Dugu Yan had always carried a deep concern in her heart—her father had suffered from toxin-induced agony before his passing.
The image of her father enduring such torment remained etched in her memory.
This made her wonder if her grandfather might also be suffering in silence.
As for herself, she had suspicions too, but since her grandfather never spoke of it, she dared not ask, fearing it would only bring him more sorrow.
Burdened by these thoughts, Dugu Yan found it impossible to focus on anything else.
Ye Lingling glanced at Dugu Yan and sighed softly.
The two exchanged a look, sharing a silent understanding of each other's pain.
Both were orphans with only their grandfathers left.
This was why they had grown as close as sisters—they simply understood each other too well.
Meanwhile, back in the cafeteria.
With Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling gone, the noisy chatter resumed.
Dugu Feng had become the center of everyone's attention.
His first day at the academy, the recent Soul Duel, and his clash with Dugu Yan had made him the talk of the school.
His words had also successfully misled the other students about his relationship with Dugu Yan.
To them, it seemed like a simple sibling conflict—an older sister trying to control her younger brother, who refused to be controlled. Those with older sisters shot Dugu Feng sympathetic looks.
Dugu Yan wasn't exactly notorious for being domineering at school, but her strong personality was well-known.
Many had witnessed it firsthand.
Ge Ying grinned at Dugu Feng and said, "Brother Feng, you sure have a way with the ladies!"
"Teacher, are you just here to laugh at me?"
"Come on, no need for formalities in private. Call me Brother Ge or just Ge. But I'd advise you to lay low for a while—your cousin and Ning Rongrong have plenty of admirers!" Ge Ying chuckled.
You're a teacher—act like one!
Dugu Feng was speechless. Distant memories of elementary school back on Earth seemed to resurface.
This childish bickering was just too immature.
If pushed too far, he might just have to unleash his snakes—after all, that would be fitting behavior for a six-year-old, wouldn't it?
Soon, lunch was over.
Ge Ying led the class to the Simulated Training Field.
The area was massive, spanning several football fields, featuring a mix of forests and hills bordering a lakeshore at the foot of a mountain.
Ge Ying dispersed the students to their respective simulated environments best suited for their cultivation.
Those who hadn't obtained their first Spirit Ring were to meditate and cultivate their Soul Power.
Those who had already acquired their first Spirit Ring focused on honing their Soul Skills.
Dugu Feng was assigned to the edge of the forest, just a few dozen meters from the lake. The area was dotted with low, brightly colored plants and trees—perfect for his poison-based cultivation.
After surveying his surroundings, he realized this would likely be his training ground for quite some time.
The spot was far enough from the others, giving him the privacy he needed to practice his Poison Art.
A faint purple mist began to rise, spreading across an area of over a hundred square meters.
All the students turned their gazes toward the lakeside.
Even from a distance, they instinctively took a few steps back, wary of the poison.
This was exactly the effect Dugu Feng wanted.
He had no intention of revealing his secrets. Wrapped in the Azure Phosphorus Violet Venom, he could effectively shield himself from prying eyes.
Dugu Feng slightly parted his lips, and two streaks of green light shot out from his mouth.
The light coalesced in his palms, forming two small orbs—one white and green, the other with two-thirds white and one-third green.
"The Core Pearl is my greatest trump card!"
Dugu Feng toyed with two Core Pearls in his hands, his mind continuously sensing their energy.
"If the Core Pearl's energy is calculated as one hundred, the current energy inside is thirty-six, still sixty-four short of being fully condensed."
"It's somewhat slow. Since my Spirit Awakening three months ago, it's only increased from thirty-three to thirty-six—just one point per month. That's even slower than cultivating Soul Power. This won't do."
"The evolution of the Core Pearl isn't just about increasing quantity; more importantly, it's about improving quality and unlocking various incredible abilities."
"Like when Dugu Bo fought the Golden Sacred Dragon, he used the Core Pearl to enhance his eighth Soul Skill, significantly boosting its power."
Dugu Feng's gaze gradually grew resolute.
The two Core Pearls slowly approached the two small snakes in his hands.
Under his control, the pearls transformed into green light and were swallowed by the two Nine-Section Jadeites.
Over this long period, he had come to realize that the Core Pearls could change size at will.
They were truly treasures.
The Core Pearls could nourish his body.
His vitality and toxins could also provide energy to the Core Pearls, creating a cycle.
Now, he intended to incorporate the two Nine-Section Jadeites into this cycle.
Together, they would supply energy to the Core Pearls while using the pearls to enhance the snakes' strength.
With both him and the two Spirit Beasts nurturing the Core Pearls, the process should speed up significantly!
"You have one month to advance to hundred-year Spirit Beasts and learn to fly. You can't just freeload—work hard, cultivate, and nourish the Core Pearls!"
Dugu Feng spoke sternly.
Hiss hiss hiss...
The Nine-Section Jadeites seemed to protest.
"I know, you haven't been idle. You've been working hard!"
Then, the two small snakes slithered toward a flowering tree twice a man's height.
They leaped off, wobbling as they practiced flying.
After landing, they climbed back up and jumped again.
Dugu Feng smiled approvingly. Perfect worker snakes.
With the Core Pearls providing them energy, their cultivation was fueled with endless vigor. After some thought, Dugu Feng took out snake food from his Soul Tool and placed it beneath the tree.
This way, they wouldn't go hungry while cultivating.
With the Nine-Section Jadeites and Core Pearls settled, Dugu Feng began practicing the application of the Azure Phosphorus Violet Venom.
He took a deep breath, inhaling like a whale drawing in water, as the purple mist in the air returned to his body.
His first Spirit Ring lit up, activating his Soul Skill state.
The toxins conjured by the Soul Skill flowed through his meridians to his hands under the guidance of his Soul Power.
Dugu Feng closed his eyes, continuously stimulating the meridians in his hands with Soul Power.
But as soon as the toxins reached them, his meridians couldn't withstand the strain and were instantly injured.
He hurriedly used Soul Power to repair the damage.
Repair, circulate the Azure Phosphorus Violet Venom, injure, repair again.
This cycle continued, steadily toughening the meridians in his hands to adapt to the venom's potency.
The ultimate goal was to unleash the Azure Phosphorus Violet Venom from both hands as swiftly as a sharp sword.
This almost feels like the Six Meridian Divine Sword!
The more he circulated his Soul Power, the more it seemed that way.
After obtaining his Spirit Ring, Old Snake had taught him the meridians needed to project toxins from his hands. Twelve meridians in total required strengthening—the twelve primary meridians in the hands.
These twelve primary meridians circulated vitality, connected internal organs to the body's surface, and linked all parts of the body. They were naturally unblocked from birth.
This differed from the Eight Extraordinary Meridians, which were sealed and required continuous effort to open.
The Six Meridian Divine Sword also utilizes the twelve main meridians of the hand to project internal energy outward, wounding enemies like sharp blades.
However, the Six Meridian Divine Sword only employs six meridians—those of the right hand plus the little finger of the left hand.
What Old Snake taught involved using both hands. The human little finger contains two meridians, so both hands combined have a total of twelve meridians.
By projecting the Azure Phosphorus Violet Venom stored in the ten finger meridians through the air, one could achieve a direct piercing and killing effect, breaking through an opponent's defenses and eliminating them with the toxin.
Thinking back to those scenes of the Six Meridian Divine Sword in action, Dugu Feng still found it quite thrilling.
(End of Chapter)