Dugu Feng adhered to the Dugu Family's combat principles—lurk in concealment, target the enemy's weakness, then strike with a fatal blow.
Using this method, even opponents several times stronger than himself could be assassinated.
Purple blood stained the white frost as the Man-faced Demon Spider's life rapidly drained away.
The Eight Spider Lances began their frenzied devouring.
The eight purple spider legs acted like conduits, channeling white energy into his body, all of it converging within the meridians and bones of his back.
The Man-faced Demon Spider beneath him trembled violently. After all, as a powerful 40,000-year Spirit Beast, its vitality was tenacious.
Despite Dugu Feng's relentless attacks, it still hadn't completely perished.
But the more it resisted, the more excited Dugu Feng became.
This meant he would gain even more!
The energy gathering in his back continued to increase, gradually spreading to his chest.
It strengthened the bones and flesh of his upper body to an extraordinary degree.
The Eight Spider Lances also began to radiate a dazzling purple glow. Beneath the light were densely packed purple spikes—like venomous needles—capable of delivering devastating attacks upon contact with prey.
The Eight Spider Lances were growing stronger as well.
After silently sensing for a moment, Dugu Feng noticed purple energy gradually manifesting above the Man-faced Demon Spider.
He immediately understood—this Man-faced Demon Spider had finally died. The appearance of Spirit Ring energy was the hallmark of a Spirit Beast's demise.
With a beckoning gesture, Dugu Feng summoned the Spirit Ring energy of the Man-faced Demon Spider.
The purple energy cascaded down like a waterfall, crashing onto him.
The terrifying surge of energy dyed his entire body purple.
His meridians, bones, blood, and even his Soul Bone were all submerged in the violet tide.
Even within his Sea of Spirit, the spectral form of the Man-faced Demon Spider emerged.
"Expansion!"
An expansion so intense it felt like he might explode.
The energy of a 40,000-year Man-faced Demon Spider was overwhelmingly vast.
Dugu Feng's eyes remained resolute. His powerful physique instantly opened like a maw, with every part of his body absorbing the purple energy.
The External Soul Bone was the most domineering—like three black holes, it sucked the Man-faced Demon Spider's energy into a swirling vortex.
Next was the Core Pearl.
Dugu Feng noticed something unusual.
Previously, the Core Pearl never participated in absorbing Spirit Rings unless he was on the verge of collapse.
But this time, it unapologetically began plundering the energy.
This was no small matter.
With the Core Pearl absorbing a massive portion of the energy, the pressure on him instantly vanished.
"Was it really this easy?"
This was a 40,000-year Spirit Beast. Normally, the maximum absorption limit for a Fifth Soul Ring was 12,000 years.
Yet he was absorbing over three times that amount.
Dugu Feng had prepared himself to endure excruciating pain and wage a fierce battle against the purple energy.
But his physical resilience first withstood the energy's impact, and with the aid of his External Soul Bone and Core Pearl, the process seemed effortless.
He turned his attention to the Core Pearl.
Only then did he realize—the Core Pearl's energy had already accumulated to 84. It was nearing completion.
Just sixteen more points, and it would reach 100, then split once more.
But now wasn't the time to dwell on the Core Pearl.
Dugu Feng focused all his attention on the rhomboid scales between his brows.
Purple, green, gray, and blue lights flickered incessantly.
As the energy from the Spirit Ring integrated, Dugu Feng's body began to evolve.
The toxins originating from the depths of his Martial Soul also started to merge.
This fusion was between the Four-Colored Mixed Poison and the purple venom of the Man-faced Demon Spider, on the verge of forming the Overlord Venom.
Suddenly, the four-colored radiance on the diamond-shaped scales grew hazy, like sunlight piercing through dark clouds after rain.
A misty, rainbow-colored glow spread from his brow downward, swiftly enveloping Dugu Feng's entire body.
In an instant, excruciating pain struck.
A putrid stench assaulted his senses.
Dugu Feng struggled to lower his head.
His eyes widened immediately, filled with disbelief.
In that very moment, large patches of rotting flesh appeared across his body.
His ribcage, along with the bones in his legs and arms, were now exposed.
Dugu Feng's life force visibly began to fade.
"Frost Poison Domain!"
His reaction was swift—intense cold poison transformed into a layer of frost, encasing him in ice.
With the Eight-Angle Black Ice Herb at its core, the Frost Poison Domain instantly slowed all his Soul Power fluctuations and the fusion of the Overlord Venom.
This buffer allowed his body to frantically absorb the Spirit Ring's energy to restore vitality.
"Heal!"
The Blue Silver Emperor Spirit Bone in his right leg erupted with a verdant glow, rapidly mending his injuries.
Dugu Feng was in agony.
Had he been even a moment slower, only his bones would remain—and even those would likely have corroded away.
The rainbow-hued mist continued to flow, locked in a desperate struggle against the healing energy within his body.
"This rainbow-colored poison must be the Overlord Venom. After fusing, it dares to turn on its master first!"
Dugu Feng smirked coldly.
Since it didn't take his life in an instant, it had lost its chance.
His preparations had been thorough.
His physical resilience had reached its peak, supported by Spirit Bones and aided by Immortal Herbs—this was how he stabilized the situation.
His body had become a battlefield.
The stench of decay still emanated incessantly, and Dugu Feng's aura remained unstable.
The power of the Overlord Venom seemed endless, constantly shifting and ravaging his body.
"What is the Overlord Venom?"
"The Overlord Venom is a blended toxin, the pinnacle of the Poison Cultivation Lineage of the Dugu Family. It is achieved by synergizing Spirit Rings to advance the venom's potency.
The fastest one can form the Overlord Venom is at the Soul King rank.
True to its name, the Overlord Venom dominates all poisons—even a Titled Douluo cannot expel it.
Only those with extraordinary talent can cultivate this venom. Before poisoning others, it first poisons its wielder!"
From childhood, Dugu Feng had been taught by his father that even a Titled Douluo could not rid themselves of the Overlord Venom once afflicted.
At the time, he couldn't comprehend it—how could a Titled Douluo, with their immense Soul Power and unique Martial Soul traits, fail to purge the toxin?
Later, he gradually formed a theory.
The Overlord Venom was a blended toxin, its lethality lying in one word: blend.
Five distinct poisons combined, each differing in energy intensity, quality, and quantity, giving rise to countless permutations.
In theory, the variations were infinite.
This meant the Overlord Venom was in a perpetual state of flux.
When external forces intervened, they only accelerated its transformation.
There would never be a definitive antidote.
The sole recourse was to sever the afflicted area with lightning speed—like cutting off a limb to save the body.
Yet the venom spread faster than a tenth of a blink.
Just moments ago, Dugu Feng had no time to react before his flesh began to rot.
His mind raced relentlessly.
How to resist the Overlord Venom?
The toxin showed no signs of stopping, constantly evolving and destroying.
Even his Soul Power and healing abilities were being exploited by the Overlord Venom to generate new toxins.
Compared to the Overlord Venom, the Seven-Colored Mottled poison affecting Xue Ye the Great was utterly trivial.
He had already played all his cards.
All his Soul Bones were resisting, and the Slaughter God Domain was amplifying his strength while suppressing the Overlord Venom.
Dugu Feng closed his eyes. He firmly believed there must be a way to control the Overlord Venom.
(End of Chapter)