Dugu Yan's Snake Venom

Several days later, at the training grounds.

"Yu Cheng, has there been any progress with the pill-refining plan?"

Yu Tianheng asked eagerly.

"Pill refining? What pills?"

Yu Cheng wore a baffled expression.

"You..."

Yu Tianheng immediately grew anxious. Could it be that Yu Cheng had taken the money and was now denying it?

"Hahaha."

Seeing Yu Tianheng's flushed, embarrassed face, Yu Cheng clutched his stomach and laughed.

"Brother Tianheng, I was just teasing you. Look!"

Yu Cheng took a list from his Soul Tool.

However, just as Yu Tianheng reached out to take it, a pair of fair, jade-like hands flashed before his eyes and snatched the list away.

"Blood essence from water-element soul beasts, Moonlight Narcissus, Sky Blue Fruit..."

Dugu Yan read the list word by word.

"Yu Cheng, what kind of pill is this?"

Dugu Yan asked curiously.

Under normal circumstances, refining medicine required a balance of yin and yang.

Yet the medicinal ingredients listed by Yu Cheng were all water-element.

"Mysterious Water Pill."

Yu Cheng explained, "Its medicinal effects are stronger than those of the Hundred Grass Pill, while its side effects are negligible."

After much consideration, Youth Yu Cheng had created this formula by diluting the Mysterious Water Pill's effects tenfold.

Just as he had said, the true Mysterious Water Pill absolutely could not be made public.

Whale Rubber was publicly available; anyone could obtain it. As a pioneer of theory, Yu Cheng could gain both fame and profit from it.

Pills were different. They were special products.

The Mysterious Water Pill could improve one's aptitude and even raise Innate Soul Power. If any major power learned of this, what Yu Cheng received would definitely not be glory, but lifelong imprisonment.

"Give it to me!"

Yu Tianheng snatched the list away and carefully stored it in his Soul Tool.

"This is a pill Yu Cheng custom-made for me after a series of rigorous data analyses."

Yu Tianheng said with a smile.

"Custom-made?"

Dugu Yan froze for a moment.

"That's right. Every Soul Master's physical structure and Martial Soul attributes are different, so don't even think about taking a share."

The corners of Yu Tianheng's mouth curled upward.

Yu Cheng had personally explained this theory to him, so naturally, he trusted it completely.

The theory was no secret. Yu Tianheng explained it to Dugu Yan with more than a hint of pride.

"I see."

Dugu Yan nodded.

Then she thought of the White Snake Pill.

Strictly speaking, that pill should also count as custom-made. Only Soul Masters with serpent-type Martial Souls could take it.

"Fine, Yu Cheng, you actually kept this from me!"

Dugu Yan said, pretending to be angry.

Of course, she did not truly blame Yu Cheng. But such a good thing as custom-made pills—and she had not even been the first to know?

Yu Cheng had to cultivate every day and find time to refine pills as well. His energy was limited.

If he helped Yu Tianheng customize pills, then the pills needed by everyone else would undoubtedly have to wait.

Dugu Yan had spent ten thousand Gold Soul Coins!

And she still had to line up?

"Hmph, I want custom-made pills too, and I'll be ahead of Yu Tianheng in line!"

Dugu Yan gave a soft snort, speaking with a touch of haughty pride.

"Yan, isn't that too selfish of you?"

Yu Tianheng said unhappily.

"Hmph, I'm the captain of the Imperial Dou Team. What I say is an order!"

Dugu Yan snorted coldly.

She frowned. "Also, Team Member Yu Tianheng, what did you just call me? Do you have any respect for me as your captain at all? Go run ten laps around the field right now!"

"Yes, Captain."

Yu Tianheng replied helplessly.

He turned and headed toward the field. A mere ten laps were not even enough for him to warm up.

"Yu Cheng, let's go."

Once Dugu Yan saw that Yu Tianheng had gone far away, she spoke up.

"Go? Go where?"

Yu Cheng asked doubtfully.

Dugu Yan's lips curved upward. "Of course, to customize my pills! Don't you need to study Martial Soul attributes? Come on, let's find somewhere quiet."

Inside the dormitory.

"Captain, bear with it. It might hurt a little."

"Drip..."

Dugu Yan watched blood drip into the small bottle, her delicate brows slightly furrowed.

Studying blood?

Could that reveal one's Martial Soul attributes?

She had never heard of such a strange examination method before.

Soon, the small bottle was full.

Dugu Yan withdrew her wrist. Soul Power surged, and the wound slowly healed.

"Captain, your situation is somewhat special. Besides blood, I also need some venom from your Martial Soul."

Yu Cheng spoke.

Collecting Dugu Yan's blood was for refining Blood Pills.

Collecting her venom would give Youth Yu Cheng a chance, after studying it, to break the toxins within her body and then further plan for the Immortal Herb.

To keep Dugu Yan and even Dugu Bo from becoming suspicious, Yu Cheng had gone to great lengths.

He refined the Hundred Grass Pill and displayed his talent as a pill refiner.

Then he introduced the White Snake Pill and Mysterious Water Pill, taking the opportunity to propose the idea of customized pill refining.

Yu Tianheng had been purely an accident.

From beginning to end, Yu Cheng had only one target: Dugu Yan!

"All right."

Dugu Yan nodded, and the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Martial Soul possessed her body.

Her aura turned cold and sinister. Her teeth sharpened, her gaze became piercing, and her pair of long legs transformed into a serpent's tail.

"Put the venom into this bottle."

Yu Cheng took out a small bottle.

Dugu Yan nodded. Her bewitching green eyes narrowed into vertical slits, revealing two sharp fangs.

Her red lips pressed against the rim of the bottle, her fangs resting against its inner wall.

A fishy stench spread through the air, and her teeth gave off a faint, ghostly gleam.

"What formidable venom!"

Yu Cheng's gaze flickered.

The Jade Phosphorous Serpent was a high-grade Martial Soul, but in terms of toxicity, it was not among the very best of Martial Souls.

The stronger a poison-type Martial Soul was, the more restrained its toxins were and the more concentrated its energy became.

Even other Jade Phosphorous Serpent Soul Masters did not possess the undisguised aggression that Dugu Yan carried.

Dugu Bo bore the title of Poison, a name that struck fear into the hearts of Soul Masters.

However, the energy in his snake venom was far too dispersed.

It could not only kill enemies, but had even turned himself, his son, and his granddaughter into poison people.

One could say that Dugu Yan had grown up in a vat of poison.

The fact that she had survived until now was truly a miracle.

"Done."

Dugu Yan raised her head and handed the small bottle to Yu Cheng.

Her expression was somewhat unnatural. Ordinary Soul Masters would often avoid her snake venom at all costs. This was the first time she had encountered a Soul Master who was interested in her toxins.

The next moment, she felt her breathing suddenly turn rapid. Her vision swam, and she seemed unable to stand steadily.

"Clang."

Dugu Yan hurriedly braced herself against the table and sat down.

"Captain, are you all right?"

Yu Cheng quickly supported her by the shoulders.

Had Dugu Yan released too much snake venom? Had her Soul Power suddenly become insufficient to support her?

"It's nothing. Maybe it's a side effect of the White Snake Pill."

Dugu Yan shook her head.

She took a deep breath and felt her breathing gradually steady.

"Captain, don't ruin my reputation."

Yu Cheng stared at Dugu Yan's neck, where faint, strange green patterns had appeared.

In an instant.

He grabbed Dugu Yan's wrist and pressed two fingers against her pulse.

"You... what are you doing?"

Dugu Yan instinctively tried to pull her hand back, but when she saw Yu Cheng's serious expression, she abandoned the thought.

"Captain, ever since obtaining your Third Soul Ring, haven't you experienced numb, aching sensations along both sides of your ribs whenever the sky is overcast or it rains? The sensation isn't strong, but it lasts for more than ten minutes each time, doesn't it?"

Yu Cheng's gaze was sharp, his expression grave.

At that moment, Youth Yu Cheng took over.

He had not expected Dugu Yan's snake venom to be this severe.

"Could it be because of that Third Soul Ring of hers, which is more than two thousand years old?"

Youth Yu Cheng thought to himself.

According to the original story, without Tang San, Dugu Yan might not have even made it to Rank 40.

She was already severely poisoned, and absorbing a Soul Ring beyond her level was, in a sense, a death warrant.

The higher her rank became, the stronger the toxins in her body would grow—and the sooner she would die.