"It's a bit like Martial Soul True Body."
Ning Rongrong tapped the ground lightly with her toes, swiftly retreating backward.
With a loud boom, the ground trembled as the fully materialized Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor smashed its massive head into the earth.
Instantly, a huge crater was formed.
The Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor surged out from the depression, its dark green venom rapidly spreading across the shattered pit. A low hiss escaped its maw as it opened its gaping jaws and continued its assault on Ning Rongrong.
"So that's how it is." A faint surge of zhenqi flowed from the sword in her hand, tearing through and purifying the incoming toxic mist.
Ning Rongrong observed the approaching Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor, its scales glistening with deadly clarity.
"Using the Martial Soul to bear the power of fused Soul Rings." Ning Rongrong landed on the ground just as the Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor arrived, spewing another wave of venomous mist.
"Traceless." With a soft murmur, Ning Rongrong sidestepped, creating distance before leaping into the air, looking down at the over-ten-meter-long serpent from above.
"It's a bit like Ring Explosion, but not quite..."
The Clear Sky School's Ring Explosion compresses the power of Soul Rings into the Martial Soul, unleashing it explosively to achieve combat prowess beyond one's level.
Dugu Yan, however, seemed to be fusing the power of all her Soul Rings into the Misfortune Poison Body's Soul Ring before channeling it into her Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor, amplifying its growth attributes.
In simpler terms, it was more like a sustained buff rather than the Clear Sky School's all-or-nothing ultimate technique.
"Closer to a Soul Sage's Martial Soul True Body..."
"But only Dugu Yan can use it. Both her Martial Soul and body are tempered by Misfortune Poison."
Even Dugu Bo would risk his soul and body collapsing if he tried using his Martial Soul this way.
Ning Rongrong's gaze shifted past the charging Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor, landing on Dugu Yan, who was manipulating it from a distance.
"You're pushing yourself a bit too hard." Ning Rongrong chuckled softly.
After all, she was only a Soul King. Even if the poison didn't affect her, controlling a Martial Soul akin to a True Body placed immense strain on her spirit and soul power.
"Well, time to end this." Just as Ning Rongrong raised her sword to strike the approaching serpent, the blade was suddenly clamped between its fangs.
Crack—
Tiny fissures spread across the Soul Emperor-level close-combat soul tool.
Ning Rongrong casually released the hilt. Without her zhenqi reinforcing it, the blade rapidly turned dark green before shattering with a bang, dispersing a thin mist of venom.
"Truly terrifying!" Ning Rongrong retrieved another blank close-combat sword soul tool from her storage device.
To ensure she always had an offensive option after reaching the Grandmaster level, she had asked Lou Gao for several of these seemingly useless blank soul tools.
Instead of continuing its assault, the Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor retreated closer to Dugu Yan.
"Oh? You realized I was going for the main body?" Ning Rongrong landed lightly.
Suddenly, the surrounding venomous mist condensed, forming countless fine green needles suspended in the air.
With a thunderous boom, the Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor slammed its massive tail against the ground.
As if commanded, the venomous needles shot toward Ning Rongrong from all directions.
Ning Rongrong made no move to dodge. Every needle passed straight through her body.
"What?" Dugu Yan's pale face tightened in confusion. Just as she was about to disperse the venomous mist to detect Ning Rongrong's position, the cold edge of a slender sword pressed against her neck.
A chill ran down her spine.
"You lose, Sister Yan."
Ning Rongrong's calm voice came from behind her.
"When did you—?" Dugu Yan was baffled. From what she had seen, Ning Rongrong had been engaged in a distant battle with the Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor the entire time.
"Remember when I glanced at you while you were controlling your Martial Soul to shatter my sword?"
"Kyōka Suigetsu?"
"Mm. When someone is hyper-focused on one thing, they tend to neglect other aspects."
"Sister Yan, manipulating your Martial Soul to this extent must take a heavy toll on your spirit and soul power, right?"
"In that state, influencing your senses without you realizing it wasn't too difficult."
Silence.
"...I lost." Dugu Yan let out a frustrated sigh, her hands dropping to her sides.
Though she had expected this outcome, she hadn't thought the defeat would be so one-sided.
"Well, you did great. With the Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor's Misfortune Poison, even an average Soul Sage might not be your match."
Of course, someone like Qian Renxue didn't count. With her divine-level Angel Martial Soul and purification abilities, who knew if Misfortune Poison would even affect her? After all, this was Douluo Continent, not Battle Through the Heavens.
Suddenly, Dugu Yan shuddered, her already-pale face turning deathly white.
Ning Rongrong quickly withdrew the sword from her neck—accidentally killing Dugu Yan would be a tragedy beyond words.
"Sister Yan, are you okay?" Ning Rongrong caught the stumbling Dugu Yan.
"I can't hold on anymore... Rongrong, be careful—the Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor's poison is about to erupt!"
"What?" Ning Rongrong looked up. The once-majestic serpent now swelled grotesquely, like a bloated Cell preparing to self-destruct.
"Oh crap!"
"Ring Explosion?!"
Had Dugu Yan somehow triggered the principles of Ring Explosion?
Her fifth Soul Ring wasn't from an ordinary soul beast—it was the Misfortune Poison Body's Soul Ring.
"Still eating melons?" Ning Rongrong turned to glare at Tokisaki Kurumi in the distance. "Stop snacking and do something! If the Misfortune Poison leaks out, we're in trouble!"
"Huh?" Kurumi blinked, a piece of watermelon halfway to her mouth. "Isn't this Dugu Yan's desperate ploy?"
She glanced at the Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor.
"?"
What the—?
Realizing the urgency, Kurumi immediately activated her authority, reinforcing Zafkiel: City of Devouring Time.
Previously, she had only used it for training, cutting corners to conserve energy. Strengthening it fully now would take time she didn't have.
As Kurumi worked, the Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor's body ballooned into a sphere, cracks spreading across its skin as venom oozed out.
The entire City of Devouring Time trembled violently.
BOOM!
Like a methane explosion, the corrosive poison erupted with scalding heat, spreading in all directions.
Crack—crack—
The barriers of the City of Devouring Time corroded under the venom's assault, fissures spiderwebbing across its surface.
Seeing Dugu Yan—her lips stained with blood—collapse unconscious, Ning Rongrong caught her with one arm.
"Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda!" The pagoda in her hand shot into the sky.
"Honestly, you're all as troublesome as I am." Ning Rongrong was at a loss for words.
Dugu Yan had pushed her uncontrolled power to its limits.
And Kurumi—couldn't she at least stabilize her domain properly?
Melons, melons, all she cared about were melons!