Huo Yuhao became a disciple on the spot,
joining the Tang Sect and taking Tang Ya as his teacher.
Huo Yuhao had never dreamed that his first Soul Ring would be a million-year one. With Brother Sky Dream by his side, he had also joined the Tang Sect. Tang Ya had taken a rare Spirit Master as her disciple, and Bei Bei had watched the Tang Sect grow stronger.
Lu Ran had gained Electrolux, and Jiang Nannan was content just to accompany him.
For a time,
the team's atmosphere was especially harmonious. Everyone had gained something,
and they all felt the trip had been worthwhile.
They continued onward.
Bei Bei took good care of Huo Yuhao, patiently explaining all sorts of things about Martial Souls and Soul Rings.
Of course, he also told him about the Tang Sect's history.
After all, how could a Tang Sect disciple help the sect grow stronger
if he didn't even know its past?
Huo Yuhao listened extremely attentively,
his heart surging with excitement, filled with longing and anticipation.
"The main reason we came this time was to get our Tang Sect's sect master, Teacher Tang Ya, her third Soul Ring."
Bei Bei gestured as he introduced her:
"Our Teacher Xiao Ya is a level-thirty control-type Great Soul Elder!"
"Wow!"
Huo Yuyao's eyes brimmed with admiration.
A Great Soul Elder!
Tang Ya straightened her back and waved her hand.
"Heh heh, no need to make a fuss..."
But the corners of her mouth curled up despite herself, betraying what she was thinking.
Not that she had ever tried to hide it.
Tang Ya had originally wanted to explain things to Huo Yuhao herself, but she tried to pour out everything at once. Her explanation was so disorganized
that she couldn't even make herself understood.
In the end, she had to leave it to Bei Bei.
She told herself:
You're the sect master, yet you can't even handle a little thing like this...
But
when Bei Bei praised her, her slight disappointment vanished and she cheered right up.
She lifted her dainty nose,
Heh heh, that's right. I'm the Tang Sect's sect master.
A sect master has to learn to delegate.
The right person should handle the right task.
They continued exploring deeper into the Star Dou Great Forest.
Several hours later,
Tang Ya clapped her hands and looked at the Wind Baboon corpse dropping from the treetops.
"Heh, all they ever do is ambush people. I hate these Wind Baboons."
"Little Yu Hao, see? This is how we—"
Bei Bei's expression suddenly changed.
"Xiao Ya, look out!"
He immediately reached out and pulled Tang Ya into his arms.
As light as a feather, Tang Ya dodged a shadow that darted from the bushes. She summoned several strands of Blue Silver Grass, wrapping one around Huo Yuhao's waist while the others spread out around them.
Jiang Nannan summoned her Martial Soul as well.
Her pink-white rabbit ears stood upright, her beautiful eyes filled with caution.
She wanted to protect Lu Ran,
but Lu Ran instead put himself between her and danger.
A little Mandala Snake couldn't hurt him.
Three Soul Rings—yellow, yellow, and purple—instantly appeared around his right arm, which had grown more than half a foot longer and was covered in scales.
In an instant, plasma crackled like lightning snakes.
Bei Bei shouted, "Thunderbolt!"
The yellow Soul Ring on his right arm lit up.
The countless blue-violet lightning snakes, previously darting about without order, instantly converged into a web of thunder that hemmed in the shadow.
Only then did everyone get a clear look.
It was a three-meter-long snake, pink from head to tail.
Tang Ya's eyes lit up.
A thousand-year-old Mandala Snake!
Perfect for her Blue Silver Grass!
Without her saying a word, Bei Bei knew what she was thinking. The moment the web of thunder formed, it began to tighten.
The Mandala Snake paused for only an instant.
Its blood-red eyes rolled, and it bared its sharp fangs, lunging at Bei Bei amid a cloud of pink fragrance.
As the Mandala Snake charged straight at him,
Bei Bei didn't dodge. His gaze sharpened,
and he shouted:
"Thunder Fury!"
In an instant,
all his attributes increased by fifty percent, and his aura surged!
The lightning he released seemed to come alive, making the web of thunder even more threatening.
"Thunder Dragon Claw!"
Plasma flashed across his dragon-scale-covered right arm, condensing into a gigantic blue-violet lightning claw.
He met the Mandala Snake head-on.
"Boom!"
After a flash of light,
Bei Bei was sent stumbling backward,
staggering several steps.
"Hissss~"
The Mandala Snake hissed in pain. A wisp of smoke rose from the hard pink scales on its head,
leaving behind scorch marks.
It was clearly injured.
"Whoosh! Whoosh!"
Several low whistles cut through the air as Tang Ya fired her Sleeve Arrows.
The Mandala Snake couldn't dodge in time. Sparks skittered across its smooth, hard scales.
"Hiss~"
It clearly wasn't stupid. Its blood-red eyes swept around,
and when it realized it was at a disadvantage,
it opened its gaping jaws and spat out a cloud of pink mist. In an instant,
the forest, where battle had raged, was filled with a sweet fragrance.
"It's poison!"
Bei Bei hurriedly warned everyone.
Huo Yuhao hurriedly covered his nose and mouth, but Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's lazy voice rang out in his mind:
"What are you afraid of? A little snake venom can't hurt you. Go ahead and breathe it in. Your big brother's here."
Only then did he lower his hand with relief.
That's right. Brother Sky Dream's here.
But the web of thunder, which had nearly finished closing in, instantly lost its force when it touched the pink mist,
breaking apart into scattered sparks.
Seeing that it worked, the Mandala Snake raised its head and spat out another cloud of mist. It corroded a huge hole through the web of thunder,
giving it a chance.
It coiled its body, and its three-meter-long length shot into the air,
then slipped through the web of lightning amid another cloud of pink mist.
"We can't let it get away!"
Tang Ya cried out anxiously.
Blue Silver Grass surged like waves, trying to block the Mandala Snake.
She wasn't saying this solely because she wanted its Soul Ring.
Everyone knew
that Mandala Snakes were incredibly fast, highly intelligent, and skilled at hiding.
If they let it loose in the forest,
they would be in danger,
and could be attacked at any moment.
Even worse, Mandala Snakes were extremely skilled with poison.
The slightest contact with their corrosive venom
could rot flesh and send poison coursing through the whole body.
In this vast Star Dou Great Forest, being poisoned was as good as dying.
But the Mandala Snake was incredibly fast.
In the blink of an eye, it had vanished.
Bei Bei's heart sank, and his face turned grave.
He said in a low voice:
"Head for open ground!"
One of the Mandala Snake's greatest advantages was that it could maneuver through the dense tree trunks.
They could weaken its threat by getting to open ground.
Tang Ya immediately set off with Huo Yuhao.
Jiang Nannan also prepared to move with Lu Ran.
Bei Bei's Thunderbolt had held back the Mandala Snake, but it had also restricted everyone else.
Aside from those using ranged weapons,
the others couldn't intervene.
Though she hadn't faced it head-on, she could still feel the pressure of the Mandala Snake.
However,
Lu Ran frowned.
If they let the Mandala Snake attack at will, someone might really get hurt.
Since that was the case,
he would have to deal with it himself.
With that thought,
two purple Soul Rings slowly rose beside Lu Ran.
Bei Bei and the others stopped in their tracks.
Two thousand-year Soul Rings?
How was that possible?!
Before anyone could react,
Lu Ran's gaze shifted. He extended his left hand toward the front-left and clenched it in the air.
"Boom!!"
The forest ten meters ahead erupted with a thunderous crash.
Everyone turned to look in unison.
An ancient tree was severed at the trunk and crashed to the ground, startling flocks of birds into flight in the distance.
Then came several more explosions, seemingly mixed with strange hissing cries.
The sounds sent a chill down their spines.
For a moment,
branches and shattered stones flew through the air,
But only a moment later, the forest fell quiet again,
Everyone stood there, stunned,
unable to figure out what had happened,
when, amid the battered forest,
a yellow figure slowly emerged... with a peach-pink giant snake dangling from its mouth.
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