken.
He glanced once more at Dugu Feng, then turned toward the mountain path and began to climb.
Perhaps he really needed to consider the boy's words.
Behind him, Dugu Feng's mouth curved into a faint, knowing smile.
By standing near the Yin Yang Well, he had placed himself in an unassailable position—that was why he dared provoke Dugu Bo.
He hadn't feared retaliation at all.
If the Ice Grass's protection failed, he could simply dive into the springs themselves.
After enduring the Ice and Fire Body Refinement, those waters could no longer harm him.
From the look on Dugu Bo's face as he left, he must be stewing in frustration.
Soon enough, he'll rely entirely on me and my poison lineage.
That had been Dugu Feng's true aim—to shatter Dugu Bo's confidence and subtly draw him under his influence.
But he pushed the thought aside and refocused on his cultivation.
He let the Ice Grass absorb restorative energy nearby, while he himself leapt into the junction of the frigid yin spring and blazing yang spring.
He needed to use the twin forces to recover and refine the Dominating Venom further.
Its growth was volatile, dangerous, always on the border of control.
He intended to continue evolving it through experimentation, deepening his mastery of poison.
He was now certain—the power of Ba Du rose in perfect sync with his own comprehension of toxins.
The fifth soul ring had begun its formation of the Dominating Venom. If his future sixth and seventh rings were also poison-type, it would evolve again—its potency doubling each time.
Dugu Feng never fought unprepared. He would always keep moving forward.
As his scorpion claws and spider lances absorbed the fused energies of ice and fire, warmth spread through his body.
The harmonized energy from the external soul bones merged naturally into his soul power.
Dugu Feng closed his eyes and began cultivating once again.
(END CHAPTER)
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 30 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Bankai10