But the moment Dugu Shuo approached...
One of Huyan Hong's companions suddenly collapsed with a thud, his veins bulging green, face deathly pale. His mouth gaped open as if trying to speak, but no words came out.
"Huyan Ming, why are you poisoned too?" Huyan Zhen was startled. What's going on? I only told Huyan Hong to fake poisoning, not you!
This Huyan Ming was always fooling around.
Are you improvising now? Quite the convincing act.
"Good, good, good!" Dugu Shuo's veins pulsed violently, his fury seemingly reaching its peak. "Daring to poison someone right before my eyes—truly showing no respect for the Dugu Family! With me here today, not a single person from the Elephant Armor Sect shall die from poison!"
Seven Spirit Rings rose around Dugu Shuo—yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black—marking him as a Soul Saint with the optimal Spirit Ring configuration. He strode purposefully toward Huyan Hong in the carriage.
The surrounding Elephant Armor Sect disciples secretly tensed with anticipation.
When Dugu Shuo used his Poison Art to treat Huyan Hong, that would be his most vulnerable moment.
Strike now, Huyan Hong!
His attack would be the signal—they'd all unleash their strongest Soul Skills simultaneously.
The Dugu Family had only ten members present, with just their patriarch Dugu Shuo and Old Snake being Soul Saints. The strongest among the others was a Soul Emperor who'd gone to assist Thunder Academy. The rest weren't even Soul Emperors—one was merely a one-ring Soul Master.
Pathetic.
Against such a lineup, a single Soul Skill from each of them would be enough to wipe them all out.
"Huh? What's going on? Dugu Shuo's already within attack range." Huyan Zhen clenched his fists, growing impatient. "Why hasn't Huyan Hong struck yet? This is the perfect moment for close-range Soul Skills!"
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
Four more meaty mountains collapsed—four Elephant Armor Sect experts who'd been in their Martial Soul Avatars fell simultaneously.
"Enough!" A massive emerald serpent shot into the sky, seven glowing Spirit Rings circling its form—another Soul Saint. "Who dares keep poisoning people before the Dugu Family? You truly scorn us! Face me in battle if you dare!" Old Snake's furious roar made Dugu Feng roll his eyes.
That's enough acting.
One after another, really putting on a show.
Huyan Zhen was utterly baffled. What's happening?
Four more down? Why is everyone performing? No one told you to act!
"Huyan Hong! Huyan Ming! You four—attack now!" Huyan Zhen compressed his voice into a thread, directly commanding them. His fingers itched with the urge to strike himself.
Then from the Dugu Family's direction came another shout:
"Shameless! My granduncle is the Titled Douluo, the Jade Phosphor Crown! How dare you keep poisoning people here! Show yourself! I challenge you to poison one more—let's see you try!"
Dugu Feng, though the weakest, had the loudest voice, his words piercing through the night.
But no sooner had he spoken than—as if answering his challenge—all remaining seven Elephant Armor Sect members collapsed, black blood foaming from their mouths. Only Huyan Zhen remained standing. The others showed no signs of life.
Their massive bodies fell to the ground like an earthquake, causing the earth to tremble.
Dugu Feng seemed utterly stunned, his face frozen in shock. "Sect Master Huyan, this isn't my fault! I was just trying to scare whoever was hiding in the shadows..." He shrank back slightly, moving closer to Dugu Shuo.
"You—!" Huyan Zhen was truly dumbfounded.
No matter how naive or ignorant he was, he had finally realized the truth. His clansmen had indeed been poisoned. The antidote pills they had taken were completely useless. Clinging to a sliver of hope, he crushed two more antidote pills between his teeth.
"Dugu Shuo, it was you! You're the one who poisoned them!" Huyan Zhen gnashed his teeth, his eyes bulging like copper gongs. The poisoning of Ge Ying had been orchestrated by the Spirit Hall—there was no way they would target the Elephant Armor Sect. That left only Dugu Shuo as the culprit. He no longer had the mind to wonder how Dugu Shuo had seen through everything. All he wanted now was revenge.
Three Soul Saints and four Soul Emperors—were they really going to die just like this? Even now, he refused to believe Dugu Shuo could actually kill him. He was a Soul Douluo, after all, with defenses rivaling those of an ordinary Titled Douluo. Eight Spirit Rings rose around him as his body swelled, his already burly frame growing infinitely more imposing.
Bang! Bang!
His upper garments burst apart, revealing a torso covered in diamond-shaped muscles that gleamed like a mirror.
"Infinite Diamond!"
A dazzling light erupted from his body as Huyan Zhen charged toward Dugu Shuo.
Dugu Feng sneered inwardly. Father has been close to you for so long. Even if you're a Soul Douluo, the poison has already seeped into your system. The more you use your Soul Power, the faster it spreads—and the quicker you'll die.
"Huyan Zhen, you ungrateful wretch! Our clan leader was trying to save you, and you accuse him of poisoning you? I can't take this anymore—I can't!"
"Die!"
In the sky, Old Snake's massive emerald-green serpent body twisted, its tail lashing downward. But the strike halted mid-air. Below, Huyan Zhen's pupils dilated as his entire body turned a sickly blue-black, his diamond-like form now reeking of decay.
"It was you... it had to be you!"
Boom!
Regret filled Huyan Zhen's eyes. If I'd known your poison was this potent, why would I have ever provoked you?
His enormous body collapsed to the ground, his eyes wide open in death.
In an instant, all fourteen members of the Elephant Armor Sect perished.
The caravan fell into dead silence.
Dugu Shuo stood there in a daze, muttering, "They died before I could even administer the antidote... Just how potent is this poison? Who in the shadows could be more skilled than our Dugu Family?"
Dugu Feng, who knew the truth, realized for the first time that his father had this side to him. Sigh... I still have so much to learn.
The Soul Masters from Thunder Academy, the Ge Family, Yu Luomian, and Ge Long all wore expressions of bewilderment.
This was beyond bizarre.
What the hell was going on?
So many had died, yet no one knew who the real culprit was. The Dugu Family was the prime suspect, but it didn't seem like them—their righteous fury made it clear they'd been wronged.
The situation was too eerie.
No one dared move.
Yu Luomian swallowed hard, watching as the fallen mountains of flesh below rapidly rotted into skeletons.
Dugu Shuo had controlled the pace—otherwise, they would have turned into black sludge in an instant.
Yu Luomian's face no longer held any trace of ease or arrogance.
Huyan Zhen was a genuine Soul Douluo, even on the verge of breaking through to Titled Douluo. Yu Luomian didn't think his own strength was much greater than Huyan Zhen's.
In terms of defense especially, Huyan Zhen was absolutely top-tier.
And just like that, he was gone?
Died so easily.
If that poison had been used on him, he'd probably be dead too.
Big brother, did you send me to lead this team because you wanted to get me killed?!
Yu Luomian's heart was filled with bitterness.