Tang Shuo vs. Dugu Yan! Natal Serpent Poison! Eastern Sovereign's True Form!

The door was pushed open, and Ye Lengleng and Ye Haitang hurried in. Seeing Dugu Yan lively and well again, the worries weighing on their hearts finally eased.

"Yan, you're really better?"

"Mm! Better than ever!"

Ye Haitang looked at Tang Shuo, her eyes full of admiration and astonishment.

"Young friend Tang, the Nine-Heart Begonia Family will remember this favor."

Tang Shuo merely waved his hand and turned his gaze to Dugu Yan.

"Senior Dugu, now that you're fine, our previous deal..."

"Of course!"

Dugu Yan was exceptionally straightforward. She immediately rolled up her sleeve, revealing her fair arm.

"Isn't it just some snake venom? I'll bite my finger open and give it to you right now!"

She was sincerely grateful to Tang Shuo. As long as it was within her power, she would never be stingy.

However, Tang Shuo shook his head.

"I don't want the poison in your blood."

Dugu Yan froze.

"Then you..."

Tang Shuo's gaze fell upon her red lips, which looked especially alluring now that their color had returned.

"What I want," he said calmly, "is the poison on your teeth."

The air instantly fell silent.

The smile on Dugu Yan's face froze. Her eyes slowly widened, as though she had not heard Tang Shuo clearly.

"What did you say?"

"I said, I want the Natal Serpent Poison on your snake fangs."

Tang Shuo repeated himself.

Dugu Yan's face flushed bright red in an instant, whether from anger or embarrassment, no one could tell.

She stomped her foot hard, producing a muffled bang.

"You... you've gone too far!"

The girl's voice was both furious and flustered.

"I'm sincerely grateful that you saved me, but you can't bully me like this!"

Ye Lengleng and Ye Haitang were also stunned, unable to understand why Tang Shuo had made such an excessive demand.

That was a martial soul's Natal Serpent Poison, intimately tied to a soul master's very foundation.

"Young friend Tang, you may not know this."

Seeing Dugu Yan too angry to speak, Ye Haitang frowned and spoke gravely.

"Yan's Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor Poison is purest and most overbearing in the form of the Natal Serpent Poison attached to her snake fangs."

"She condensed it day and night using her own soul power. It is the essence of her martial soul."

Ye Haitang looked at Tang Shuo, her tone carrying a hint of admonition.

"Once this Natal Serpent Poison is exhausted, it can be recondensed given enough time, but Yan herself will suffer severe damage to her vitality and fall into a prolonged state of weakness."

"For a soul master, the price is far too great."

After hearing her grandmother's explanation, Dugu Yan became even more justified. She puffed out her chest and glared at Tang Shuo.

"You heard that, right? This isn't about some snake venom at all! You're asking for half my life!"

Tang Shuo remained calm.

Of course, he understood the stakes.

Otherwise, how could it deserve its place as the main ingredient of his Myriad-Poison Fiend Legs?

He looked into Dugu Yan's eyes, which were practically spitting fire, and saw the difficulty and resistance in her heart.

But he had no intention of giving up.

"I understand."

Tang Shuo nodded, but his tone suddenly shifted.

"Since Senior Dugu thinks this deal is unfair, then let's change the method."

Dugu Yan froze.

"What method?"

Tang Shuo's gaze swept over her with pure scrutiny.

"We fight."

"If I win, Senior will honor our agreement and give me your Natal Serpent Poison."

"If I lose," Tang Shuo paused, then said indifferently, "I won't take a single coin, and the favor of saving you will be written off as well. How about it?"

As soon as he said that, the air in the room froze once more.

Dugu Yan, Ye Lengleng, and even the well-traveled Ye Haitang all showed expressions of disbelief.

Crazy?

The thought sprang into all three of their minds at once.

"Ha... hahahahaha!"

As though she had heard the greatest joke in the world, Dugu Yan suddenly burst into laughter, doubling over.

"Tang Shuo, do you have a fever?"

She pointed at Tang Shuo.

"Fight me? You?"

"An auxiliary soul master whose martial soul is a broken mirror wants to challenge a level thirty-seven assault-type battle Soul Venerable like me?"

In their eyes, Tang Shuo's bronze mirror, which could release Solar True Qi, was certainly miraculous, but it was ultimately an auxiliary tool martial soul.

Dugu Yan's Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor, on the other hand, was one of the finest beast martial souls on Douluo Continent. It was incomparably venomous and notoriously fierce.

This was a battle with no suspense whatsoever.

"Tang Shuo!"

Ye Lengleng finally could not hold back any longer. She hurried forward and pulled Tang Shuo to her side.

She had grown quite fond of this young man who had saved her friend and repeatedly created miracles.

She truly could not bear to watch him humiliate himself.

She lowered her voice and spoke anxiously into his ear.

"Don't act rashly! Yan is very strong. She's already a level thirty-seven Soul Venerable!"

"And you... I remember that when you enrolled, you were only level twenty-five, right?"

"That's a full twelve levels apart! There's no way you can beat her!"

Ye Lengleng's voice carried a trace of pleading.

"And your martial soul is countered by hers. How are you supposed to fight?"

"If you really want Yan's Natal Serpent Poison that badly, don't gamble with her. I... I'll go beg her privately and ask her to give you a little for my sake, okay?"

Hearing this, Tang Shuo turned his head and glanced at Ye Lengleng.

The girl's eyes were filled with sincere concern.

His heart warmed slightly, but he still shook his head.

"No need."

His voice was not loud, but it was exceptionally firm.

"Thank you, Senior Lengleng, but this is between her and me."

Ye Lengleng was momentarily choked by his casual words.

Looking at Tang Shuo's utterly unconcerned expression, a nameless fire flared up inside her.

The girl stomped her foot in anger.

This idiot!

I'm trying to help you, and you won't even appreciate it!

Do you have to let Yan beat you black and blue before you understand how vast the gap between our strength is?

What an ungrateful bastard!

She thought resentfully, but in the end, she said nothing more.

On the other side, Dugu Yan watched Tang Shuo's impervious demeanor and laughed in rage.

"Fine!"

"Fine, this is between you and me!"

Dugu Yan crossed her arms and raised her chin slightly.

"You certainly have guts, daring to propose a wager like this."

She sized Tang Shuo up.

"I accept."

"However, I'm adding one more condition."

The corners of Dugu Yan's lips curled into a dangerous smile.

"As long as you can win, forget a little bit—I'll let you take as much venom from this body as you want!"

At those words, even Ye Haitang beside them frowned slightly, but she ultimately did not intervene.

In her view, Dugu Yan was guaranteed to win this match.

"Fine."

Tang Shuo's answer was crisp and decisive.

A moment later, the group arrived at the open courtyard outside the dormitory building.

Ye Lengleng and Ye Haitang retreated to one side, their expressions different as they watched the two people facing off in the center.

Under the moonlight, Dugu Yan's long dark-green hair stirred in the wind. She extended one hand and crooked a finger at Tang Shuo.

"I'll let you make the first move."

"Otherwise, people will say that I, Dugu Yan, bullied an auxiliary-type junior."