Chapter 9: Old Scorpion Seriously Injured
Time passed, and half a month went by.
In the training yard, Dugu Feng stood before an ancient tree, short sword in hand.
His eyes were closed, his mind deeply immersed in his soul power.
The Jade Phosphor Serpent's soul power was inherently poisonous, yet not entirely toxin—it was a blend of venom and energy, difficult to separate completely.
When attacking, one had to condense the venom, refining it into the most lethal form—that was the purpose of a soul skill.
Little Snake's first soul skill, Jade Phosphor Violet Poison, directly extracted the serpent's innate venom from his soul power, forming a miasma that blanketed the battlefield.
Dugu Feng understood the principle, but creating such a skill himself was impossible. He didn't have the mental strength, nor the time, to invent his own.
All he could do was amplify his soul power output, coating the short sword with it. The more power, the more poison.
After a long while, Dugu Feng opened his eyes.
"Bang!"
With a slash, he swung hard, stepping back several paces, distancing himself from the tree.
His sharp eyes stayed fixed on it.
Two green glimmers, faint and hazy, followed the arc of his sword toward the tree.
Thud! Thud!
Both shadows fell short, landing on the ground instead.
Dugu Feng walked over and picked them up.
They were two small, nearly transparent green snakes. Each had nine segment-like markings along their scales, measuring barely three inches—shorter than his palm.
They were the Nine-Sectioned Emerald Snakes, hatched from the twin eggs his father had given him during martial spirit awakening.
Half a month had passed since then—they had finally hatched.
The little snakes' crimson eyes looked dazed, rolling in confusion as they slithered weakly.
"Hisss..." Once he picked them up, they relaxed, bodies slowly coiling around his wrist again.
Another failure. Dugu Feng sighed.
Snake taming required patience.
Nine-Sectioned Emeralds were among the most venomous serpents alive—their scales harder than steel and nearly impervious to blades.
According to the Dugu Clan's bestiaries, these snakes had a remarkable ability—flight.
It seemed unbelievable. How could a wingless serpent fly?
Flying serpents like the Phoenix-Tail Crest Snake had wings to glide.
But the Nine-Sectioned Emerald never grew such wings, even as adults. Still, when raised from hatchlings, they could learn short-distance flight.
From what Dugu Feng understood, their flight came from powerful muscular control. The Nine-Sectioned Emeralds could flatten their bodies and twist midair to glide short distances—similar to parachuting, not true flying.
Gently stroking their tiny, sleek muscles, Dugu Feng suddenly recalled the shape of a stealth fighter jet from his past life.
Combining that with his knowledge of spirit beasts, a realization struck him.
He channeled threads of soul power into his fingertips, pressing gently against the snakes.
A fascinating scene unfolded—their slender bodies gradually flattened, widening by almost two-thirds.
So that's it. That was how they could glide. Their bodies, nearly transparent like jade, contained hyper-flexible musculature.
By flattening themselves, they reduced air resistance.
The snakes' eyes widened as if startled.
Then, with a flick of Dugu Feng's wrist, he threw them outward. Their bodies remained slightly compressed as they glided briefly through the air before landing.
This time, they covered a noticeably greater distance.
"Good, very good—progress!"
"But it's still a long way from true flight. We'll take it slow," he murmured.
If Dugu Shuo saw this, he would surely be shocked again.
In just days, Dugu Feng had already grasped the essence of snake taming—a true prodigy.
"Young Master, the clan leader requests your presence. Old Scorpion has been seriously injured."
A gentle breeze swept through as Old Snake appeared, expression grave.
Dugu Feng froze. "Who could possibly injure him?"
Over the past two years, he had learned much about the clan.
Old Scorpion—name: Dugu Xie—was also of the Dugu bloodline, though his martial spirit was the Jade Phosphor Scorpion, another of the toxic kind.
Different martial spirits, yet still Dugu Clan members. Why?
Dugu Feng had once asked Old Snake.
The answer: the clan had experimented with interbreeding to strengthen their toxins—pairing heirs with those bearing poisonous beast spirits, even among close kin, to create stronger bloodlines.
According to Old Snake, at least five different toxic martial spirits existed within the family, though the Jade Phosphor Serpent dominated.
Old Scorpion was unique—he was a Soul Emperor, one of the clan's strongest.
He seldom stayed in the estate. Whatever missions he had, Dugu Feng could only guess.
Quickly, he coiled the two tiny snakes around his wrists like living bracelets.
Then he followed Old Snake to the main hall at the center of the estate.
As they entered, Dugu Feng first noticed a woman in black.
Her face was veiled with fine silk, her slender frame upright. Long black hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall.
Only her eyes—large, clear, and expressive—peeked through the veil, every blink carrying unspoken emotion.
From her height alone, Dugu Feng could tell she wasn't much older than him, perhaps a young girl.
She nodded briefly in acknowledgment when she saw him and Old Snake enter.
"This is Ye Lingling from the Nine-Heart Begonia Clan," Old Snake explained softly. "She came with her grandfather, Clan Leader Ye Qingxin, who is treating Old Scorpion now."
"When you join the academy, she'll be your senior."
"I greet Miss Ye," Dugu Feng said solemnly, bowing respectfully.
So this was Ye Lingling.
A girl from the stories of Douluo—a figure both gentle and tragic.
He studied her discreetly. She seemed about eleven or twelve years old.
Though only her eyes were visible, he could sense an aura of quiet loneliness about her—far from the liveliness of her age.
Knowing her martial spirit's nature, Dugu Feng understood it well. Like the Dugu family's venomous spirits, hers came with a heavy price—born cursed with loss and sorrow.
Cruel fate indeed.
After acknowledging his greeting, Ye Lingling turned her gaze back toward the hall, unaffected by their arrival.
Dugu Feng followed her line of sight.
A pale-faced man sat in a chair, brows furrowed. In front of him, an elderly man clad in black projected soft white light from his hands, healing him carefully.
That man was clearly Ye Qingxin, the patriarch of the Nine-Heart Begonia Clan.
On the way over, Dugu Feng had already heard his name.
He wore a black robe, a jade pendant at his waist, his bearing calm and refined—a true gentleman, Dugu Feng thought.
But it wasn't his demeanor that held Dugu Feng's focus—it was his martial spirit.
The Nine-Heart Begonia bloomed before him, a stunning pink flower with petals shaded in white, radiating gentle, pure light.
Elegant, serene—and powerful.
From the aura surrounding him, Dugu Feng could feel it clearly: a seven-ring Soul Sage.
(END CHAPTER)
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 20 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Bankai10