The first rays of morning sunlight streamed through the windowsill.
Yu Tianyan's teasing voice broke the quiet. "Sis, I thought you were gonna bully me. Don't you see how old I am now?"
A jade hand smacked his forehead. "Bully you, you little brat? Getting cocky again, huh?" Liu Erlong said.
Yu Tianyan winced, grinning through the pain. "Ouch, harsh!"
Dugu Bo's eyes turned cold. He knew Yu Tianyan wasn't one to talk nonsense, but his words were bold. "Who do you think you are, kid? Why should we trust you? And who's this person you say can fix the poison in our bodies? No one's better at poison than me!" Dugu Yan snapped, not holding back.
"Yanyan!" Dugu Bo barked. He noticed Liu Erlong's dangerous glare and didn't want to upset her or Yu Tianyan. After all, they were his hope for a cure.
"Go ahead and act tough," Yu Tianyan said. "Give me five years, and I'll show you."
"Fine, I'll absorb your heart fire and put my life in your hands," Dugu Yan said, her voice firm despite her mixed feelings for someone else.
Dugu Bo's eyes narrowed. Seeing Liu Erlong's blank face, he sighed, frustrated. "Forget it. You kids sort this out yourselves."
Yu Tianyan sparked his heart fire again, tilting his head. "Let me handle Yanyan first, then I'll absorb this heart fire."
Dugu Bo tried to lighten the mood, but Yu Tianyan chuckled helplessly. "Senior, refining this heart fire isn't easy. This is my last strand, built up over years. If both you and Yanyan absorb it, I can't make another for at least four months with my current strength."
The three were stunned. Even Yu Tianyan was impressed by Dugu Bo's boldness.
Dugu Bo didn't fully trust that Yu Tianyan could find this mysterious person, so he chose to absorb the heart fire now to test it for his granddaughter. If no one came, Yanyan could either die, stay with Yu Tianyan forever, or absorb the heart fire and let him control her life.
"Grandpa, no! We can't take his heart fire!" Dugu Yan cried, watching the transparent flame flicker in Yu Tianyan's hand.
Dugu Bo patted her head gently. "Yanyan, we can't bet on some mystery person. Our lives aren't ours anymore. We either die from the poison or rely on this kid forever. What's the difference if he holds our lives?"
He wrapped his soul power around the heart fire, guiding it toward himself. The thought of its intense heat exploding inside him made him nervous, but he gritted his teeth and pushed his soul power forward.
Dugu Bo fumed. "Why didn't you warn me about this sooner? Damn it, why should I worry? Give me more strands!"
Ten minutes passed.
Dugu Yan's words were sharp but made sense. Dugu Bo doubted anyone on the continent could outdo his poison skills. He sighed. "Kid, it's not that I don't trust you, but how can you promise this person exists?"
He took Dugu Yan to the new campus.
"Tianyan, is this person real?" Liu Erlong asked. Who'd want to depend on someone forever if there was another way?
Yu Tianyan stood awkwardly, rubbing his head. After Liu Erlong packed, they left the room.
Dugu Bo glanced at Liu Erlong's helpless expression, feeling uneasy.
Yu Tianyan broke the silence. "Senior Dugu, I'm gonna be blunt. I can't be with Dugu Yan. I hope you get that."
Liu Erlong didn't let him off easy. She shoved him off the bed, blushing. "The sun's up, and you're still lazing around? I'm starving!"
The four sat quietly around the table—like they were ready for a mahjong game in another life.
Dugu Yan glanced at Yu Tianyan, her face a mix of frustration and resentment.
Dugu Bo's blunt words shocked Yu Tianyan and Liu Erlong. The old man was cunning but calm, fully aware of his and his granddaughter's situation.
Dugu Yan lowered her head, eyes burning with resolve.
Yu Tianyan blinked, confused. "Senior, what's wrong with me?"
He sank back into Liu Erlong's warm hug, staying still.
"I can't make guarantees. It's up to you to trust me," Yu Tianyan said, staring at Dugu Bo fearlessly.
"My first plan is this heart fire. It can burn the toxins in your body, keeping you safe for life. But the catch? Your life's in my hands. I can control it anytime. That's why I kept it quiet, Senior."
Dugu Bo started to leave with Dugu Yan, not mentioning the soul bone.
"Wait, Senior!" Yu Tianyan called.
"Why absorb the heart fire now? If I can't bring that person in a few years, you can still do it then."
Dugu Bo smiled, liking the kid's honesty. He was relieved but saw no chance for Yu Tianyan and Yanyan. "I get it. I'm absorbing it now because of you."
Dugu Yan chimed in. "Yeah, Grandpa, Dean, how could I be with this annoying kid?"
The process went smoothly. Under Yu Tianyan's watch, Dugu Bo didn't dare move. The fusion took twenty minutes.
"Senior, don't cultivate the heart fire past 40%, or it'll stir up your desires and make you lose control," Yu Tianyan warned, remembering Huang Yuan's struggle.
Dugu Bo scoffed. "I'm old. I don't have those urges."
Yu Tianyan exhaled, his palms warming as a faint flame rose—the last of his heart fire, refined over years.
His emerald-green soul power wrapped around the heart fire, stronger than what Jing Ling and the others used.
Dugu Bo and Dugu Yan fell silent. They weren't ordinary soul masters—how could they hand their lives to someone else?
"What's the second plan, kid?" Dugu Bo asked, hope and madness in his eyes.
Yu Tianyan gritted his teeth. "Give me three to four years. I'll bring someone who can fix the toxins."
Liu Erlong smiled, recognizing the heart fire.
Dugu Bo thought, *As expected.* "Fine, tell me what to do."
After breakfast, Dugu Bo walked slowly, followed by a weary Dugu Yan, her eyes red from crying.
"Sis, you doubted me? Didn't you say last night you'd never doubt me, even if the sky fell, and you'd love me forever?" Yu Tianyan teased.
Liu Erlong blushed, rolling her eyes. "Focus on Dugu Bo's issue. I'm off to prep for the Star Dou Forest trip."
"Kid, what else? I've got to train with my granddaughter," Dugu Bo grumbled.
Dugu Bo had told Dugu Yan about an engagement, but she refused, even with her toxin problem. He'd hoped Yu Tianyan's acceptance would soften her over time, but Yu Tianyan firmly rejected it, and Liu Erlong stayed silent, leaving him frustrated.
Yu Tianyan tossed the heart fire into his stomach, watching closely.
Flames flickered in his eyes as he pushed the Fallen Heart Flame to merge with Dugu Bo's body.
He ignored Dugu Bo's attitude—normal for a protective grandfather. After his talk with Liu Erlong last night, Yu Tianyan made a choice he might regret. He said, "Senior, I've got two ways to fully fix your martial soul toxins. Interested?"
"You'll make a mark on this continent. I don't know how long I'll live, but Yanyan's young. I need a protector for her. I trust you're not ungrateful. If I'm gone, will you look after her, kid?" Dugu Bo said gravely.
Dugu Bo approached heavily.
Yu Tianyan pulled back the heart fire. "Fine, I trust you, but I'll be careful. Go ahead, absorb it."
Liu Erlong rolled her eyes. *What kind of nonsense is this? Who'd believe it?*
But Dugu Bo did. Despite Dugu Yan's protests, he said grimly, "Go ahead."
Yu Tianyan muttered, *Stubborn old man,* but continued. "Senior, don't underestimate this heart fire. Even without certain urges, it can stir laziness, greed, or bloodlust. Everyone's got a dark side. Overdo it, and it's trouble."
"You, born with full soul power, hitting level 30 or higher before 11, able to gain soul bones endlessly, with a sister near Titled Douluo status," Dugu Bo said.
Dugu Yan slumped into his arms.
"Senior, wrap it with your soul power and swallow it. I'll handle the rest. But don't resist my soul power or mental strength. Your cultivation's too high—if you fight it, the heart fire could explode in you."
Dugu Bo nodded seriously. "Got it. No more than 40%."
"Hey, Senior, one more thing," Yu Tianyan said with a sly grin.
Dugu Bo laughed. "Trying to use me right after I absorbed your heart fire, huh?"
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