Chapter 144: The Three Conditions of Dugu Bo
"Kid, come with me," Dugu Bo said in a serious tone.
Looking at the stern expression on Dugu Bo's face, Dai Yao asked in confusion, "Senior, what is it?"
"I need to talk to you about something," Dugu Bo replied.
Noticing the movement, Dugu Yan immediately came to Dugu Bo's side, pulling on his arm and playfully pouting, "Grandfather~ Is there anything I can't hear?"
Her playful pout made Dugu Bo helpless, but recalling the matter he needed to discuss, he steeled himself and coldly said, "No!"
Hearing this, Dugu Yan huffed and crossed her arms, visibly upset. She walked over to Dai Yao's side, but suddenly her expression shifted, completely different from the angry one she had shown earlier. She leaned toward Dai Yao's ear, and with a soft voice, she comforted him, "Don't worry, with me around, grandfather won't do anything to you."
Dai Yao awkwardly glanced at Dugu Bo and saw that his face was dark as a pot bottom, veins bulging on his forehead, as if he were on the brink of erupting in anger.
Internally, he thought, Big sis, you're trying to get me killed!
Clearing his throat to ease the tension, he nodded at Dugu Yan, "You take care of Zhuqing here. I'll be back shortly."
With that, he followed Dugu Bo into the dark forest.
After a while, the surrounding forest grew eerily quiet, and although Dai Yao knew that Dugu Bo had called him here for a reason, he couldn't help but feel nervous.
Dugu Bo turned around, his lean yet sharp face now cold and stern. He stared at Dai Yao, not saying a word.
Being stared at by a Title Douluo, Dai Yao felt his heart tighten, and with some nervousness, he spoke, "Your Excellency, may I ask what it is you need?"
Dugu Bo snorted coldly, "Don't you know?"
"Please, Your Excellency, speak plainly," Dai Yao replied earnestly.
Dugu Bo let out a cold laugh, "Yan Yan cares so much for you—what do you plan to do about it?"
Dai Yao let out a deep breath and said seriously, "I will never let her down."
"Hmph! 'Never let down'! You already have so many women around you, and with your talent, who knows how many more will come! What are you talking about, 'never let down'?" Dugu Bo's anger flared. His brow furrowed, and in the blink of an eye, he appeared in front of Dai Yao, grabbing him by the neck and staring into his eyes.
Thinking of how Dugu Bo had smiled warmly at Dai Yao in the past, he suddenly threw Dai Yao to the ground with a heavy sigh.
At this moment, Dugu Bo was no longer the arrogant Title Douluo who looked down on the world, but a concerned elder, worried about the future of his younger generations.
He glanced at Dai Yao, who was coughing on the ground, and said, "Get up. Don't pretend anymore. With your physical condition, the strength I just used on you won't harm you."
Dai Yao cupped his hands and looked down, his gaze shifting uneasily as he said, "Thank you, Your Excellency."
"Speaking of which," Dugu Bo continued, "you've helped the Bi Lin lineage, and I've already exchanged the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eye with you. Although the poison of our Bi Lin lineage can't be completely eradicated, extending our lifespan is no longer an issue."
Dai Yao's mind stirred as he remembered what had happened years ago when Dugu Bo had agreed to exchange the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eye in order to save Dugu Yan's life.
After acquiring the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eye, Dai Yao hadn't made any major changes. After all, he wasn't like Tang San, who was familiar with the properties of medicinal herbs and their storage conditions. Recklessly harvesting them might waste valuable spiritual herbs.
Therefore, Dai Yao had only picked the herbs he knew from the original story, leaving the rest in the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eye.
This was why he greatly desired Tang San's knowledge about medicinal herbs. If he could obtain that knowledge, his strength would rise substantially.
Dugu Bo raised three fingers, his voice hoarse as he said, "Kid, if you want Yan Yan to stay with you, I have three conditions."
"Please speak, Senior," Dai Yao said with a serious expression.
Seeing Dai Yao's attitude, Dugu Bo nodded inwardly, his expression still cold. "The first condition is that you must never let Yan Yan down."
"I will never do that," Dai Yao said firmly.
"Hmph! Promises? I don't believe in those. If one day Yan Yan comes crying to me, even if the Bi Lin lineage is wiped out, I'll make sure you die in the most painful way possible!"
Dai Yao's heart tightened, and after taking a deep breath, he asked, "What's the second condition?"
"The second condition is that before you turn 40, you must reach Rank 80 in Soul Power."
"Rank 80?" Dai Yao exclaimed in shock.
"What's wrong, kid? Are you afraid? If you're afraid, just leave Yan Yan!" Dugu Bo sneered.
Reaching Rank 80 by the age of 40 was a terrifyingly rare feat in the entire Soul Master world. The youngest Title Douluo in the continent, Tang Hao, didn't reach Title Douluo until he was 44. Dugu Bo's demand was lower than Tang Hao's, but it was still not easy.
Tang Hao was the youngest Title Douluo in the history of the continent, and Dai Yao reaching Soul Douluo at 40 would still place him among the top in history.
Of course, Dai Yao wasn't aware that in the original story, Tang San and the group from Shrek Academy shattered all records completely.
"Though it's difficult, I won't give up," Dai Yao replied confidently.
"Mm." Dugu Bo nodded slightly, seeing that Dai Yao hadn't been deterred by the tough condition. He felt some approval.
As Dugu Yan's grandfather and a core member of the Bi Lin lineage, Dugu Bo knew that if she ended up with another woman sharing a husband, it would be a huge blow to the reputation of the Bi Lin family. But if Dai Yao could reach Soul Douluo before 40, there would still be hope for him to become a Title Douluo.
Having Dugu Yan marry someone with Title Douluo status would not be a disgrace; it would be seen as a remarkable event.
"The third condition is that your ninth soul ring must be a 100,000-year-old soul ring!"
Seeing Dai Yao smiling and shaking his head, Dugu Bo frowned slightly, "What's wrong, kid? Are you scared?"
In Dugu Bo's eyes, Dai Yao's smile seemed like a sign of fear.
But what Dugu Bo didn't realize was that Dai Yao's smile carried a different meaning.
This is just like the conditions Tang San gave Tang Hao in the Haotian Sect, Dai Yao thought to himself.
With his strength, even without competing for Tang San's opportunities, reaching Rank 80 before 40 would be slightly challenging but not impossible. If he embarked on the path to divinity and received the rewards from the Divine Trials, it would be a piece of cake.
As for the 100,000-year-old soul ring, as long as he planned it well, with his knowledge of the original story, it wouldn't be a problem.
Therefore, Dai Yao had no reason to refuse Dugu Bo's three conditions.
"Senior, I accept your three conditions," Dai Yao said, cupping his hands and looking up confidently.
Dai Yao's self-assured appearance made Dugu Bo somewhat dazed, giving him the false impression that his conditions were very simple.
Of course, from the perspective of a normal Soul Master's cultivation speed, the latter two conditions were not just difficult—they were nearly impossible. But for Dai Yao, they were not out of reach.
"Once you agree, there's no room for regret," Dugu Bo's green eyes gleamed as he stared intently at Dai Yao, warning him seriously.
He was concerned that Dai Yao, knowing how difficult the conditions were, might have simply given a perfunctory answer.
"The kid is not being reckless; he has the confidence to fulfill the senior's conditions," Dai Yao replied calmly.
Hearing his response, Dugu Bo's expression softened slightly, and he spoke in a lower tone, "I hope you don't disappoint me, and more importantly, don't disappoint Yan Yan."
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