Dugu Feng sank his mind into the Pill Pearl. Such a mysterious treasure had to be useful.
Suddenly, a warm current flowed out, spreading through his entire body.
The stabbing pain all over him eased slightly.
Dugu Feng was overjoyed.
As expected of the Pill Pearl, a treasure that only formed when the Jade Phosphor Serpent evolved into the Serpent Emperor.
Dugu Bo's Pill Pearl carried half his strength, containing poison, soul power, and physical energy.
His own Pill Pearl had form but lacked content—it needed venom, soul power, and energy.
During the poison outbreak, the pearl absorbed venom and the energy from the snake he had just eaten.
This meant future outbreaks would be easier to endure.
His resolve grew stronger.
Half an hour later, the pain subsided.
He picked up the short blade and cut open the Bamboo Leaf Green, digging out its gallbladder.
He swallowed it in one bite. Somehow, it did not taste as foul as it had during the day.
He then devoured the snake meat, even the blood.
Though the outbreak lasted less than an hour, all the energy in his body was drained.
He urgently needed to replenish it.
Under Old Snake's stunned gaze, the entire snake disappeared into his stomach in no time.
Patting his belly, he let out a loud burp.
"Old Snake, why don't you suffer outbreaks?"
"How do you know I don't? I simply endure them with more willpower.
The room on the left has your bedding. Rest there." Old Snake's voice was calm as he turned away, as if the venom meant nothing to him.
Dugu Feng twitched his lips. He should not have asked.
What was Old Snake's true strength? To face outbreaks so calmly, at least a Soul King.
He stopped thinking about it and entered the left room. His clothes and bedding were already there.
It seemed this would be his place of cultivation.
The path of the Poison King began here.
Time passed quickly. Half a year slipped away.
Every day, Dugu Feng was bitten by snakes, ate gallbladders, chewed meat, and drank blood.
Every night came the outbreak. It was torment beyond words.
Even with the Pill Pearl, he had moments of despair. The pain was too much, and it happened every single day.
Two rainy days had come in those months. On those nights, the itching along his ribs was like countless ants gnawing him alive, worse than death.
No wonder the Dugu family had so few descendants. Who could withstand this?
To transmigrate into Douluo and die before awakening his martial soul would be the ultimate tragedy.
But Dugu Feng endured. No matter what, he had to live until his martial soul awakened.
With poison outbreaks starting this early, what would his innate soul power be?
He looked forward to it.
Inside the Pill Pearl, the green had grown. A fifth of the pearl, once pure white jade, was now vivid green.
Watching it expand day by day became his greatest source of joy.
Each bit of growth proved he was getting stronger.
He had a faint premonition. When the green filled the pearl completely, something extraordinary would happen.
At dawn, after three hours of meditation, Dugu Feng opened his eyes.
He had no cultivation method, but Old Snake demanded three hours of stillness every day. He called it training the ability to remain calm, strengthening the serpent martial soul.
Still as a coiled snake, explosive when moving—that was his meaning. Old Snake himself could sit all day without stirring, as though dead. If not for the few words he spoke each day, Dugu Feng might have believed him gone.
Standing at his doorway, the rising sun cast its light over him. His eyes held expectation.
After a while, a small figure appeared, moving lightly and cautiously.
"You're here, Little Snake!"
"Young Master, this is your meal."
The boy Dugu Feng called Little Snake was none other than Old Snake's son, his partner in cultivation for the past six months.
Little Snake was a smaller copy of his father. At ten years old, he was only a meter tall, shorter than Dugu Feng despite him being just over four. Dugu Feng suspected that once grown, the boy might be even shorter than Old Snake.
Taking the food box from Little Snake, they returned inside.
It had three layers. Dugu Feng quickly unpacked it, laying the dishes on the table.
Four dishes, two soups, and four steamed buns.
"Young Master, everything was bought as you requested." Little Snake swallowed but kept his composure.
The aroma filled the room, making even Dugu Feng's mouth water.
After half a year of nothing but snake meat, he was nearly sick of it.
Today, for the first time, he had earned a free day to eat properly.
He justified it as balancing nutrition and easing the strain of training, and Old Snake had agreed.
"Braised pork, pepper chicken, big carp, roast duck, with five-grain soup and black chicken soup."
This was life.
He picked up a piece of braised pork. Its glistening red sheen melted in his mouth. He swallowed quickly, then forced himself to calm down.
He glanced at Little Snake. "Sit and eat. If you don't, you'll end up short like your father."
Little Snake, who had been holding back his hunger, answered seriously, "I won't eat much. Being smaller makes it easier to hide when killing."
Dugu Feng froze mid-bite, glaring. "At the table, don't talk about killing. Eat!"
"Yes, Young Master."
Little Snake sat down and tore into a steamed bun.
Dugu Feng sighed. A child raised by Old Snake really was different.
The two ate quietly.
Dugu Feng seemed slow, but in truth his sharp teeth shredded meat with ease. Even thick duck meat disappeared in a few bites.
Soon, the duck was gone. The chicken, gone. The carp, gone. The braised pork had vanished long ago.
At the end, he ate three buns, while Little Snake only managed one bun, a chicken leg, and a duck leg.
"Little Snake, what's your dream?"
Wiping his mouth, Dugu Feng asked.
"To surpass my father, and poison a Titled Douluo to death!" Little Snake replied without hesitation.
"Oh? Has Old Snake killed a Soul Douluo before?" Dugu Feng immediately picked up on the hidden meaning.
Little Snake's eyes shone with admiration.
"He has. It's his proudest accomplishment. He tells me about it every few days, urging me to learn from him.
Years ago, when the Pope of Spirit Hall died, conflict broke out between Spirit Hall and the number one sect, the Clear Sky Sect. The soul master world was in chaos. During that time, my father hid for half a month and managed to poison a family enemy. It was a Soul Douluo!"
Little Snake spoke with fervor.