Today's training, as expected, was once again running.
But Dugu Yan was clearly not in good condition. Wang Li kept running beside her, listening to her mutter softly along the way:
"Hold on..."
"At least get through this morning..."
"..."
However, before they had been running for long, Dugu Yan began to pant heavily. With her physical condition, this should not have happened.
Wang Li glanced around. The moist mountain air had already condensed into mist, which entered Dugu Yan's body as she breathed in large gulps.
Wang Li spoke up:
"Yan Yan-jie, don't breathe through your mouth. Taking in too much cold air lets yin energy enter your body and will make you feel even worse."
"And if you really feel unwell, tell the teacher. He will understand."
He had guessed part of the reason, but it was not convenient for him to say it outright.
After hearing this, Dugu Yan did close her mouth and tried to maintain steady breathing. Then she looked at Wang Li and smiled playfully:
"Xiao Li, this is my secret. I don't want outsiders to know. Since you saw it today, don't tell anyone."
"Run ahead and lead me for a bit. Next time we go to Tian Dou City, I'll buy you candied hawthorns."
Wang Li was speechless. He was only nine years old, and she really treated him like a child, even bribing him with candied hawthorns. Still, he did run ahead of Dugu Yan, helping block air resistance and that chilling cold energy.
Then, after thinking it over, he said:
"Yan Yan-jie, my second soul skill can heal injuries and suppress some negative conditions. If you really feel terrible, I can try using it."
Dugu Yan smiled, but there was no joy on her pale face. She pressed her lips together and spoke with difficulty:
"It's useless. If healing soul skills could solve my problem, my grandfather would have already invited high-level healing soul masters. This is something I was born with..."
Wang Li said nothing more. No matter how much he said, it would be useless. Finding an opportunity to try would show whether it worked or not.
That opportunity came quickly. Before long, Dugu Yan seemed to be in too much pain. She stopped, knelt on the ground, and gasped for breath.
Wang Li frowned. He stopped as well, turned back immediately, and reached out to grab Dugu Yan's hand.
Hiss!
It was as cold as ice. Wang Li immediately summoned his martial soul and released his soul skill, saying at the same time:
"Maybe it will work. I don't want to see you in so much pain, Yan Yan-jie..."
Strands of Blue Silver Grass wrapped around the arm he was holding. As his second soul ring lit up, Wang Li's soul power transformed into life energy, flowing into Dugu Yan's body along the Blue Silver Grass.
Although air could also serve as a medium, only by using himself or the Blue Silver Grass as a conduit could the life energy avoid dispersing and being wasted.
Dugu Yan had wanted to persuade Wang Li not to do something meaningless, but the next moment, she froze.
She knew her own body well. At that moment, it felt like drought-stricken land receiving a sudden rain from the heavens, nourished by this mysterious power and coming back to life.
Her bodily functions were fully awakened. From the outside to the inside, through her limbs, bones, and internal organs, everything felt warm. The toxins that had tormented her and invaded her limbs and organs were actually being suppressed.
The poison in Dugu Yan's body came from her martial soul. It had begun eroding her even when she was still in her mother's womb.
At first it was very weak, but as she gained soul rings, the poison from her martial soul grew stronger, and the erosion became faster.
The stronger she became, the closer she came to death. If she did not cultivate, she would still face a slow death.
This was a problem even Dugu Bo, the grandmaster of poison, could not solve.
Wang Li's second soul skill looked like a healing soul skill, but in reality, the life energy transformed from soul power did not have much direct healing effect. However, it could be absorbed by anyone.
Once absorbed, this life energy nourished the source of vitality, awakening the target's life force. Once that vitality was activated, the outward effect was healing injuries and resisting all unfavorable factors and negative conditions.
This was how Wang Li's healing soul skill differed from those of other soul masters, and it was the fundamental reason he could help Dugu Yan.
What was suppressing the toxins in Dugu Yan's body now was her own bodily functions. Was she willingly letting the poison erode her?
Obviously not.
Therefore, when Wang Li's life energy provided her body with armor and weapons, it immediately began suppressing and expelling the invading toxins.
Dugu Yan felt incomparably warm. She yawned and said drowsily:
"So warm... I really want to sleep..."
Her eyelids grew heavier and heavier, and she finally fell into a deep sleep, her body tilting forward into Wang Li's arms.
Wang Li shook his head. Just now, it was like holding a block of ice, and now it felt like hugging a furnace. He could roughly guess the truth.
This was Dugu Yan's body performing its own painful detoxification. Wang Li kept maintaining the "Revival" soul skill. Once his soul power was exhausted, the vitality within Dugu Yan would fall silent again.
In such a sudden situation, Qin Ming arrived very quickly. Seeing Dugu Yan and Wang Li holding each other, he paused briefly, then asked:
"Dugu Yan, what's going on with her?"
Wang Li looked up and said solemnly:
"Teacher Qin, if Yan Yan-jie doesn't want to talk about it after she wakes up, then please don't ask."
Qin Ming fell silent for a moment. He knew Dugu Yan's background very well. She was the granddaughter of the Poison Douluo. A Titled Douluo stood at the peak of the continent, and the Poison Douluo was an especially terrifying existence among them.
The word 'poison' alone struck fear into people's hearts.
"I understand. Everyone has secrets. Once spoken, they are no longer secrets. Let's take Dugu Yan back first. It's going to rain."
Wang Li nodded and picked Dugu Yan up in his arms. His soul power was being rapidly consumed. He was already a full major realm below Dugu Yan, and he did not know how much this would help her recover.
…
Terrace, three hours later!
Dugu Yan woke up from Wang Li's arms. She struggled to sit up, her face flushing red as she spat lightly in embarrassment. Wang Li, having exhausted his soul power, was still asleep.
Seeing that Wang Li had not yet woken, Dugu Yan calmed down. She tidied her hair and dress, then walked lightly to the window. Looking at the dense curtain of rain outside, she became lost in thought.
She could not remember how many years it had been since her body felt this light in such weather.
Pressing her lips together, she smiled charmingly and returned to check on Wang Li. She studied his face carefully and murmured softly:
"Actually, Xiao Li is quite good-looking. Hehe..."
When Wang Li finally woke up, the first thing he saw was Dugu Yan looking at him as well. He yawned and asked:
"Yan Yan-jie, do you feel better?"
Dugu Yan's eyes were gentle as she smiled and said:
"I do feel better, but you little brat, was it comfortable holding your sister while sleeping?"
Wang Li pouted:
"Not comfortable at all. One moment you were like ice, the next like a furnace."
Dugu Yan's temper flared. She flipped over and straddled Wang Li, pinching his cheeks with her fair fingers and pulling them outward as she scolded:
"You took advantage of me and still dare to complain. If I don't teach you a proper lesson today, I won't be called Dugu Yan!"
Actually, the plot is still a bit rushed, but the recent feedback hasn't been good, so I can only finish it as quickly as possible. With this step-by-step buildup, whether it's obtaining immortal herbs from Dugu Bo or inviting him to personally serve as a sparring partner, everything will feel natural and logical.
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