"Feng'er is right. Let's stack poison upon poison. I've said it before—those who dare scheme against our Dugu Family must be prepared for annihilation.
Five Spirits, Old Snake, Old Scorpion—assist me. I shall unleash our family's supreme secret art: the Overlord Venom!"
Dugu Shuo's eyes burned with fervor.
"Yes, Clan Leader!"
The seven Soul Masters, excluding Little Snake and Dugu Feng, responded in low but resolute voices.
To witness their clan leader unleash the Overlord Venom was an honor.
Contrary to Dugu Feng's expectations, the activation of the Overlord Venom was not a grand spectacle.
Instead, it was as subtle as a gentle rain.
Dugu Shuo's only action was to manifest his Martial Soul Avatar, followed by a brief flicker of his first four Spirit Rings.
A continuous multicolored glow enveloped his body.
Then, Old Snake, Old Scorpion, and the other five Soul Masters placed their hands on Dugu Shuo's shoulders.
Dugu Feng could see that various toxins were being channeled into Dugu Shuo's body.
"The Overlord Venom requires at least the cultivation of a Soul King. The first five Spirit Rings must be derived from venomous snakes, scorpions, centipedes, spiders, and toads—a fusion of five poisons.
To this day, I have only absorbed four. If I were to attempt the fifth, my body would be instantly overwhelmed and perish.
Now, to unleash the Overlord Venom, I must rely on the strength of my clansmen..."
Dugu Shuo gave a self-deprecating smile, his expression tinged with regret as he looked at Dugu Feng.
"Father, I will master the Overlord Venom!" Dugu Feng understood his father's unspoken message—this was motivation.
Dugu Shuo nodded in satisfaction.
By now, his face had contorted in pain.
The diamond-shaped scale between his eyebrows pulsed with light, as if on the verge of explosion.
All the multicolored venomous energy in his body converged at his brow.
Finally, a wave of light silently radiated outward.
Centered around the carriage, the ripple vanished into the night without a sound.
A ruthless glint flashed in Dugu Shuo's eyes. The prestige of the Dugu Family had faded for too long, making others forget their fear.
After tonight, who would dare underestimate the Dugu Family again?
Dugu Feng, Old Scorpion, and Old Snake watched with anticipation.
Just how powerful was the Overlord Venom?
On the Elephant Armor Sect's carriage, the fourteen mountainous figures sat cramped.
At this moment, each of them retrieved three pills from their Storage Soul Tools and swallowed one.
"Take one Antidote Pill now. Hide the other two between your teeth and consume them during battle.
These pills were provided by the Spirit Hall—they'll protect us from the Dugu Family's poisons for fifteen minutes.
Without their venom, they're nothing but lambs for the slaughter!" Huyan Zhen grinned, brimming with confidence.
The Elephant Armor Sect disciples below showed no signs of worry.
Their sect leader was a Soul Douluo. Among the remaining thirteen, three were Soul Saints, four were Soul Emperors, two were Soul Kings, and four were Soul Ancestors. Such a lineup could easily crush the Dugu Family.
The only threat was their poison.
As long as their Poison Art posed no danger, what was there to fear?
"Huyan Hong, you'll act as the poisoned one to lure that ice-faced Dugu Shuo into treating you.
The moment he begins the detoxification, strike first. The rest of you will follow.
They won't be prepared. Caught off guard, we'll wipe out the entire Dugu Family in one fell swoop!"
Huyan Zhen addressed the man below him.
"Heh, Sect Leader, just watch me!"
The man at the head of the group had a fat face with large ears, and his cunning eyes were nearly hidden within the folds of his flesh.
"Ah... poison!"
Huyan Hong's eyes rolled back, revealing the whites.
A piercing scream rang out loudly in the darkness of the night.
Soon after, two similar screams echoed from the Thunder Academy's carriage and the Sacred Dragon Sect's carriage.
"Who dares?!"
Above the Thunder Academy's carriage, Yu Luomian hovered mid-air, his brow radiating a dazzling blue light that illuminated the night like the sun.
Countless blue-purple electric serpents erupted violently, coiling around the entire convoy.
Simultaneously, eight Spirit Rings rose into the air.
Yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black, black—exceptionally resplendent.
"Do you not know I am here? To dare strike against my Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Family—you seek death!" Yu Luomian roared.
He cared little that the Ge Family had been poisoned.
He believed no one would dare provoke the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Family.
Yet the truth was, someone did dare. Could it really be the Dugu Family?
Yu Luomian grew suspicious. Poisoning without a trace was no ordinary feat.
Even though he saw no reason for the Dugu Family to do this, he couldn't help but doubt them now.
This was also the assumption of others in the convoy who were unaware of the truth.
Aside from the Dugu Family, whose poison could be this potent?
"Big Brother insisted I come this time... did he foresee something unusual?" Yu Luomian thought to himself, instantly growing wary.
Normally, such a meeting wouldn't require the presence of a high-ranking leader like him from one of the top three sects.
"Dugu Shuo, how dare you deny it was your poison?
Release the antidote for my sect's poisoned members at once, or my Sacred Dragon Sect will not hesitate to wage war against your Dugu Family!"
"Patriarch Dugu, someone has poisoned my sect's Huyan Hong in secret. We implore your aid!"
Two distinct voices rang out—Tuoba Xi and Huyan Zhen.
The door of the Dugu Family's carriage swung open.
Dugu Shuo stepped out leisurely, followed by Dugu Feng and others.
Why hadn't the Overlord Venom taken effect yet? Because Dugu Shuo was controlling it!
The Overlord Venom was a fusion of multiple toxins, ultimately released from the brow.
It wasn't merely a potent poison—it had become a Soul Master's Soul Skill, controllable through mental power.
Having anticipated the enemy's actions, he naturally intended to turn their scheme against them.
Dugu Shuo was in no hurry.
"Patriarch Dugu, we beg you to neutralize the poison!" The Elephant Armor Sect's carriage was right behind the Dugu Family's.
Huyan Zhen hurried over in quick strides.
"I, Dugu Shuo, declare here that the poison was not our doing.
However, since someone has employed Poison Art here, I will not shirk my duty to provide the antidote. Old Scorpion, go assist the Thunder Academy first!"
Dugu Shuo's voice was calm, yet it carried across the entire convoy.
With that, he approached the nearest Elephant Armor Sect carriage.
Huyan Zhen's heart raced with excitement.
Almost there... almost there.
That expressionless ice-face—I've long despised you.
This time, you die first.
The Elephant Armor Sect's carriage was massive, and Huyan Hong's mountain-like body had been dragged to its edge, lying flat.
Surrounding him were twelve Soul Masters from the Elephant Armor Sect, all with their Martial Souls manifested and Spirit Rings activated, scattered around the carriage.
The simultaneous release of twelve Martial Souls, each with dazzling Spirit Rings, distorted the surrounding aura.
These Elephant Armor Sect members pretended to be vigilant, but in truth, they were merely waiting to strike.
"Just now, he was sleeping when he suddenly let out a terrible scream—exactly like the symptoms of the poisoned son of Chief Ge!"
Huyan Zhen described urgently, delivering a peak performance.
His face showed not only anxiety but also deep sorrow, mixed with a trace of indignation—quite a workout for his facial muscles.
"Oh? Let me see!"
Dugu Shuo remained calm.
(End of Chapter)