Chapter 51: The Cure for the Jade Phosphor Serpent's Poison
Taking advantage of the moment, Qi Tian decided to strike while the iron was hot and spoke his true purpose.
"Junior Sister Dugu, I once read in a book that those who cultivate poisonous beast-type martial souls are easily afflicted by backlash from their own toxins."
He smiled faintly.
"Your martial soul is the Jade Phosphor Serpent. I wonder—have you ever experienced such an issue?"
Dugu Yan blinked and shook her head.
"Thank you for your concern, Senior Brother, but I've never had that problem."
Qi Tian frowned slightly.
That's strange... how could she not?
Had he spoken too bluntly? Or was she unwilling to admit it?
"Junior Sister, your resistance to poison must be far greater than the average soul master's. Think carefully—have you truly never felt any symptoms of poisoning?"
Dugu Yan pondered seriously.
Now that she thought about it, she did recall something like that. Every time the seasons changed or the weather suddenly turned cold or hot, a searing pain would pierce through her entire body—pain so deep it felt like it was eating into her bones.
And that agony had only worsened with age and cultivation. Could this be what he was referring to?
Qi Tian caught the subtle change in her expression and knew she had remembered something.
But he didn't press further. Instead, he said casually,
"A poison master recently came to my residence. If you have time this afternoon, why not visit? Perhaps he might be able to help you detoxify."
Dugu Yan instinctively wanted to refuse, but Qi Tian didn't linger—he simply turned and left.
Though she was cold and aloof by nature, Dugu Yan wasn't foolish. She knew a prince wouldn't offer such kindness for no reason.
Yet, the memory of that unbearable pain when her poison acted up made her reconsider. Maybe it was worth a visit to Crown Prince Xue Qinghe's mansion… to see what insights this so-called poison master might offer.
"Did you see that? That was the Crown Prince just now, right? He actually invited Dugu Yan to his home!"
"Tsk, who would've thought? A few days ago, Ge Zhan tried to show off and only ended up helping Dugu Yan instead!"
"Talk about luck—she really hit the jackpot!"
"I bet the Crown Prince's just smitten by her looks. Hmph, that snake woman must've seduced him somehow… How shameless!"
A few gossiping female students whispered among themselves.
Although Dugu Yan was strong, she had few friends. Most of her classmates were intimidated by her and took pleasure in belittling her behind her back to make themselves feel superior.
"Hmph!"
Dugu Yan's cold snort cut through the room like a blade. The classroom fell silent immediately.
Having overheard their gossip, she made up her mind. This afternoon, she would go to Xue Qinghe's mansion—if only to be contrary.
And besides… Qi Tian's initiative in approaching her did leave her with a faint, inexplicable warmth.
That afternoon, during the Soul Master Academy's self-cultivation period, students were free to seek guidance from teachers or train on their own.
Qi Tian, however, personally brought Dugu Yan back to the royal residence.
At Qian Renxue's subtle signal, a masked man appeared in the council hall.
He was tall and gaunt, standing as straight as a spear. Upon seeing Qi Tian, he immediately bowed deeply.
"Greetings, Y—Young Master!"
At that moment, Qian Renxue's voice sounded softly in Qi Tian's mind:
"This man is the poison master sent by Spirit Hall. His name is Yang Wushuang—brother of Yang Wudi, patriarch of the Breaking Clan."
"Let him examine Dugu Yan and see if he can neutralize her poison."
Qi Tian nodded slightly.
"Understood."
He gave Yang Wushuang another thoughtful look—interest sparking in his eyes.
The Breaking Clan's Breaking Spear martial soul possessed tremendous attack power. Yang Wudi himself, empowered by the Death God Domain (Tang San's), could fight a Titled Douluo even as a Soul Douluo.
Qi Tian's own second soul skill, the Blue Silver Overlord Spear, was also spear-type. Perhaps one day, he could visit the Breaking Clan and learn a thing or two from their spear techniques.
Qi Tian gestured lightly toward the man before him.
"No need for formalities, Yang Wushuang. This is my junior sister, Dugu Yan."
Turning toward her, he continued,
"Junior Sister, this is the poison master I mentioned earlier. If you don't mind, allow him to examine the Jade Phosphor Serpent's venom within your body."
"Alright," Dugu Yan replied calmly, showing no fear or hesitation.
The masked man—Yang Wushuang—stepped forward and bowed politely.
"Miss Dugu, please forgive the intrusion."
He drew a slender silver needle, pricked Dugu Yan's fingertip, and collected a drop of her blood for inspection.
After studying it for a while, he asked her to summon her martial soul and release a trace of its poison mist for analysis.
Confident in his own strength and mastery of toxins, Yang Wushuang boldly tested the venom on himself.
Moments later, his eyes brightened with realization.
"Miss Dugu's martial soul's venom isn't difficult to neutralize," he said slowly. "The real problem lies in the poison that has accumulated within her body over the past three years. It must be purged gradually."
"Moreover, as Miss Dugu's cultivation deepens, new variants of the Jade Phosphor Serpent's poison will continue to form within her."
"Each time she absorbs a new soul ring, her poison will evolve again. The antidote I can make now can only cleanse her current toxins—future ones will require different remedies."
"If this continues, there will come a day when even I will be powerless against her venom."
Qi Tian frowned slightly. If Yang Wushuang couldn't fully cure Dugu Yan, then curing Dugu Bo—the Poison Douluo—would be even harder. That meant winning his allegiance wouldn't be as easy as he'd hoped.
Hearing Yang Wushuang's words, Dugu Yan's heart sank. She noticed the faint frown on Qi Tian's face and felt a mixture of sorrow and warmth.
Sorrow—because her poison could never be truly cured. As long as she continued cultivating, she would eventually suffer again. Warmth—because the Crown Prince, Xue Qinghe, cared enough to go to such lengths for her.
"Senior Brother, please don't worry about me," she said softly. "I'm already grateful if the poison in my body can be eased for now."
In truth, she had medicine that could suppress her poison, but it could never cure it.
Qi Tian sighed quietly. He actually knew of a possible cure—but it was complicated.
He recalled how Tang San had helped Dugu Bo detoxify in the original timeline: not through medicine, but through his own blood.
The medicines Tang San had given were mere decoys—simple concoctions to improve circulation. The real cure was his blood, infused with the power of the Ice and Fire Alchemy Body formed after consuming the Infernal Delicate Apricot and the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass.
Within Tang San's body, these two immortal herbs had created a miniature Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well, which neutralized all toxins, making him immune to poison.
His blood carried this unique energy, capable of dissolving any venom and granting powerful poison resistance to whoever consumed it.
If Dugu Yan could receive such blood, she would never again suffer from the Jade Phosphor Serpent's poison—no matter how potent it grew.
But in this world… Those two immortal herbs had already been eaten—by Bibi Dong. The only person who now possessed that dual-attribute resistance was her.
Yet, would Bibi Dong willingly offer her blood to cure Dugu Yan and Dugu Bo?
Even if she were willing, Qi Tian couldn't possibly reveal to Qian Renxue that Bibi Dong possessed such a power. If he did, Bibi Dong would surely sense something strange about her.
"Don't worry, Junior Sister," Qi Tian said reassuringly. "There's always a way. We'll find it."
Just then, Yang Wushuang suddenly paused, as if remembering something.
When he had joined Spirit Hall, he had once tried to impress his superiors with his mastery of poisons. Unfortunately, he'd encountered the new Pope—and was utterly humiliated.
Because that Pope, Bibi Dong, was completely immune to all poisons.
Even his deadliest toxin, Seven-Colored Mirage, had no effect on her.
Perhaps… she might truly know the answer to Dugu Yan's condition.
—
End of Chapter