52: Chapter 52 The Immortal Herb Redemption Code Has Expired

These words were spoken with a sarcastic tone, both revealing the identities of the group and subtly accusing Spirit Hall of bullying the weak with their superior numbers.

Paired with his dramatic entrance, it was full of style; even though the two Titled Douluo opposite him were of a higher Rank, he did not lose a shred of Aura.

Qiangu Jue tightened his grip on the Coiling Dragon Rod and subconsciously took half a step forward, only to be quietly pulled back by Gui Mengguan beside him.

The three of them appeared calm on the surface, maintaining a defensive stance, but their inner thoughts were racing.

【Gui Mengguan: Holy crap! Holy crap! This old guy is such a show-off! Floating down from the Void Realm step by step and showing off his spirit rings one by one—this entrance is a textbook example of being pretentious!】

【Qiangu Jue: I've learned it, I've learned it! In the future, when I fight people, I'll enter like this too! Show the spirit rings first, then land. The atmosphere is maxed out, and regardless of whether I can win or not, I'll have already won half the battle in terms of Aura. Awesome!】

【Oupai: No wonder this old guy could walk sideways in the original story. With this ability to show off, there are few in the entire continent who can compare. Even though he is five or six Ranks lower than Grandpa Qian Jun and Grandpa Demon Subduing Douluo, he hasn't shown a hint of fear. He's got something, alright.】

【Gui Mengguan: Don't just watch the show. This old guy's poison is no joke. The Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor poison can even take down a Titled Douluo. Keep a close eye on things in a moment; don't let Alternative get hit, or we won't have any fun playing with him later.】

On the other side, Thousand Jun Douluo and Demon Subduing Douluo watched Dugu Bo's posturing with indifferent expressions.

The two of them were veteran Titled Douluo from Spirit Hall's Elders Hall, having seen many storms.

With their Rank 97 Soul Power, which was a full six Ranks higher than Dugu Bo's, they were not about to be intimidated by such posturing.

Demon Subduing Douluo sneered and slammed his Coiling Dragon Rod against the ground.

With a loud "clang," his powerful Soul Power instantly dispersed the encroaching poison mist.

He raised an eyebrow at Dugu Bo, his tone full of disdain: "Dugu Bo? I wondered who it was; it turns out to be just the little snake left of the Dugu Family. What? Do you think your lousy herb garden qualifies you to talk about the big picture with our Spirit Hall?"

"Your Jade Phosphor Poison Array might trap ordinary Spirit Masters, but in front of our brothers, it is nothing more than a minor trick that cannot be taken seriously."

Thousand Jun Douluo spoke slowly, his tone calm but carrying an unquestionable pressure, "Our brothers brought our Junior here for training and discovered this treasure land by accident. I didn't know when this valley in the Sunset Forest became your private property, Dugu Bo?"

Dugu Bo's expression sank slightly, the ferocity in his vertical pupils intensifying, and the poison mist around him surged even more violently.

He knew that in a one-on-one fight, he was definitely no match for these two Titled Douluo from the same sect with such tacit cooperation.

However, the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well was his lifeblood; even if the Supreme Pontiff himself came, he would never retreat a single step.

Just as both sides were at daggers drawn and the atmosphere had dropped to freezing, Alternative, who had been standing in the back, suddenly stepped forward, bowed slightly to Dugu Bo, and spoke in a calm tone: "Junior Alternative, greets Senior Poison Douluo."

When the title "Poison Douluo" was called out, Dugu Bo was stunned for a moment.

His vertical pupils shrank, and he stared fixedly at Alternative, his eyes full of surprise and suspicion.

Although his title of "Poison Douluo" was known on the continent, ordinary Spirit Masters would either call him Dugu Bo or be too afraid of his poison to even speak.

This six-year-old child not only wasn't afraid of him but had called out his title, and there wasn't even a hint of fear in his tone?

What shocked him even more was that he felt an extremely pure plant-based Life Aura from this child.

That Aura was gentle but carried an imperial pressure that could faintly suppress the spread of his Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor poison!

Alternative's speaking instantly eased the tense, sword-drawn atmosphere.

Thousand Jun Douluo and Demon Subduing Douluo exchanged a glance and tacitly withdrew some of their released Soul Power, though they still maintained a defensive stance.

They trusted Alternative's meticulous mind, but they would never lower their guard against Dugu Bo, a Titled Douluo famous for his poison.

Dugu Bo narrowed his emerald green vertical pupils and looked up and down at the child who was only six years old.

A cold smile curled at the corner of his mouth: "Oh? You little brat, you actually recognize this old man? You have quite a lot of nerve. Ordinary Spirit Elders are scared to the point of trembling when they see me, yet you, a little brat who has just entered the Spirit Master Rank, actually dare to take the initiative to talk to me?"

"Senior's poison is unparalleled on the continent, and the title of 'Poison Douluo' resounds throughout Heaven Dou and Star Luo. Junior has seen records of Senior in the library books of Spirit Hall, so naturally, I know of you."

Alternative bowed slightly, his tone neither humble nor arrogant, with neither flattery nor fear: "Junior stepped in front because I didn't want both sides to damage their harmony. My two grandfathers were just taking us Juniors out for training and accidentally stumbled into Senior's treasure land. We have no intention of taking anything by force, so Senior does not need to be so hostile."

"Oh?" Dugu Bo raised an eyebrow, becoming somewhat interested. "You little brat can certainly talk. But you have broken in, and my poison array has been broken. Now you are still eyeing my herbs. You can't just let it go with a simple 'accidental intrusion,' can you?"

"Naturally, we won't let Senior suffer a loss."

Alternative looked up at Dugu Bo, his gaze falling precisely on his vertical pupils, and his tone suddenly deepened. "As long as Senior is willing, we can not only compensate Senior for the losses but even help Senior solve a troublesome matter that has plagued the Dugu Family for generations. For example... the suffering caused by the backlash of the Innate poison from your Jade Phosphor Serpent Spirit."

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire valley went silent instantly.

Thousand Jun Douluo and Demon Subduing Douluo looked surprised; they only knew that Dugu Bo had a Jade Phosphor Serpent Spirit and was famous for his poison, but they had never known about the secret of this Spirit's Innate backlash.

The smile on Dugu Bo's face vanished instantly, the poison mist around him surged violently, and a bone-chilling coldness instantly locked onto Alternative.

His emerald green pupils were filled with terrifying ferocity: "Little brat, you can eat randomly, but you cannot speak randomly. You say I am poisoned?"

"Yes." Alternative met his pressure without retreating in the slightest, his tone firm. "Junior has seen records in the 'Secret Chronicles of the Spirit Clan' in the Spirit Hall library. The Dugu Family's Jade Phosphor Serpent Spirit is a top-tier Beast Spirit poison-type Legacy on the continent. However, because the Spirit's Origin carries extreme poison, when generations of inheritors Cultivate, the snake venom constantly backlashes against them. Over time, the toxin invades the internal organs, Meridians, and bone marrow, and there is no cure. Your hair and pupils turning emerald green are the typical signs of the toxin penetrating deep into the bone marrow."

"Isn't it true that every time it's cloudy or raining, you feel a tingling itch in your ribs that gradually intensifies? It flares up once at noon and once at midnight, and given your current condition, it should last for more than an hour each time. Also, every late night, around the third watch, you experience needle-like stinging pain in your crown and heart. Your whole body spasms for at least half an hour. I don't need to describe that agonizing process, do I?"

"Furthermore, this Innate snake venom is hereditary. Your direct descendants will be plagued by the Innate snake venom and will not live past thirty or forty years old. Is there half a word of error in what I have said?"

Every word he said was correct; it was the biggest fatal flaw of the Dugu Family's Legacy recorded in ancient books.

According to the classics, this backlash was an inherent defect of the Jade Phosphor Serpent Spirit. From ancient times to the present, no one in the Dugu Family had been able to completely resolve it. As the only heir of the current Family, Dugu Bo must also be suffering from this.

But no one expected that after hearing this, Dugu Bo would be stunned for a few seconds, and then suddenly burst into unbridled laughter, laughing until he was bent over, tears almost coming out, as if he had heard the funniest joke in the world.

... PS: Answering a question, if I had to name a protagonist at the moment, it would be Gui Mengguan; I quite like him. Next is Alternative, also as a perspective, since these two are to be compared. Then there are the perspectives of others. Most importantly, the person with Tang San hasn't appeared yet.