Sure enough, before long, the Bamboo Leaf Green Snake stopped moving.
Its venom didn't seem to harm him at all. Is this poison fighting poison? Dugu Feng wondered.
Enduring the pain, he grabbed the snake in his hands.
"Here, take the gallbladder. Eat it to restore some strength." Old Snake handed him a short blade.
Dugu Feng quickly took it. Of course, he had to do it himself.
He no longer had any illusions about being treated like a young master. Forget food being served to him, he was lucky to even have something to cut with.
It was his first time killing a snake, but thanks to his inherited knowledge, he knew its anatomy well.
For snakes, the most valuable part was the gallbladder.
He gritted his teeth, raised the knife, and cut down from the head, splitting the Bamboo Leaf Green open.
It sounded simple, but with his weak body, he used every bit of strength he had.
After struggling for a while, he finally pulled out the gallbladder.
Oval in shape, the moment he saw it, he popped it into his mouth. No time to think about the stench.
He bit down. The gall exploded, filling his mouth with unbearable bitterness.
He quickly swallowed every drop.
"Young Master, since you had your first poison outbreak last night, the Jade Phosphor Serpent martial soul has already begun to affect your body. Even though your martial soul hasn't awakened, the bloodline power is active.
It will gradually strengthen your constitution. And snakes have one of the greatest digestive abilities so you don't need to worry about not being able to absorb it.
The snake meat will be your food for today. Enough to fill you."
Old Snake's eyes revealed satisfaction, even shock.
For a child to kill his first snake without fear, this was true talent.
Though, with poison flaring at age four, who knew how long he could last.
Dugu Feng said nothing. He simply cut the snake into pieces and began eating.
They really don't treat kids like humans here…
Half an hour later, he had finished the whole snake. His belly was uncomfortably full.
At last, Old Snake acted like a human for once, using his soul power to massage him.
The warm energy seeped into his body, like basking under the sun...no, it was even better.
It flowed through his muscles and meridians, soothing him completely. His blood and organs relaxed, and the snake meat digested more quickly.
Dugu Feng closed his eyes, savoring the comfort.
At the same time, he focused on the Pill Pearl. When the Bamboo Leaf Green bit him earlier, he had clearly felt the pearl pulse once.
Looking now, the faint green wisp inside had grown stronger.
So the snake's venom had been absorbed by the Pill Pearl.
As his body digested the meat, the pearl spun faster. Energy trickled inside, fusing with that green light.
The pearl needed not only poison, but also energy.
But this is too slow… when will it ever fill up?
Still, he reminded himself that he was only four, not even awakened yet.
He couldn't rush.
Hours passed.
Under the massage, he even dozed off for a bit. By the time he awoke, the meat had become energy.
When he stood, his body felt powerful again, his movements light and spirited.
Looking outside, the sky was dark, the courtyard filled with eerie quiet. Yet his ears picked up hisses and crawling noises.
The estate seemed to have more snakes than humans.
Thinking of the torment he had suffered today, it all felt like a dream.
To wield real strength, to do as I please in this Douluo world, wasn't that always the dream?
Standing at the doorway, staring at the starry sky, he let his imagination wander toward the future.
"Young Master, it's the third watch," Old Snake's voice came.
The third watch that was around midnight.
"What about it?"
As soon as he asked, realization hit him. Poison outbreaks of the Jade Phosphor Serpent came at night after the third watch, or on rainy days.
The thought had barely formed when sharp pain stabbed his soles, like needles piercing. He nearly jumped in shock.
He quickly lay back on the mat.
His muscles were tightening, spasms spreading. His hands trembled uncontrollably.
"Young Master, is the pain too much? Since you were bitten by a Bamboo Leaf Green today, we can use poison against poison.
If it's unbearable, just say so, I'll let another snake bite you." Old Snake was tense, clutching a clay jar.
Everything he had arranged during the day had been for this moment—helping Dugu Feng survive his first outbreak.
For those of the Dugu clan, once outbreaks began, they came every night. Whether you lived or died depended on if you could endure.
Sweat poured down Dugu Feng's forehead. His body curled tight, needle-like pain stabbing into his head, his eyes bulging wide.
So this is the terror of the Jade Phosphor Serpent martial soul? Even Dugu Yan didn't suffer outbreaks until she was twenty. What sin did this body commit, to erupt before awakening?
Still, without this, he never would have transmigrated here.
"Bite… now… bite!"
His teeth chattered as he forced the words out.
His head felt ready to explode, his body like it was rotting alive. At that point, he didn't care about anything else.
Anything to ease the pain, even a beating would help.
Crash!
The clay jar shattered.
A Bamboo Leaf Green slithered out, hissed twice, and struck his arm without hesitation.
Instantly, the distraction dulled the worst of his agony.
Breathing hard, Dugu Feng turned his head. The snake was already dead, its body limp.
It hadn't stood a chance. At the moment of his poison outbreak, even a touch was fatal.
If poison can't kill me, I'll only grow stronger. His mind steadied.
I have the Pill Pearl. What do I have to fear?
He sensed it clearly, the green wisp inside had grown thicker.
The pearl had benefited from this outbreak.
But his body's energy drained rapidly. The strength he had just gained vanished, replaced by hunger.
It wasn't just resisting poison. The pearl itself demanded energy to grow, draining him further.