"What? How could that be?"
Dugu Yan was stunned by the sight.
The poisonous fog had completely lost its effect in front of Zhou Tong.
How was she supposed to fight him now?
She knew that elemental powers like lightning could counter Jade Phosphor Snake poison.
But her Soul Power Level was higher, and all her opponent had done was release his Martial Soul—yet he had already defeated her poison.
That was simply too shocking.
"Hmph, I refuse to believe you can turn the whole world upside down!"
When Dugu Yan saw that the poisonous fog had no effect, she stepped forward and swept her long right leg straight toward Zhou Tong's chest.
Zhou Tong wasn't surprised by Dugu Yan's underhanded sneak attack.
Lightning naturally had powerful penetrating and purifying properties, giving it a strong advantage against Dugu Yan's snake poison.
It was only natural that her poisonous fog would be ineffective.
And if she came in close to attack, that would be even easier to deal with.
Lightning flickered across Zhou Tong's body. As the Jade Phosphor Snake poison drew near, the thunderbolts purified it away.
Faced with Dugu Yan's jade-like leg sweeping toward him, he didn't even move from where he stood.
Zhou Tong reached out and caught her sweeping leg in his hand.
His body had been tempered by Heaven Lightning; it was already beyond what a Soul Master of the same rank could match.
Seeing Zhou Tong casually catch her leg with ease, Dugu Yan felt a sudden, ominous premonition.
The next moment, things got even worse.
Zhou Tong actually flung her away with brute force, and she staggered backward.
His savage fighting style made Dugu Yan close her beautiful eyes in terror.
She could hardly believe what she was seeing.
She was about to be smashed onto the ground like that—it would hurt so much.
If she landed face-first, she'd be disfigured.
"Zhou Tong, you jerk!"
"Can't you show a girl a little tenderness?"
Tears welled in Dugu Yan's green eyes, and she was so frightened that she began to sob.
She had always had things go her way. When had she ever suffered a setback like this?
"I'm done, I'm done fighting!"
"Your Martial Soul is way too unfair!"
"My poison can't even get near you. What's the point of fighting?"
Dugu Yan complained in fear.
But after waiting for a long time, she still felt no pain.
Hesitantly, she opened her beautiful eyes and cautiously took a look. She was less than half a meter from the ground.
Thick vines coiled around her, with terrifying arcs of electricity flickering across them.
But to her surprise, not a single arc touched her.
Zhou Tong stood in front of her, his face beaming with smug amusement.
Zhou Tong had never intended to actually slam her into the ground. There was no need to make an enemy of her.
After all, they might end up as allies.
Scaring her a little, then soothing her, was the best strategy.
"Senior Dugu, you were a worthy opponent."
Zhou Tong smiled gently, wearing an adorable grin that Dugu Yan couldn't bring herself to resist.
Only then did he pull her back.
"Ow..."
Dugu Yan pretended to stumble and dropped onto the ground, landing on her bottom.
"You bullied me!"
"I'm telling my grandpa!"
"Hmph!"
The domineering queen of the group had no intention of taking a loss like this.
Like a little girl who'd lost her toy, she sat on the ground, aggrieved.
"Senior Dugu Yan, you have to accept your loss."
"If you carry on like this, people will think I'm bullying you."
"We had a fair Soul Fighting match. Don't bring Senior Dugu out to intimidate me."
"A loss is a loss."
"Don't be a sore loser."
Zhou Tong stood some distance away, refusing to fall for it.
Trying to play the victim in front of him?
Not a chance.
That trick wouldn't work on him.
"You're bullying me!"
Dugu Yan suddenly looked up at Zhou Tong, puffing her cheeks in anger.
Her delicate little face was streaked with tears, and her cheeks still glowed red from having just lost her composure.
"Don't make things up."
"That's not what happened."
"Yan Yan, don't bully your junior."
Zhou Tong wasn't falling for it.
"If you want to make peace, fine. Then tell me, why does your Martial Soul counter my poison so thoroughly?"
Dugu Yan had calmed down. She suddenly asked him the question.
The Dugu Family's inherited Martial Soul was the Jade Phosphor Snake, whose primary means of attack was Jade Phosphor Snake poison.
Now she had run into a Soul Master whose Martial Soul naturally countered her poison.
Wouldn't that mean he could suppress her for the rest of her life?
Even the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's Martial Souls didn't wield lightning that could counter Jade Phosphor Snake poison so thoroughly.
This guy was practically a monster, as if he'd been born to deal with her family's Martial Soul.
Zhou Tong smiled. So she was wary of his Martial Soul.
"It's simple. I tempered my body in Heaven Lightning and gained powerful lightning-attribute energy. I'm naturally immune to all poisons."
"So it's only natural that I counter your snake poison."
Dugu Yan glared at Zhou Tong, cheeks puffed. "You're such a freak!"
At that, Zhou Tong chuckled. So she was jealous.
Well, there was nothing he could do about that.
"I don't care. If anyone bullies me in the future, you have to help me beat them up!"
Dugu Yan's little face turned scarlet as if it were glowing with the colors of the sunset.
"Sure, sure."
Zhou Tong reached out and helped her up. Their relationship had been established.
Everything was going according to Zhou Tong's plan.
Smoothly.
However, just then—
"Grandpa, what are you doing here?"
Just as Zhou Tong was about to say goodbye to Dugu Yan, she suddenly cried out in surprise.
Zhou Tong's gaze was immediately drawn to the green figure standing not far away.
"Oh, my precious Yan Yan."
"Be careful when you're playing around, or you might hurt my precious granddaughter."
Dugu Bo smiled as he caught Dugu Yan, who came flying at him like a little bird returning to its nest.
"You're all grown up now, so you can't go acting recklessly."
"Your grandpa's still waiting for you to find him a grandson-in-law."
Dugu Bo's gaunt old face broke into a smile.
"No way. I want to stay with Grandpa forever."
Dugu Yan pouted and said coyly.
"Grandpa, what brings you here?"
Dugu Yan asked curiously.
"I missed you, of course. I was going to visit you at Heaven Dou Royal Academy and look at some books while I was there, but you weren't around, so I came looking for you."
Dugu Bo chuckled.
Suddenly, he noticed that Dugu Yan's eyes were slightly red.
The kindly old man's expression changed in an instant.
"Yan Yan, who bullied you?!"
Dugu Bo's aura erupted with a boom. The place instantly grew oppressive, and Zhou Tong felt a suffocating pressure bearing down on him.
"Grandpa..."
Dugu Yan was about to explain, but before she could finish, Dugu Bo shot Zhou Tong a cold glance.
"You, boy?"
"You dared to bully my Yan Yan?"
"Looking to die!"
As he spoke, Dugu Bo's aura crashed down on Zhou Tong.
Zhou Tong felt a powerful pressure weighing on him, leaving him struggling to breathe.
"Senior, nothing of the sort happened."
Zhou Tong forced himself to bear the discomfort and spoke.
Dugu Bo was so overbearing—one disagreement, and he was ready to kill.
"Grandpa, he didn't bully me."
Dugu Yan hurriedly explained.
"But his Martial Soul naturally counters my snake poison!"
"What?" Dugu Bo's face jolted with shock.
That was even more terrifying than bullying his granddaughter. His gaze fell coldly on Zhou Tong.
Perhaps he ought to nip this in the bud?
Before you continue