Shy Dugu Yan

Heaven Dou City was not far from the Sunset Forest.

Dugu Yan and her grandfather had their own residence just outside the Sunset Forest.

It was located in the small town bordering the Sunset Forest.

Rushing back to Sunset Town in a flurry of anxiety, Dugu Yan pushed open the courtyard gate and shouted, "Grandfather, Grandfather, are you home?"

Hearing the commotion, an old man with white hair and beard, dressed entirely in ink-green attire, slowly walked out of the room and into the courtyard.

"Yanyan?"

"Why have you returned?"

Dugu Yan had a mountain of questions she wanted answered, and she was in no mood for small talk with the old man.

She asked directly and bluntly:

"Grandfather, does our family's Jade Phosphor Snake martial soul possess hereditary toxins?"

"Do they erupt once they accumulate to a certain point?"

"Hmm?"

Upon hearing his granddaughter's question, murderous intent instantly overflowed from Dugu Bo's emerald-green pupils.

His first reaction was that someone was trying to use his precious granddaughter as a pawn.

"Yanyan, who told you this?"

"Grandfather, never mind who said it—is it true or not?"

"Also, did Father die because of this hereditary toxin?"

At the mention of his son, Dugu Bo's expression turned instantly desolate.

After a long sigh, Dugu Bo smiled bitterly:

"Since you already know, I will not hide it from you."

"That is correct; your father died from our family's hereditary Jade Phosphor Snake poison."

"But rest assured, Yanyan, even if I have to risk my old life, I will not let you follow in his footsteps."

Receiving a definitive answer, Dugu Yan's shoulders trembled slightly.

She took a few steps back, looking dejected, and muttered to herself:

"It's actually true. Our Dugu family really is destined to die from the hereditary toxins of our own martial soul."

Dugu Bo couldn't bear the look on his granddaughter's face and was about to step forward to comfort her, but he saw Dugu Yan suddenly regain her vitality.

Furthermore, her gaze became firmer than it had ever been before.

"That means the matter of the Snake God is also true."

"No matter how difficult the trial is, I, Dugu Yan, am determined to become the Snake God. No one can stop me."

Her fiery gaze slowly dimmed, and as she looked up again, a smile had already touched the corners of Dugu Yan's mouth.

"Don't worry, Grandfather, I can resolve this toxin myself."

"Huh?"

"Hey, Yanyan, we can't have you acting recklessly! Don't cause some kind of accident!"

"Oh, Grandfather, just rest easy. I naturally have my own methods, and the probability of success is extremely high. I wouldn't gamble with my own life."

Having obtained the information she wanted, Dugu Yan stayed at home for one day before heading back toward the Royal Academy.

As for the matter of the Snake God, she did not intend to tell her naturally suspicious grandfather for the time being.

If he were to forbid it, she would inevitably miss out on the divine position.

Once she confirmed that the Snake God trial could indeed resolve the toxins in her body and bring her benefits, it would not be too late to tell him then.

Dugu Yan was right about one thing: Dugu Bo was indeed a man of suspicious nature.

Watching his granddaughter's departing back, the gentleness on Dugu Bo's face vanished instantly.

Having learned that someone was whispering in his granddaughter's ear, he was determined to make that person pay the price.

Several hours after Dugu Yan left, Dugu Bo quietly departed from the small courtyard and likewise flew in the direction of Heaven Dou City.

The round trip had already wasted two days. As Dugu Yan examined the divine trial information in her mind, she couldn't help but start building up her own resolve.

"Dugu Yan, you can do this. It's just a dance."

"Whether or not our descendants can be spared from the intrusion of the snake poison depends on you."

The next morning, after meeting Ye Lingling for breakfast, the two of them walked hand in hand to the classroom to attend their lectures.

The lecturer was a Soul King powerhouse, primarily tasked with explaining the various classifications of Soul Masters.

By the time one reached a high-level Soul Master Academy, the knowledge of coordinated combat had already been placed on the agenda.

Unlike her usual self, Dugu Yan currently felt as though she were sitting on pins and needles.

The moment she thought about what she had to do next, she wanted to find a hole to crawl into.

But the arrow was already on the string and had to be fired; having boasted to her grandfather, she had no path of retreat.

Halfway through the lesson, Dugu Yan suddenly slammed her hands on the desk and stood up.

This bizarre action immediately drew everyone's attention.

Even the Soul King teacher at the podium stopped his lecture.

He looked at Dugu Yan, the star student of the class, with a face full of confusion.

"Student Dugu, is there something you need?"

Dugu Yan ignored the teacher's words, simultaneously disregarding the questioning gazes cast by all her classmates.

After taking a deep breath, Dugu Yan's expression slowly turned bewitching.

A snake dance, performed without music, slowly unfolded.

The atmosphere inside the classroom suddenly turned strange.

Some students who loved a good show even started whistling.

On a crooked tree outside the window, Dugu Bo's gray eyes widened until they were perfectly round, and he nearly tumbled from the tree.

"What is Yan-yan doing?"

Dugu Bo, who had followed her, hadn't even found the person spreading rumors before he witnessed this bizarre scene.

His granddaughter had always been aloof in front of outsiders, yet he never imagined she would dance in public.

Several agonizing minutes passed quietly; having finished the snake dance, Dugu Yan covered her flushed cheeks and said to the teacher:

"Teacher, I'm feeling a bit unwell, I'd like to request a leave of absence."

After speaking, she ignored the bewildered Soul King teacher and ran straight out of the classroom.

[Wish Rank F, Executor completion rate 100%.]

[Reward: 40 days of cultivation, Soul Ring age increased by 20 years.]

Watching the entire performance of Dugu Yan's dance through Xiao Qing's vision, the corners of Lu Xian's mouth curled up wildly.

This meant he had gained another fated laborer.

Without being stingy, he distributed the rewards and began to look forward to the days of being powered by four cores—er, 3.5 cores.

Meanwhile, Dugu Yan, who had run back to her room, jumped onto her bed, threw the quilt over her head, and covered herself.

At the same time, she kicked her legs wildly.

"So embarrassing, so embarrassing!"

Although quite some time had passed, the temperature of Dugu Yan's cheeks had not dropped in the slightest.

It wasn't until that notification sound rang in her mind once more that Dugu Yan instantly sprang up from the bed.

"Ninety-Nine Trials of the Snake God, First Trial: Snake Nature, completed."

"Reward: 10 days of cultivation, all Soul Ring ages increased by 3 years."

Feeling the soul power surging through her limbs and bones, Dugu Yan felt a surge of joy.

"So there are rewards for completing the trials! It seems this Snake God is quite reasonable!"

"And it's not just cultivation; even the Soul Ring ages can be increased."

"Doesn't that mean I could eventually possess a thousand-year first and second Soul Ring?"

Having received tangible, visible benefits, Dugu Yan's enthusiasm for the trials soared.

At first, she had only completed the trial to save her own life, but now, the prospect of becoming stronger had been added to the mix.

However, she hadn't been happy for long before the smile on Dugu Yan's face instantly froze.

"Ninety-Nine Trials of the Snake God, Second Trial: The Hunt!"

"As an excellent predator, how can a snake lack hunting ability?"

"Hunt twenty pets within the courtyard."

"Time limit: one week."

"What is this? Why does the Snake God's trial have anything to do with other people's pets?"

"Sensing the dissatisfaction of the trial-taker, the completion condition can be changed to hunting twenty Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts."

"Do you wish to change?"

"No, no, no... pets are fine, pets are great."

"I absolutely love hunting pets!"