Douluo: Emerald Poison Emperor

Chen Ming placed his hand on Dugu Bo's wrist, carefully probing with his soul power and spiritual sense to feel the strange, unique energy within. His expression shifted dramatically.

"It's indeed the same power," Chen Ming said gravely. "But the poison within your body, Grandpa Dugu, is countless times more potent than what I sensed in Dugu Yan."

"What do you think of it?" Dugu Bo asked, his voice strained as he fought the urge to cry out in pain. He barely managed to sit back down in his chair, though his legs, hidden beneath his robe, were trembling uncontrollably like leaves in the wind. His clenched fists remained hidden within his sleeves.

"Grandpa Dugu, your poison is unparalleled, an extraordinary creation," Chen Ming replied. "Just observing it briefly, I already sense entirely new possibilities for poison-based cultivation. Truly, your title as the Poison Douluo and the renown of the Jade Phosphorus Snake is well deserved."

Though Chen Ming's words carried some flattery, they also held genuine admiration. Upon closer inspection, he realized that what resided within Dugu Bo was no ordinary poison—it was something extraordinary.

"This isn't my poison…" Dugu Bo muttered bitterly, his face pale as paper. He forced a pained smile in response to Chen Ming's compliment.

"The poison within you, Grandpa Dugu, is a life-bound poison rooted in the venom of the Jade Phosphorus Snake. It combines with various other toxins, using your body as a crucible to merge these disparate poisons into a singular, tyrannical force."

"This poison contains traces of life force and soul power. Although its combination with spiritual and soul power differs from the path I pursue, it's nonetheless a remarkable method."

"By merging poison, soul power, and life force, you've cultivated a unique, living poison—something far beyond the realm of conventional poisons."

"I can combine poison with soul power, but I have yet to figure out how to incorporate life force into the mix. To merge all three—poison, soul power, and life force—and create a living, domineering poison like this… it's a concept I hadn't even considered before."

"Although I haven't encountered other Titled Douluo personally, I dare say that your life-bound poison, Grandpa DUgu, must be unimaginably powerful. Even Titled Douluo with higher soul power than yours would struggle to survive its invasion."

Chen Ming's tone was filled with both awe and respect, even though he knew this poison wasn't something Dugu Bo had willingly cultivated. To him, this accidental creation that had tormented Dugu Bo for decades was truly a once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon.

The poison within Dugu Bo's body had likely accumulated for years, absorbing untold amounts of his soul power, life force, and spiritual energy. It was not only intricately tied to his life but also displayed a vitality and sentience far beyond what a normal poison should possess. Its sheer quality was simply astonishing.

Reflecting on it further, Chen Ming realized that Dugu Bo's condition was eerily similar to the gu poison and toxin cultivators often depicted in fantasy novels.

The Jade Phosphorus Snake served as the gu king, using the body of the soul master as a breeding ground to consume the essence of other poisonous soul beasts through absorbed soul rings, thereby strengthening itself.

Generations of the Dugu family's descendants had undergone physical transformations, their martial souls mutating to resemble a poison-based gu system. Those unsuited to this path died young, leaving behind only those with the right traits—perfect raw materials, so to speak.

If this world had a system of gu cultivation, Chen Ming might have suspected that the Dugu family was intentionally cultivated by some evil sect to produce disposable tools.

Decades of evolution had reshaped Dugu Bo's body. His decades of cultivation and nine soul rings had forged him into an unparalleled gu king.

Each wave of agony he endured over the years signified the growing strength of the gu king within him.

As both the host and vessel for this gu king, Dugu Bo's life was inextricably linked to it. Yet, due to a lack of proper techniques to control it, he had endured decades of suffering.

Now, although the gu king within him had reached its peak after so many years of torment, its immense power was both a blessing and a curse. Without control, this power threatened to claim his life at any moment while simultaneously blocking his path to greater heights.

As Chen Ming had anticipated, once this poison erupted, its lethality far surpassed that of the ten-thousand-year Jade Phosphorus Seven Absolute Flower by several levels. Even if the flower were to grow to a hundred thousand years, its toxicity would still pale in comparison, and its overall quality would fall far short.

Dugu Bo had initially spoken casually, but upon hearing Chen Ming's words, it felt as if his mind had been struck by a hammer. His thoughts went completely blank.

"Using oneself as the crucible, with the Jade Phosphorus Snake as the foundation, absorbing poisons to cultivate a poison king..."

Muttering this phrase, Dugu Bo recalled his breakthrough to Titled Douluo in the treasured site where extreme cold and extreme heat converged. He suddenly understood why that location was able to suppress the poison in his body.

Why does the poison in my body change every time I absorb a soul ring? Why is the poison in my son different from mine? Why was that treasured site able to help me break through to Titled Douluo?

So this is what the thousand-year history of my Jade Phosphorus Snake lineage amounts to. The problem that has plagued my ancestors for generations... was such a simple concept that anyone with basic knowledge of toxins could grasp it.

"Hahaha! Hahahaha! Hahaha!"

"So that's how it is... I understand now! I understand! I've had an epiphany!"

Dugu Bo burst into manic laughter, his mouth stretching unnaturally wide as if it might tear at any moment. His originally jade-green eyes were now bloodshot and crazed.

In that instant, he transformed into a figure consumed by enlightenment and madness.

Losing control entirely, he ceased restraining his soul power, allowing the poisons to ravage his body unchecked. Like a madman, he released his soul power indiscriminately, unleashing chaotic energy that caused cracks to spread through the underground chamber, despite its presumably sturdy construction.

Chen Ming hadn't expected any issues at this stage, but faced with Dugu Bo's uncontrollable soul power, he acted swiftly to save his own life. He retrieved the Dragon Core from his storage soul tool and linked it to his life force to prevent himself from being annihilated by the chaotic, indiscriminate attack.

As the ceiling of the underground chamber began to crack and the items within were blown around by the soul power storm, Dugu Bo finally regained enough sense to realize that his benefactor, Chen Ming, was still in the room. Horrified, he quickly stopped the release of his soul power.

However, stopping only made things worse. Dugu Bo, who hadn't emerged from his retreat in a fully stable state, had merely suppressed the poisons in his body rather than stabilizing them.

Moments ago, he had actively provoked the poisons, and during his manic state, he allowed them to invade his body unchecked. Now, as he stopped his soul power abruptly and returned to a calmer state, the backlash from the poisons struck him with full force.

As soon as he ceased his soul power, the pain overwhelmed him, and he collapsed onto the ground, writhing in agony.

For Dugu Bo, extreme emotional swings were a severe taboo. Losing control of his emotions would cause the already unstable poisons in his body to spiral further out of control. This sudden outburst left him teetering on the brink of death.

Chen Ming was truly panicking now. He was so close to gaining access to the treasured Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, yet Dugu Bo was about to die because of a few of his words. The thought was unbearable.

Clenching his teeth and stomping his foot in frustration, Chen Ming quickly adjusted Dugu Bo into a meditative posture. Sitting cross-legged behind him, Chen Ming pressed the Dragon Core against his dantian and stretched out both hands. He began channeling his soul power and spiritual energy into Dugu Bo's body.

This was an exceedingly dangerous operation involving three simultaneous tasks. Chen Ming had to draw the life force from the Dragon Core using his soul power to sustain Dugu Bo's rapidly deteriorating state. At the same time, he worked to stabilize Dugu Bo's life force and soul power. Most critically, he had to suppress the decades-old, out-of-control poisons wreaking havoc within Dugu Bo's body.