The Dugu Family's Poison—Is It Hard to Deal With?

She Long bowed to Wang Chen and thanked him, "Thank you, young friend, for helping save our young master. If there is anything you require, I will do everything in my power to fulfill it."

Wang Chen quickly stepped aside and said, "Senior, there is no need for this."

As they spoke, another person approached.

The newcomer was short, stout, and bloated, with broad shoulders, a thick back, and short, thick limbs. He looked like a solid, squat iron tower.

He had short wine-red hair, tied into several small braids at the back of his head.

His complexion was dark and somewhat black, his face broad and square, with flesh covering it.

The corners of his eyes drooped, and his pupils were dark green. His gaze was sinister, carrying a cold gleam like poisonous miasma.

When the man's gaze swept over Wang Chen, he felt as though he were being watched by a ferocious beast.

The newcomer bowed to Qian Renxue and asked, "Young Master, were you injured just now?"

Qian Renxue shook her head. "My soul power was depleted, which caused me to lose consciousness. Fortunately, this little brother was there to help."

The man bowed gratefully to Wang Chen. "Thank you, young friend, for your help. If you have any requests, I will do everything in my power to fulfill them."

Wang Chen waved his hand. "Senior, you are too polite."

The man then went to stand beside She Long.

Wang Chen knew that this man was Bloodthorn, who protected Qian Renxue alongside She Long, also known as Porcupinefish Douluo.

Qian Renxue needed to return to Heaven Dou City. She was impersonating Xue Qinghe in the Eastern Palace, and returning to Heaven Dou City with Wang Chen in her true appearance at this moment would undoubtedly be a major taboo.

Qian Renxue said, "My name is Qian Xue. What is your name?"

Qian Xue—Qian Renxue. It was obvious that she did not want Wang Chen to know her true identity.

However, it was understandable upon reflection.

After all, she was carrying out an undercover plan to steal a nation.

At the center of the vortex, revealing one's real name was not a good thing for either Qian Renxue or Wang Chen.

Wang Chen did not conceal his name. His information was too easy to investigate, so there was no need.

Wang Chen replied, "Wang Chen."

Qian Renxue nodded. "Wang Chen?"

"I will remember that. If nothing unexpected happens, the gold soul coins, spirit herbs, information on immortal herbs, and a storage soul tool capable of holding goods that you requested should be delivered to you in seven days."

Qian Renxue then looked at She Long and said, "Uncle She, please take young friend Wang Chen to Heaven Capital City and get him settled."

She Long bowed and accepted the order. "Understood, Young Master."

Wang Chen then parted ways with Qian Renxue. Under She Long's arrangements, he arrived in Heaven Capital City and stayed at a top-class hotel.

Wang Chen learned from the citizens of Heaven Dou City that the third prince of the Heaven Dou Empire had died while out hunting for a soul ring. He had been poisoned to death.

Wang Chen guessed that the death of the third prince of the Heaven Dou Empire had been handled in the same manner Qian Renxue had used to replace Xue Qinghe.

Taking advantage of the opportunity when he went out to hunt soul rings, She Long and Porcupinefish had drawn away the third prince's guards.

As for the third prince of the Heaven Dou Empire, Qian Renxue had dealt with him herself.

However, in order to avoid arousing suspicion, Porcupinefish and Snake Spear Douluo could not use the strength of Titled Douluo. They could only use the strength of Soul Douluo.

Because once they used the strength of Titled Douluo, it would be easy for others to discover that they were from Spirit Hall.

As a result, they had failed to draw away all of the third prince's guards while dealing with them.

This meant that Qian Renxue had needed to go through a battle when assassinating the third prince of the Heaven Dou Empire. In the end, she had only completed the mission after exhausting all her soul power.

Likewise, in order to prevent anyone from recognizing the martial souls and soul skills used by Qian Renxue, Porcupinefish, and Snake Spear Douluo, Qian Renxue had used poison to kill the third prince of the Heaven Dou Empire.

After all, every faction possessed poison. It was impossible to identify the attacker based on clues from poison alone.

He simply had not expected Wang Chen to encounter Qian Renxue while she was unconscious.

Wang Chen guessed that if he had not been there, She Long and Porcupinefish would likely have found Qian Renxue soon after she lost consciousness.

Wang Chen had saved Qian Renxue entirely by luck.

After staying at the hotel for seven days, Qian Renxue had someone deliver to Wang Chen the materials collected by Spirit Hall, the information on flowers and herbs researched by Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan, and a storage soul tool ring capable of storing living creatures.

Wang Chen remained in Heaven Dou City, studying information on various medicinal herbs and immortal herbs while also gathering information about Dugu Bo.

From his inquiries, Wang Chen learned that Dugu Bo lived with his granddaughter, Dugu Yan, at the Dugu Residence in Heaven Dou City.

He also learned that Dugu Bo liked to go out on rainy days.

Moreover, he took his granddaughter with him almost every time.

Having read quite a few fanfictions, Wang Chen knew that Dugu Bo went out on rainy days to use the special terrain of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eye to suppress the poison within his body.

Dugu Bo's martial soul was the Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor.

The Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor could secrete large amounts of poison. This poison could help Dugu Bo fight enemies, but it would also enter his body and backlash against him. This was the illness of the Dugu family.

After members of the Dugu family were poisoned, it generally flared up once at midnight and once at noon every day.

Each episode lasted for more than two hours.

When it rained on overcast days, a numb, itchy sensation would appear along his ribs and gradually intensify.

At midnight, needle-like stabbing pain would strike the crown of his head and the soles of his feet. His entire body would convulse for at least an hour!

Wang Chen remembered Dugu Bo's symptoms and the timing of his attacks clearly.

At the same time, he knew the cause.

The main issue was that after Jade Phosphor Serpent Poison formed, it would invade the human body, while the Dugu family had never found a good method to store and utilize those toxins.

In Wang Chen's view, solving this problem was actually quite simple.

He could think of several solutions.

The first, and worst, was to cripple the martial soul.

Without the Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor martial soul, no poison would be produced, so there would naturally be nothing to fear.

However, this was the Douluo world, where all martial strength was rooted in martial souls.

Although Douluo was the bottom rung of fantasy worlds, without a martial soul or supernatural power, one would have to remain constantly vigilant, lest they die in a Soul Master's conflict or a soul beast riot.

Soul Masters could not accept a solution that left them without the ability to protect themselves.

The second solution was to develop an antidote specifically for the Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor's poison.

The Dugu family had been working on that all along, but judging from Dugu Bo's current condition, their research had clearly not succeeded.

The third was to cultivate one's body to a level where it could withstand the Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor's poison, or develop a cultivation technique capable of controlling the Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor poison within one's body.

However, the Douluo world seemed to have done very little research into cultivation techniques. There was not even a slightly systematic cultivation method.

Developing a cultivation technique capable of withstanding the Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor's poison would require a great deal of time, as well as the correct line of thought.

Wang Chen had the correct line of thought, and he also possessed the meridian martial soul.

The meridian martial soul could precisely sense the subtle changes in soul power flowing through spiritual veins.

As long as Wang Chen was given time, he was absolutely confident that he could develop a cultivation technique capable of resisting the Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor's poison.

The fourth solution was to find a container and transfer the Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor's poison from the body into it.