Snake-Taming Technique Succeeds, but the Snake Is Stolen Away

World-shattering Wisdom's feedback made Yu Mingfei freeze.

What the hell is a Cow-Snake Technique? This is clearly a Snake-Taming Technique, okay! Can a Soul Master's business be called "cow"?

Though he kept grumbling inwardly, his hands never stopped moving.

Yu Mingfei's herb-powder-coated fingertips stroked along the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent's back.

Wherever his fingers touched, a scale cracked open, exposing the dermis beneath.

On the three-meter-long serpent's body, more than a dozen such scales were scattered across its back.

The medicinal powder Yu Mingfei used was mixed with Azure Phosphorus Flower, a plant that held an immense attraction for serpent Soul Beasts.

During those six years at Blue Tyrant Academy, he had not wasted his time. Although his Soul Power cultivation had been obstructed, he had never stopped acquiring knowledge.

Azure Phosphorus Flower had harsh growing requirements and was poisonous, yet it carried no distinctive scent. Contact with human skin caused a faint, corrosive stinging pain, while large doses could also induce numbness.

Finding such a rare plant on the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest meant Yu Mingfei had been rather lucky.

Fortunately, what he had found was Azure Phosphorus Flower rather than Azure Phosphorus Seven Absolute Flower.

Though Azure Phosphorus Seven Absolute Flower had only two additional characters in its name, its toxicity far surpassed the former's. Moreover, wild Azure Phosphorus Seven Absolute Flowers were often accompanied by groups of Jade Phosphorous Serpents.

Those were serpent Soul Beasts famed for their venom.

Yu Mingfei's fingers continued to move as he carried on with his great snake-taming endeavor.

Suddenly, a faint noise came from outside the cave. Yu Mingfei reacted swiftly. His soul ring flashed, and his Acceleration Soul Skill activated.

Before the afterimage of his arm had faded, a short blade was already in his hand.

Yet before he could settle into a stance, the vine net over the entrance exploded with a bang, leaving a breach.

A gray blur shot inside and immediately spat out a cloud of seven-colored mist.

Yu Mingfei sprang up like a released spring, covered his mouth and nose, and quickly retreated into the depths of the burrow.

Something long and slender churned within the seven-colored mist.

Another bang followed. Bright light shone in through the burrow entrance, piercing the mist and illuminating Underground Shelter No. 3.

Expressionless, Yu Mingfei pulled half his cloak over his head and face, held his breath, and crouched as he charged into the seven-colored mist. He rushed out of the burrow through the breach in the vine net.

Sunlight fell on him. Aside from the faint pain in his right fingertips where they had been corroded by the Azure Phosphorus Flower powder, nothing felt out of place.

That seven-colored mist was completely nonpoisonous.

Inside the cave, the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent he had finished taming was gone.

Outside, the Blue Silver Grass with golden-veined leaves basked quietly in the sunlight, having done absolutely nothing to guard the place.

Thousand-Year Phoenix-tailed Cockscomb Snake! Yu Mingfei immediately locked onto his target.

I miscalculated! A Thousand-Year Soul Beast's intelligence can't be underestimated. It made several feigned attacks to lower my guard, then quickly doubled back for a surprise assault. It even used the energy stored in its crest to boost its speed and break through the vine net.

It actually managed to steal my snake!

No! I have to get it back! My cultivation isn't finished yet! I can't give your wife back to you!

Having made up his mind, Yu Mingfei packed his things, bent down, grabbed both sides of the Blue Silver Emperor, exposing the handles of the wicker basket buried beneath the ground, and violently yanked out the entire basket along with the Blue Silver Emperor.

For convenience, Yu Mingfei had planted the Blue Silver Emperor together with the wicker basket these past few days.

That made it easier to take away.

After securing the Blue Silver Emperor on his back, Yu Mingfei went around to the other side of the burrow entrance.

A huge beehive hung from a tree there. Its dull gray surface was pitted and uneven, while thumb-sized bees occasionally flew out from within.

They were a special kind of Soul Beast: Guiding Nether Bees.

Within an entire hive, usually only the Queen Bee had the potential to advance, but their upper limit was extremely low. Even Hundred-Year Queen Bees were rare.

Yu Mingfei had chosen this location for Underground Shelter No. 3 precisely because of this hive of Guiding Nether Bees.

They were extraordinarily sensitive to a certain special pollen and could easily locate it even from dozens of kilometers away.

And, as it happened, Yu Mingfei's snake-taming medicinal powder contained that pollen, which he used to neutralize the toxicity of the Azure Phosphorus Flower.

Yu Mingfei casually pinched a worker bee between his fingers, placed it at the shelter entrance, then retreated far away instead.

A moment later, the worker bee swayed as it followed an invisible trail and flew into the distance.

The Star Dou Great Forest was unimaginably vast, spanning the border between the two nations of Heaven Dou and Star Luo.

Even its outer regions housed countless Hundred-Year and Thousand-Year Soul Beasts.

Soul Masters came here to hunt souls. Finding a suitable soul ring required both luck and discernment.

If one lacked luck, it was perfectly normal to waste half a month searching.

The Shrek Seven Devils were not particularly lucky.

In search of Oscar's third soul ring, they had been in the Star Dou Great Forest for three days under Zhao Wuji's leadership.

Yet they had not encountered a suitable Thousand-Year Soul Beast.

Within the group, Oscar hunched his back and listlessly looked around.

"Xiao Ao, keep your spirits up! The Star Dou Great Forest isn't a place like Soul Hunting Forest. You can't afford to let your guard down for even a moment!" Zhao Wuji reminded him loudly, his expression stern.

"Yes, Teacher Zhao." Hearing that, Oscar realized his mindset had slipped. He took several deep breaths and barely managed to pull himself together.

Tang San consoled him from the side. "Xiao Ao, don't be impatient. There are plenty of Soul Beasts in the Star Dou Great Forest. As long as we're patient, we'll find one that suits you."

Ma Hongjun waggled his brows and spoke casually. "Yeah, Teacher Zhao is here too! What are you worried about? If nothing else works, we can go deeper in. We'll just find any Thousand-Year Soul Beast, and Teacher Zhao will take care of it for you!"

As he spoke, his gaze swept across Ning Rongrong, Zhu Zhuqing, and the other girls before finally landing on Zhao Wuji.

"Teacher Zhao, I'm right, aren't I?"

Zhao Wuji rolled his eyes and replied irritably, "Right my ass. This is the Star Dou Great Forest! Do you think it's some little ravine by your village? Who knows what level of Soul Beasts we'll encounter if we go any deeper?"

After reprimanding him a few times, Zhao Wuji turned toward Dai Mubai at the front of the group. "Xiaobai, rest in place. Xiao Ao, make some sausages and get yourself properly adjusted."

Just as Tang San and the others gathered together, Zhao Wuji immediately raised a hand, signaling them to stay alert.

"Everyone, watch out. Something's approaching!"

Tang San and Zhao Wuji turned their heads at the same time and looked into the distance.

A young girl was chasing a strange winged serpent. One figure before and one behind, they raced toward the Shrek Seven Devils.

The fluttering sound of wings filled the air. Once Zhao Wuji saw the appearance of the Soul Beast fleeing in panic ahead, his eyes immediately lit up.

Before he could give the Seven Devils any instructions, he stepped forward, activated Martial Soul Possession, and released a Soul Skill as his third soul ring flashed.

Two kilometers away, Yu Mingfei followed the Guiding Nether Bee's guidance and tracked the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent all the way.

But just as he found traces of the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent—

An old woman suddenly leaped out, intending to stop Yu Mingfei.

Behind the old woman, a young girl raced forward at high speed, chasing after the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent.

"Young man, are you also in the Star Dou Great Forest to hunt Soul Beasts? Where are your elders?"

The old woman had white hair and a youthful complexion, brimming with vigor. Holding a cane topped with a serpent's head, she blocked Yu Mingfei's path and asked unhurriedly.

Yu Mingfei stopped, snatched back the Guiding Nether Bee, and interlaced his fingers. His nails pressed against the bee's stinger as he held it in his palm.

"Senior, is there something you need, stopping me so suddenly?"

Yu Mingfei knew something was wrong, but his expression remained calm. Rather than answer, he casually turned the question back on her.

Those two are clearly here to hunt Soul Beasts. If they've set their sights on the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent, it will probably become a soul ring.

In the wilderness, people were more dangerous than Soul Beasts.

But the more that was the case, the less he could show weakness.

"This old woman is Chao Tianxiang. I have some standing in the Soul Master world. We want this Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent. Would you be willing to yield it to us?"

Judging from his clothing, this youth doesn't seem to be from a major clan. He's only twelve or thirteen, so he shouldn't need a Thousand-Year soul ring. Then why is he pursuing the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent? And that Nether Bee... could it have some special use?

As she pondered, Chao Tianxiang forced a smile and continued, "If you cannot make the decision, you may call your elders over."

As she spoke, six soul rings lit up around her at once.

She displayed the cultivation of a Soul Emperor, clearly intending to use her power to pressure him.

She had repeatedly asked about Yu Mingfei's elders, evidently trying to probe his background.

Upon hearing this, Yu Mingfei immediately put on a troubled expression.

He paced from side to side and pondered aloud, "That does make things difficult. My friends and I have been tracking this Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent for several days, and now Senior suddenly says this..."

Yu Mingfei drew out his words as he quietly shifted his feet. Yet Chao Tianxiang's eyes lit up at his words.

Tracking? Phoenix-tail Crested Serpents are naturally timid and incredibly fast. Soul Masters can only encounter them through luck.

Could this youth's team possess the ability to track Soul Beasts? He's quite a talent. Perhaps I should recruit him into the sect.

Thinking this, Chao Tianxiang's smile became even more benevolent.

"Since that is the case..."

"Then I'll be taking my leave!"

Before her words had even fallen, Yu Mingfei was already running into the distance.

Chao Tianxiang's smile stiffened, her right hand only halfway raised.

Yet she had forgotten what she had wanted to say.