Dragon Mantis

As the Dragon Duke and his party were occupying the nest, Chen Chu had already run two miles ahead.

Standing on an ancient tree, Chen Chu could faintly see the sun rising in the east, and the mist in the forest was slowly starting to dissipate, though the forest remained dim and damp.

After finding a small stream and washing up briefly, he took out the map he brought and headed towards the area where Dragon Mantises were most active.

Dragon Mantises are carnivorous Soul Beasts with no obvious natural predators in Beast Canyon, often inhabiting the bushes near water sources.

Even so, their numbers are quite scarce. Not to mention their habit of eating their own kind after mating, their unique bloodline alone makes reproduction extremely difficult.

Chen Chu hurried towards the nearest water source, prepared for a long search. These creatures are fast, adept at concealment, and extremely difficult to track, so he needed to be ready for a protracted battle.

Chen Chu stepped on the slippery pebbles by the stream, the map in his hand crinkling slightly.

Following the markings on the map, he navigated through the bushes along the riverbank. The areas near the Dragon Mantises' habitat were dense with shrubs, making movement difficult and visibility poor. Dewdrops from the previous night still clung to the branches, and after walking for only a short while, Chen Chu was almost completely soaked.

He slowed his pace, his Martial Soul quietly attaching to him. A faint red Soul Power flowed in his eyes, enhancing his vision in the dim environment several times over.

According to the information he had gathered, the Dragon Mantises' forelimbs had a unique metallic sheen that would reflect faint light in the forest, serving as the most direct clue for finding them. However, after traversing three tributaries, all he found in the bushes were a few startled gray sparrows and some other small creatures; he hadn't even seen a shadow of a mantis.

"No wonder they say they're rare," Chen Chu muttered to himself, looking down at the "Crescent Bay" marked on the map. This was the most winding section of the waterway, with a much denser concentration of bushes than other areas, making it the most likely place to find Dragon Mantises.

Just as he was about to leap out of the bushes, he suddenly caught a glimpse of a patch of dark green, unlike any vegetation, flashing in the low bushes ahead. The color was strikingly similar to the base color of a Dragon Mantis's wings.

He immediately crouched down and hid back into the dense undergrowth, completely suppressing his Soul Power.

The enhancement from Sagros not only allowed him to clearly distinguish his surroundings but also concealed him very well. After carefully investigating for a while, Chen Chu frowned slightly, sensing something was amiss. The sounds coming from ahead were not just the normal noises of Soul Beasts, but also deliberately lightened footsteps and the crisp clinking of metal objects.

Could it not be a Dragon Mantis?

Chen Chu felt a surge of curiosity. Holding his breath, he peered forward through the gaps in the bushes.

Three human figures were walking along the stream. The elder leading them, dressed in a grayish-green robe with white hair and beard, leaned on a cane inlaid with jade. It was none other than the Dragon Duke Meng Shu, who had "occupied the nest" in the cave not long ago.

Beside him walked an elderly woman, also holding a cane, her Soul Power fluctuations steady. It was the Snake Matriarch Chao Tianxiang.

The last one, a slender young girl, was their granddaughter, Meng Yiran. She was currently pouting, kicking small stones by the roadside with her toes, seemingly impatient with the excursion.

"Grandpa, we've been walking for almost a whole day and haven't seen a single Soul Beast. Is that Azure Blade Dragon Snake really around here?" Meng Yiran's voice, laced with a hint of complaint, broke the silence of the forest.

The Dragon Duke stopped, tapping his cane on the ground. His gaze swept across the surrounding bushes. "The map is not wrong, and my memory is not wrong. This Azure Blade Dragon Snake has special habits and only nests in bushes near water.

They are fast and good at hiding; we must be patient and search carefully."

As he spoke, his Soul Power involuntarily spread outwards, forming a faint pressure that continuously scanned the surroundings.

Sensing this aura, Chen Chu's heart sank slightly. The Dragon Duke's Soul Power Level was at least above eighty. A Soul Master of this caliber had a perception range far exceeding that of ordinary Soul Masters.

He dared not make the slightest move, even his breathing slowed to an extreme. Sagros's stealth abilities were pushed to their limit, making him seem to blend seamlessly with the surrounding bushes.

The Snake Matriarch Chao Tianxiang crouched down, her fingertips brushing the mud by the stream. She pointed to a leaf. "Old man, look here."

The Dragon Duke and Meng Yiran immediately leaned closer. On the broad leaf, a long, thin mark was visible, with a hint of poisonous gas clinging to its edge. "This is a mark left from an Azure Blade Dragon Snake's fight," the Dragon Duke's eyes flashed with a sharp glint. "This poison mark is very fresh, meaning they are not far from here."

Meng Yiran's spirits immediately lifted upon hearing this. She gripped her scepter tightly and urged, "Grandpa, let's hurry and find them! This place is so stuffy and damp, my clothes haven't dried yet, it's unbearable."

"Yiran, don't be difficult. This matter cannot be taken lightly," the Snake Matriarch frowned. "Azure Blade Dragon Snakes are extremely fast and excel at surprise attacks. Most importantly, they like to move in groups. You are still young and cannot withstand their poison."

As she spoke, she injected Soul Power into her scepter, and several light blue Soul Power snakes slithered out, silently coiling around the surrounding branches, forming a hidden sensory net.

Chen Chu, hidden in the shadows, saw all this. The Snake Matriarch's Serpent Cane Martial Soul could not only attack and restrain but also sense Soul Power fluctuations around them through its snake form. If his own Soul Power leaked even slightly, he would be discovered immediately.

He could only remain motionless, while simultaneously calculating in his mind: This Dragon Duke and his group were clearly here to hunt Soul Beasts. With their strength, if they truly encountered a Dragon Mantis, he would have no chance to compete.

For now, he could only follow them and see if he could find an opportunity, or wait for them to leave before searching for any stragglers.

The Dragon Duke seemed to sense something and suddenly looked up in the direction Chen Chu was hiding, his brow furrowed.

Chen Chu's heart leaped into his throat. His focus intensified, ready to deal with any sudden developments.

"What is it, old man?" the Snake Matriarch noticed her husband's unusual behavior and asked.

The Dragon Duke narrowed his eyes, scanning the dense bushes around them. After a pause, he shook his head. "It's nothing, perhaps just a false impression."

His Soul Power perception had indeed detected an extremely faint aura, but it vanished in an instant. It might have been emitted by a Soul Beast, making him unsure if someone was actually there, but he had still strengthened his perception.

"Let's continue searching and don't waste time. It will be dark soon."

The Snake Matriarch nodded, retracting some of the Soul Snakes, leaving only a few to maintain a sensory perimeter in front. The three of them continued along the stream, their footsteps lighter, the two elders' eyes warily scanning the surrounding bushes.

Only after they had walked a considerable distance did Chen Chu slowly exhale, realizing his back was already soaked with cold sweat.

That glance from the Dragon Duke just now had made him truly feel the pressure of a Soul Douluo. He couldn't contend with someone of that level yet and shouldn't underestimate them.