Clocking In Tang Ya

Su Chen stood atop the boulder, his gaze calm as he observed the two figures below, his mind clear.

Bei Bei, Tang Ya.

According to the original timeline, after Bei Bei helped Tang Ya obtain her third soul ring—the Datura Snake soul ring—they should have returned directly to Shrek Academy. Why would they appear here, and in such a disheveled state?

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm observed the pair from within the spiritual sea with interest, his mental fluctuations carrying a hint of playfulness: "Yo, these two little ones have decent talent. That Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon boy is at about Soul Power Level 34; his foundation is solid and his lightning attribute is quite good, but he's far behind you."

"That little girl with the purple hair must have just broken through to become a Soul Elder, her soul power is still a bit unstable, it's just a pity her martial soul is too weak..."

At this moment, Bei Bei and Tang Ya simultaneously noticed Su Chen on the boulder.

Both were stunned.

In the depths of the Star Dou Great Forest, where human footprints are rare, how could there be someone here? And...

When Tang Ya's gaze landed on Su Chen's face, she couldn't help but freeze.

What a face that was!

Golden hair cascaded to his waist like a waterfall, shimmering with a soft luster under the dappled sunlight filtering through the canopy. His features were handsome to the point of being unreal—sword-like brows slanted toward his temples, his nose bridge was high and sharp, his thin lips were pressed together, and his jawline was clean and defined.

Especially those eyes, swirling with golden starlight; just by looking over calmly, they made her heart race uncontrollably.

He stood quietly upon the boulder, his golden hair and snow-white wings fluttering gently in the breeze, the sunlight bathing his body and gilding him with a faint golden edge, as if a god had descended into the mortal realm.

Tang Ya considered herself to have seen many handsome youths—Bei Bei beside her was a recognized heartthrob at Shrek Academy, a holder of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon martial soul, possessing both temperament and talent. Yet, compared to the golden-haired youth before her... there was a gap like that between a Fire Fly and the bright moon.

"So, so handsome..." Tang Ya muttered subconsciously, then her pretty face flushed, and she quickly shook her head to dispel the distracting thoughts. Now was not the time to be infatuated!

Bei Bei's shock stemmed more from vigilance. In the depths of the Star Dou Great Forest, the sudden appearance of such a young yet extraordinary youth was highly unusual.

Moreover, the fact that the other party showed no surprise or caution upon seeing them appear in such a sorry state, merely watching them calmly—this reaction...

"Run, handsome!" Tang Ya suddenly snapped back to reality and shouted urgently, her voice raspy from exhaustion, "There's a..."

[Ding! Detected important character: Tang Sect Master Tang Ya. Check-in successful!]

[Reward issued: Immunity to All Poisons (Permanent Passive)]

[Immunity to All Poisons: Ignore all poison damage and negative effects, including but not limited to poison-attribute soul skills, toxins, poisonous miasma, and toxins from poisonous soul beasts. The effect is not affected by the gap in Soul Power Level; even if the opponent's soul power far exceeds the host's, their toxins cannot cause damage to the host.]

The system notification rang in Su Chen's mind, and his heart stirred: "This is a good reward. Although the holy attribute of the Six-Winged Angel already counters most toxins, it's inevitable to encounter some special, highly toxic martial souls or soul skills. With this passive, I won't have to worry about poison experts in the future."

Just then—

"ROAR—!!!"

A deafening roar erupted from the direction Tang Ya and Bei Bei had come from! The roar carried fury and killing intent, shaking the surrounding leaves until they fell in a flurry.

Immediately following, a massive crimson figure charged out of the bushes at an astonishing speed. Wherever it passed, trees as thick as bowls were snapped in two, and gravel flew!

It was a colossal soul beast, over eight meters long and nearly four meters tall, its entire body covered in thick, dark red scales.

Most striking were the two pairs of massive wings on its back—four crimson leathery wings with spans exceeding five meters, their edges lined with sharp bone spurs.

Its head was hideous, its eyes blood-red, and its mouth full of exposed fangs, with saliva dripping from the corners of its mouth, corroding small pits into the ground.

As soon as this giant beast appeared, its gaze locked directly onto Su Chen on the boulder, as if it instinctively sensed that this seemingly calm youth was the greatest threat.

"Whoosh—!"

The Red-Winged Dragon flapped all four wings, its massive body erupting with terrifying speed that defied its size. Like a bolt of red lightning, it lunged straight at Su Chen! Its claws, covered in dark red scales, tore through the air with a shrill whistle as it struck down!

"Watch out!" Bei Bei cried out, wanting to step forward to help, but his soul power was severely depleted, and his movements were a beat too slow.

Tang Ya covered her mouth, her eyes filled with guilt and anxiety—it was she and Bei Bei who had led this terrifying soul beast here, only to put this innocent, handsome youth in danger.

Su Chen moved the moment the Red-Winged Dragon lunged.

His figure shifted sideways like a golden phantom, moving with precision to evade the claws capable of tearing through steel.

"BOOM!"

The Red-Winged Dragon's claws smashed heavily into the boulder, the hard, blue-black rock instantly shattering as debris scattered. Su Chen had already used the momentum to leap backward, landing lightly on the open ground three meters away, his golden hair fluttering in the gale.

"Tsk, you really are quite aggressive." Su Chen steadied himself and muttered calmly.

"Hahaha!" Sky Dream Ice Silkworm rolled with laughter in his mind, "Brother thinks its judgment is good; it picked the most eye-catching one to deal with first!"

"But kid, don't you go capsizing in a gutter; this guy isn't simple."

Su Chen ignored Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's teasing, his gaze locked calmly on the behemoth before him.

He now understood why Tang Ya and Bei Bei were in such a sorry state—facing such a terrifying soul beast, escaping with their lives was already a stroke of luck.

"Su Chen, be careful!" Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's tone turned serious, "This guy is a Red-Winged Dragon. Looking at its size and the color of its scales, its cultivation is likely around 5,600 years!"

"Don't let its age fool you; its bloodline is quite pure among sub-dragon species. Its physique is extremely formidable, its strength and defense are top-tier among soul beasts of the same level, and it can control powerful flames."

"Even some ordinary ten-thousand-year soul beasts wouldn't want to provoke it. Those two little ones managed to escape this far from its claws; their luck and strength are quite decent."

Su Chen understood. No wonder. Tang Ya had just broken through to become a Soul Elder, and Bei Bei's soul power was around Level 34; for the two of them to join forces against a 5,000-year-old Red-Winged Dragon known for its ferocity and survive was indeed fortunate.

It was just that...

"Why did it abandon those two and turn to attack me?" Su Chen asked in his mind.

"A soul beast's intuition is often sharper than a human's," Sky Dream Ice Silkworm analyzed. "It probably felt subconsciously that you are more dangerous than those two combined, so it prioritized eliminating you. It seems this guy's combat intelligence is not low."