Battle

This time, upon hearing that Dugu Yang had successfully absorbed his first Soul Ring and agreed to fight her, Dugu Yan hurried to the mountain valley without stopping.

"You came at just the right time."

Dugu Yang rose to his feet, his gaze falling on Dugu Yan in the distance.

Compared to half a year ago, Dugu Yan had changed even more than Dugu Yang. She was nearly 1.7 meters tall now, and her delicate face carried an additional bewitching, seductive allure.

A closer look revealed that her fingernails had taken on a faint dark green hue.

This was caused by the Jade Phosphor Snake Poison corroding her body.

Dugu Yang had actually been poisoned by the Jade Phosphor Snake Poison as well. However, because he had remained in the mountain valley, the frigid and scorching energies of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eye had suppressed it, so no symptoms had appeared yet.

"What are you looking at? Hurry up and release your Martial Soul!"

Dugu Yan raised a brow, clearly not taking Dugu Yang seriously at all.

Dugu Yang did not indulge her either. He said evenly:

"Are you in such a hurry to lose?"

"What did you say?!"

Dugu Yan's beautiful eyes narrowed as Dugu Yang's words instantly provoked her anger.

At that moment, hearty laughter sounded from behind them.

"Ha ha ha! Xiaoyang, you're provoking Yanzi like this. If you lose later, I won't stop her."

It was none other than Dugu Bo.

"Don't worry. That won't happen."

Dugu Yang spoke calmly, his tone brimming with confidence.

But this completely ignited Dugu Yan's fury.

"Dugu Yang! Stop babbling and release your Martial Soul already!"

As she spoke, the aura around Dugu Yan formed an invisible wave of air that spread in all directions. A diamond-shaped scale appeared on her forehead, while her legs pressed together and transformed into a thick, swaying snake tail.

Perhaps it was due to the difference between men and women. Although Dugu Yang and Dugu Yan both possessed the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Martial Soul, their appearances after Martial Soul Possession were entirely different.

Dugu Yan's legs would transform into a snake tail, while Dugu Yang's would not. He would only grow more scales.

Along with her Martial Soul Possession, a yellow Soul Ring circled Dugu Yan's snake tail, emitting a dangerous Spirit Power Aura.

Dugu Yan's current Soul Power Level had reached Level 13, one level higher than Dugu Yang's.

However, for low-level Soul Masters, a difference of one or two levels could not determine victory or defeat.

Seeing Dugu Yan impatient to fight him, Dugu Yang did not waste time either. His Soul Power circulated, and he activated Martial Soul Possession.

A yellow Soul Ring circled his body, its color deeper than Dugu Yan's Soul Ring. After all, this was a Soul Ring of around Six Hundred Year.

Buzz—

The instant Dugu Yang activated Martial Soul Possession, Dugu Yan's First Soul Ring lit up as well. She opened her lips and spat out an emerald short arrow.

Naturally, this was no hidden weapon. It was Dugu Yan's First Soul Skill, Poison Arrow Technique.

Unlike Dugu Yang, Dugu Yan had followed Dugu Bo's teachings and chosen a poison-based Soul Skill for her First Soul Skill.

The Poison Arrow Technique traveled extremely fast and was fired from the mouth, making it difficult to detect.

In actual combat, an enemy would be struck if they were even slightly careless.

Unfortunately, Dugu Yan had too little combat experience. Although it was a Soul Skill meant for a Sneak Attack, she used it head-on.

The instant her Soul Ring lit up, Dugu Yang was already prepared. He rolled across the ground and easily dodged the Poison Arrow Technique.

Dugu Yan remained unaware of this, and when she saw Dugu Yang rolling, she could not help but mock him.

"Hehe, how pathetic."

Dugu Yang ignored her. His legs exploded with force, and he charged at Dugu Yan in a single stride.

Besides granting Soul Skills and increasing Soul Power Level, Soul Rings also improved the quality of a Martial Soul.

Although the Tree Poison Toad's Soul Ring had not allowed Dugu Yang to inherit its dozens of deadly poisons, it had greatly enhanced the strength of his legs.

His sudden burst of speed made Dugu Yan's heart tighten.

By the time she reacted, Dugu Yang had already appeared in front of her.

Take this!

Dugu Yang thrust out a palm toward Dugu Yan's face.

She had no time to think and raised a hand to block it.

Smack!

Dugu Yan froze. It was not because Dugu Yang's palm strike was especially powerful—on the contrary, it was far too weak.

It would not have caused much harm even to an ordinary person, much less Dugu Yan in her Martial Soul Possession state.

Even stranger, after striking with his palm, Dugu Yang did not press his advantage. Instead, he rapidly retreated.

"Dugu Yang, are you looking down on me?!"

Dugu Yan frowned, believing that Dugu Yang was deliberately going easy on her.

Dugu Yang did not answer. Instead, he raised three fingers.

"Three, two, one!"

The instant his words fell, Dugu Yan's expression drastically changed. A violent, needle-like pain spread rapidly through her entire body from the spot Dugu Yang had struck.

"Ah!"

Dugu Yan only had time to let out a scream before she lost control of her body and fell stiffly to the ground.

Dugu Bo, who had been watching the battle, hurried forward to examine her condition.

"Jade Phosphor Scorpion Poison!"

Dugu Bo recognized at a glance that Dugu Yan had been poisoned by Jade Phosphor Scorpion Poison. With a light tap of his finger, Soul Power surged forth and forcefully expelled the poison from Dugu Yan's body.

However, the Jade Phosphor Scorpion Poison was extremely domineering. Even after it was forced out, Dugu Yan's whole body remained convulsing. It took her one or two minutes before she regained control of herself.

"How do you possess Jade Phosphor Scorpion Poison?!"

After recovering, Dugu Yan looked at Dugu Yang, her eyes filled with confusion and shock.

Dugu Yang clearly possessed the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Martial Soul, so where had he gotten the Jade Phosphor Scorpion Poison?

"Secret."

Dugu Yang held his index finger to his lips, looking utterly proud.

"Ha ha ha! Xiaoyang, so you asked me for the Jade Phosphor Scorpion's Poison Pill earlier to deal with Yanzi. Doesn't that make this old man an accomplice?"

Dugu Bo laughed heartily, not caring in the least that his granddaughter had just been poisoned into collapse by Dugu Yang.

Dugu Yang smiled and said:

"The Five Poisons Counteract one another. The final method for dealing with the Jade Phosphorous Serpent is naturally Jade Phosphor Scorpion Poison."

"Not bad. You can step outside a Soul Master's perspective to seek a way to counter an enemy. Xiaoyang, your talent in battle is far greater than those people who call themselves geniuses."

Dugu Bo's face was full of delight. To him, other than resolving the Jade Phosphor Serpent Martial Soul Drawback, nothing made him happier than seeing an outstanding junior.

Meanwhile, Dugu Yan stood nearby with a dazed expression and muttered:

"Grandfather, did you let him obtain the Jade Phosphor Scorpion Poison?"

"Of course not. I don't have that kind of ability."

Dugu Bo replied, but he did not reveal the reason either.

After all, Soul Skills were the foundation of a Soul Master's combat ability and belonged to another person's privacy.

Afterward, Dugu Bo walked up to Dugu Yang and said, "Xiaoyang, I promised you before that if you could defeat Yanzi, you could choose any spiritual herb here. Can you tell me which one you want now?"

Hearing this, Dugu Yang's face immediately lit up with joy. He raised a hand and pointed toward the place where he had previously absorbed the Jade Phosphor Scorpion Poison. A Pale Pink Great Flower grew there.

"I want that one."