After successfully becoming the disciple of Dugu Bo—
Ye Yu frequently visited the Dugu Clan residence alongside Dugu Yan, taking every opportunity to study medicine and poison under Dugu Bo's guidance.
Thanks to his transmigrator memory and photographic recall, combined with the educational background and experiences of his previous life, Ye Yu's aptitude and breadth of thought allowed him to excel rapidly in toxicology.
Originally, Dugu Bo had only intended to take Ye Yu as a nominal disciple and teach him a few things casually. But Ye Yu's exceptional performance, coupled with Dugu Yan's constant praise on his behalf, changed his mind.
After all, in the world of Douluo Dalu, strength is everything. Very few people are willing to study toxicology, and even fewer can master it.
Even Dugu Yan, who came from a family of toxicologists, only had mediocre results with her grandfather's teachings.
Dugu Bo had long been troubled—who could he pass on his Grandmaster-level expertise to?
He never expected to meet a true talent like Ye Yu.
Talents like this were rare.
In the end, Dugu Bo couldn't help but pass on all of his genuine toxicology knowledge to Ye Yu.
Although he still didn't approve of Ye Yu getting involved with his granddaughter, Dugu Bo's impression of Ye Yu continued to improve—he even began treating him almost like family.
During his studies under Dugu Bo, another issue emerged.
While Ye Yu had proposed a method to solve the problem of the Jade Phosphor Serpent's poison, obtaining a soul bone remained a major obstacle.
To this end, Ye Yu found an opportunity to share the "method" he had "researched" for increasing the chances of a soul bone drop.
Though Dugu Bo remained skeptical, time flew by, and over half a year passed in the blink of an eye.
Finally, Dugu Yan broke through to Rank 20, allowing her to hunt her second soul ring.
Sunset Forest
Dugu Bo, Ye Yu, and Dugu Yan made their way through the dense forest.
"You brat, are you sure this is going to work?" asked Dugu Bo, frowning. Clad in green robes with a gaunt figure and long green hair, his face bore a wicked glint.
"I can't say it's a 100% guarantee," Ye Yu replied with a grin. "But doing this does increase the chance of a soul bone dropping. If we're lucky, we might even get an external soul bone. Totally worth the risk!"
"Besides, with you here, Teacher, nothing will happen to Yan Yan."
"Hmph! Even so, this old man is still worried!" Dugu Bo crossed his arms and snorted unhappily.
"Grandpa! I trust Ah-Yu. There won't be a problem!" Dugu Yan clung to his arm, pouting playfully. "This is an external soul bone we're talking about!"
"Anyway, with you around, there's no real danger. Plus, I have those three life-saving weapons Ye Yu gave me."
"If this works and I get a legendary external soul bone, it'll be a massive win!"
"Sigh…"
Dugu Bo let out a helpless sigh, pressing a hand to his forehead.
So it's true—girls really do turn toward outsiders.
I haven't even approved of you and this brat being together yet, and you're already siding with him.
What am I supposed to do now?
Then again… I only have one granddaughter.
Fine, forget it!
"Teacher," Ye Yu said seriously, "according to my research, the chance of a soul bone dropping increases significantly if we find a soul beast with the highest possible age and bloodline level."
"Considering Yan Yan's martial soul and soul skills, she's best suited to poisonous soul beasts—like snakes, scorpions, or spiders."
"For example: Bloodwing Howling Serpent, Datura Snake, Sky Demon Scorpion, Flying Violet Demon Scorpion, Man-Faced Demon Spider, Soul-Eating Demon Spider, Pit Demon Spider…"
"These all have relatively high bloodline ranks, and I believe they have better chances of dropping soul bones—maybe even an external one."
As they trekked through Sunset Forest, Ye Yu continued explaining.
Following Ye Yu's suggestions—and with the aim of both solving Dugu Yan's Jade Phosphor poison problem and improving her future potential—Dugu Bo searched diligently for a suitable soul beast.
While the targets Ye Yu named were rare due to their high bloodline levels, Dugu Yan only needed a hundred-year soul beast for her second ring.
So, before long, Dugu Bo found a Sky Demon Scorpion with a cultivation age of 600 years.
It was dusk.
The Sky Demon Scorpion lay beneath a massive boulder, its two-meter-long body encased in thick, black armor with dark red spots and patterns. It had four pairs of scorpion legs and two massive pincers that looked brutal and menacing.
Its mandibles gleamed like blades, exuding a deadly aura—it was truly a terrifying soul beast.
Ye Yu and Dugu Bo hid in the shadows, watching.
According to plan—
Dugu Yan, dressed in a tight-fitting purple combat skirt that accentuated her tall figure, stepped forward, gripping a segmented whip.
The whip's sharp edges were crafted from soul beast bones and metal. The connecting parts were woven from plant-type soul beast fibers and insect silk—extremely tough and flexible.
With a determined glint in her eyes, Dugu Yan summoned her martial soul:
"Jade Phosphor Serpent, Possession!"
Her legs transformed into a sinuous green serpent tail. She brandished her whip and lunged forward—
Crack!
The whip landed squarely on the Sky Demon Scorpion's armored shell, leaving only a faint mark.
It was barely damaged.
Hiss!
Awakened, the Sky Demon Scorpion opened its scarlet eyes and let out a furious screech. It raised its pincers and launched a venomous projectile from its stinger, shooting toward Dugu Yan like a bullet.
She dodged nimbly.
But the scorpion was already charging, scuttling forward with its eight legs, its pincers snapping and tail stabbing like a spear, venom spraying intermittently.
Forced into a retreat, Dugu Yan struggled to evade—barely keeping up.
Seeing her in such danger, Dugu Bo was nearly panicked, but Ye Yu grabbed his arm to stop him.
"Teacher, trust Yan Yan!"
"The only way to solve the Jade Phosphor poison issue is for her to obtain a soul bone—or, ideally, an external soul bone."
"That's never easy. But with you here, it's already as safe as it gets."
The Sky Demon Scorpion's red eyes gleamed with disdain.
Such a weak human, and she dares covet my soul ring?
How ridiculous.
But when Dugu Yan had sufficiently lured the beast—
She rolled to one side, then swiftly pulled out three black metallic spheres from her soul tool.
After pulling the pins, she threw them toward the Sky Demon Scorpion.
"…What are those?" the scorpion thought curiously.
But in the next moment—
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Three loud explosions erupted in rapid succession.
The powerful blasts sent the Sky Demon Scorpion flying, shattering its armored shell. Sharp metal shards pierced its body, striking vital points like its heart and brain.
In its final moments—amid shock, fury, and disbelief—
The Sky Demon Scorpion howled silently:
"Despicable humans… using underhanded tricks…
This king… refuses to die like this!"
Watching the beast go limp, its proud carapace in tatters and its crimson eyes fading into darkness—
Ye Yu murmured inwardly:
"That should do it..."
He had crafted those grenades using black gunpowder and sugar—simple but deadly.
And with that, the hunt to force a soul bone drop… had begun.