Moments later, Dugu Shuo's aura stabilized. A faint helm of light now shimmered over his head.
Just as Dugu Feng thought his father had finished absorbing the skull bone, a violet glow surged once more. The emerald rhombus mark on his forehead flared, streams of purple light flowing toward his skull.
He realized—Shuo was testing his hypothesis.
The man's entire body was riddled with venom. It seeped through his veins, his blood, even his hair. Every breath carried poison that eroded his life.
And yet, that poison was also part of him, fused into flesh and soul.
Not easy to expel.
Shuo's brow furrowed. He began cautiously, guiding a trace of venom from his arm—where the danger was lowest. With soul power, he drew it out from the skin and carefully pushed it into the skull bone.
A moment later, his expression eased.
He opened his eyes, gaze flickering between Feng and Old Snake. "Feng'er's method works. And the earlier it's used, the better. For me… and for Old Snake… the venom is already too deep, woven into bone and marrow. Forcing it out will be slow, painful, perhaps even costly. But it can be done. From now on I'll refine herbs to aid the process. Even if it means sacrificing some strength, I will drive the venom into this bone."
His voice was heavy with resolve.
After all, venom-laced soul power was part of a poison master's strength. But the toxin buried in the body was nothing but a curse. Every cycle of cultivation sank more poison into his blood, his organs, his very bones.
A Soul Saint who had trained for decades, Shuo carried far too much within him.
He looked at his son. "Feng'er, if this skull bone were yours, while the poison was still shallow, you could purge it daily into the bone during meditation. In time, you might never suffer outbreaks again."
For the first time, regret shadowed his features. He almost wished Feng had taken it.
"Father, don't worry," Feng said lightly. "Your strength must rise first. More soul bones will come."
Shuo nodded silently, already vowing to seek news of more.
Old Snake, meanwhile, was practically trembling. A path had opened at last. Soul bones were rare, but with enough wealth and power, there was always hope. His mind was already racing with plans.
Soon after, Feng left the ancestral hall.
And returned to the routine he loved most—cultivation.
Now with his first soul ring, the focus was clear: honing his soul skill, Jade Phosphor Violet Poison.
In the training field, the yellow ring rose at his feet.
"Jade Phosphor Violet Poison!"
A violet mist burst from his mouth, thick and suffocating.
At once he felt the connection—soul ring power surging through every vein, refining the venom, unleashing it as a pure weapon.
That was the essence of a soul skill.
Again and again he practiced until his soul power ran dry, then sat cross-legged to recover, the Pill Pearl feeding energy into the two Nine-Section Emeralds curled around his wrists.
Day after day, the cycle repeated.
Half a month later, a discovery shocked him.
The Pearl's warmth had pushed the twin snakes into awakening. A spark of soul power now flowed within them. They had crossed the threshold—they were true soul beasts.
With that, training their flight became far easier. Guided by Feng's understanding of aerodynamics, the two serpents now managed clumsy glides of over two meters.
Their bright red eyes gleamed with excitement.
And Feng himself? Every glance at his living bracelets filled him with quiet joy. Their bond had deepened until their thoughts touched. At his will, they could strike like extensions of his own arms.
With his soul power and beast meat feeding them, their growth accelerated. They would one day be his deadliest hidden cards.
Two months passed.
Feng's cultivation rose another level, reaching the thirteenth rank.
And with that, it was time.
Enrollment awaited.
His destination: the Heaven Dou Royal Junior Academy, also known as the affiliate of the Royal Advanced Academy. It trained soul masters aged six to twelve.
He had expected it to be within the city, but no—like the Advanced Academy, it stood outside, built in the embrace of mountains and lakes.
The meaning was clear. The Heaven Dou royal family had once intended to cultivate true strength.
Though in time, of course, it became a playground for the nobility. That was why, in another lifetime, three weary deans had clung so tightly to Flander's ragtag team. Too many spoiled heirs, too few true cultivators.
On a crisp autumn morning, Old Snake led Feng to the foot of the mountains.
A crystal lake glittered at their side, while thousand-meter peaks rose above, their slopes thick with lush vegetation—perfect for simulated training environments.
The Advanced Academy lay high on the mountain.
The Junior Academy sat at the lakeshore below, a cluster of golden buildings no taller than three stories, neat and orderly.
Within, Feng glimpsed arenas, training fields, mess halls, imitation environments—truly among the finest facilities on the continent.
Old Snake brought him to a teaching hall.
There, a golden-haired youth already stood waiting, strikingly handsome, posture proud without arrogance.
"Welcome, Senior Dugu. Welcome, Brother Feng, to the academy," the young man said warmly.
Old Snake had clearly come ahead to prepare.
Feng found himself staring. The youth's looks were almost unreal—yet what drew him most was the composure.
"Feng'er, this is Teacher Ge," Old Snake explained. "He will be your homeroom instructor. Do not be fooled by his youth—he is already a Soul King."
The surname struck Feng at once. Ge. The Ge family, spearhead of the Empire's military, and one of the powers behind the Great Spirit Arenas.
This man was without doubt of that bloodline.
"Greetings, Teacher Ge," Feng said with formal respect.
Seeing introductions made, Old Snake bowed. "Young master, Teacher Ge, I'll leave you now. The clan calls me back."
And with that, he departed without hesitation.
He did not worry. This was only the Junior Academy. And the Ge and Dugu families had always stood side by side in politics.
Enrollment was not simply education. It was the forging of ties. Every student here was heir to power.
And Dugu Feng, destined to bear his clan's weight, was stepping into that world at last.