You Chen smiled and said, "Since you are willing to acknowledge me as your elder brother, I naturally cannot be stingy. Here, take this."
Du Gu Bo was taken aback for a moment, and You Chen had already pulled out two secret manuals from his storage soul guide and tossed them into Du Gu Bo's hands.
"What is this?"
Du Gu Bo raised an eyebrow, quickly understanding, and hurriedly said, "Brother You Chen, I haven't officially joined your Sky Net yet, how can you give me a solution now!?"
"Du Gu, my dear brother, your stubbornness is quite troublesome."
You Chen shook his head, clearly teasing Du Gu Bo while putting on a helpless expression, and said, "Actually, regarding the matter of the avalanche being rendered useless that I mentioned earlier, I already have a ninety percent certainty. So in my view, your joining is a done deal. It would be best to resolve your issue sooner rather than later. But since you are so obstinate, how about this? If the matter with the avalanche goes awry, I promise to assist you in the future regarding the conflict between Prince Xuexing and Xue Qinghe."
Although You Chen did not specify how he would help, his attitude was enough to move Du Gu Bo.
"Brother You Chen!"
If his earlier call of 'brother' had a hint of coercion, now it was truly heartfelt.
After all, from the fact that he was completely unconcerned about seniority and called Tang San 'brother', it was clear that he did not care much about age.
"No need to be like this. As long as you don't forget to work hard for me in the future," You Chen said with a sly smile.
"At your service," Du Gu Bo also began to accept his role as a member of Sky Net.
"Oh, right."
You Chen suddenly said, "Our organization is not called Sky Net."
"Huh?"
Du Gu Bo had a look of disbelief, as if to say, "Were you just joking with me?"
You Chen grinned mischievously: "Do you really think I would spend my energy managing some assassin organization? The real name of my organization is 'Soul Beast', established primarily to gather those 'talented Beast Soul Masters'. Of course, the scale of the organization has gradually exceeded my initial goals as it developed, and from today's perspective, continuing to use this name seems somewhat inappropriate. But for now, it is called 'Soul Beast'!"
"Soul Beast...?"
Du Gu Bo repeated, his eyes lighting up, and he praised, "A beast that pursues struggle through the soul... Truly a good name, Brother You Chen!"
You Chen's lips curled, not explaining that this name was derived from a series in a card game he liked in his past life, and said, "Brother Du Gu, let's stop the small talk and see if the treatment plan I provided is suitable. Let's start with the book 'Development and Application of Soul Cores'!"
"That makes sense."
Du Gu Bo nodded, and at You Chen's gesture, opened the first manual.
With the vision and thinking speed of a Title Douluo, just a cursory glance did not take much time.
The more he read, the brighter Du Gu Bo's eyes became.
At one moment, he suddenly closed the book and looked at You Chen: "Brother You Chen, this soul core was developed by you!? My goodness! If what is written here is true, then this is simply an epoch-making invention!"
Seeing his research being praised, You Chen naturally felt a bit pleased and smiled, "Of course it's true. Besides myself, several close friends have successfully condensed soul cores."
Du Gu Bo's eyes sparkled: "So, Brother You Chen, your plan for me is to condense my own poison soul core, transferring the symptoms of my martial soul's poisoning into this soul core!? This is simply a genius idea! Not only can it cure my 'root cause', but it can also greatly enhance my strength. Even any new toxins that arise in the future won't weaken me; instead, they can continue to strengthen this poison soul core!"
But soon, Du Gu Bo's expression darkened, and he looked at You Chen with a puzzled gaze: "But Brother You Chen, my granddaughter Du Gu Yan... Yan Yan's problem is even more serious than mine. I'm afraid she won't last until the soul core is condensed."
Condensing a soul core requires certain life level, soul power strength, and soul power control, at least a Soul Sage level and a small mastery level of soul power control. As for Du Gu Yan, she might succumb to the toxicity during the process of increasing her soul power before that.
You Chen smiled and pointed to the second manual: "So, didn't I give you a second book?"
Du Gu Bo's eyes lit up, and he began to flip through the second manual at an even faster pace than before.
Watching this scene, You Chen reinforced a previous judgment, his gaze deepening: 'This Du Gu Bo indeed cares more about his granddaughter than his own life.'
"There's actually such a wonderful method!"
Du Gu Bo, having quickly skimmed through the second manual, couldn't help but exclaim, then looked at You Chen with a serious expression: "Brother You Chen, this 'Development and Application of Martial Soul's Original Power' is probably as precious as the previous manual on the soul core method, right? Such manuals... are often the secrets not passed down by those sects."
You Chen nodded: "Even as a direct disciple of the Martial Soul Hall, I have never taught the contents above. This is a secret unique to Soul Beast."
In reality, this was content that should have been included in the book 'The Essence of Martial Souls'.
However, You Chen was not foolish enough to leave a hand unguarded, especially since he published 'The Essence of Martial Souls' to prevent Bibi Dong from using his article, and he could not ignore the possibility of aiding the enemy.
The book 'The Essence of Martial Souls' indeed introduced the importance of developing the original power of martial souls, but it only mentioned the problem without providing a more specific solution.
The Martial Soul Hall has a long history of inheritance and has produced more than one Limit Douluo, so it naturally cannot lack relevant records. But... they tend to lean towards high-end fields.
Just as a Title Douluo's perception of the original power of martial souls is much clearer than that of lower-ranked soul masters, mastering the intricacies is relatively easier. The Angel Clan of the Martial Soul Hall primarily focuses on delving into the intricacies and exploring higher spiritual realms.
This is a talent brought about by the level of life, or rather, a path for geniuses, but it is not a universally applicable solution.
And the reason You Chen did not teach Yan this secret method, aside from avoiding leaking it to the Martial Soul Hall, was that Yan, due to her martial soul, was also a genius in this regard. As long as the direction was pointed out, even without such a secret method, there was a high probability she would break through to "intricacy" in the future. This was also a commonality among those who had reached this level in the past.
Ultimately, given the current average educational level of Douluo Continent, it is simply insufficient to explore the specific solutions from "not entering" to "entering" and then to "intricacy" regarding the original power of martial souls.
But You Chen managed to achieve this.
And completing the entry into the original power and the initial application of the original power is essentially a required course for the Soul Beasts.
A large part of the "expensive and rare" medicinal materials that You Chen mentioned earlier was aimed at allowing them to perceive the state of mastering the "entry" of the original power in advance.
After all, the so-called beastification mutation is, in essence, the result of the unstable leakage of the original power of the martial soul.
This was originally a secret method for You Chen's personal use, but at that time he did not have such a clear concept of the levels from "not entering" to "entering" and then to "intricacy", and the most complete part was merely from "not entering" to "entering".
Then, to solve the problem of those who underwent beastification mutations, he optimized it for universality, making it easier for others to understand and learn.
"By mastering the original power of martial souls, she can significantly reduce the problem of toxin eroding her martial soul, just by reaching the entry level, supporting her to the Soul Sage stage without much risk. She has you as her grandfather watching over her, supplemented by pharmacological adjustments, and she will definitely be able to hold on until the Soul Sage stage. But—"
You Chen paused and said solemnly: "If Du Gu Yan wants to learn the secret method above, she must join my organization!"
Du Gu Bo immediately showed a difficult expression.
If it were just him, it would be no problem, but if it meant his granddaughter joining such a dangerous organization... Du Gu Bo was somewhat reluctant.
But seeing You Chen's serious expression, he knew that You Chen would probably not back down on this point.
Having thrown out terms like "secret not passed down" and "must", it effectively blocked Du Gu Bo's argument of "just passing it to my granddaughter and ensuring she never leaks it."
After all, such things are inherently difficult to guarantee; only by becoming one of their own, binding their personal interests, can one ensure that they take it seriously.
Du Gu Bo thought for a moment and said, "To be honest, Yan Yan is currently studying at the Tiandou Royal Academy, and... it seems she has someone she likes. As her elder, I have always spoiled her, so she probably won't agree to leave the academy and join a notorious... at least on the surface, a notorious organization." Du Gu Bo provided a reason that seemed full of loopholes, but You Chen did not say anything like "Isn't it life and death? Can't we just forcibly take Du Gu Yan away?"
For a Title Douluo of such strength, personal satisfaction far outweighs ordinary interests.
To not go against his granddaughter's wishes, he couldn't care less about her life? To outsiders, that would seem unreasonable.
But for Du Gu Bo, worrying about Du Gu Yan's safety in joining Soul Beast was one thing, but wanting her to willingly and satisfactorily join was also not a lie.
Or rather, this was also a way for You Chen and himself to find a way out.
But You Chen did not intend to simply let this slide and think of other methods.
He estimated that Du Gu Bo truly believed that with his wisdom, he could come up with a method that would solve the martial soul poisoning issue without requiring Du Gu Yan to learn the original power of martial souls and join Soul Beast—though in reality, that was indeed the case.
But to completely bind Du Gu Bo to his side, even if there were other methods, he would choose this one to solve the problem.
So, You Chen smiled lightly: "It's just a shallow campus romance of a child who has no understanding of society and has been raised in a honey pot. Does she not understand friendship and love in a different environment? Brother Du Gu, how about this: we go to your granddaughter, tell her about this choice, lay everything out, explain to her 'the need to join a potentially dangerous organization to resolve the hidden dangers of her poisoning', and then give her some time to consider, allowing her to make her own decision? If she refuses at that time, I will think of other solutions. In other fields, I wouldn't dare to make bold claims, but in the field of martial souls, I believe no one is more suitable than me to help her detoxify!"
You Chen exuded confidence, naturally radiating an aura of "God of Detoxification!"
This made Du Gu Bo have no choice but to be convinced.
He truly could not think of anyone besides You Chen who could help Du Gu Yan resolve her issues.
After all, You Chen had already provided a solution to his own problem; would he still trust someone else with no practical experience?
"Then... alright!"
Du Gu Bo finally gritted his teeth and nodded. If there were no other options, then in the end, he would have to let Du Gu Yan join Soul Beast! After all, this concerned his granddaughter's life! Even if she had to endure some grievances, it was nothing compared to her life!
"Brother Du Gu, you can now try to condense your soul core. I can protect you from the side."
"Then I will trouble Brother Chen!"
Thinking about finally resolving the stubborn ailment that had plagued him for many years, Du Gu Bo was also invigorated, and his fondness for You Chen increased once again, this time directly omitting his surname.
After that... everything progressed smoothly.
Although it was not a special opportunity for breaking through to Soul Sage or Title Douluo, Du Gu Bo was already a Title Douluo, and the secret method provided by You Chen had been refined multiple times, making the overall difficulty much lower than the initial attempt with Di Wan.
Before long, the surging fluctuations of soul power returned to calm.
Du Gu Bo's originally aged face quietly returned to a youthful appearance, regaining his handsome looks.
He opened his eyes, joyfully saying, "Brother Chen! I've broken through to level 93!"
You Chen nodded: "The toxins in your body were originally the result of the changes in your soul power. Now that you have absorbed and transformed them into your own strength, it is equivalent to restoring the level you should have had. In other words, if it weren't for the suppression of the toxins, you would have already been at level 93!"
"That makes sense!"
Du Gu Bo nodded vigorously.
Now feeling light and free, Du Gu Bo couldn't help but think of his granddaughter and quickly said, "Brother Chen, should we go to the Tiandou Royal Academy now?"
"Brother Du Gu, to be honest, besides coming to find you this time, I have another major purpose."
You Chen's gaze swept to the plants by the Ice Fire Spring, slowly continuing, "I learned about some special rare medicinal materials from the collection of the Martial Soul Hall. These medicinal materials often grow in special environments. The reason I noticed you here was not because I was deliberately searching, but because I first discovered this treasure land that might yield rare medicinal materials, and then I found you! Brother Du Gu, you truly are sitting on a treasure and unaware!"
"What do you mean by that?" Du Gu Bo asked with a curious expression.
"That book on medicinal materials was something I read over ten years ago, so my memory isn't very clear. But just now, I took a rough look here and found at least several plants that can be called celestial herbs!"
You Chen had no way of seeing celestial herbs in his early years, but after becoming famous later, he easily borrowed them from Yue Guan. This statement was not a bit exaggerated.
"Celestial herbs!?"
In the original text, it was recorded that Du Gu Bo had rich knowledge of pharmacology, so how could he not have heard of the name celestial herbs?
He just couldn't recognize the appearance of celestial herbs, but that didn't mean he didn't know of their existence!
You Chen's rough judgment of several plants was simply an unimaginable fortune!?
Du Gu Bo looked at these plants he had not recognized in the past, now appearing more and more like celestial herbs, and he was instantly filled with desire.
But he suddenly thought of his elder brother's selfless teaching, and he gritted his teeth, saying, "Elder brother! You don't mind my offense, and in the situation where I haven't made any contributions and have only verbally agreed to join your organization, you generously gifted me two secrets not passed down! And these celestial herbs, if it weren't for your guidance, I might not even recognize one in my lifetime!"
At this point, Du Gu Bo's expression had calmed down, and he suddenly bowed deeply to You Chen, his eyes sparkling: "Is there such a coincidence in the world!? It seems these celestial herbs are waiting for someone like you, a person of fate and virtue, to arrive!!!"
Seeing Du Gu Bo's sycophantic demeanor, if You Chen had not read the original text, he might have been swayed by this flattery and taken it seriously.
After all, history is not short of figures who slayed beasts or found treasures, only to be celebrated as people of destiny.
And in a world like Douluo, where there are indeed gods and true children of fate... believing in a bit of mysticism doesn't seem so strange, does it?
"Ahem. Then I will not stand on ceremony."
You Chen had no intention of being modest.
Although celestial herbs could only be considered an embellishment for him now, compared to the time he had decided to only take the Blue Silver Emperor's soul bone and hide away before obtaining the system, his need for celestial herbs was even higher now.
There were two reasons for this.
One of them was... 'God Elephant Suppressing Prison Technique'!
You Chen said, "Brother Du Gu, I can't speak for other celestial herbs, but I clearly recognize the two in the center. The Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and the Fiery Apricot Blossom, when used together, can greatly enhance the physical body. I will consume them next and then refine my body in the core of this treasure land, the Ice Fire Spring! I will trouble you to protect me!"
Upon hearing this, Du Gu Bo immediately patted his chest and said, "Brother helped me protect, now it's naturally my turn to help you!"
You Chen nodded in satisfaction: "That would be great."
Without any hesitation, he was already well aware of the method for consuming the two celestial herbs. He quickly took one in each hand and placed them in his mouth, then jumped into the spring water simultaneously.
Absorbing celestial herbs is naturally best done at a younger age.
But this time, You Chen did not switch to his second life body.
Now, due to the God Elephant Suppressing Prison Technique, the numerous times of muscle and bone transformation, and the Blue Silver Emperor's right leg bone maintaining vitality, even though he was close to forty years old in this life, his vitality and life force were absolutely not inferior to a twenty-year-old in their prime.
Moreover, if it were for cultivating the God Elephant Suppressing Prison Technique, the slight age advantage of the second life body was naturally not as good as the life level advantage of being at the Soul Sage level!
This posture was truly a full-strength strike!
As the refining of the celestial herbs began, You Chen felt as if all eight hundred million particles within him were trembling!
(End of this chapter)