The Great Thief of the Universe, Starting from Douluo

Chapter 20 Touching Legs
The dinner seemed to exude an ominous aura, as if eating it would make one's body covered in red hair, tainted with ominousness. And the words that were conveyed by the maid seemed to contain a hidden threat.

This is indeed revenge!

Zhang San's face was gloomy and uncertain. He couldn't understand where Dugu Yan got such magnanimity from.
Logically speaking, he had apologized and helped the other party detoxify, which also improved his physical strength and innate talents. How could this not be right?

Fortunately, just when Zhang San was thinking more and more deviously, the maid saw Zhang San's changeable expression, seemed to realize something, and hurried to explain.

"Although it may seem a little disappointing, it is the result of Miss's diligent work for an entire afternoon. Please don't misunderstand me, Master. If it doesn't suit your taste, I will prepare another one for you later."

"I see!"

Zhang San hit his palm, and at the same time he suddenly realized it, he breathed a sigh of relief.

It seems that this is indeed Dugu Yan's way of expressing gratitude, although... this girl is not very good at cooking.

Just as he was thinking about it, Meng Ji jumped onto the table, sniffed the dinner brought by the maid with his little nose, then rolled his eyes and fell down with his head tilted back.

"..."

Zhang San smiled awkwardly: "I'm sorry to trouble your young lady. Please help convey my gratitude. By the way... please prepare dinner for me."

The maid couldn't help laughing, bowed and left.

"how is it going?"

Seeing the maid coming out of Zhang San's room, Dugu Yan couldn't wait to ask.

The maid quickly said, "Master, thank you very much for your kindness."

"That's it?"

Dugu Yan blinked: "Didn't you say how it tastes?"

"this…"

The maid was a little embarrassed. To be honest, she was afraid of embarrassing the young lady.

It's a lie. If this girl gets excited and cooks a few more meals for Zhang San, it's possible that they will become enemies.

"When I came out, the young master hadn't had time to eat yet, but the little leopard sniffed it and then..."

"Then what?"

“And then I fell asleep…”

The maid racked her brains and chose a more tactful way of saying it.

But even so, Dugu Yan couldn't help feeling embarrassed. Her pretty face turned red, she stomped her feet, and rushed back to the room with a look of shame and anger on her face.

In the next few days, Dugu Yan stayed at home and avoided Zhang San carefully every day.

But if you can't avoid it, you can't escape it.

Half a month passed in a flash, and one morning, Zhang San knocked on Dugu Yan's door.

"Sister Yan, are you there?"

"What's up?"

Dugu Yan's voice came from the room, sounding a little cold.

"It's time for the second treatment."

With the Beiming soul power, half a month is enough for Dugu Yan to completely absorb the effects of the Xuanshui Pill and whale glue. Zhang San also plans to finish his work quickly and catch rabbits as soon as possible.

There was a rustling sound in the room, and soon Dugu Yan walked out of the room wearing a snow-white short skirt.

Seeing Zhang San, she smoothed her hair with forced composure and said, "Thank you for your help."

"It's ok."

Zhang San smiled, his smile was so gentle and sunny that people who saw it couldn't help but want to pinch his cute little face.

"By the way, although I didn't eat dinner that day, I still appreciate your thoughtfulness."

"you!"

Dugu Yan was admiring Zhang San's appearance in her heart, and her face froze when she heard this.

Why does this brat keep bringing up things that are not related to the topic?
I've been hiding from you for half a month, isn't it just to escape this dark history?

"Don't mention it again!"

Dugu Yan snorted softly, her face looking embarrassed and annoyed: "This is just my first time cooking, I have no experience!"

Zhang San smiled and said nothing. He just felt that no matter whether the food the other person cooked was delicious or not, he should say thank you.

The two came to the living room, where Dugu Bo was already waiting.

Zhang San flipped his hand and took out a jade box: "This is the Eight-petaled Fairy Orchid. It can strengthen the body, remove impurities, speed up the soul master's cultivation, and at the same time completely solve the shortcomings of your martial soul."

"It's that simple?"

Dugu Bo sighed with emotion: "I didn't expect that the method to cure the martial soul was right under my nose. If I had known it earlier, I wouldn't have... Alas!"

"What are you dreaming of? The Eight-petaled Fairy Orchid is only the key to the evolution of your martial soul, but it requires more than just this one fairy herb."

Zhang San chuckled, "Senior, have you ever thought about this? Soul beasts like the Jade Phosphorus Snake don't bite back at themselves, and other poison-attribute martial spirits won't be bitten back by the poison either. Why is it that only your Dugu family is so special?"

Dugu Bo's face was full of curiosity: "What's the reason?"

Zhang San didn't rush to answer, but simply asked, "Senior, what do you think of the lethality of your poison, not to mention the backlash?"

"The best in the world! If I'm second to none in terms of toxicity, no one dares to claim first place!"

Dugu Bo smiled proudly, "I wouldn't dare to guarantee anything about my youth, but ever since my martial spirit evolved from the Jade Phosphorus Snake to the Snake Queen, no one can compete with me in the art of poison."

"That's the problem."

Zhang San shook his head slightly. "Martial spirits evolve. So-called mutation, in my opinion, is just a branch of evolution. There's no doubt that Senior's Jade Phosphorus Snake is evolving towards toxicity."

"But evolution is actually a very long process for living things, especially without external interference. Even if an ordinary person's martial soul evolves, it won't be completely transformed overnight. Instead, it will transform bit by bit after several or even dozens of generations of bloodline continuation."

Dugu Bo immediately understood: "You mean, the reason why my Jade Phosphorus Snake Venom backfired is because the toxicity has evolved, but the quality of my martial soul has not kept up, which made it difficult for me to withstand it?"

"That's right, but the poison attribute is a bit awkward. Once it backfires on you, there's usually no chance of your bloodline continuing."

Zhang San nodded. Dugu Bo’s situation was different from Yu Xiaogang’s.

Yu Xiaogang's evolution failed, while Dugu Bo's evolution succeeded, but the evolution was incomplete.

"The reason why the Eight-petaled Immortal Orchid can remove impurities and speed up cultivation is actually because it enhances the quality of the martial soul."

"Okay, okay, in that case, Yanyan, what are you waiting for? Absorb it quickly!"

Dugu Bo urged, "How do you use this thing?"

“Just chew and swallow.”

After hearing Zhang San's answer, Dugu Yan picked up the magic grass, looking a little embarrassed.

"It won't be like last time, will it?"

"Don't worry, it won't happen."

After receiving the guarantee, Dugu Yan no longer hesitated and ate the magic grass directly. Then he sat down cross-legged and urged his soul power to refine the magic grass.

Soon, in just one hour, the medicinal power of the elixir was completely dissolved under the catalysis of Bei Ming's soul power.

Dugu Yan opened her eyes and sniffed with her little nose, only to smell a refreshing orchid fragrance. She breathed a sigh of relief and smiled at the two of them.

"Success?"

Dugu Bo asked in a trembling voice.

Feeling that the soul power in his body was a little stronger than before, Dugu Yan released his martial soul.

Soul power surged, and the legs transformed into thick, long snake tails covered with green scales. The frosted scales reflected brilliant colors.

Curiously wagging the tip of its tail, Dugu Yan showed curiosity and reached out to touch it.

"The scales have become matte, and there's obviously an extra layer of cuticle. They feel tougher than before, and the tail is thicker and longer..."

As it spoke, the snake swung its tail, snapping it and creating a hideous crack on the floor tile! What a powerful force!
Zhang San was slightly stunned. The power of this attack was not weak. An ordinary great soul master would not feel good if he was hit by it.

"Okay! Okay..."

Dugu Bo laughed heartily, his eyes slightly red.

Although the Green Phosphorus Snake can be considered a high-level beast spirit, its power is more reflected in its control of poison, and its physique is actually not very strong.

But from Dugu Yan's performance, it's easy to see that she now has the capital to go head-to-head with top-tier offensive systems based solely on her physical strength! She might even be able to surpass them!
There is no doubt that Dugu Yan's martial soul quality has completed a comprehensive evolution!
If it can be inherited stably, the descendants of the Dugu family will no longer have to endure the toxic backlash!
Over the years, the death of his son and daughter-in-law has always been a thorn in his heart. He can't even sleep well on weekdays, fearing that his granddaughter will suffer the same fate one day.

Now that the poison in Dugu Yan's body has been completely eradicated, although he still regrets his son's death, his uneasy heart has finally relaxed.

Seeing that the martial soul problem had been solved, Dugu Bo immediately brought the two of them to the Sunset Forest to hunt souls for Dugu Yan again.

"Xiao San, now that Yanyan's martial spirit has undergone a transformation, do you have any good ideas for Yanyan's future absorption of spirit rings?"

In the carriage, Dugu Bo asked, wanting to see if Zhang San had any insights.

"Sister Yan, can you show me your martial spirit again?"

Zhang San didn't answer in a hurry, but turned to look at Dugu Yan.

Dugu Yan nodded, released her martial spirit, and her thick, long snake tail coiled up and placed in front of Zhang San.

Zhang San reached out and touched it, feeling the touch from the tail, Dugu Yan's cheeks turned slightly red.

Suddenly, Zhang San grabbed the tip of the tail and lifted it up.

"oops!"

Dugu Yan screamed in surprise, her pretty face instantly flushed, and she subconsciously retracted her tail, looking at Zhang San in embarrassment: "What are you doing?"

"Feel sorry…"

Zhang San said lightly, casually pulling open the curtain on the car window, and carefully observing the pattern on the Dugu Yan snake tail in the sunlight.

"You kid, are you taking advantage of my Yanyan on purpose? You will be held responsible if you touch her."

Dugu Bo came close to Zhang San and spoke in a sinister tone.

"grandfather!"

Dugu Yan snorted softly and looked at Dugu Bo with embarrassment and anger.

Dugu Bo chuckled, like a guilty old child.

Zhang San ignored Dugu Bo and asked again, "Sister Yan, do you still have snake venom?"

"some…"

Dugu Yan nodded.

"Um…"

Zhang San rubbed his chin and said slowly, "There are large, gorgeous markings on the snake's tail. As you just said, the scales are rougher than before, and the tail is thicker and longer. Plus, the tail is tapering evenly..."

"Judging from your appearance, your current martial spirit should be called the Jade Phosphorus Python. However, pythons are usually not poisonous, so I was not too sure just now."

At least pythons on Earth are non-venomous, but in the fantasy world, who knows what kind of messy creatures there are.

Dugu Bo looked as if he understood. "So that's why you touched my granddaughter's leg?"

For snake soul masters, when possessed by a martial soul, there is no difference between the snake tail and legs. Although the form is different, it is essentially still the soul master's body. After the transformation is lifted, the wound will also be fed back to the corresponding part.

So Zhang San's behavior of touching Dugu Yan's tail just now is actually no different from touching someone's leg.

"grandfather!"

Dugu Yan's pretty face flushed again: "If you do this again, I will ignore you!"

"Hey, dear granddaughter, grandpa is just joking."

Dugu Bo hurriedly came forward with a lick on his face and begged for forgiveness.

Zhang San ignored Dugu Yuelao and continued to think about the soul hunting problem. After a while, he spoke carefully.

"Since you've transformed into a python, there's no need to focus on snake venom. The venom of the Jade Phosphorus Snake is already above average, and the venom itself is quite awkward. It's very lethal to weaker opponents, but not very effective against stronger ones. It's better to switch to strong attack, using snake venom as a supplement and amplifying it."

"Makes sense!"

Dugu Bo clapped his hands and smiled flatteringly at his granddaughter, then looked at Zhang San again: "Do you have any recommended spirit rings?"

"Of course it's a top-tier python-type martial spirit, preferably one with poison. A poisonous sub-dragon-type spirit beast wouldn't be bad either."

Zhang San smiled and said, "There's nothing to worry about when it comes to obtaining the beast spirit's spirit ring. As for the spirit ring's age, can you feel the bone and see?"

Dugu Bo reached out and pinched his granddaughter's wrist, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

"Nearly two thousand years? Soul Master-level bones and muscles?"

"The first ring should not exceed a thousand years."

Zhang San shook his head: "At least she needs a low-cost spirit skill in the early stages. Once her cultivation level rises, I will have a way to increase the age of her spirit rings."

Dugu Bo nodded and soon came up with an idea.

The three of them arrived at the Sunset Forest, and Dugu Bo took them straight to a canyon.

The canyon was filled with miasma, but to the three of them, this miasma was no different from the morning fog and could not stop them at all.

Soon, a huge black python with hideous scales appeared in the sight of the three people.

"The Black Water Mysterious Nether Python is around nine hundred years old. It has a strong physique and a fierce temperament. It has the blood of the Black Tortoise. Although its venom is not very strong, it possesses a cold and gloomy power, making it extremely difficult to deal with."

Dugu Bo said calmly, "There's a black water lake below this canyon. It's the habitat of this kind of soul beast. How about using it as Yanyan's first soul ring?"

"Take it!"

Zhang San waved his hand, and Dugu Bo shot out, suppressing the Black Water Mysterious Python in an instant.

Dugu Yan took out a dagger and stabbed it into the python's eyes, successfully killing it.

Then she sat cross-legged and absorbed the soul ring.

The spirit ring that was less than a thousand years old was no problem for Dugu Yan now. She absorbed it easily in less than half an hour and jumped up excitedly.

"How is it? What soul skills did you get?" Dugu Bo asked happily.

"First soul skill, Xuanming transformation!"

Dugu Yan released her martial spirit, and her spirit ring lit up. The tips of her originally emerald green snake scales turned black, making her entire snake tail covered with a layer of dark color.

"Strength, speed, defense, and toxicity are all increased by 50%. After that, each additional spirit ring will increase the overall increase by 10%!"

Dugu Yan's tone was excited, the quality of this soul ring was simply unbelievable!

"Growth effect? ​​It seems that this spirit ring is very suitable for you."

Dugu Bo nodded, quite satisfied with the effect of this soul skill.

Zhang San looked calm. In theory, Dugu Yan's soul skills were far less effective than his, but in fact, this was the normal amplification effect of Dugu Yan.

His body has experienced nirvana, and the system has given him the best talents. As for his bloodline... there is no need to explain, so the quality of his martial soul is naturally ridiculously high.

"What I'm more curious about is, how do you release the snake venom? Do you spit it out with your mouth?" Zhang San asked curiously.

"With your mouth?"

Dugu Yan stroked her lips lightly, recalling the embarrassment she felt in front of Zhang San before. Her mind moved slightly, and she suddenly wanted to see Zhang San's panic.

Then she turned her beautiful eyes, giggled, swam to Zhang San with her snake tail, gently lifted Zhang San's chin with her slender fingertips, and spoke in a charming tone.

"That's right~ Xiao San, do you want to experience it?"

"okay."

"..."

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(End of this chapter)