Chapter 24: Not Bad, You've Got Perseverance — Keep Training Well!
The meridians in the human hand were naturally thin and fragile—too weak to withstand the violent surge of poison and soul power required to project the toxin outward.
They had to be tempered continuously, hardened by soul power, before ever approaching the level of mastery akin to the Six Meridians Divine Sword.
Once he realized this, Dugu Feng's confidence grew stronger.
He had something no one else possessed—his cheat, the dan pearls. With their constant nourishment sending waves of warmth through his hands, his progress would surely skyrocket.
He threw himself entirely into cultivation—alternating between practicing the Jade Phosphor Violet Poison and strengthening his hand meridians.
Whenever his soul power depleted, he recovered immediately through meditation, never pausing for a moment.
Meanwhile, not far away, within another corner of the forest…
Two figures climbed and fell repeatedly from the treetops, each thud followed by the meaty smack of a faceplant.
"You two are useless! Is sword flight really that hard?" Ning Rongrong scolded, arms crossed, looking thoroughly unimpressed.
"Boss, please, don't rush us," groaned Feng Ling, wiping mud from his face. "We've only had our first spirit rings for half a month! According to our sect, flight takes at least six months of training before one can attack properly in midair!"
Feng Li nodded helplessly beside him.
Their "Boss" had clearly taken Dugu Feng's earlier victory to heart and was now determined to reclaim her pride—at their expense.
If Dugu Feng had witnessed this scene, he surely would've sighed in sympathy. This is the price of being a simp.
"Don't give me excuses," Ning Rongrong said with a dazzling smile. "With my enhancement, your training speed doubles! Three months—no longer! In three months, we challenge Dugu Feng again."
The radiant glow of her Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda illuminated her petite figure. She truly looked divine—though to the Wind brothers, she was anything but an angel.
To them, she was an overzealous demon disguised as a little princess.
They exchanged defeated glances, their eyes full of tragic resolve.
"Three months," they blurted together, "our mission will be completed. We'll challenge Dugu Feng!"
Satisfied, Ning Rongrong turned to gaze at the sky, where the faint purple haze of Dugu Feng's distant poison training lingered.
"What a maniac. The mist hasn't settled since noon—he's been practicing nonstop. Hmph, I don't lose easily. You dared mock me, Dugu Feng? This isn't over!" she muttered fiercely.
As the sun dipped westward, the other students had long abandoned their practice for laughter and play.
Only Dugu Feng—and, under duress, the Wind brothers—remained hard at work.
Their persistence stirred murmurs of admiration among the onlookers.
Especially Dugu Feng—who hadn't rested even once the entire afternoon.
A few others tried to imitate him at first but quickly wore out, their spirit power exhausted, and their will collapsing alongside it.
Only the Wind brothers, driven by Rongrong's glare and her relentless soul amplification, clung to their training like tortured soldiers.
As Dugu Feng finally stood, stretching, he passed near their area and called out with an easy smile, "Not bad. You've got perseverance—keep up the good work!"
He waved casually before leaving the mimicry grounds.
The trio froze mid-action, stunned.
Then Ning Rongrong's face darkened. "What are you looking at? Keep practicing!"
The Seven Treasure Tower glowed again, bathing the brothers in rainbow light.
Both sighed together, eyes hollow. Then, resigned to fate, they jumped back onto the trees to continue their torture.
Later that evening, in his dormitory—
Dugu Feng emerged from the small cooking alcove holding a fingertip-sized shard of golden crystal. Encased in soul power, it was melting slowly, releasing a rich, almost intoxicating aroma.
The scent lingered heavily in the air, pure and potent.
Moments later, the crystal softened into a translucent gel.
Whale Gel.
The same three-thousand-year-old piece he'd found in Tuoba Lan's storage soul tool—now trimmed into smaller portions.
He was still young; consuming the entire piece at once would overwhelm his body.
For now, he would take a fraction at a time—using it to strengthen his physique over weeks of steady refinement.
Without hesitation, he popped the fragment into his mouth.
The taste was thick and fishy, almost venomous. Wincing, he swallowed it quickly.
As it dissolved into heat within his stomach, a rush of energy scattered through his veins like wildfire.
He sat cross-legged, inhaled sharply, and summoned his twin dan pearls—they manifested as two pale-green lights, which he promptly absorbed back into his body.
Time to give the pearls some exercise.
The moment they sank into his dantian, his entire body flushed red-hot.
The sensation was not just physical—his very soul power boiled like molten metal surging through his meridians.
So this is Whale Gel's strength…?
Good thing he'd only consumed a small piece—or he might've exploded on the spot.
Suddenly, both dan pearls released their own warmth, merging with the raging heat, channeling it harmlessly through his body.
Dugu Feng blinked, startled. "Wait—don't add fuel to the fire!"
But the combined energy changed unexpectedly. Instead of scorching him, the merged flow turned gentle, spreading like soft rain through his meridians.
A wave of bliss washed over him. His body hummed with life.
So the dan pearls' energy really is superior. They didn't just suppress the Whale Gel's ferocity—they refined it perfectly.
Light shimmered faintly around his hands as he focused the new influx of energy into his arms.
This was his chance to toughen the pathways for his family's secret skill—the Jade Phosphor "Six Meridians Divine Sword."
The veins in his hands swelled slightly—hardening, fortifying.
Good. A few more sessions like this, and he'd fire poison from both hands with the speed of lightning.
Just as he was relishing his success, the window creaked open.
A figure slipped silently inside, moving like a shadow through moonlight.
He moved as if he'd done this a thousand times—quiet, precise, uninvited.
His gray robes blended with the dimness. Bending slightly, his long legs carried a strange, scuttling grace, his motions eerily smooth—like a ghostly scorpion slithering across the floor.
"Old Scorpion? What are you doing here?" Dugu Feng blinked in surprise. It was only his first day back—what could be so urgent?
"Lord Young Master, what are you doing? Your face is flushed, you're drenched in sweat… hmph, you're consuming Whale Gel!"
Old Scorpion's nose twitched like a bloodhound's as he sniffed the air, eyes widening.
His stare froze between confusion and scandal.
"Young Master… you're so young… how could you—" he began gravely, expression contorted.
"Enough! Speak clearly," Dugu Feng interrupted sharply. He couldn't deal with another Old Snake-style pervert right now.
The elder shut his mouth quickly, though inwardly he was convinced he'd walked in on something indecent.
He shook his head sorrowfully. I came at the worst possible time… The Young Master's grown up now. I'll knock next time…
Coughing lightly, he finally spoke, "It's like this, Young Master.
The master of the Elephant Armored Sect, Huyan Zhen, has arrived in Heaven Dou City. He's announced Huyan Lie's disappearance to every major power, requesting cooperation to locate the murderer."
He lowered his voice. "The Clan Leader sent me to warn you to be careful for the time being."
Dugu Feng's eyes sharpened. "And the Saint Dragon Sect? Any word from them?"
After all, they had lost a Soul Saint and two Soul Emperors.
Nearly three months had passed—and still no response.
Too quiet. Unnaturally quiet.
(END CHAPTER)
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