Mandala Snake

Tang Ya and Bei Bei had come here to obtain Tang Ya's Third Soul Ring. After the apprenticeship ceremony ended, the four traveled together. Along the way, Bei Bei introduced them to the Tang Sect's circumstances and cultivation methods.

Huo Yuxi did not understand much of it, so she did not listen too closely. She thought that she would read more books in the future and have her brother teach her.

After walking for over an hour, the surroundings changed again and again. The broad path trampled out by people had vanished, leaving only towering trees and dense wild grass. Taking a deep breath, they smelled the fresh fragrance of green grass.

At that moment, a blurry black shadow suddenly lunged toward Tang Ya.

"Sister Xiaoya, watch out!"

The instant Huo Yuxi cried out, Bei Bei charged forward first. At the same time, two yellow and one purple Soul Rings lit up beneath his feet. His arm muscles rapidly swelled, extending by more than half a foot. His hands turned into sharp claws covered in dragon scales, with electric currents crackling across them.

As he reached out, Tang Ya lightly tapped the ground with her toes, grabbed Bei Bei's hand, and used the momentum to flip behind him.

As she landed, two yellow rings of light rose up. Several long blue vines shot out from her body. Two coiled around Huo Yuhao and Huo Yuxi's waists, pulling them away from danger, while the others swiftly spread in different directions.

"It's a thousand-year Mandala Snake. Xiaoya, watch the surrounding soul beasts and protect Little Yuhao and Xixi."

After saying that, his First Soul Ring lit up. Dense Soul Power gathered, and a massive dragon claw condensed from blue-purple lightning shot forward.

However, the Mandala Snake was extremely cunning. It had remained on the ground earlier, making everyone think it had been frightened stiff. But the moment Bei Bei attacked, it sprang into the air like a compressed spring and shot toward him.

"Bei Bei, watch out!"

A strand of Blue Silver Grass flew from Tang Ya, wrapping around Bei Bei's waist and yanking him backward. Bei Bei instantly rose into the air.

"Second soul skill, Thunderous Might."

An electric web woven from lightning blocked the Mandala Snake's attack head-on. Bei Bei controlled the Thunderous Dragon Claw he had launched earlier, making it curve through the air and strike at the Mandala Snake from behind.

Watching their seamless, blood-stirring battle, Huo Yuhao silently swore that he would become a powerful soul master.

He already possessed his first Soul Ring, and it was even a million-year one. His confidence instantly surged, even though this million-year Soul Ring could currently only be used like a ten-year Soul Ring.

"Little Yuhao, you're looking down on me. With me here, are you still worried you won't become strong?" In his spiritual sea, the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm crossed the uppermost two of his tentacles over his chest, his tone proud.

"Brother Sky Dream, that's not what I meant..."

"Pfft."

The sudden sound interrupted him.

Just as the Mandala Snake was about to be captured, it spat out a cloud of pink mist. As if splashed with sulfuric acid, the electric web was instantly corroded and thinned.

A thousand-year soul beast was ultimately far stronger than a human Soul Elder. With a powerful thrust, it slammed into the electric web, forcibly opening a gap and slipping through.

"Xixi, watch out."

The Mandala Snake was headed directly toward Huo Yuxi. Tang Ya wanted to control the Blue Silver Grass to pull her away, but the snake was too fast. There simply was not enough time.

Watching this unfold, Huo Yuhao's heart seemed to stop for an instant. He had just sworn that he would never let his sister fall into danger again, yet less than two hours had passed...

But he did not panic. Instead, he mobilized all the Soul Power in his body. The Soul Skill from the First Soul Ring he had just obtained appeared in his mind as though branded there.

A gleaming white Soul Ring lit up. Ancient patterns emerged on his forehead and at the corners of his eyes, while a faint golden light flashed through his pupils.

The next second, Tang Ya and Bei Bei both trembled, their faces filled with shock. In their vision, everything within thirty meters formed a transparent 3D map. Every movement within it slowed down, and the Mandala Snake's path appeared in their minds. They could even clearly see its muscles contracting.

Unlike the two of them, Huo Yuxi was still somewhat dazed as she watched the Mandala Snake suddenly fly toward her.

It was obvious at a glance that she would not be useful in this situation. They had not practiced together, and she had no combat experience. Rushing in would likely only cause trouble, so she simply hugged Zhuzhu and watched from afar.

She had not expected to be ambushed even there. After receiving Huo Yuhao's shared Mental Detection, her eyes flashed as one yellow and one purple Soul Ring rose beneath her feet.

"First Soul Skill, Gui Yan Blade."

With the attack path clearly visible in her eyes, the little spider stood imposingly on the back of her hand. Eight blades of light struck the Mandala Snake's vital spot in unison.

But the difference in strength was right there. Even Bei Bei could not injure it, much less her. Still, she managed to delay it for a moment, allowing Tang Ya to seize the opportunity and control the Blue Silver Grass to pull her over.

Bei Bei reacted immediately. The aid provided by the shared Mental Detection was simply too incredible. He did not know how long Huo Yuhao could maintain it, so he intended to end the battle quickly.

"Third soul skill, Thunderous Fury."

His eyes instantly turned crimson, and his aura became completely different from before. This thousand-year Soul Skill sent him into a berserk state for a period of time, while increasing his lightning power by one hundred percent and his Soul Power by fifty percent.

Lightning coursed around his body and condensed into a dragon claw twice the size of the previous one. Seizing the right moment, he slammed it down at the Mandala Snake.

The Mandala Snake had lived for a thousand years and possessed some intelligence. Sensing that something was wrong, it spat out another mouthful of poisonous mist and turned to flee.

Bei Bei was not about to give it that chance. With a sweep of his dragon claw, he dispersed the poisonous mist. Empowered by Mental Detection, he dodged its attack and blocked its escape route in advance.

The dragon claw grabbed through the air and seized its head. "Xiaoya, now!"

Tang Ya gripped a dagger and ran over, stabbing it into the snake's mouth. After thrashing twice, the Mandala Snake died. A moment later, a purple ring of light condensed above its head.

"Great! Help protect me." Tang Ya beamed at Bei Bei, unable to hide her joy. As she spoke, she sat cross-legged and began absorbing the Soul Ring, purple vines winding around her.

"Brother, what martial soul is that?"

Huo Yuxi thought the martial soul was pretty cool. With two quick swishes just now, it had pulled her over from so far away.

"This should be the Blue Silver Grass martial soul, right, Senior Apprentice Bei Bei?" Huo Yuhao turned to Bei Bei and asked.

"That's right, Little Yuhao. You know about the Blue Silver Grass martial soul too?"

"Mm. Mother told us that one of the Twin Martial Souls of the Tang Sect's founding ancestor, Tang San, was Blue Silver Grass. Later, he broke through level one hundred and became an immortal existence."

"That's right." Bei Bei nodded. "But unlike his Blue Silver Emperor, Xiaoya's martial soul is only ordinary Blue Silver Grass. Her cultivation aptitude is somewhat poorer."

Huo Yuhao nodded, then suddenly felt dizzy. Huo Yuxi promptly helped him sit down. Mental Detection Sharing was actually two skills, detection and sharing, and he had shared it with three people at once. With only level-ten Soul Power, such sudden massive consumption naturally made him dizzy.

Bei Bei stepped forward. "Yuhao, it's your first time using a Soul Skill, so you're still unfamiliar with it. You consumed too much just now. Close your eyes, and I'll help guide the Soul Power within your body."