Zhu Zhuqing watched carefully:
"It can only fly about three meters above the treetops. There's a fleshy crest on its head, larger than its head itself and bright red as blood. Its tail is shaped like a fan."
Zhao Wuji's eyes lit up. "It's a Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent, a very rare Soul Beast. Oscar, you're in luck!"
"Zhuqing, what color are its wings, and how long is its body?"
Zhu Zhuqing's voice came from the treetops:
"Its wings are pale pink, and its body is about six to eight meters long."
Tang San immediately chimed in:
"Pale pink is a sign that a Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent has evolved to a thousand years. A body six to eight meters long also means it's between 1,300 and 1,800 years old. It's not poisonous, and its greatest strength is its speed."
"Oscar, it's perfect for you!"
Oscar listened excitedly, then turned to Xia Ya. "Xia Yan, can I absorb its Soul Ring?!"
Tang San's expression immediately stiffened.
Xia Yan considered it:
"After a year of training, and given the quality of your Martial Soul, you can indeed absorb a Soul Ring older than the 1,760-year limit for your Third Soul Ring. But the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent is a rare Soul Beast. It's highly likely to grant you the ability to fly at high speed,
and its group-flight Soul Skill is also quite rare."
"My suggestion is that instead of searching for an ordinary Soul Beast just to get a slightly older Soul Ring, you should choose this Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent. It suits you very well."
Zhao Wuji spoke up:
"Hurry up and decide. It's about to get away, and it won't be easy to find another Soul Beast like this."
While they were talking, the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent was about to fly over their heads.
Oscar panicked. "No, wait!"
"I want that one!"
"I'll absorb it, I'll absorb it!"
Zhao Wuji gave the order. "All right, get ready. We're taking this one."
At his words, everyone immediately summoned their Soul Rings. Yellow and purple light pulsed around them.
The catlike tail behind Zhu Zhuqing swished nimbly. "I'll stop it."
But Xia Yan leapt onto the treetops in a few strides and stopped her.
"No need. I'll handle it."
They were dealing with a Soul Beast less than two thousand years old. Did they really need to gang up on it?
Before anyone could react, he had already charged forward and summoned the Demon Suppressing Pagoda, releasing his second and Third Soul Rings.
Light Power coated both his arms.
He moved so fast that his body blurred.
The Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent had been fleeing, but Xia Yan's sudden appearance startled it. It abruptly turned and fled to the left.
It was an exceptionally fast Soul Beast, but Xia Yan was faster.
His fist flashed like lightning, striking straight through its massive lower jaw. The nearly eight-meter-long Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent immediately blacked out.
Its body, which had been moving several meters per second, suddenly lost all momentum.
With a crash, it fell into the treetops,
then smashed straight into the clearing Dai Mubai had made, landing right in front of everyone.
"Thud..."
The ground shook slightly, and broken branches and leaves tumbled down after it.
"..."
"..."
Ma Hongjun and the others stared in shock, their gazes slowly shifting from the badly injured, unconscious Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent on the ground to Xia Yan, who had landed nearby.
He looked completely relaxed, as if he'd just returned from a leisurely stroll.
W-was this even human?!
He'd taken down a two-thousand-year Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent just like that?!
Among those present, Zhu Zhuqing was still standing atop the treetops. Her beautiful eyes trembled as she covered her mouth, unable to believe what she'd just seen.
She had clearly seen that Xia Yan's second Soul Ring... was purple too!
A thousand-year Soul Ring!
His second Soul Ring was a thousand-year one too?!
How was that possible?!
Xia Yan landed lightly. "Stop staring at me. The Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent's on the ground."
Only then did everyone come back to their senses.
Ma Hongjun took three steps forward and reached out with a trembling hand to touch it. The Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent's scales were hard and smooth, and its wings were bigger than his whole body...
This... this was Brother Yan's strength!
Zhao Wuji handed Oscar a dagger. "Oscar, hurry up and do it before anything goes wrong."
"Stab it into the brain, just below the crest."
He glanced at Xia Yan, still stunned. This was the first time he'd seen Xia Yan fight a Soul Beast with his own eyes.
The result was even more extreme than the most extreme outcome he'd imagined.
He'd thought Xia Yan would need at least ten seconds to finish it off. But if he counted only the time it took to attack, it had taken less than a second. Even counting from when Xia Yan reached the treetops,
it had taken less than five seconds!
"Oh, right..."
Oscar took the dagger with both hands, dazed. He still hadn't fully recovered from the shock of seeing the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent hit the ground.
That was terrifying!
Just as he was about to stab it, a hoarse, sharp shout suddenly rang out. "Stop!"
Everyone jumped and hurriedly looked over.
Less than fifty meters to their left stood an old woman and a young girl, six Soul Rings rippling around the old woman.
The old woman leaned on a three-meter-long cane topped with a snake's head. She looked to be in her sixties or seventies, with neatly combed, graying hair. Her face was full of wrinkles, yet her complexion was rosy and she looked vigorous.
The six Soul Rings around her were yellow, yellow, purple, purple, purple, and black.
The girl beside her, dressed in purple, looked nearly fifteen or sixteen. She had neat short hair and an attractive face, and she held a snake-headed cane over a meter long.
Her brown eyes were fixed on the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent on the ground.
From her expression, she was hostile toward everyone from Shrek.
Zhao Wuji raised an eyebrow. Yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, and black Soul Rings surged around him. A mere Soul Emperor thought she could threaten him?
Still, the snake-headed canes in their hands seemed strangely familiar.
Standing in front of the Shrek group, he folded his arms, yet his tone was unexpectedly mild.
"What is it?"
When Serpent Granny saw that Zhao Wuji was a Soul Saint, her bravado immediately wilted. Damn it, why was there a Soul Saint on the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest?
Meng Yiran beside her instinctively clutched Serpent Granny's sleeve.
Serpent Granny immediately put on a mild expression and cupped her hands. "Respected Soul Saint, this old woman is Chao Tianxiang, and this is my granddaughter, Meng Yiran. We were the first to discover that Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent."
Zhao Wuji's heart sank.
No wonder the woman looked familiar. She was Serpent Granny Chao Tianxiang, one half of the Peerless Dragon and Serpent.
He casually glanced around. Dragon Duke and Serpent Granny were never apart for long. If Serpent Granny was here, Dragon Duke couldn't be far away...
A friendly smile appeared on Zhao Wuji's face, and he returned her salute. "So you're Serpent Granny of the Peerless Dragon and Serpent. I'm Zhao Wuji, your junior..."
Serpent Granny's face twitched. Damn it, of all people, she'd run into this troublemaker.
Immovable Wisdom King Zhao Wuji had been famous decades ago for daring to pick a fight even with Spirit Hall—and then getting away with it.
"You're too kind. I was wondering how I'd run into such a young Soul Saint. So you're Immovable Wisdom King Zhao Wuji. I've heard so much about you..."
It was a decent enough opening. Though both sides were cursing each other in their hearts, they'd made sure to observe all the proper courtesies.
The atmosphere was quite cordial.
But behind them, Dai Mubai, Oscar, and the others all looked baffled. They couldn't understand why Zhao Wuji, who was usually so hard-nosed, had suddenly become so amiable.
Was the other side powerful? And who were the Peerless Dragon and Serpent?
Seeing that the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent was badly injured, Serpent Granny didn't want to waste any more time, so she said amiably:
"I'm a little older than you, so I hope you won't mind if I take the liberty of calling you Little Brother Zhao.
"Little Brother Zhao, my granddaughter just reached level thirty, and we were the first to discover and injure this Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent. You can see the two wounds on its flank; we left them there.
"We didn't expect it to escape. We ran into you and your companions while pursuing it, quite by chance.
"Would you please do us a favor and return this Soul Beast to us? I'll remember your kindness, and repay it in the future."
Oscar panicked. That was my serpent!
Were they trying to steal his serpent?!
"Teacher Zhao..."
Before you continue