Shi Mo and Shi Mo were dumbfounded. They had missed such a good opportunity, and it was very likely the only chance to defeat Xu Yang.
"You idiots! He's only a Grand Soul Master! How could he possibly have that much soul power?!" Yu Tianheng's face darkened, furious enough to want to beat some sense into those two fools. They hadn't even assessed their opponent's condition properly before surrendering.
"You're not much better yourself. If you hadn't been distracted by Lingling just now and held on for a bit longer, Xu Yang's soul power might've already run dry. Then there's no way he could've knocked you and Yu Feng off the stage."
At that moment, Dugu Yan, having already deactivated her Martial Soul Possession, jumped down from the stage and scoffed coldly at Yu Tianheng.
Her words made Yu Tianheng's expression even gloomier. He hadn't expected to be caught off guard by such a simple trick, giving Xu Yang the opening to defeat him. In the end, it came down to his lack of real combat experience—he was too eager to win, which clouded his judgment.
"Tianheng, it seems you've already realized your issue—lack of experience. On the battlefield, you're too desperate to win, and that causes you to misjudge critical situations."
Qin Ming walked over and looked at Yu Tianheng seriously.
"Is it wrong to want to win?!" Yu Tianheng snapped, unwilling to accept it.
"Of course it's not wrong to want to win. But the problem is, you were too focused on Xu Yang. That's why you kept getting led by the nose—first falling for Yan Zi's trick to eliminate Lingling, then letting Xu Yang burn through his last reserves of soul power to take you and Yu Feng down.
And finally, while Shi Mo and Shi Mo were still in a daze, he faked having enough soul power left to bluff them into forfeiting.
Doesn't that tell you everything?"
Qin Ming stared at Yu Tianheng intently. He had watched the entire fight and clearly saw that Xu Yang had controlled the pace from start to finish. The Heaven Dou Imperial Battle Team was constantly reacting, never leading.
Of course, Xu Yang's victory wasn't just about his own skill—Dugu Yan's cooperation and his hidden trump cards played a role too. One mistake in any part of that plan, and he wouldn't have won.
Yu Tianheng fell silent after hearing Qin Ming's analysis.
"All right. That's enough training for today. Go back and carefully reflect on what you've gained and lost from this battle.
Team battles are not like one-on-one duels. You need to think more strategically—not just about power, but also formation, coordination, and how to achieve maximum results at the smallest cost. Go on."
"Yes, Teacher!"
Everyone responded in unison. Yu Tianheng and Yu Feng went off to find a healer to treat their injuries, while the rest of the team returned to their lodging.
Xu Yang remained on the balcony, summoning his Martial Soul and absorbing sunlight to restore his soul power. The others also retreated to their rooms to meditate and recover. Everyone had consumed a lot of energy in the previous fight.
Before long—
In one of the simpler bedrooms, Dugu Yan, who had been meditating cross-legged, suddenly turned pale green and purple. Needle-like pain radiated from her head and the soles of her feet. Her body convulsed, and she collapsed to the floor, groaning uncontrollably.
"Ugh… ah…"
At that moment, Xu Yang, now recovered, was passing by her door. Hearing the sounds from inside, he rushed in without hesitation.
The moment he entered, he saw Dugu Yan curled up on the bed, her body writhing uncontrollably. She had clearly lost consciousness.
"This is a sign of a poison breaking out.. Could it be triggered by today's Martial Soul Possession?!"
Xu Yang's expression changed drastically. He immediately recognized her symptoms—exactly like the descriptions he had read in ancient texts.
Without delay, he stepped forward, propped her up, and pressed both palms against her back. His surging Sun Soul Power began to circulate, activating a healing technique to suppress the toxins in her body.
As the embodiment of pure Yang energy, Sun Soul Power was the natural bane of all poisons. Under its blazing intensity, even the deadliest toxins would be cleansed.
With the infusion of solar energy, Dugu Yan felt a warm current spread from her back through her entire body. It was deeply soothing, a sensation she had never felt before—her body light and relaxed. The soul power seemed familiar, and just as she was about to ask, a familiar voice reached her ears:
"Don't move. Your poison is strong—I can't afford any distractions."
Hearing this, Dugu Yan tensed up, then obediently closed her eyes and began to circulate her soul power, guiding the healing force within her.
Within moments, the residual toxins clogging her meridians were purged.
But the poison in Dugu Yan's body wasn't acquired later—it had been passed down from birth through her bloodline. It was fused with her marrow and blood, deeply integrated with her being.
Though Sun Soul Power could suppress the poison, Xu Yang's current cultivation level was too low to completely remove it. More importantly, as long as the venomous nature of her Jade Phosphor Serpent Martial Soul persisted, the poison would continue to grow stronger as her power increased.
Once Xu Yang confirmed there was no abnormality in her condition, he slowly withdrew his hands.
"Xu Yang… can you not tell anyone about my poisoning?" Dugu Yan turned around hesitantly, looking up at him with a rarely seen timid expression.
Seeing her act like a bashful little girl, Xu Yang almost laughed, but his expression remained serious.
"Yan Zi, this is your Martial Soul's own venom, isn't it?"
"How ridiculous, right? A dignified Jade Phosphor Serpent Soul Master poisoned by her own Martial Soul… Every time I undergo Martial Soul Possession, the poison inside me gets worse. If it weren't for my grandfather's medicine, I probably would've died a long time ago."
She let out a bitter laugh, revealing the truth about her condition.
"All beast-type poison Martial Souls come with this issue. I've seen records of it in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's archives. Haven't you and your grandfather considered how to solve it?" Xu Yang asked carefully.
"Of course we've thought about it!" Dugu Yan's voice rose, clearly agitated. "But what could we do? My grandfather has consulted other Jade Phosphor Serpent Soul Masters and even other poison-type experts—none of them had any answers!"
"But that's not what I read in the books! I remember there being a few possible solutions!"
"What did you say?!" Dugu Yan suddenly grabbed Xu Yang by the shoulders and shook him. "What method?!"
"According to the texts, poison-type beast Martial Souls have three possible solutions. The first is to reach the Title Douluo realm before dying. Once you do, your body forms a Poison Core that contains the toxins, effectively shielding your body from further harm."
Dugu Yan nodded at this. If she remembered correctly, after her grandfather broke through to Title Douluo, he did indeed develop a Poison Core—and he had even shown it to her. But it didn't seem as effective as Xu Yang described. It couldn't fully neutralize the poison's effects.
She wanted to ask more questions but held back. Since there were two more methods, she chose to wait and listen first.