Douluo Continent: Martial Soul Young Gilas, Sandstorm King!

Dugu Yan stared intently at the Pure Lotus Token, feeling the pure and icy aura it emitted. The Jade Phosphorous Serpent Martial Soul within her body even sent a trace of instinctive desire and comfort through her!

Her grandfather and she herself suffered greatly from the backlash of their martial spirits, so she knew the value of this item better than anyone else!
The chips Lin Xia threw out hit her deepest desires and heaviest burdens with pinpoint accuracy.

The resistance and wariness on her face melted away like ice and snow, replaced by intense struggle and wavering.

After a full dozen breaths, she slowly exhaled a breath carrying a venomous stench, her emerald green snake eyes staring directly at Lin Xia, her voice dry yet resolute:

"City Lord...impressive methods. My grandfather...is indeed not in Tiandou City at the moment."

Lin Xia remained calm, waiting for what was to come.

Dugu Yan bit her lip and continued:
“But I know a secluded villa he frequents. I can take you there to wait. However…”

“Grandpa has a strange temper. I can’t guarantee whether I’ll see you or when I’ll see you. I can only lead the way.”

"It's alright."

Lin Xia put away the Pure Lotus Token, her expression indifferent.

"Just lead the way. Once you see him, I'll handle the rest."

Knowing the location, he has plenty of ways to make that reclusive Poison Douluo show himself.

The immortal herb and the opportunity to solve Dugu Bo's own toxin problem are the best stepping stones.

Dugu Yan gave Lin Xia a deep look and said nothing more. She turned around, and the illusory image of the Azure Phosphorous Serpent Martial Soul reappeared. The surrounding poisonous mist seemed to be guided and converged towards her, forming a relatively clear path.

"Come with me."

After Dugu Yan finished speaking, the illusory image of the Azure Phosphorous Serpent surged around her, and the dense poisonous mist gathered towards her as if it were alive, tearing open a narrow passage in the hazy, pale purple miasma.

She stepped in first, her figure in a dark green outfit appearing and disappearing in the poisonous fog.

Lin Xia remained calm, her blue robe fluttering as she followed closely behind, ignoring the sweet, pungent smell that was enough to make ordinary soul masters dizzy and suffocate.

The two remained silent the entire way.

Dugu Yan maintained a half-body lead, her emerald green snake eyes warily scanning the path, the dark green soul power swirling between her fingers acting as a beacon, constantly correcting the direction of the poisonous fog.

Lin Xia could clearly feel the tense fluctuations of her soul power—it was an instinctive wariness towards him, and even more so, an anxiety about facing her eccentric grandfather.

A slight smile crossed Lin Xia's mind.

He understood Dugu Yan's caution, after all, the Poison Douluo's fearsome reputation and aloofness had long been deeply ingrained in people's minds.

But in his view, this precaution was somewhat of an overreaction.

Although Lin Xia's methods are ruthless, he is not a person who kills indiscriminately; and if Dugu Bo, a titled Douluo, could be easily outmaneuvered, it would be a waste of his reputation as the "Poison King".

The toxic fog thickened, and the environment became increasingly dangerous.

Beneath their feet lay a viscous black swamp, from which swirling, eerie green foam of poisonous miasma occasionally rose.

The jagged rocks are covered with slippery, dark green moss, their grotesque shapes resembling lurking giant beasts.

The sweet, fishy smell in the air was so strong it was pungent; an ordinary soul master probably wouldn't last ten breaths here.

Lin Xia, however, moved as if on flat ground. As her soul power flowed within her body, she quietly dissolved the invading toxins into nothingness.

Dugu Yan occasionally caught a glimpse of his leisurely stroll out of the corner of her eye, and her emerald eyes showed even deeper apprehension—this man was unfathomable and far more than just a city lord.

About an incense stick's time later, the view ahead suddenly opened up.

The toxic fog forms a huge vortex-shaped barrier here, but at the center is a relatively dry open space.

In the center of the open space stood a massive, jet-black rock shaped like a coiled snake. Wisps of dark green emanated from its crevices, clearly indicating its potent poison. Beneath the rock lay a natural stone platform, smooth as a mirror.

"This is it."

Dugu Yan stopped and turned to face Lin Xia, her voice deliberately calm.

“Grandpa set up a sensory barrier in this Snake Coil Rock area, so no fluctuation of soul power can escape his notice. This is one of his most frequent meditation spots.”

She took a deep breath, the pungent smell of poison revealing her inner turmoil.

"Lord Lin, please wait here for a moment."

Lin Xia nodded slightly, her gaze sweeping over the snake-coiled rock that exuded a dangerous aura. She thought to herself that this was in line with Dugu Bo's temperament—even the place where he stood carried a sinister metaphor.

Dugu Yan walked to the stone platform and squeezed out a drop of essence blood with a faint green luster from her fingertip.

The moment the blood dripped onto the stone platform, it did not spread; instead, it meandered and writhed like a living thing, outlining a complex serpentine rune.

The moment the rune took shape, an invisible wave spread out from the stone platform, merging into the churning poisonous mist around it, like a pebble thrown into a lake.

"I have used a bloodline secret technique to send out a signal requesting an audience, unique to the Azure Phosphorous Serpent Martial Soul."

Dugu Yan withdrew her finger, her face slightly pale, clearly indicating that the action had taken a considerable toll. She stepped back a few paces to Lin Xia's side, maintaining a safe distance, her tone carrying an undeniable aloofness.

“If Grandpa is nearby, he will surely sense it. I cannot guarantee when he will appear or whether he will be willing to see you. Lord City Lord, you only need to wait here.”

She emphasized the word "wait," her emerald eyes fixed on Lin Xia, her wariness evident in her expression.

Lin Xia didn't take her wariness to heart and smiled calmly.

"Thank you for your trouble."

Instead of heading towards the stone platform, he casually found a piece of poisonous rock with relatively flat edges, swept away the slippery moss on its surface with his sleeve, and sat down peacefully.

His posture was relaxed, as if he were in his own backyard, rather than in this terrifying and poisonous place.

Time passed in deathly silence. Only the poisonous fog surged silently, and the occasional rustling of poisonous insects crawling from the depths of the swamp added to the eeriness.

Dugu Yan stood tall, like a taut poisonous weed, her soul power contained within, constantly alert to Lin Xia's movements, and also wary of her grandfather who might appear at any moment.

Her mind raced with thoughts.

The bargaining chip Lin Xia offered—the Pure Lotus Token that could alleviate the backlash of her martial soul—was indeed an irresistible temptation for her and her grandfather.

But Grandpa had an eccentric personality and hated being schemed against or coerced.

If Lin Xia makes any unusual move or shows any impatience at this moment, she may anger her grandfather and cause all her previous efforts to be in vain.

Lin Xia, however, seemed to have read her mind.

He did not urge him or try to investigate; he simply closed his eyes to rest.

The woman in green remained calm and composed amidst the poisonous fog, her aura almost completely concealed.

Only occasionally, unconsciously, would his fingertips rub the storage soul tool—containing a key to unlocking the door of a Title Douluo.

He waited, like the most patient hunter, waiting for his prey to step onto the predetermined path. The gears of the exchange of interests had already begun to turn.

He was certain that, faced with the opportunity to resolve the backlash from the poisonous martial souls of himself and his granddaughter, and with the immortal herb manual he had been craving through his lifelong study of poison and medicine, that reclusive Poison Douluo would surely come.

Deep within the poisonous fog, a chilling, obscure, and terrifying aura, a paradox of decay and rebirth, like an ancient venomous dragon awakening, was quietly spreading, locking onto the Snake Coil Rock area. (End of Chapter)