Dugu Yan

A seventy-ninth-level Soul Saint would earn respect anywhere.

But Dugu Bo before them was a Titled Douluo, a peerless ninety-first-level powerhouse. The gap between the two was as vast as heaven and earth.

What was more, Dugu Bo was a consecrated elder of the Heaven Dou Imperial Family.

And Huang Fei belonged to Spirit Hall.

The relationship between the two factions had never been cordial.

Meeting in a place like Dragon Valley, even the slightest misstep could lead to tremendous trouble.

Lu Mingfei could also read the gravity of the situation from Huang Fei's reaction.

He obediently stood behind Huang Fei, lowered his head, and tried to make himself as inconspicuous as possible, only secretly observing Dugu Bo and Dugu Yan from the corner of his eye.

Dugu Bo had clearly noticed Huang Fei and Lu Mingfei as well.

His gaze lingered on Huang Fei for a moment. There was not the slightest ripple in those emerald-like eyes, making it impossible to tell what he was thinking.

His attention quickly shifted to the Jade Phosphor Snake curled up in a depression beside the valley path, and the corner of his lips lifted into a faintly satisfied smile.

"Yan."

Dugu Bo's voice was dry and raspy. "This Jade Phosphor Snake suits you well. It's over seven hundred years old, and the concentration of its Jade Phosphor Dragon bloodline is decent enough. It's perfect for your second soul ring. Go take it down."

Dugu Yan nodded and took a silver longsword gleaming with cold light from the soul tool at her waist. Its blade was narrow and long, thin as a cicada's wing, while its hilt was wrapped in dark green cord. It was clearly a specially forged soul tool weapon.

Holding the sword, she walked to the edge of the depression. Her right hand gripped the hilt as she gave a low shout. "Jade Phosphor Snake, possess!"

Jade-green light surged from her body, and a phantom of a Jade Phosphor Snake over three meters long appeared behind her.

The snake raised its head, its jade-green eyes radiating cold, bloodthirsty light.

A bright yellow soul ring emerged beneath Dugu Yan's feet and slowly pulsed. It was her first soul ring.

After her martial soul possessed her, Dugu Yan's appearance changed dramatically.

Her short, dark-purple hair instantly turned crimson, dazzling like burning flames.

Her body became extraordinarily supple. Her waist swayed gently, and she moved like a snake swimming through water, every motion carrying a dangerous, bewitching elegance.

An extra diamond-shaped green scale appeared on her forehead. Crystal-clear and embedded in her skin, it gave her an added air of inhuman eeriness.

The most astonishing change was in her lower body...

Her legs fused together amid the jade-green radiance, transforming into a thick snake tail.

Dense scales covered its surface, reflecting a deep green sheen under the light.

Lu Mingfei clicked his tongue inwardly.

So this was what a Jade Phosphor Snake martial soul looked like after possession!

Her legs turned directly into a snake tail. This transformation was even more complete than Meng Yiran's Serpent Form. No wonder Dugu Yan seemed to rely on her snake tail to move around.

"First Soul Skill, Jade Phosphor Red Poison."

Dugu Yan's voice became much colder, and a flash of red passed through her green eyes.

The first yellow soul ring around her suddenly lit up, and a faint red glow enveloped her entire body.

Lu Mingfei could clearly sense her aura rising sharply in that instant. Her breathing became excited and powerful, while the hand gripping her sword grew much steadier.

The effect of Jade Phosphor Red Poison was to stimulate the nerves and heighten the user's excitement, increasing attack power and speed by twenty percent.

That kind of boost was quite considerable in actual combat.

Dugu Yan flicked her snake tail, launching herself like an arrow from the bow. The silver sword in her hand stabbed straight toward the Jade Phosphor Snake coiled in the depression.

Sensing the approach of another of its kind, the Jade Phosphor Snake immediately raised its head and let out a hissing warning.

Though it feared Dugu Bo's aura and did not dare act rashly, it had no intention of being polite to a young girl.

The Jade Phosphor Snake's body suddenly sprang up, its enormous head crashing toward Dugu Yan.

Sword light and serpent shadows intertwined.

Dugu Yan moved nimbly, her snake tail swiftly slithering over the ground and giving her a speed far beyond that of ordinary legs.

She circled the Jade Phosphor Snake at high speed, repeatedly thrusting her silver sword. Every strike targeted the snake's vital point and the gaps between its scales.

However, the Jade Phosphor Snake's scales were exceptionally tough. The silver sword only left shallow white marks as it scraped across them, unable to inflict any real damage.

The Jade Phosphor Snake was enraged.

It suddenly opened its jaws and spewed out a thick cloud of blue poisonous mist.

The poison mist quickly spread through the air, enveloping Dugu Yan completely.

The moment Dugu Yan caught the pungent, sickly-sweet scent, her expression changed drastically, and her movements immediately slowed.

The blue poisonous mist had a numbing effect. It seeped into her body through her breathing, making her limbs heavy and stiff. Even the fingers holding her sword began to tingle.

Watching the battle shift, Lu Mingfei grew tense.

Dugu Yan's sword could not break through the Jade Phosphor Snake's defenses at all.

Yet the Jade Phosphor Snake's poisonous mist was steadily weakening Dugu Yan's combat ability.

With one side declining while the other gained the upper hand, Dugu Yan's defeat was only a matter of time.

But Lu Mingfei noticed one detail.

Dugu Bo stood to the side with his hands behind his back, his expression calm. There was even a hint of leisurely amusement in those emerald-like eyes, as though he were watching a show.

He had no intention of intervening, yet the slight curve of his lips carried the confidence of someone who had everything under control.

How could Dugu Bo possibly let his granddaughter truly fall into danger?!

Sure enough, just as the Jade Phosphor Snake prepared to press its advantage and opened its jaws to bite Dugu Yan, Dugu Yan suddenly felt the poisonous mist around her rapidly dissipating.

The Jade Phosphor Snake's body also seemed to be pinned down by something, abruptly freezing in place, unable to move.

Its snake head struggled desperately in the air, yet it was as if invisible chains bound it, leaving it unable to advance even an inch.

Dugu Yan had no time to investigate why.

Seizing this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, she gave a low shout. Her snake tail suddenly exerted force, launching her into the air.

The tip of her silver sword rose, aiming at the soft area beneath the Jade Phosphor Snake's neck that was not protected by scales, and stabbed down viciously.

The silver sword pierced through the snake's neck, sinking all the way to the hilt.

The Jade Phosphor Snake's enormous body convulsed violently. Its shrill hiss echoed through the valley path for a moment before it slowly collapsed.

Green snake blood gushed from the wound, seeping into the ground and staining the surrounding gravel dark green.

A bright yellow soul ring rose from the Jade Phosphor Snake's corpse and hovered in midair, its glow full and rich.

After landing, Dugu Yan let out a long breath of stale air, her forehead covered in sweat.

Without bothering to wipe it away, she quickly sat cross-legged, planted her silver sword in the ground beside her, formed hand seals, and closed her eyes. With her mind, she drew the yellow soul ring into her body.

The yellow soul ring turned into a streak of light and entered her body, its violent energy surging through her meridians.

Her brows furrowed slightly, and her breathing alternated between rapid and slow.