Ruyi Hundred Treasures Pouch

Xia Liang merely glanced at Dugu Yan without replying, then walked around her toward the entrance of the Great Soul Arena.

"Stop!" Dugu Yan ran in front of Xia Liang again. This time, there was more resolve in her eyes. "Let's have another higher-rank Soul Battle. I challenge you."

Xia Liang said calmly, "What Soul Elder challenges a Great Soul Master across ranks?"

"Then you challenge me," Dugu Yan changed her wording.

Xia Liang shook his head. "No."

"You!" Dugu Yan fought hard to suppress the resentment in her heart. Only after gritting her teeth did she speak pleasantly, "In that higher-rank Soul Battle just now, I didn't even use a Soul Skill. Do you think your victory was honorable?"

Xia Liang did not answer the question directly. He once again walked around Dugu Yan, who was blocking his path, and headed toward the entrance of the Great Soul Arena.

"Just tell me what stakes you want. Gold Soul Coins, Cultivation Resources, or something else. As long as you agree to fight another Soul Battle with me, I can satisfy you."

Xia Liang suddenly stopped and turned to ask Dugu Yan, "Do you have any Soul Bones that haven't been absorbed?"

Dugu Yan shook her head. "No."

"Then do you have a recovery-type Soul Tool?"

"No."

"What about a Soul Tool that can store living creatures?"

"Neither."

"You have nothing, yet you say you can satisfy me?" After throwing out that accusation, Xia Liang turned and left.

"Wait. I do have a Soul Tool that can store living creatures. I'm just not carrying it right now."

As she spoke, Dugu Yan could not help recalling a Brocade Pouch Soul Tool her grandfather had given her two months ago.

Soul Tools could not be layered. She already had a Ring Soul Tool for storing items, and wearing a Brocade Pouch Soul Tool during battle felt cumbersome, so she had simply refused it at the time.

Now that she heard the words "store living creatures," Dugu Yan remembered that the Brocade Pouch Soul Tool was called the Ruyi Hundred Treasures Pouch. Her grandfather had given it to her to store poisonous creatures such as snakes and scorpions, so it could certainly store other living things as well.

With bargaining chips in hand, Dugu Yan gained confidence. Crossing her arms over her chest, she said mischievously, "My Brocade Pouch Soul Tool that can store living creatures is exquisitely made. Its storage space is enormous. There may not be another one like it on the entire continent. Master Xia, if you're willing to fight another Soul Battle with me, I wouldn't mind using it as the stakes. Well? Won't you consider it?"

Xia Liang smiled. "No need to consider it. Let's have another match."

Hearing this, Dugu Yan was momentarily unable to react.

"However, I have to work at the Academy Kitchen during the day, so I'm only free at night. Sign up for another higher-rank Soul Battle tomorrow night. I'll challenge you just like I did today. When you fight others tomorrow, remember to save some Soul Power. Don't lose and start making excuses again."

By the time he uttered the last word, Xia Liang had already walked out of the Great Soul Arena.

"You're the one who'll lose!" Dugu Yan stuck out her tongue toward the entrance of the Great Soul Arena.

At the thought of washing away her humiliation tomorrow, her gaze suddenly turned fierce.

Defeated in full view of everyone by a Two-Ring Great Soul Master—and defeated because of her own arrogance in refusing to use a Soul Skill—how could she possibly be content if she did not erase this disgrace?

The conversation between Dugu Yan and Xia Liang happened to be overheard by Yu Tianheng and the other members of the Imperial Fighting Team as they approached.

"Yan Yan, are you okay?" Yu Tianheng asked with concern.

Dugu Yan smiled and shook her head. "What could possibly be wrong with me? I didn't use a Soul Skill in that higher-rank Soul Battle just now. My defeat was only an accident; it wasn't because I was inferior to him. Tomorrow night, I'll make sure this Master Xia can neither get out of bed nor step into the kitchen. He wants to swindle me out of my living-creature Soul Tool? Dream on!"

Night.

Heaven Dou City, Dugu Manor.

The main hall.

As soon as she returned home, Dugu Yan held out her hand to Dugu Bo, who was reclining in a rocking chair. "Grandpa, give me the Ruyi Hundred Treasures Pouch."

Dugu Bo had been about to say, "Yan Yan, you're back," but the outstretched hand abruptly interrupted him. He asked curiously, "Didn't you say it was inconvenient to wear when I gave it to you before? Why do you want it again today?"

"I'll take it if I like the look of it, and refuse it if I don't. Is that not allowed?" Dugu Yan retorted.

"It is, it is. As long as my Yan Yan is happy."

As he spoke, Dugu Bo somehow pulled out a blue brocade pouch and placed it in Dugu Yan's hand.

The pouch was only palm-sized, the sort meant to hang from one's belt. Although it was much larger than a sachet, it could only fit one hand inside.

Dugu Yan examined the Blue Brocade Pouch in her hand and confirmed, "Grandpa, this Ruyi Hundred Treasures Pouch can store living creatures, right?"

"Of course. It's a treasure your grandfather went to great lengths to obtain. Its ability to store living creatures is far better than the Azure Pouch Soul Tool I currently use. If the Azure Pouch Soul Tool hadn't been a gift from your grandmother, I would have replaced it with this Ruyi Hundred Treasures Pouch long ago."

Listening to her grandfather, a trace of gentleness appeared in Dugu Yan's eyes. She had never met her grandmother, but for her grandfather—the Poison Overlord of the World—to love her so deeply, her grandmother must have possessed tremendous charm.

Dugu Bo rose from the rocking chair and asked curiously, "Yan Yan, why do you suddenly want this Ruyi Hundred Treasures Pouch?"

"I'm the granddaughter of the Poison Douluo. Isn't it perfectly normal for me to want a living-creature Soul Tool to raise poisonous scorpions and snakes or something?"

As she spoke, Dugu Yan casually hung the Ruyi Hundred Treasures Pouch at her waist, pretending to be quite satisfied with it.

"Do you think Grandpa doesn't know what kind of person you are?" Dugu Bo shook his head. "Yan Yan, you've never been interested in poisonous creatures since you were little. You also don't like wearing too many accessories. Tell me. What exactly do you want the Ruyi Hundred Treasures Pouch for?"

Dugu Yan knew that her grandfather had always been cautious and meticulous, but she had not expected him to be this meticulous. Seeing that she could not hide it, she could only tell him the truth in full.

"Today, I fought a higher-rank Soul Battle at the Great Soul Arena. Before I even had the chance to use a Soul Skill, I was eliminated by my opponent. I wasn't convinced, so I arranged another higher-rank Soul Battle with him for tomorrow night. He said he wanted a Soul Bone as the stakes, but I didn't have one, so I decided to use this Ruyi Hundred Treasures Pouch instead."

After hearing her account, Dugu Bo's expression changed slightly as he looked at Dugu Yan. "Yan Yan, you actually wanted to challenge a higher-rank Soul Battle?"

"Actually, it wasn't my own idea. Teacher Qin arranged for Tianheng, the others, and me to challenge higher-rank Soul Battles at the Great Soul Arena."

Dugu Yan explained, "Teacher Qin said that fighting opponents above one's level best embodies what it means to be a monster student. All seven of us on the Imperial Fighting Team have excellent talent and strength, so we should fight people stronger than ourselves. Only then can we become monster Soul Masters even more outstanding than Genius Soul Masters."

"Then why were you eliminated from today's cross-level Soul Battle before you even had time to use a Soul Skill?"

Dugu Bo stood with his hands behind his back, his voice carrying a hint of reproach. "Yan Yan, you should know that the Jade Phosphor Serpent Poison Mist is an area-of-effect crowd-control technique. Unless you were careless, there was no way you wouldn't have had a chance to injure your enemy. If Grandpa's guess is right, you must have been too arrogant and looked down on your opponent, which led to your defeat. Am I right?"

"Yes. That's why I want to challenge him again." A vicious glint flashed through Dugu Yan's eyes. "In tomorrow's cross-level Soul Battle, I'll go all out. I'll let him taste the agony of being tortured by Jade Phosphor Serpent poison until he wishes he were dead!"

Hearing this, Dugu Bo nodded in satisfaction. "Mm. The granddaughter of Poison Douluo should be this sinister and ruthless. Yan Yan, Grandpa can tell you clearly that the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Martial Soul truly has what it takes to fight above its level. As long as you go all out and make good use of your Poison Control abilities, defeating a Soul Ancestor above your level won't be difficult."

Defeat a Soul Ancestor above her level? Dugu Yan hesitated, wanting to speak but stopping herself. She knew her grandfather had misunderstood.

But she couldn't exactly spoil his mood by saying that she wanted to take the Ruyi Hundred Treasures Pouch so she could challenge a Soul Grandmaster, could she?