Chapter 31: Stealing Tang San's Strategy
"Martial Soul Possession—Green Phosphor Serpent!" Dugu Yan was the first to activate her Martial Soul.
A faint violet light enveloped her body. Her originally green eyes turned completely purple, and her lower half transformed into a serpent's tail. The green scales shimmered under the sunlight, casting dazzling rays. Yellow, yellow, purple—three soul rings rose from beneath her feet as she flicked her tail and charged rapidly at Zu Zong.
"Whoa, why does she look so much like Orochimaru!?" It was Zu Zong's first time witnessing Dugu Yan's Martial Soul Possession, and he couldn't help but mutter a snarky comment.
"Martial Soul Release—Blue Silver Emperor," Zu Zong silently chanted in his heart.
As he spoke, he raised his right hand. A soft white glow appeared on his skin, and moments later, deep blue vines with black patterns surged out from his palm. Yellow, yellow, purple—three distinct soul rings spiraled up around him.
Dozens of deep blue Blue Silver Emperor vines shot from Zu Zong's right hand, burrowing into the ground. The earth beneath them cracked, and the vines burst out, forming a spiral-shaped trap that engulfed dozens of square meters. Within that range, dodging was nearly impossible.
Dugu Yan was startled. "Is this really the trash Martial Soul—Blue Silver Grass?"
But she was, after all, a level-38 Soul Elder with plenty of battle experience. She had faced plant-type Soul Masters before in the Soul Arena.
Relying on the agility of her serpent body, Dugu Yan dodged the vines with little effort, though she couldn't get close to Zu Zong either—effectively stuck in place.
"Damn it!" She lashed her tail and charged again.
At the same time, her first and second soul rings lit up.
"First Soul Skill: Green Phosphor Red Poison."
"Second Soul Skill: Green Phosphor Blue Poison."
Frustrated, Dugu Yan directly unleashed her first two soul skills.
With the boost from her soul skills, her attacks surged in power. She fought with increasing momentum, slipping past most of Zu Zong's Blue Silver Emperor vines. Those she couldn't avoid were smashed aside by her serpent tail.
Seeing her closing the distance, Zu Zong smirked and muttered, "Excitatory poison that stimulates nerves and boosts attack and speed by 20%, and paralytic poison that numbs pain and increases defense by 30%, huh?"
"In that case, I guess I should try a little harder."
So far, Zu Zong had only used a supplementary effect of the Blue Silver Domain—Blue Silver Area Bind. And that too, in its most minimal form. He hadn't even activated his first soul skill. If he went all out, Dugu Yan wouldn't even have a chance to counterattack.
But Zu Zong had his own plan—he was using Dugu Yan to bait out the bigger catch: Dugu Bo.
After all, he'd been eyeing the immortal herbs in the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well for a long time now—herbs that could completely transform a person.
As for his strategy? Simple.
Just steal Tang San's methods.
Zu Zong's system storage had long been stocked with two full bags of realgar wine. Even without it, he had cultivated the Nine Yang Divine Art, rendering him immune to all poisons—including Dugu Yan's serpent venom.
Zu Zong's philosophy was simple: walk the protagonist's path and leave the protagonist with nowhere to go.
"In that case, let's take it a step further and force her to use her third soul skill!"
The number of Blue Silver Emperor vines suddenly doubled—from dozens to nearly a hundred. Their thickness also expanded from the width of an arm to the size of a bowl. The speed increased dramatically, startling Dugu Yan, who had been handling things with ease up to this point.
"Damn it! This is too much!" Dugu Yan cursed in frustration. From the beginning until now, her opponent hadn't even moved from his original position, whereas she had nearly exhausted all her options short of her third soul skill.
Off the field, the other members of the Royal Fighting Team stared in stunned silence. What kind of Martial Soul was this? It was incredibly troublesome and practically a natural counter to most beast-type Martial Souls!
The Wind Chime Bird Soul Master, Yu Feng, furrowed his brow. He was close with both Dugu Yan and Yu Tianheng, and seeing Dugu Yan so thoroughly suppressed left him uncomfortable. After holding it in for a while, he finally muttered, "Boss, that guy's really cunning."
Yu Tianheng, however, remained focused, his gaze locked on the battle—more precisely, on Zu Zong. Though Zu Zong's current performance was difficult to deal with, he hadn't actually injured Dugu Yan. More importantly, this level of control couldn't stop his Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon.
What truly caught Yu Tianheng's attention was the fact that Zu Zong had yet to use a single soul skill.
Everything up to now had just been basic techniques.
How could he not be moved by that?
Yu Tianheng responded calmly, "Don't worry. Yan Yan still hasn't used her third soul skill. She has another chance."
Even as he said it, he wasn't confident. He couldn't help but wonder: would her third soul skill even work?
"That's right. Her third soul skill is infamous for being hard to counter. Once you're hit—even if you're powerful—you're basically doomed," Yu Feng added nervously. Recalling Dugu Yan's third soul skill—Green Phosphor Purple Poison—made sweat bead on his forehead. That was a real killer. Without timely detoxification, one's life would be in danger.
Zu Zong's Blue Silver Range Bind was nearly airtight, hemming Dugu Yan in completely. Yet under Zu Zong's precise control, every time she was about to get caught, she narrowly escaped.
Feeling it was time to end the game, Zu Zong thought, 'Fine. I'll throw her a baited opening.'
Meanwhile, Dugu Yan cursed internally, 'Damn it, just a little closer! That blue-haired brat is almost in range of my third soul skill. Once he's in, I'll make him beg me for mercy!'
Crack! Another Blue Silver Emperor vine was shattered. But this time, the vine was much tougher than the previous ones—Dugu Yan was nearly caught.
Suddenly, her eyes lit up.
Among the waves of Blue Silver Emperor vines, there was a section that moved noticeably slower and lacked the flexibility of the others.
'There's an opening!'
Without hesitation, Dugu Yan charged at the weakened spot in the vine formation.
As expected, she quickly closed the gap between them. "Now!"
"Third Soul Skill—Green Phosphor Purple Poison!"
In that moment, she completely forgot that this was just a sparring match. With a sharp hiss, her third soul ring erupted in brilliance.
Her originally green eyes turned entirely violet. Even the green scales on her serpent tail were coated in a faint purple glow. She opened her mouth, releasing a thick purple mist that spread rapidly through the air toward Zu Zong.
Zu Zong's expression grew serious as he watched the encroaching mist. By now, it had formed a curtain-like barrier separating him from Dugu Yan, pressing forward slowly.
Even before the fog reached him, a pungent stench hit his nose, making one nauseous and dizzy just from the smell.
Zu Zong calmly circulated his Nine Yang Divine Art, easily neutralizing the trace amounts of poison he had inhaled.
With his hands hidden in his sleeves, Zu Zong pondered briefly before speaking coolly, "So this is the Green Phosphor Purple Poison? Then watch how I break your snake venom."
He raised both hands, each now holding a large water pouch—bags he had prepared long ago back in Nuoding City. They were filled to the brim with realgar wine. Ever since he planned to join Heaven Dou Empire's Royal Academy, Zu Zong had been laying the groundwork.
(End of Chapter)
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