Chapter 20: The Jade Phosphorus Serpent Venom

Dugu Yan, Yu Tianheng, and Tang Xi are undoubtedly the top three students of this cohort. Now that two of them are set to face off directly, the surrounding audience watched with eager anticipation.

Tang Xi gave a helpless, light laugh as she walked onto the arena stage with Dugu Yan. She clasped her hands in a traditional salute and introduced herself: "Tang Xi, Level 30 Control-type Spirit Master, Spirit: Silver."

Dugu Yan also clasped her hands and said, "Dugu Yan, Level 25 Control-type Spirit Master, Spirit: Jade Phosphor Serpent."

*Jade Phosphor Serpent...*

*Is she a descendant of Senior Dugu?*

Tang Xi suddenly recalled the toxins within her own body that she had never been able to purge, and remembered the legendary peerless Poison Douluo. A flicker of hope ignited in her heart. If she could gain the help of Senior Dugu to cleanse the toxins from her body, then her own spirit, the Soul-Severing Bird, might finally be usable again!

Her thoughts drifted, and for a moment, she missed the signal for the match to begin. Dugu Yan took the initiative, let out a sharp cry, and lunged toward Tang Xi like a ghostly serpent. Her right palm sliced through the air with a whistling sound, aiming directly for Tang Xi’s shoulder.

Tang Xi reacted swiftly, dodging the strike with graceful ease. Simultaneously, she swept her left leg toward Dugu Yan’s lower stance. Dugu Yan was equally quick; she leaped into the air, somersaulted, and twisted her legs like scissors toward Tang Xi’s neck. Tang Xi’s pupils constricted. Without panicking, she crossed her arms to block, finally neutralizing the fierce offensive.

Dugu Yan seemed unwilling to use her spirit just yet. Her palms moved rapidly, transforming into a flurry of shadows that descended upon Tang Xi like a heavy downpour. Tang Xi’s gaze sharpened; she wove through the shadows with fluid agility. Finding an opening, she suddenly thrust her right fist forward, striking Dugu Yan’s chest and forcing her to retreat several steps, her heels carving deep grooves into the ground.

The two exchanged blow after blow. In the blink of an eye, they had traded dozens of strikes. Each hit was solid, and the shockwaves from their colliding spirit power whipped up gusts of wind across the stage.

While the onlookers enjoyed the spectacle, they couldn't help but whisper their doubts:
"Why aren't they using their spirits?"
"If Dugu Yan used her Jade Phosphor Serpent venom, she could end the fight instantly! Why is she wasting time on hand-to-hand combat with Tang Xi?"
"But you have to admit, Tang Xi’s martial arts seem a cut above Dugu Yan’s..."

Yu Tianheng stared intently at the two figures clashing on stage, his lips pressed into a thin line. It was his instruction that kept Dugu Yan from using her spirit.

Looking at it now, it was exactly as he had suspected: Tang Xi’s moves were sharp, her movements agile, and her reaction times and combat system were certainly not those of an ordinary village girl. Others might not notice, but Yu Tianheng was certain: either Tang Xi was a disciple from a major clan, or she had been trained by a master!

Yet, why did Tang Xi’s fighting style seem so familiar?

Confirming his suspicions, Yu Tianheng gave an unintentional, light cough. Dugu Yan, receiving the signal, immediately retreated several paces, creating distance between herself and Tang Xi.

Tang Xi stopped her movements calmly, her bright eyes curving into crescents. "Your martial arts are quite good."

"You don't fight like a Control-type Spirit Master, either," Dugu Yan replied, her lips curling into a smile. Her beautiful, alluring face bloomed like a femme fatale. Beside her, the two spirit rings that everyone had been waiting for finally appeared.

She thrust out her hand, the light of her spirit rings illuminating her as she pointed at Tang Xi. "The match ends here!"

As she spoke, a massive cloud of green mist rose from her spirit rings. It quickly expanded into a toxic fog several meters high, blotting out the sky and lunging toward Tang Xi like a wild beast!

Jade Phosphor Serpent Venom!

This was a top-tier poison spirit on the continent. Students around the arena retreated in fear. Qin Ming’s spirit power rippled slightly; he was ready to intervene the moment Tang Xi signaled for help.

However, while others scrambled to escape the toxic fog, Tang Xi stood her ground. With a calm expression, she felt the approaching mist. Two spirit rings appeared around her as well. The second ring pulsed faintly, accompanied by a soft, ethereal voice:

"Second Spirit Skill: Silver-Plated Mirror."

As the words left her lips, a thin, cicada-wing-like mirror appeared behind Tang Xi. It stood four or five meters tall and two or three meters wide. The surface was impeccably clear, and as a breeze blew, the transparent mirror rippled like the surface of a pond.

Yu Tianheng realized the truth instantly: *No, that’s not a mirror!*

A mysterious smile played on Tang Xi’s face. She cupped her palms toward her mouth and blew a soft breath in Dugu Yan’s direction. "Go."

Following her gesture, the "mirror" behind her moved rapidly toward Dugu Yan, colliding with the toxic fog. However, there was no impact or entanglement; the silver mirror and the poison mist seemed to ignore each other’s existence, passing right through one another. The silver mirror turned pitch black, the poison mist grew thin, and the mirror continued to charge toward its opponent.

Dugu Yan sensed something was wrong and tried to retreat, but the hard ground beneath her feet suddenly turned into a silver liquid surface, causing her to sink half a meter deep, leaving her unable to move.

*Damn it, it’s her first spirit skill!*

Unable to struggle, Dugu Yan watched the black silver mirror drawing closer. Gritting her teeth, she lifted one hand to summon the Jade Phosphor Serpent to shield herself—but it was too late. The black silver mirror pierced straight through Dugu Yan. The girl, who had been trying to break free, instantly transformed into an exquisite black-silver statue, lifelike, still maintaining the posture of summoning her serpent.

The scene fell into an eerie silence. Tang Xi stood with her hands behind her back, exhaling slowly.

Her second spirit ring had come from a nine-hundred-year-old Magic Water Overlord. This spirit beast had the ability to coat its toxins onto its enemies. To take down this beast, the headmaster and deputy headmaster of Notting Academy, along with all the department heads, had worked together to help her achieve her goal.

After absorbing its spirit ring, her second skill evolved into "Turning Silver into a Mirror." On the surface, any spirit master covered by the mirror would be plated in a thick layer of metallic silver. In reality, while the opponent’s movement was restricted, it also eroded sixty percent of an equal-ranked opponent’s spirit power and forced their spirit manifestation to dissipate.

Tang Xi looked at the statue opposite her with satisfaction and glanced back at Qin Ming. The latter, seemingly stunned by the bizarre spirit skill, paused for two seconds before announcing, "Match over. Release your spirit!"

Tang Xi acknowledged him. The silver elements on Dugu Yan’s head turned back into liquid and dripped away. As her mouth and nose were cleared, Dugu Yan, finally able to breathe, stared at Tang Xi with fearful, trembling eyes. "Why..."

Tang Xi looked at the blackened silver elements and spoke instinctively: "Oh, my spirit is Silver. It turns black whenever it comes into contact with most toxins..."

Dugu Yan cut her off sharply. "That’s not what I’m asking! I hit you with my Jade Phosphor Serpent venom—why aren't you affected at all?"