"Old Poison, what's the meaning of this? We've invited you to join Spirit Hall so many times, but you always refused, claiming you didn't like being constrained. And now, you've joined the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan!" Ghost Douluo was truly enraged this time. He could no longer maintain his composure or his usual demeanor. At this moment, he didn't care about appearances at all—he simply wanted to know why Dugu Bo had made this choice. If he didn't find out, it would continue to gnaw at him.
With Dugu Bo's addition, the strength of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan wouldn't just increase by a small margin.
Although Dugu Bo's individual combat ability wasn't particularly strong, his prowess in group battles was terrifying. The usual tactic of overwhelming numbers was meaningless against him. Perhaps in the past, he couldn't defeat other Titled Douluos one-on-one. But on a battlefield, he could easily wipe out everyone except the Titled Douluos themselves.
Moreover, with the Snow Swan Kiss in his possession, Dugu Bo's strength had risen to an entirely new level. Ordinary Titled Douluos below rank 95 could no longer avoid being poisoned by him.
"Well, I had no choice," Dugu Bo said with a wry smile, pointing at Tianlin as he continued. "This little monster over here said he'd take care of me in my old age. I thought about it and realized I'm not getting any younger. My granddaughter Yan'er will get married someday, so I figured it's time to find a place to settle down and enjoy my later years. That's why I agreed to this little monster's offer." His face softened with an elder's fondness as he looked at Tianlin.
"It's you again!" Ghost Douluo glared venomously at Tianlin. If this weren't the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, he might have unleashed his Titled Douluo strength then and there to kill him.
Sensing his murderous intent, Chenxin, Gu Rong, Dugu Bo, and Yin Yang—four Titled Douluos in total—stepped in front of Tianlin simultaneously. If Ghost Douluo dared to make a move, they would not hesitate to tear him apart.
The younger generation looked on with both awe and envy. To be protected by four Titled Douluos—what kind of treatment was this?
Ghost Douluo had no choice but to suppress his fury, although he made a mental note of today's events. Tianlin was now firmly on his hit list.
With Ghost Douluo no longer causing trouble, the crowd returned to the Seven Treasure Hall, and Yin Yang's Titled Douluo inauguration ceremony was completed. His title: Thunderhawk.
After the ceremony, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan invited all their guests to a banquet. However, the Spirit Hall representatives were in no mood to eat. With a flick of his sleeve, Ghost Douluo prepared to leave without even saying goodbye.
Just as they were about to depart, Yu Yuanzhen suddenly stood up.
"Old Ghost, don't leave just yet. I have something to announce today, and since Spirit Hall is here, I'd like to ask you to bear witness."
Ghost Douluo turned back with a frown. "Old Dragon, what are you up to now?"
Yu Yuanzhen chuckled. "Tianheng, bring it out."
"Yes!" Yu Tianheng retrieved a jewel-encrusted box from his soul tool. Even the exquisite exterior hinted at the extraordinary value of its contents.
As Tianheng approached, his face was filled with excitement. Tianlin, observing this, realized that what Yu Yuanzhen was about to announce had to do with him.
"Could it be…?" Tianlin guessed, feeling genuinely happy for Tianheng.
"Sect Master Ning, Senior Dugu," Yu Tianheng began, stepping forward. "This is a betrothal gift from this junior. I have long admired Miss Dugu Yan, Senior Dugu's granddaughter. Today, I humbly ask for Senior Dugu's blessing to marry her."
He continued with a solemn vow, "I, Yu Tianheng, swear on my martial soul that I shall never betray Yan'er in this lifetime. If I do, may my martial soul shatter and my life end in ruin!"
His declaration was resolute, and he looked expectantly at Ning Fengzhi and Dugu Bo.
The crowd erupted into murmurs. If Dugu Bo, now part of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, agreed to this proposal, it would mean an alliance between the second and third most powerful clans in the world.
This kind of union would undoubtedly make even Spirit Hall and the number one clan, the Clear Sky Clan, wary.
"Sect Master Ning, Old Poison, look at my grandson. Although he's not as outstanding as Tianlin, he's still a rare talent. He and Dugu Yan are deeply in love. Why not grant them your blessing?" Yu Yuanzhen said with a smile.
Ning Fengzhi replied, "I have no objections. Since this is about Senior Dugu's granddaughter, it's naturally up to him." His words indicated his consent.
"Hmph!" Dugu Bo snorted coldly. He couldn't help but dislike Yu Tianheng for wanting to take his precious granddaughter away. But there was nothing he could do—his granddaughter had already chosen him.
"If you want to marry my granddaughter, you must fulfill two conditions. First, prove your talent. Reach rank 45 soul power before the age of 20. Second, gain Yan'er's consent. I will not force her to marry someone she doesn't like."
"Thank you, Senior Dugu!" Yu Tianheng was overjoyed. Dugu Bo's conditions, while tough for most, were a breeze for him.
He was already at rank 38. Gaining seven more levels in a few years was no problem at all.
As for the second condition, he and Dugu Yan were already deeply in love.
"Congratulations, Brother Tianheng!" Tianlin and the members of the Emperor Team stepped forward to congratulate him.
Meanwhile, Ning Rongrong and Ye Lingling surrounded Dugu Yan, who was blushing furiously—a stark contrast to her usual confident demeanor.
But she was happy. Yu Tianheng had proposed to her in front of so many people and so many Titled Douluos. It was incredibly romantic.
"Haha, this is wonderful! Tianheng, open the box and present the betrothal gift to Sect Master Ning and Senior Dugu," Yu Yuanzhen said with a laugh.
"Yes!" Yu Tianheng opened the box as instructed.
In that instant, a radiant purple light, reminiscent of amethyst, burst from the box. The powerful soul masters present could even feel the immense soul power emanating from within.
As the light faded, everyone could finally see its contents—a purple skull.
"A head soul bone!" The crowd was stunned. It was yet another priceless treasure.
"Unlike certain people who offer mediocre thousand-year soul bones as gifts," Yu Yuanzhen said pointedly, "this head soul bone came from a 50,000-year Poison Electric Salamander that our clan elders hunted. Unfortunately, this soul bone only inherited the Poison attribute and not the Electric attribute, so it wasn't suitable for our clan. But today, it has found its rightful owner."
The Poison Electric Salamander, an amphibian resembling a lizard, was a sub-dragon species of soul beast.
With its poison attribute, dragon lineage, 50,000-year age, and being a head soul bone, this treasure was truly priceless.
Compared to the soul bones Spirit Hall had presented earlier, this one completely outclassed them.
"Old Dragon, I accept your sincerity. I trust you'll treat my Yan'er well in the future," Dugu Bo finally relented.
The fact that Yu Tianheng was willing to offer such a treasure as a betrothal gift showed how much he valued Dugu Yan. With his talent and their mutual affection, Dugu Bo could no longer find a reason to refuse.