Jade Phosphorous Serpent Poison Acting Up? One Bottle of Happy Fat Guy Water Will Set You Straight!

Ever since the crown prince of the Heaven Dou Empire had slurped down a bowl of instant noodles at Origin Internet Cafe, the once quiet, out-of-the-way shop had taken a strange turn.

Every morning, before the Internet Cafe even opened, a squad of fully armed Royal Guards sealed off the entire street.

Then, under the awed gazes of the crowd, the crown prince would arrive right on time, walk into the shop as if he owned the place, and pull out some Gold Soul Coins. "The usual. One bowl of instant noodles and one bottle of Cola."

Seven days straight, rain or shine.

The heir to the empire had turned himself into a gaming addict who showed up like clockwork!

A secret like that could only stay hidden for so long.

Word of the crown prince's odd behavior soon caused a stir among Heaven Dou City's highest nobility, especially within Heaven Dou Royal Academy.

Heaven Dou Royal Academy, Advanced Mimicry Training Ground.

Boom!

A burst of Soul Power laced with green poison mist instantly corroded several nearby trees into deadwood!

"Cough, cough... Damn it! I failed again!"

As the mist cleared, a girl with short, deep-purple hair and a striking figure knelt on one knee, clutching her chest. Her face was deathly pale, and pain contorted her features.

She was Dugu Yan, vice-captain of Heaven Dou Royal Academy's Imperial Fighting Team and granddaughter of Poison Douluo, Dugu Bo.

"Yan Yan, are you all right? Is the serpent poison inside you flaring up again?"

Yu Tianheng, captain of the Imperial Fighting Team, hurried over with worry written across his face. He reached out to help her, but Dugu Yan shoved him away.

"Don't touch me! I'm fine!"

Dugu Yan bit her lip, irritation flashing through her eyes.

The Jade Phosphorous Serpent Martial Soul was the Dugu family's greatest gift—and its most terrible curse.

As their Soul Power grew, the poison within them steadily ate away at their meridians.

Lately, she had been at the crucial threshold of becoming a Soul Ancestor. Every time she forced her Soul Power to circulate, searing pain spread through her chest and beneath her ribs, as if ten thousand ants were gnawing at her heart!

Even her grandfather, Poison Douluo, could do nothing about the incurable condition. Dugu Yan's mood had sunk to its lowest point.

"I'm sick of this! Train, train, train. At this rate, the poison will kill me before I break through!"

Dugu Yan kicked a stone away and headed out of the academy.

"I'm going into the city to clear my head. Nobody follow me!"

Dugu Yan wandered aimlessly through Heaven Dou City's bustling streets. The poison inside her felt like a fire, leaving her parched and restless.

Then hushed voices from the second floor of an upscale teahouse caught her attention.

"Hey, have you heard? The crown prince has been acting like he's under a spell lately. He goes to some shady little shop on South City Backstreet every day!"

"I heard! Apparently it's called Origin, and the place is downright eerie! They charge five Gold Soul Coins for an ordinary bowl of noodles! And two Gold Soul Coins for one sip of some black water called Cola!"

"That's not all! I heard they've set up some powerful illusion array inside. Even someone as disciplined as the crown prince stays for a full six hours every day before he'll leave. He even swears at thin air!"

Dugu Yan stopped in her tracks as she listened to the young nobles gossip.

Five Gold Soul Coins for a bowl of noodles? A shady illusion shop the crown prince visited every day?

And it changed people so much they started swearing at thin air?

Under normal circumstances, Dugu Yan would have scoffed at such nonsense.

But the pain inside her and the despair of training made her desperate for something new to take her mind off it.

Hmph. An illusion that can hook even that sanctimonious Xue Qinghe? I'd like to see what kind of scam they're running!

If they try to swindle me, I'll melt the whole shop with poison!

Following the address the young nobles had mentioned, Dugu Yan headed for South City Backstreet.

Ding-a-ling—

She pushed open the glass door. Cool air washed over her, easing the heat churning inside her body.

"Welcome! Two Gold Soul Coins per hour to use a computer. No bargaining."

Behind the counter, Zhu Zhuqing looked up in her little pink apron and recited the line by rote.

"Well, at least the waitress is pretty! Shame she's an ignorant commoner."

Dugu Yan folded her arms and struck the haughty pose of a young lady from Heaven Dou Royal Academy. Her eyes swept over the price list on the wall, and she let out a cold laugh.

"Five Gold Soul Coins for a bowl of noodles, and 298 to activate an illusion? Boss, do you think everyone in Heaven Dou City is a fool? Aren't you afraid the City Defense Army will shut this place down for outright robbery—"

Dugu Yan stopped mid-sentence.

She had spotted the person sitting at computer number two.

He wore a strange silver-white helmet, but his distinctive velvet Brocade Robe and the Royal Guards standing stiffly around him made his identity unmistakable—the crown prince, Xue Qinghe!

At computer number one beside the crown prince, a girl in a teal dress hammered furiously at the keyboard, laughing with wild triumph.

"Hahaha! Xue Qinghe, you're such a noob! You got killed by a thug with a baseball bat? Call me Big Sister Rongrong, and I'll use the Sandevistan to come save you!"

"Ning Rongrong! Watch your language! That was a tactical retreat! Once I've saved enough to buy Gorilla Arms, I'll tear those thugs' heads right off!"

Ning Rongrong?! That little devil from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect?!

She dared speak to the crown prince like that? And he wasn't angry?!

These were two of the most privileged people in the Heaven Dou Empire!

Yet they were sprawled in chairs like a pair of street hooligans, bickering over "thugs" and "Gorilla Arms"?!

"Hey, purple hair. Are you getting on a computer or not? If not, stop blocking the counter."

A lazy male voice came from behind the counter.

Dugu Yan snapped back to herself and turned.

A handsome young shop owner was reclining in a rocking chair. In his hand was a clear glass bottle filled with bubbling black liquid, which he sipped at his leisure.

"Who are you calling purple hair?! I'm Dugu Yan!"

Dugu Yan flared up. The serpent poison had already left her on edge, and that was enough to set her off. "I'll taste this black water you're selling for three Gold Soul Coins a bottle and see if it's poison!"

Slap!

She slammed two Gold Soul Coins onto the counter.

Zhu Zhuqing collected the coins, took a chilled bottle of Cola from the refrigerator, opened it, and pushed it toward Dugu Yan.

A cold mist spilled from the mouth of the bottle.

Dugu Yan gave a cold laugh and picked it up.

She was Poison Douluo's granddaughter. She knew poison better than almost anyone—what kind hadn't she seen?

She tipped her head back and took a defiant gulp.

"Hiss—"

Countless bubbles rushed down her throat with the fizzy liquid!

Her taste buds danced! Her soul trembled!

But that wasn't the most shocking part.

The moment the black liquid reached her stomach, a surge of pure yet gentle energy burst forth and swept through her limbs!

The Jade Phosphorous Serpent Poison that had been rampaging through Dugu Yan's body, eating away at her meridians...

Under that wash of energy, it was driven deep down and held there, as though it had met its natural enemy!

The pain that had tormented her for more than a decade, that had made countless nights unbearable, as if ten thousand ants were gnawing at her heart... was gone!!!

The glass bottle slipped from her hand and struck the counter with a clear clink.

Dugu Yan stood frozen. Her usually proud, cool face was now alight with joy.

In that moment, she forgot every rule of noble etiquette she had ever learned.

It doesn't hurt? It really doesn't hurt?!

The spiritual energy in this black water can suppress the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Poison when even Grandpa couldn't do anything about it?!

"This... what is this..."

Dugu Yan raised her head, her eyes reddening with emotion.

The next second, the formidable young lady of Heaven Dou Royal Academy pulled a glittering handful of Gold Soul Coins from her storage Soul Tool and poured them onto the counter. They clattered into a small mound.

"Boss!!!"

Dugu Yan's voice shook with frantic pleading. "This black water... give me a hundred bottles! No, I'll buy everything you have! I need to take some back to my grandpa!"

Looking at the poisonous beauty who had been won over by Happy Fat Guy Water, Lin Ye sighed and pointed at the wall.

"Sorry, Miss Dugu."

"Food and drinks are for consumption on the premises only. No takeout! Want more? Bring your own mouth back tomorrow."