Chapter Fifteen: Little Brother Lu Yu... A Deal! How Is He Not Little? Poison Unleashed!

Half an hour later, she opened her eyes.

From the treetop, Lu Yu waved his hand, tossing over the nine-jointed jade piece with his usual brevity: "It's nearly dead. Make your move!"

Du Gu Yan curled her lips, flipped her hand, and suddenly a dagger appeared in her palm. She pried open the jade’s mouth and plunged the dagger in.

Moments later, a faint purple soul ring rose. Sitting cross-legged on the ground, Du Gu Yan summoned the soul ring and began absorbing it.

Another half hour passed, and Du Gu Yan opened her eyes with a look of delight. Around her glowed three soul rings: two yellow and one purple, shining brilliantly.

Lu Yu jumped down from the tree and said coolly, “Let’s go. I’ll escort you out.”

Du Gu Yan’s beautiful eyes flickered as she glanced at the darkening sky. “It’s already night. Moving through the Starry Forest at night is too dangerous. How about we find a place to rest for the night and set off at dawn?”

Lu Yu frowned but nodded.

Du Gu Bo watched from the shadows. He couldn’t reveal too much power; if danger arose, it would cause trouble.

The two left the area and found a rocky cave. After killing two century-old soul beasts inside, they entered.

Du Gu Yan scattered some powder at the cave entrance to repel low-level soul beasts.

She then took out some rations and water, handing them to Lu Yu. “Here, eat something.”

Lu Yu glanced at her but shook his head. “I’m not hungry.”

What a joke!

Du Gu Yan was an expert in poisons; there was no way Lu Yu would dare eat anything she gave him.

Though she was unlikely to harm him, Lu Yu’s past lives had shown him the cruelty of human nature, so he remained habitually cautious.

Du Gu Yan met his refusal and sat aside, eating by herself.

After a moment, she suddenly said, “Little brother, my name is Du Gu Yan. What’s your name?”

“Lu Yu.”

She smiled and teased, “I’m fifteen; you look about ten, so calling you little brother isn’t unfair!”

Lu Yu was silent.

Du Gu Yan asked, “I see you only have one soul ring. Why come to the Starry Forest alone?”

Lu Yu replied calmly, “I’m an orphan. I have to rely on myself.”

Du Gu Yan was momentarily stunned. Seeing Lu Yu close his eyes, seemingly cultivating, she pressed her lips together and said no more.

The two spent the night in silence, unaware that not far from the cave, an elderly figure had stood vigil under a tree all night.

The old man stared intently at the cave entrance, muttering, “Whose child is this? Coming to the Starry Forest with only one soul ring, and easily killing a nine-jointed jade beast? What a little monster!”

At that moment, two figures emerged from the cave.

Du Gu Yan stretched leisurely, her graceful curves fully revealed. She looked at Lu Yu and smiled, “Little brother Lu Yu, you came here for soul rings, right? Since you saved me yesterday, how about I help you?”

Lu Yu twitched at the corner of his mouth, glaring, “I told you, don’t call me little brother! Besides, I’m not little!”

“I can find my own soul rings. Just send me out now. Don’t forget the soul guide device you promised me!”

Du Gu Yan instinctively asked, “Not little? How so?”

Lu Yu’s eyes widened in shock.

Good heavens!

This fifteen-year-old girl was already so shameless?

Du Gu Yan immediately regretted teasing a child but, seeing Lu Yu’s stunned expression, realized he understood her words and was equally surprised.

Then her eyes grew mischievous. She leaned close, her emerald eyes filled with enchanting allure, her breath fragrant as she said:

“You look like you need money badly. How about big sister supports you?”

Lu Yu felt a chill down his spine, as if a deadly intent had locked onto him. Sensing danger, he stiffened his face and turned to leave.

“Humph…”

Du Gu Yan pouted, about to follow, but suddenly her expression changed. Her delicate face turned ashen; veins beneath her skin darkened.

“Ugh…”

Severe pain shook her frail body, and she collapsed to the ground with a thud, crying out in agony.

Lu Yu stopped, turned, and frowned upon seeing her condition.

Could it be...

Poisoned?

He quickly realized that absorbing the nine-jointed jade soul ring had likely caused the poison of the nine-tiered jade serpent soul to backfire on Du Gu Yan.

In the original story, Du Gu Yan’s accumulated toxins erupted when she was nineteen—this was an early onset!

But Lu Yu was not surprised.

After all, in the original, the nine-jointed jade was never Du Gu Yan’s soul ring.

Du Gu Bo must have chosen another soul beast for her third soul ring, fearing she couldn’t withstand the toxins.

Yet yesterday, when Du Gu Yan absorbed the soul ring, Du Gu Bo hadn’t intervened.

“This is trouble…”

Lu Yu hurried forward. He couldn’t let Du Gu Yan die before him. Even Du Gu Bo would be helpless in this situation.

Being an expert with poisons didn’t guarantee immunity from poison; otherwise, Du Gu Bo wouldn’t have suffered from the jade serpent’s toxins for decades.

If Du Gu Yan died, Lu Yu knew for certain Du Gu Bo would be furious enough to kill him.

Thinking this through, Lu Yu gritted his teeth. Lightning crackled at his fingertips as he pressed his hand to Du Gu Yan’s chest.

Strands of electricity seeped into her body, rapidly spreading.

The Yang Five Thunder was the ultimate force against all evil and filth. Serpent poison was yin in nature and naturally suppressed by the yang energy.

Lu Yu planned to use the Yang Five Thunder to purge the toxins inside Du Gu Yan.

However, the Yang Five Thunder was fierce and uncontrollable. A single misstep could injure Du Gu Yan or even wipe out the innate poison of the jade serpent soul, damaging her soul foundation.

Such damage would cause her cultivation to regress or even stall permanently, and Du Gu Bo would surely kill Lu Yu for that!

Despite Lu Yu’s spirit power rivaling a Soul Saint, the effort was immense.

In the distance, Du Gu Bo, hidden in the shadows, panicked upon seeing his granddaughter collapse, poisoned.

Realizing the severity, he was about to rush forward.

But then he saw the boy who saved his granddaughter yesterday controlling lightning to purge the poison.

Furious, Du Gu Bo wanted to strike the boy down immediately.

Lightning so extreme could ruin his granddaughter’s soul if misused!

The few hundred meters between them vanished in an instant.

But just as Du Gu Bo appeared silently behind Lu Yu, ready to strike with a palm, his hand froze mid-air.