With the poison flare-ups eased, his father now had hope of breaking through to Soul Douluo.The Poison Branch would finally produce a powerhouse again!
A Soul Douluo who cultivated mixed poisons? His strength would be definetly extraordinary!
So half a month passed, the first round of detox was fully completed.
Dugu Feng called it "life-saving detox."
It couldn't solve the root of the poison, but it absorbed part of the stubborn toxins, greatly reducing the agony of outbreaks.
From now on, the clan's death rate would fall sharply, and passing down bloodlines would be much easier.
Meanwhile, the Pearl had absorbed so many years of accumulated poison. Its energy jumped by five points, and with the energy he'd been drawing from the Ten-Headed Sun Serpent's inner core, the total reached sixty-eight.
Progress was fast.
Next was to return to the academy, let things settle, and begin planning, mainly about Yang Wushuang, and about the immortal herbs.
Dugu Feng's thoughts moved quickly.
He drew from his storage a yellowed book, edges worn from frequent reading.
This was what his father had given him. It was the clan's most core inheritance, a compendium of rare herbs!
Immortal herbs. The ones that had haunted his mind.
It had always puzzled him that Dugu Bo didn't recognize them.
For a clan steeped in poison research, with Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well right there—herbs like the Aromatic Silk Beauty, tied directly to poison… even Yang Wudi had known it. But how did Dugu Bo did not?
The Breaking Clan only dabbled in poison refining. The Dugu Clan was different. They had poison martial souls, they had generations studying toxins, refining medicines.
Yet Dugu Bo didn't even know this defensive immortal herb. Unbelievable!
Now Dugu Feng understood.
Though from the Dugu Clan, Dugu Bo had broken with them early. He was a "wild" Titled Douluo, never inheriting the clan's secret records.
No wonder he recognized nothing.
Flipping through the yellow pages, Dugu Feng saw them all: Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass, Infernal Delicate Apricot, Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum, Nine Treasure Purple Zoysia, Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew—everything he had memorized these past months.
He also recalled: after that battle between Dugu Bo and Chrysanthemum Douluo, the old man's whereabouts had become completely erratic.
For now, the Ice and Fire Well was too risky to approach.
Dugu Feng's gaze grew distant.
A few days later.
Heaven Dou Royal Junior Academy.
Clad in azure robes, Dugu Feng stepped into the campus he hadn't seen in years.
The peaceful, lively atmosphere rushed to greet him.
He couldn't help but smile. This is what my age should feel like.
Heading for his classroom, as soon as he reached the third floor, a commotion spilled out.
Still the same as ever.
He stepped in.
The classroom fell silent, all eyes locking on him.
"Which class are you from? What are you doing here?"
A sharp voice cut out. Ning Rongrong had risen to her feet, her tone commanding.
Years had passed. She was even more the little princess now, dressed in white, short hair neatly framing her delicate face. Skin fair as jade, refined and aloof...standing out sharply from her classmates.
"Oh? Don't recognize me?" Dugu Feng's eyes, sharp as needles, glanced at her.
The moment she spoke, Ning Rongrong had already guessed.
The face was a little changed, more mature, but that green streak of hair, those violet eyes? She couldn't forget!
Who else could it be but Dugu Feng?
She saw it too, beneath his handsome face—the faintly familiar air.
But why had he grown so tall? Why did he carry such a mature presence?
"You're… Dugu Feng?" Ning Rongrong asked.
"Not bad. You didn't forget your old classmate."
Dugu Feng smiled, sitting down beside her.
As always, the seats to her sides were empty, they were kept clear.
Behind her sat the two Wind Sword Sect lackeys, Feng Ling and Feng Li.
Ning Rongrong sat back down, but couldn't shake the oddity.
That one glance he gave her, it was sharp as when her Sword Grandpa corrected disciples' cultivation, so piercing she nearly couldn't withstand it!
What in the world did he go through?
"Dugu Feng, where have you been these three years? Why didn't you come to school?"
After a moment's silence, curiosity burst out.
Her words pulled every ear in the class taut.
This was the boy who'd once dominated the academy's rumors, then disappeared.
Speculations had long since faded, his name nearly forgotten.
But now, suddenly, he'd returned.
"In school, how could one truly temper themselves into strength? Naturally, my clan sent me out to train."
Dugu Feng said evenly.
"Train? At your age?"
Behind, Feng Ling sneered. "Better to just cultivate and prepare for the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Tournament!"
"Yeah. So what rank are you now?" Feng Li pressed.
"Not high. Only twenty-seventh rank."
Dugu Feng's calm tone was like a slap, striking hard across both their faces.
"Impossible! We've cultivated with everything we had, and we're only rank twenty-one!"
"No way you're that far ahead of us!"
The brothers were furious.
They were the same age and yet, the gap was six whole levels. It tore at their pride.
Ning Rongrong's mouth formed a perfect "O."
She herself was rank twenty-two, pampered in her sect as the little princess.
Even among her siblings, none had surpassed her.
But compared to Dugu Feng—
The gap was terrifying.
She could hardly believe it, staring at him suspiciously.
"Don't believe me? Want to fight again...with a wager?"
Dugu Feng turned, dismissive.
The brothers froze, mouths working but no words daring to escape.
They'd already lost to him twice.
Even fools wouldn't risk a third!
Both turned to Ning Rongrong instead.
Her eyes gleamed. "Dugu Feng, can you teach me how to cultivate? I want to grow this fast too!"
The way she spoke—it was almost like she was pouting.
Crack! Crack!
Feng Ling and Feng Li swore they heard their own hearts breaking.
Four years spent as her fawning dogs and yet in one day, just one day, Dugu Feng who did nothing, and she was asking him for guidance sweetly.
Unfair. Heaven had no eyes!
"Payment, reward, whatever you want—there's nothing my Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan can't provide!"
Ning Rongrong raised her chin, bargaining like a little tyrant.
This little witch really wants to get stronger? Dugu Feng was skeptical.
"Well, since you want it that badly, then watch me cultivate. Just don't say I didn't warn you—you might not be able to endure the hardship."
Dugu Feng smiled faintly.
Ning Rongrong instantly bristled. Who couldn't endure hardship?
She would never admit she was just a pampered vase.
"Hmph! I, Ning Rongrong, wasn't raised to be scared. Any suffering—I can take it!"
She was determined to see exactly how Dugu Feng had grown so strong, so fast.