Douro Continent

Chapter 231 The Past of the Golden Triangle (Part 2)

"Boy, if you dare to try and outwit me again, even if your poison piques my interest, I'll kill you instantly. My poison is trash? I can wipe out all life within a kilometer radius in an instant, leaving nothing but barren land. To kill you, I don't even need to lift a finger; I can simply poison you to death. In this world, among poison-attribute soul masters, no one has ever been stronger than me. How dare you question my poison?"

Tang San struggled to his feet, enduring the excruciating pain to straighten his back. "Do I need to waste my breath arguing with you? What's the point? Your poison is indeed potent, but it's still garbage. Poison techniques are meant to poison enemies, but you've already poisoned yourself. Isn't your poison garbage then?"

Dugu Bo was stunned for a moment, then waved his right hand. No one knew how he did it, but a ring of emerald green flames immediately ignited around the cave.

Illuminated by the green flames, Tang San finally saw that he was in a cave nearly a thousand square meters in size. Dugu Bo, still dressed in his daytime attire, was standing about ten meters away from him.

"What a joke. My poison would poison myself? I'm seventy-eight years old this year, and I've always been the one poisoning others, never the other way around." Dugu Bo looked coldly at Tang San, but strangely, this time he didn't attack Tang San again.

Tang San scoffed, "Is that really so? Let me ask you. When it's cloudy or rainy, do you experience a tingling, itchy sensation in your ribs, which gradually intensifies? It happens twice a day, around noon and midnight, and given your current condition, each episode should last for at least an hour. Also, every night, around the third watch, you experience needle-like stabbing pains on the top of your head and in your chest. Your whole body spasms for at least half an hour. I don't need to describe that excruciating pain, do I? If it weren't for poisoning, would you experience these symptoms? You're not only poisoned, but the poison has seeped into your bones. I'm just very curious why you're not dead yet. The poison you've been given is something that soul power simply can't suppress."

"How...how did you know?" Dugu Bo could no longer contain his surprise and blurted out.

Tang San's description was as if he had witnessed it firsthand. This was arguably Dugu Bo's biggest secret, one that even his closest granddaughter didn't know. How could he not be shocked to hear it coming from Tang San's mouth? A murderous intent blazed in his eyes, the icy killing intent seeming to pierce through Tang San.

The power of the Title Douluo was simply too great. The killing intent released by Dugu Bo struck Tang San's chest like a tangible object. Tang San coughed up a mouthful of blood and staggered back three steps before barely managing to regain his footing. Under the pressure of Dugu Bo's killing intent, the Blue Silver Grass suddenly activated, and even his external spirit bone, the Eight Spider Lances, extended directly from his back, releasing its fierce aura to protect Tang San's body.

"There's definitely something to it." Dugu Bo had calmed down by now. He had thought that with his now-tangible killing intent, killing a Soul Master who was only a little over level 30 would be a piece of cake; he had killed countless times in his life to silence witnesses. But he hadn't expected Tang San to withstand his killing intent. Although Tang San coughed up blood three times, he didn't seem to be seriously injured. Such a physique was clearly not something a level 30 Soul Master should possess.

"Let me see. Is this the martial soul that injured my granddaughter?" Dugu Bo flashed and arrived in front of Tang San, raising his hand to grab Tang San.

The Blue Silver Grass moved on its own, and Tang San's first spirit ring suddenly shone brightly, activating his first spirit ring skill, Entanglement.

Under Tang San's full force, the resilient Blue Silver Grass frantically coiled around Dugu Bo, binding his body tightly almost instantly.

But a terrifying scene unfolded: the blue silver grass that had just wrapped around Dugu Bo's body melted away like ice and snow.

That's right, it melted, like snow falling on a fire, without the slightest pause, not even allowing Dugu Bo's raised hand to hesitate for a moment. The next moment, Dugu Bo's large hand was already gripping Tang San's shoulder.

Dugu Bo's hand was firm, gripping his shoulder like an iron band. Almost instinctively, Tang San's Eight Spider Lances shot out simultaneously, piercing Dugu Bo with a sharp whooshing sound. Purple light erupted; the deadly poison was fully activated.

"Huh—" Dugu Bo was somewhat surprised. With his strength, he didn't even need to actually engage with it; his body's energy already detected that the Eight Spider Lances' attack was far stronger than the Blue Silver Grass attack. Green light instantly spread from Dugu Bo's body. Without him even using his Martial Soul, the Eight Spider Lances struck the green light, only creating eight ripples of emerald green, but they couldn't penetrate it at all.

"So that's how it is. It's actually an external soul bone. No wonder, no wonder Yan Yan couldn't beat you." Dugu Bo suddenly realized, and looking at Tang San's Eight Spider Lances, a greedy glint appeared in his eyes.

A cold surge of soul power entered Tang San's body from the large hand on his shoulder. Tang San immediately felt a numbness throughout his body, and all his soul power could no longer be gathered.

The icy air instantly coursed through his body, making him feel as if he had fallen into an ice cellar. Although Tang San possessed astonishing talent, ranking among the best of his generation in strength, and also had combat experience and a calm mind, these were all useless against the absolute difference in power. Faced with Dugu Bo's soul power, he couldn't even move a single finger, let alone resist.

Dugu Bo clearly didn't take Tang San seriously at all. He casually tossed him to the ground and said with some disappointment, "What a pity, he actually fused with Tang San. Otherwise, this kid would have given me a great gift."

Dugu Bo stared at Tang San with a burning green light in his eyes, as if he were looking at a rare treasure. A greedy glint flashed in his eyes. "I have to admit, you are stronger than my granddaughter, even stronger than that brat Yu Tianheng. Thirteen years old, soul power above level thirty, external soul bone, and deadly poison. What a pity, what a pity."

Due to the vast difference in strength, Dugu Bo was unable to seal Tang San's soul power. Tang San struggled to get up from the ground again and said coldly, "I never thought I would die at the hands of an old monster who uses trash poison. What a pity, what a pity."

Dugu Bo's eyes flashed with a cold light, like that of a venomous snake. "Do you want me to kill you immediately? Killing you is as easy as crushing an ant for me. However, I won't rush to kill you. The soul bone dropped by the Human-Faced Demon Spider is quite interesting. I will force out all the toxins from your soul bone before slowly killing you."

A strong sense of unwillingness flashed in Tang San's eyes. He knew that even with his newly crafted hidden weapons, he wouldn't stand a chance against this old monster. Against such an opponent, unless he could master the top three hidden weapons from the "Hundred Hidden Weapon Techniques," his only fate would be death.

He was unwilling to accept it. He hadn't mastered all of the Tang Sect's secret techniques, nor had he ever concocted any of their deadly poisons in this world. He was unwilling because he hadn't even had the chance to cultivate his second martial soul. He felt an even greater attachment to this vibrant world than to the Tang Sect he once knew.

After coming into this world, he finally came into contact with the outside world, and there were so many things he missed.

Seeing the resentment in Tang San's eyes, the old monster couldn't help but burst into laughter. "Resentful, aren't you? I've seen that look in countless eyes before. What I love most is crushing that resentment. Perhaps, given a few decades, you might have a chance to surpass me. But now, you have no chance. Didn't you say my poison was trash? Yet you still die by my hand."

Tang San said calmly, "That's my greatest regret. If I had time, even without using my martial soul, I could still kill you. Your trashy poison technique is utterly worthless. Not only does it make you neither human nor ghost, but it will also bring disaster to your descendants. You're the worst of the worst."

"What did you say?" Dugu Bo's emotions suddenly became agitated. He stretched out his arm, which instantly extended, and grabbed Tang San's neck, pulling him in front of him.

This time, Tang San didn't even resist. He just stared coldly at Dugu Bo, struggling to breathe, but he still managed to say, "Do you think you'll have a good ending? Your symptoms will only worsen. Although I don't yet understand how you managed to suppress this poison, you must have ingested some rare and precious herbs. But those herbs can't help you forever. In a few years, even if you don't die from the poison itself, you'll be tormented to death by the backlash. You'll die a far worse death than me."

A flicker of uncertain light flashed in Dugu Bo's eyes. Everything Tang San had said was precisely his greatest pain. Behind his immense strength lay torment unimaginable to ordinary people. Each instance of that torment brought him to the brink of death; the pain was simply indescribable.

(End of this chapter)