"Teacher, please hold off for a moment."
Upon hearing this, the playful smiles on Xue Xing and his nephew froze momentarily, and a flicker of surprise flashed in Dugu Bo's eyes.
After all, his disciple had been here merely as an observer and rarely spoke much. For him to suddenly interject now meant there must be a reason.
The previously overbearing Dugu Bo immediately reined in his soul power and spoke gently:
"Is there something on your mind, Xiao Wen?"
"Teacher, as the saying goes, it's better to resolve enmity than to perpetuate it. Although the Shrek group may have had some attitude issues when they arrived, their talent is still quite valuable to the Tian Dou Imperial Academy.
After all, they defeated the team led by Senior Sister.
Moreover, I've learned a bit about them. Despite being young, they show great potential. While they won't win this year's Soul Master Tournament, their growth rate suggests they could bring a championship to the academy in the next tournament.
It would be best not to ruin such a promising opportunity." Ye Wen spoke calmly as he walked to Dugu Bo's side. He then cupped his hand over his mouth and gestured for Dugu Bo to lean closer.
"Teacher, behind Shrek's Seven Monsters lie no fewer than three Title Douluos. Don't let Prince Xue Xing use you as a pawn—be careful not to get beaten up by those lurking behind them."
Upon hearing this, Dugu Bo's eyebrows shot up. Though Ye Wen's words were blunt, Dugu Bo was well aware of his standing among Title Douluos.
If there truly were three Title Douluos backing Shrek…
A flicker of caution passed through Dugu Bo's eyes, but he quickly masked it and said calmly:
"Xiao Wen, you're right. I was too rash earlier."
The smug expressions of the scheming uncle-nephew duo, Xue Xing and Xue Beng, faltered. Xue Xing still wanted to say something to provoke Dugu Bo into action, hoping to drive Shrek's group away while simultaneously reducing the likelihood of Ye Wen drawing Dugu Bo into Crown Prince Xue Qinghe's camp.
But Dugu Bo simply shot Xue Xing a cold glance. The invisible pressure emanating from a top-tier powerhouse silenced Xue Xing instantly.
Xue Xing understood that Dugu Bo's look was a clear signal to stop causing trouble.
At the same time, Xue Xing suspected that Dugu Bo might have caught wind of his ulterior motives. He subtly glanced at Ye Wen.
"Just moments ago, Dugu Bo seemed fine. Could this brat have said something?
Damn it! How dare such a lowly commoner interfere in these matters!"
Of course, Xue Xing couldn't voice these thoughts aloud. Instead, he awkwardly tried to brush things off and hastily left with Xue Beng.
With that, this farce came to an end. The Elders and Shrek's group exchanged glances, still somewhat unclear about what had just transpired. However, they were relieved not to have faced the wrath of a Title Douluo.
It was clear that Ye Wen's intervention had played a key role in defusing the situation. Otherwise, the notoriously unpredictable Poison Douluo wouldn't have backed down so easily.
The three Elders cast grateful looks at Ye Wen.
Reflecting on the situation, they realized that Ye Wen, though not affiliated with the Tian Dou Imperial Academy, had spoken up on its behalf—an act that indirectly supported the empire. They inwardly sighed, 'No wonder he's under the Crown Prince's wing—he has such a kind heart.'
Meanwhile, Dugu Bo felt a sense of anticlimax after coming here with high expectations. After mulling it over, he decided that since he'd come all this way, he couldn't leave without doing anything. His gaze fell on Tang San, who had just finished detoxifying Dai Mu Bai.
"So, you're Tang San?"
Though phrased as a question, Dugu Bo's tone carried certainty.
Tang San's Eight Spider Lance external soul bone was unmistakable—it was impossible not to recognize him at a glance.
After sizing him up, Dugu Bo inwardly lamented, 'If only I had arrived a bit earlier. His external soul bone might not have fully fused yet, leaving room to extract it. It would've made a fine gift for Xiao Wen's apprenticeship.'
Tang San's expression tightened as he bowed respectfully. "That's me, Junior Tang San. May I ask what Your Excellency requires?"
Reining in his thoughts, Dugu Bo replied indifferently:
"Require? Not really. But as my granddaughter's grandfather, I must seek justice for her."
Dugu Bo raised three fingers.
"I hear these three fellows speak highly of your talent. Very well—if you can withstand three of my attacks, I'll spare you.
Rest assured, despite my reputation, I won't bully someone weaker. Each of these three attacks will not exceed the strength of a 40th-level soul master.
Survive, and you live. Fail, and you die!"
Seeing this, Ye Wen facepalmed in exasperation.
Many people criticized Tang San for exploiting Dugu Bo's Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
However, in the original storyline, Tang San's actions toward Dugu Bo stemmed from various reasons. When Dugu Bo first appeared, he was overwhelmingly domineering—not only humiliating the entire Shrek group but also forcibly abducting Tang San. If not for Yu Xiaogang and the others revealing Tang Hao as Tang San's father, Dugu Bo might have eliminated Tang San once his treatment was complete.
Given this context, Tang San's retaliation wasn't entirely unjustified.
Still, Ye Wen found himself speechless. Though Tang San wouldn't be dragged back to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, if Tang Hao were secretly watching and saw Dugu Bo harm his beloved son, it might lead to another showdown reminiscent of Zhao Wuji 2.0.
But whether Tang Hao was present was uncertain. After all, when Tang San was abducted, it wasn't Tang Hao who rushed to save him—it was Yu Xiaogang and the others.
And after their recent battle, the trio's Spirit Fusion Technique barely reached Soul Douluo level. Even the three Soul Douluos present struggled under Dugu Bo's soul power pressure, let alone their fusion technique affecting him. Had Yu Xiaogang not invoked Tang Hao's name at the last moment, they would've been utterly doomed.
However, seeing Tang San's bewildered expression, Ye Wen stepped forward to explain to Dugu Bo:
"Tang San, here's the situation. During your battle against the Imperial Battle Team in Suotuo City, the toxins from your external soul bone affected my senior sister, Dugu Yan—the spirit master with the Jade Phosphorus Serpent martial soul. Her body's internal toxins flared up, and she could've died on the spot without timely treatment. That's why my teacher wants to settle this matter for her sake."
Hearing this, everyone finally understood. No wonder Dugu Bo had targeted Tang San even after the issue seemed resolved—it stemmed from this incident.
Tang San recalled this detail now. From Dugu Yan's hair color, he had deduced that her body was deeply poisoned, and he could infer that his toxins likely affected her.
Realizing this, Tang San swallowed hard, feeling a chill run down his spine.
Who could understand his plight? Participating in a match only to have the opponent's family come knocking later for retribution!
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