Outwitting the Thousand-Year Mandala Snake

The Poisonous Marsh in Soul Hunting Forest did not have a very good reputation.

Put bluntly, it was just a mud pit.

Han Yuchen stood at the edge of the swamp, breathing in the strange stench of rotting leaves mixed with brackish water. His brow did not so much as twitch.

This place was dark, damp, and filthy.

It was practically a luxury graveyard custom-made for snake soul beasts.

Han Yuchen muttered to himself and began surveying his surroundings.

He did not rush in.

A head-on clash? That was what reckless fools did, a pure waste of stamina. I'm here to hunt, not risk my life.

His gaze settled on an unremarkable patch of open ground.

It happened to lie at the intersection of several trails carved out by soul beasts, making it a key passageway.

"This is it."

Han Yuchen clapped his hands, and a thought crossed his mind.

The palm-sized Yi You Martial Soul emerged from his palm, flicking its tail with the same vacant look in its eyes.

But Han Yuchen knew that in an environment rich in Water Element, this little thing was a god.

He pressed one hand against the ground, slowly channeling Soul Power through his arm and into the earth beneath his feet.

Buzz—

The Yi You Martial Soul emitted a soft blue halo.

A miracle occurred.

The solid ground beneath his feet began to churn within. Han Yuchen's Soul Power was like countless invisible hands, precisely controlling the moisture deep in the soil, stirring it, separating it, and liquefying it.

The entire process was utterly silent.

On the surface, a thin hard crust remained perfectly intact, looking exactly like the surrounding ground.

But beneath that crust, it had already become an invisible pot of muddy sludge.

A perfect quicksand trap, complete.

Han Yuchen stood up and lightly stomped on the camouflaged ground.

Mm, sturdy enough. It would not collapse underfoot.

Unless... the weight exceeded a certain threshold, or Soul Power detonated it from within.

"Everything's ready. All that's left is one unlucky snake."

The corner of his mouth curved up as he swiped his hand through the air before him.

Dimensional Space, open!

A small blade of grass, emerald green from stem to tip and glowing faintly, appeared in his hand.

Hundred-Year Green Spirit Grass.

This thing was not worth much on its own, but the rich life aura it emitted was practically a Pro Max version of catnip to snake soul beasts. One whiff and they would be hooked.

Holding the Green Spirit Grass, Han Yuchen carefully walked to the center of the trap and planted it in the ground.

Once he was done, he dusted himself off and turned to leave.

He found a nearby leafy tree and scrambled up it in a few quick moves, hiding among the foliage with only his eyes exposed, staring fixedly at the glowing "bait."

Now came the test of patience.

The swamp was quiet.

Only the occasional chirp of insects and the low growls of unknown beasts could be heard.

Han Yuchen remained perfectly still, his breathing slowed to an extreme, like a human-shaped stone.

He had plenty of patience.

After an unknown amount of time, a faint rustling sound slipped into his ears.

It's here!

Han Yuchen's gaze sharpened.

In the distant grass, a ferocious triangular head slowly emerged.

Its crimson forked tongue flicked out with a hiss, while a pair of lantern-sized yellow vertical pupils locked onto the Green Spirit Grass.

Thousand-Year Mandala Snake!

Its entire body was pink, over four meters long and as thick as a water barrel. Diamond-shaped scales covered its body, glimmering with an eerie light beneath the swamp's dim illumination.

It had clearly been drawn over by the scent of the Green Spirit Grass.

Greed was written plainly in those cold eyes.

Without the slightest hesitation, it twisted its body and shot toward the Blue Spirit Grass at the center of the trap like a streak of pink lightning!

It was incredibly fast!

A clear trail was left across the ground.

Closer!

Even closer!

Its snake head had reached the Blue Spirit Grass, its fang-filled jaws opening wide!

Han Yuchen's pupils suddenly contracted.

Now!

Hidden behind the tree, he shouted in his heart as the Soul Power within his body instantly erupted!

Boom!

A muffled rumble came from beneath the ground.

The camouflaged patch of earth collapsed in response!

The hard crust of topsoil shattered at once, and the quicksand-like sludge beneath surged violently upward.

Before the Thousand-Year Mandala Snake could even react, its massive head and half its body plunged headfirst into the mire!

"Hiss—!"

Its shrill cry echoed through the forest.

The Mandala Snake writhed wildly, trying to break free from the swamp.

But the harder it struggled in the quicksand trap, the deeper it sank. Its vaunted speed and strength were utterly useless in the muck, and more than half its mobility had been crippled.

"Pfft!"

Enraged, the Mandala Snake opened its mouth and sprayed out a vast cloud of pink poison mist.

The toxic fog spread rapidly. Wherever it passed, flowers, grass, and trees withered instantly, while the ground sizzled as it was corroded.

Han Yuchen had anticipated this move long ago.

Standing atop the tree, he advanced rather than retreating.

The Yi You Martial Soul spun briskly before him, and a visible shield of transparent watery vapor instantly enveloped his entire body.

The pink poison mist struck the shield, producing waves of corrosive hissing, yet it could not penetrate that thin curtain of water.

"Playing with poison against me? You're still too green."

Han Yuchen sneered and began his performance.

He had never intended to get close in the first place.

Driven by Soul Power, the Yi You Martial Soul radiated brilliant blue light.

Whoosh!

A water arrow condensed from high-pressure water shot precisely at the Mandala Snake's head.

Bang!

It did little damage, but the humiliation was immense.

Stung by the blow, the Mandala Snake struggled even more frantically, spewing poison mist as though it cost nothing.

Han Yuchen remained unmoved and continued wearing it down from afar.

He was like the most annoying fly imaginable.

One moment, he condensed a water whip and lashed it viciously across the snake's body, leaving behind a pale mark.

The next, he created a small vortex to churn the mud, making it even harder for the Mandala Snake to escape.

He possessed Soul Power reserves comparable to those of a level-twenty Soul Grandmaster. Using them to power such little tricks was more than effortless.

At first, the Mandala Snake still howled as it fought back, whipping its tail wildly and sending mud splattering everywhere.

But Han Yuchen's watery vapor shield possessed astonishing defensive power, giving it no opportunity at all.

Gradually, the Mandala Snake's movements grew slower and slower, and the poison mist it sprayed became thinner and thinner.

It had been utterly played out.

In the end, it lay sprawled in the mire like a dead dog with its bones removed, capable of nothing but gasping for breath.

Even its eyes had lost focus.

Han Yuchen knew the time had come.

He leaped down from the tree and landed steadily at the edge of the trap.

At some point, a Fine Steel Dagger purchased in Nuoding City had appeared in his hand.

He infused it with Soul Power, and the entire dagger immediately glowed with a faint blue light, becoming incomparably sharp.

"Rest in peace, experience pack."

He muttered under his breath and sharply flicked his arm.

Whoosh!

The dagger left his hand, carving a straight, icy streak through the air. With a piercing whistle, it shot with unerring precision toward the Mandala Snake's vital spot.

Seven inches!

Pfft!

A dull sound of a blade piercing flesh.

Infused with Soul Power, the dagger easily broke through the hard snake scales, its entire blade sinking into the Mandala Snake's flesh.

The enormous snake body abruptly stiffened. Its tail gave two final, feeble twitches before collapsing completely, never moving again.

It was dead beyond doubt.

The poisonous miasma and surrounding clamor fell silent in an instant.

Han Yuchen shook out his hand and let out a long breath.

Done and dusted.

He walked over to the Mandala Snake's corpse and looked at the Thousand-Year Soul Beast he had easily dealt with through wisdom and patience, a satisfied smile appearing on his face.

Now came the main event.

What kind of surprise would this Thousand-Year Soul Ring, along with the essence of this Thousand-Year Soul Beast's body, bring to his Iyu?