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The afternoon sun hung low over the Heaven Dou Empire, but its warmth did not reach the grounds of Tianxing Academy. Instead, an unusual and heavy feeling of gloom hung over the school. High up on the back mountain, where the medicine garden of the Poison Douluo resided, a blue figure suddenly appeared. This person moved with great speed and did not wait for any announcement before rushing toward the private garden of Dugu Bo.
The man was Ning Fengzhi, the School Master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School. Normally, his face was calm, gentle, and full of grace. Today, however, he looked deeply worried. His brow was furrowed, and his eyes were filled with a panic he could not hide. He moved through the garden like a gust of wind until he reached the center of the medicine patches.
Poison Douluo, something terrible has happened! Ning Fengzhi cried out. His voice was thick with an urgency that was rare for a man of his status. He did not stop for polite greetings or small talk. He simply flashed across the grass and landed right next to Dugu Bo.
Dugu Bo was busy at that moment. He was leaning over a patch of rare medicinal herbs, carefully tending to them. When he heard the shouting, he frowned and stopped what he was doing. He set down his jade shovel and stood up slowly.
He turned around to face his visitor, and when he saw Ning Fengzhi's face, he knew this was not a social call. A man like Ning Fengzhi did not lose his cool over small problems. Something massive must have gone wrong.
School Master Ning, why are you so upset? Dugu Bo asked. His voice was deep and steady, trying to bring some calm to the situation.
Ning Fengzhi took a quick step forward. He leaned in close and lowered his voice, speaking with extreme seriousness. A huge change has happened inside the imperial palace! Emperor Xue Ye has suddenly fallen very ill.
His condition is critical, and he is currently unconscious. All of the imperial physicians have looked at him, but they are completely helpless. His Majesty's symptoms are very strange.
I don't think it is a normal sickness. I suspect he has been poisoned. In all of Heaven Dou City, no one knows more about using and fixing poisons than you do. I am begging you to come with me to the palace right now to see what is wrong with him!
Dugu Bo's eyes flashed with a sharp green light the moment he heard the news. He understood the situation instantly. If the Emperor was dying, the entire empire was in danger. When power at the top shifts suddenly, it usually leads to a lot of fighting and death. Tianxing Academy had very close ties to the Heaven Dou Royal Family, and Dugu Bo himself served as a Guest Elder to the empire. He knew he had to help.
Let's go. I will go with you and see what I can do, Dugu Bo said without any hesitation. He moved his body, and in a flash of green light, he took to the sky. Ning Fengzhi followed, and the two of them flew toward the heart of the capital.
Inside the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace, the atmosphere in Emperor Xue Ye's bedroom was so heavy it felt like it might suffocate anyone who entered. Strong incense burned in the corners, but it could not hide the faint, sour smell of a body failing.
Emperor Xue Ye lay on his massive bed. His skin was a pale, sickly grey color. His breathing was so thin and weak that he looked like a candle flame about to go out in a strong wind.
Dugu Bo did not waste time. He ordered everyone else to leave the room so he could work in peace. He stepped up to the bed and began a careful exam. First, he peeled back the Emperor's eyelids to check his eyes. Then, he took the man's pulse. Finally, he sent a small, careful thread of his own spirit power into the Emperor's body to feel what was happening inside. As he searched, his frown grew deeper and deeper.
After a long time, Dugu Bo pulled his hand away. His face was very grave, and he looked almost shocked.
How is he? Ning Fengzhi asked. He stepped forward, his eyes searching Dugu Bo's face for any sign of hope.
Dugu Bo let out a long, heavy breath. It isn't a sickness. It's poison, he said in a low voice. And it isn't just one poison. It is an extremely sneaky and complex mixed poison.
A mixed poison? Ning Fengzhi's heart sank. He felt a cold weight in his chest.
Yes, Dugu Bo nodded. At least three or more rare poisons have been mixed together. Their powers have combined to create a brand new, very strong poison. It is eating away at his organs and slowly draining his life force. The person who did this is an expert. This poison was hidden so well that nobody could see it until it started to kill him.
The way it was made is very strange. It has already moved into his bone marrow and reached every part of him. I cannot cure this. If I try to give him medicine now, it won't help. It might even make the poison work faster and kill him instantly.
Ning Fengzhi felt his body sway as if he might fall. If even the Poison Douluo, the greatest expert in the world, could not fix this, then who could? If Emperor Xue Ye died, the Heaven Dou Empire would fall into chaos. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School was tied to the empire's fate, and they would be sucked into the middle of the disaster.
Even you can't cure it? Then what are we supposed to do? Ning Fengzhi's voice shook just a little bit. For all his smart plans and wisdom, he felt completely helpless.
Dugu Bo stayed silent for a minute. His old, cloudy eyes seemed to think deeply. He looked up at Ning Fengzhi and spoke clearly. If there is anyone in this world who can fix this mixed poison, I think it is only one young man.
Who is it? Ning Fengzhi asked quickly.
Tang Chen, Dugu Bo said. That boy's knowledge of medicine is amazing. He is a true genius. His ideas are wild, and sometimes he thinks of things even I don't know. More importantly, he has many special herbs from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. Maybe he could use those to find a way to stop this poison.
Tang Chen! The hope in Ning Fengzhi's eyes came back like a bright flame. Yes, him! Where is he? I will go and find him myself right now!
But Dugu Bo shook his head, and the hope died just as fast as it had started. It's too late, Dugu Bo sighed. Not long ago, he sent a message saying he had something very important to do. He had to go back to the Star Dou Great Forest immediately. He didn't say when he would be back.
He went to the Star Dou Great Forest? And we don't know when he will return? Ning Fengzhi felt like his heart was falling. The only person who could save the Emperor was thousands of miles away. It was the same as him being dead. The room felt even heavier than before. Outside, dark clouds started to gather over the city. It looked like a giant storm was coming to wash over the empire.
Meanwhile, in another part of Heaven Dou City, people were gathered at the Moon Pavilion. In a quiet, private room on the top floor, the mood was just as serious. The soft music from the lower floors did not make the people inside feel any better.
Tang Xiao, the Master of the Clear Sky Sect, sat with his brother, Tang Hao. Tang Hao had only recently returned to the sect. With them were Tang Yuehua, who ran the pavilion, and the young genius Tang San. They were talking about what the family should do next.
Tang Hao's face looked old and tired from his years of hard living, but his eyes were bright again. He looked like the powerful Clear Sky Douluo once more. He sat quietly and listened as Tang Xiao talked about the world.
Spirit Hall is getting too powerful, Tang Xiao said. They are arrogant and have attacked two of the great sects already. Now that we have decided to open our sect again, we can't go back. We have to work closely with the Heaven Dou Empire if we want to stand a chance against them.
Suddenly, Tang Hao looked up. A sharp light filled his eyes, and he stood up. His tall body cast a long shadow across the table. Big Brother, you are right, he said. If we want to fight Spirit Hall, we need to be as strong as possible. But we can't just rely on our sect and the empire. We need our old friends. We need the brothers who were forced away because of our troubles!
He looked at everyone in the room and spoke firmly. It is time to bring back the Four Single-Attribute Families!