Capítulo 331: Chapter 331: Dugu Bo’s Comeback
Early the next morning, after a night of dedicated "practice," Xiao Wu finally mastered the art of breathing under Su Ming's diligent "instruction." Quietly slipping back to her dorm to catch up on some rest, Xiao Wu couldn't match her Su Ming-ge's endless energy.
Su Ming, knowing he had to meet Ye Lingling by the forest near the academy later to test their martial soul fusion skills, decided to skip sleeping altogether. He sat down to write in his diary—after all, he'd been so busy lately that he hadn't kept up with his daily entries!
[Diary Entry]
Sigh, another day without updating my diary, so I plan to catch up today.
The girls:
All of them rolled their eyes knowingly. By now, they'd figured out that Su Ming only missed diary entries for two reasons: either he was busy, or he was "busy."
Yesterday, there was a large auction in the city. This event also happens in the original story, where Tang San meets Ning Fengzhi through selling two hidden weapons.
With Ning Rongrong's introduction, Tang San and Uncle Ning's relationship was friendly from the start.
As expected, that rare spirit bone, originally meant as the auction's highlight, was stolen by Shi Nian. This was the reason Uncle Ning attended, as the bone, though not 100,000 years old, was of exceptional value and perfect for Rongrong.
The girls:
"What do you mean, 'though it's not 100,000 years'? Spirit bones of that age are incredibly rare!"
Several of them also noted the mention of Shi Nian.
Ning Rongrong had previously mentioned his peculiar martial soul, the "Nightmare." Even Spirit Douluo-level experts could easily fall into his traps. No wonder the auction house couldn't safeguard the bone!
Now, the smarter girls began to speculate, wondering if it might be worth seeking out Shi Nian for that spirit bone since Su Ming had spoken so highly of its abilities. However, this thought quickly faded—Shi Nian's strength was terrifying. Only someone with extreme mental resilience or immunity, or at least a Spirit Douluo, could confront him safely. Bibi Dong, as the Pope, was the only one who met these criteria but chose not to act on it.
Even though a spirit bone of that quality was tempting, one that could be sold at Heaven Dou's auction wasn't rare enough to draw her attention. Besides, since Su Ming was interested, she felt no need to provoke suspicion by going after it.
Currently, Bibi Dong's trust was limited to Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo, and the latter was preoccupied with a task. Unbeknownst to her, Chrysanthemum Douluo was currently engaged in a rather lopsided battle with Dugu Bo.
While Dugu Bo was only a Rank 91 Titled Douluo before, his recent rise to Rank 96 made the clash laughably one-sided. Normally, Chrysanthemum Douluo's Thousand-Stringed Chrysanthemum granted impressive durability, earning it the "golden indestructible body" title. However, this defense was compromised, reduced to wilting petals the moment they touched Dugu Bo's poisons. Most of his attacks disintegrated before reaching Dugu Bo, leaving him frustrated and on edge.
"Old Poison! What did you do? How did your power jump from Rank 91 to Rank 96 so quickly?" Chrysanthemum Douluo demanded, his shrill voice betraying his disbelief.
Finally able to turn the tables on his longtime rival, Dugu Bo laughed heartily. "Hahaha! Chrysanthemum, that's none of your concern. Just know that you're no longer a match for me. If you continue bothering me, I'll make sure you regret it!"
Chrysanthemum Douluo was shaken. This was a massive breakthrough, the kind he and Ghost Douluo had spent years striving for, with no results. Could the old poison have unlocked some forbidden technique?
Suspicion fueled his concern. "Old Poison, you didn't turn to dark arts, did you? If you did, consider this my warning: step back now for your own good. As the Pope's agents, our duty is to purge heretical soul masters. You wouldn't want your granddaughter to see you dragged off to the Slaughter City, would you?"
The warning was genuine, given his grudging respect for the old poison. The two of them had fought countless times; Chrysanthemum Douluo could have captured him before, but never did. Dugu Bo understood this well and appreciated his rival's concern, even if he couldn't disclose that his newfound strength was a gift from Su Ming.
So, Dugu Bo instead sighed, "Chrysanthemum, you know me well enough. Would I risk everything on a dark technique? I still want to enjoy my life with my granddaughter."
Chrysanthemum Douluo reflected on their years of conflict. While he didn't entirely believe Dugu Bo, he saw no evidence of the telltale side effects associated with dark arts, so he finally relaxed.
Though their rivalry was longstanding, the two had come to a mutual understanding. Chrysanthemum Douluo wouldn't want to be the one to report Dugu Bo if it came down to it. However, he'd yet to accept the reality of Dugu Bo's newfound power, as if this "old poison" wasn't out of his reach anymore.
Curious, Dugu Bo casually asked, "By the way, Chrysanthemum, after all this time, you've never told me your martial soul's real name. Surely it's not just any ordinary chrysanthemum?"
With a touch of pride, Chrysanthemum Douluo replied, "Certainly not. My innate spirit power was at Rank 9, you know. My martial soul is no ordinary chrysanthemum—it's the Rare Chrysanthemum Overlord, a unique type I've never encountered elsewhere."
"In fact, I spent years researching it, combing through ancient texts, even the archives of the Spirit Hall. That's when I learned that certain rare herbs, spirit herbs of legend, could enhance talents dramatically. But after all these years, I've never come across a single one."
"A rare herb could improve my spirit ability even if it doesn't match mine exactly, let alone one that does!" Chrysanthemum Douluo lamented, before looking intently at Dugu Bo. "Old Poison, you know a lot about plants. Ever come across anything remotely like my martial soul?"
Dugu Bo shook his head with an exaggerated sigh. "Not that I can recall. You should probably ask your Pope about it."
Inwardly, he smirked. Chrysanthemum Douluo's spirit was indeed the Rare Chrysanthemum Overlord, akin to the extraordinary Chrysanthemum Herb in the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. If he ever got his hands on it, the two would empower each other in ways unimaginable.
Finally, Dugu Bo asked, "Chrysanthemum, you know you're a plant-type soul master. So why follow the path of a pure offensive fighter? Have you never noticed that you're leagues behind the other offense specialists?"
Chrysanthemum Douluo:
Although Dugu Bo's blunt question stung, he couldn't deny it. Despite his pride, his strength lay more in versatility than raw power. That's why he usually stayed by Ghost Douluo's side; their fusion ability was crucial to the Pope's plans. But he couldn't change the fact that alone, he was a relatively weak Rank 95 Titled Douluo.
Feeling slightly defeated, Chrysanthemum Douluo spat back, "Old Poison, you think I don't know that? Growing up as a village nobody, I had no choice but to go on the offensive to protect myself. You have no idea what I've gone through to make it here!"
The memory of his late sister surfaced, sparking the bitterness that shaped his demeanor. Losing her had altered him, leading to the effeminate persona he couldn't shake. Only by embracing it could he feel close to her.
Seeing his rival's genuine pain, Dugu Bo nodded, understanding the man's journey. Though often at odds, they shared mutual respect as survivors of hardship.
With a satisfied grin, Dugu Bo declared, "Well, I've gotten my revenge. Time to go." He vanished in a flash, leaving Chrysanthemum Douluo feeling somewhat lost.
Returning to the Spirit Hall, Chrysanthemum Douluo resolved to uncover what had caused Dugu Bo's rapid advancement. It had to be either a powerful ally or a unique treasure—a chance he couldn't afford to miss.
Yet, as he left, he felt a pang of embarrassment over his prolonged absence from his mission. What excuse could he give the Pope? He sighed, knowing it would be humiliating.
Back at the academy, Su Ming's thoughts returned to the tournament. He jotted down the key points in his diary.
In the original story, Shi Nian, noticing Tang San's remarkable strength as a potential threat to Canghui Academy's chances, ambushed him. Yet, rather than finishing him off in the first wave, he arrogantly waited until Tang San suspected foul play before revealing himself.
It was classic "villain fails from talking too much." Shi Nian's overconfidence in his abilities led to his downfall.
Tang San initially succumbed to the enhanced illusions. But just as Shi Nian thought he'd won, Tang San broke free with his Purple Demon Eyes, using his mental resilience to shatter the illusion.
*At that point, Tang San retaliated, fatally wounding Shi Nian with his "Hell's Path."
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