After Jiang Huai and Tang San exchanged glances, they nodded to each other, and everyone went on high alert.
"Wait!"
Jiang Huai told them to wait. He had held back so the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent would come closer, then he could finish it off with a single decisive blow.
Before long, the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent was right in front of them. Jiang Huai leaped up and grabbed its tail as it flew overhead. Gripping it, he said coldly, "So you're the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent, huh?"
Jiang Huai hurled the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent behind him with all his strength. Xiao Wu and Tang San quickly dodged, while the serpent spat up a mouthful of slops from the impact.
"Teacher Zhao!"
At the call, Zhao Wuji rubbed his hands together. "Hahaha! I've been wanting to get in on this!"
The Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent was dazed, its belly facing upward. Without a word—or even asking the snake what it thought—Zhao Wuji leaped up and slammed his body down hard on its pale belly.
The Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent was nearly crushed to death. Its tongue lolled out, and it couldn't move.
Jiang Huai took Jiang Ling out of his Soul Tool and tossed it to Oscar. Oscar stepped forward, and the sword nearly smacked him in the head.
Jiang Huai pressed a hand to his forehead, speechless. Oscar gripped Jiang Ling and cut off the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent's head with one slash, then turned its head over and cut off its fleshy crest.
A purple Soul Ring drifted up from the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent's corpse. Jiang Huai took Jiang Ling back and wiped the stench from the blade with a leaf.
Oscar sat cross-legged and reached out with his right hand to touch the Soul Ring. The purple ring's power entered his body, and he immediately closed his eyes and began absorbing it.
Jiang Huai leaned against a tree trunk, waiting for time to pass. Just then, two elderly people emerged with a young woman.
The young woman was named Meng Yiran. She had already absorbed a Soul Ring, and had begged her grandparents to come after hearing the sounds of fighting.
In the shadows, Jiang Yi furrowed her brow and murmured, "The Peerless Dragon and Snake couple? Hadn't they already hunted their Soul Rings? What are they doing here?"
Jiang Huai leaned against the tree and pulled up his black-and-gold mask to cover his nose and mouth. Gu Yue walked over and leaned against the tree beside him.
Together, the two made a striking sight. Meng Yiran stared at Jiang Huai, completely entranced.
Meng Shu gave a light cough, and Meng Yiran finally came to her senses. Blushing, she turned her head away without a word.
Meng Shu introduced himself. "I am the Dragon of the Peerless Dragon and Snake, Meng Shu. May I ask if you were the ones who killed a Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent?"
At this, Zhao Wuji cupped his hands in greeting. "So you're the senior Dragon Duke of the Peerless Dragon and Snake. I am the Immovable Bright King, Zhao Wuji. Please forgive us for not welcoming you properly."
The group chatted and laughed for some time. Oscar successfully finished absorbing the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent's Soul Ring. Jiang Huai opened his eyes, his gaze fixed intently on Oscar.
Oscar opened his eyes and stretched as though waking from a deep sleep. If Jiang Huai could have, he really would have slapped him.
Though Oscar was older, he still wouldn't have been able to take a slap from Jiang Huai.
When the Dragon Duke heard from Zhao Wuji that Jiang Huai also needed a Soul Ring, he was astonished. Judging by Jiang Huai's Soul Power, he looked only twelve. How had he reached level forty so quickly?
He glanced at his granddaughter, Meng Yiran, and sighed. "Then I'll help you hunt a thousand-year Soul Beast."
The Dragon Duke turned to Jiang Huai. "What kind of Soul Beast's Soul Ring do you want, boy? Tell me."
Jiang Huai shook his head. "The Soul Ring I want isn't found here."
At this, the Dragon Duke laughed heartily and stroked his snowy-white beard. "This is a habitat for all kinds of Soul Beasts. How could it not be here? Tell me what it's called. We might have even encountered one just now."
Jiang Huai thought for a moment, then said, "I want an eight- to nine-thousand-year-old Flowing Slurry Water Curtain."
The Dragon Duke nearly choked on his saliva. He looked at Jiang Huai in irritation. "Do you even know that the Soul Beast you mentioned lives in a lake in Sweet Valley, in the Sunset Forest?"
Jiang Huai nodded. "I know."
The Dragon Duke's mouth twitched, but he still agreed. After all, he was an elder. If he didn't follow through on what he'd promised, how could he maintain his dignity in front of his granddaughter?
And so Jiang Huai and Gu Yue left with the Dragon Duke and Meng Yiran. Before they went, Jiang Huai told Tang San to take good care of Xiao Wu.
If nothing unexpected happened, something unexpected was bound to happen. The Dragon Duke carried the three of them on his dragon's back, and they headed toward the Sunset Forest.
They had already traveled some distance, but something had gone wrong on Tang San's end. A hundred-thousand-year-old Titan Giant Ape had attacked them.
The Titan Giant Ape abducted Xiao Wu. Tang San was beside himself when he saw this and immediately charged after it, only to be blasted backward by its furious roar.
What happened next was just like in the original story. To save Xiao Wu, Tang San forcibly circulated the Mysterious Heaven Skill, raising his Soul Power by one level and reaching level thirty.
He ate the sausage Oscar had given him and flew off, while Jiang Huai and Gu Yue remained unaware of what had happened.
On the dragon's back, Gu Yue leaned back and reclined in Jiang Huai's arms. He caught her and flicked her on the nose.
Gu Yue sniffed, her face flushed. Nearby, Meng Yiran's expression dimmed at the sight.
Before long, the four of them reached the lakeshore in Sweet Valley, in the Sunset Forest. Jiang Huai faintly sensed a trace of dragon might, but paid it no mind. He put the bait on the shore, then hid and waited.
The Dragon Duke told Jiang Huai, "Boy, an eight-thousand-year-old Flowing Slurry Water Curtain is very hard to find. We'll just have to see how lucky you are."
Three days passed in the blink of an eye. They had already gone through five large bags of bait, and only one was left. If the eight- to nine-thousand-year-old one didn't show up, they'd be out of bait.
Three hours later, a very large Flowing Slurry Water Curtain suddenly leaped out of the water. It looked around, saw no one, and began eating the bait.
The bait let out a shriek as the creature bit down on it. The Dragon Duke reacted in an instant and struck it with his staff.
The ten-thousand-year-old Flowing Slurry Water Curtain roared and was brought under control. Jiang Huai stared in surprise. "Since when has dealing with this thing been so easy?"
Meng Yiran proudly patted her ample chest. "Of course! My grandfather is a Soul Douluo of the agility attack system."
Jiang Huai nodded. "All right."
Jiang Huai quickly took out Jiang Ling and stabbed the Flowing Slurry Water Curtain in the belly. Soon, a black Soul Ring appeared before them.
Just as Jiang Huai reached out to touch it, the Dragon Duke suddenly felt a chill run down his back and shouted, "Don't!"
But it was too late. Jiang Huai's hand had already touched the black Soul Ring. The ring turned into four black strands above his head, then gathered together again into a Soul Ring.
Jiang Huai couldn't be bothered with whatever the Dragon Duke had said. He sat cross-legged on the ground and began absorbing the Soul Ring.
Before you continue