Dugu Yan, Wracked by Poison Gas, and Dai Yunzhao's Clever Self-Inflicted Ruse

Dugu Yan's face turned deathly pale.

Having just been freed from her restraints, she toppled over...

She had been prepared for her body to hit the ground hard, but instead, she fell into a warm embrace.

Dai Yunzhao could not help but sneer. "You don't have to go this far just to fake a fall, do you?"

Such embarrassment should have made her blush and race with panic.

But...

She had no strength left.

Whenever the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Poison flared up, it left her wishing she were dead.

Awakening the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Martial Soul meant poisoning others—and poisoning oneself!

Dai Yunzhao quickly realized something was wrong. Dugu Yan really seemed to be ill.

And her illness was none other than the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Poison.

The Jade Phosphorous Serpent Poison actually had a flaw: if it was completely purged, one's own strength would be greatly diminished. But if it was not purged, it placed an immense burden on the body.

One had to weigh the choice between cleansing it entirely and retaining one's power.

For all these years, Dugu Bo had maintained a balance.

Though he had suffered terribly from the Jade Phosphorous Serpent, the power he possessed was indeed beyond the reach of ordinary people!

Simply put, for a possessor of the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Martial Soul, removing the poison from their body was the wrong approach.

The true method was to strengthen one's body until it could withstand the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Poison!

Only then could one advance further!

Pufferfish Douluo also followed the path of poison, yet he did not have the same flaw as Dugu Bo.

In fact, Pufferfish Douluo's poison even surpassed Dugu Bo's!

Fundamentally, it was because his own body and Martial Soul could internalize those poisons.

Once all poison was converted into one's own power, there was no need to worry about such problems, and one's poison could advance even further.

Dai Yunzhao steadied Dugu Yan by the shoulders, his voice soft. "I can help you deal with the poison inside your body, but I have a condition."

Dugu Yan raised her head, disheveled strands of hair falling across her pallid face.

She pressed her lips together tightly.

"If you want to use me to threaten my grandfather, then kill me!"

Dai Yunzhao decisively stepped back, and Dugu Yan instantly collapsed onto the floor.

The pain of the fall was nowhere near as piercing as the torment of the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Poison!

Dai Yunzhao took several steps forward.

"This is your only chance to live. You should know that without your grandfather, you would not even have had the chance to stand before me."

"There are so many corpses on the battlefield. One more of you makes no difference. Everyone can die; you will not be an exception just because you are Dugu Bo's granddaughter."

As Dai Yunzhao spoke, he truly strode away with firm steps.

She still wanted to negotiate with him?

Did she not know who held the stronger hand?

Dugu Yan lay on the ground, watching as the doors of White Tiger Hall slowly closed, until the last ray of light vanished before her eyes.

She clawed at the ground and slowly dragged herself forward.

She still wanted to live!

After leaving White Tiger Hall, Dai Yunzhao spoke in an icy voice. "If she refuses to yield, throw her back into the Heaven Dou camp before she dies."

"She's full of poison. Don't let her die in White Tiger Hall!"

Dai Yunzhao paid Dugu Yan no further attention.

If she obeyed, he could still help treat her. But since she insisted on rebelling, he would not shamelessly try to please her.

The armies throughout White Tiger Pass began mobilizing!

Dai Yunzhao stood atop White Tiger Pass, watching the troops continuously pour out beyond the pass.

This was the best possible time to send out the army!

Only a little over a thousand elderly and weak soldiers remained inside White Tiger Pass to guard it.

The entire White Tiger Pass had entered a state of absolute combat readiness!

Dai Yunzhao rested both hands on the city wall and said with a smile, "Has General Xiong Ao not arrived yet?"

The moment his words fell, Xiong Ao, clad in armor, climbed onto the wall.

Xiong Ao's armor was still stained with blood.

Xiong Ao offered no salute. His voice was simply loud and clear. "Your Highness, why have the central army and eastern front failed to achieve anything?"

His voice rang out so clearly that everyone atop the battlements could hear it.

Those eastern front commanders had been preparing to bid Dai Yunzhao farewell and head to the battlefield when they saw this scene!

A group of them hurried forward, wanting to pull Xiong Ao back.

But Xiong Ao ignored them.

He pointed at Dai Yunzhao. "Your Highness! There is a problem with your strategy. We of the western army have already achieved tremendous results!"

"If the central army and eastern front supported us at this time, our chances of victory would become extremely high!"

"How many lives have been thrown into Three Gorges Pass? And why have supplies for our western army still not arrived?!"

Xiong Ao was an old veteran of the army, and his questioning carried considerable weight.

A group of commanders hurried forward, wanting to drag him away.

But Xiong Ao flung them aside with a wave of his hand!

"Are you all just sitting around doing nothing? What is happening on the eastern front right now? Why have you come back?!"

Xiong Ao roared without regard for anything else.

He did not even spare the dignity of his old brothers-in-arms.

But someone quickly caught on.

Xiong Ao admired Dai Yunzhao most of all. There was no way he would speak to Dai Yunzhao like this!

If so, then this could only be the legendary self-inflicted ruse!

Someone stepped forward and lightly tugged at the sleeves of the others.

Dai Yunzhao looked at Xiong Ao and feigned anger. "Xiong Ao! You have some nerve! I ordered your western army to advance steadily, yet you recklessly pushed deep into enemy territory without considering retreat, and now you dare question your commander!"

Xiong Ao lifted his chin stubbornly. "We were leading troops into battle and killing enemies before you were even born!"

Xiong Ao's words sent a chill down everyone's spine.

Clap! Clap! Clap!

Dai Yunzhao began applauding.

"Xiong Ao! You rely on your status as an old general to bully your commander?!"

"Since I took command, no one has ever disobeyed an order from White Tiger Hall!"

"Since the war began, you have indeed rendered merit. But disobeying orders on the battlefield is a capital offense!"

"I had intended to overlook it, considering that you are an old general who has devoted himself wholeheartedly to serving the country. Yet you dare take advantage of my youth?"

"You openly question my strategy. Do you truly think I would not dare punish you?!"

Every word Dai Yunzhao spoke weighed down upon everyone present until they could scarcely breathe.

Though they had begun to realize this was a scheme.

The two of them were simply too convincing, were they not?

Was this really a scheme?

Xiong Ao raised his head. "What crime have I committed? I have won battle after battle, yet I am guilty? Your central army has achieved nothing of note, yet that is considered merit?"

"Dai Yunzhao! I will wait for you to punish me!"

The moment Xiong Ao spoke Dai Yunzhao's name, the commanders instantly panicked.

This did not look like a scheme at all!

Dai Yunzhao staggered back several steps.

"Fine, fine! Men, drag him away and behead him! Hang this old man's head outside the central army's command tent!"

The two guards beside Dai Yunzhao moved to step forward.

At this moment, the commanders could no longer stand by idly.

They all fell to their knees.

"Your Highness! Please forgive Old General Xiong!"

"Your Highness, Old General Xiong only acted out of concern for the country."

"Considering how he has devoted himself since the war began and his many years of merit defending the border, please forgive him!"

As those commanders knelt, the soldiers atop the pass also dropped to their knees one after another.

Dai Yunzhao pointed at Xiong Ao. "You old bastard, I originally intended to kill you! But in consideration of your service defending the border, you may be spared death, though you cannot escape punishment!"

"Strip off his upper garments. One hundred military lashes. He is not allowed to use Soul Power to defend himself!"

"Generals Xue and Cheng, administer them personally! Soul Emperor against Soul Emperor—I want to see how long he can keep that stubborn mouth of his shut!"