Chapter 31

Nights in Sunset Forest were darker than elsewhere. The canopy was too dense; by the time moonlight filtered through, it had been snipped into handfuls of fragments scattered over fallen leaves and moss, unable to light the path even thirty feet ahead.

But tonight, a group of people who should not have come arrived at the edge of Sunset Forest.

They were a scouting squad from Spirit Hall, seven in all: a Soul King leading five Soul Ancestors and one Soul Elder. Their mission was simple: search for every area with abnormal energy fluctuations deep within Sunset Forest.

After Lan Changsheng's battle with Bibi Dong, the first thing Bibi Dong did upon returning to Spirit City was order an expanded search: find every "abnormal concentration of life energy."

The energy field where extreme yin and extreme yang converged at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well stood out exceptionally clearly to Spirit Hall's senses. In fact, Spirit Hall had long known of its existence. They simply did not know its exact location, and they also knew this was Poison Douluo's territory; a forced assault would inevitably bring devastating losses.

Clearly, Bibi Dong had thrown all caution aside this time, intent on gathering every rare treasure on the continent to increase her strength.

By now, the group had been heading deeper for nearly two hours, startling many birds and beasts into scattering in all directions.

"Boss, I feel we're getting closer," the Soul Elder said. Faint, multicolored patterns appeared on his forehead, his eye sockets shone with milky-white light, and a translucent bony crown sat on his head. He raised a hand and pointed toward the heart of Sunset Forest.

The Soul King leading them frowned at the increasingly thick mist ahead. "This mist is poisonous. Everyone, take your antidote pills and be ready to release your martial souls at any moment."

They walked for roughly another hour. Strange purple-black flowers and grasses began appearing among the trees, and the mist grew thicker, its mingled red, purple, and gray hues winding around the trunks like gauze. A faint, sweetly rank scent began spreading through the air. It was not particularly unpleasant, but after breathing it into their lungs, they felt a faint tightness in their chests, as though something were gently scratching their air sacs.

"Stop." The Soul King raised a hand, and the squad halted.

Someone stood in the mist ahead. His gray-blue robe stirred gently in the night breeze, his dark green hair spilled over his shoulders, and his hands were clasped behind his back. He gazed at the sea of Jade Phosphorus Seven-Absolute Flowers before him as though he were standing in his own courtyard, admiring the flowers and plants he had grown.

"Gentlemen," the man began, his voice languid, "you've taken a wrong turn, haven't you? Up ahead is private property."

The Soul King stared at him for three breaths before recognizing him. "...Dugu Bo?" He froze. Of course he had heard of Poison Douluo's fearsome reputation; he simply had not expected to encounter him here.

"Oh, you recognize me?" Dugu Bo smiled, but the smile never reached his eyes. Instead, they flashed with cold killing intent. "Then why are you still coming forward?"

The Soul King did not retreat. He was one of the people from Spirit Hall, searching under orders, and he had six teammates behind him. "Poison Douluo, we're merely under orders to investigate an abnormal energy site. Step aside. We'll leave once we've finished checking it and won't disturb you."

"An abnormal energy site?" Dugu Bo's smile vanished, and something in his dark green eyes grew cold. "You've searched for energy sites all the way onto my territory? Since when has Spirit Hall become so unreasonable?"

The Soul King fell silent for a moment, then said, "Poison Douluo, if you won't let me in, next time it won't just be a Soul King coming."

"I don't care who comes. If they're from Spirit Hall, they're not getting in!" Dugu Bo snapped.

He was holding himself back. He wanted nothing more than to kill them right then, but... now was not the time to satisfy his personal grudges. Once he clashed with people from Spirit Hall, he would find it difficult to withstand them alone. It would be bad if Ah Yin were disturbed.

But Spirit Hall's Soul King merely paused in silence before telling those behind him, "Attack!" He offered no further explanation.

The five Soul Ancestors behind him released their martial souls simultaneously: three beast martial souls and two tool martial souls. Their soul rings lit up together, five-colored light weaving a chaotic net through the thick mist. At the rear, the Soul Elder channeled spiritual power through his Head Soul Bone, while the Soul King stood at the very front, his hands already coated in an iron-gray metallic sheen.

Dugu Bo sighed. "I gave you a chance."

Jade-green light abruptly surged behind him. The phantom of the Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor coiled in midair, its emerald scales gleaming coldly. Its triangular head lowered, and as though sensing its master's mood, it fixed its icy slit pupils on the group.

Before he could think further, Dugu Bo's first soul ring lit up. Emerald poison mist spilled from the mouth of the Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor behind him, merging with the forest mist and sweeping over to envelop all seven in the blink of an eye.

"Aah-!"

The Soul Elder cried out first. Because his Head Soul Bone gave him stronger perception, he suffered greater harm instead.

He clutched his face and fell to his knees, green-tinged blood seeping between his fingers as hoarse rattles escaped his throat.

The Jade Phosphorous Serpent Poison ate holes in their Soul Power barriers and burrowed through. The moment it touched flesh, it bored into their meridians. Wherever it passed, their Soul Power grew sluggish as frozen mud, and their limbs gradually went numb.

The Soul King hurried to his side, took an antidote pill from his clothes, and fed it into his mouth.

But it was useless!

And these had been specially prepared for them by Spirit Hall after learning that their mission's destination was connected to Ghost Douluo!

"What poison is this?!" Seeing their suffering, the Soul King roared and hurled a punch at Dugu Bo.

The iron-gray force of his punch tore through the mist, hurtling straight at Dugu Bo's face, but only seventy percent of his strength remained in that blow.

Facing this "all-out" strike from the Soul King, Dugu Bo merely stepped sideways and casually raised his left hand. Emerald snake scales floated over its back as he effortlessly caught the punch with a dull thud.

He turned his hand and tightened his grip. Fine cracks split the hard armor over the Soul King's fist, and green mist wormed through them.

"This is my poison," Dugu Bo said evenly. "It's far more potent than anything you've seen." With the help of his younger brother Changsheng, this poison had been upgraded.

He pushed forward, and the Soul King staggered back, lowering his head to look at his fist. Jade light shone through the cracks, and a numb itch crept up his arm. His Soul Power caught as it reached his wrist, like a rushing river striking a massive boulder, and the churning Soul Power exploded within his meridians.

Three of them had already been brought down by the poison in Dugu Bo's mist. The remaining Soul Ancestors desperately unleashed soul skills to disperse it, but though the mist cleared quickly, it returned even faster. The more they dispersed it, the more clinging it became, seeping inward as soon as it touched their skin. Their limbs only felt heavier and heavier, their vision blurred, and their Soul Power circulated more and more slowly.

"This is as far as you go." Dugu Bo's voice drifted from deep within the mist. "Now, get lost."

As his words fell, the emerald mist abruptly contracted. They felt all their strength drained away in an instant. Their legs buckled, and they all collapsed into the fallen leaves, unconscious. The seven lay sprawled every which way, their breathing fairly steady, but their skin bore a faint dark green tinge, and their meridians had all been sealed by the poison.