What a Coincidence, Isn't It? [Zhu Xinnian] [Please collect]

Unfortunately, the Soul Hunting Forest was dangerous to begin with, not to mention that it was even more perilous at night. Before the master and his two disciples could find a new place to rest, Luo Sanpao, who was scouting ahead, once again let out a wary "luo luo."

"Moo!" A dull bellow suddenly rang out from ahead and to their right.

"Zhang Yang, Xiao San, stay alert." Master immediately stopped, stretching out an arm to block Zhang Yang and Tang San behind him as he sent Luo Sanpao forward to investigate.

However, before Luo Sanpao could advance, a booming crash of something massive hitting the ground followed. At the same time, a faintly fishy scent carrying sweetness and the fragrance of tea drifted over on the wind.

Tang San, who came from the Tang Sect and was well versed in poisons, twitched his nose and blurted out instinctively, "There's poison."

Master waved his right hand repeatedly, placing both of his light rings onto Luo Sanpao. He stared warily toward the source of the bellow. "Tonight is unusually restless."

Zhang Yang found it strange. "Teacher, are there poisonous bovine Soul Beasts?"

"No." Master answered decisively. "Bovine Soul Beasts are all strength- or defense-type Soul Beasts. It is absolutely impossible for them to be poisonous."

As soon as he said that, a flash of inspiration struck Master. "Could it be that a bovine Soul Beast is fighting a poison-type Soul Beast?"

At that moment, Luo Sanpao's scouting produced results. The three of them learned that a century-old Iron Horned Bull was fighting a century-old Mandala Snake.

Judging by how fiercely deadlocked their battle was, it seemed like a fight to the death. But...

"Strange. Iron Horned Bulls are herbivores, while snake-type Soul Beasts do not attack Soul Beasts larger than themselves. Why do these two bear such a deep grudge against each other? Still, this Iron Horned Bull and Mandala Snake are exceptionally suitable for Zhang Yang and Tang San."

Master did not know that the grudge between the two had much to do with a Plant Soul Beast known as the Snake Vine Flower.

The Snake Vine Flower was a weak plant-type Soul Beast. Its means of survival was to rely on its resemblance to the Mandala Snake, disguising itself as one to scare away herbivorous Soul Beasts.

Meanwhile, every hundred years, a Mandala Snake shed its skin. That was also when it was at its weakest.

This Mandala Snake was very clever. When it shed its skin at four hundred years, it hid beside a Snake Vine Flower and pretended to be one itself, using the disguise to avoid attacks from its natural enemies.

However, heaven did not grant the snake its wish. Though the weakened Mandala Snake successfully escaped its natural enemy after shedding its skin, it was viciously bitten by this herbivorous Iron Horned Bull.

The Iron Horned Bull had been quite depressed too. It had clearly eaten a Snake Vine Flower with weak Soul Power Fluctuations, so why was its mouth full of the taste of meat? How disgusting.

That was how the two formed such a deep enmity. Once the Mandala Snake recovered from its weakened state, it only tended to its wounds briefly before coming to seek revenge on the Iron Horned Bull.

Of course, Master had no time to concern himself with such minor details. He was currently too excited to contain himself.

Master said happily, "Xiao San, Zhang Yang, your Soul Rings have been found."

"This Mandala Snake and Iron Horned Bull are perfect for you two. It would be even better if their cultivation ages are suitable."

"The Mandala Snake's body is extremely tough, and it is venomous. It can help Xiao San follow the path of a Control System Battle Soul Master."

"The Soul Skill provided by an Iron Horned Bull's Soul Ring is related to attack and strength, making it equally suitable for Zhang Yang, who is taking the Assault Type Battle Soul Master route."

"Moreover, the two beasts are locked in fierce combat. As long as we seize the right moment, we can reap the benefits without lifting a finger."

"Wow, what a coincidence! Heavens, what kind of luck is this?" Zhang Yang laughed heartily.

Tang San, however, was full of doubts. "But, Teacher, my Martial Soul is a plant, while this Mandala Snake is a beast-type Soul Beast. Can I really make it into a Soul Ring? Won't there be a conflict?"

Seeing Tang San bring this up, Master confidently explained the [Martial Soul Mimicry Theory], one of the ten core competitive theories of the Martial Soul world that he had proposed. He stated that there would be no problem with Tang San absorbing the Mandala Snake's Soul Ring.

Then, with fanaticism in his eyes, Master said to Tang San, "Xiao San, are you willing to try? Though I have absolute confidence in theory, no one has ever attempted this before."

Naturally, Tang San agreed. Master was the teacher he had acknowledged through kowtowing, and helping Master perfect his research was his mission and duty as a disciple.

Having decided to become the fisherman who benefited from the fight, Master explained the weaknesses and attack methods of the two beasts to Zhang Yang and Tang San in detail. Then, he carefully watched the changes on the battlefield.

Of course, it was too dark for Zhang Yang and Master to see what was happening inside. They could only judge through the sounds.

If the bull's bellow was powerful, it meant the Iron Horned Bull held the advantage. If it sounded weak, then the Iron Horned Bull was in trouble. The same applied to the Mandala Snake's hissing.

Only Tang San could activate his Purple Demon Eyes and closely observe the situation in the field.

The four-hundred-year Mandala Snake had naturally not come to seek revenge without confidence.

Though this Iron Horned Bull's cultivation was not much lower than its own, and its iron horns possessed astonishing attack power, its defense was nothing worth praising.

Moreover, the Mandala Snake was four meters long, moved close to the ground at tremendous speed, and possessed deadly venom. As long as it was careful of the Iron Horned Bull's iron-hoof trampling attack, poisoning an Iron Horned Bull to death would naturally be no problem.

Indeed, beasts possessed sharp instincts. This battle of revenge was nearing its conclusion.

"Moo!" The Iron Horned Bull's bellow was incomparably weak, sounding as if it were on its last breath.

"Teacher!!" Tang San, using his Purple Demon Eyes, called out a warning.

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However, Master did not need Tang San's warning. He had already guessed that the battle was nearing its end.

"Martial Soul, possess me."

Zhang Yang completed his possession at top speed. The clothes he had not had time to remove were stretched apart and torn, leaving him in a rather disheveled state.

Tang San drew the dagger Master had given him and cut Zhang Yang's clothes apart, preventing them from affecting Zhang Yang's mobility in battle.

"Zhang Yang, the Iron Horned Bull is already on the verge of death. You must kill it before the Mandala Snake's venom finishes it off. Then immediately come support me in attacking the Mandala Snake."

"But remember, do not kill it. Leave its life for Xiao San."

"Xiao San, do not get too close to the battlefield. You must protect yourself."

"Recall the weaknesses I just told you about."

Based on the battlefield situation, Master swiftly arranged their tactics. He then handed each of them a mask before calling out softly.

"Go!!!"

The three immediately sprang into action.

Master, with twenty-ninth-level Soul Power, was the fastest. His Second Soul Ring quickly lit up, and in a flash, he flew into the air above Luo Sanpao.

"Sanpao, ram it!" Master shouted.

Master's First Soul Skill, Thunder Shock, was an area attack. Since he was worried it would affect the nearby Iron Horned Bull, he could not use it. His Second Soul Skill was hypnosis. Although it caused no damage, its poison had little effect on the inherently venomous Mandala Snake.

Thus, Master, who was the first to enter the battlefield, did not use a Soul Skill. Instead, he used an ordinary attack to hold back the Mandala Snake and buy Zhang Yang time.

Logically, given the Mandala Snake's speed, Sanpao should have had no chance of hitting it. But it had just finished a major battle, was mentally exhausted, had consumed a great deal of Soul Power, and suffered several minor injuries. Caught off guard by a prepared opponent, it was directly rammed by Luo Sanpao, its Snake Head knocked sideways.

Seizing the opportunity, Zhang Yang rushed toward the Iron Horned Bull lying on the ground.

The Iron Horned Bull's iron horns felt icy cold to the touch and were far harder than steel. Anyone struck by those horns while it was charging would surely suffer severe injuries. But now, poisoned by the Mandala Snake's neurotoxin, it was already on the verge of death and did not even have the strength to open its eyes.

Zhang Yang aimed his fingers at the Iron Horned Bull's eyes, channeled Finger Gun, and stabbed down fiercely, directly ending the Iron Horned Bull's life.

A yellow Soul Ring then emerged from the Iron Horned Bull's corpse.

Having taken the Iron Horned Bull's life, Zhang Yang did not dare delay. He hurriedly pulled down his mask and shouted, "Teacher, I got the Iron Horned Bull's Soul Ring!"

"Good!" Master waved his hand, and his First Soul Ring swiftly rose from beneath his feet, flying toward Luo Sanpao, who was dodging the Mandala Snake's attacks.

"Fart like thunder, shake the heavens and split the earth, Luo Sanpao!"

Luo Sanpao's eyes abruptly lit up. The yellow ring circling his body seemed to turn into a curtain of light. His round body suddenly sprang up, soaring to an astonishing height of five meters. He twisted in midair, and then a thunderous boom erupted in an instant.

Accompanied by that blast, a yellow barrier suddenly burst forth with the force of Thunderous Might, completely enveloping the Mandala Snake.

The enormous snake body was blasted from the ground and hurled far away.

Only then did Master clearly see the Mandala Snake's length. Four meters—a Mandala Snake with a full four hundred years of cultivation.

Under normal circumstances, Master would never have entertained any thoughts about a four-hundred-year Mandala Snake. After all, his Soul Power was only at level twenty-nine, and his Martial Soul was not particularly powerful. He simply could not defeat this Mandala Snake.

Fortunately, the Mandala Snake had just finished a major battle. It was mentally exhausted, had consumed a great deal of Soul Power, and had suffered several light wounds. Combined with Zhang Yang's powerful Soul Power Martial Skills, they might not lack the strength to fight it.

As the Mandala Snake was flung away by the fart, Zhang Yang swiftly joined the battle. "Teacher, I want to use Rokugan. I need your help." Taking advantage of the brief moment while the Mandala Snake was airborne, Zhang Yang hurriedly shouted to Master.

Master pondered upon hearing this. "Rokugan?"

Although Zhang Yang had never demonstrated Rokugan to Master in person, he had described its effects and characteristics in detail. Therefore, Master, who excelled in theory, immediately began considering how he could cooperate with Rokugan.

Master's mind was quick, and he soon understood Zhang Yang's intention. "You want me to use Thunder Shock to throw the Mandala Snake into the air? But Zhang Yang, I cannot be sure that I can accurately throw the Mandala Snake toward your fist."

"Although your Rokugan has a short charging time, Soul Beasts are also thrown through the air extremely quickly. There will be no time to find the right position before charging. We can only gamble on whether the Soul Beast happens to fly into it."

"And once your Rokugan begins charging, you cannot cancel it, can you?" Master frowned. "This is too risky."

"But Teacher, Rankyaku and Finger Gun are not very suitable against the Mandala Snake. While they can guarantee a hit, the damage may be too low."

The Mandala Snake was incredibly slippery, and its body was extremely tough. Its only weak points were its mouth and eyes, both of which were well protected.

When considered that way, Rankyaku's usefulness was greatly reduced.

Though Finger Gun's exceptional piercing power could be effective, the snake was four meters long while its body was only fifteen to thirty centimeters in diameter. Precisely hitting the mouth or eyes of a Mandala Snake of that size was no easy task.

As for Rokugan, it was an immensely powerful attack released in the form of a Shockwave. The Mandala Snake's bodily defenses would do little to weaken the Shockwave's force. It seemed like the best choice, but it required preparation time.

Zhang Yang said seriously, "Better to break one finger than injure all ten. We can gamble on this. If we use Rokugan, a miracle might happen."