Douluo: Emerald Poison Emperor

Just a few breaths later, a green figure swiftly leaped across the rooftops in the distance and landed directly in the middle of the battlefield between the two combatants. Although Dugu Bo had no idea what was going on, seeing Flender glaring at his grandson-in-law like a predator, the protective Dugu Bo immediately decided to intervene.

Flender found himself unable to control his body as he was suppressed by Dugu Bo's overwhelming aura. A massive hand formed from emerald soul power slammed Flender heavily into the ground.

Flender's body was embedded into the stone ground, his limbs twisted at various angles. Blood flowed freely from the corners of his mouth, and several broken teeth could be seen amidst the dirt. With just one strike, Dugu Bo had left Flender gravely injured.

"Are you the one bullying my granddaughter and my grandson-in-law?" Dugu Bo walked over to the embedded Flender, looking down at him expressionlessly.

"Your Excellency… Your Excellency Dugu, this is a misunderstanding!"

Despite suffering severe injuries and being unable to move from where he was embedded in the ground, Flender's mind raced in the face of death, his thoughts moving faster than ever before in his life.

Although Dugu Bo hadn't revealed his martial soul, the sheer power of the soul-force-formed hand had been enough to crush him.

And yet, looking at Dugu Bo's signature attire—famous throughout the continent—Flender quickly realized that this old man, who seemed somewhat different from the rumors, was none other than the infamous Poison Douluo, Dugu Bo.

He looked younger than the rumors suggested, and his hair wasn't green but streaked with white.

But such changes were easily explained on the Douluo Continent.

They indicated that a titled Douluo-level soul master had once again broken through in their soul power, resulting in a rejuvenated appearance.

For years, Dugu Bo had been known as a Rank 91 Titled Douluo, with no reports of further breakthroughs. Most people on the continent believed that Poison Douluo would remain at this level for life.

But seeing Dugu Bo now, Flender suddenly understood: Poison Douluo had already broken through to an astonishing Rank 92.

"You call this a misunderstanding?" Dugu Bo turned to look at Dugu Yan and Chen Ming, both of whom shook their heads.

"I am certain this is no misunderstanding," Chen Ming said flatly. "This man is just trying to cover up for those two lecherous students of his."

"Well, you've got guts for trying to deceive me." Hearing their response, Dugu Bo turned back to Flender, who was sprawled on the ground. A flicker of anger appeared in his eyes as he raised his foot, preparing to crush Flender's skull like stepping on an insect.

On the Douluo Continent, a soul master at the Soul Sage level wasn't exactly common. In this era, each Soul Sage had their own story and reputation.

As an experienced figure of the martial world, Dugu Bo had already identified Flender before taking action.

And as for speaking before striking?

Not worth the effort.

What qualifications did Flender have? A mere Soul Sage? The so-called Golden Iron Triangle? Their supposed Three-in-One Martial Soul Fusion Technique, which was rumored to rival a Titled Douluo?

Oh, really? And then what?

Not to mention the Golden Iron Triangle, even during their heyday, when they were wandering the continent and had the secret backing of Yu Luo Mian, they were nothing in Dugu Bo's eyes.

At Rank 91, Dugu Bo considered the Rank 89 Yu Luo Mian barely worthy of notice. But now, Yu Luo Mian wasn't worth even a passing thought.

With his current Rank 94 power, Dugu Bo could crush Yu Luo Mian like a bug, even in front of Yu Yuanzhen himself. Yu Yuanzhen would not dare retaliate on the spot.

Even if Yu Yuanzhen wanted to fight, he would have to prepare himself for the reality that his Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan might end up extinct on the Douluo Continent.

What's more, Dugu Bo's actions this time were entirely justified. So justified that even if Yu Yuanzhen were furious, he would still have to apologize to Dugu Bo in person and later send gifts as compensation.

Just as Dugu Bo was about to crush Flender like an insect, a glimmer appeared in Chen Ming's eyes.

It wasn't that Chen Ming cared about Flender himself but rather the potential ripple effects on the storyline if Flender were to die.

For instance, Tang San had already wasted six years of his life after awakening his martial soul, stuck in a primary soul master academy under the mediocre guidance of Yu Xiaogang.

His first soul ring was from a Datura Snake, and his second was from Ghost Vine.

Both were of low quality and didn't align with the attributes of the Blue Silver Emperor. Aside from the Ghost Vine's partial life attribute, Yu Xiaogang's plans for Tang San's Blue Silver Grass were entirely misguided.

Things like the Man-Faced Demon Spider and the Pit Spider—absorbing these would harm even a regular Blue Silver Grass, let alone the Blue Silver Emperor.

According to the original storyline, after graduating from the primary soul master academy, Tang San was supposed to enroll at Shrek Academy. Shrek Academy was another place where talent would be wasted.

At this subpar academy, even with Tang San's hidden advantage of the Mysterious Heaven Technique, his cultivation speed would remain limited.

Cultivating as a soul master was much like cultivating in a traditional sense: resources, companions, techniques, and environment all played crucial roles.

Shrek Academy lacked resources and couldn't provide suitable cultivation materials. It had no proper environment, like a mimic cultivation arena. The only things Tang San could rely on were his self-acquired companions and techniques.

As for his companions? At best, they were burdens that only paid off much later. The techniques, particularly the Mysterious Heaven Technique, were the only things worth mentioning.

Under such circumstances, even a genius would eventually be ground down into mediocrity.

For Tang San, this was a slow, frog-in-boiling-water kind of decline. For Chen Ming, however, it was a way to stabilize Tang San as an unpredictable variable.

Tang San had too many uncertainties about him—his very existence was full of unresolved issues. Ironically, his father, Tang Hao, was probably the least of these uncertainties.

Never mind the mysterious Mysterious Heaven Technique Skill, with its automatic upgrades even after reincarnation. Just the three treasures Tang San would later encounter—the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, the Love Querying Valley, and the Dragon Graveyard—were all tied to divine beings.

Were we to believe such treasures also existed in Tang San's martial world from his previous life? Did gods and dragons fall there too?

In the original story, Tang San becoming a god in his twenties was already absurd. Any interference in his trajectory could lead to unforeseen consequences.

Chen Ming's goal was simple: slow Tang San down to a reasonable pace.

Even if Tang San's talent allowed him to become a Titled Douluo by thirty, that would still be a far cry from becoming a god in his twenties.

If by then Chen Ming still couldn't deal with Tang San or whatever forces lay behind him, then perhaps Chen Ming's years of effort and cultivation had been for nothing.

After some thought, Chen Ming stopped Dugu Bo and whispered his reasoning in his ear.

Although Dugu Bo didn't fully understand, he nodded in agreement.

Despite being the elder, Dugu Bo had grown accustomed to listening to Chen Ming's advice during this period.

"Out of respect for my kind-hearted grandson-in-law, I won't kill you."

"But while you escape the death penalty, punishment is unavoidable."