Hidden Power

A moment later, the colored light around Dugu Shuo faded.

"His Majesty is in excellent health. There's no possibility that he's been poisoned!" Dugu Shuo said calmly.

Instead, Dugu Feng let out a long sigh of relief.

"Xue Xing, I told you that you were being overly sensitive. Every few months, you trouble Dugu Clan Leader again.

The Second Prince and Third Prince were poisoned to death, so the palace is already on guard. No matter who the enemy is, why would they use the same method to commit another murder?

The palace's food is inspected repeatedly every day, and the maids and imperial guards are replaced every month. How could I possibly be poisoned?" Xue Ye said with a smile.

"Exactly, Father. There's no way the enemy would be that stupid.

Uncle, Big Brother, since nothing's wrong, I'm going back to the academy. I still have to cultivate!" Xue Beng said disdainfully. Without waiting for Xue Ye or the others to agree, he turned and left.

"That Xue Beng. Xue Xing, Qinghe, the two of you need to keep an eye on him.

I think he's gone off to fool around again. A lot of ministers have complained to me that Xue Beng does whatever he wants in Heaven Dou City, often riding his horse through the streets and injuring people!" Xue Ye said helplessly.

"Father, my younger brother is still young. Besides, there are plenty of Profligate Sons in the city who are much worse than him.

Once he enters the Advanced Spirit Master Academy, Uncle and the three Committee Members will certainly take good care of him!" The Xue Qinghe played by Qian Renxue actually looked as though he was defending Xue Beng, displaying the broad-mindedness and magnanimity expected of an elder brother.

This was truly a grand performance.

Brothers loving and respectful, father kind and son filial.

Dugu Feng felt that he had learned a great deal.

"I've taken up enough of Dugu Clan Leader's time. Qinghe, see Dugu Clan Leader out for me!"

A moment later, under Qian Renxue's guidance, Dugu Shuo and Dugu Feng walked out of Xue Ye's bedchamber.

The three of them walked along slowly. Qian Renxue said warmly, "Brother Feng is about the same age as my younger brother, and you both attend the Royal Primary Academy. From now on, just call me Brother Xue!"

At this time, Qian Renxue should have been seventeen years old, in the prime of her youth. Yet she had disguised herself as Xue Qinghe and could not reveal her true appearance.

Dugu Feng really wanted to shout, Qian Renxue, the daughter of the former Pope of Spirit Hall, is here.

He wanted to see how Qian Renxue would react.

Qian Renxue's performance was simply too sincere.

"Okay, Brother Xue. Can I come find you often in the future?" Dugu Feng replied politely.

Qian Renxue froze. She had only been making a polite remark, but this kid had immediately climbed up the pole. He had truly grasped the essence of a snake, hadn't he?

"Of course. This is my Crown Prince Token. If anything comes up in the future, just bring it to the Crown Prince Residence and find me!"

Qian Renxue smiled faintly and took a Gold Token from her robes before handing it over.

Dugu Feng hurriedly accepted it. A Heaven Character was engraved on the Gold Token. He cupped his fists, then stored it in his Storage Soul Tool.

"Thank you, Brother Xue. I'll come find you when I have some free time!"

Dugu Feng smiled and showed a little goodwill, wondering whether he could keep Qian Renxue steady.

Qian Renxue escorted Dugu Shuo and Dugu Feng all the way to their carriage, then stood there with her hands behind her back.

Only after the carriage disappeared from sight did her expression return to normal.

"An innocent man gets in trouble because of his wealth. It's time for the Dugu Family to disappear. Who told you to possess such a powerful Poison Technique and stand on Heaven Dou's side? What a pity about that genius, Dugu Feng.

But compared to the Great Cause of Usurping the Throne, what does he amount to?

Elephant Armor Sect, Yang Wushuang, I hope you won't disappoint me!"

Qian Renxue chuckled lightly as she thought to herself, then turned and returned to the Imperial Palace.

The Dugu Family.

Inside a dark Underground Cave.

It was called an Underground Cave because it was enormous and resembled an underground cavern, winding and twisting like a burrow. Irregular claw marks covered the surrounding walls.

After leaving the Imperial Palace and returning to the family, Dugu Shuo brought Dugu Feng to this Underground Cave. Its entrance was actually beneath the Ancestral Hall Memorial Tablet.

It was extremely well hidden.

Hiss, hiss.

With a soft sound, Dugu Feng saw a centipede crawling up and down the wall.

He immediately remembered what Old Snake had said. To develop even more powerful poisons, the family had married and reproduced with many Soul Masters possessing Poison Type Spirits.

There were at least five kinds of Poison Type Spirits within the family.

Later, he also learned that the Nine Heavens Centipede was one of them.

There was a powerful Soul Beast called the Nine Heavens Dragon Centipede. The Nine Heavens Centipede and the Nine Heavens Dragon Centipede differed by only one word, but the former was also an extremely powerful Poisonous Spirit Beast.

As they continued through the cavern, more and more centipedes appeared around them.

Those densely packed legs would make anyone's scalp go numb.

"Feng'er, the Nine Heavens Centipede Spirit Masters are the family's hidden strength. They won't act unless the family faces a crisis, and no one knows where they are—not even Old Snake or Old Scorpion.

Other forces only vaguely know that our family possesses a hidden deterrent lurking in the shadows. That is the true reason the family fears no other force!" Dugu Shuo explained calmly.

"Then, Father, this time..." Dugu Feng asked doubtfully.

Dugu Shuo sneered coldly. "Hmph. Someone is playing with poison on our territory. Do they think their Poison Technique can rival my Dugu Family's?"

Dugu Feng probed, "Could it be that Xue Ye and the others were poisoned?"

Dugu Shuo nodded. Xue Ye had indeed been poisoned.

When it came to researching poison, he had inherited the Dugu Family's complete legacy of Mixed Poison.

As for Dugu Bo, when he had left home to cultivate on his own, he had only obtained knowledge related to matching the Snake Cultivation Spirit Ring.

As the Dugu Clan Leader, there truly was no poison in the world that could escape him.

Dugu Shuo's expression grew solemn. "Since the enemy has poisoned us again and again, it means they don't take our Dugu Family seriously. Either they're arrogant, or they're extremely powerful.

Feng'er, which possibility do you think it is?"

So Father had also discovered that Xue Ye had been poisoned, but he was wary of the force behind the poisoner.

That was why he had not spoken out.

Dugu Feng truly admired his father this time.

He was very wise.

"Father, I think the enemy is powerful. They may even make a move against the family!" Dugu Feng said after pondering for a moment.

"Feng'er, your thoughts are correct. The family is in trouble this time!

Xue Ye was poisoned with Mixed Poison. Even I would have to expend a great deal of effort to remove it.

And that's despite the enemy concealing their actions and not displaying their full strength.

The enemy has a powerful expert who isn't afraid of poison!

Such experts could be counted on one hand across the entire continent.

Moreover, anyone who dares scheme against the Heaven Dou Empire is backed either by the Star Luo Dai Family or Spirit Hall."

Dugu Shuo analyzed the matter calmly.

Dugu Feng was somewhat surprised. His father had actually guessed that it might be the Dai Family.

Clearly, in his father's eyes, the Star Luo Empire had always intended to scheme against Heaven Dou. He also acknowledged Star Luo's formidable strength.

From what Dugu Feng knew of the people around him, Star Luo was the greatest enemy in the eyes of the people of Heaven Dou.

The two nations also frequently had border conflicts.

By contrast, they harbored far less hostility toward Spirit Hall.

"Father, are you worried about the upcoming Six Great Families Resolution? This matter happens to involve both the Dai Family and Spirit Hall.

And the resolution won't take place in Heaven Dou City. If the enemy sees us as enemies, they may very well seize the opportunity to strike!" Dugu Feng added.