Douluo Dalu (Soul Land): Shadow Monarch

"I believe the poison in Mr. Dugu's body should be the inherited poison from your family's martial soul, the Jade Phosphor Serpent. This type of poison is passed down through generations, and it becomes more severe with each one."

"I have a way to help you get rid of it." Cheng Xiao met Dugu Bo's hopeful gaze and pondered, "Not just for you, but I can also cure Dugu Yan's poison. However, it might take some time."

"You brat, didn't you just claim confidently that you could cure the poison in my body?" Dugu Bo coldly stared at Cheng Xiao and said, "Are you trying to fool me?"

Hearing this, Cheng Xiao sighed helplessly and said, "Mr. Dugu, nothing is absolute. You want to get rid of the poison in your body, but you don't trust me. Besides, the timeframe I mentioned relates to the success rate of curing your poison."

"If you don't believe me, I can't do anything about it."

Seeing Dugu Bo's face darken, Cheng Xiao didn't waste words. He directly gave Dugu Bo the choice, knowing that the poisoned man wasn't him, so there was no rush on his end.

Moreover, Cheng Xiao knew that Dugu Bo couldn't be indifferent to his granddaughter's life. How old was Dugu Yan? She still had a bright future ahead of her.

In contrast, Dugu Bo had already lost his son to the Jade Phosphor Serpent's poison. Having buried his own child, it was impossible for him to watch his granddaughter go before him as well.

Dugu Bo had spent his life mastering poison, yet he was helpless against the lethal poison in his own body. How tragic was that? Perhaps he had tried many ways to rid himself of the poison, only to end up with more suffering.

Over time, he had given up.

"Your name is Cheng Xiao, right? If you really can help me remove the poison in my body, you've seen my medicine garden. Many herbs here, even I don't recognize. If you need any of them, feel free to take them." Realizing he could no longer wait, Dugu Bo's face, initially fluctuating between anger and calm, eventually settled into composure. He clasped his hands behind his back, his voice much more peaceful.

"So, boy, what solution do you have to get rid of the poison in my body?"

"The simplest method is to transfer all the poison in your body into a spirit bone. A spirit bone is a non-living object, so the poison won't backfire on your body. In this way, the problem of the poison in your body can be solved."

"However, though this method is simple, it carries many risks and can only be used as a temporary solution. It's not a permanent fix."

"Spirit bones, although rare, come in varying qualities, and their capacity to store poison is limited. No one knows how much poison it can hold."

"Also, the Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor is different from the regular Jade Phosphor Serpent. The poison in your body is extremely corrosive. If all the poison, which keeps regenerating in your body, is transferred into the spirit bone over time, it's uncertain whether the bone will hold."

"Moreover, when you use the spirit bone's abilities, if the bone isn't strong enough and the poison leaks, that's when things get dangerous. No one knows if the spirit bone will cause more problems in the end."

"But don't worry too much. Using the spirit bone as a temporary solution can at least reduce your suffering and save you from the unbearable pain when the poison acts up."

As soon as Cheng Xiao finished, Dugu Bo couldn't help but interrupt, "Boy, your solution is to have me temporarily use a spirit bone? What about the long-term solution?"

"Ah, Mr. Dugu, there's no need to rush. As the saying goes, you eat a meal one bite at a time and solve problems one step at a time. The matter of removing the poison from your body can't be rushed," Cheng Xiao wagged his finger, smiling as he said, "Of course, if you're really impatient, I do have a method to completely get rid of the poison. But in that case, your prized poison skills will be completely lost."

"What? What kind of solution is that? I've spent my life mastering poison, and now you're telling me that to cure the poison, I have to give up my poison skills?" Staring at Cheng Xiao's calm face, Dugu Bo was furious. To lose his poison skills would be worse than death. After all, what was the point of being titled the Poison Douluo if he couldn't use poison anymore? Wouldn't that just make him an ordinary old man? Dugu Bo was mentally torn, trapped in a dilemma.

He could either use the spirit bone temporarily, with the risk that it might fail, or he could give up his poison skills and ensure his survival.

The first option seemed better at first glance, but who could guarantee it wouldn't lead to problems? Dugu Bo was faced with a tough gamble—if he lost, it meant death.

As Dugu Bo pondered his choices, Cheng Xiao glanced around and thought to himself, "Looks like I'll need my cheap teacher to come here. With Chrysanthemum Douluo's eye for herbs, he should be able to identify these immortal grasses. Otherwise, even if I pick them, I wouldn't know which one is which."

"Boy, isn't there a better solution?" After a moment of thought, Dugu Bo still felt uneasy and asked in a low voice.

"There is, but you'll have to wait." Cheng Xiao looked Dugu Bo in the eye and smiled.

"How long will I have to wait?" Dugu Bo frowned.

"Well, probably around ten years or so," Cheng Xiao said thoughtfully, rubbing his chin.

"Ten years!" Dugu Bo exclaimed, then waved his hand with resignation. "Fine, I'll trust you this once. I'll temporarily use the spirit bone."

"I have a head spirit bone. According to you, I should transfer the poison into it?"

"If you transfer the poison into your head spirit bone, you might as well prepare to die," Cheng Xiao glanced at Dugu Bo.

Hearing this, Dugu Bo froze and asked, "Then what should I do? I've traveled the continent for years and only managed to acquire one head spirit bone. Don't tell me you expect me to go hunting spirit beasts for more spirit bones?"

"The drop rate for spirit bones is low. If you really go hunting for them, the spirit beasts in the forest might be wiped out in a week." Cheng Xiao sighed.

"Then what should I do? Don't tell me I have to give up my poison skills?" Dugu Bo asked, puzzled.

"Don't rush. Let me think for a bit." Cheng Xiao waved his hand and sat down on the ground, beginning to contemplate.

His shadow power wasn't like Tang San's Mysterious Heaven Skill, which could help remove some of Dugu Bo's poison and allow him to transfer it into a spirit bone. Shadow power, while beneficial to him, was destructive to others.

After all, shadow power was primarily used by the Shadow Monarch to control the dead, turning them into shadow soldiers. This powerful ability wasn't exactly suited for healing.