Mandala Snake

Just as the two were preparing to continue on their way.

"Luo, luo..." Luo Sanpao suddenly called out again.

A faint rustling reached their ears.

Both of them saw a dark green, triangular snake head rise from the bushes, staring coldly in their direction.

The moment Yu Xiaogang got a clear look at the snake's head, his face turned deathly pale.

"It's a Mandala Snake." Yu Xiaogang kept his voice low, as though afraid of startling the snake, but the tension in his voice was unmistakable. "Why would such a vicious creature appear on the outskirts of the Soul Hunting Forest?"

Tang San stood half a step behind Yu Xiaogang, his gaze fixed on the Mandala Snake. This should be the original Tang San's First Soul Ring.

"Let's hope it's a ten-year one." Yu Xiaogang's voice trembled slightly. "If this Mandala Snake is a Ten-Year Soul Beast, we can still take a chance and fight it. If it's a hundred-year one, run immediately."

Hearing this, Tang San shifted his gaze from the snake's head to Yu Xiaogang's face and asked, "Teacher, didn't you say you were going to hunt a snake-type Soul Beast for me? And you just said the ideal age for a First Soul Ring was four hundred years. Wouldn't a hundred-year one be even better? Why do we have to run now?"

Yu Xiaogang's face flushed red again. His mouth opened and closed, then closed and opened again as he mumbled incoherently, "Uh... I..."

Yu Xiaogang couldn't explain. He was the one who had suggested hunting a snake-type Soul Beast. He was the one who had said himself that four hundred years was ideal for a First Soul Ring. Yet now that they had encountered a snake-type Soul Beast, he was also the first to shout, "Run."

Just as Yu Xiaogang was stammering, unable to get a word out, the bushes abruptly parted to either side, exposing the Mandala Snake's entire body from the shadows. It was nearly four meters long.

Four meters meant that this Mandala Snake was at least four hundred years old.

"Damn it, there's no time to explain! Little San, run!" Yu Xiaogang was jolted out of his embarrassment, scared out of his wits. He spun around and reached out to grab Tang San so they could run together.

But the spot where Tang San had just been standing was empty. There wasn't a soul in sight.

Yu Xiaogang instinctively looked behind him, only to see that Tang San had already run more than ten meters away and was still running at full speed.

"Teacher, run! Why aren't you running?" Tang San had put some distance between them before he turned back and shouted to Yu Xiaogang.

The corner of Yu Xiaogang's mouth twitched violently.

Yu Xiaogang had no time to think further, because the Mandala Snake had already moved, its eyes fixed on him.

In that moment of distraction, it was too late to run. He could only fight.

"Fart like thunder, Earth-Shattering Luo Sanpao!"

Without hesitation, Yu Xiaogang gave the order to attack.

"Boom!"

Another thunderous blast rang out as a yellow wave of air erupted from behind Luo Sanpao, sweeping toward the Mandala Snake.

A powerful stench exploded through the air, even more intense than when he had dealt with the Netherworld Wolves. Clearly, Yu Xiaogang had given it everything he had.

But the Mandala Snake was not a Netherworld Wolf. The stench did no real harm to it. Instead, it enraged the snake, and a vicious light flashed in its eyes.

Its tail lashed out like a steel whip.

"Crack!"

With a sharp crack, Luo Sanpao's round body was whipped into the air. He tumbled several times before crashing heavily to the ground. He struggled to get up, but the Mandala Snake coiled around him, binding him tightly. Its body constricted, and bones creaked and cracked.

"Luo!!!"

Luo Sanpao let out a piercing scream. Purple light flickered rapidly around him several times, and then, with a pop, he turned into a streak of light and merged back into Yu Xiaogang's body.

Yu Xiaogang's body jolted violently, and his face turned from white to ashen.

But the Mandala Snake's attack was not over. It lunged swiftly at Yu Xiaogang.

Yu Xiaogang had no time to react. He could only turn his body slightly to avoid a vital blow, but the Mandala Snake's venomous fangs still sank squarely into his right leg.

Agonizing pain shot through his lower leg. Yu Xiaogang gave a muffled groan, lost his balance, and fell heavily to the ground.

An icy force was spreading from the wound throughout Yu Xiaogang's body.

Yu Xiaogang lay on the ground, his right leg already numb. The cold sensation was spreading up his thigh.

When he raised his head and saw the Mandala Snake slowly open its mouth, revealing four curved venomous fangs, Yu Xiaogang's heart was filled with despair.

The Mandala Snake opened its mouth as wide as it could, preparing to swallow Yu Xiaogang whole.

"Whoosh!!!"

A sharp whistle suddenly pierced the air.

An iron-tipped arrow shot over from dozens of meters away and struck the Mandala Snake squarely in the body. The arrowhead sank into its flesh, and blood seeped from the wound.

"Hiss!!!"

The Mandala Snake recoiled sharply in pain. Its head, which had been aimed at Yu Xiaogang, suddenly swung around and fixed on the direction from which the arrow had come.

Dozens of meters away, Tang San stood steadily with his bow drawn and an arrow nocked. No one knew when he had gotten there. The bowstring was still trembling slightly, and a second arrow was already on it.

"Whoosh!"

The second arrow followed close behind, striking the Mandala Snake in the neck this time.

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Tang San's archery was far from masterful, but the Mandala Snake was nearly four meters long. It was a big enough target that, as long as he didn't shoot with his eyes closed, he was bound to hit it.

"Hiss!!!"

The Mandala Snake twisted its body wildly and let out a vicious cry.

It abandoned Yu Xiaogang, turned its body, and sprang forward, charging toward Tang San.

Tang San didn't panic. He casually put his bow and arrows into the Oriental Pearl, then turned and ran toward the center of the Soul Hunting Forest.

The figures of the boy and the snake soon disappeared into the shadows of the dense forest.

Silence returned to the clearing.

Yu Xiaogang lay on the ground, his right leg completely numb. The poison was spreading through his blood vessels to the rest of his body, and his consciousness was beginning to fade.

Meanwhile, Tang San ran nonstop through the dense forest, the rustling close behind him in relentless pursuit.

Tang San didn't dare look back, but he could feel the Mandala Snake getting closer and closer.

A six-year-old child was no match for the speed of a four-hundred-year Soul Beast. Even though Tang San had taken Whale Rubber and his physique far surpassed that of his peers, the gap was still closing bit by bit.

Tang San's mind raced as he ran, observing his surroundings.

After running for about half an hour, he saw the trees ahead suddenly grow somewhat sparser, and the light grew a little brighter.

Tang San burst through the last patch of bushes, and the view suddenly opened up before him.

It was a small forest clearing. Right in its center, a giant tree rose from the ground, and a massive Evergreen Vine clung to its trunk, stretching all the way from the ground to high in the canopy.

The Evergreen Vine's main stem was as thick as an adult's thigh. Its entire body was emerald green tinged with dark green, and fine, dense patterns covered its surface.

Vines stretched out from the main stem in every direction. Some clung to the trunks of the surrounding trees, some hung down to the ground, and others swayed gently in the air like snakes.

Tang San quickly swept his gaze over the Evergreen Vine, calculating rapidly in his mind.

The Evergreen Vine was a very ancient Plant-type Soul Beast, known for its tremendous vitality and adaptability.

A cutting from a single branch could survive, and it could quickly sprout again after being damaged. It stayed green all year round and never withered, making it one of the hardiest kinds of Plant-type Soul Beast.

The Evergreen Vine also possessed a degree of resistance to toxins, and its body was often used as an ingredient in medicines that cleared heat and counteracted poison.

More importantly, the Evergreen Vine's tendrils were exceptionally tough. Ordinary swords and blades simply could not cut through them.