Only after Yu Tianheng admitted defeat did Zhu Zhuqing lower the claws she had held before Dugu Yan's throat.
Lan Yu glanced at Ye Lingling. "You can treat them now."
Only then did Ye Lingling snap back to her senses, summoning her spirit and using her soul skill to heal the teammates lying on the ground.
At this moment, the host Doudou also announced into her microphone:
"I declare that the winners of this match are the Bifulong Team."
Thunderous applause and cheers immediately erupted from the arena, along with quite a few curses from those who had lost a considerable amount of money.
Dugu Yan asked unwillingly, "Why was my poison completely useless against you?"
Lan Yu smiled. "Because of this. You can try it. It might be useful to you."
Lan Yu tossed a Detoxifying Mushroom to Dugu Yan. She caught it, her face full of confusion.
"What do you mean?"
"Exactly what it says. We may have a chance to meet again in the future. Rongrong, Zhuqing, let's go."
Lan Yu found the person in charge of Soto Grand Soul Arena and collected the reward he had promised.
Ning Rongrong's smile never faded along the way.
Zhu Zhuqing asked curiously, "Lan Yu, did giving the Detoxifying Mushroom to Dugu Yan have some deeper meaning?"
"Don't tell me you've set your sights on her again? She already has a boyfriend."
"Whether she has a boyfriend has nothing to do with me. I was merely reminding her that she has already been poisoned."
"Poisoned? It didn't show at all. Who poisoned her?"
"No one poisoned her. It's the poison of her own spirit. It would be fine if she stopped cultivating, but as her Soul Power rises, the Spirit Poison will accumulate until she dies from it."
"Ah! Is it really that terrifying? It seems she doesn't know about it herself."
"Poison Douluo Dugu Bo is probably afraid of worrying his granddaughter, so he never told her."
"Poison Douluo! So Dugu Yan is his granddaughter! Doesn't that mean Poison Douluo himself is also afflicted by Spirit Poison? Hehe, that really is huge news.
Poison Douluo being trapped by the poison of his own spirit—no one would dare believe it if they heard it."
Ning Rongrong teased Poison Douluo without the slightest concern. After all, either Sword Douluo or Bone Douluo could easily crush Dugu Bo.
"Can the Detoxifying Mushroom you gave her directly cure her Spirit Poison?"
"It can cure Dugu Yan, but as her Soul Power rises, her Spirit Poison will continue accumulating.
As for Dugu Bo, he has been poisoned too deeply. The Detoxifying Mushroom can only suppress the Spirit Poison within him."
Ning Rongrong suddenly thought of something and exclaimed in surprise, "You're not trying to recruit Dugu Bo, are you?"
"Hehe, you're quite smart. That is indeed my intention—to make Dugu Bo a follower of the Sage Lord of Fungi as well."
"I don't think that's likely. As far as I know, Dugu Bo is an utterly unrestrained man. Someone like him won't submit easily."
"It doesn't matter. I won't force him. If he refuses, that's his own loss."
"So are we going to follow Dugu Yan and find Dugu Bo next?"
Zhu Zhuqing spoke up, but Lan Yu shook his head.
"We're still going to Botanical Academy next. Once matters there have been arranged, I'll make a trip to Heaven Dou City and seek out Dugu Bo."
"Are you leaving us at Botanical Academy?"
"You'll be responsible for training the Botanical Academy Team. Since they want to compete and achieve results, they naturally need to put in some effort."
"All right..."
Meanwhile, Shrek Academy and the Imperial Team had also met up. Just like in the original plot, Yu Xiaogang still came up with the scheme of borrowing a chicken to lay an egg.
As a graduate of Shrek Academy, Qin Ming naturally agreed without hesitation.
Dugu Yan was still holding the Detoxifying Mushroom Lan Yu had given her, frowning at it.
"Yanzi, what are you thinking about?"
"Lingling, what do you think that guy meant by giving me this and saying those things?"
Ye Lingling shook her head. "I don't know either, but this thing should be for detoxification, right? Yanzi, could you be poisoned?"
"What kind of joke is that? If I were poisoned, how could I not know?
Forget it, I won't think about it anymore. Once we get back, I'll show it to Grandpa. If there's anything suspicious about this thing, I'll definitely have Grandpa teach him a lesson.
By the way, who were those people who came to see Teacher Qin Ming just now?"
"They seemed to be teachers and junior schoolmates from the academy Teacher Qin Ming graduated from."
"I see..."
Dugu Yan did not think much of it, nor did she take the matter to heart. Thus, the encounter between Tang San and Dugu Yan was missed.
For the following period, Lan Yu took Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing away from Suotuo City and headed for Qingmu City, where Botanical Academy was located.
Shrek Academy also left Suotuo City for Heaven Dou City, intending to enroll at Heaven Dou Royal Academy and replace the Heaven Dou Royal Academy Second Team in the Soul Master Tournament.
Yu Xiaogang and Flender had Tang San and the others run all the way to Heaven Dou City, so their pace was naturally not fast. They called it training, but the greater reason was to save money.
By the time Lan Yu and the others arrived in Qingmu City, Shrek Academy had not even covered one-third of the journey to Heaven Dou City.
"So this is Qingmu City, where Botanical Academy is located? The scenery really is different."
Many of Qingmu City's buildings were entwined with green vines, adding a distinctive charm.
"How are we supposed to get into Botanical Academy? Fight our way in?"
Ning Rongrong looked eager to try. After spending so much time with Lan Yu, she could no longer hide her little witch side.
"Courtesy first, force second. Let's hope Botanical Academy's dean is a reasonable person."
After resting in Qingmu City for a night, Lan Yu took Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing to Botanical Academy.
Upon arriving at Botanical Academy, Lan Yu directly requested an audience with the academy's dean and invoked Ning Rongrong's identity as the young lady of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
With that, Botanical Academy naturally did not dare take them lightly. Lan Yu and the others easily met Botanical Academy's dean, Su Qingluo.
She was a middle-aged woman with a lovely appearance, as well as a seven-ring soul saint. Her spirit was the Verdant Vine.
"The young lady of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect has honored us with her presence. Forgive me for failing to welcome you properly."
"We were the ones who intruded so presumptuously."
Lan Yu spoke, and Su Qingluo also understood that Lan Yu was the one leading the three of them.
"Hehe, please sit. May I ask what brings you all to my Botanical Academy?"
"Dean Su, may I ask whether you believe gods exist?"
"Gods? Although the legend of reaching rank one hundred and becoming a god has always circulated throughout Douluo Continent, it is only a legend. While I do not truly believe it, I still hold the existence of gods in awe."
"If I said that gods truly exist, and that I am a messenger of the gods, what would Dean Su think?"
Su Qingluo frowned. "Young man, I do not wish for others to make such jokes with me."
Before you continue