Douluo: Seven Asuras

The young man who barged in was at least 1.9 meters tall, his figure tall and lean. His short black hair stood upright like steel needles. His appearance couldn't be called handsome; in fact, the stiff muscles on his face gave him a rather stern, even unpleasant, expression.

"Bang, bang, bang!"

Elder Meng Shenji couldn't help but pound the desk, frowning.

"Yu Tianheng, what do you think this place is? This is the Elders' Office. Who permitted you to storm in like this?"

Yu Tianheng bowed slightly but still replied firmly,

"Apologies, Elder. I was out of line. But I heard someone's spreading rumors about Yan Yan, and if I could just sit by and watch, I wouldn't be a man!"

Even in front of Ning Fengzhi and Sword Douluo, Yu Tianheng showed no sign of fear.

He knew full well—men of that level wouldn't lower themselves to argue with him. And if someone had slandered Dugu Yan, it certainly wasn't one of them.

Meng Shenji massaged his temples in frustration. Yu Tianheng had considerable influence within the Heaven Dou Royal Academy. As the grandson of Yu Yuanzhen, patriarch of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, his status was anything but ordinary. He truly couldn't afford to offend him.

Yu Tianheng's sharp gaze locked directly onto Chen Feng. From the moment he entered, he had suspected that this teenager was the source of the rumor.

"If you're a man, stand up and own your words! Who started this nonsense? Afraid to admit it?"

Though his words were general, his eyes remained fixed on Chen Feng the entire time, as if ready to tear him apart.

Chen Feng slowly stood up, an aura of razor-sharp intensity rising with him as he spoke with a calm yet cutting voice:

"Rumor? Why are you so sure that what I said was a rumor? Do you know anything about poison? What gives you the right to call me a liar?"

Yu Tianheng was taken aback—he didn't know anything about poison. He'd only heard someone was spreading falsehoods about Dugu Yan, his close companion and love interest.

To him, Dugu Yan was his. No one was allowed to slander her, and that was why he'd charged in with such fury.

Chen Feng's gaze turned cold.

"You know nothing, and yet you barge in here like some righteous savior, just because you're close to her? Is this the kind of education the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan gives its disciples?"

"Tell me, what if Dugu Yan is poisoned—and only I can cure her? Would your approach be to beat me up? Drive me away?"

"Let me make one thing clear: if her condition worsens and she dies because you got in the way, then you're an accomplice to murder. She could have been saved—but you wasted her only chance!"

Chen Feng's relentless barrage of words left Yu Tianheng completely frozen in place.

His expression turned stormy, fists clenching and unclenching. His chest heaved with barely restrained anger. For someone with such a fiery temperament, this was deeply humiliating.

But Chen Feng didn't care in the slightest.

What a joke. I didn't come looking for you. You came charging in here like a fool, and now you expect me to go easy on you?

Honestly, you should just call yourself "Pompous Douluo."

Arms crossed, Chen Feng sat back down and coldly stated,

"If Dugu Yan is here, bring her in. I'll give her ten minutes. If I don't see her by then, I'm leaving."

He closed his eyes, no longer acknowledging anyone else in the room.

Yu Tianheng struggled internally for a moment but ultimately chose to swallow his pride and quietly left the office.

From behind him, Meng Shenji's voice called out,

"And fix the door on your way out."

"…Okay."

Yu Tianheng's sheepish voice came from beyond the doorway.

Moments later, a gentle fragrance wafted into the room. A slender, violet-haired girl stepped through the door.

It was Dugu Yan.

She had been standing just outside the whole time.

Dugu Yan had a tall, graceful figure, her fingernails painted a glossy green. Her most striking feature was her green eyes, filled with an eerie, otherworldly charm.

But her expression was anything but pleasant.

It was understandable—after all, who wouldn't be upset upon hearing someone claim they were poisoned?

Chen Feng looked her over calmly.

"Where's your grandfather?"

Dugu Yan sneered,

"I knew it. You're here with some kind of hidden agenda. Let me guess—you want to ask my grandfather for a favor? Forget it. Not happening."

She crossed her arms, looking quite pleased with herself.

Chen Feng rolled his eyes and gestured behind him at Ning Fengzhi and Sword Douluo.

"Seriously? What favor could I possibly need from your grandfather? Help in a fight? Please. Even if there were two of them, I doubt they could stand against Sword Grandpa."

"You—shut up—"

Dugu Yan's expression soured. She wanted to snap back, but when her gaze met Sword Douluo's, she swallowed her words. Her wariness of the legendary figure was evident.

Chen Feng said flatly:

"I'm looking for your grandfather because he knows the poison of the Emerald Phosphor Serpent Emperor far better than you do. He could see the issue at a glance. Not like you, who's still ignorant and arrogantly thinks nothing is wrong."

"Let me ask you—whenever it's rainy or damp, don't your bones start to ache severely? And doesn't that pain worsen as your soul power increases? And no medicine ever helps, does it?"

Dugu Yan's expression changed. She hesitated for a moment… then nodded.

Chen Feng nodded back.

"Exactly. That's because the toxin is inherent to your Martial Soul, not something acquired externally. So no ordinary medicine can suppress the surge of soul power, let alone relieve your pain."

Her gaze changed as she listened.

Deep down, she already believed him, at least seventy percent. Everything he described matched her condition perfectly. But her lingering dislike for him brought that belief back down to thirty percent.

Chen Feng continued, pointing at her eyes:

"Everyone thinks your green pupils are beautiful, a gift from your Martial Soul. But in reality, your vision has already been affected by the toxin."

"If I'm not mistaken, you no longer see things in their true colors. Everything has a slight greenish tint to it, right?"

Dugu Yan hesitated again… and nodded.

Chen Feng's tone grew serious.

"I'm telling you now—if you keep ignoring this, keep letting the poison run wild, you'll be completely blind within two years."

"Nonsense! If the Emerald Phosphor Serpent Emperor Martial Soul is that harmful, then why is my grandfather fine?" she argued, unwilling to accept it.

Chen Feng replied calmly:

"The timing of the symptoms varies from person to person. Besides, your grandfather is far from fine. He's been suppressing the toxin all these years with specially brewed elixirs. His soul power is at the Titled Douluo level, so on the surface, he seems fine."

"What you don't know is… the stronger he became, the deeper the toxin burrowed. He's terminally ill. You still have a chance. He… sigh."

Then he added quietly:

"And if I'm not mistaken… wasn't your father also killed by the very same toxin in his Martial Soul?"

Dugu Yan's eyes went wide as if struck by lightning. Her mind went blank.

Author's Note:

If nothing unexpected happens, the novel should be going up on the premium shelf tomorrow.

Thanks to everyone for your support, especially those voting behind the scenes!