Chapter 9: Old Scorpion Severely Injured

Time passed swiftly, and half a month went by.

On the training grounds, Dugu Feng stood before an ancient tree, a short sword in hand.

His eyes were closed, his mind completely immersed in his Soul Power.

The Soul Power generated by his Azure Phosphorus Serpent Spirit was highly toxic, yet it wasn't purely venom—it was a fusion of Soul Power and poison, not distinctly separate.

When attacking, however, he needed to concentrate the toxins, refining them into the most potent venom possible. This was the purpose of Soul Skills.

Little Snake's first Soul Skill, Azure Phosphorus Violet Venom, directly condensed the innate toxins of the Jade Phosphorous Serpent from his Soul Power using the ability of his Spirit Ring, forming a poisonous mist for wide-range attacks.

Dugu Feng understood the principle behind it, but he couldn't refine the toxins himself—his spiritual power wasn't strong enough, nor did he have the time to create his own Soul Skills.

The only thing he could do was increase the output of his Soul Power, channeling it into his short sword for attacks. The more Soul Power he used, the more toxins it carried.

After a long while, Dugu Feng opened his eyes.

"Bang!"

With a single slash, Dugu Feng was forced back several steps, moving away from the ancient tree instead.

Yet his gaze remained fixed on the tree.

Two faint emerald shadows floated toward the ancient tree as he swung his arms.

Plop! Plop!

The two shadows landed simultaneously, failing to strike the tree.

Dugu Feng hurried over and picked up two small, translucent green snakes from the ground.

These snakes were nearly transparent, their bodies marked with nine bamboo-like segments. They were less than three inches long—shorter than Dugu Feng's palm.

These were the two Nine-Section Jadeite snakes his cheap father had given him during his Spirit Awakening.

Over the past half-month, they had hatched.

After falling to the ground, their originally crimson eyes spun dizzily, as if disoriented.

Hissing softly, the two little snakes slowly regained their composure once back in Dugu Feng's hands.

Another failure. Dugu Feng shook his head helplessly.

Taming snakes required patience.

Nine-Section Jadeite—one of the most venomous snakes—had bodies harder than steel, impervious to blades.

According to the Dugu family's knowledge of Spirit Beasts, Nine-Section Jadeite possessed a remarkable ability: flight.

It was unbelievable—a wingless snake that could fly.

The Phoenix-tailed Serpent could fly because it had wings.

But even when fully grown, the Nine-Section Jadeite only reached five inches in length and never developed wings.

However, if raised from infancy, their flight ability could be nurtured.

From Dugu Feng's understanding of flight, the Nine-Section Jadeite's method wasn't wing-based. Instead, they used the undulation of their muscles to achieve short-distance descents or glides in the air.

As he ran his fingers over the little snakes' muscles, Dugu Feng suddenly recalled the sleek design of a stealth fighter from Blue Star.

Combined with his knowledge of Spirit Beasts, realization dawned on him.

Threads of Soul Power seeped from his fingertips, pressing against the Nine-Section Jadeite.

A strange sight unfolded—the snakes' bodies flattened, their width increasing by at least two-thirds.

So that was it. This was why the Nine-Section Jadeite could be trained to fly. Their near-transparent, jade-like bodies were due to their incredibly flexible muscles.

In the air, their normally cylindrical bodies flattened, reducing air resistance.

The eyes of the two Nine-Section Jadeites were wide open.

In the next moment, they flew out—no, it was Dugu Feng who flung them, keeping their bodies slightly flattened as he threw them.

This time, the two Nine-Section Jadeites landed farther away than before.

"Good, good! You're improving!"

"But there's still a long way to go before they can truly fly. It'll take time to tame them properly!"

Dugu Feng pondered.

If Dugu Shuo saw this, he'd be shocked again.

In just a few days, Dugu Feng had already grasped the essence of snake taming—truly monstrous.

"Young Master, the Patriarch summons you. Old Scorpion is severely injured!"

A breeze swept by as Old Snake suddenly appeared, his expression grave.

Dugu Feng was startled. "Who could possibly hurt him?"

Over the past two years, he had come to understand the members of the Dugu family better.

Old Scorpion, also known as Dugu Xie, was a member of the Dugu family, though his Martial Soul was the Serpentine Scorpion—another formidable poison-type Spirit Beast.

If their Martial Souls were different, why was he part of the Dugu family?

Dugu Feng had asked Old Snake about this.

The reason was that, in their pursuit of developing more potent toxins, the Dugu family had conducted many experiments in lineage and inheritance.

One of these involved marrying women with poison-type Spirit Beasts, even resorting to inbreeding.

According to Old Snake, there were at least five different Martial Souls within the family.

Of course, the dominant one remained the Jade Scale Serpent.

Old Scorpion was special because he was a Soul Emperor—a powerhouse within the Dugu family.

He was rarely at the estate, and as for what he did outside, Dugu Feng had no idea.

Quickly, he picked up the two Nine-Section Jadeites and coiled them around his wrist.

Then, he followed Old Snake to the main meeting hall at the center of the estate.

As soon as he entered the hall, Dugu Feng spotted a woman dressed in black, her face veiled by a thin black gauze. She had a slender figure, and her long, waterfall-like hair cascaded down her back.

Only her strikingly beautiful eyes were visible, flickering as if they could speak.

From her height alone, Dugu Feng could tell she wasn't very old.

When she noticed him and Old Snake entering, she merely nodded in acknowledgment.

Old Snake introduced her. "This is Ye Lingling of the Nine Heart Begonia family. She came with her grandfather, Patriarch Ye, who is currently treating Old Scorpion's injuries."

"When you enroll in the academy, Miss Ye will be your senior."

"Greetings, Miss Ye!" Dugu Feng bowed respectfully, surprised to meet Ye Lingling in person.

She was one of the most pitiable figures in the Douluo world.

He studied her carefully—she couldn't be older than eleven or twelve.

Though only her eyes were visible, Dugu Feng could keenly sense an air of loneliness about her, devoid of the liveliness typical of her age.

Considering the nature of her Martial Soul, he understood. Like the Dugu family's Martial Souls, hers carried a severe flaw—from birth, it was accompanied by the loss of loved ones.

It was truly cruel.

After returning his greeting, Ye Lingling turned her gaze back to the hall, showing no reaction to their arrival.

Dugu Feng followed her line of sight.

A pale-faced man with a furrowed brow sat in an armchair. Before him, someone was continuously casting white healing light—undoubtedly Ye Lingling's grandfather, Ye Qingxin.

On the way here, Dugu Feng had already learned the name of the Ye family's patriarch.

Ye Qingxin was dressed in black with a jade pendant hanging at his waist, appearing every bit the refined gentleman, which drew a few extra glances from Dugu Feng.

Soon, however, Dugu Feng's attention was completely captivated by Ye Qingxin's Martial Soul.

The Nine Heart Begonia—a pink begonia flower with petals blending white and pink, its vibrant hues radiating elegant white light.

Moreover, Ye Qingxin's strength was revealed—a seven-ringed Soul Saint.