Chapter 59: The Mighty Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor's Poison - Chrysanthemum Douluo Defeated, Ghost Douluo Appears

"Ha ha, what's wrong, Old Chrysanthemum? Is this all you've got?" Seeing himself gaining the upper hand, Dugu Bo began to taunt. "Despicable! You old venomous creature, don't get cocky. I'm not serious yet. Third Soul Skill: Aura Barrier!" Chrysanthemum Douluo unleashed his third soul skill, Aura Barrier, a control-type ability. Petals from his Chrysanthemum surrounded his opponent, immobilizing them. Although this move wasn't very effective against Dugu Bo, who had already reached the Title Douluo level, it was enough to restrict him momentarily. Using that instant, Chrysanthemum Douluo quickly retreated and created some distance between them. Chrysanthemum Douluo wasn't a close-combat fighter by nature. With his soul power approaching level 95, the most effective strategy was to suppress Dugu Bo with superior soul power. "Old Chrysanthemum, is this the best you can do—using such petty tricks against me? Are you out of options?" Dugu Bo, far less flustered than in the original story, mocked coldly. In the original story, Dugu Bo had just reached level 92, while Yue Guan was between level 94 and 95. Yue Guan even claimed to be a level 95 Title Douluo, and the three-level gap in soul power left Dugu Bo heavily suppressed. But now, with the aid of the Purple Gold Pill and Tianlin's Holy Breath Domain over the past half year, Dugu Bo's soul power had reached the late stage of level 93. The actual level gap between him and Yue Guan was less than two levels. Moreover, with his enhanced Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor's Poison, Dugu Bo was confident in facing Yue Guan head-on. "Old Chrysanthemum, prepare to die! Seventh Soul Skill: Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor Avatar!" Dugu Bo finally unleashed his Martial Soul Avatar. His entire body transformed into a gigantic, emerald-green venomous serpent. Wherever the serpent passed, all plants withered instantly, a testament to the terrifying potency of its poison. "Hmph, Martial Soul Avatar? I have one too! Seventh Soul Skill!" Seeing this, Yue Guan also activated his Martial Soul Avatar. As a Tool Soul Master, Yue Guan's avatar didn't alter his body but directly transformed the Chrysanthemum. In the sky, an enormous chrysanthemum blotted out the sun, covering a vast expanse of forest. "Sixth Soul Skill: Golden Stamen Radiance!" Yue Guan unleashed his sixth soul skill after activating his Martial Soul Avatar. Its power was earth-shattering, capable of leveling several miles of terrain if it struck the ground directly. "Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor Poison!" Dugu Bo countered with his full soul power, clashing against Yue Guan's sixth soul skill. The two powerful forces stalemated mid-air, neither able to gain the upper hand for a moment. "You old poison, you've indeed grown stronger. But my level still surpasses yours! Take this!" Yue Guan roared, increasing the output of his soul power. The radiance of the Golden Stamen continued to grow, gradually suppressing Dugu Bo's poison. Dugu Bo remained calm, seemingly struggling but inwardly confident of victory. "This old poison... why is he so calm? Wait, something's wrong!" After a while, Yue Guan finally noticed the anomaly. Though he seemed to have the upper hand, he hadn't inflicted any real damage on Dugu Bo. On the contrary, his Martial Soul was gradually being tainted by poison. "My Martial Soul is being corroded?! How is this possible?" Yue Guan exclaimed in disbelief. "Ha ha, you've finally noticed, Old Chrysanthemum. Your soul power indeed surpasses mine, but you overlooked one crucial thing—Martial Soul suppression. We poison-type soul masters naturally counter many plant-type soul masters. Did you forget that?" Dugu Bo sneered. "Impossible! That only applies to ordinary plant-based Martial Souls. My Martial Soul is a immortal-grade one!" Yue Guan roared. Indeed, the Singular Sky Velvet Chrysanthemum, as a immortal-grade Martial Soul, was not only powerful but also highly resistant to poison. When facing poison-type soul masters, Yue Guan could even turn the tables and suppress them. It was precisely because of this trait that Yue Guan had always dominated Dugu Bo in the past. However, resistance wasn't immunity. Once the Singular Sky Velvet Chrysanthemum's anti-poison threshold was breached, the natural suppression of poison-type soul masters over plant-based Martial Souls would manifest, corroding the opponent's Martial Soul and rendering it useless in battle. Ever since Dugu Bo infused his poison into the Medusa Soul Bone, the combination had elevated his Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor's Poison to a new level. Coupled with the soul power purification brought by the Purple Gold Pill, every attack Dugu Bo unleashed now carried the most potent and concentrated poison. By deliberately prolonging the battle and forcing a clash of powerful soul skills, Dugu Bo continuously infused his poison into Yue Guan's Singular Sky Velvet Chrysanthemum, slowly corroding it. "You old poison! You lured me into a trap! How despicable!" As his Martial Soul was corroded and his strength weakened, Yue Guan finally realized Dugu Bo's scheme and roared in anger. "All's fair in war, Old Chrysanthemun. Today is the day you die." Dugu Bo increased his soul power output. The Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor's Poison began to gain the upper hand, pushing back the Golden Stamen's radiance. At this rate, Yue Guan would undoubtedly perish. At this critical moment, a massive ghostly hand suddenly appeared between the two. The ghostly hand clenched into a fist and struck the point where their soul powers clashed, forcing both Yue Guan and Dugu Bo to retreat. The ghostly hand had sided with Yue Guan. If it hadn't interrupted the battle, Yue Guan might have already fallen. "A ghostly shadow and no soul rings... Hmph, Old Ghost, so it's you!" Dugu Bo snorted coldly, immediately guessing the newcomer's identity. The ghostly shadow gradually coalesced into a human form, standing beside Chrysanthemum Douluo. "Old Ghost, you're here too!" Yue Guan's eyes lit up with joy as he looked at the newcomer, a hint of affection in his gaze. Their relationship was clearly anything but ordinary. "Old Chrysanthemum, you're really useless. You can't even handle an old poison," Ghost Douluo mocked. From Ghost Douluo's tone, it was clear his strength surpassed Yue Guan's. "This old poison's Martial Soul counters mine. Otherwise, I could have crushed him with sheer soul power," Yue Guan said begrudgingly. "Hmph, his Martial Soul may counter yours, but it doesn't counter mine. Let me take care of him. After I kill him, we can go back and drink together." Ghost Douluo spoke, then disappeared in a flash, darting toward Dugu Bo. Ghost Douluo's speed far exceeded Yue Guan's. Unlike Yue Guan, a power-type Douluo, Ghost Douluo was an agility-type Douluo. For a moment, Dugu Bo found himself overwhelmed, unable to retaliate effectively. Ghost Douluo's attacks were too unpredictable, leaving Dugu Bo unsure where to deploy his poison. Dugu Bo thought to himself, "Damn it, this Old Ghost is truly formidable. If this continues, I'm no match for him. Once Old Chrysanthemum recovers and joins the fight, I'll be surrounded by two Title Douluo. My life will be over. In that case, I have no choice but to..."