Out of the corner of his eye, Ghost Douluo glanced at his good friend, then slightly cupped his hands toward Bibi Dong and spoke at the right moment.
"Old Guan, Xiao Hai once defeated Yu Tianheng, and it was a crushing defeat despite an eight-level difference. This, without a doubt, hurt the pride of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.
"Later, the method to transfer and remove the poison from the soul bone to heal Dugu Yan also came from Xiao Hai. So, when you think about it, without Xiao Hai, none of the events that followed would have happened.
"Now, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's proposal with a soul bone as dowry has been rejected, and this has angered Dugu Bo. This account will likely be added to Xiao Hai's name."
Chrysanthemum Douluo's brows furrowed immediately.
Ghost Douluo nodded slightly and continued, "Therefore, since neither you nor I can conveniently stay by Xiao Hai's side to protect him, Dugu Bo might be a good choice."
Straight to the point.
It was both business and personal.
Chrysanthemum Douluo was persuaded. Though inwardly reluctant, he had to admit his good brother Ghost Douluo made sense. Bibi Dong wanted to use his disciple to draw Dugu Bo, a Titled Douluo, closer.
And he needed to use Dugu Bo to protect his disciple.
Besides, when the Pope had already spoken, how could he refuse?
Thinking this way, he cupped his hands respectfully toward Bibi Dong. "I accept the order."
"Mm." Bibi Dong nodded slightly. "You may leave."
"Yes, Your Holiness." The two cupped their hands together and turned to leave.
As soon as they stepped out of the Pope's Hall, Chrysanthemum Douluo couldn't help complaining.
"Xiao Hai, honestly… how did he end up getting involved with that old poison's granddaughter? Everything was fine,why did he have to treat her illness?"
Ghost Douluo shot him a glance. "Xiao Hai didn't know you two don't get along.
"From Xiao Hai's perspective,you, his teacher, weren't around, and he didn't know the one in the palace. To avoid exposure, he couldn't often go to Salas. And with a female companion by his side, he naturally needed to find a nearby backer to protect himself temporarily.
"Among those he could reach, who had strength but not too many complicated ties, aside from Dugu Yan's grandfather Dugu Bo, who else was there?"
Chrysanthemum Douluo was momentarily speechless, then sighed. "If I'd known, I should have brought Xiao Hai to Spirit City from the start."
"I think differently," Ghost Douluo said calmly. "Being in difficult situations is the best way to hone one's wisdom and ability to handle matters. Just like this period for Xiao Hai,he's been using every resource available to arm and protect himself. I believe that after this experience at Heaven Dou Imperial Academy, his future path will be smoother and farther-reaching."
"…" Chrysanthemum Douluo fell silent, then rolled his eyes dramatically. "Can't out-argue you."
"Never mind, I'll head to Heaven Dou City now and meet that old poison."
Ghost Douluo gave a slight nod.
A few days later, at the Spirit Hall in Heaven Dou City,
The Heaven Dou Team was in the Heaven Dou City Great Spirit Arena for practical training, staying at the Violet Hotel. Dugu Bo's presence was spotted nearby, most likely to protect Yang Yunhai and prevent him from being dragged into trouble by the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan because of Dugu Yan's matter. This made sense, as when Dugu Yan had gone to the Great Spirit Arena before for matches, Dugu Bo hadn't followed her.
Hearing Salas's report, Chrysanthemum Douluo curled his lip. "That old poison still knows how to repay kindness, but unfortunately, his eye for people is terrible.
"Imagine agreeing to let Yu Tianheng, a spineless, irresponsible waste, be his granddaughter's boyfriend."
Even if the man was helping protect his disciple, he still deserved a jab.
After speaking, he turned to Salas and nodded slightly. "Salas, you've done well. If you hadn't kept people watching the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy, my disciple might have already been taken away by the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan or the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect."
"This is just my duty," Salas replied politely.
Chrysanthemum Douluo nodded, and with a flick of his fingers, a white jade porcelain bottle appeared in his hand. "I, Yue Guan, hate owing favors. Take this,add a few drops to your bathwater, it will relax muscles and strengthen bones. It's something I personally refined, far better than the junk sold on the market. Don't you have a grandson? Let him use it."
Salas's face lit up, and he carefully accepted it. "Thank you, Elder Chrysanthemum."
Chrysanthemum Douluo's medicines were top-quality,the current Golden Generation of Spirit Hall reached near Soul King level at such a young age largely due to his personal concoctions.
"Mm." Chrysanthemum Douluo nodded again. "Prepare a room. I'll be staying at the Hall here for a while."
His disciple was either at the Great Spirit Arena or the hotel, and with Dugu Bo watching nearby, it was inconvenient to meet him directly.
The best chance would be when the Heaven Dou Team finished this stage of training and left Heaven Dou City for other main cities to participate in their so-called tour matches. Dugu Bo would certainly follow them,then he could intercept him on the road.
"Yes," Salas answered, bowing before going to make arrangements.
"Well, since I have nothing better to do, I'll disguise myself and watch my disciple fight," Chrysanthemum Douluo thought for a moment before heading out.
Meanwhile, at the Heaven Dou City Great Spirit Arena,
In the lounge, Qin Ming sat at the table, frowning. "I'm sure everyone has noticed,recently, although we've been winning all our team matches, it's basically because Xiao Hai's spirit control allows us to seize the initiative. Without that factor, the rest of the team hasn't really shown individual skill or teamwork. I think this goes against the purpose of real combat."
"Victory is important, but improving through battle is even more so."
The main team members looked slightly embarrassed.
Yang Yunhai's control ability really was strong,once he bound an opponent, no one could break free. This made the rest of them more like finishers than real fighters. Winning streaks were great, but it was true they hadn't put in much effort for those victories.
Qin Ming likely made this decision to prevent them from becoming dependent on Xiao Hai's control ability.
"So, next, I plan to have Xiao Hai pause his participation in team matches and focus on the pair and individual events," Qin Ming continued. "For the pair events, I'll have Xiao Hai team up with each of you one-on-one to improve coordination.
"As for the individual events, I think we've all seen Xiao Hai's recent growth."
Everyone nodded slightly, understanding his point.
They had to admit, Yang Yunhai's understanding of spirits was extraordinary. In his hands, the Blue Silver Grass could turn into whips or be woven into baskets,it was incredibly versatile. And as he became more adept in battle, his attacks grew stranger and more unpredictable. Even his teammates couldn't quite figure him out. At this point, it was clear he was treating the Spirit Arena like his personal testing ground.
Qin Ming's arrangement was, in a way, helping him. Since he had talent for developing his spirit abilities, letting him participate in more individual matches would help him improve faster.
"In that case, Yan Zi, you'll take over as the team's main controller in Xiao Hai's place," Qin Ming said, turning to Dugu Yan.
"Zhuqing, you'll move from rotation to the main team for team matches," he added, looking at Zhu Zhuqing.
"Yes, Teacher Qin Ming," the two replied in turn.
"Alright, everyone, go sign up for today's individual events. I'll go register us for the team match." Qin Ming nodded slightly.
"Yes," the team responded, rising together.
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