Another Poison Path

Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling were the first to finish their team spirit battle and return to the spectator room.

The opponents they had matched against had no ability to withstand Dugu Yan's Jade Phosphor Snake Poison.

Under such circumstances, the greatest advantage of poison-type soul masters was displayed to the fullest.

Without any means of detoxification or poison resistance, all that awaited them was being poisoned into collapse without the strength to resist.

That was simply how poison-type soul masters were.

If their poison could be resisted, their combat strength would be far inferior to that of soul masters at the same level.

But if it could not be resisted, the combat strength they could display would far surpass that of soul masters of the same level.

They were two extremes, separated by a single thought.

"Dean Lord, where is the Crown Prince?"

The moment she entered, Dugu Yan noticed something amiss.

The Crown Prince, who was always inseparable from Dean Lord, was nowhere to be seen.

"The Crown Prince had something to attend to and left first."

Lifting his porcelain jade cup and taking a light sip of the tea with its faint fragrance, Luo Li's tone carried a hint of delight.

Though he did not know why, that troublesome woman had finally left.

These past few days, she had relentlessly pestered him without the slightest regard for her status as Crown Prince, making his reputation among the common people increasingly strange.

Luo Li did not care much about his reputation, but he did not want to be saddled with the label of having a taste for men.

Though she did not know why the Crown Prince had suddenly left, Dugu Yan did not dwell on it.

She had merely found it strange and asked in passing. Compared to that, there was something else she cared about more.

"Dean Lord, what did you think of our performance just now?"

Dugu Yan cupped her little face in her hands, her bonelessly supple snake waist bending slightly as her emerald eyes brimmed with anticipation.

Though Ye Lingling beside her said nothing, the gleam in her uncovered eyes showed that she wanted to know the answer as well.

"Not bad."

Luo Li answered softly. He did not wish to undermine Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling's confidence, but neither did he lavish them with too much praise and make them complacent.

At his words, Dugu Yan's beautiful eyes curved into crescents, and her heart filled with satisfaction.

However, Luo Li's next sentence caused her mood to shift slightly.

"Lingling aside, Yan Yan, you still have a major problem."

Dugu Yan stiffened at his words, but she did not object. Instead, she asked softly, "I hope Dean Lord can enlighten me."

Luo Li was not someone who liked discouragement-based teaching.

If he said there was a problem, then there was definitely a problem.

"I do not deny the strength the two of you showed in ending that spirit battle so smoothly, but your opponents' Martial Souls were also a factor that cannot be ignored."

"Because their Martial Souls had no means of dealing with poison, your Jade Phosphor Snake Poison was able to display its maximum effect. That played a huge part in this spirit battle."

"If you had faced opponents with methods to counter poison, Yan Yan, do you think you could still have won as easily as you just did?"

Dugu Yan fell silent.

After a moment, though unwilling, she still shook her head in admission.

Nearly eighty percent of her combat strength lay in poison.

If her opponent had a way to resist the Jade Phosphor Snake Poison, then against someone of the same level—or even someone not much different in level—she would most likely be no match for them.

"Like Poison Douluo, you rely too heavily on poison."

"Dean Lord!" Dugu Yan spoke up, wanting to defend herself, but Luo Li interrupted her.

"I know what you want to say. The Jade Phosphorous Serpent Martial Soul's poison is so overbearing that it is nearly impossible not to follow the Poison Path."

Luo Li stated Dugu Yan's thoughts outright.

"And I do not deny that."

"There has never been anything wrong with making full use of a Martial Soul's traits."

"Then, Dean Lord..." Dugu Yan froze, unable to understand what Luo Li meant.

"However, poison has never been the Jade Phosphorous Serpent's only trait."

Luo Li's words were like a heavy hammer striking Dugu Yan's mind.

He did not think there was anything wrong with Dugu Yan, as the owner of the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Martial Soul, following the Poison Path.

After all, poison truly was the Jade Phosphorous Serpent's greatest trait.

As long as one did not do something as foolish as making a Martial Soul like Blue Silver Grass, which had nothing whatsoever to do with poison, follow the Poison Path, there was not much of a problem.

What Luo Li did not approve of was the way Dugu Yan, Dugu Bo, and their lineage fought relying solely on poison.

"Poison is synonymous with serpent-type Martial Souls, but it is not their only attribute."

"Besides that, its terrifying burst speed is also one factor."

"The reason I made your physical training comparable to that of Yu Tianheng, who possesses the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul, is precisely because of this."

"Moreover, the use of poison is not limited to simply circulating poison or poisoning others."

"The poison attribute can also be regarded as an attribute, becoming an offensive method similar to sword aura."

Luo Li spoke at length.

Why had he, back when he was only a Soul Saint, been able to defeat Dugu Bo, a Titled Douluo?

His combat strength, far surpassing others of the same rank, was naturally the main reason, but there was another major reason as well.

Possessing the Sun Eclipse Sword's pure and sacred Soul Power, he did not fear the Jade Phosphor Snake Emperor Poison.

That alone had rendered more than half of Dugu Bo's strength useless against him!

Had it been any other Martial Soul, Luo Li could have dealt with a Titled Douluo just above Rank 90 at the time, but it would never have been so easy.

That was why he said that both Dugu Yan and Dugu Bo had developed their Martial Souls far too single-mindedly.

When faced with an opponent who possessed special methods, eighty percent of their strength could not be brought into play.

The poison attribute could also be used as an additional attribute for skills, added onto abilities that already possessed offensive power to enhance their effect.

That way, even if they encountered an enemy with special means who did not fear poison arts, although their strength would still be restricted, it would not reach the point where eighty percent of it could not be used.

And this did not conflict with the Poison Path they followed.

It was merely another way for the Poison Path to manifest.

Listening to Luo Li's words, Dugu Yan fell silent in thought.

His words had opened a new door for Dugu Yan, one she had never discovered before.

Before this, neither her grandfather Dugu Bo nor anyone else had ever raised such an issue.

Almost everyone believed that since she had a grandfather who was already a Titled Douluo as a precedent, there could be no problem with following this path.

But Luo Li's words made her suddenly realize that she had gone too far to one extreme.

And her grandfather was a perfect example.

Though already a Titled Douluo, before Dean Luo, who did not fear the Jade Phosphor Snake Emperor Poison, he could barely make use of his strength!

"Thank you, Dean Lord. I understand now!"

Dugu Yan solemnly expressed her thanks, having already made up her mind.

She would continue down the Poison Path, but not the Poison Path her grandfather Dugu Bo had taken.

She, Dugu Yan, would forge an entirely new Poison Path!

At the very least, when facing enemies who had ways to counter and resist the Jade Phosphor Snake Poison, she would not be left unable to use most of her strength!