A blinding white light erupted, temporarily preventing the audience from looking directly at the match.
When the light faded and the dust settled, everyone realized that Yu Tianheng was now directly punching toward Tang San. However, his advance was firmly blocked by the Eight Spider Legs, unable to move forward even an inch.
At this moment, Tang San had been cornered into a tight spot on the stage. With just one more push from Yu Tianheng, he could be shoved off the platform.
But perhaps because victory seemed assured, or due to the innate arrogance of dragon bloodline users, Yu Tianheng sneered:
"After all this fighting, you've only managed to scratch my skin. And your poison—it doesn't work on me anymore!?—Wha—t's—hap—pening??
AHHHH—!!!"
For some reason, Yu Tianheng suddenly began to scream in agony. Despite Ye Lingling continuously releasing healing energy, it had no effect.
Ye Wen inwardly exclaimed: 'Here it is—the reason Tang San is called an evil soul master.'
Aside from granting Tang San greater speed and the potent venom of the Human-Faced Demon Spider, the Eight Spider Legs also bestowed an additional innate soul skill.
That skill was Devour—the ability to recover his own soul power by absorbing that of other soul masters. It was undoubtedly a sinister technique fitting of an evil soul master.
Yu Tianheng, already weakened by Tang San's Soul Drain Technique, had just expended a massive amount of energy on his self-created soul skill. Now, he was utterly spent.
With that, what should have been a visually stunning match came to an abrupt and unsatisfying end.
But Tang San wasn't done yet. Pulling out the Eight Spider Legs, he swiftly moved to Dugu Yan's side, impaling her with one leg before pointing another toward Ye Lingling.
"Heal our people—or else, die."
From the stands, Ye Wen shook his head upon seeing this scene. Without Xiao Wu around, Tang San's murderous intent was still so strong. Truly, he was the innately wicked protagonist of Douluo. Was this really necessary when none of Shrek's members had died?
Ye Wen wouldn't have minded stepping in as a heroic savior, but Flender, being a discerning individual, was clearly more anxious than him.
If they truly provoked these young masters of the Imperial Team, regardless of whether Tang San's father was the Roaring Sky Douluo, Dugu Bo, the Poison Douluo, would ensure only one Roaring Sky Douluo remained.
Ye Lingling, a pure-hearted healing-type soul master, had never encountered such a situation before. Terrified, she immediately agreed.
On the other side, Qin Ming quickly announced their surrender. Though this wasn't a deathmatch mode, things had escalated to this point? The match ended anticlimactically, like a tiger's head leading to a snake's tail.
Having finished watching the spectacle, Ye Wen decided it was time to act.
The loss had been particularly humiliating for the Imperial Team, leaving them dispirited. They left the Spirit Arena separately, dispersing without returning to their hotel.
As his girlfriend, Dugu Yan wanted to comfort Yu Tianheng, but he refused. As a proud dragon martial soul user, Yu Tianheng felt too ashamed to face anyone—not only had his martial soul been insulted, but so had the family behind him. He needed time alone to reflect.
Meanwhile, Ye Lingling, shaken by Tang San's earlier threat, was escorted back to the hotel by her team leader.
Now feeling equally downcast, Dugu Yan realized there was no one she could confide in, leaving her heart feeling hollow.
Just then, a faintly fragrant breeze gently blew past, causing Dugu Yan to shiver slightly from the cold.
After much deliberation, feeling lost in an unfamiliar place, Dugu Yan decided to return to the hotel, take a bath, and get some rest.
However, as she walked, something felt off. She began to feel nauseous, and her body started to involuntarily convulse.
"What's wrong with me?"
This thought flashed through her mind, but to her horror, she found herself unable to move. Her body stiffened, and she collapsed onto the ground.
Though Dugu Yan's cultivation was weak and she was preoccupied with romance, it didn't mean she was ignorant. As the granddaughter of the Poison Douluo, even with limited knowledge, she knew she had been poisoned.
But why?
Dugu Yan couldn't figure it out. She had received treatment from Ye Lingling, who should have cleansed both her injuries and any external toxins.
At this moment, the only explanation Dugu Yan could think of was that someone had secretly plotted against her!
Although Dugu Yan had lived a sheltered life due to her grandfather's influence, with nobles constantly flattering her, Dugu Bo had taught her about the ugliness of the world early on.
Knowing something and experiencing it firsthand were two different things. At this moment, Dugu Yan felt exceptionally lost.
She thought about many things: What did the person who plotted against her want? Would she lose something important? Or would this cause trouble for her grandfather?
But after hours of contemplation, the pain from the poison grew stronger, and no one came to her aid.
Though a bustling street was nearby, Dugu Yan was left alone in this desolate alley, writhing in agony. The loneliness only deepened her suffering.
Just then, Dugu Yan noticed a figure casually passing by the alley entrance suddenly pause, then glance uncertainly in her direction.
"Stop looking. There's someone here—please help me!" Dugu Yan shouted inwardly.
At this point, she no longer cared whether the person had ulterior motives or was merely passing by. She just wanted to escape this torment of waiting for the unknown.
In the end, the figure walked away, plunging Dugu Yan back into despair.
Just as Dugu Yan felt her consciousness fading and was about to pass out, a faint sigh reached her ears.
"Such a hassle. I really can't stand idly by when someone's in danger. Hmm? This person looks familiar. Isn't this the young lady from the arena? Why is she lying here?"
The refined voice brought Dugu Yan a glimmer of strength. At this moment, Ye Wen asked:
"Are you alright, miss? What happened? Do you need help?"
In the last second before losing consciousness, Dugu Yan thought of her close friend Ye Lingling and painfully managed to utter four words: "Suotuo Grand Hotel..."
Before she could finish, Dugu Yan succumbed to the pain and passed out completely.
Watching Dugu Yan collapse, Ye Wen revealed a knowing smile.
Indeed, Dugu Yan's poisoning was Ye Wen's doing—but he hadn't directly poisoned her. He had merely given her condition a nudge. After all, poisoning the granddaughter of the Poison Douluo would be obvious to him at a glance, and that would only hasten his own demise.
Since there was a plant like Snow Swan Kiss capable of catalyzing poisons, it stood to reason that similar herbs existed. This was precisely the special herb Ye Wen had discovered.
A herb capable of catalyzing snake venom—and that gentle breeze had been Ye Wen's method of administering it.
------------------------------------------------------
Support my writing journey: patreon.com/EphemeralShadow
40+ Chapters Ahead Guaranteed.