"Pfft! You're quite an interesting junior. Since you're here, let's get started!"
Dugu Yan turned and pushed open the door to No. 3 Training Ground, walking unhurriedly ahead of Yu Hengqing.
As soon as Yu Hengqing stepped inside No. 3 Training Ground, a fighting ring the size of a basketball court caught his eye.
Dugu Yan vaulted onto the ring with one hand and stamped her foot.
"The ring's floor is made from the trunks of century-old Plant-type Soul Beasts, Silver Wind Willows! It can absorb the force of a Soul Grandmaster's full-strength attack. Don't hold back when we fight in a moment, junior."
Yu Hengqing, who had just come up the stairs, lowered his head curiously at her words.
Sure enough, just as Dugu Yan had said, the floor here was made of Silver Wind Willow.
This Soul Beast used to be found everywhere, but its wood was so useful that its population rapidly dwindled. Now it could only be found in small numbers in the Star Dou Great Forest.
"Martial Soul, possess!"
The moment a serpent's shadow merged into Dugu Yan, her pupils grew narrow and long, and dark green scales appeared on her wrists and neck. Two Yellow Soul Rings appeared beneath her feet.
Since his Martial Soul was separate from his body, Yu Hengqing didn't summon it. He simply revealed his Soul Rings and used Leiyi's power of lightning.
Watching golden lightning dance over Yu Hengqing's body, Dugu Yan couldn't help feeling delighted.
The information she'd paid to find out earlier had been right. Yu Hengqing's Martial Soul really wasn't the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon!
As long as Tian Heng became a Titled Douluo before Yu Hengqing, Tian Heng's position as clan leader would be all but certain!
Ever since becoming teammates with Yu Tianheng, Dugu Yan had learned that Yu Tianheng's father had instilled a certain belief in him from a young age.
Yu Tianheng had to do everything better than everyone else. Only then could he be considered qualified as a candidate for clan leader.
Though strong-willed Dugu Yan liked Yu Tianheng for his strength, she didn't want to be the person standing behind him. She wanted to face problems shoulder to shoulder with him.
That was why Dugu Yan was willing to hand over the Century-Old Purple Vein Ginseng her grandfather had given her. She didn't care whether it was worth it; she only wanted to do what she believed was right.
"Jade Phosphorus Red Poison!"
The Soul Ring beneath Dugu Yan's feet lit up, and clouds of red mist suddenly appeared. She opened her mouth and gently inhaled a cloud of Jade Phosphorus Red Poison.
Yu Hengqing was just about to retreat when he saw Dugu Yan's eyes turn red and watched her charge at him with a punch.
Seeing this, Yu Hengqing abandoned the idea of retreating, took up a stance, and drew back his right fist.
The instant Dugu Yan's fist neared Yu Hengqing, he swung his own fist to meet it.
"Bang!"
Both of them staggered back several steps, but Yu Hengqing retreated only three, clearly fewer than Dugu Yan's seven.
"Junior, I didn't expect you to be so physically strong. Looks like you're going down the path of a Power Attack System Battle Soul Master!"
Dugu Yan smiled and shook out her stinging arm. Having seen Yu Hengqing's strength, she finally understood why Yu Tianheng had been pushing himself so hard in training lately.
If Yu Tianheng didn't have the advantage of being a few years older than Yu Hengqing, Yu Hengqing would have left him in the dust long ago.
Faced with Dugu Yan's praise, Yu Hengqing only replied calmly, "You're too kind, senior. I was just lucky!"
Naturally, Yu Hengqing wasn't going to tell Dugu Yan that he had used Whale Rubber to raise his physical strength to the level of a two-ring Power Attack System Battle Soul Master.
"Then let's keep going!"
Hearing Yu Hengqing's utterly unremarkable reply, Dugu Yan's mood didn't change. She simply attacked him again.
After they exchanged blows once more, Dugu Yan confirmed that Yu Hengqing's physical strength wasn't the result of a Soul Skill.
Looks like I'll have to use poison to settle this!
"Jade Phosphorus Blue Poison!"
The poison mist that had already dispersed reappeared around Dugu Yan, but this time it was blue.
After Dugu Yan absorbed the Jade Phosphorus Blue Poison, Yu Hengqing noticed a marked increase in her defense.
Before, she'd needed seven steps to absorb the impact of one of Yu Hengqing's blows. Now she only needed five.
Looks like both of her Soul Skills are buffs.
Having seen the effects of Dugu Yan's two Soul Skills, Yu Hengqing stopped holding back. The Soul Ring beneath his feet lit up, and golden lightning appeared.
"Senior, watch out!"
As soon as he spoke, Yu Hengqing's figure abruptly vanished from Dugu Yan's sight.
Before Dugu Yan could react, her view suddenly flipped, and she saw the ceiling of No. 3 Training Ground.
"I didn't even react before I hit the ground. Looks like I've been slacking off lately!"
Lying on the ring, Dugu Yan stared at the ceiling and sighed.
Dugu Yan didn't think losing to Yu Hengqing was anything to be ashamed of. After all, she hadn't even used her real moves.
"Senior, are you all right?"
Yu Hengqing walked over and reached out to Dugu Yan. She took his hand to get up and tucked the loose strands of hair from her face behind her ear.
"You really are gifted, junior! Looks like I gave my Purple Vein Ginseng to the right person. Don't forget my investment in you in the future!"
Once she was steady on her feet, Dugu Yan suddenly felt lighter, as if the boulder weighing on her had grown smaller. In high spirits, she teased Yu Hengqing with a smile.
"You're too kind, senior!"
After chatting for a few more moments, Yu Hengqing and Dugu Yan parted ways at the training ground's entrance. Just as Yu Hengqing was about to head to Thunder-Fire Hall to train, however, an unexpected face appeared outside the training ground.
"Are you done?"
Zhou Yan panted heavily as he sized up Yu Hengqing, trying to spot any injuries.
"Yes. It was only a simple training session, so it didn't take long."
Though he didn't understand why Zhou Yan had come here, Yu Hengqing answered his question.
"Then Dugu Yan didn't use her Soul Skills?"
Hearing that it had been a simple training session, Zhou Yan assumed Dugu Yan hadn't used her Soul Skills.
Seeing Zhou Yan keep pressing him, and recalling Dugu Yan's parting reminder, Yu Hengqing had a good idea why he'd come.
"She did. When we finished, she even told me to get some antidote from the school doctor. She was worried I might've accidentally inhaled the Jade Phosphorus Blue Poison during our fight."
"Good, she told you. Then take this antidote now."
As he spoke, Zhou Yan took out the antidote he'd gotten from the school doctor and handed it to Yu Hengqing.
"The Jade Phosphorus Blue Poison temporarily slows your reactions. The antidote will restore them right away. Otherwise, it'll take an hour or two for you to recover."
Yu Hengqing's guess had indeed been right. Zhou Yan hadn't gone to Thunder-Fire Hall and had come looking for him instead, most likely because of this.
Taking the antidote Zhou Yan offered, Yu Hengqing swallowed it in one gulp under his watchful gaze.
In truth, Yu Hengqing didn't feel as though he'd been poisoned, and Leiyi had said there was nothing wrong with his body. But Zhou Yan had gone out of his way to skip training and bring him medicine, so Yu Hengqing didn't want to disregard the gesture.
Not long after returning home, Dugu Yan began to feel that something was wrong with her body as she practiced.
Fortunately, Dugu Bo was home that day, so Dugu Yan went to her grandfather and asked him to check her pulse.
Dugu Bo naturally didn't refuse. But the moment he placed his hand on Dugu Yan's wrist, he sensed that something was amiss.
"Yan Yan, there's a tenth less poison in your body than before!"
Dugu Bo excitedly clasped Dugu Yan's hand, looking at her with delight.
"What?! Grandpa, is that true? There's less poison in my body?!"
Dugu Yan knew that after their family awakened the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor, poison accumulated in their bodies every time they cultivated.
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