"Grandpa, are you really not joking?" Dugu Yan asked.
"When has Grandpa ever lied to you?" Dugu Bo replied.
Dugu Yan broke into a smile and said happily, "That's wonderful! From now on, I won't be afraid of anyone. I can walk sideways across the continent."
Dugu Bo nodded and said, "That's right. No one will dare bully me, Dugu Bo, and no one will dare bully you either."
"Grandpa, who exactly is that great expert who helped you detoxify? Being able to raise your cultivation by seven levels—that's way too incredible," Dugu Yan asked curiously.
Dugu Bo said, "His name is Ao Tian. He's an extremely formidable person."
"How formidable?" she asked.
"Although Grandpa is already a level ninety-nine Titled Douluo, I'm still far from being his match. He is absolutely the number one powerhouse on the Douluo Continent—only, most people don't know it," Dugu Bo said.
"Stronger than a level ninety-nine Titled Douluo by that much? How can someone possibly be that strong?" Dugu Yan became even more curious.
Dugu Bo cautioned her, "Yanyan, when we get there, you must not show any disrespect to Ao Tian. He is our lifesaver. You must treat him as you would treat Grandpa—no, even more respectfully than you treat Grandpa. Understand?"
"Got it."
Filled with curiosity, Dugu Yan had already begun imagining what Ao Tian might look like.
Someone that powerful must surely be an elderly man who had cultivated for countless years—or so she thought.
The two left the residence, where the steward was already waiting at the gate with a carriage.
The carriage headed toward the center of Heaven Dou City. Near evening, they finally arrived at the gates of the Ao Residence.
After Dugu Bo and Dugu Yan got down from the carriage, they saw a man in his sixties quickly walking down the steps from the entrance.
"You must be Senior Dugu. My master has been waiting for quite some time. Please, follow me," he said.
Dugu Bo took Dugu Yan with him and followed the steward inside.
"My lord knew I was coming?" Dugu Bo asked curiously.
"Yes," the steward replied. "He instructed me to come out and wait just now."
Dugu Yan quietly tugged at Dugu Bo's hand and whispered, "Grandpa, why do you call someone else 'my lord'?"
Dugu Bo explained, "My lord has shown me great kindness. From now on, I'll follow him and serve at his side."
"Oh." Dugu Yan nodded and didn't ask any further questions.
Led by the steward, the two arrived at the reception hall, where Ao Tian and Gu Yuena and the other girls were already waiting.
The moment Dugu Yan entered, her gaze fell upon Ao Tian and the girls.
"What a handsome man, what beautiful women," Dugu Yan thought in shock.
When she saw Ao Tian, her heart couldn't help but flutter. She felt that if she didn't already have a boyfriend, she would definitely fall in love with such a man at first sight.
When she looked at Gu Yuena and the other girls, she was completely dazzled. As a woman herself, facing these beauties, she actually felt a trace of envy and jealousy.
In all her life, she had never seen a man as handsome as Ao Tian, nor a woman as beautiful as Gu Yuena.
After the initial shock, she suddenly felt that Ao Tian looked somewhat familiar.
She searched her memory, recalling that she seemed to have seen the handsome man seated above somewhere before.
As soon as Dugu Bo entered, he dropped to one knee and said respectfully, "Dugu Bo pays his respects to my lord."
Dugu Yan was stunned by Dugu Bo's action, standing there dumbfounded.
She had never seen her grandfather kneel to anyone before.
And this young man seated at the center above—he was actually the "lord" Dugu Bo had spoken of.
How was this possible?
Based on how Dugu Bo had described Ao Tian's strength earlier, Dugu Yan had imagined Ao Tian as an old man.
Yet his true appearance was that of a young man, seemingly about her own age.
Could someone this young really be far stronger than her grandfather?
At this moment, Dugu Yan felt completely bewildered.
It was simply too absurd—too unbelievable.
Dugu Bo reached out and tugged her gently, saying, "Yanyan, what are you standing there for? Hurry and pay your respects to my lord."
Seeing how solemn her grandfather looked, Dugu Yan also dropped to one knee and called out crisply, "Dugu Yan pays her respects to my lord."
Only then did Ao Tian nod and smile. "You may both rise."
"Thank you, my lord," Dugu Bo and Dugu Yan said as they stood up.
"Sit and talk," Ao Tian said, gesturing to the chairs on one side.
The two of them sat down.
Suddenly, inspiration struck Dugu Yan and she blurted out, "I remember now—you're a student from Shrek Academy!"
She had recalled it. Back in Suotuo City, when Shrek Academy fought, the other side had worn masks. But after the battle, when they left the斗魂场, because Qin Ming was talking with Flender and the others, she had observed Shrek's team from a distance at the entrance—and Ao Tian had been among them.
At that time, Gu Yuena and the other girls were wearing masks, but Ao Tian was not.
It was just that the distance was a bit far that day, so her impression of Ao Tian hadn't been very deep.
"Yanyan, don't be rude!" Dugu Bo scolded.
Ao Tian smiled and said, "It's fine. She's right. I did stay at Shrek Academy before. However, I'm no longer a student there."
Dugu Yan asked in confusion, "I heard my grandpa say you're very strong. Then why would you go to Shrek Academy as a student? And you don't look any older than me—are you really that powerful?"
She voiced all the doubts in her heart.
Dugu Bo immediately stood up and knelt again, saying, "Yanyan is ignorant. I hope my lord won't take offense."
"It's fine. Get up," Ao Tian said. "Her doubts are perfectly normal. Why would I hold it against a little girl?"
Only then did Dugu Bo stand up and say to Dugu Yan, "Yanyan, don't be fooled by how young my lord looks. His age is actually greater than Grandpa's. I've heard that once one's strength reaches a certain level, they can maintain the appearance of their youth."
Dugu Yan was shocked. With her pair of bewitching eyes wide open, she stared at Ao Tian, her curiosity about him deepening even further.
Ao Tian said, "I stayed at Shrek Academy before simply to pass the time."
He then looked at Dugu Bo and asked, "Dugu Bo, how was the effect of the pill?"
Dugu Bo replied gratefully, "Thank you, my lord, for the pill. I did not disappoint your expectations. I have successfully broken through to level ninety-nine."
Ao Tian nodded slightly. "Very good. From now on, you'll stay in my residence."
"Yes," Dugu Bo replied.
"My lord, you previously said you could help my granddaughter detoxify. I've brought her here."
Ao Tian walked down and stopped in front of Dugu Yan.
"Don't move. I'll treat you," Ao Tian said.
Dugu Yan nodded, looking at Ao Tian with curiosity, wanting to see exactly how he would detoxify her.
Just as he had done for Dugu Bo, Ao Tian used the same method to extract the innate poison from Dugu Yan's body, then slightly refined it and injected it back into her, strengthening her cultivation.
Dugu Yan only felt an unprecedented sense of comfort throughout her body, and then she sensed her soul power rapidly increasing.
Back in Suotuo City, she had already been level thirty-eight. During the time after returning to Heaven Dou City, she had broken through to level thirty-nine.
Now, with Ao Tian's help, it didn't take long for her soul power to break through to level forty.
"Grandpa, I broke through—I've reached level forty!" Dugu Yan cried out in delight.
Watching from the side, Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing were extremely envious. They were already infinitely close to level forty themselves, yet still hadn't broken through.
Suddenly, the soul power within their bodies seemed to be stimulated by Dugu Yan's breakthrough. It began to flow rapidly and vigorously, then surged explosively, reaching a brand-new height.
They broke through.
Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing were stunned.
....
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(End of Chapter)