Douluo: Emerald Poison Emperor

In the blink of an eye, three days had passed.

Since the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy was still in its enrollment period and hadn't officially begun classes, Chen Ming spent most of these three days immersed in the academy's mimicry cultivation grounds, honing his soul power. Occasionally, he would wander around the academy, exploring various facilities and venues.

Whether it was due to Chen Ming's earlier words or because the academy's board members and higher-ups couldn't tolerate such chaos any longer, the noble students who had originally crowded around the entrance of the mimicry cultivation grounds had stopped blocking the cave's entrance. Nobody came to ask Chen Ming for help in pursuing Dugu Yan, either.

From what Chen Ming observed during his cultivation sessions, Dugu Yan had developed the habit of bringing food directly into the mimicry environment to eat. Occasionally, while eating, her emotions would flare up unpredictably.

Chen Ming speculated that this was likely because the group of people outside hadn't given up yet, and whenever Dugu Yan appeared in places like the cafeteria, she would be pestered to no end.

On this particular day, Chen Ming was, as usual, cultivating in the mimicry cultivation grounds. Thanks to the restoration of his innate soul power deficiency and the further evolution of his martial soul, Chen Ming's soul power accumulation had become incredibly fast.

Even though he had only recently reached level 23 by absorbing a thousand-year soul ring and external soul bone, after this period of cultivation, Chen Ming felt as though he was about to break through again. As a result, he had been putting even more effort into cultivating his soul power over the past few days.

Outside the mimicry cultivation grounds, it had been raining continuously. Although the conditions inside remained the same as usual, Chen Ming could distinctly feel the rising yin energy in the world around him during his cultivation.

For Chen Ming, this was nothing more than a common weather change and didn't affect his cultivation, so he didn't pay it much attention and continued his usual training.

However, for someone else in the cave, the weather was far from friendly.

While Chen Ming was cultivating as usual, Dugu Yan, not far away, suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood. It was as if she had been struck by a heavy blow, forcibly pulled out of her cultivation state. Her body went rigid as she collapsed onto the ground, her aura weakening. Sweat broke out across her skin, and her body involuntarily convulsed.

"Ugh…"

Curled up on the ground, Dugu Yan felt a stabbing pain all over her body. Her soul power surged uncontrollably within her, causing chaos in her meridians and tearing pain. Her internal energy churned violently, her limbs felt as cold as if they had plunged into an icy abyss, while her chest and abdomen burned as though engulfed in flames.

"If I'd known this would happen, I wouldn't have forced myself to break through to level 30…"

Dugu Yan's body convulsed as she lay on the ground, wracked by spasms. Tears and snot streamed down her face in pain, soaking her cheeks and the ground. Her heart was filled with regret.

Recently, sensing she was on the verge of reaching level 30, Dugu Yan had focused on cultivating her soul power. Despite the recurring pain her body endured during this type of weather, she had wanted to surprise her grandfather upon his return and distance herself from those irritating pests. So, she pushed herself to cultivate diligently.

However, just as she was about to break through today, her body's pain intensified. At the critical moment, her soul power spiraled out of control, rampaging through her meridians. Not only did her pain increase exponentially, but her meridians and internal organs also suffered damage, plunging her into excruciating agony.

Dugu Yan's body thrashed uncontrollably on the ground, making loud thudding noises that startled Chen Ming out of his cultivation.

Seeing Dugu Yan rolling and convulsing wildly on the ground like she had lost her mind, Chen Ming was momentarily stunned. Then, it dawned on him—Dugu Yan's toxins were flaring up inside her.

Although he had no idea how Dugu Yan had managed to push herself to such a dire state, after a brief moment of thought, Chen Ming decided to intervene.

Originally, he had planned to get closer to her over time and use her poison problem as an excuse to gain access to the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well and the precious immortal herbs within. But faced with this sudden emergency, Chen Ming figured that if he stood by and did nothing, Dugu Bo would likely end his life the moment he returned.

He calmed the soul power within himself, stood up, and leaped in front of Dugu Yan. Pinning her writhing body to the ground, he began carefully channeling his soul power into her body.

Ordinarily, a poison-element soul master's soul power would carry potent toxins. However, thanks to the passive traits of his Poison Cloud Technique and years of developing his unique abilities, Chen Ming had mastered the ability to purify and refine his soul power when needed, removing any trace of poison.

As he probed her condition with his soul power, Chen Ming couldn't help but be shocked at what he discovered.

A soul master's failure to break through and the resulting backlash was already no small matter. For Dugu Yan, the backlash had also triggered a violent reaction from the toxins in her body, compounding her injuries. Her condition was nothing short of catastrophic.

Her blood energy was in turmoil, her soul power was wildly out of balance, her internal organs were damaged, and her meridians were severely injured. Apart from her skin and flesh appearing fine, the rest of her body was in utter disarray.

To stabilize her condition, Chen Ming decided to first calm the chaotic soul power within her. However, due to the immense pain she was experiencing, Dugu Yan was unable to think clearly or cooperate. Even as Chen Ming pinned her down, she struggled desperately, making it impossible to guide her soul power with precision.

Chen Ming didn't hesitate. He immediately summoned his martial soul and gently pricked Dugu Yan with his tail, injecting her with a paralyzing toxin.

While Dugu Yan had a strong resistance to poison, Chen Ming's paralytic venom was an intricate blend derived from dozens of soul beasts. Its potency was exceptional. Even though her resistance reduced its effectiveness, the remaining toxin quickly took hold.

Dugu Yan felt a slight tingling sensation before her body rapidly became unresponsive.

Although her physical condition hadn't improved, the paralyzing effect alleviated much of her pain, allowing her to regain some clarity of thought. Gradually, her mind became more composed.

But as she realized Chen Ming was pinning her to the ground, a flicker of resistance and unease instinctively surfaced in her eyes.

"What the hell are you thinking about at a time like this? Stop letting your mind wander! Focus and regulate your breathing—I'm helping you stabilize your soul power! Don't waste time and end up crippling yourself!"

Noticing the look in her eyes, Chen Ming snapped irritably.

It was true that Dugu Yan had an excellent figure, and the way she was pinned down with a struggling gaze could be considered enticing. But Chen Ming wasn't so shameless as to entertain those kinds of thoughts during such a critical moment.

PS: The first Heroine.

PS2: Thanks for the stones and collections guys :)