"You two are really stupid," Dugu Feng sneered. "Trying to use wind to blow away my poison mist? Don't you know that the wind only spreads it faster?"
The Jade Phosphor Violet Poison wasn't just about spewing venom, it was about control. Guiding, pushing, compressing, spreading… all of it was part of the skill.
The Feng brothers thought they could finish him before the poison closed in.
Unfortunately, their blades had missed.
And now the mist was already at their skin.
Panicked, they threw up their six remaining swords, spinning them into a shield to block.
But poison didn't need to hit you to kill. It slipped into your lungs with every breath, seeped through your pores.
The brothers' faces turned pale. Their heads swam.
The stench of venom was thick.
"I… we surrender!" Feng Ling shouted through clenched teeth.
He knew all too well the Jade Phosphor Snake's reputation.
If the venom touched them fully, they'd melt into pus in the time it took to drink a cup of tea.
Even their youthful arrogance couldn't fight off the fear.
Dugu Feng turned calmly toward Ning Rongrong.
"…Surrender." The little princess's face twisted in frustration as the word slipped past her lips. Without antidotes, without the ability to land the first blow, what else could they do?
The fight of one-ring Soul Masters was always short and sharp. The result was already decided.
With a casual wave, Dugu Feng recalled the violet mist back into his body. Then he turned to step off the stage.
"Wait!" Ning Rongrong's crisp voice rang out.
"Oh? You lost. Don't tell me you still want me to call you Boss?" Dugu Feng replied, tone flat. This little witch is getting on my nerves. Just because she's pampered doesn't mean she can act without restraint.
Ning Rongrong walked slowly to the center of the platform, tilting her chin high.
"The duel is lost, but becoming my little brother is another matter. You said it yourself that if you let your snake crawl across my hand twice, you'd acknowledge me as Boss. Do you think I'm afraid?"
Dugu Feng froze. …You sure you know which snake you're talking about?
My python... your little hand can't hold.
"Come, then!" Ning Rongrong's expression twisted into the look of someone walking to her execution.
"Don't regret it." Dugu Feng stepped forward, the emerald serpent coiling in his hand, its scarlet eyes glowing, its hiss like a taunt.
Back in the classroom, Ning Rongrong's first reaction to snakes had been raw terror.
And sure enough, as Dugu Feng approached, her body stiffened. Her eyes nearly squeezed shut.
But… there was steel hidden under the fear.
Inside, she told herself: That looks like a Nine-Section Jade Phosphor Snake, the pinnacle of venomous serpents. But he won't really let it bite me. It's just crawling. I can endure this. I'm Ning Rongrong...I will surpass Father, break the limits of the clan's martial spirit. A snake is nothing!
Dugu Feng's brows rose. Huh. This little witch actually has guts… only six years old, too.
Down below, the students all held their breath.
This was the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's little princess. If she was bitten here, the whole Heaven Dou City would erupt.
All of them looked at Dugu Feng with awe.
Bro, you're really brave.
The serpent slid onto Ning Rongrong's hand.
He felt her fingers go rigid, saw her lashes tremble. But when he looked closely, there was also a flash of resolve in her eyes.
The snake coiled twice, hissed, and then slithered back to Dugu Feng's wrist.
Ning Rongrong exhaled, face pale but still trying to look proud.
"From now on, Rongrong, you're the class Boss."
Dugu Feng's words were calm. He turned and stepped down without a glance back.
Ning Rongrong blinked. …That's it? That's all?!
She'd expected him to kneel, to worship her, to beg for favor.
Instead it was just a flat acknowledgment.
Her face flushed red, teeth grinding. She felt cheated.
I worked up all that courage, and this is what I get?!
But she couldn't protest. He had kept his word.
Her small head tilted, eyes narrowing.
"Good, Dugu Feng… truly unusual. I'll see just how far you can climb."
Her gaze lingered on his back, a strange light flickering.
High above, two figures stood in mid-air, unseen.
On the left, an old man in snow-white robes, hair and beard pure white, yet his face was rosy with vitality. Standing there, he seemed the center of heaven and earth.
"Rongrong really took a loss this time! Fengzhi, you're just going to let her suffer?" chuckled the old man, Sword Douluo, Chen Xin.
At his side was the gentle figure of Ning Fengzhi, dressed in white, his aura restrained to that of an ordinary man.
"It's just children playing," Ning Fengzhi smiled. "If we protect her at every turn, how will she grow? Today, she conquered her fear. That means our training is working. Uncle Sword, don't keep treating her like a baby. I have a feeling… Rongrong will surpass even me one day."
"Hah! If that old fellow were here, he'd probably already have tried to kill the boy." Sword Douluo laughed.
Ning Fengzhi's eyes glimmered. "That's exactly why I sent Rongrong here. Kept at our side, she'll never bear the weight of the Sect. Support-type spirits can only shine alongside true strength. And those strong companions must be people she bonds with herself."
He paused, gaze lingering on Dugu Feng's departing figure.
"This child is not simple."
Sword Douluo nodded, his expression rare and solemn.
Among the powers of the Heaven Dou Empire, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect worked hand in hand with the Ge family, the Dugu clan, and the Wind Sword Sect to support the throne.
But cooperation did not mean trust.
And with the continent in turmoil, even allies were worth watching.
"Keep an eye on the Dugu clan," Ning Fengzhi said quietly. "That boy will not be ordinary."