The Fate of the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent

I followed the wrong one!

Yu Mingfei clenched the Guiding Nether Bee in his hand and sprinted forward.

Leaving Chao Tianxiang far behind.

Before being intercepted, Yu Mingfei had already gotten a clear look at the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent.

But there was only one serpent in sight! Its wings were red, and its body length was wrong as well.

That was not the one Yu Mingfei had tamed. It was the Thousand-Year Level one!

He had followed the Guiding Nether Bee after the wrong target!

So Yu Mingfei immediately gave up. After fooling Chao Tianxiang, he left at once.

The gap between them was enormous. She was a six-ringed Soul Emperor. If she truly harbored evil intentions, how could Yu Mingfei possibly survive?

Fortunately, Chao Tianxiang had brought a Junior with her. She could not possibly leave the Junior alone to pursue a Soul Beast.

Chao Tianxiang? That sounds familiar. Peerless Dragon Snake? Meng Yiran?

Yu Mingfei suddenly recalled her identity.

It can't be that much of a coincidence, can it? The Star Dou Great Forest is so huge. Could there really be only one Thousand-Year Phoenix-tailed Cockscomb Snake?

Yu Mingfei clicked his tongue, then smiled after giving it some thought.

So this Thousand-Year Phoenix-tailed Cockscomb Snake originally ran away with my serpent, then encountered the Peerless Dragon Snake grandparents and granddaughter, drawing them away by itself?

And because it was stained with pollen, the Guiding Nether Bee found its trail.

Then wouldn't my Century-year Phoenix-tailed Cockscomb Snake be all alone, waiting for me to take it home?

Yu Mingfei stopped and confirmed that no one was chasing after him before releasing the Guiding Nether Bee.

This worker bee had been locked in solitary confinement halfway through its work. Now, it shook its head and tumbled through the air several times.

Under Yu Mingfei's blazing gaze, it slowly recovered its working state and buzzed off in another direction.

Excellent! You're much more useful than that Queen Bee in your nest that isn't even a Hundred-Year old!

After another long chase.

Yu Mingfei was in high spirits, weaving lightly through the forest.

He was not saddened in the slightest by the Thousand-Year Phoenix-tailed Cockscomb Snake's plight.

Suddenly, clear wingbeats sounded from not far ahead of the Guiding Nether Bee.

Yu Mingfei's eyes lit up. He ran forward several steps and swiftly slashed through the bushes blocking his view with his short blade.

His field of vision abruptly opened up.

A Red-winged Strange Snake flew toward him at high speed and crashed headfirst into a tree trunk beside Yu Mingfei.

Bang—

Yu Mingfei's easy smile instantly froze.

Before him stood the Shrek group and Meng Yiran's grandparents and granddaughter.

At Yu Mingfei's feet, the Thousand-Year Phoenix-tailed Cockscomb Snake had fallen to the ground, completely at their mercy.

All ten people turned to look at Yu Mingfei.

Fine, I admit it. The Guiding Nether Bee isn't that useful after all.

Yu Mingfei tried hard to maintain his smile.

He swept his gaze around and immediately understood the situation.

On Shrek's side, Zhao Wuji had released all seven of his spirit rings, his face full of vigilance.

Tang San was breathing slightly heavily, with a trace of fatigue on his face.

Opposite them, Chao Tianxiang had six spirit rings around her. Meng Yiran was pale, sitting collapsed on the ground with blood still at the corner of her mouth.

The two sides had clearly just gone through a fight.

And the object of their dispute was the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent.

This serpent was quite intelligent. While the two groups battled, it had secretly gathered strength in an attempt to escape.

Yet after erupting twice in a short period, it had become somewhat disoriented and accidentally knocked itself unconscious.

If Yu Mingfei had not intruded, this would have become the birth of a Soul Beast joke.

"Hehe, it seems you haven't given up, young man."

Chao Tianxiang seemed quite pleased by Yu Mingfei's arrival. She pointed at him, then turned to Zhao Wuji and spoke.

"Brother Zhao, to be honest, this Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent was originally this young man's prey. We only encountered it halfway through." Chao Tianxiang pulled her Granddaughter up from the ground and walked a few steps toward Yu Mingfei.

"Yiran lost the contest, so we concede.

"But now that the original owner has arrived, surely Brother Zhao would not bully the weak and seize someone else's prey by force, would you?"

Chao Tianxiang said with a smiling expression.

Zhao Wuji frowned and instantly understood her intentions.

This old woman still hasn't given up!

Before he could speak, the Shrek Seven Devils could no longer hold back.

Ma Hongjun opened his mouth and muttered a curse. "You make it sound so nice. Don't you just want to go back on your word? If you can't have it, you don't want Xiao Ao to absorb the spirit ring either!"

"Fatty!" Zhao Wuji immediately barked, cutting Ma Hongjun off and preventing him from saying more.

Although Chao Tianxiang was weaker than him, the Dragon Duke who could appear at any moment made Zhao Wuji extremely wary.

Therefore, despite his displeasure, Zhao Wuji still turned to Yu Mingfei with a false smile.

"Snake Granny is right. The Soul Master world has its rules. Seizing things by force is beneath contempt.

"Since this young friend was the first to pursue the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent, he naturally has the right to participate in a contest to determine the ownership of this Thousand-Year Soul Beast."

Zhao Wuji widened his bear-like eyes and carefully sized Yu Mingfei up, speaking with a fierce expression.

"How do you want to compete? I have six people on my side."

Behind him, the Shrek Seven Devils stepped forward in unison, their presence imposing.

Even though Ning Rongrong and Oscar were support-type Soul Masters, neither showed the slightest intention of backing down.

Xiao Wu was among them as well, though her gaze at Yu Mingfei carried a trace of confusion and curiosity.

What a strange aura. It feels a little like...

Yu Mingfei felt as though his head was about to explode.

No, aren't you going to ask whether I even want to compete? I was chasing a serpent, but not this serpent!

Kill this serpent if you want. What does that have to do with me?

At that moment, Chao Tianxiang spoke again, continuing to stir things up. "Young man, don't be afraid. This is Zhao Wuji, the Immovable Bright King. He is famous throughout the Soul Master world and certainly would not bully you. If you are not good at fighting, we can wait for your friends to arrive?"

As she spoke, the old woman stepped closer to Yu Mingfei, her smile kind as if she truly wished to support him and fight for ownership of the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent.

But Yu Mingfei did not believe her at all.

This was Douluo Continent. Who would be so kind-hearted?

This old hag is up to something! What does she want? Is there something on me worth plotting for?

"Senior Chao Tianxiang is right. I have indeed pursued the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent for quite some time. Since that is the case..." Yu Mingfei pondered, his gaze sweeping across the seven Shrek students.

"How about this? Senior Zhao Wuji can give me some money, and I will not compete with you for this Soul Beast. What do you think?"

Chao Tianxiang's expression instantly turned ugly.

She had intended to help Yu Mingfei fight for the Soul Beast, then seize it from his hands afterward.

Yu Mingfei had dared to roam the Star Dou Great Forest with his friends at such a young age, so he ought to have been some sort of genius.

What genius did not possess at least a little pride?

Their previous encounter alone had been one thing. Yu Mingfei's timely retreat had merely shown that he knew the times.

But now, with a Spirit Sage like her backing him, he should at least have been able to contend with Zhao Wuji.

Meng Yiran had originally thought that, with her grandmother speaking up for Yu Mingfei, there was still room to turn things around and she might still obtain the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent's spirit ring.

Who would have thought that Yu Mingfei would refuse to play by the rules?

"Hm?"

Zhao Wuji had not expected Yu Mingfei to say that, but after seeing the seven spirit rings on his own body, he found it perfectly reasonable.

His mood immediately improved, and he decided that this was a sensible person.

This brat looks about the same age as Tang San and the others, yet he came to the Star Dou Great Forest to hunt a Thousand-Year Soul Beast too. He's another little monster!

He revealed a smile and was just about to respond.

However, Dai Mubai of the Shrek Seven Devils spoke first.

"Teacher Zhao, I remember this person. Some time ago, he came to the academy to ask about admissions." His voice was steady, and his tall frame made him seem far more mature than a mere fifteen-year-old.

Zhao Wuji's heart stirred.

He came to the academy to ask about admissions? Then why didn't he enroll?

A thirty-level Soul Master at that age is no worse than the seven brats in the academy.

Should I simply bring him into the academy as well? Flender probably wouldn't refuse.

No matter what, I should settle Xiao Ao's spirit ring first.

During Zhao Wuji's brief moment of thought, Yu Mingfei's eyes narrowed, his gaze passing over the Shrek group toward the distant forest.

A furtive, long shadow drifted erratically about three meters above the ground.

Yu Mingfei recognized it at a glance. It was the Century-year Phoenix-tailed Cockscomb Snake that had just been taken away from him.

Before he could rejoice, the ground began to tremble ever so slightly.

The Earth Meditation Method produced a Sensing.

Soul Beast... tide?