Deep within the Spirit Hunting Forest, the light grew increasingly dim, and the air became ever heavier with danger.
With Lin Kun's Insight Skill and Book Spirit assisting them, the three-person team narrowly avoided several groups of formidable spirit beasts. Grandmaster looked at Lin Kun with increasing surprise and appreciation. Though the boy's Soul Power was weak, his spirit's sensing ability was, at times, even more precise and detailed than Three Beat Cannon's sense of smell! This undoubtedly greatly improved the efficiency and safety of their journey.
Tang San also began paying more attention to Lin Kun—not out of suspicion, but out of recognition for a valuable teammate. He silently memorized every piece of spirit beast information Lin Kun reported, comparing it with what he had learned.
Lin Kun, meanwhile, remained completely focused and did not dare relax in the slightest. The Spirit Hunting Forest Observer mission had progressed to 7/10, and he had gained quite a lot. But he knew the true test had yet to come.
"We need to find a spirit beast suitable for Tang San," Grandmaster said in a low voice as he vigilantly watched their surroundings. "For a Blue Silver Grass spirit, toughness is fundamental. So, it would be best to seek a spirit beast with similar tenacity, or one with control effects such as poison or paralysis. A Mandala Snake is an excellent choice. Its venom is highly potent, and if successfully absorbed, it will greatly enhance Blue Silver Grass's control ability."
"Mandala Snake..." Tang San's gaze sharpened as he carefully searched for any possible traces.
Lin Kun's heart stirred. He concentrated and tried to make the Book Spirit focus on key terms such as "snakes," "venom," and "toughness." Sure enough, the book within his sea of consciousness grew faintly warm, and the flashing frequency of its light crystals accelerated, as though it were filtering through an immense amount of recorded information.
Suddenly, Three Beat Cannon came to an abrupt stop and let out a rapid series of "luoluo" cries toward a dark, damp thicket ahead to the left. Its voice carried obvious fear and warning! It even retreated two steps, its plump body trembling slightly.
"There's something big!" Grandmaster's expression changed as he immediately shielded Tang San and Lin Kun behind him. "Careful! Three Beat Cannon is rarely this frightened!"
Almost at the same moment, Lin Kun's Insight Skill caught the target. The Book Spirit shook violently, feeding back an incomparably clear yet chilling piece of information!
Mandala Snake! Age: approximately four hundred years! Traits: highly venomous! Extremely fast! Highly aggressive! Tough! Weakness: seven inches below the head! Fears bright light and the scent of realgar! Approaching rapidly! Warning! Extremely dangerous!
"Grandmaster! It's a Mandala Snake! Four hundred years old! It's very fast! It's coming from the left!" Lin Kun cried out, his voice cracking slightly from tension.
A four-hundred-year Mandala Snake! It far exceeded the limit for a first Spirit Ring! According to Grandmaster's theory, the first Spirit Ring's limit was 423 years. This snake was practically standing on that boundary! But its level of danger was far beyond what an ordinary spirit master could handle!
Grandmaster's pupils contracted sharply. He clearly had not expected to encounter a Mandala Snake of such an age! But there was no time to hesitate!
"Fall back!" Grandmaster roared, grabbing the two of them and retreating rapidly!
However, it was already too late!
A blurred black shadow shot out from the bushes like lightning! It was a massive snake over four meters long, its entire body peach-red, its head triangular, and its pale red eyes gleaming with cold, bloodthirsty light! It was too fast! Two sharp fangs dripped purple venom from its gaping jaws, releasing a nauseating stench!
Its target was Grandmaster, who stood at the very front!
"Teacher, watch out!" Tang San cried, instinctively preparing to rush forward.
"Don't come over!" Grandmaster shoved Tang San away and shouted sharply, "Three Beat Cannon! A fart like thunder! Heaven-Shattering, Earth-Rending Three Beat Cannon!"
Though Three Beat Cannon was afraid, it carried out its master's command without fail. It sucked in a huge breath, its body swelling like a balloon, and then—
"Luo—!!!"
A bizarre, earth-shaking roar rang out as a dense cloud of yellow gas erupted forth, blasting toward the Mandala Snake like a cannonball!
This attack, condensed from Grandmaster's Soul Power, was not to be underestimated!
The yellow gas struck the Mandala Snake squarely in the head and exploded! The powerful impact and peculiar smell abruptly halted its forward charge. It let out a pained hiss, its tongue flicking wildly as it was clearly enraged!
But it was not driven back! Its four hundred years of cultivation allowed it to withstand the blow head-on! It shook its head, its cold snake eyes locking tightly onto Grandmaster before it shot forward again, seemingly even faster than before!
"Not good!" Grandmaster's face turned pale. His Soul Power level was too low, and Three Beat Cannon's attack could not truly inflict severe damage on a spirit beast of this age!
The foul-smelling snake jaws were about to bite down on Grandmaster!
At that moment, a sudden change occurred!
Lin Kun, who had been in a state of extreme tension, saw Grandmaster in danger and reacted almost instinctively! He knew Tang San would definitely make a move, but he could not gamble on it! What if something went wrong? Grandmaster absolutely could not die here!
He suddenly stepped forward, not toward the Mandala Snake, but toward the space behind a rock diagonally ahead of its path! At the same time, he gathered all his Mental Power. Rather than using Spirit Shock, which consumed an enormous amount of energy, he imitated the aura of a spirit beast he had recorded before—a Twenty-Year Nether Cat!
When he had previously analyzed the Nether Cat, the information fed back by the Book Spirit had included an extremely faint sensation of a "Natural Enemy"! The Mandala Snake seemed to intensely loathe that aura!
He did not know whether he could succeed. He was merely trying anything he could! He used the Book Spirit to amplify that sensation with all his strength, then "released" it in the Mandala Snake's direction!
This was not a spirit skill. It was more like a mental imitation and intimidation!
The Mandala Snake, which had been lunging at Grandmaster with all its might, suddenly stiffened! An almost human-like flash of shock and disgust crossed its cold snake eyes. Its attack hesitated and faltered for an instant, as though it had sensed some Natural Enemy that made it deeply uncomfortable in the space diagonally ahead!
That instant of hesitation was all they needed!
"Now!" Tang San moved!
He instantly pushed Ghost Shadow Perplexing Steps to its limit, his body sliding out like a phantom. His Mysterious Jade Hand shone with a pale white glow, while a Willow Leaf Saber already held between his fingers was infused with the inner force of Mysterious Heaven Skill. It became a streak of cold light, seizing the opening exposed by the Mandala Snake's momentary hesitation with incomparable precision—shooting straight into the depths of its open mouth!
Pfft!
The throwing knife struck precisely! Though it did not inflict a fatal wound, the intense pain and foreign sensation made the Mandala Snake release a miserable hiss, and its attack was completely interrupted!
Grandmaster seized the opportunity as well. His Soul Power erupted, and he commanded Three Beat Cannon to release another cloud of yellow gas, blocking the Mandala Snake's vision and sense of smell.
"Go!" Grandmaster barked, immediately leading the two of them in a rapid retreat under the cover of the forest!
The Mandala Snake hissed furiously and unwillingly behind them, but it did not pursue. The wound from the throwing knife, along with that deeply loathsome "Natural Enemy" aura, made it wary.
The three ran wildly until they could no longer hear the snake's hissing. Only then did they stop, panting heavily as they leaned against a large tree, their hearts still pounding with fear.
"That was... far too close!" Grandmaster wiped cold sweat from his forehead and looked at Tang San, his eyes filled with lingering fear and praise. "Little San, well done! The timing of that knife was exquisite!" He thought Tang San had seized the opening created by Three Beat Cannon's attack.
Tang San frowned slightly and shook his head. His gaze shifted to Lin Kun, carrying a trace of doubt and scrutiny. "Teacher, that knife landing wasn't entirely my credit. At the very last moment, the Mandala Snake seemed to... suddenly freeze, as if something had interfered with it. Lin Kun, just now, you..."
Grandmaster immediately looked at Lin Kun as well. He remembered that Lin Kun seemed to have shouted something earlier and taken a step forward.
Lin Kun's heart was still pounding wildly, and his back was already soaked in cold sweat. Hearing Tang San's question, he forced himself to calm down and put on a frightened, confused expression. "I... I don't know either. I was just too scared. When I saw the snake charging over, my mind went blank and I ran forward... I think I even tripped..." He pointed at the mud on his pant leg, his acting skills once again coming into play.
He absolutely could not admit that he had interfered with the Mandala Snake. That ability was too strange and impossible to explain. He could only blame it on luck and coincidence.
Grandmaster and Tang San exchanged a glance, each seeing the doubt in the other's eyes. How could a vicious beast like a Mandala Snake freeze just because a child was frightened? Yet that somehow seemed like the most reasonable explanation? Could it really have been a coincidence?
Grandmaster patted Lin Kun on the shoulder, his tone much gentler. "No matter what, we avoided being caught off guard because you warned us in advance. Your sensing ability rendered a great service." He did not pursue that "coincidence" any further, since the outcome had been good.
Tang San also nodded, looking at Lin Kun with a little more sincere gratitude. "Thank you."
Lin Kun hurriedly waved his hands. "No, no, it was Grandmaster and Tang San who were amazing. I just got lucky..."
The crisis had been temporarily resolved. But Lin Kun knew that after this incident, his importance and mystery in Grandmaster and Tang San's eyes had grown even greater.
And that four-hundred-year Mandala Snake... would it simply give up? How would Tang San obtain his first Spirit Ring?
Lin Kun could feel that an even greater upheaval might still lie ahead.
Before you continue