Chapter 280: Tang San Wants to Make a Deal with Su Yun
"You should know that Dugu Bo is a member of the Spirit Empire and a Titled Douluo."
"You know how powerful he is on the battlefield."
"With the propaganda from Heaven Dou Empire, the whole continent now believes Dugu Bo has betrayed them. This is precisely why we should rescue him."
Su Yun looked at the elders below him and spoke calmly.
Many elders exchanged glances upon hearing this.
They all knew Dugu Bo's reputation. Although he had joined the Spirit Hall, he only respected Su Yun and ignored orders from anyone else.
However, the elders dared not say much since their leader was the Holy Son.
Still, some elders felt discontent towards Dugu Bo. His poison was immensely valuable on the battlefield. If he had acted earlier, they might have conquered the Heaven Dou Empire without much effort.
But he had refused to participate in the battlefield for some reason, and even the Holy Son stood by him. So what use was it to rescue him now?
Even though Dugu Bo's martial spirit had evolved with Su Yun's help, and his soul power had reached rank 92, any Titled Douluo from the Heaven Dou Empire could still pose a threat to him in a one-on-one fight.
Dugu Bo's greatest value to the Spirit Empire was on the battlefield, using his poison to wreak havoc among the soldiers of the Heaven Dou Empire. Otherwise, he was no more useful than a decorative vase.
"Holy Son, rescuing Dugu Bo will undoubtedly cost the Spirit Empire greatly."
"Right now, the Empress is in seclusion. If Tang San has gathered Bo Saixi and the seven Sea Douluo from Sea God Island, we might not even return safely."
"If we lose a Titled Douluo for a Dugu Bo who is unwilling to fight for the Spirit Empire, the cost is too high."
Many elders stood up to oppose rescuing Dugu Bo.
In their eyes, Dugu Bo, who had no value on the battlefield, was not worth the high price of rescue.
To be honest, they were right.
Su Yun knew what the elders were thinking, so he said, "I understand your concerns, which is why I discussed this with the Great Worship yesterday."
"Great Worship?"
The elders were surprised.
Su Yun continued, "The Great Worship will act with us. After rescuing Dugu Bo, I will persuade him to join the battlefield. However, let me make this clear."
"Dugu Bo's poison will not be used against civilians in the city, only against soldiers of the Heaven Dou Empire on the battlefield."
"As for the rest of the battle, that will be up to you."
"Any objections?"
The elders' eyes lit up, and they immediately shook their heads. "None!"
They wanted Dugu Bo to act. His involvement would undoubtedly ease the pressure on the Spirit Empire's soldiers on the battlefield.
Even if he wasn't present, his poison could help them capture territory without losing a single soldier. This was what every soldier and elder of the Spirit Empire wanted to see.
"It turns out the Holy Son had already planned everything. In that case, we have no reason to oppose."
One elder nodded.
Su Yun nodded, "Even so, be cautious. When we rescue him, the enemy might use this opportunity to lure us away."
"Pull back the front lines these days, and avoid conflicts with the enemy."
"Yes!"
"One more thing, regarding Sea God Island."
"Send people to investigate. Depending on the situation, decide for yourselves."
"If you can take down Sea God Island, you will be richly rewarded."
"Understood."
...
The seven-day execution time declared by Tang San and the Heaven Dou Empire had arrived.
Heaven Dou Empire.
By the seaside.
Dugu Bo was escorted there.
The Heaven Dou Empire had given him some respect. Dugu Bo was dressed quite well today, and no one would have guessed he was to be executed.
Dugu Bo's hands were bound, tied to the platform.
Tang San had used acupuncture to prevent Dugu Bo from using his soul power, and divine power to suppress him further.
Now, Dugu Bo was truly helpless. Even an ordinary person could kill him.
The execution platform was surrounded by countless people from the Heaven Dou Empire, layered in three tiers.
In addition, there were small forces from the gaps between the Heaven Dou Empire and the Spirit Empire, including underground forces.
They gathered to witness the execution of a Titled Douluo.
"Is that really Poison Douluo Dugu Bo?"
Someone asked, looking at the bound Dugu Bo.
"Of course, it's him."
"Dugu Bo is famous in the capital. If you don't recognize him, you must be from out of town."
"I can't believe Dugu Bo betrayed the Heaven Dou Empire."
"Well, it's said that Su Yun from the Spirit Empire once saved Dugu Bo and his granddaughter Dugu Yan."
"It's said that the Jade Phosphor Serpent martial spirit of the Dugu family, after long-term cultivation, merges the body with poison, making them strong but short-lived."
"A few years ago, Dugu Yan's martial spirit poison flared up. Su Yun, the Holy Son of the Spirit Empire, happened to be there and saved her."
"He even helped Dugu Bo rid his body of decades of accumulated poison and evolve his martial spirit!"
"Since then, Dugu Bo pledged his allegiance to Su Yun."
"Wow, really?"
The surprised soul master wasn't from the Heaven Dou Empire but from outside.
But then he asked, "But if Dugu Bo is Su Yun's man, and thus the Spirit Empire's man, why didn't he fight in this war?"
"Well... It's said that Dugu Bo didn't want his poison to harm innocents, so he didn't join the battlefield under Su Yun's orders."
"But he is originally from the Heaven Dou Empire."
"Because he didn't join the battlefield, defected to the Spirit Hall, and refused to help the Heaven Dou Empire fight the Spirit Empire, he was sentenced to death."
"Then that's a bit unfair."
Below the execution platform, the chatter didn't affect Dugu Bo at all.
He gazed at the sky, lost in thought.
"Heh, my life has indeed been interesting. Who would have thought it would end like this?"
Dugu Bo had planned to threaten Tang San with self-destruction.
But Tang San's methods were far more advanced, using soul power and divine power to preemptively stop him.
Moreover, Tang San threatened him with his granddaughter's safety, leaving him no choice.
"What an unlucky way to die."
Dugu Bo felt he had let down his granddaughter and Su Yun.
"Su Yun, please don't come to save me."
Dugu Bo scanned the surroundings.
Even though he was sealed, his instincts as a Titled Douluo told him that the area around the execution platform was full of hidden Titled Douluo.
Behind him, a river flowed into the sea, with waves surging.
Combining this with Tang San's connection to Sea God Island and his inheritance of the Sea God, it all pointed to one thing...
Dugu Bo speculated that the other party might have invited all the Titled Douluo from Sea God Island.
"The time for execution has arrived!"
With a loud call, many figures appeared on the high platform.
The crowd looked up to see members of the Three Upper Sects, the royal family, and many noble families. They were currently the most elite forces of the Heaven Dou Empire, commanding a large number of soul masters.
Emperor Xue Ye sat high on his throne.
Tang San, as the Blue Vast King, sat next to him, on equal footing with Crown Prince Xue Beng.
The others sat divided on either side.
"Dugu Bo, do you confess to betraying the empire?" Tang San asked calmly, looking at Dugu Bo below.
"To impose a crime, what need is there for a pretext?" Dugu Bo laughed heartily, "I should have died decades ago. I've been living on borrowed time, and now it's time to return it to heaven."
"But Tang San, since I'm facing death, remember your promise. If you dare to go back on it, even as a ghost, I won't let you go!"
Dugu Bo was referring to the safety of his granddaughter.
Tang San replied, "I never break my word."
"Hmph, betraying our Heaven Dou Empire and joining the Spirit Hall, now you refuse to fight when our nations are at war. Dugu Bo, today you will die under the executioner's blade," Xue Beng, now showing the demeanor of a crown prince, stood and pointed angrily at Dugu Bo.
He had once flattered Dugu Bo, hoping to leverage his power to become the crown prince. Now that Qian Renxue had been exposed, he naturally became the crown prince.
Moreover, he could now execute this Titled Douluo who had looked down on him, which thrilled Xue Beng.
"Heh!"
Seeing Xue Beng stand up, Dugu Bo sneered, "When my granddaughter was critically ill and needed a spirit bone, don't tell me the Heaven Dou royal family couldn't provide one."
He expressed his discontent, "If you had helped, I wouldn't have needed to deal with the Spirit Hall."
Spirit bones were extremely precious. Among the Three Upper Sects and noble families present, the number of spirit bones did not exceed five.
Most of the spirit bones in these families were only at the millennium level, far from reaching ten thousand years.
The Heaven Dou royal family, of course, had some, and of high quality. But these were reserved for the royal heirs.
How could they give one to the granddaughter of a Titled Douluo who wasn't even a member of the royal family? If Dugu Bo had ulterior motives in the future, wouldn't it be a waste of a spirit bone?
If they had to trust someone, the Heaven Dou royal family would rather trust the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect than Dugu Bo.
"That's no excuse for betraying the Heaven Dou Empire!"
Tang San stood up and rebuked, "As a citizen of the Heaven Dou Empire, you should have taken to the battlefield against the invaders of the Spirit Empire."
"With your skills, our soldiers' casualty rate could have been reduced by at least fifty percent, but because of your stubbornness, many soldiers' families were destroyed!"
"Dugu Bo, for that alone, you deserve to die!"
"Your Majesty, please issue the decree!"
Tang San said, looking at Emperor Xue Ye.
Formally sentencing a Titled Douluo to death was an extremely rare event for a secular emperor!
But it was also an honor!
In the history of the Douluo Continent, no emperor had ever sentenced a Titled Douluo to death. Today, it would happen in front of Emperor Xue Ye!
Hearing Tang San's words, Emperor Xue Ye took a deep breath and finally said, "Execute!"
At the moment Emperor Xue Ye's words fell, a terrifying aura enveloped the entire scene, coming from an unknown source.
Immediately, countless powerful soul forces appeared in the sky!
The spectators, feeling this oppressive force, instinctively began to flee.
They sensed that an army was coming to rescue Dugu Bo!
Some brave souls remained in the center, looking up at the sky.
There, countless streaks of light cut through the sky and appeared before everyone in an instant!
"Su Yun!"
"The Spirit Empire!"
"You indeed came!"
Seeing the arrivals, Tang San was not surprised. He stood up, leapt into the air, and faced Su Yun head-on!
At the same time, the three sect masters of the Three Upper Sects also took to the air.
Several elders of the Clear Sky Sect ascended simultaneously!
In an instant, the number of Titled Douluo present surpassed twenty!
"Gasp..."
"Didn't they say Titled Douluo were rare? How come so many appeared at once today?"
"Heh heh, did you think we came just to watch Dugu Bo's execution?"
"We anticipated that the Spirit Empire would come to rescue Dugu Bo, so this battle for Dugu Bo is about to unfold between both sides."
"To rescue a Titled Douluo, they need Titled Douluo!"
"Whichever side has more Titled Douluo will have the advantage!"
In the sky.
"Tang San, I didn't expect you to pass the eighth trial of the Sea God and even the eighth trial of the Asura God. Congratulations," Su Yun said, smiling insincerely at Tang San.
"Hmph! Su Yun, enough nonsense. You're here to rescue Dugu Bo, aren't you?"
"So what if I am?"
If not for rescuing Dugu Bo, why bring so many people?
"Alright, in that case, I want to make a deal with you."
At this moment, Tang San suddenly spoke through voice transmission.
Tang San's voice transmission caught Su Yun off guard.
He had expected Tang San to start a fight immediately, not to hold back.
"A deal?"
Su Yun was puzzled about what deal he could make with Tang San. "You want to make a deal with me?"
"I don't think I have anything you want."
"No! You do!"
Tang San's eyes suddenly turned serious as he looked at Su Yun and spoke word by word, "I can return Dugu Bo and even Dugu Yan to you intact."
"But..."
"You must return my mother to me!"
(End of Chapter)