Ning Tianchen rolled his eyes at him, not wanting to expose the truth. "If people knew about your current achievements, what you said might actually be true. But decades ago, who would dare associate with someone who plays with poison?"
What if one day their relationship soured and traces of snake venom suddenly appeared on their belongings?
Dugu Bo's cheeks twitched slightly, looking somewhat awkward as he hastily changed the topic. "By the way, kid, if you don't like her, I can make Old Man Mengshu drop this idea."
Anyone with eyes could see that Mengshu simply wanted to use Meng Yiran to form a connection with the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect.
Ning Tianchen thought for a moment and said, "If things remain as they are, there's no need to worry. But if Mengshu tries something unconventional, then we'll need to teach him a lesson."
Dugu Bo nodded.
The two discussed many matters until late into the night before Dugu Bo finally left.
---
Inside the Beast Academy's rest area
Seeing Meng Yiran still awake, her gaze fixed on the window, Mengshu couldn't help but speak up. "Yiran, if you truly like him, go ahead and confess to him tomorrow."
Chao Tianxiang chimed in, "A woman pursuing a man is like lifting a thin veil. As long as you take the initiative, everything will fall into place naturally."
A faint blush rose to Meng Yiran's cheeks.
For days now, she had been closely following Ning Tianchen's matches. His strength and appearance both deeply attracted her.
"But… Ning Rongrong is by his side," Meng Yiran murmured softly.
Mengshu waved it off dismissively. "Which outstanding man doesn't have three or four wives? Ning Fengzhi himself is like that, so I doubt he'll impose restrictions on his future son-in-law. Yiran, some opportunities, once missed, won't come again."
Chao Tianxiang tugged at his sleeve. "Old man, this isn't going to resolve itself. Why don't we do something about it?"
Mengshu thought for a moment and agreed. "Yiran, go rest first. Grandpa and Grandma will think of a solution for you."
Once outside the tent,
Chao Tianxiang couldn't help but say, "Old man, having Yiran approach him directly seems inappropriate. What if she gets rejected? How will she save face then?"
Mengshu stroked his beard and sighed. "The promotion round will end soon. If we don't seize this opportunity during this period, by the time we reach the finals, they may never meet again."
The location of the promotion round was unique—contestants could only stay here and weren't allowed to leave. With all the teams crowded together on this mountain, interactions were frequent.
But in the finals, such conditions wouldn't exist.
Chao Tianxiang suggested, "In my opinion, why don't we arrange for Ning Tianchen and Yiran to 'accidentally' meet? If we create an opportunity for them to spend time alone, wouldn't that solve the problem?"
As for how to achieve that private meeting, the couple exchanged a knowing smile—everything was left unsaid.
Suddenly, a gentle breeze blew past, and the figure of Dugu Bo appeared before them.
Mengshu, sensing something amiss, immediately turned around, tightening his grip on his Dragon Staff while instinctively shielding Chao Tianxiang behind him.
"Who are you, and why are you here?"
Dugu Bo turned around, his gaze icy cold, with the serpent eyes of his Jade Phosphorus Serpent Emperor martial soul appearing behind him, exuding immense pressure.
"A Title Douluo—it's the Poison Douluo!" Dragon Duke Meng Shu exclaimed in shock.
After all, Dugu Bo was infamous across the continent. His presence here likely meant trouble for them.
Chao Tianxiang bowed respectfully. "May I ask what brings the Poison Douluo here at such a late hour? If we've offended you in any way, we're willing to make amends."
Dugu Bo slowly spoke, "I heard that you're plotting against Ning Tianchen?"
Earlier, he had been following this couple from behind.
If they had taken a normal approach to get Ning Tianchen to accept Meng Yiran, it wouldn't have been a problem.
But instead, they chose to resort to underhanded tactics.
Mengshu was puzzled—he had never heard of any connection between the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect and Dugu Bo.
Just as he was wondering, Dugu Bo spoke again. "Ning Tianchen is my brother. If you dare lay a hand on him, carefully consider whether your strength is enough to back you up."
"Otherwise, don't blame me for being merciless."
Mengshu quickly explained, "Lord Dugu, we have no grudge against Ning Tianchen, nor would we harm him. Could there be some misunderstanding?"
In his eyes, Ning Tianchen was already his future grandson-in-law—how could he harm his own family?
Dugu Bo sneered. "Don't think I don't know what you're planning. I have a granddaughter too, and no matter what, it's not your granddaughter's turn."
"That's all I have to say. Consider your own strength carefully. Don't die without even knowing why!"
He had practically spelled it out, and the Unrivaled Dragon Serpent couple naturally understood his meaning.
After Dugu Bo left, Chao Tianxiang said bitterly, "Old man, what should we do about Yiran?"
Dugu Bo had already issued a warning—if they dared to continue, it would be sheer foolishness.
Their Spirit Fusion Technique was said to rival a Title Douluo, but in reality, they stood no chance against a true Title Douluo.
Not to mention, Chao Tianxiang was only at the Soul Emperor level. In a fight, Dugu Bo could eliminate her in an instant.
Without the Spirit Fusion Technique, relying solely on Mengshu, how could they possibly stand up to Dugu Bo?
Knowing the consequences of engaging in battle, Mengshu naturally didn't dare provoke him. He said, "Between Yiran and Ning Tianchen, it's definitely impossible. However, this tournament has more than just Ning Tianchen as a genius."
"You mean… Tang San?" Chao Tianxiang asked.
Mengshu nodded. "Exactly. Tang San has twin martial souls, one of which is the Hao Tian Hammer. Most likely, he's the son of the Hao Tian Douluo. In terms of talent, he's slightly inferior to Ning Tianchen, but his background might even surpass Ning Tianchen's."
"Forming a connection with the Hao Tian Douluo would secure our family's future."
Though the Hao Tian Sect was currently in seclusion, there would inevitably come a day when they emerged again. At that time, the Dragon Serpent family could ride this wave to enter a phase of rapid development.
It was just a matter of waiting a few years.
"Old man, how should we explain this to Yiran?"
Initially, they hadn't paid attention to Tang San. Suddenly asking Meng Yiran to switch to another husband-to-be wouldn't seem too frivolous?
Mengshu thought for a moment and said, "First, let Yiran give up on Ning Tianchen. Then, slowly guide her to pay attention to Tang San's performance."
---
The next day, the matches continued as usual.
During this period, the Seven Treasures Team hadn't encountered any strong opponents.
"Yesterday, we defeated the Blazing Fire Team, and today's opponent has surrendered to us," Sun Buyu informed everyone.
Since Feng Xiaotian's one-against-seven sweep, some self-aware teams had chosen to avoid fighting the Seven Treasures Team, fearing it would affect the condition of their own competitors.
Within six days of the tournament's start, two teams had already chosen to surrender outright.
"With no matches to fight and no way to leave the arena, it's so boring," Chen Huayu said lazily, slouching in his chair.
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