The academy was still quiet in the early morning.
At the academy gates, Yu Xiaogang had already met up with Tang San. After buying some supplies for camping in the wilderness, the two rented a carriage and set off for the Soul Hunting Forest, four hundred miles away.
On the carriage, Yu Xiaogang took out the Twenty-Four Bridges Moonlight Night and gave it to Tang San.
This item appeared many times in the original story. Paired with Tang San's Hidden Weapon Techniques, it had helped him escape danger on numerous occasions.
Besides, in the events to come, Tang San would rely on this item to use his Hidden Weapon Techniques and kill Soul Beasts.
With their lives at stake, Yu Xiaogang gave it to him without hesitation. Along the way, he also urged Tang San to practice taking things in and out of it.
Because Tang San liked the Twenty-Four Bridges Moonlight Night, he followed Yu Xiaogang's instructions without much suspicion and began repeatedly practicing storing and retrieving White Radishes from the belt.
By noon the next day, the carriage had reached the entrance to the Soul Hunting Forest.
The two got off and entered the Soul Hunting Forest with their permits.
As soon as they entered the forest, Yu Xiaogang summoned Luo Sanpao and handed Tang San his Protective Dagger.
After all, it was a crucial item for killing a Soul Beast that night. Naturally, he hadn't forgotten it.
The two searched for Soul Beasts around the outskirts. When the sun set, they camped in that fateful hollow.
The thrilling night began!
Just as expected, the Ghost Wolves, their opening act, were blasted to death by Luo Sanpao's farts. Once the small fry were dealt with, the hidden big boss, the "Mandala Snake," made its grand entrance.
At the sight of it, Yu Xiaogang's expression immediately turned serious.
According to the original plot, this Mandala Snake's venom had nearly killed him here. Even knowing that Tang San would help detoxify him later, he still wouldn't risk his life on a gamble.
Let's test things out on you, you nasty snake. Blue Electric Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul, Possession!
Taking advantage of the darkness, Yu Xiaogang quietly activated the Martial Soul in his left hand. The next moment, his body began to swell. His hair turned from black to blue, and faint arcs of electricity flickered in his pupils. His hands transformed into Dragon Claws, their cold gleam reflected in the moonlight.
"Xiao San, we'll attack from both sides. Look for a chance to hit its eyes."
Tang San looked visibly surprised by Yu Xiaogang's transformation, but with a formidable enemy before them, there was no time to dwell on it. He immediately took a White Radish from the Twenty-Four Bridges Moonlight Night and hurled it at the Mandala Snake using his unique Hidden Weapon Techniques.
Yu Xiaogang took advantage of the moment the White Radish struck to attack the snake's body with his Dragon Claws. The Mandala Snake recoiled in pain, and another White Radish from the other side smacked it on the head.
Under the two of them working together, the Mandala Snake grew increasingly agitated and began to lose patience. Tang San seized his chance, raised his Sleeve Arrow, and shot at the snake's eye.
The Sleeve Arrow, forged from Iron Mother, was immensely powerful. It pierced the eye with ease, like a knife cutting through tofu.
With its head injured, the Mandala Snake's enormous body began thrashing on the ground. It took more than ten minutes for it to finally settle down.
Yu Xiaogang then withdrew his Martial Soul Possession and instructed Tang San to draw his dagger and kill the Mandala Snake, after which Tang San began absorbing its Soul Ring.
At dawn the next day, just as Tang San finished absorbing the Soul Ring, the system's notification rang out.
[Entry updated: 400-year Mandala Snake Soul Ring]
Inside the dormitory building at Nuoding Junior Academy.
As soon as he returned to his room, Yu Xiaogang eagerly brought up the System Panel and selected the newly updated entry.
[Selected entry "400-year Mandala Snake Soul Ring." Corresponding mission initiated: Enter the Illusion Realm and defeat the 400-year Mandala Snake.] [PS: Your consciousness will enter the Illusion Realm. There is no risk of death, and the number of attempts is unlimited. You may manifest one item you are carrying.]
After seeing the information below, Yu Xiaogang hesitated no longer and decided to test the mission's difficulty.
The next moment, a force of suction pulled at him from the System Panel. Yu Xiaogang felt as though his soul had been wrenched from his body and drawn into the panel in front of him.
After a dizzying spin, Yu Xiaogang found himself standing in a forest.
Looking at the familiar surroundings, he realized that this was the hollow where he and Tang San had camped in the Soul Hunting Forest.
The next moment, a huge shadow burst from the woods ahead. Yu Xiaogang hurriedly rolled to the side, narrowly dodging its attack.
He then drew on the Soul Power in his body and summoned Luo Sanpao, while also using Martial Soul Possession.
"Fart like thunder, Earth-Shattering Luo Sanpao!"
A thunderous boom rang out, and yellow mist erupted, blasting the charging Mandala Snake into the air.
Yu Xiaogang seized the opportunity to rush forward and swipe at the Mandala Snake's eyes with his Dragon Claws.
Squish!
His claws sank into the Mandala Snake's eye. Yu Xiaogang tried to press his advantage and crush the snake's brain, but before he could exert his strength, its body had already coiled around him.
The enormous force tightened around Yu Xiaogang's body, making it difficult to breathe and even harder to use his hands.
The Mandala Snake then opened its jaws and bit down hard. Its two fangs pierced Yu Xiaogang's chest.
Inside the dormitory.
Yu Xiaogang jolted awake and instinctively felt his chest. Only after finding no wound did he let out a sigh of relief.
Even though he'd known beforehand that it was an Illusion Realm, the feeling of cold fangs piercing his body had still terrified him.
After calming himself a little, Yu Xiaogang began thinking back over the battle in the Illusion Realm.
After using Martial Soul Possession, his physical strength had been enough to injure the Mandala Snake. However, his attacks had been too limited, and he'd ended up getting caught in its coils.
"Looks like I'll have to train hard in Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track and Controlling Crane Capturing Dragon over the next while."
Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track would make him more agile in battle, while Controlling Crane Capturing Dragon would give him a major advantage in close combat.
Yu Xiaogang left the dormitory and followed the stairs up to the roof.
It was spacious, and nobody would come to disturb him—a perfect place to train alone.
Yu Xiaogang took his stance, half-crouching as he spread his arms and followed the training method for Controlling Crane Capturing Dragon, channeling his Soul Power into his palms.
As soon as he finished a set of movements, the System Panel immediately gave him feedback.
[Controlling Crane Capturing Dragon, proficiency +1]
Yu Xiaogang glanced at it, then ignored it and turned his attention back to his training.
One month later, inside the mission Illusion Realm.
Yu Xiaogang deftly rolled to the side, dodging the Mandala Snake's surprise attack. Then he summoned Luo Sanpao and began chanting, "Fart like smoke, put them to sleep, Luo Sanpao!"
A huge cloud of yellow poison gas sprayed from Luo Sanpao's rear and rapidly spread across the entire area.
Yu Xiaogang used Martial Soul Possession but didn't choose to clash head-on with the Mandala Snake. Instead, he hid in the poison gas and began playing a game of hide-and-seek with it.
After more than ten minutes, the Mandala Snake's reactions had clearly slowed from inhaling so much of the soporific poison gas.
Yu Xiaogang saw that his chance had come. He stopped hiding and took the fight to the Mandala Snake, engaging it at close range.
With Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track enhancing his movements, Yu Xiaogang was noticeably faster. He constantly circled the Mandala Snake, leaving a series of wounds on its body with his Dragon Claws.
Once the Mandala Snake had weakened enough, Yu Xiaogang rushed at its head and plunged the Dragon Claw of his right hand into its eye.
The Mandala Snake writhed in pain, but with its body slashed all over, it couldn't coil around him quickly. It could only open its jaws and lunge at him.
Yu Xiaogang used Controlling Crane Capturing Dragon. A force of attraction sprang from his left hand, guiding the Mandala Snake's head so that its bite went wide.
Then he thrust his right hand forward with all his strength. His Dragon Claw sank into the Mandala Snake's skull, and its entire body collapsed limply to the ground.
[Mission complete. Obtained 400-year Mandala Snake Soul Ring]
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