Xiahou Mang's mind flashed back to his own childhood—equally innocent, carefree days of growth.
It wasn't until later, while absorbing a Spirit Ring, that he unexpectedly obtained a Soul Bone.
From then on, he embarked on the path of the strong.
Time had passed so quickly. His family had already been destroyed.
A cold glint flickered in his eyes.
As long as he captured this child, he absolutely wouldn't die here. He still had to cultivate to Soul Douluo, to Titled Douluo, to rebuild his family.
Xiahou Mang, his expression twisted with ferocity, was just about to seize the child—
When suddenly, the child stood up.
Grinning, he revealed a row of pearly white teeth: "One!"
Xiahou Mang froze. What was he doing?
"Two!"
Counting?
"Three—drop!"
Xiahou Mang felt the strength in his body rapidly fading. His right hand, gripping the Giant Blade, went limp.
His mind grew foggy, as if weighed down by sleep. Black blood streamed uncontrollably from his seven orifices.
At the same time, his entire body was enveloped in a sickly violet-green hue.
The crimson blade aura radiating from him vanished in an instant.
His body collapsed face-first into the dirt.
Then, before his very eyes, his skin and bones turned to dust—ashes to ashes, dust to dust.
Dugu Feng's pupils contracted slightly.
He knew Old Snake's poison was strong, but he hadn't expected it to be this potent.
The reason he had smiled earlier was simple: Old Snake had already told him that Xiahou Mang would be dead within three steps.
The surrounding area had been laced with Old Snake's Azure Phosphorus Violet Venom.
Otherwise, how could Old Snake have been so confident in Dugu Feng's safety?
It was laughable—Xiahou Mang had thought himself clever, believing he could capture Dugu Feng.
But the gruesome state of Xiahou Mang's death still left Dugu Feng in awe of the Azure Phosphorus Violet Venom's terrifying power.
Xiahou Mang had died without even realizing what had happened. From the moment he sensed the poison to his death, it had taken only three breaths.
Dugu Feng sighed softly, then leaped down from the towering tree, landing where Xiahou Mang had perished.
There, a cluster of multicolored light hovered.
No need to guess—this was Xiahou Mang's Soul Bone.
It was Dugu Feng's first time coming into contact with a Soul Bone. He examined it closely: a miniature skull, roughly spherical, about three inches in diameter, shimmering with a dazzling array of colors.
It was mesmerizing.
This was the very Soul Bone that had driven the Huyan and Tuoba Families to pursue relentlessly.
Dugu Feng picked it up without hesitation and stored it in his spatial belt.
Not far away—
The Sacred Dragon Soul Master in white armor and Huyan Lie were both stunned.
Xiahou Mang had died without a sound.
"A member of the Dugu Family?" Huyan Lie gasped in shock.
"I am Tuoba Lan of the Sacred Dragon Sect. Jade Phosphor Crown, if we have disturbed you, we humbly beg your forgiveness. We shall withdraw at once!" The white-armored Sacred Dragon Soul Saint immediately bowed deeply.
His first thought was that Dugu Bo was nearby.
The manner of Xiahou Mang's death, combined with Dugu Feng's green-tinted hair and emerald eyes, made him instantly recall Dugu Bo, who had become a Titled Douluo two years prior.
This had been the most significant event in the Soul Master world since the Clear Sky Sect's seclusion.
Even as a Soul Douluo, Dugu Bo had been a nightmare for countless people—let alone now, as a Titled Douluo.
Tuoba Lan cursed inwardly. Of all people to run into here—this old venomous freak! The man was notoriously unpredictable, ruthless in extermination, and never hesitated to kill.
The Soul Masters beside Tuoba Lan and Huyan Lie all wore expressions of terror as they bowed deeply. "We beg Jade Phosphor Crown for forgiveness. We shall personally visit to express our gratitude another day."
Even now, Tuoba Lan and Huyan Lie still couldn't sense where their enemy was.
They could only see Dugu Feng but couldn't detect Old Snake's presence.
Yet it was obvious that the one who killed Xiahou Mang wasn't Dugu Feng.
Dugu Feng felt somewhat speechless. Could the Dugu family only make them think of Dugu Bo?
The deep-seated enmity between the Poison Cultivation Lineage and the Cultivated Serpent Lineage wasn't something other families would clearly understand.
Thus, they viewed Dugu Bo and Dugu Shuo as one entity, so it wasn't surprising they suddenly thought of Dugu Bo.
"You're too naive. Since you've seen the Soul Bone fall into our hands, do you really think you can leave?"
Dugu Feng stood there, smiling as he watched the group not far away.
Old Snake had already made his move from the shadows. Now that they had obtained the Soul Bone, whether it was to avenge Old Scorpion or to conceal the information, they couldn't let a single person escape.
"Arrogant brat! If it were truly Jade Phosphor Crown, why would they hide in the shadows? Since Jade Phosphor Crown isn't here, today will be your death!"
Tuoba Lan suddenly roared as his entire body transformed into a massive white land dragon.
The seventh Soul Skill, Martial Soul Avatar, had completely altered his form.
He became a gigantic land dragon, dozens of meters long, covered in white scales the size of washbasins.
The enormous dragon head swayed with two long whiskers, exuding an air of arrogance.
The dragon's maw suddenly opened, releasing a white breath that radiated intense light waves, charging straight at Dugu Feng.
A flash of purple light appeared in the field as Old Snake emerged.
He grabbed Dugu Feng and vanished into the treetops with a flicker.
"Tuoba Lan, your Sacred Dragon Sect has grown accustomed to arrogance after pledging allegiance to Spirit Hall. Have you forgotten why my Dugu family ranks among the seven powers controlling the Great Soul Arena?" Old Snake chuckled darkly.
His voice seemed to come from all directions.
No one could pinpoint his location.
Meanwhile, the two Soul Emperors behind Tuoba Lan convulsed violently, enveloped in purple light, and within moments, they dissolved into pus and died.
Huyan Lie, standing nearby, paled in terror. Though he had confirmed the hidden attacker wasn't Dugu Bo, it was undoubtedly a formidable expert from the Dugu family.
The deaths of Xiahou Mang and the two Soul Emperors had already proven the horror of this venomous assault.
The Elephant Armor Sect and the Dugu family both belonged to the Heaven Dou Empire and had previously collaborated against the Xiahou family.
Naturally, they knew of the might of Dugu Shuo and the others from the Dugu family.
Glancing at Tuoba Lan, who stood at the forefront, Huyan Lie's eyes darted, and he turned to flee.
His tank-like Diamond Mammoth form actually seemed to lighten slightly!
The Elephant Armor Sect had indeed been courted by Spirit Hall, and its leader, Huyan Zhen, intended to ally with them. This mission had been a joint operation between the two.
Who would have thought they'd run into members of the Dugu family?
"Scarlet Poison Sky!"
A cold shout rang out.
The entire forest shimmered with a faint red glow, the crimson light like an endless temptation, inducing confusion.
Huyan Lie's expression turned icy as a thick layer of earthy yellow light enveloped his entire body.
The Diamond Mammoth Martial Soul was undoubtedly among the finest defensive Martial Souls. In terms of defense, even as a Soul Saint, he surpassed some Soul Douluos.
"Watch closely, Young Master. The highest level of the Azure Phosphorus Scarlet Venom is its ability to attack the enemy's mental faculties. Once their five senses are exposed, the toxin will invade, gradually poisoning them until they lose all reason!"
Old Snake was instructing Dugu Feng from the shadows.
What he was demonstrating was the advanced venom of the Jade Phosphorous Serpent - the Azure Phosphorus Scarlet Venom.
Dugu Feng observed nervously as Old Snake unleashed his Fifth Soul Skill - Scarlet Poison Sky - a wide-area venom attack.
The entire forest had already been enveloped.