Zhu Zhuqing's eyes went blank; was he really that ruthless? He wanted to kill me!
This was supposed to be just a duel!
The next moment she completely lost consciousness.
"Dugu Feng, we concede! Quick, detoxify my sister!"
A figure like lightning fell onto the arena like a phantom and steadied Zhu Zhuqing.
One strand after another of soul power poured into Zhu Zhuqing's body; Zhu Zhuyun let out a relieved breath, fortunately the toxin wasn't that strong.
After all, when facing Dugu Feng on the stage, how could they not take antidote pills beforehand?
Still, her sister couldn't hold out against the toxin.
"Eh!" Zhu Zhuyun's hands wavered; she gave a sudden shake of the head and smelled a fierce fishy stench. Her throat dried and dizziness swept over her.
Just now, when Dugu Feng repelled Zhu Zhuqing, he did not only use the Jade Phosphor Twelve Fingers once.
When the Jade Phosphor Twelve Fingers' soul-power-toxin collided with Zhu Zhuqing's claws it dispersed into the air!
You could say the whole arena had already been placed under Dugu Feng's control.
Although Zhu Zhuyun was at the Soul Lord rank — two major ranks above Dugu Feng — inhaling that toxin poisoned her too; she felt weak and dizzy.
"I only meant to teach her a lesson. Did you think I would kill her?"
Dugu Feng flicked his hands and two pea-sized green pellets dropped into Zhu Zhuyun's palm.
"These are antidote pills!"
Zhu Zhuyun's expression cleared; she had been flustered by concern. When she'd heard Dugu Feng say Zhu Zhuqing would dissolve into pus in a short time she immediately flew to the arena.
But thinking rationally, how could the Dugu Family be so wantonly hostile? The Black Tiger Sect had already been strongly targeted — the remaining five great families had no direct conflict of interest now, and they weren't fools; who would actually go so far as murder?
With that in mind, Zhu Zhuyun popped one pill into her own mouth and shoved the other into Zhu Zhuqing's.
At Dugu Feng's mental command, the two pellets sank into Zhu Zhuyun's and Zhu Zhuqing's dantians.
In a rotation, they absorbed the toxins inside the two women into the pearls.
What you were given was not an antidote pill at all, but my pearls, thought Dugu Feng!
He'd long since discovered the pellets' special nature, that others could hardly sense the pearls' existence.
Wasn't this the perfect way to control people?
And relying on the pearls' evolution by himself alone was too slow. He needed more people involved.
And the Zhu sisters were both geniuses; their strength would rise quickly.
Leaving this hidden hand behind would be a double gain!
"Thank you, Dugu Feng!"
With the toxins absorbed into the pearls, Zhu Zhuyun had regained her vigor and calmly offered a thanks.
Zhu Zhuqing also came forward; inwardly she resented Dugu Feng's scare tactic and turned her cold face away.
Zhu Zhuyun nodded and, leading her sister, left the arena.
Dugu Feng showed a strange smile.
Later on when you find out the "antidote" was my pearls, will you still thank me? Haha — so funny!
Dugu Feng stepped off the stage and, together with the waiting Little Snake, left the arena.
Little Snake also told him that the other duels had gone off without incident.
The Six Great Families' duels were completely finished.
The final distribution of that last portion of profit was about to be decided.
All that remained was for this to conclude, and then he would go off on his training journey.
"By the way, young master, Old Snake told me to tell you: these past few days he trailed the Dai and Zhu families' spirit masters, and they visited Shrek Academy. Also the dean of the academy Dean Flanders has opened a shop here in Soto City!" Little Snake suddenly said.
Dugu Feng smiled slightly. "Let's go check out Flanders' shop!"
Little Snake hurried to follow.
The two walked straight out of the Great Spirit Arena.
The shops dazzled them; the most distinctive goods were specialties from the Xingluo Empire.
Tiandou is a northern country, Xingluo a southern one; the climates differ completely, and in Soto City which is on the border that difference stood out.
Dugu Feng thought of his upcoming journey and decided to buy as he went.
He filled his packs with meat and clothes.
Finally he strolled into a shop; three walls were hung with old items.
On a wooden chaise in the center a burly man sat with his eyes closed, his body swaying with the chair.
This man's face was flat, he wore black-framed crystal glasses and had a hooked nose — it was Flanders.
Dugu Feng scanned the room and immediately saw a human-head-sized crystal hanging by the door and guessed that must be the hair crystal Tang San almost nabbed.
Now that he'd found it, he wouldn't leave it for Tang San.
Dugu Feng picked it up and asked, "Boss, how much for this crystal?"
When he looked over, Flanders had already risen to his feet without Dugu Feng noticing.
Flanders stood seriously and sized up Dugu Feng and Little Snake; his face showed some surprise.
This is the Dugu Family's bane?
"Not expensive — ten gold spirit coins!" Flanders replied immediately.
Dugu Feng froze. When Tang San and Xiao Wu had come before, Flanders had demanded a hundred gold and haggled them over the price.
But to Dugu Feng he asked only ten.
Does Flanders price goods based on who he's dealing with?
Little Snake quickly produced ten gold spirit coins and handed them over.
Flanders waved and pocketed the coins.
"You're Dean Flanders? You know me!" Dugu Feng smiled.
Flanders froze. As Soto City's local big fish and a frequent patron of the Great Spirit Arena, he had followed these few days of duels; having traveled the lands, he knew the forces behind the arena clearly.
"Young Master Dugu, your presence honors my humble shop!" Flanders' eyes flashed with greed.
Indeed, Flanders was a calculating man — that aloof, aristocratic persona was just a crafted image.
Dugu Feng suddenly felt the man was another angler: expert at packaging himself.
"Dean Flanders, I heard the Dai family came to see you. I want to know what they wanted." Dugu Feng's face was flat as he stared intently at Flanders.
Flanders' expression changed drastically. He made no move as the shop door closed.
"Telling Young Master Dugu is no harm. When I traveled I did visit Xingluo City and I have connections with a certain Dai family elder. A Dai prince plans to study at Shrek Academy and they asked me to carefully groom him!" Flanders said with a trace of pride.
"Even teachers at the Tiandou Royal Academy are my disciples; if Young Master Dugu is interested in cooperating with my Shrek Academy, that can be arranged!"
Flanders had risen from the common people. If he really didn't want to cooperate with great powers, he wouldn't have formed the Golden Triangle with Yu Xiaogang and Liu Erlong.
From how he trained his students it was obvious: his goal was to make a name for himself across the world.
He didn't care if students died in the process.
He only wanted to produce world-famous pupils to raise his own reputation.
Flanders was clever and ruthless.
He knew how to craft a persona and fish for big clients — and the Dai family had bitten.
Furthermore, in the future Flanders had truly made his name by this method.