In the grand arena of Heaven Dou City, the leaders of the eight great families were gathered, each wearing a slightly peculiar expression.
Apart from these eight, there was an elder seated in the guest area, leisurely sipping tea as if oblivious to the odd atmosphere.
After a while, Lexius finally spoke, "Dugu Bo, if you truly wish to join the Spirit Arena, from now on, you must refrain from actively assisting outsiders in any matter, even if it's your benefactor."
The others nodded in agreement, aware of Dugu Bo's situation and his ambiguous ties with the royal family of Heaven Dou, especially Prince Xue Xing, who had once saved his life.
"I know what you all are worried about," Dugu Bo said, setting down his teacup and continuing, "Prince Xue Xing has been kind to me, and over the years, I've done much for him, which I consider repayment of that kindness."
"Before coming here, I made my stance clear to Prince Xue Xing."
After careful consideration, Dugu Bo had decided to join the Spirit Arena without consulting Neuvillette and Focalors.
Now, as a follower of Neuvillette, joining his force seemed only natural.
Moreover, he genuinely admired Neuvillette and saw the Spirit Arena as a fitting place to spend his retirement.
Hearing this, the others nodded again.
They stayed out of the conflicts on the Douluo Continent, tending only to their own domain.
Normally, the Spirit Arena wouldn't recruit someone like Dugu Bo, entangled in petty affairs, with powerful enemies and benefactors.
But Dugu Bo was a titled Douluo, and his close friendship with Neuvillette made him trustworthy.
"Ladies and gentlemen, let's welcome the new member!"
"From now on, our eight great families would add one more, the Dugu Family!"
Though it was called the Dugu Family, it really consisted of just Dugu Bo and Dugu Yan, and it was likely that Dugu Yan might not inherit the family line.
"Brother Dugu, there's something I need to tell you in advance."
"Oh? What is it?"
Seeing Moffett's serious demeanor, Dugu Bo asked in confusion.
"We're all family here, so I'll speak plainly," Moffett said. "If Miss Dugu marries Yu Tianheng, she will lose her right to inherit the Dugu family."
Dugu Bo was taken aback by these words, looking at Moffett with surprise.
He knew the reason all too well; it was because Dugu Yan was marrying an outsider from a sect like the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.
If Dugu Yan were to inherit the Dugu family, many of the family's secrets would be exposed to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.
Who could guarantee Dugu Yan wouldn't speak out?
In that case, would the Dugu lineage still carry the Dugu name, or would it take on the Yu surname?
"Yu Tianheng is not a suitable match for Yanzi; his initial contact with her was merely to gain my support for the declining Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan," Dugu Bo said gravely, speaking his mind.
Of course, he wasn't concerned about whether Dugu Yan could inherit these things; he was just stating the truth.
Yu Tianheng's intentions in approaching Dugu Yan were impure!
This was why Dugu Bo had always opposed their union.
In the original timeline, Yu Tianheng eventually abandoned Dugu Yan for someone from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.
Clearly, they were not a good match; it was all for self-interest.
"Rest assured, if Yanzi truly marries that boy, I won't make things difficult for you all!" Dugu Bo declared, a man of his word.
"Very well, since that's settled, let's discuss the matter of shares, and then we can talk about which area Dugu brother will be stationed in."
"It's quite strange, Dugu brother, you're quite fashionable. The young ones see my grandson and his wife, both handsome and beautiful, and follow the trend by dyeing their hair, but you..."
"Ha ha ha..."
It was only then that Lexius noticed the change in Dugu Bo. Previously, due to poisoning, Dugu Bo's hair was dark green. After detoxifying, his hair turned grey-white, not much different from a normal elder.
But now, his hair color was surprisingly similar to Neuvillette's!
If it wasn't dyed, then what was it?
"Uh..."
Dugu Bo was stunned; why would he dye his hair to follow a trend?
"Lexius brother, is there a possibility that this isn't dyed?" he asked.
"Hmm?"
The others looked at Dugu Bo with confusion. Not dyed?
Hair color typically reflects one's attribute.
For example, soul masters with fire attributes often have red hair due to the abundance of fire elements in their bodies affecting hair growth and color.
Soul masters with water or ice attributes usually have blue hair...
And those with wind attributes have green hair.
Lexius's attribute was fire, the ultimate fire!
But his hair wasn't multicolored black or red; it had turned golden.
Because his martial soul was the Golden Crow!
Seeing the others' confusion, Dugu Bo's lips curled slightly. It seemed he was indeed Neuvillette's first follower!
"Martial Spirit Possesion!"
As Dugu Bo activated his martial soul fusion, the leaders of the eight great families stood up, their eyes filled with shock.
They rubbed their eyes, hardly believing what they saw.
Goodness, wasn't that the "dragon" summoned by Neuvillette back then?
How did it become Dugu Bo's martial soul?
"You..."
"I must thank Neuvillette and Miss Focalors for this!" Dugu Bo said, taking another sip of tea.
"God level martial soul!"
The concept of a God martial soul was somewhat familiar to them, but they hadn't expected Dugu Bo to receive one!
Wait, weren't they the insiders? How did Dugu Bo became first to receive God Level Martial Spirit?
Lexius pondered for a moment, his thoughts drifting back three years.
So that's it, his grandson was repaying a debt of gratitude.
Seeing this, although the others felt a bit disappointed, they harbored no ill feelings.
What was meant for them would be theirs.
They also understood why Dugu Bo had joined the Spirit Arena.
You repay a peach with a plum.
Thanks to Neuvillette and Focalors, the Spirit Arena was now many times stronger than before.
They were already very satisfied.
The fact that Dugu Bo was granted a martial Spirit meant one thing:
The Spirit Arena had risen!
Gods, deities!
Lexius was overjoyed, his hands behind his back as he gazed at the stars, feeling a lonely chill from his high position.
The others: "..."
Serves the old man right for showing off; if not him, then who?
In his youth, he was always the one showing off at gatherings.
Now, his grandson had become his capital for showing off.
"Ah..."
With a sigh from Lexius, the others felt an urge to punch him.
Unfortunately, even without Neuvillette and Focalors, they were no match for the old show-off in a one-on-one fight...