After twisting and turning through several corridors, the two of them entered a dimly lit room.
The center of the room was empty, but the walls were lined with clay jars. Dugu Feng recognized them immediately. Each one surely contained some poisonous creature.
But I haven't even awakened my martial soul yet… how am I supposed to cultivate? He was curious.
In the center were two mats. Old Snake sat cross-legged on one, then gestured for Dugu Feng to sit on the other.
They faced each other. Dugu Feng didn't feel much shorter than him so when he raised his head, his gaze landed right at Old Snake's chin.
Gurgle…
Dugu Feng's stomach growled. He was hungry.
Dragged to Dugu Bo's mansion early in the morning, then tormented in the ancestral hall, he hadn't eaten all day.
"You're hungry, Young Master?"
The corner of Old Snake's mouth twitched, as if he had been waiting for this moment. "Serpent-type soul beasts are the most resistant to hunger among all soul beasts.
The Jade Phosphor Serpent's closest relative, the Bamboo Leaf Green Snake, can endure starvation for forty-two months without dying. Enduring hunger is one way to stimulate our martial soul's talent."
Dugu Feng froze. He thought Old Snake was about to give him food. Instead, he told him to starve.
But knowing soul beast lore, he also knew what Old Snake said was true.
So this can also be used to cultivate? No wonder you never grew tall. You starved as a kid, didn't you?
"If you don't eat, if you lack nutrition, without a strong body, wouldn't that make it harder to bring out the martial soul's strength?" Dugu Feng muttered in a low, emotionless tone. That was his predecessor's style, and he played the part well.
"Young Master has his own views. That's good. Not like my own boy, dumb as a rock. He can't understand anything. You don't know how stupid he is...learns soul beast lore today, forgets it by tomorrow."
Old Snake droned on, voice calm but endless, like water dripping.
Dugu Feng's face stayed blank. Damn it, he's a chatterbox.
Clearly, this Old Snake had no intention of giving him food.
So he shut his mouth, closed his eyes, and curled up on the mat.
"Oh? Already knows how to conserve energy to last longer. As expected of the Young Master."
Old Snake was surprised. His own son had cried and screamed from hunger at the start of training, until Old Snake "enlightened" him with the Stick of Truth. Only then did he behave.
Pity I can't use the Stick of Truth here… Old Snake smacked his lips, then also lay down. Curled up, his dwarf-like frame was about the same length as Dugu Feng's small body.
In an instant, even his breathing disappeared. Looking closely, even the hairs on his skin drooped flat.
He had entered complete stillness, a snake in winter hibernation.
Dugu Feng, having already merged with his predecessor's memories, understood the point. This was to awaken the serpent martial soul's latent instincts.
It was clearly part of the Dugu clan's systematic cultivation method. There was no way it would change just because he asked questions.
And with that terrifying lunatic of a father, he didn't dare resist.
Fine. This gave him a chance to finally examine the pearl in his dantian. He had been itching to see what it could do.
As soon as he closed his eyes, he saw it.
That pearl was too familiar. Before transmigration, he had always worn it. It was fine white jade.
Now, seeing it again, only two words exploded in his mind:
"Pill Pearl!"
This ancestral treasure pearl had become the Pill Pearl of his Jade Phosphor Serpent martial soul. His martial soul hadn't even awakened yet but his Pill Pearl had already formed!
Even Dugu Bo only condensed his Pill Pearl after evolving his Jade Phosphor Serpent into the Serpent Emperor.
And he already had one!
Dugu Feng was ecstatic.
But soon, he noticed something strange. The Pill Pearl was empty. It had formed, but the energy within still needed to be accumulated.
The pearl spun slowly in his dantian, shining white.
Suddenly, a flash of green light streaked across its surface, almost making Dugu Feng jump.
At the very bottom of the pearl, he saw a wisp of green.
When he focused on it, he felt a faint sweetness. He understood immediately, that was the Jade Phosphor Serpent's poison.
When released, it stank. But within the body, it was part of the martial soul. It carried a sweet taste.
So the Pill Pearl was partly made of venom hence it could absorb poison.
Dugu Feng was overjoyed. With this pearl, he finally had the confidence to resist the deadly toxins.
Gurgle!
His stomach rumbled again.
Soon after came the cold. Hunger brought cold with it.
His body lacked energy, and in this room full of poisonous creatures in jars, the chill was bone-deep.
But then, the Pill Pearl spun again. From his dantian spread a warm current, flowing through his limbs and bones, bringing him comfort.
The cold faded a little.
Dugu Feng let his memories play like a movie in his mind, distracting himself.
His breathing steadied. Before he knew it, he had fallen asleep.
Old Snake glanced over and sighed bitterly. "Well, he is only four years old. After all this torment, he must be exhausted."
Hisss… hisss…
A faint sound slithered in the air.
Dugu Feng turned in his sleep, wanting to continue resting.
But then he felt cold on his neck.
He sniffed. A fishy stench?
His eyes snapped open, only to see a bright green snake coiled around him.
Its back was emerald green, its belly a lighter shade, its triangular head covered in tiny scales, white stripes running along its sides. Barely two meters long, this was a juvenile Bamboo Leaf Green Snake.
Dugu Feng instantly recognized it.
Damn. I'm finished.
When he had been motionless in sleep, the snake must have thought he was dead flesh. But now that he had moved, it would strike.
"Ah!"
Sharp pain stabbed into his neck.
"A juvenile Bamboo Leaf Green Snake, it about as thick as a thumb. In its upper jaw are a pair of hollow fangs. When it strikes, the fangs rise, piercing the skin and injecting venom into the blood."
Old Snake's voice sounded calmly.
Dugu Feng's rage exploded. You dwarf bastard! You really let a poisonous snake bite me?!
He grabbed under the snake's head, near the jaw. He didn't even have time to check if it was the seven-inch weak spot.
But his grip faltered.
Starving and drained, his body had no strength. And the snake's skin was slick with a secreted layer, slippery to the touch. He couldn't hold it.
The pain in his neck made him almost pass out.
"Young Master, weren't you hungry? This Bamboo Leaf Green Snake is your food. You don't need to do anything. Your blood and skin are your greatest weapons.
The Jade Phosphor Serpent's venom is far more lethal than the Bamboo Leaf Green's. This snake will soon be poisoned to death by you."
Old Snake spoke with utter seriousness.
Dugu Feng froze. So this is the cold-blooded cruelty of serpent martial souls? This is how they raise the next generation?
Damn it all…
But he didn't resist. He believed Old Snake wouldn't let him die.