Lin Ye in Action

Tang San: "..."

Damn it, if I hadn't reacted just now, we'd both be dead as doornails.

Tang San realized he had misjudged Yu Xiaogang's strength. So this was a Soul Grand Master? How utterly useless.

What kind of teacher had he gone and taken as his master!

The Mandala Snake, mortally wounded, thrashed in place for a while before reluctantly breathing its last.

Yellow specks of light rose from the snake's corpse, gathering together to form a century-old soul ring.

"Xiao San, come quick. Your soul ring is settled." Yu Xiaogang shouted in delighted surprise.

"Teacher, are you sure it's this snake?" Tang San asked.

Yu Xiaogang nodded seriously. "That's right. According to my research, a soul master's first soul ring can absorb soul beasts under 423 years old. This Mandala Snake's cultivation is very close to four hundred years, perfect for your soul ring."

"Ah? Teacher, but my Blue Silver Grass is a plant martial soul. Can a plant martial soul absorb an animal soul ring?"

Asking this question showed Tang San's intelligence. By his logic, his Clear Sky Hammer martial soul would never find a soul ring—there were no hammer soul beasts!

Yu Xiaogang wore a confident smile. It was time for this Master to shine again.

So next, Yu Xiaogang proceeded to explain to Tang San the theories he had plagiarized—ah, no... the theories he had painstakingly researched. Things like the Ten Core Competencies of Martial Soul, and the Martial Soul Mimicry theory, and other miscellaneous nonsense.

And once again, Tang San was awed by Yu Xiaogang's knowledge.

Yu Xiaogang looked eagerly at his disciple. "Everyone treats my Ten Core Competencies of Martial Soul as a joke, and no one is willing to absorb different types of soul rings. Xiao San, are you willing to try?"

Yu Xiaogang's eyes held a glimmer of hope, like a lonely flame in the darkness.

Tang San couldn't bear to snuff out that single flame. "Teacher, I am willing. Your theory must be correct. Let me help you put it into practice."

Yu Xiaogang's face filled with relief. Seeing the century-old soul ring floating above the Mandala Snake's corpse, he could barely contain his impatience. "Xiao San, begin."

Tang San did as he was told, sitting cross-legged on the spot. He released his Blue Silver Grass martial soul and began absorbing the first soul ring of his life.

"Mm..." A low groan escaped Tang San's lips. His face was already twisted in pain.

The energy of the soul ring was far more violent than he had imagined. Tang San felt as though scorching magma was surging into him. In an instant, his internal organs burned, and his body trembled violently.

"Stay clear-headed. Focus your mind on your martial soul." Yu Xiaogang reminded him, his eyes fixed on Tang San, his heart in his throat.

Theory was, after all, just theory. A theory never put into practice was no different from empty talk.

Tang San, his disciple, had become the first guinea pig to test his theory. How could he not be nervous?

The key point was that Tang San's identity was far from simple. Nothing could go wrong here.

Tang San was not the only one watching him. In the shadows, Tang Hao was also paying close attention.

His son had gone to the Soul Hunting Forest to find a soul ring, and the master he had taken was an unreliable, useless Soul Grand Master. How could a father not worry?

As it turned out, Yu Xiaogang really was useless—far too unreliable.

Fortunately, it was a close call. His son had managed to resolve the crisis himself.

"Hm?"

Tang Hao suddenly turned his head, a look of surprise on his face. For some reason, he sensed a powerful presence from the central area of the Soul Hunting Forest—the presence of a soul beast.

What? How could there be such a powerful soul beast in the Soul Hunting Forest? Tang Hao couldn't understand it. If he wasn't mistaken, that soul beast's aura was close to a hundred thousand years.

But how? Where could such a powerful soul beast come from in a place like the Soul Hunting Forest?

Tang Hao was utterly baffled.

And he had no more time to think.

Not good. That soul beast was heading this way. Tang Hao's face darkened. Could his earlier probing have disturbed it?

No. He couldn't let it come any closer. Xiao San was still absorbing his soul ring. He absolutely could not be disturbed.

With that thought, Tang Hao quickly moved toward the direction he had sensed, ready to intercept the uninvited guest.

At the scene, only Tang San, Yu Xiaogang, and the dead snake remained.

Tang San's condition had stabilized. To his delight, during the fusion of the soul ring, the Mysterious Heaven Skill, which had been stagnant for so long, finally broke through.

In that instant, Tang San felt as though he had ascended to the clouds, floating like an immortal, as if he had reached the peak of ecstasy.

Yu Xiaogang, on the other hand, was in a far less fortunate state.

Yu Xiaogang rolled up his right sleeve. His right arm was swollen to three times its normal size, the skin stretched into a bright purple.

This was because Luo Sanpao had been bitten by the Mandala Snake earlier.

A beast martial soul and its host were one. Luo Sanpao being bitten was the same as Yu Xiaogang being bitten.

The Mandala Snake carried severe poison, and Yu Xiaogang was now suffering from the venom's effects.

He took a strip of cloth, tied it around his right arm near the shoulder, and pulled it tight. This was to prevent the venom from flowing through his bloodstream to the rest of his body.

But it seemed he had already realized too late. Black Qi crept across his face. His body grew weaker, his consciousness fading, his eyelids heavier and heavier.

Soon, Yu Xiaogang could hold on no longer. With a thud, he collapsed.

At that moment, several figures approached unhurriedly from not far away—three people and a cat: Lin Ye, Xiao Wu, Bing Di, and Lin Qiu'er.

Snow Empress was absent because she had gone to lure Tang Hao away.

Lin Ye didn't want Tang Hao to discover that he was behind this. Not out of fear, but because he worried that Tang Hao would take Tang San and flee, hiding and skulking around—that would be too disgusting.

Besides, keeping the father and son confused and living in fear wasn't so bad, was it? Hehehe...

Lin Ye held a half-dead little snake in his hand. The snake was ten centimeters long, its body a deep ink-green, with a triangular head and dull, blood-red eyes devoid of any spirit.

Looking closely, one could see that this little snake looked exactly like the Mandala Snake Tang San had killed—more precisely, it was like a miniature version of the Mandala Snake.

That's right, this was a juvenile Mandala Snake.

Before a Mandala Snake reached a thousand years of cultivation, its body would grow one centimeter for every year it lived. This little snake was only ten centimeters long, meaning it was a soul beast with merely ten years of cultivation.

At this moment, Tang San, who was absorbing the soul ring, had already passed the most difficult stage.

In fact, because his Mysterious Heaven Skill had successfully broken through, his face even showed joy and enjoyment.

Lin Ye didn't know any of this; Tang San only showed him his back.

Lin Ye was a man of few words but ruthless actions. He stepped forward and kicked Tang San square in the back.

This kick carried no small force. Under the momentum, Tang San's body lunged forward, his face planting into the ground, eating dirt.

And it didn't end there. This sudden attack also interrupted the absorption of the soul ring. The soul ring's energy rampaged through his body, severely damaging his meridians.