The Poisoned Trap?! Dugu Yan's Pride

Dugu Yan received Yu Tianheng's signal and broke away from the team, heading straight for Ning Chengyi.

"Hiss!"

The spectators in the stands drew sharp breaths.

Qin Ming cast Su Yao a mocking glance, a sneer curling his lips.

Su Yao ignored him, her gaze fixed on the fight.

Even she wasn't sure whether Ning Chengyi could withstand Dugu Yan's poison.

After all, the Jade Phosphorous Serpent was a control-type martial soul wielded by the man known as the Jade Phosphorous Douluo, whose poison was unmatched under heaven. As Dugu Bo's granddaughter, Dugu Yan was bound to be a formidable opponent.

"Ning Chengyi, get off the stage if you can't handle it! So what if we lose?" Ye Heng caught sight of Ning Chengyi's unruffled expression from the corner of his eye. He had his suspicions, but Yu Tianheng was pressing him too hard to spare them much thought.

"Yanzi!"

Yu Tianheng shouted again, urgency in his voice. He could not let Ning Chengyi leave the stage. Once he did, another chance for revenge would be hard to come by.

Hearing him, Ye Heng pushed his power even further.

The others fought with everything they had. Ye Lingling had it easiest, watching the fight with an impassive expression. Whenever one of her teammates faltered, she sent out a Soul Skill and restored them to full strength.

"Attack her!"

Suddenly, Ye Heng broke away from Yu Tianheng and the others and charged straight for Ye Lingling at the rear.

"Stop him!"

Yu Tianheng roared. The other team members turned and intercepted Ye Heng in an instant, while keeping an eye on Dugu Yan's side of the arena.

"Third Soul Skill: Jade Phosphor Purple Poison!"

Dugu Yan raised her hand and unleashed her third Soul Skill. A cloud of poisonous mist shot out, engulfing Ning Chengyi in an instant.

"Arrogant!" Ning Chengyi roared. With a flourish of his spear, he charged straight into the mist without a trace of fear.

"Hahaha! I didn't think there were still idiots like you around. Let's see how you die!"

Seeing him plunge into the poison mist, Dugu Yan's contempt deepened. The purple cloud thickened at once, shrouding him so completely that no one outside could see what was happening within.

"Once my Jade Phosphorous Serpent Poison gets into you, you'll start vomiting before long. You'll be dead in no time. If you want to live, kneel, apologize, and call me your granny. Then I'll spare you."

Dugu Yan's voice rang throughout the sparring hall. Everyone inside and outside the arena heard her clearly.

"Incredible! That Jade Phosphorous Serpent Poison is amazing!"

"Sister-in-law, kill Ning Chengyi for me!"

Yu Shuo shouted from the stands. The way he addressed her made Dugu Yan a little embarrassed. She shot him a fierce glare, though she wasn't truly angry. Yu Tianheng had, after all, been pursuing her lately.

"Oh no. I hope Ning Chengyi doesn't die in there."

"Exactly. She's the Jade Phosphorous Douluo's own granddaughter. Poison is second nature to her..."

Some of the students outside the arena were growing worried.

Those supporting the Imperial Fighting Team, however, threw their arms up and cheered, their eyes shining with excitement.

"That boy doesn't seem reckless. Why would he do this today?" Su Yao murmured as she watched Ning Chengyi disappear into the purple mist.

Inside, the mist had wrapped around Ning Chengyi like dough around a dumpling. Its chilling poison ate furiously at his body and Soul Power.

"Phantom Butterfly Spirit Tide!" After making sure no one outside could see him, Ning Chengyi pressed his right hand to his chest. Phantom Butterfly appeared without a sound and swept every trace of poison away. The poison even became nourishment for her, and she let out a satisfied burp.

Then Phantom Butterfly gently released a puff of butterfly dust into his mouth. A potent poison lay hidden within it.

"Cough, cough..." A smile appeared on Ning Chengyi's face. It had worked.

But to keep up the act, he began coughing violently. Leaning on the Desolation-Suppressing God-Breaking Spear, he burst out of the mist.

His face was deathly pale, blood stained the corner of his mouth, and the Soul Power spilling from his body was wildly disordered. He looked as though the poison had ravaged him.

"He's done for! How could a level-seventeen soul master withstand Jade Phosphorous Serpent Poison?"

The spectators erupted, cries of alarm rising one after another.

In the Imperial Fighting Team's section of the stands, however, Yu Shuo was delighted. The sooner Ning Chengyi died, the better. Nothing else would satisfy him.

Ever since that day, Yu Shuo's reputation had sunk even lower. He could hardly hold his head up in his own circle.

On the raised platform, Bai Baoshan frowned, his expression grave. He was ready to call an end to the match at any moment.

"Why was that boy so reckless?" Zhi Lin watched Ning Chengyi with worry in his eyes, afraid a prodigy would die here.

Meng Shenji, however, showed no concern. He studied Ning Chengyi in silence, sensing his aura carefully. There was no sign of poisoning at all. His aura remained steady and strong.

Su Yao's heart clenched. Her hands gripped the hem of her clothes without her realizing it, and worry filled her eyes. She had never seen Ning Chengyi neutralize poison before.

"You little rascal, don't you dare let anything happen to you."

She murmured the words under her breath. On the Imperial Fighting Team's side, Qin Ming's smile only widened. Today would prove that the Imperial Fighting Team was stronger than the Heavenly Apex Class.

Just you wait, Su Yao!

Mockery gleamed in his eyes, along with the satisfaction of settling an old score.

In the arena, Dugu Yan saw Ning Chengyi's pained expression, and a smug smile lifted the corners of her mouth.

She raised her head high, pride swelling further. "You don't know your limits. Kneel and apologize now, and I'll spare you."

"In your dreams!" Ning Chengyi roared, feigning the worst effects of the poison. Then he spat out another mouthful of blood, his face looking even worse.

The sudden sight left the spectators below the stage more worried than ever.

Ye Heng and the others stiffened when they saw it. "Quick! Finish this fight and help him!" Their reaction only convinced everyone outside the arena that Ning Chengyi was badly poisoned.

"Keep them busy. I'll finish him now!" Seeing that Ning Chengyi appeared unable to fight, Dugu Yan broke away from her team and sped toward him, moving too fast for Ye Heng and the others to break free and help.

"Get out of my way!" Ye Heng roared and unleashed three Soul Skills in rapid succession. The others on his side no longer dared hold anything back.

But their opponents weren't standing still. As Ye Heng's side poured on the power, their opponents' Soul Power surged to meet it.

"It's over!" Dugu Yan slithered to within a meter of Ning Chengyi. Soul Power gathered in her hand, carrying what seemed like unstoppable force. She meant to injure him badly enough to drive him out of the match!

But just as everyone thought Ning Chengyi was about to lose...

Ning Chengyi snapped his head up. His lips curled, a fierce light flashed in his eyes, and his weakness vanished in an instant. Endless cold replaced it.

He wore the look of a fisherman whose prey had taken the bait.

Humm!

The purple Soul Ring that had dimmed moments ago suddenly blazed with dazzling light, like the morning star in the night sky.

"First Soul Skill: Mystic Edge, Leveling Mountains!"

Ning Chengyi, who had looked like an old man at death's door, recovered in an instant and seemed like a god descending from the heavens!

The Desolation-Suppressing God-Breaking Spear in his hands gained another fifteen hundred jin of weight. A cold gleam flashed along its shaft, and his domineering spear intent swept outward like a tornado tearing through a parking lot!

Rather than retreat, Ning Chengyi lunged forward from his hunched stance. Every effect of his Soul Skill surged to its limit. His body became unyielding, his spear pierced through his enemy's defenses, and a single point of cold light arrived first—then the spear followed like a dragon!

The thinning poison mist around him shuddered under the blow and scattered completely!