The two Nine-Segment Emerald Serpents circled endlessly.
Inside their bodies, their twin poison pearls quietly released suction, drawing in threads of shimmering colored toxin drifting among the rotting bones.
That light was none other than Tyrant Poison.
It was exactly the kind of high-grade toxin the pearls craved.
Suddenly, Dugu Feng's eyes widened.
"Stop! Come back!"
The green energy within the pearls surged wildly.
A chill ran through him — the pearls were about to lose balance!
These weren't poison pills; they couldn't absorb toxins without limit.
The pearls were like a serpent soul beast's inner core, made of toxin, energy, and soul power together.
If the poison overbalanced, the whole structure would collapse and the backlash would poison him.
He had already been cautious, but this poison was too pure, its quality far above what his pearls were used to.
The two serpents wobbled dizzily, twining back up his arms.
Suppressing his excitement, Dugu Feng hurried back into the carriage.
What he saw inside nearly stopped his heart.
Before his father was a pool of pitch-black blood, sizzling faintly. Beside him, Old Snake and Old Scorpion looked tense.
"Father!"
Dugu Feng rushed forward in alarm.
Dugu Shuo's eyes slowly opened. To Feng's shock, there was nothing but excitement in them. He smacked his lips and chuckled:
"Don't panic, Feng'er. This is merely the backlash of borrowing external aid to unleash Tyrant Poison.
But ah… killing with Tyrant Poison is practically an art. That feeling of your spirit and poison being perfectly aligned… you can't understand yet."
His expression was almost intoxicated.
Dugu Feng was stunned. It was the first time he'd seen his father with such color in his expression, it was almost like a man after… indulgence. (T/N : IYKYK )
What a madman!
Still, thinking back on how his father had toyed with the lives of the Elephant Sect like puppets, he had to admit: that kind of control over life and death couldn't be described with words.
"Feng'er, eat as much whale rubber as you need. If you run out, ask Old Snake.
To withstand the might of Tyrant Poison, your meridians and flesh must keep growing stronger. For your second spirit ring, aim straight for a thousand-year beast!" Dugu Shuo's eyes shone with zeal.
"Yes, Father. I still have plenty left from the wager I won at the academy."
Ning Rongrong had been generous last time, giving him a big piece.
Probably hoping I choke to death on it in bed, Feng thought sourly. The malice in that girl's smile was obvious.
Dugu Shuo soon closed his eyes again, face still full of lingering satisfaction.
Dugu Feng sat beside Little Snake, sinking his mind into his pearls.
Instantly, his spirit trembled.
The green energy within the pearls had jumped from 55 to 86 — and darkened to black-green.
"This…!"
At the start, it took a month to raise a single point.
This one draw had boosted it thirty-one points at once! Enough to equal years of accumulation!
It was terrifying!
In a flash of insight, he realized the pearls had reached their toxin limit.
No wonder he'd felt them going unstable earlier, if any more, and they'd collapse.
That meant the last 14% of their space could only be filled with soul power and fleshly energy. Once the pearls brimmed full, they would evolve.
Ecstasy filled him.
Poison was the hardest to accumulate — his daily output was meager, and too much would backflow into his own body.
Now that the poison was maxed out, all that was left was relentless cultivation and feasting to fill the rest.
He couldn't wait.
Pearl evolution meant stronger refinement, stronger body feedback.
His hand darted to his storage belt and pulled out a tray of fried scorpions.
Crunch. Crunch.
One after another he devoured them.
"Too good!"
He tipped back a water pouch, gulping heavily.
"Ah, the young master has inherited my true teachings. Never waste a serpent. That water pouch is filled with snake blood, isn't it?" Old Snake laughed, producing a piece of whale rubber.
"Your soul power isn't hot enough to melt this yet. Let me help."
Dugu Feng didn't refuse. Once liquefied, he swallowed it whole.
His blood roared. Sweat beaded on his forehead.
He forced himself calm, circulating his soul power again and again.
After ten full cycles, his cultivation rose palpably.
Then the pearls spun, sucking down half of it in one go.
The energy inside ticked higher.
His confidence soared. He dove into training again.
Beside him, Little Snake looked on with reverence.
The young master is truly amazing. Eats like a king and trains without restraint… yet never grows fat. Why is it that if I eat a little extra, I just grow taller? I don't want to grow taller!
His mind wandered — until a new thought struck.
We saw two Titled Douluo today. Which one should I assassinate in the future? Both of them seem rotten. Hard choice…
He slipped into meditation with those doubts circling.
Meanwhile, in the Thunder Academy carriage—
When Yu Yuanzhen entered, the other Thunder soul masters wisely set up tents outside.
Everyone knew the patriarch's temper: explosive as his thunder.
Only Yu Luomin entered with him.
"Big brother, you couldn't give me a warning about the Elephant Sect and the Dugu clan? I nearly had a heart attack!" Luomin complained as he plopped down.
Yu Yuanzhen had withdrawn his lightning, revealing a sharp, commanding face. His gaze was piercing, harsh.
"If you know fear, then train harder. At your pace, when will you ever become a Titled Douluo?" His voice thundered with frustration.
Yu Luomin laughed awkwardly. "How could my talent compare to yours, big brother? Advancing even one rank at Soul Douluo stage takes me years. I don't know if I'll ever break through in this life.
It's better to focus on raising Tianheng and Tianxin. I want to see them reach Titled Douluo!"