Douluo: Emerald Poison Emperor

Although it was Chen Ming's first time traveling alone across the continent, it only took him a little over ten days to return to Dugu Bo's mansion in Heaven Dou City. After all, as a Soul Master at level 44, he was already considered a strong individual on the continent. Chen Ming wasn't venturing out to cause trouble, and although the Douluo Continent's security wasn't great, it wasn't yet as chaotic as it would be ten thousand years later when evil soul masters roamed unchecked.

During his journey back to Heaven Dou City, the biggest issue Chen Ming encountered was running into two groups of bandits. Among them, there was only one level 7 Soul Scholar. Altogether, the two groups consisted of thirty to forty people, and their primary weapons were nothing more than pitchforks and machetes—common farming tools.

It took Chen Ming just two soul skills to deal with them. If they had attacked him all at once, a single soul skill would have been enough to dissolve them completely.

Even though Chen Ming had only been to Dugu Bo's mansion once before, and that was when Dugu Bo had taken him to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, the guards at the Heaven Dou City gates recognized him immediately. They respectfully dispersed the citizens lining up to enter the city and allowed Chen Ming to pass through.

Chen Ming had originally planned to wait in line like everyone else, not intending to use any special privileges to enter the city. But since the guards had already cleared the way, he saved himself the trouble of queuing. After a brief greeting, he entered the city.

As soon as Chen Ming stepped inside the city gates, a few soldiers brought over carriages and vied to be his driver. Their expressions and words were filled with flattery.

These soldiers, who were the second sons or relatives of various nobles, typically acted high and mighty in front of commoners. Yet, in front of Chen Ming, these usually arrogant soldiers behaved with extreme humility.

Their obsequiousness was something even their parents might not have witnessed before.

Seeing this display, Chen Ming shook his head and declined their services. He strolled alone through the streets of Heaven Dou City, leisurely making his way to Dugu Bo's mansion.

At the mansion gates, as always, several tall guards stood vigil. As soon as Chen Ming approached, they immediately perked up—some opened the main gate, while others hurried inside to notify their master.

Clearly, despite Chen Ming's prolonged absence from Heaven Dou City, there were still plenty of stories about him circulating. Although he was rarely seen—perhaps once a year—guards and attendants across the city had firmly memorized Chen Ming's face to avoid the embarrassing mistake of underestimating someone important.

Walking inside, Chen Ming didn't have to wait long before Dugu Bo appeared in front of him.

Dugu Bo sized up Chen Ming, patted him on the shoulder, and used his soul power to sense his aura. Only then did he smile.

"Xiao Ming, you're finally back. How was the journey? Come, let's sit and chat."

With a wave of his hand, Dugu Bo dismissed the servants in the vicinity, who wisely disappeared from their sight. Dugu Bo and Chen Ming headed to the training room. As Chen Ming looked at the room, now fully restored without any trace of its previous damage, he couldn't help but feel a sense of how unpredictable life could be.

The last time he had been here, Dugu Bo had forcibly dragged him in by the shoulder. At that time, he stood there like an insignificant underling.

And now? He was walking side by side with Dugu Bo, chatting and laughing. To the servants, it seemed as though Chen Ming was practically the second master of the Dugu household.

Sigh, Chen Ming thought to himself, feeling emotional. Meanwhile, Dugu Bo activated a hidden mechanism, revealing an underground passage in front of them once again.

Seeing this, Chen Ming couldn't help but ask curiously:

"Grandpa, isn't this underground chamber supposed to be a secret? After all the commotion last time, hasn't anyone discovered it yet?"

"Even when it was being repaired, wouldn't outsiders have been involved in the construction? Doesn't that make secrecy impossible?"

"Ahem, it's just a habit, you'll get used to it," Dugu Bo replied.

What was Dugu Bo supposed to say? That he simply couldn't live without a private, hidden space? That after losing this underground chamber, he sometimes had no place to secretly cry? Such an explanation would be far too embarrassing, so he chose to brush it off as a habit.

The two descended into the underground chamber. Dugu Bo closed the mechanism and habitually pulled out a wine from his Hundred Treasures Pouch. Watching this, Chen Ming chuckled, and Dugu Bo smiled back. They exchanged glances, both marveling at the strange twists of fate.

Inside the chamber, most of the items had been restored by Dugu Bo. Only a few specimens made from rare soul beast materials were yet to be replaced. Everything looked as though nothing had ever happened.

Sitting in the chamber, Chen Ming began recounting his experience of obtaining his fourth soul ring. When Chen Ming mentioned encountering a poisonless, ice-type Jade Phosphor Scorpion and later a Red-Eyed Ice Toad, Dugu Bo couldn't hide his curiosity.

As for the fact that an external soul bone had dropped, Dugu Bo wasn't too surprised. By now, he had come to expect soul bones to somehow always be connected to Chen Ming. He had even mentally prepared himself for this.

The only thing that caught his attention was when Chen Ming mentioned being unable to absorb it for now.

Chen Ming then took out jars containing the materials from the Ice Jade Scorpion and the Red-Eyed Ice Toad from his storage soul tool. Dugu Bo eagerly grabbed them and began examining the materials one by one.

For these venomous creatures born in the extreme northern regions, Dugu Bo's curiosity was immense.

Finally, Chen Ming pulled out the left palm bone of the Ice Jade Scorpion and showed it to Dugu Bo. But after just a few glances, Dugu Bo lost interest and returned to studying the other materials from the soul beasts.

At this point, Dugu Bo had fully come to terms with his limitations and accepted the uniqueness of his grandson-in-law. In his eyes, there seemed to be nothing Chen Ming couldn't accomplish.

When Chen Ming mentioned wanting to return to the treasure land to absorb the two immortal herbs known as the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and the Infernal Delicate Apricot, Dugu Bo simply nodded and agreed to take him there later.

This nonchalant attitude surprised Chen Ming. He couldn't help but feel that Dugu Bo seemed to have given up in some way.

Was Dugu Bo giving up?

No, he had simply been overwhelmed by too many paradigm-shifting experiences and had resigned himself to going with the flow.

At this point, Dugu Bo was too afraid to interfere too much in Chen Ming's affairs, lest his mediocrity accidentally hold back his talented grandson-in-law. After all, if someone with the potential to become a god ended up as merely an Ultimate Douluo because of him, he would never forgive himself.