In a secluded valley, Ling Ye waited for Hu Liena, who had rushed over.
After a few days apart, the little slave girl who had been taken in by the Spirit Hall looked thinner and had a hint of fatigue in her eyes. But when she saw Ling Ye, her foxy eyes lit up instantly, like a kitten seeing its master, and she rushed into his arms without hesitation.
"Master..." The voice was soft and sweet, filled with deep affection and grievance.
During this period, the Spirit Hall was in chaos due to the search for Ling Ye. His Holiness the Pope was in a terrible temper, and she, as his personal disciple, also suffered considerable pressure.
Ling Ye gently patted her back, not immediately asking about the important matter, but instead telling her to relax.
Hu Liena tidied her hair, her face flushed. She really missed Ling Ye after not seeing him for so long...
Ling Ye offered a few words of comfort, and once Hu Liena had calmed down, he got straight to the point.
Hu Liena revealed all the information she knew without reservation:
Bibi Dong was indeed enraged for some unknown reason, and ordered an unprecedented search for all young Soul Masters with the Light Life Attribute, even provoking dissatisfaction and speculation from the Hall of Worship. The rumors about the "Holy Son" spread far and wide as a result. She also mentioned that His Holiness the Pope seemed to be somewhat "unwell" recently, staying in seclusion, but the specific reason was unknown.
Ling Ye listened, understanding dawning on his mind.
Bibi Dong seems to have concealed her pregnancy very well; even Hu Liena is unaware of it.
That's interesting news.
After their tender moment, Ling Ye instructed Hu Liena to continue monitoring the Spirit Hall's movements, especially the unusual activities of the Hall of Offerings and Bibi Dong, before letting her leave first.
Although Hu Liena was reluctant, she absolutely obeyed Ling Ye's orders, and since she had enjoyed the experience this time, she obediently left.
Ling Ye continued on his way, processing the intelligence while planning his next move.
Subduing Dugu Bo would undoubtedly provide a powerful ally and a channel for accessing high-level information.
As fate would have it, not long after he left the valley, he sensed two familiar presences at a teahouse by a main road.
One was strong, the other weak. The strong one had a cold, poisonous aura, while the weak one was afflicted with some kind of troublesome mixed toxin, its life force constantly draining away.
Ling Ye's heart stirred, and he entered the teahouse.
In the corner, an old man with dark green hair, sharp eyes like a hawk, and a slightly bluish complexion was sighing to a pretty young girl with similarly dark green hair.
The girl was about fifteen or sixteen years old, with a pale face and a look of pain between her brows.
She is none other than Dugu Yan, the granddaughter of Poison Douluo Dugu Bo.
"Grandpa...it's alright, Yan Yan isn't in pain..." Dugu Yan endured the pain of the poison backlash in her body and comforted her grandfather, but the cold sweat on her forehead betrayed her.
Dugu Bo felt as if his heart was being torn apart when he saw his granddaughter's pained expression.
He spent his life dabbling in poisons, yet he couldn't cure the deadly poison accumulated by his granddaughter due to a flaw in her martial soul. He consulted numerous renowned doctors to no avail, and because of his fearsome reputation, no one dared to genuinely help him.
"Sigh... It's all Grandpa's fault for being useless..." Dugu Bo clenched his fists, his face full of self-blame and resentment.
Just then, a calm voice rang out from the side:
"The venom of the Azure Phosphorus Serpent has backfired, mixing with more than three kinds of cold and yin toxins, penetrating deep into the bone marrow and corroding the heart meridian. If I try to suppress it with my soul power, I'm afraid I won't live for more than three months."
Upon hearing this, Dugu Bo suddenly looked up, his eyes flashing with a terrifying light and killing intent: "Who?! Daring to curse my granddaughter!"
However, when he saw that the person speaking was a young man dressed plainly but with an unusually calm demeanor, he couldn't help but be taken aback.
The other party immediately identified Yan Yan's symptoms, proving she was no ordinary person!
Dugu Yan also looked at Ling Ye with curiosity, attracted by his deep and calm eyes, and temporarily forgot her pain.
Ling Ye ignored Dugu Bo's murderous intent, sat down, and poured himself a glass of water: "It's not a curse, it's a fact. And I can cure it."
"You can cure him?" Dugu Bo seemed to have heard the biggest joke in the world, but seeing Ling Ye's confident eyes, the anger in his heart inexplicably subsided a bit, turning into surprise and doubt. "Boy, do you know who I am? How dare you speak so carelessly here?"
"Poison Douluo Dugu Bo, a name that is famous, of course I recognize him." Ling Ye smiled faintly, "It is precisely because it is you that I said I could cure him. If it were anyone else, I might not be interested in this mixture of deadly poisons."
He said this with extreme confidence, even a touch of arrogance.
Dugu Bo narrowed his eyes, carefully examining Ling Ye, trying to see through his background, but found that he couldn't fathom the depth of this young man!
"You...you really have a way?" Dugu Bo's voice trembled slightly with hope.
He was desperate and grasping at straws.
"Give me your hand," Ling Ye said to Dugu Yan.
Dugu Yan glanced at her grandfather, and seeing Dugu Bo nod slightly, she timidly extended her fair wrist to Ling Ye.
Ling Ye extended three fingers and gently placed them on her wrist.
The moment their fingertips touched, Dugu Yan felt a warm and peaceful aura flow into her body through the point of contact, which warmed her body, which was cold due to the toxins. She couldn't help but let out a soft moan of comfort, her pretty face slightly flushed.
Ling Ye closed his eyes and sensed for a moment, then made up his mind.
The venom of the Jade Phosphorus Snake, combined with several other cold and yin toxins, would be a terminal illness for others, but for him, who possessed the Holy Spirit Martial Soul and the knowledge of the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Immortal Herb, it was not difficult to cure.
He opened his eyes, took out a jade bottle, poured out a strangely shaped pill that emitted a faint fragrance, and handed it to Dugu Yan: "Take it."
Dugu Bo cautiously accepted the pill, sniffed it carefully, and his expression immediately changed drastically: "This is... the scent of the Fragrant Silk Immortal Herb? And... the medicinal properties of the Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower? You... how could you have these?!" Having immersed himself in the path of poison all his life, he had an extremely deep understanding of herbs and instantly recognized the extraordinary nature of this pill!
"As long as it can detoxify, that's fine." Ling Ye didn't explain.
Without further hesitation, Dugu Bo handed the pill to his granddaughter.
After Dugu Yan took the pill, a warm current quickly spread through her body, and her pale face visibly regained its color, while her breathing became much smoother.
"It's...much better! Grandpa, it really doesn't hurt anymore!" Dugu Yan exclaimed in surprise.
Dugu Bo was so excited that his old hands were trembling.
But that's not all.
Ling Ye then helped Dugu Yan sit up straight and gently placed his palm on her Xinyu acupoint on her back:
"It might hurt a little! Just bear with it."
The pure holy soul power, carrying the breath of life, slowly flowed in, guiding the medicinal power to gradually expel and purify the toxins accumulated in her meridians and bone marrow.
This process required extremely precise control. Dugu Yan felt warm all over, as if she were soaking in a hot spring, so comfortable that she almost fell asleep.
She looked at Ling Ye's focused profile, her eyes unconsciously becoming somewhat unfocused.
This man is so amazing, so gentle...
"Be gentle here!"
"Okay! We can speed things up here!"
"This power! It's so strong!"
"..."
After about an incense stick's time, Ling Ye stopped.
Dugu Yan coughed up a mouthful of black, poisonous blood, which corroded a small pit in the stone slab when it landed!
But after vomiting, she felt relaxed all over, as if a huge burden had been lifted, and her soul power became much more active!
"Alright, the toxins have been cleared. You'll only need a few days of recuperation. Also, I have a way to completely resolve your martial soul's flaws, and perhaps even help you reach a higher level," Ling Ye said calmly.
Seeing his granddaughter's noticeably improved complexion and feeling the revitalized energy within her, Dugu Bo, the capricious Poison Douluo, suddenly knelt down on one knee before Ling Ye!
"Sir, your kindness is immense! I will never forget it! I have offended you in the past, please forgive me! In the future, whatever you command, I will go through fire and water without hesitation!" His voice choked with emotion, filled with sincere gratitude.
His granddaughter was his lifeblood; Ling Ye's actions were tantamount to saving his life!
Ling Ye helped him up: "Poison Douluo, there's no need for that. It was nothing."
Dugu Bo insisted, "It was a small favor for you, sir, but a life-saving grace for me! I will remember this kindness!" He thought for a moment, then took out a dark green token from his robes and handed it to Ling Ye. "This is the guest token of my Dugu family. Seeing this token is like seeing me in person! If you ever need my help or encounter any trouble in the future, sir, with this token, my Dugu family will definitely provide full assistance within the Heavenly Dou Empire!"
Ling Ye accepted the token without hesitation.
This is exactly what he wanted.
The two sat down again, but their relationship had changed.
Dugu Bo's attitude towards Ling Ye became extremely respectful, even showing a hint of awe.
He can easily solve the deadly poison that even he couldn't handle, and he can also use a lost immortal herb to refine pills. This kid's background is definitely unfathomable!
During their conversation, Ling Ye casually inquired about the recent activities of the Spirit Hall.
As a guest elder of the Heaven Dou Empire's royal family and a titled Douluo, Dugu Bo was naturally well-informed and immediately informed them of everything he knew, including the Spirit Hall's large-scale search for Light-attribute Soul Masters, the escalating border friction with the Star Luo Empire, and the Pope's apparent tendency to live a more secluded life.
"Speaking of which, the Spirit Hall has recently been secretly inquiring about people with golden spirit rings. I don't know if it's true or not. Strange things happen every year..." Dugu Bo casually added.
Ling Ye paused slightly in the hand holding the teacup.
A golden spirit ring? Are they looking for his self-formed fourth spirit ring? The Spirit Hall's intelligence network is indeed impressive.
A sharp glint flashed in his eyes.
It seems the plan needs to be accelerated.
He bid farewell to the profusely grateful Dugu Bo and the reluctant Dugu Yan, his figure disappearing at the end of the official road.
Ling Ye stroked the dark green token in his hand, a smile curving his lips.
The plotline involving Poison Douluo has been laid.
Next, it's time to go to Tiandou City and meet that "Xue Qinghe" Crown Prince.
Perhaps we can get more information about the "golden spirit ring" and the inner workings of the Spirit Hall from her.
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(End of chapter)