The Astonishing Wisdom of Yu Xiaogang

Next, he took two ropes from his belt and skillfully bound his thigh and calf, pulling them tight to cut off blood circulation.

The belt was a gift from Yu Xiaogang on the road, a storage Soul Tool named Twenty-Four Moonlit Bridges.

That was not all; Tang San brandished the sharp sword in his hand, gritted his teeth, and plunged it deep into the bite wound on his calf.

A stream of dark blood, clearly mixed with numerous black filaments, spurted out. As it hit the grass, the blades were instantly corroded through, their stems severed.

Even the ground hissed, bubbling up with countless foams.

Tang San was deeply shocked; the toxicity was far stronger than his worst-case scenario—it was already potent enough to kill upon contact with blood.

Though his pupils dilated from the pain and cold sweat broke out on his forehead, his arm did not tremble, nor did his calf flinch; he kept his muscles relaxed, forcibly preventing them from tensing up.

With two consecutive strikes, he carved a deep, cross-shaped incision that reached the bone, making the opening as wide as possible.

He wrapped both hands around his calf and squeezed hard from the knee down, trying to force all the poisoned blood out.

But even after three attempts, the blood still had not turned back to a normal red.

It was at this moment that the voice of the Grandmaster, filled with shock and terror, rang out.

"Heavens, it's actually a Silver Shuttle! A Silver Shuttle Snake! How could such a terrifying creature appear in a beginner Soul Hunting Forest? And in the outer ten-year zone, no less?"

The moment he saw the Silver Shuttle Snake, the man was so frightened he sat down hard on the ground.

His heart nearly stopped, and his face turned deathly pale.

But fear kept him from hesitating.

With trembling hands, he hurriedly took a large glass bottle from the Soul Tool on his wrist and began frantically scattering the Snake Repellent Powder inside as if it were worthless.

A moment later, seeing the snake seemingly intimidated by the powder and remaining motionless, and having seen his disciple finish treating the wound, he braced himself to continue posturing:

"The Silver Shuttle Snake is a predator among soul beasts. It is incredibly fast and possesses a terrifyingly toxic blood type.

At the same time, it causes horrific damage to soul power, muscles, bones, and various organs, especially the liver and kidneys.

It loves to hunt large or highly resilient soul beasts, drilling into their hearts through the blood vessels after poisoning them to feed on their blood."

Tang San had no desire to listen to this lecture and hurriedly interrupted the spellcasting:

"Teacher, do you know how to treat its toxin?"

Yu Xiaogang's expression stiffened, and his voice dropped several notches.

"There are detox pills prepared in the Soul Tool; take two. They should have some effect."

Tang San's face darkened.

"What do you mean 'should have some effect'?"

"Translate that for me—what does 'should' mean?"

"Doesn't 'should be useful' just mean it's useless?"

"These are general-purpose detox pills. They can only neutralize the most common toxins, like those from accidentally eating poisonous mushrooms or drinking unclean water, and provide a slight resistance to the body.

But the Silver Shuttle is a special toxin; it requires a targeted antidote or the use of a support-type Soul Master's detoxification soul skill."

Tang San's heart sank, turning ice-cold.

He had reacted quickly and precisely, doing everything he was supposed to do and acting with ruthless resolve, yet he still couldn't stop the toxin from spreading.

In this short time, his entire calf had lost all sensation, as if it no longer existed.

And in a place like this, where not even a shadow of a person could be seen, where was he supposed to find a support-type Soul Master?

A targeted antidote was even less likely; the forest contained more than one type of poison, so who would prepare for a specific one in advance?

Staring blankly at the darkening sky, Sanzi felt a wave of bitterness.

Is my life going to end like this?

No, I still have to bring the Tang Sect and hidden weapons to glory.

Should I just chop the whole leg off?

Yu Xiaogang was also racking his brain.

After a few seconds of contemplation, he suddenly said:

"Wait, perhaps there is one more way?"

"Teacher, please tell me."

"That is to absorb the Silver Shuttle Snake's Soul Ring.

Once you absorb the Soul Ring, you will possess a certain resistance to the Silver Shuttle toxin. At the same time, your Blue Silver Grass will carry the toxin, allowing you to use your martial soul to draw the poison out of your body.

The only problem is that the Silver Shuttle Snake is over a meter long; it should be over five hundred years old."

Gangzi had intended to express that it was impossible for him to defeat a five-hundred-year-old soul beast, but before he could finish, the overjoyed Tang San interrupted him by slamming his head hard against the ground in a kowtow.

"Teacher, I know that according to your theory, the absolute limit for a first Soul Ring is four hundred and twenty-three years.

But if I don't absorb it now, I will die. Besides, I am different; perhaps I can withstand it."

"I beg you, Teacher, please hunt it for me. As long as I can survive this, from this day forward, I will respect and honor you just like my own biological father."

"No, you are my biological father. My dad only knows how to drink and sleep all day; he does nothing, and I even have to cook for him. Only here with you have I received the care of a father. I would rather not have him at all."

Gangzi was stunned on the spot, his eyes wide as saucers.

"Little one, do you even know who your father is? How dare you speak such nonsense?"

However, these words from Sanzi served as a reminder to Yu Xiaogang: if anything were to happen to Tang San, the Clear Sky Douluo would certainly never forgive him.

He had already seen his disciple's second martial soul, the Clear Sky Hammer, and having heard the name Tang Hao from his own lips, he was absolutely certain.

He swallowed the second half of his sentence and nodded stiffly.

"Very well, then."

Yu Xiaogang stood up cautiously, swallowing a mouthful of saliva involuntarily. Before he even moved, his legs were already shaking like a sieve.

His heart hammered against his ribs like a war drum, and his breathing grew rapid and heavy.

He had wanted to appear calm and collected to maintain the dignity of a teacher, but his body's reaction was brutally honest.

If it were a two or three-hundred-year soul beast, there might be a chance to fight, but five hundred years was completely beyond his capabilities.

Soul beasts undergo a minor transformation at four hundred and seven hundred years; a five-hundred-year beast is on an entirely different level than a three-hundred-year one.

A speed-type beast was also the perfect counter to Luo Sanpao.

Just as he was about to step forward, he suddenly paused, pulled two masks from his Soul Tool, put one on himself, and tossed the other to his disciple.

"San, put this on. My soul skill is a bit special."

Seeing this, a vague sense of foreboding rose in Tang San's heart.

Why does Teacher look like he has absolutely no combat experience?

But he still urged him on:

"Teacher, please hurry, I can't hold on much longer."

"Alright."

Death was certain either way, and facing the Silver Shuttle Snake was at least better than facing the Clear Sky Douluo.

Gangzi gritted his teeth and drove Luo Sanpao forward with him, his left hand clutching a glass bottle filled with Snake Repellent Powder, his right hand gripping a gleaming, cold-edged sword.

Faced with the enemy's approach, the Silver Shuttle Snake did not move an inch; instead, it tilted its head, its eyes revealing a look of human-like confusion.

This human, what is he trying to do?