As long as Qian Daoliu of the Spirit Hall, Tang Chen of Slaughter City, and Bo Saixi of Sea God Island stayed out of the picture, no one in the world could threaten Dugu Bo. Even a Level 98 Golden Crocodile would have to go all out to face him.
And a Level 97 Poison Douluo? Who could possibly resist his poison techniques?
"All right then!"
Dugu Bo retracted the Crystal Blood Dragon Ginseng into his Spirit Conductor and continued,
"Kid, your spirit power has already reached Level 60. What kind of spirit beast are you planning to hunt? On our way back to Tiandou City, we'll pass through the Star Dou Great Forest. We can help you hunt a high-level spirit beast there."
At this, Yang Wudi and Niu Gao, who had been chatting nearby, both turned to look at Ignaz curiously.
"I already have one in mind: the Evil Demon Orca King. But it's not in the Star Dou Great Forest—it's in the deep sea west of Hanhai City."
"This…"
The three elders exchanged glances, their expressions a mix of shock and disbelief.
"100,000 years? You can attach a 100,000-year spirit ring to your sixth ring? Can your body even handle it?"
None of them feared hunting a 100,000-year spirit beast for Ignaz. Even a 100,000-year Sea Spirit Beast, with the assistance of Dugu Bo and Yang Wudi, could still be successfully hunted.
"To be honest, my fifth spirit ring came from hunting a Nine Heavens Dragon Centipede over 40,000 years old. Besides that, I absorbed three spirit bones—two of them are 100,000 years old."
Inside the carriage, Ignaz revealed the Thunder Fish Dragon Crown spirit bone attached to him and tapped his right leg bone.
The three elders were stunned.
"What? Your third spirit ring is a ten-thousand-year ring, that's one thing, but you even have three top-tier spirit bones in your body? Kid, you're a walking treasure trove!"
"Tell us, how much more are you hiding?"
Dugu Bo looked at Ignaz intently. His son-in-law could no longer simply be called a genius; he was a true prodigy. Even without considering the abnormally high absorption limit of his spirit rings, the three spirit bones alone made him a once-in-a-million existence. If outsiders found out, anyone aiming to kill him and harvest his bones would multiply, even Titled Douluos would come after him.
"I'm not hiding anything. I've already revealed all my secrets. Right now, I'm completely transparent in front of you."
The three, especially Dugu Bo and Yang Wudi, continued to stare at him curiously. This kid had deliberately hidden his true strength from them more than once. They were certain he had other secrets tucked away.
"No wonder you attempted to absorb a 100,000-year spirit ring for your sixth ring. So that's the source!"
By now, they had no doubts about Ignaz attempting the 100,000-year ring. In fact, they felt he could likely hunt a 100,000-year spirit beast entirely on his own.
"When are you planning to go?"
"Soon, probably in a month or two."
After absorbing Xiao Wu's spirit bone, Ignaz's spirit power had risen by at least two levels. Since he had already hit the spirit power cap, it didn't show immediately. A slight delay in acquiring the spirit ring was no problem.
On the way back to Tiandou City, they stopped at a small town so Dugu Bo could have a quiet environment to absorb the Crystal Blood Dragon Ginseng.
The moonlight that night was as bright as ever, yet the atmosphere in the guest room was tense. All three waited expectantly.
Suddenly, "Bang!"
A crisp wave of spirit power sounded. Dugu Bo emerged from the room, smiling broadly.
"I never thought that one day, Dugu Bo could become a Level 97 Titled Douluo."
"Congratulations, Elder Dugu."
"Congratulations, Grandfather."
The three were genuinely happy and envious of Dugu Bo's rise in spirit power. After all, the stronger Dugu Bo became, the more it benefited their fledgling alliance.
Three months later, Ignaz led the entire Yu Clan back to the Tiandou Empire, merging with the Po Clan.
Back in Tiandou City, since they had graduated, Ignaz temporarily stayed at the Dugu estate. But barely had he sat down when he was summoned by the Snowy Night Emperor. He had no choice but to comply.
Passing through the inner city and entering the palace, Ignaz bowed deeply to the Snowy Night Emperor on the throne.
"Your Majesty, may I ask the purpose of this summons?"
Snowy Night noted that Ignaz, despite being the champion, showed no arrogance and maintained the decorum of a subject meeting a sovereign. He was pleased.
"Ignaz, you are now a viscount of the Tiandou Empire, your fief is the Falling Star City west of the Tiandou Plains. Today, I summon you to personally appoint you as Commander of the Crown Prince's Guard. What do you think?"
Snowy Night asking for Ignaz's opinion was only possible because Dugu Bo backed him. Otherwise, no matter how talented Ignaz was, he would never have had a say. The Crown Prince's Guard commanded 500 elite Royal Guards, all Spirit Kings, representing five percent of the Empire's finest Spirit Masters. Assigning Ignaz this post was not unfair.
Ignaz quickly realized the intention: the Crown Prince wanted to bind him firmly to his side. Even if Ignaz later aligned with Qian Renxue, the empire would label him as part of the Spirit Hall faction.
"Your Majesty, you know me. My ambition is not on the battlefield or in the army—it is the entire Spirit Master world. Becoming a Titled Douluo is my ultimate goal. So the position of Commander of the Crown Prince's Guard should be given to someone else."
He knew that taking the post would put him constantly under the watch of Qian Renxue and her subordinates. His efforts to build a sect would crumble.
Snowy Night showed little surprise at Ignaz's refusal.
"No matter, the post doesn't conflict with spirit cultivation. You can continue training while in office."
Seeing the emperor's resolute stance, Ignaz could only insist politely,
"That won't do. Soon, I'll begin traveling the continent to broaden my horizons and strengthen my spirit power. The Crown Prince's Guard is not part of my plans."
Snowy Night raised his head, uncomfortable as he looked at the Crown Prince, who smiled and stepped forward, bowing.
"Your Majesty, allow him to serve as a nominal commander. He needn't perform duties daily, only appear when called and follow my orders."
Then, the Crown Prince looked at Ignaz with a testing gaze.
"Very well, let the Crown Prince handle it as he sees fit."
Though Ignaz now had the backing of Dugu Bo and the merged Yu-Po clans, he knew when to keep a low profile in the Tiandou Empire. Just because Dugu Bo was Level 97 didn't mean they were invincible.
Since the Crown Prince hadn't forced him under his control, Ignaz saw no need to overextend in resisting him.
"Good. The ceremonial uniform and insignia will be delivered to the Dugu estate shortly. You may leave now."
Though Snowy Night was slightly displeased with Ignaz's repeated refusals, the result was favorable: he had secured Ignaz firmly on the Tiandou Empire's side. As long as the empire survived, Ignaz—and even Dugu Bo behind him—would serve it.
Not long after returning to the estate, the emperor sent the uniform and insignia. To minimize contact with the Crown Prince, Ignaz planned to move to his fief in Falling Star City. He also summoned the four women to gather at the Dugu estate to further distance himself from the Crown Prince.
(End of Chapter)