Chapter 12: First Soul Skill — Jade Phosphor Violet Poison
The yellow soul ring radiated powerful fluctuations of energy that made Dugu Feng's heart tremble.
Less than six hundred years—and yet, with two years of nourishment from his dan pearl, how could his body possibly fail to absorb it?
"Martial spirit possession—then guide the soul ring with your soul power," said Old Snake.
Dugu Feng sat cross-legged and summoned his Jade Phosphor Serpent martial spirit.
A diamond-shaped green scale appeared at the center of his brow.
His eyes began to shimmer with a faint amethyst hue.
"Come, my first soul ring."
His hands emitted a soft violet glow.
The light pulsed with an invisible pull, drawing the yellow soul ring rapidly toward him.
When it reached the top of his head, it suddenly descended, collapsing into his body.
A burning wave of energy erupted inside him, coursing through every meridian.
His rank-ten soul power circulated swiftly, absorbing and refining the heat, transforming it into new power and cultivation.
He dared not relax, pouring all focus inward to control the process.
"Absorbing a soul ring strengthens your body, meridians, bones, bloodline, and even your martial spirit," Old Snake reminded him. "Stay aware of the ring's energy. Understanding its nature will help you master your first soul skill."
Dugu Feng focused completely.
He sensed the violet light within his soul power intensifying—it was the Jade Phosphor Violet Poison manifesting.
Although the poison was normally bound within his energy, he could distinctly feel it during this process.
As for the pain of absorbing a soul ring above his level, he barely noticed.
Years of poison torment had numbed his nerves beyond reason—this level of agony was trivial to him.
His mental endurance vastly surpassed what his body could even perceive as pain.
As long as his flesh held out, there was nothing to fear.
Moments later, a faint yellow ring projected outward around him.
It was his very first soul ring.
Dugu Feng gazed at it with joy; this was the first true step on his path to becoming the Poison King.
"Jade Phosphor Violet Poison!" he exclaimed softly. "Old Snake, no surprise—the first soul skill is Jade Phosphor Violet Poison!"
The residual energy within him slowly merged into his body, solidifying the ring's glow until it shined with brilliance.
He could already feel the skill's essence deep within his power.
His soul rank surged forward—to level twelve.
Old Snake watched him as though seeing a rare treasure. A six-hundred-year ring, absorbed so effortlessly?
He looked completely calm, showing none of the pain that should accompany such a feat.
Has he grown so accustomed to suffering that he feels nothing anymore? Old Snake thought to himself.
Dugu Feng opened his eyes, the golden ring circling steadily around him—he was now a one-ring soul master.
"Haah!"
His eyes and hair turned deep violet, his body enveloped in a purple glow.
He parted his lips slightly—an eruption of thick violet mist burst forth, spreading rapidly through the air.
The vapor twisted and flowed under his will, expanding outward.
"So this is what a soul skill feels like?" he murmured. "Even after the mist leaves my mouth, I can sense it as clearly as my own limbs. I can control it through sheer intent—make it move wherever I wish."
Under his guidance, the poison mist drifted toward a nearby hill.
A faint sizzling echoed—the stone corroded instantly, crumbling into gravel, then to dust.
"At level twelve, your first use of Violet Poison covers a radius this wide—and you can maintain it through mental control. Young Master, you truly surpass that foolish brat of mine," Old Snake praised unabashedly.
Dugu Feng's expression twitched. Little Snake isn't stupid... you're just shameless with flattery.
"Old Snake, shouldn't we be finding that soul bone now?" he asked, cutting straight to the point.
At the mention of the soul bone, Old Snake's expression grew grave.
His presence seemed to swell in Dugu Feng's perception.
Then, for the first time, seven shimmering rings appeared around him—yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black—the ideal configuration.
Dugu Feng's eyes widened. So Old Snake was a Soul Sage after all.
No wonder his father was so confident about retrieving the soul bone—an expert of his level could kill unseen and unopposed.
Old Snake's martial spirit possessed him fully. Scales crawled up his cheeks; a green diamond glowed on his forehead; his hair shifted to a dark emerald hue.
He leapt lightly, landing atop a boulder peak.
"Don't worry, Young Master. We're near the outer region of Sunset Forest, but I've already spotted traces of them along the way. They can't have gone far."
He had seemed idle during their journey—but in truth, he had been gathering information all along.
"This way!" he said, bounding forward.
Dugu Feng followed cautiously, excitement mingling with sharp focus. He channeled soul power into his legs, concealing his aura as he ran.
Two years of meditation had refined his movement until it mirrored that of a serpent.
Now, with his first ring strengthening his martial spirit, his body felt featherlight and naturally camouflaged.
The twin Nine-Section Jades on his wrists flicked their crimson eyes ahead as he gripped his short sword tightly, ready to strike.
It took more than half an hour before Old Snake slowed.
Dugu Feng noticed it immediately—the signs of recent battle.
Several ancient trees had been cleaved in half; the ground bore massive gouges, each as deep as a man's height.
"A blade-type martial spirit... brutal and ferocious," Dugu Feng murmured softly.
"Heh," Old Snake chuckled. "I know who the soul bone holder is now—Xiahou Mang has finally shown himself."
Dugu Feng's eyes stayed calm, though he was unfamiliar with the name.
There were few renowned blade users on the continent.
He waited patiently for Old Snake to explain.
"The Xiahou Clan," Old Snake continued, "was one of the subsidiary sects of the Clear Sky Clan. Not as strong as the four great single-attribute clans, but not weak. Their patriarch was a Soul Sage.
"Six years ago, when the Clear Sky Clan retreated, their affiliated sects became easy targets. Our clan, together with the Five Element Alliance and the Ge Family, launched a joint assault to erase them.
"The clan leader was slain in battle, but his younger brother, Xiahou Mang—a Soul Emperor at the time—escaped after unleashing the power of a soul bone technique.
"No one expected the Huyan Clan to find him again. But they did.
"If this were anywhere else, we might be at a disadvantage. But here, in Sunset Forest, where serpent martial spirits dominate, we have every advantage.
"You've heard of the Five Element Alliance—fire, earth, lightning, ice, and wind. The Huyan Clan represents the element of earth and stands as the strongest among them.
"But Huyan Lie dared harm Old Scorpion. This time, we'll make them pay dearly."
(END CHAPTER)
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