Dugu Feng once again felt the pulsation of the Core Pearl.
The poison affecting Ge Ying was of the same quality as that which had afflicted Xue Ye the Great.
However, Xue Ye the Great's poisoning had been slow-acting, gradually eroding his life force, accelerating the decline of his bodily functions until his eventual death.
Had the poisoning not been discovered, his death years later would have been mistaken for natural causes.
In contrast, the poison in Ge Ying was far more violent—it acted immediately.
Among the traveling party, only the Dugu Family specialized in Poison Art. No wonder the Ge Family's Soul Masters were wary of them.
Could the perpetrator's goal be to frame the Dugu Family and isolate them completely?
As Dugu Feng pondered this, Dugu Shuo's hair turned a deep violet, his entire body shimmering with radiant, multicolored light.
The swirling hues enveloped Ge Ying, and under the glow, both Dugu Feng and Ge Long could see every vein and meridian beneath Ge Ying's skin with startling clarity.
The colorful energy carefully seeped into Ge Ying's body.
This spectacle lasted a full quarter of an hour.
Suddenly, the energy withdrew abruptly.
Most of the sickly green-black hue on Ge Ying's skin had faded, and the golden light of his innate Soul Power began to shine once more.
Ge Long exhaled in relief, his face filled with gratitude. "Thank you, Clan Leader Dugu!"
"The poison is complex—a blend of multiple toxins. I currently lack the energy to fully eradicate it. Moreover, it can be triggered at any moment by the poisoner's Soul Power, transforming into different toxins and causing a relapse!" Dugu Shuo said coldly.
Ge Long's expression darkened with fury. "Who dares act so brazenly, poisoning Ying'er like this?"
"Clan Leader Dugu, shouldn't you provide an explanation? The only ones in this convoy capable of poisoning someone undetected are members of the Dugu Family!"
A deep voice rang out from outside the carriage—Dugu Feng immediately recognized it as Tuoba Xi's.
Dugu Shuo and Dugu Feng exchanged a glance. They knew their adversary had made his move.
"Tuoba Xi, our journey had been peaceful until now. The moment your Sacred Dragon Sect joined the convoy, Ge Ying was poisoned. Shouldn't you be the one explaining yourself?" Old Snake retorted sharply from outside.
The Ge Family's Soul Masters, who had initially grown more hostile toward Old Snake and the others at Tuoba Xi's words, now hesitated in confusion.
"Hmph, my Sacred Dragon Sect has brought eleven Soul Masters to this meeting, all reputable figures—none skilled in poison. Ge Long may inspect them freely," Tuoba Xi declared arrogantly.
As he spoke, he swept his gaze around, unflinching under scrutiny.
By now, the Elephant Armor Sect had gathered nearby.
"Tuoba Xi, don't think you can sow discord among our Tian Dou allies. Clan Leader Dugu has no reason to harm Ge Ying. However, if Clan Leader Ge suspects us, our Elephant Armor Sect's carriages are also open for inspection. We cannot let the culprit escape justice!"
Huyan Zhen spoke with righteous authority, his words entirely in defense of the Dugu Family.
After speaking, he turned his attention toward the Thunder Academy's carriages, drawing everyone's gaze.
The leader of Thunder Academy had just stepped out of his carriage and was approaching slowly.
Dugu Feng and the others were taken by surprise.
The man at the forefront wore a tight-fitting blue outfit, his long blue hair fluttering in the wind. His robust physique exuded an imposing aura as he walked.
A faint smile played on his lips, as if the situation before him was of little concern.
This was Yu Luomian, the second-in-command of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Family, father of Liu Erlong—one of the Golden Iron Triangle—and uncle of Yu Xiaogang.
He represented the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Family.
Under normal circumstances, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Family merely lent silent support to Thunder Academy and rarely made public appearances.
Yu Luomian's sudden arrival was unexpected.
"If Clan Leader Ge has any doubts, the carriages of Thunder Academy are also open for inspection!" Yu Luomian's tone was calm and confident, though he offered no opinion on Tuoba Xi's targeting of the Dugu Family.
With a creak, the carriage door opened.
Ge Long, Dugu Shuo, and Dugu Feng stepped out.
"I believe this matter was not the doing of the Dugu Family. If anyone seeks to sow discord between us, they will face our retribution!" Ge Long said coldly.
His gaze swept over Tuoba Xi, filled with undisguised hostility.
Who was the culprit?
It didn't matter.
What mattered was that only Dugu Shuo could save his son's life. Even if Dugu Shuo himself had administered the poison, Ge Long would accept it—for now. The reckoning could come later.
Besides, he considered the likelihood of Dugu Shuo being the poisoner extremely slim. There was simply no reason for him to do so.
Seeing this, Tuoba Xi remarked, "Clan Leader Ge prioritizes the bigger picture and chooses not to pursue the matter. Still, I must remind everyone to remain vigilant. Some families only act in the shadows!"
"Tuoba Xi, let's speak plainly. If you suspect my Dugu Family, present your evidence. Otherwise, you'd best watch your own family's safety!"
Old Snake's eyes, sharp as a serpent's tongue, scrutinized each of the eleven Soul Masters from the Tuoba Family one by one.
Though only a Soul Saint, the chilling aura Old Snake radiated made even Tuoba Xi frown.
The Soul Masters behind him couldn't help but envision the cruel, icy kiss of a serpent's fangs—a kiss that meant instant death.
"The innocent need not fear suspicion," Dugu Shuo said with a faint smile.
Without another glance, he turned and re-entered the carriage.
Naturally, Dugu Feng, Little Snake, and the others followed.
Once inside, the carriage door shut firmly behind them, and all eyes turned to their clan leader, Dugu Shuo.
"I've identified the poison affecting Ge Ying. It's a blend of three toxins and can be neutralized at any time. Today, Tuoba Xi of the Sacred Dragon Sect arrived and triggered the poison's activation with his unique aura.
Since the one who secretly administered this poison wishes to challenge my Dugu Family in Poison Art, what do you all think we should do?"
To everyone's surprise, Dugu Shuo actually laughed.
"Poison them back!" Old Snake growled.
"Poison them back!" the other five Soul Masters echoed angrily.
To think someone would dare use poison to frame the Dugu Family—how naive.
"The appearance of the Sacred Dragon Sect confirms that the Spirit Hall is behind this. If even you couldn't trace the poisoner, I suspect a Titled Douluo must have concealed their tracks.
If I'm not mistaken, more people in the caravan will soon be poisoned.
Then, the Sacred Dragon Sect will use this as justification to treat us as enemies, and at the critical moment, the Elephant Armor Sect will strike!"
The enemy believed the Dugu Family was unaware of the collusion between the Elephant Armor Sect and the Sacred Dragon Sect.
But in truth, Tuoba Lan and Huyan Lie had died at Old Snake's hands. They knew full well that the Elephant Armor Sect had secretly pledged allegiance to the Spirit Hall and conspired with the Sacred Dragon Sect.
Since the Spirit Hall was involved, the presence of a Titled Douluo was no surprise!
Old Snake and the others wore grave expressions. If a Titled Douluo were to truly take action, what could they possibly use to resist?
"Heh, since the opponent is using the Elephant Armor Sect's sudden betrayal as their move, it means they're not yet brazen enough to deploy a Titled Douluo to overwhelm us with sheer force. That's our opportunity."
"Father, let's give them poison upon poison. Since they're unafraid of our Dugu Family's Soul Skills, let's see if that hidden Soul Master can detoxify this!"
Dugu Feng understood clearly that the current Spirit Hall, with Bibi Dong having been in power for seven years, had no intention of launching an all-out war yet.
Their goal was merely to consolidate other forces while secretly eliminating some obstacles.
They hadn't yet reached the stage of directly destroying sects and families.
Moreover, he always felt his father had additional arrangements he wasn't aware of.
Starting today, both chapters will be updated together in the morning.
(End of Chapter)