CH 64: Dugu Bo

'This son of a...' While running, Ah Li cursed in annoyance :'It just isn't going to give the fuck up until I fucking mutilate it, is it?' He dodged the swipe of the sharp and deadly sickle-like appendage. What was he running away from? A Spider-type Soul Beast. Specifically, a Pit Demon Spider Emperor. Even more specifically, a 10,000-year Pit Demon Spider Emperor.

Why was he running away? No reason. He just felt more merciful today. So he had decided to not kill the annoying spider that just wouldn't piss off. He could easily vanish from its sight or kill it with a swat of his hand. But since he was going to get his hands on some beautiful treasures, he wanted to keep calm and be patient.

The damn cockroach-like stubborn spider had started chasing after him from the moment he saw him, and had chosen violence right at that moment. 'Oooh fucking piss off already!' Having had enough of it, Ah Li decided to just leave the bastard in the dust. Releasing his Abyssal Centipede Martial Soul, he activated the 1st Soul Skill of his 2nd Soul Ring, Abyssal Wings. Increasing his speed by 17,500% (x175) as he took off to the sky.

[Super Martial Soul (8,000%) + 100,000-year Soul Ring (8,000%) + 500% increase every Rank]

Making a huge dust cloud on the ground, blocking the vision of the chaser and ascending to the sky, where he sighed in relief :"Damn persistent." Seeing it leave the scene when it couldn't find Ah Li, he made sure to take a mental note to take care of the bastard later.

"It's unlike you to be so passive." Bibi Dong beside him amused. He clicked his tongue :"I was just trying to be the bigger person. Don't expect that to happen again. Oh well, I'll take care of it later. After all, that Pit Demon Spider Emperor was supposed to be Tang San's 4th Soul Ring, I think."

"Oh, is that so?" A cruel smile etched onto her gorgeous face :"Well, we can't have that now, can we?" Making him smile evilly :"No. No, we can't. And I'll make sure of that after taking care of the matters at hand. Now let's see..."

Looking around, using his Spiritual Power to also search for the garden of Immortal Herbs, he easily found the hidden place enveloped by a green miasma. With his mastery over poison and his Poison Orb, it took but a glance to realize the toxicity of it.

Be it human or Soul Beast, it was definitely deadly. But to him? It wouldn't even count as bad air. "What do we have here?" He chuckled, before his impatience resurfaced and with a flap of his six demonic wings, he blitzed towards the protected area.

-

Meters away from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, sat a man cross legged. He looked young, around 30 or such. He was slender, and looked like a javelin. He had long, poison green hair, and wore stylized black robes. He also wore a green-lined black cloak with tattered edges. His beard was clean shaven, and had gold eyes along with a red slash adorning his forehead.

His name was Dugu Bo, also famous as the Poison Douluo and the Jade Phosphor Douluo. Needing to keep his own poison at bay, he needed to cultivate next to the magical lake he had found and try to suppress his poison. He found it ironic. The Poison Douluo, poisoned by his own poison. He would be the laughingstock of the world if it was known.

Exhaling in annoyance, he rose to his feet :'Alright, this will be enough for a while. I should go back and see Yan'er now.' Thinking of his granddaughter, a smile unconsciously formed. His dead granddaughter, she was the only happiness he had left in this shitty world. Just the mere thought of her being taken away because of their poison, like his son had, was enough to make him mad.

Mad at the world, for being so cruel to him. Mad at himself, for being so powerless to not even be able to save his own son and granddaughter. Clenching his fist to the point of piercing his own skin, he sighed sadly. He wondered if it was karma. He had hurt so many people across the years, so now life had taken away all of his happiness instead of his life.

"I have to hurry. Hurry and find a way to save Yan'er." He looked at the sky with an aching, worried heart. Willing to give up everything, his riches, his cultivation, his life, everything if it meant his granddaughter could live. But as time went on, hope became slimmer and slimmer. At this point, only a miracle could help him.

"Maybe I can help." An unfamiliar voice spoke up, alerting him immediately as he got ready to fight :"Who are you?!" He glared, alarmed. He couldn't even sense the intruder before he made his presence known. Being able to be so close without alarming him, a Titled Douluo, this person was definitely not to be taken lightly.

But upon seeing him, he was shocked. The intruder wasn't some old monster of a Soul Master, nor one that had kept his appearance as a young man. He was a child. The intruder who snuck up on him was but a child younger than his own granddaughter.

He was either the same age as his looks gave away, or was just another old monster with some unique tastes. But according to his gut feeling and the fire in his eyes only present in young ones still wanting to learn about the world, he leaned on the first option more.

But he didn't let down his guard just because of his appearance. The aura radiating from the boy and the black and dark purple power dancing around his body didn't let him. Neither did the sense of danger he had never felt before. Even when fighting against the Lv 95 Chrysanthemum Douluo of Martial Soul Hall, he had never felt such a sense of crisis.

He knew he could fight back against that guy, but it was like his body knew by instinct that this time, he was the prey. 'Are you kidding me?' He gritted his teeth, ignoring the beads of sweat forming on his body :'I get that he's weird, but how can I be afraid in front of a kid?!'

"I said who are you?! How did you get here?!" He shouted, trying to keep calm amidst the panic creeping into his pounding heart. Raising his hands in surrender, the child smiled :"Chill out, mister, I come in peace. I don't mean no harm. In fact, I'm here to help."

"Help? Yeah, right." He scoffed, glaring :"Am I supposed to believe your words when you suddenly barged in here?" But Ah Li was still calm :"Seriously, I understand your reaction, but I think you're overreacting juuust a little bit here."

"Kid, I'm warning you, you better go back to where you came from before you make me mad." Dugu Bo glared daggers, causing Ah Li to sigh :"I guess it comes down to this in the end. You won't listen unless I beat some sense into you. Fine, let's do this. I'll let my fists give you a very good reason why you should listen."

"Why, you little-" Angry, Dugu Bo began to release his Soul Power slowly. But a raised hand signaled him to stop :"Whoa, whoa, chill. Who said we're going to fight here?" Confusing Dugu Bo :"Do you really want to fight here? With all these precious herbs around? You seriously just want them to get ruined?"

"... Hmph, you think I wouldn't be able to handle you without harming the herbs here?" The greenet sneered, but this time, Ah Li rolled his eyes :"There's no getting through you with words." Dugu Bo was about to bark back, but a hand suddenly grabbing onto his face stopped him :"Fine, let's talk with our fists then." He heard the noiret that suddenly showed up next to him speak, before he was thrown with such a force that he was sent flying out of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well entirely.

"What the fuck-" He rubbed his face, but quickly moved away from the place Ah Li landed on with such a force he created a small crater on the ground. "What's the matter?" He noiret said in boredom :"Where's all that bravado? Did I throw you so hard it went flying away?"

"Y-you... damn bastard!" Dugu Bo roared, releasing his Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor Martial Soul and his Soul Rings.

[Yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black, black, black. Lv 91 Titled Douluo with 9 Soul Rings, Poison Douluo/Jade Phosphor Douluo.]

"There ya go." Ah Li smirked :"Now, let's throw hands." They both vanished, and appeared when their fists collided. Creating an intense shockwave that immediately blew away all the trees and rocks in the vicinity.

"Not bad for an old man."

"You talk too much, but you're not half bad for a kid still smelling like his mother's milk."

"Heh, you mean your mother's milk? I had my fill before coming here after all."

"Son of a..."

Releasing enough force in their fists to send each other back, they immediately started throwing barrages of punches and kicks. Dodging and blocking each other, not caring for the damage they were causing to the environment with just the shockwaves released by their pure strikes.

"Guh!" Punched in the guts, Dugu Bo grunted as he was sent flying :'How can he be so strong?! I can't keep this up, I must change the tides of the fight!' As his eyes shone a poisonous green, the poison feared by many was released :"Hmph, I want to see if you'll dare get close now! Not even Titled Douluos dare treat this poison lightly-"

"Who's the one that talks too much now?!" A loud laughter interrupted him as Ah Li passed through the poisonous air with no care :"Old man, your poison is nothing more than muddy water in front of me!" Dugu Bo dodged a punch coming to his face before jumping away :'Shit, what kind of a monster is this?! He has overwhelming physical strength and is unaffected by my poison! Tsk, to think I would need to go all out against a kid.'

"Fine then, I'll show you why I'm called the Poison Douluo!" He roared, before his 7th black Soul Ring shone brightly.

[7th Soul Ring: Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor True Body]

As a mix of black and green light illuminated the place, a giant ten meters or so green snake appeared in front of Ah Li, the Soul Rings of Dugu Bo flying around it. "Shaaa!" It hissed at him, but the noiret just smirked :"Alright, let's try this then."

With a mighty roar, the giant snake moved to bite him, but he didn't falter. Grabbing his fangs, he stopped Dugu Bo from biting him :"Hey, at least your mouth doesn't stink like those bastards. Ugh, just the thought of it makes me sick..."

Seeing he couldn't bite him to death, he raised his head, dragging the boy holding onto his fangs before throwing him into the air. Wasting no chance, he whipped his tail, hitting Ah Li with his giant snake tail and sending him flying.

"Hahahaha, now this is what I'm talking about!" Ah Li laughed, before jumping away from the mouth trying to bite him entirely, just to be hit by Dugu Bo's tail again. Catching his footing, he was immediately met with another tail strike. But this time, he grabbed onto the giant tail.

"Don't expect it to work every time!" He smirked before spinning on the spot, spinning Dugu Bo around himself as he crashed him into giant trees and boulders, before sending him flying away. Crashing onto the ground and rolling a few times, Dugu Bo didn't stay down at all. He immediately got up and glared :"If physical confrontation doesn't work, then let's see how you'll handle my Soul Skill!"