Chapter 59: The Mighty Jade Serpent King's Poison, Chrysanthemum Douluo's Defeat, Ghost Douluo's Appearance - Douluo's spirit bead sword

Chapter 59: The Mighty Jade Serpent King's Poison, Chrysanthemum Douluo's Defeat, Ghost Douluo's Appearance "Ha, what's the matter, Chrysanthemum Guan? Is this all you’ve got?" Dugu Bo taunted, seeing he had the upper hand. "Damn you, old poison! Don't get too cocky, I haven't been serious yet. Third Soul Skill, Aura Barrier!" Chrysanthemum Douluo unleashed his third soul skill, Aura Barrier, a control skill that released petals from the Qirong Tongtian Chrysanthemum to encircle and immobilize his opponent. Though not highly effective against a Titled Douluo of Dugu Bo's caliber, it sufficed to briefly restrict him, allowing Chrysanthemum Douluo to rapidly retreat and create distance between them. Chrysanthemum Douluo was not a Titled Douluo adept at close combat, after all. With his spirit power nearing level ninety-five, the best strategy was to suppress Dugu Bo with superior spirit power. "Chrysanthemum Guan, resorting to such small tricks against me? Are you out of moves?" Dugu Bo was far less flustered than he'd been in the original story. Back then, he had only just reached level ninety-two, while Yue Guan was between ninety-four and ninety-five. Even claiming to be a level ninety-five Titled Douluo wasn’t off-mark. The spirit power gap was close to three levels, putting Dugu Bo at a severe disadvantage. However, now, after consuming the Zijin Pill and aided by the Holy Breath Barrier over the past six months, Dugu Bo's spirit power had reached late-stage level ninety-three. The actual gap with Yue Guan was less than two levels. Coupled with the more formidable Jade Serpent King's Poison, he was confident he could confront Yue Guan head-on. "Chrysanthemum Guan, prepare to die. Seventh Soul Skill, Jade Serpent King Avatar!" Dugu Bo unleashed his Martial Soul Avatar, transforming into a massive, jade-colored venomous serpent. Wherever the serpent slithered, every plant withered instantly, its toxicity truly astounding. "Hmph, Martial Soul Avatar, I have one too. Seventh Soul Skill!" Yue Guan, seeing this, activated his own Martial Soul Avatar. Being an artifact soul, his transformation didn’t alter his body but directly enhanced the Qirong Tongtian Chrysanthemum. In the sky, an enormous chrysanthemum blocked out the sun, covering a vast expanse of the forest. "Sixth Soul Skill, Golden Stamen Erupting Radiance!" Chrysanthemum Douluo unleashed his sixth soul skill, its power so immense it could flatten several miles if it struck the ground directly. "Jade Serpent King Poison!" Dugu Bo countered with all his spirit power against Yue Guan's sixth soul skill. The two formidable forces clashed mid-air, locked in a stalemate, unable to swiftly determine a victor. "Old poison, you've certainly grown stronger, but my rank always surpasses yours. Take this!" Yue Guan shouted, surging more spirit power into his attack. The radiance of Golden Stamen Erupting Radiance expanded, gradually suppressing Dugu Bo's poison. Dugu Bo said nothing more. Seemingly struggling to hold his ground, he was, in truth, confident of victory. "This old poison seems too calm... wait, something's wrong!" Yue Guan realized too late. He seemed advantaged, but in reality, he hadn’t truly harmed Dugu Bo. Instead, his Martial Soul began absorbing poison. “My Martial Soul… it's being corroded? How is this possible?” Yue Guan asked in disbelief. "Heh, finally noticed, Chrysanthemum Guan? Your spirit power indeed surpasses mine, but you’ve overlooked something crucial: martial soul restraint. As poison masters, we innately restrain many plant spirit masters. Didn’t you know?" Dugu Bo sneered. “Impossible! That applies to ordinary plant spirits. My spirit is a celestial one!” Yue Guan roared. Indeed, the Qirong Tongtian Chrysanthemum, being celestial, was not only powerful but also highly resistant to poison. Against poison masters, it usually had an advantage. Yet resistance was not immunity. Once the poison resistance threshold of the Qirong Tongtian Chrysanthemum was breached, the typical suppression poison masters exerted over plant spirit users began — corroding the opponent's plant martial soul to the point of incapacitation. Ever since Dugu Bo integrated his toxin into the Medusa Spirit Bone, melding the two, his Jade Serpent King Poison had reached a new pinnacle. With the addition of Zijin Pill purifying his spirit power, each of Dugu Bo’s attacks was imbued with pure, concentrated venom. He deliberately dragged the battle into a clash of powerful soul techniques to continuously output spirit power, gradually corroding Chrysanthemum Douluo’s Qirong Tongtian Chrysanthemum. “You wretched old poison, setting a trap for me — such despicability!” As his martial soul corroded, Chrysanthemum Douluo's power weakened, and he roared in realization. "All’s fair in war, Chrysanthemum Guan. Today is your last." Dugu Bo intensified his spirit power output. The Jade Serpent King began gaining the upper hand, steadily pushing back the radiance of Golden Stamen Erupting Radiance, leaving Chrysanthemum Douluo on the brink of death. In this critical moment, a massive ghostly hand appeared between them. Forming a fist, it struck the clash of soul powers, forcefully separating Yue Guan and Dugu Bo. The ghostly hand clearly sided with Yue Guan. Without its intervention, Yue Guan might have perished under Dugu Bo's advantage. "A ghostly shadow without rings? Hmph! Old ghost, so you’re here too." Dugu Bo snorted, already guessing the newcomer's identity. The shadow coalesced into human form, standing beside Chrysanthemum Douluo. "Old ghost, you came too!" Chrysanthemum Douluo's eyes filled with delight, even slightly affectionate. These two clearly shared an unusual bond. “Chrysanthemum Guan, you're hopeless. You can't even handle an old poison,” Ghost Douluo mocked. His words suggested his strength exceeded even Yue Guan's. “Hmph, his martial soul restrains mine. Otherwise, I’d overpower him through spirit power alone,” Chrysanthemum Douluo grumbled. "Heh, his martial soul restrains you, but not me. Let me handle this. After we kill him, we can enjoy a feast," Ghost Douluo said, dashing toward Dugu Bo with lightning speed. His swiftness far surpassed Yue Guan’s. Unlike the assault-type Yue Guan, he specialized in speed attacks, forcing Dugu Bo into a passive stance. Ghost Douluo's attacks were so elusive that Dugu Bo struggled to determine where to direct his poison. Dugu Bo mused, "Damn, this old ghost is formidable. If this continues, I might not hold. Once Chrysanthemum Guan recovers and rejoins the fight, against two Titled Douluo, my fate will be sealed. If so, I must…”