Dugu Yan kept staring at Dan Heng behind the service desk.
But unlike her casual attitude before, she now saw Dan Heng as her lifeline.
Her mind was in turmoil, unsure of what fate awaited her.
Placing her hopes on Dan Heng, she finally began to understand what her grandfather meant by "getting to know him in depth."
The sight of Dan Heng seriously reading gave her a sense of security.
It was similar to the feeling she had around her grandfather—something no one her age had ever made her feel.
Even a genius like Yu Tianheng, who wasn't much stronger than her, couldn't give her any sense of safety.
Staring at Dan Heng in a daze, Dugu Yan memorized his face.
Somehow, time no longer felt so slow.
[T/N: Insert Lego Batman meme]
By noon, a figure suddenly approached Dan Heng.
Dugu Yan frowned. This was her lifeline—how could she allow someone to disturb him?
She rushed over immediately.
"You are—" Her question was cut short as she saw Gu Yuena feeding Dan Heng soup.
Dan Heng and Gu Yuena both looked at Dugu Yan.
Dugu Yan was momentarily stunned, staring at their intimate posture. "You two… what's your relationship?"
Gu Yuena smirked playfully, kissed Dan Heng on the cheek, and teased, "What do you think our relationship is?"
"!!!" Dugu Yan's pupils shook.
Dan Heng… was married?
Then why had her grandfather asked her to get to know him—was she supposed to be a mistress?
Dugu Yan's face instantly darkened, feeling utterly embarrassed.
She had even thought about challenging this woman, but now she had completely humiliated herself!
Furious, she turned to leave.
Dan Heng suddenly said, "Don't go yet. I found a solution. We'll test it soon."
Dugu Yan froze in place—her treatment was the priority!
Her dignity could take a hit if it meant saving her life.
Gu Yuena curiously asked, "This little girl is sick?"
"…"
Dugu Yan twitched at the corners of her mouth and gave Gu Yuena a resentful look.
For a moment, she thought about showing off her charm to make Dan Heng's wife feel inferior.
But one look at Gu Yuena's naturally stunning face—one that could captivate nations—made Dugu Yan realize she didn't stand a chance.
"…"
She swallowed her frustration.
There was no point in competing with someone whose beauty was overwhelming.
Gu Yuena playfully asked, "Little girl, do you want to eat with us?"
"No, I'm not hungry at all!" Du Guyan folded her arms, trying to act cool.
But her earlier fear still lingered on her face.
"Grumble…"
Her stomach let out a loud growl.
Du Guyan's face turned crimson instantly. Without another word, she rushed back to her seat.
Dan Heng and Gu Yuena exchanged glances but ignored her.
"Dear, I'm planning to train this year's students well. It's quite interesting, and in two years, the Soul Master Tournament will be held."
Gu Yuena smiled.
Her emotions were always lively around Dan Heng.
Dan Heng gave a soft "Mhm." "As long as you enjoy it."
Seeing his calm response, Gu Yuena felt even more at ease.
Their relationship had deepened—this was the result of her efforts!
"Husband, eat a little more."
Gu Yuena added some chives to Dan Heng's bowl.
"…" Dan Heng fell silent for a moment. He wanted to say that he didn't particularly like chives.
And besides, Gu Yuena's little "strategy" wasn't going to be a challenge for him—it wasn't like he needed extra stamina for a battle.
Gu Yuena changed the topic with a smile. "That little girl… I heard she's Poison Douluo's granddaughter."
"Yes, from Heaven Dou Imperial Academy."
Dan Heng nodded.
Gu Yuena narrowed her eyes. "From the way she was looking at you, she seems quite interested. She even questioned me."
There was no reason for a Royal Academy girl to seek out Dan Heng.
If Poison Douluo needed a messenger, he didn't have to send his granddaughter—unless he had ulterior motives.
Gu Yuena came to a conclusion: Poison Douluo needed to be taught a lesson.
Dan Heng didn't respond, quietly finishing his meal.
The two spent some time together, drawing many envious and jealous gazes.
As soon as Gu Yuena left, Dugu Yan returned, her face dark as she looked at Dan Heng.
"You two done eating?" she asked sullenly.
She had watched them eat from a distance, growing increasingly hungry. But because Dan Heng had asked her to stay, she had forced herself to wait.
Now, she was starving and furious!
Dan Heng nodded. "Yes. Now, I'll begin your treatment… though it's not exactly a treatment. I'll explain the theory to you."
"Fine." Dugu Yan stared at Dan Heng, determined to see if he could actually back up his claims.
If this didn't work, she was going to beat him up!
"Your poison comes from your martial soul. You need to guide the poisonous soul power into your soul ring using a specific path. If it works, your soul ring and skills might even carry additional poison effects."
"But during this process, some poison will seep into your body. According to my theory, it should be expelled naturally through digestion."
Dan Heng handed Dugu Yan a book with diagrams he had drawn.
Dugu Yan took it, not listening carefully to his words. She huffed, "I'll see for myself if it works!"
She flipped through the book, then immediately began channeling her soul power at the service desk.
This process wasn't too complicated and didn't require a special environment.
Doing it in front of Dan Heng allowed him to guide her if needed.
As a genius, Dugu Yan swiftly released her three soul rings, allowing her Jade Phosphor Serpent's poison to transform into soul power and flow into her first ring.
If successful, a channel would form between the poison and the soul ring.
She would never experience her grandfather's affliction again.
Dan Heng observed closely. When he saw ripples spread across Dugu Yan's first yellow soul ring, he knew the process had worked.
However, this method was only viable for someone like Dugu Yan, whose poisoning wasn't severe yet.
For someone like Poison Douluo, whose body was already saturated with Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor's poison, this method was nearly impossible.
Moments later, Dugu Yan's eyes lit up—she could feel the changes in her body.
"It worked?!"
She sounded delighted.
The next second, her stomach suddenly let out a series of loud gurgles—one after another.
"!!!" Dugu Yan's face flushed deep red. This was too embarrassing!
Clutching her stomach, she spun around and ran away.
Dan Heng watched her retreating figure and shook his head slightly before sitting back down.
Just then, a voice sounded behind him.
"Mr. Dan Heng, you've truly broadened my horizons. With just a simple technique, you managed to resolve the Jade Phosphor Serpent's poison."
Dan Heng turned to see a scholarly middle-aged man smiling at him.