Chapter 43: Gu Rong, You Wouldn't Want to Fail to Break Through to Titled Douluo, Would You? The Bestowal of the ink jade divine bamboo?
Yu Jingcheng stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his expression calm and indifferent.
Before he could even open his mouth to speak, Dugu Bo, standing beside him, could no longer contain himself and continued his torrent of words.
At this moment, Dugu Bo's words carried a peculiar sense of reverence and fervor towards Yu Jingcheng.
"Old Bone, do you think my Ninth Soul Ring fell from the sky?"
Dugu Bo sneered coldly, a flicker of awe flashing in his eyes.
"I've been stuck at the 89th rank for many years. If not for the Sect Master's introduction,"
and his ability to invite his reclusive Super Douluo master to personally take action,
hunting down an exceptionally formidable Ten Thousand Year Spirit Beast for me, where would I find the glory I have today?"
As he spoke these words, a sharp glint flashed deep within Dugu Bo's eyes.
He deftly and completely concealed the existence of 'Little Gold'.
He understood the principle that while a common man's innocence is not a crime, possessing a priceless treasure makes him guilty.
Once news of a Hundred Thousand Year Spirit Beast leaked out, it would inevitably incite a frenzy across the entire Soul Master World.
Therefore, with extreme cunning, he transferred the terrifying feats and oppressive aura of Little Gold,
attributing them instead to the fictional 'Super Douluo master' Yu Jingcheng had concocted.
Hearing Dugu Bo's improvisation, Yu Jingcheng maintained a placid expression on the surface, but a flicker of surprise passed through his heart.
However, this flicker of surprise instantly transformed into profound satisfaction.
"This Old Poison is quite a clever fellow."
Yu Jingcheng nodded inwardly.
Dugu Bo had received numerous benefits from him—detoxification, bestowed medicines—yet,
far from becoming arrogant and forgetting himself, he knew to actively protect the core secret, using the tiger's skin as a banner.
Such ability to read the situation and handle matters truly lived up to his status as a Titled Douluo.
And at this moment, Gu Rong, standing opposite them, felt a buzzing in his head; he was somewhat dizzy and disoriented.
A reclusive Super Douluo?!
Gu Rong swallowed hard.
What did the concept of a Super Douluo even mean?
It referred to existences at rank 95 and above!
The number of publicly known Super Douluos across the entire continent could be counted on two hands.
Any one of them, if brought out, would be a nuclear weapon capable of shaking the continent.
Could it be that behind Yu Jingcheng stood such a formidable figure?
Gu Rong instinctively wanted to doubt it.
But when his gaze fell upon the tangible Titled Douluo pressure emanating from Dugu Bo's body,
and the glaring fourth and fifth ten-thousand-year spirit rings beneath Yu Jingcheng's feet,
all his doubts were forcibly swallowed back down.
How foul-tempered and inherently proud this Old Poison Dugu Bo was, Gu Rong knew all too well.
If he hadn't personally witnessed some kind of irresistible, terrifying power,
how could this Old Poison possibly be willing to serve as a lackey for a young man barely in his twenties?
Dugu Bo wasn't lying. Behind Yu Jingcheng, there was definitely something terrifying!
Seeing the ever-changing, shock-stricken, and somewhat stupefied expression on Gu Rong's face, Dugu Bo knew the timing was about right.
He slightly raised his chin and, on behalf of Yu Jingcheng, tossed out that fatal olive branch:
"Old Bone, we can be considered to have some acquaintance.
Your current predicament can be described as having no path to heaven and no door to earth.
Since that old monster Yin Yue has set his sights on you, even if you escape the Star Dou Great Forest,"
the Spirit Hall's pursuit order will follow you like a shadow. You'll never have a peaceful day for the rest of your life."
Dugu Bo's tone shifted, carrying a hint of temptation and pride:
"But if you nod your head now, swear allegiance to the Sect Master, and join us...
What is a mere Yin Yue?
With the Sect Master's Super Douluo master backing him, even if you gave the Spirit Hall ten times the courage, they wouldn't dare touch a hair on your head!"
"Not to mention..."
Dugu Bo lowered his voice, his tone filled with enticement.
"You've been stuck at the 89th rank for quite a few years now, haven't you?
As long as you perform meritorious service, whatever small favor the Sect Master deigns to bestow from between his fingers,
helping you shatter this final shackle and achieve Titled Douluo status, would be as easy as turning over his hand!"
"Life or death, Breakthrough or waiting for death, Old Bone, the choice is yours."
"Old Bone, you wouldn't want to continue being hunted, unable to break through to Titled Douluo, would you?"
Faced with Dugu Bo's combined tactics of pressure and temptation, his words both threatening and alluring,
Gu Rong's expression shifted unpredictably.
He ignored Dugu Bo's ultimatum and instead fixed his gaze intently on Yu Jingcheng, who remained standing with hands behind his back, his expression calm and indifferent.
"This... Sect Master."
Gu Rong's voice was hoarse, carrying a tremor and a sliver of hope he couldn't quite conceal.
"Is what Old Poison said true?"
Gu Rong took a deep breath, as if steeling himself for a monumental decision, and spoke word by word:
"You, or the Super Douluo Senior behind you, do you truly have a way,
to help me break through this Bottleneck and assist me in reaching Titled Douluo?"
"If you can truly accomplish this..."
Gu Rong suddenly clasped his fists together, the bones in his knuckles emitting crisp cracking sounds.
"I, Gu Rong, will pledge this old life of mine to your Sect from this day forward!
Without a single trace of disloyalty!"
Hearing Gu Rong's near-oath-like declaration,
Yu Jingcheng maintained his facade of inscrutable profundity on the surface, but inwardly, he was already ecstatic.
"Success!"
Yu Jingcheng was secretly thrilled.
This was the future Bone Douluo!
The world's number one defense-type Soul Master!
If he could bring him under his command, his newly established force would instantly possess the combat power of two Titled Douluo-level experts.
As for helping Gu Rong break through to Titled Douluo?
For him, this was practically a certainty.
Not to mention that Gu Rong's Breakthrough to Titled Douluo was only a matter of time, sooner or later.
Moreover, he still had several Immortal Herbs in his possession!
Among the remaining Immortal Herbs, there happened to be one particularly suited for Gu Rong—the ink jade divine bamboo!
This Immortal Herb was incredibly resilient, containing within it the essence of extreme sturdiness and a yin-like tenacity. It was a match made in heaven for Gu Rong's Bone Dragon Martial Soul.
Once consumed, forget about a mere one-rank Bottleneck in Soul Power,
even his future Martial Soul Origin would undergo a transformative, bone-deep enhancement.
Thinking of this, a confident and composed smile curled at the corner of Yu Jingcheng's mouth.
He looked at Gu Rong, his tone calm yet carrying an undeniable air of authority:
"Senior Gu, you speak too gravely.
Since I dared to have Elder Dugu extend an invitation to you, I naturally have absolute confidence."
Yu Jingcheng slightly raised his hand, releasing a faint, almost imperceptible pressure of the Light Holy Dragon, subtly intimidating Gu Rong's mind.
"As long as you nod your head today and join my Sect, I can not only guarantee your safety from Yin Yue of the Spirit Hall's pursuit,
but I can also bestow upon you an opportunity immediately."
"This chasm of the 90th rank that has hindered you for years, I will level it for you directly!"
Yu Jingcheng's gaze burned with intensity as he confidently promised:
"Once you enter the Sect, I have the means to immediately assist you in directly ascending to the 90th rank threshold!"
"Immediate Breakthrough?!"
Gu Rong's pupils constricted sharply, his heart pounding violently.
He had initially thought the other party would promise to help him within a few years, or slowly build him up using extremely precious resources.
He never expected Yu Jingcheng to dare make such a resolute promise!
If anyone else had said this, Gu Rong would have scoffed in disdain.
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