Dugu Bo spoke harsh words, but deep down, he felt a heavy weight in his heart.
He had to admit that this theoretical master who had suddenly appeared was a bit eerie, completely different from the image he had in mind of a theoretical master!
Even now, he had not revealed his soul rings, which was one thing, but for someone who dealt in theory, it was understandable to lack practical experience. However, to have such control over his martial soul was not surprising—was it? No, it was absolutely surprising! The fact that he could perfectly retract his soul rings after releasing a soul skill was something only those country bumpkins would overlook! This level of control was definitely beyond that of a Title Douluo like him! Wasn't that strange!?
What was even stranger was this guy's strength!
He knew that You Chen was a sensitive attack type, which could explain his speed, but why was his strength so terrifying as well!? This strength was definitely not inferior to his own as a Title Douluo, right!?
Although he didn't know the exact level of his opponent, based on these points alone, You Chen was undoubtedly at the level of a Title Douluo!
With this realization, how could Dugu Bo afford to be careless?
Faced with this bizarre opponent, Dugu Bo, fueled by anger, directly unleashed his martial soul true form!
"Whoosh!"
The massive snake head opened wide, and a concentrated breath of poison shot out towards You Chen.
You Chen's three avatars instantly took to the air. This time, he did not hold back; he exploded with full speed!
The two starlight avatars did not possess You Chen's physical qualities. Although they dodged the breath, they were still caught by the main body.
Dugu Bo's pupils constricted; there was no time to be pleased about distinguishing between the main body and the avatars.
From the power of the punch he had just felt, he understood that although the main body and the avatars looked identical on the outside, their actual qualities were worlds apart. The punch that had truly inflicted Title Douluo-level damage on him had come solely from the main body.
Thus, he had indeed speculated whether You Chen's main body could accelerate to an even faster level.
However, he never expected it to be this fast!?
Dugu Bo abruptly stopped his breath and turned to evade, but in that brief moment of vulnerability caused by the breath, You Chen swiftly seized the opportunity. At a speed that had already reached the realm of Super Douluo, he instantly arrived at the side of the massive snake head and then delivered a punch!
Boom!
Under full-speed explosion, the power of this punch surpassed that of the previous one! Even Dugu Bo's enormous martial soul true form was sent flying by this punch!
And it wasn't over yet; You Chen quickly accelerated to catch up with Dugu Bo and delivered two more punches!
"Roar!!!"
'Damn it!!!'
Like a toy being tossed around, Dugu Bo's anger was palpable.
He could no longer care about the risk of poisoning You Chen beyond recovery; one by one, black soul rings suddenly released!
The colorful poisonous mist instantly spread out, quickly enveloping the entire Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eye.
Dugu Bo's poison not only caused direct bodily harm but also included various weakening toxins that slowed the nerves and weakened the muscles. The combined power of these toxins was something even Dugu Bo himself could not estimate.
He didn't even have confidence in detoxifying the poisoned target! That was why he had hesitated to use this move for so long.
Especially since his release directly activated many arrangements within the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eye, completely spreading these toxins and covering the surrounding area!
You Chen would definitely not escape the fate of being poisoned.
"Kid, kneel down and admit defeat quickly. If you surrender early, I might still have a chance to save you. If it's too late…"
Dugu Bo was sneering coldly when suddenly, from within the colorful poisonous mist, a figure shot out again.
Dugu Bo's eyes widened: "What—"
Then he was knocked down to the ground by a punch.
You Chen looked down at Dugu Bo, who was horrified with a snake-like face beneath his foot, and said calmly, "Using such a killing move, you should be prepared to receive my killing move in return, right? Just so you know, I've been using 'ordinary attacks' on you all along."
The Wind Movement Fist had indeed become an ordinary attack for You Chen now.
Then…
As You Chen's words fell, two starlight avatars suddenly transformed into clouds, swirling around him.
The winds and clouds intertwined, causing the atmosphere to tremble slightly.
Although he hadn't had time to optimize the wind and cloud technique specifically, You Chen had already found a way to indirectly reduce the time taken to launch an attack.
Although the power would be somewhat weakened, with You Chen's current physical qualities, it wouldn't be weakened by much.
"Wait, wait, young friend! I was wrong, I know I was wrong!" Feeling the momentum of You Chen brewing some big move, Dugu Bo finally showed a look of panic.
"Anyway, let's talk about surviving first," You Chen said calmly.
With two thuds, Dugu Bo was knocked unconscious and automatically exited his martial soul true form.
You Chen looked at the lingering poisonous mist around him and ultimately decided to carry Dugu Bo away, choosing to leave the area first.
Dugu Bo's poisonous mist was not as harmless to him as it appeared.
However, in the face of the Sacrificial Domain, such poisons and curses, which caused continuous damage, could be easily weakened.
In a sense, You Chen's domain was a natural counter to Dugu Bo.
But no matter how much it was weakened, damage would accumulate, and after a certain point, You Chen would have to release the domain to heal himself.
But… You Chen hardly needed to worry about being dragged to death by Dugu Bo.
Not to mention how long it would take for the accumulated poison to explode, he now had "two chances."
Yes, facing a Title Douluo like Dugu Bo, how could You Chen be foolish enough to use his weaker second body?
After the evolution of his martial soul, his second body had also reached the level of a Title Douluo, but compared to his first body, it was clearly weaker, and without the crucial trump card of his martial soul true form, it would be difficult to exert the same level of pressure on Dugu Bo as he was now.
So You Chen had started the battle using his first body.
As for why he could still use the Sacrificial Domain?
It wasn't that You Chen had reached a level of understanding of the Stardust Power that allowed him to self-generate this skill, but rather because this was a new feature or talent domain that emerged after the Star Skeleton Dragon evolved into the Stardust Dragon.
However, the first ring soul skill of You Chen's second body was not wasted.
Because… the cooldown times of the two domains were not shared, and more importantly, they could be used in conjunction.
Due to the age of the soul rings, the first soul skill, the Sacrificial Domain, had somewhat fallen behind You Chen's current strength.
After all, You Chen's enemies had never been opponents of the same rank; they were all stronger than him, and now they had all risen to the level of Title Douluo.
But the talent domain that could be unleashed by the first body had no such issues.
The talent domain was similar to a personal soul ring, and its effects naturally improved with the increase in soul power level.
As a talent domain of a super martial soul, You Chen estimated that if it were a soul ring soul skill, the current talent domain would be comparable to a hundred-thousand-year soul skill.
Damage from the Soul King level and below could be completely ignored, and damage from Title Douluo level could be reduced by about fifty percent.
Once the soul rings of the second body were fully equipped, and the age of the first ring was raised to the hundred-thousand-year level through the age card, with the double domains stacked…
You Chen would probably truly resemble a boss in a game that wouldn't take any forced damage, where players below a certain level would find it meaningless to stack millions of points against him.
The strategy of overwhelming numbers would completely fail; only attacks that reached a certain level of power could inflict damage on him, combined with You Chen's terrifying performance…
Just imagining it made You Chen shudder.
Just this talent domain alone, the Stardust Dragon truly deserved its status as a super martial soul.
However, before dealing with such distant matters, it was better to resolve the immediate issues first.
With that thought, You Chen suddenly slapped Dugu Bo.
…
Slap!
A crisp sound startled Dugu Bo awake. He jumped in shock, only then realizing the stinging pain on his face and the dull ache from You Chen's previous punches.
The pain instantly brought Dugu Bo back to his senses. When he focused his gaze, he saw the young man, who showed no respect for the elderly, silently watching him with calm eyes as he jumped around.
Dugu Bo's old face turned red instantly.
You Chen said lightly, "In any case, since you attacked me without reason first, and I didn't kill you in return, I suppose that counts as me saving your life, right?" Was that a valid argument?
Dugu Bo was somewhat speechless but nodded. You have a point; your fist is bigger.
But then again, disregarding his identity as a Title Douluo and attacking without reason, only to be taught a lesson in return, was a bit hard for Dugu Bo's proud face to bear.
"Alright, to repay my saving grace, join the organization I founded."
"What!?"
"Don't you understand? You are now a member of my organization."
Dugu Bo looked at You Chen, who spoke with an air of certainty, and even though they had just had a conflict, he was momentarily at a loss for words.
Whether that saving grace counted or not was one thing, but who would be so straightforward about leveraging a favor?
However, Dugu Bo had to admit that he was in the wrong first. Seeing You Chen's strength, he thought it wouldn't hurt to ask, "So… what kind of organization are you talking about? Specifically… does it have a name?"
You Chen's lips curled slightly as he said, "Well, in these years on the Douluo Continent, it has gained a bit of fame. Have you heard of the Heavenly Net?"
"What? So it's that Heavenly Net—what the hell are you saying!?"
Dugu Bo first nodded, then his eyes widened, and his jaw nearly dropped to the ground.
Damn it, the Heavenly Net… isn't that the organization that openly provoked the Star Luo Empire and managed to retreat unscathed? It's said to have repeatedly assassinated the Spirit Hall, even daring to confront the Pope face to face!
From what Prince Xuexing had told him, the recent scandal involving the Pope that had stirred the entire Douluo Continent was likely also related to the Heavenly Net organization!
No, wait, what did he just say? His own organization? The legendary assassin who had confronted the Pope in person couldn't possibly be this kid in front of him, right!? It made sense that he had such strength!
But how could a theoretical master with insufficient talent and a top-tier assassin who moved freely in Spirit City be the same person? Was he dreaming something strange!?
"No, no way!"
Dugu Bo felt a chill run down his spine and shook his head repeatedly: "A favor is a favor! I will never join your so-called Heavenly Net and become a killer operating in the dark world!"
As soon as he said this, seeing You Chen's half-smiling expression, Dugu Bo's heart suddenly sank.
No! I know this kid is the mastermind behind the Heavenly Net; he wouldn't kill me to silence me here, would he!?
"Right, just as you think. Although it's unfortunate, if you choose to refuse, for the sake of the organization's confidentiality, I will have to deal with you here."
Can you read minds!?
"Don't worry, I can't read minds; it's just that your expression as a Poison Douluo is too easy to understand."
Looking at Dugu Bo's changing expression, You Chen smiled slightly and said, "Don't be so quick to refuse. I know you're worried about facing the Spirit Hall after joining my organization. But how about you listen to my conditions first? If I say that if you join, I will help you and your granddaughter resolve the issue of her martial soul poisoning, how about that?"
Dugu Bo's pupils suddenly constricted: "How do you know!?"
But the next moment, Dugu Bo sighed deeply: "If it's you, it's not surprising that you discovered something while I was unconscious."
Tang San still needed to prove his knowledge through understanding herbs and toxins to Dugu Bo, but You Chen had long surpassed that stage. Just his reputation was enough to convince Dugu Bo.
It was like those uneducated oil bosses from over a decade ago who had a special filter for highly educated individuals, believing that some difficult problems could easily be solved by these undergraduates, masters, and PhDs.
Because Dugu Bo, who had detailed knowledge of the martial soul issues, had a deep filter for You Chen. In his eyes, You Chen's impression was probably not far from how the Chinese viewed Zhuge Liang in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
Knowing astronomy and geography was just basic; foreseeing five hundred years in the past and five hundred years in the future was probably not out of the question…
You Chen blinked, too lazy to shatter Dugu Bo's filter. He smiled mysteriously, which made Dugu Bo even more convinced that his thoughts were correct.
Thus, this time, unrelated to the favor You Chen had previously forced upon him, Dugu Bo pondered carefully and seriously.
After all, even if You Chen truly said he would kill him to silence him, Dugu Bo still had the option to resist. And for most Title Douluo-level powerhouses, surviving without dignity was not necessarily better than dying with dignity…
Excessive coercion would not necessarily lead to the other party's submission; instead, it might provoke retaliation or a desperate counterattack before death.
Watching the struggle flickering across Dugu Bo's face, You Chen remained calm.
As mentioned before, You Chen did not fully trust the original content and did not believe he had completely understood Dugu Bo's character. However, from a human perspective, he still had a ninety percent certainty that Dugu Bo would agree to his request.
His regret and guilt over his children had intensified his desire to save his granddaughter; although the "favor" You Chen had forced upon him was somewhat strong, Dugu Bo would likely genuinely acknowledge such a mercy; and then there was the subtle dissatisfaction he felt towards the Spirit Hall due to Yue Guan and some past conflicts…
If there was only one obstacle, it was this.
"I can agree to you."
After a long contemplation, Dugu Bo finally gave his answer, but he added, "However, before following you and joining your organization, I need to repay my debts to others."
Unlike the favor from You Chen, Dugu Bo indeed owed a life debt to Prince Xuexing. This was also why a dignified Title Douluo was willing to serve a weaker person.
"You're talking about the favor related to Prince Xuexing, right?" You Chen said lightly.
"Nothing can escape your eyes. I must say… you truly are the legendary God of Theories; meeting you in person is indeed more impressive than hearing about you."
Dugu Bo sighed, and a hint of admiration flashed in his eyes as he looked at You Chen.
Although this sounded a bit like flattery, considering You Chen's current achievements in both strength and theory, Dugu Bo felt that his praise was not unwarranted.
You Chen silently nodded in his heart.
With Dugu Bo's proud character, being able to say such words basically indicated his inner inclination.
Since that was the case, he no longer needed to hide anything.
You Chen said lightly, "Prince Xuexing's biggest goal is to usurp the throne of the Tiandou Empire. Even if you don't care much, you probably have some sense of it. To this end, he deliberately chose to escalate the situation with Xue Beng and made Xue Beng display a playboy demeanor in front of everyone to numb Xue Qinghe."
Dugu Bo was somewhat surprised and said, "I didn't expect Master You Chen to see this too?"
You Chen smiled and said, "Isn't it easy to guess?"
But then he shifted the topic, saying, "But have you ever thought about a question? Xue Beng believes he is pretending to be a playboy, but humans are shaped by their environment and experiences. After being immersed in pleasure for so long, is it possible that he has truly become useless?"
Dugu Bo's eyes widened slightly: "Master You Chen, are you saying… Xue Beng has pretended to be a pig for too long and has truly become a pig?"
You Chen nodded: "That's what I think. We can certainly test him. Xue Beng is crucial to Xue Xing's plans; if we can find out about Xue Beng's issues in advance, how much help would that be to Xue Xing? Don't you think that would count as repaying his favor?"
"This…"
Dugu Bo hesitated. In his view, was his life truly worth that much? Could it really clear his debts like this?
Seeing Dugu Bo's indecision, You Chen timely added, "What if, in the case that Xue Beng is indeed useless, I then teach him to become an adult again? That should be enough, right?"
Dugu Bo's eyes widened: "Master You Chen, this is ultimately my personal matter; I should resolve it myself. I haven't joined the organization yet; how can I trouble you?"
"It's no trouble; it's the leader's duty to worry for his subordinates. Our organization uses merit as currency, so consider it as you owe me a favor for now. Also, about that 'Master' title… it always reminds me of a rather disgusting guy, and I'm a bit uncomfortable with it."
You Chen smiled and said, "Why don't we just call each other by our names?"
"Then… how about… Brother You Chen?" Dugu Bo tentatively suggested.
"Hmm?" You Chen's smile suddenly vanished.
Dugu Bo quickly corrected himself, saying solemnly, "On the Douluo Continent, strength is paramount. Brother You Chen, I pay my respects to you."
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