Chapter 21: Bro, You're Really Brave!
"You two are idiots," Dugu Feng said flatly. "Trying to blow my poison away with wind? Don't you know it'll just spread faster with your help?"
The Jade Phosphor Violet Poison wasn't merely about spitting venom—it was a soul technique capable of shaping, controlling, and advancing the poison itself.
The brothers' wind blades only made it worse. The toxins multiplied, filling the air under Dugu Feng's precise control.
Stupid? Perhaps not entirely. They'd assumed their wind swords would strike before the poison reached them—ending the battle before it began.
Unfortunately, Dugu Feng had dodged their assault.
Their combined attacks missed, and the dark mist closed in. In panic, the Feng brothers formed a defensive shield of six wind-forged swords, hoping to ward off the creeping cloud.
But the poison didn't strike through force—it entered through the skin and lungs.
A thick, fishy stench filled their noses. Dizzy, their bodies went weak.
"We admit defeat!" Feng Ling growled through clenched teeth. He knew better than to test the infamous Jade Phosphor Poison firsthand. Their attack had failed, and the miasma was already upon them. One breath too long, and they'd melt.
Dugu Feng turned his gaze on Ning Rongrong.
"Yield," she said bitterly. There was no resentment—just reluctant acknowledgement. Without antidote or coordination, she couldn't hope to beat him.
Among one-ring soul masters, battles were short and decisive. Within moments, the result was clear.
Seeing no reason to prolong things, Dugu Feng drew back the violet mist, absorbing it completely into his body, and turned to step off the platform.
"Wait!" Ning Rongrong's sharp voice stopped him.
"Oh? You lost. What, still want me to call you Boss?" Dugu Feng asked dryly. One more tantrum from her, and his patience might truly snap. Her noble status wasn't an excuse for childish demands.
Ning Rongrong walked gracefully to the center of the stage, her small chin lifted proudly. "Losing the duel is one matter. But being the Boss is another. You said yourself—if I let your snake crawl over my hand twice, I'd earn the title. You think I'm afraid?"
Dugu Feng blinked. What snake are you talking about?
My giant one wouldn't even fit your hand, he thought wryly.
"Go on then," she said through gritted teeth, face like she was marching straight to hell.
He sighed. "You asked for it."
With deliberate slowness, he approached, the jade serpent in his hand hissing softly. It glimmered under the light, scales faintly reflecting green on her face.
From her trembling eyelashes, he could tell—she was terrified. Just like earlier in the classroom.
Yet when he looked closer, she held her ground, forcing her breathing steady, refusing to step back. Pride, far greater than fear, held her still.
Inside, she repeated to herself, It looks like a Nine-Section Jade Serpent—the most venomous of its kind. But Dugu Feng won't dare make it bite me. If it's only two circles around my hand, I can endure.
I, Ning Rongrong, will surpass Father and shatter our clan's limits. A snake? I won't flinch!
Dugu Feng was slightly astonished. The girl had guts—for a six-year-old, no less.
Below, the other students held their breath.
This was the Seven Treasure Clan's little princess. If she got bitten, every noble in Heaven Dou City would know by morning.
Their thoughts were unanimous: Bro, you're insane... but damn, you're brave.
Dugu Feng hesitated for a moment, glancing at her strained yet determined face. He couldn't afford to push her too far—not when she likely had protectors lurking nearby. The "Two Douluo Uncles" of her clan might be hovering over the school grounds even now.
The Nine-Section Jade snake slithered onto her palm.
He felt the faint tremor in her hand—the barely restrained instinct to recoil. Her eyelids fluttered as if she might faint.
Then came a spark of defiance in her eyes.
She stayed still.
The serpent hissed softly, weaving around her wrist twice before returning obediently to Dugu Feng's arm.
Ning Rongrong exhaled, chest rising and falling rapidly before she masked it with a proud tilt of her chin.
"From now on, you're the class's Boss, Rongrong," Dugu Feng said calmly and walked off the platform.
Ning Rongrong froze. Just like that—over?
No grand bow, no look of admiration, no submission or awe like she'd pictured?
Her cheeks flushed pink in frustration. She clenched her teeth. He tricked me!
She had braved her worst fear and gained nothing but a casual acknowledgment. Yet she couldn't call him out—he hadn't broken his word.
Still, the humiliation burned.
Fine, she thought, Dugu Feng… you're something special. I want to see how far you grow.
High above the arena, two figures watched unseen.
The one on the left wore pristine white robes; his white hair and beard glowed faintly under the sun. Despite his age, his skin radiated vitality, and every movement exuded calm dominance—like a sovereign at the world's center.
"Rongrong got humbled this time," the elder chuckled. "Fengzhi, you're really going to let this slide?" He was Dustheart, the Sword Douluo of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan.
Beside him stood Ning Fengzhi himself—refined, handsome, his face kind and composed. "They're children. Let them stumble. If we protect her every time, how will she ever grow up?"
He smiled faintly. "Rongrong faced her fear today. That means we raised her right. Sword Uncle, you must stop treating her like a baby. I can feel it—one day, she'll surpass even me."
Dustheart laughed. "Heh, good thing I'm not the old man. If it were him here, he'd already have targeted that Dugu boy for 'frightening' our princess."
Ning Fengzhi chuckled. "That's exactly why I insisted on sending her to school. Keeping her cooped up at home would bury the true potential of her spirit.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda's power only shines beside the strong—so she must learn to draw such people to her."
He looked toward the field, where the boy was leaving calmly. "This Dugu Feng… impressive. So calm, so mature, even at his age."
"Hah! Don't tell me you haven't noticed—his body isn't normal," said Sword Douluo with a grin. "The Dugu bloodline's infamous for its poison. That boy probably carries it in him already."
They had long since known all that happened within Heaven Dou City. The Dugu clan's struggles were no mystery to them.
Ning Fengzhi's expression deepened. "Keep an eye on that clan. This child isn't ordinary."
Sword Douluo nodded.
Among Heaven Dou's great powers, the Seven Treasure Clan, the Ge Family, the Dugu Clan, and the Wind Sword Sect all shared an unspoken alliance beneath the empire's royal banner. Their interests were intertwined—each supported the Heaven Dou throne.
But alliances were never without wariness. The continent was far from peaceful.
(END CHAPTER)
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