Tang Ya: White Emperor Is Mighty

Er Ha raised his head, nostrils pointed at the sky, striking what he thought was a very imposing pose.

"This Emperor is not an ordinary dog. This Emperor is the White Emperor!"

"Wow! A dog can talk!"

The girl's eyes lit up even brighter. She crouched down and reached for Er Ha's head.

"Xiao Ya, be careful!"

The young man behind her quickly stepped forward, placing himself in front of the girl as he watched Shen Zhou warily.

He could sense an unfathomable aura emanating from the young man before him.

"May I ask who you are?"

The young man cupped his hands in greeting, his tone polite yet guarded.

Shen Zhou sized up the two young people, and something stirred in his heart.

The Tang Sect's sect master?

Bei Bei?

With those keywords linked together, he immediately understood who these two were.

Tang Ya, daughter of the Tang Sect's last sect master and its sole remaining heir.

Bei Bei, Mu En's descendant.

Shen Zhou shook his head, the corners of his lips lifting slightly.

He had not expected to run into these two juniors here.

"My name is Shen Zhou, and this is my disciple, Huo Yuhao." He pointed at the boy behind him. "We are also here in the Star Dou Great Forest to search for Soul Rings."

"Searching for Soul Rings?" Tang Ya looked up at Huo Yuhao, then at Shen Zhou. "Your disciple looks about the same age as me. What rank is he?"

"Rank ten," Huo Yuhao answered honestly.

"Rank ten? His first Soul Ring?" Tang Ya became interested. "What kind of soul beast are you looking for? We're looking for soul beasts too. Do you know what suits your Martial Soul? What is your Martial Soul?"

Tang Ya fired off questions like a string of cannonballs, leaving Huo Yuhao somewhat overwhelmed.

"Xiao Ya." Bei Bei tugged at Tang Ya's sleeve, signaling for her to restrain herself a little, before turning to Shen Zhou.

"Are you a Soul Master, sir? May I ask who your teacher was?"

"I am unaffiliated," Shen Zhou said calmly. "Are you two from the Tang Sect?"

A flicker of surprise flashed through Bei Bei's eyes.

The Tang Sect had long since declined, and few people knew who he was. Yet this young man had recognized them as Tang Sect members at a glance. His insight was anything but ordinary.

"My name is Bei Bei, and this is Tang Ya. We are indeed from the Tang Sect," Bei Bei said without concealing it. "We are also here searching for soul beasts."

Night fell, and the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest were shrouded in darkness.

The canopy blotted out the sky, allowing only scattered moonlight to spill through the gaps and cast mottled shadows over the ground.

Shen Zhou found a sheltered hollow and set up a simple warning formation around it, then had Er Ha guard the perimeter of the camp.

The four sat around the bonfire, the firelight illuminating every face.

"So you're here to hunt soul beasts too?" Tang Ya sat cross-legged on a rock, holding a water skin in both hands as her large eyes moved back and forth between Shen Zhou and Huo Yuhao.

"Yes." Shen Zhou nodded. "My disciple Huo Yuhao has the Spirit Eye Martial Soul and a Mental Attribute. He needs a Hundred-Year Soul Ring."

"Spirit Eye?" Bei Bei froze slightly, surprise flashing through his eyes. "An eye-type Martial Soul? That is rather rare."

"Rare or not, finding a suitable soul beast is even harder." Tang Ya sighed and handed the water skin to Bei Bei. "The snake we've been chasing for three days has disappeared somewhere."

"A snake?" Huo Yuhao asked curiously. "Sister Tang Ya, are you looking for a snake-type soul beast?"

"That's right." Tang Ya extended her right hand. A cluster of blue light glowed in her palm, and a slender Blue Silver Grass emerged, gently swaying in the night breeze. "My Martial Soul is Blue Silver Grass. I need a snake-type soul ring to improve its toughness and venom.

"Preferably a venomous snake, one that can add poison to my Blue Silver Grass."

Blue Silver Grass.

Shen Zhou looked at that familiar Martial Soul, and something stirred in his heart.

Ten thousand years ago, this Martial Soul had shaken the world because of one person—the Blue Silver Emperor, Tang San's mother.

But ten thousand years had passed. The Blue Silver Emperor's bloodline had long since thinned out. Though Tang Ya's Blue Silver Grass was somewhat stronger than ordinary Blue Silver Grass, it was still nowhere near the level of an emperor.

"What kind of snake are you looking for?" Shen Zhou asked.

"A thousand-year Phoenix Tail Snake." Bei Bei took over. "This kind of snake is fast, highly venomous, and has tough scales. It is difficult to deal with.

"We chased it for three days, but it escaped every time."

"A thousand-year soul beast... the two of you have two rings and three rings respectively. It is indeed somewhat difficult for you to handle a thousand-year soul beast."

Shen Zhou saw through their cultivation at a glance.

Tang Ya was a two-ring Soul Grandmaster, while Bei Bei was a three-ring Soul Elder. Although that was already quite impressive for their age, they were still no match for a thousand-year soul beast.

"That's why we've been chasing it for so long." Tang Ya looked somewhat dejected. "Every time we get halfway through the fight, that thing burrows away."

"Burrows?" Shen Zhou raised a brow. "Phoenix Tail Snakes can burrow?"

"Not underground. It slips into tree hollows," Bei Bei explained. "There are many ancient trees around the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest, with hollow trunks. Once the Phoenix Tail Snake enters one, there is nothing we can do to it."

Shen Zhou thought for a moment, then said, "If I can help you find that Phoenix Tail Snake and deal with it, then in exchange, you will help us find a Hundred-Year Mental Attribute soul beast in the outskirts.

"How about it?"

He was not saying this without reason. If he could use this opportunity to recruit Tang Ya and absorb the Tang Sect, it would definitely give God King Tang something to choke on.

Tang Ya's eyes lit up, and she turned to Bei Bei.

Bei Bei pondered for a moment as he studied Shen Zhou.

He could tell that the young man before him was not simple, but he could not see through what rank of Soul Master Shen Zhou was.

Still, judging by the calm and composed aura Shen Zhou exuded, he was at least a Soul Ancestor.

"What rank of Soul Master are you, sir?" Bei Bei ultimately asked.

"High enough to deal with a thousand-year soul beast." Shen Zhou did not answer directly, but his calm tone brimmed with confidence.

Bei Bei fell silent for a moment, then nodded.

"Good. A pleasant cooperation."

"Bei Bei, you made the decision for me again!" Tang Ya puffed out her cheeks, though the smile in her eyes gave her away.

"Xiao Ya, you were the one who praised his dog for being white earlier."

"That's different! Dogs can be cute, but people are not necessarily cute!"

"This Emperor is not a dog! This Emperor is the White Emperor!"

Er Ha poked his head out of the darkness, looking deeply dissatisfied.

He had made a round of the camp's perimeter to confirm there was no danger. He had only just returned when he heard Tang Ya call him a "dog."

"Fine, fine, White Emperor, White Emperor." Tang Ya grinned as she moved closer, reaching out to pet Er Ha's head.

Er Ha had wanted to dodge, but Tang Ya's hand had already landed atop his head and gently rubbed it.

Not bad. This little girl's technique was quite good.

Er Ha narrowed his eyes, his tail wagging on its own.

"White Emperor, what breed of dog are you?

"No, wait, what kind of soul beast are you?

"Why can you talk?" Tang Ya asked while petting him, as though she had discovered a new continent.

"This Emperor is not a breed. This Emperor is one of a kind." Er Ha raised his head, pride filling his voice. "This Emperor is Lao Da's companion soul beast. This Emperor has cultivated alongside Lao Da ever since This Emperor could remember."

"As for talking, This Emperor was born knowing how. It is a talent, understand?"

"A companion soul beast?" Bei Bei looked at Shen Zhou, his gaze becoming more solemn.

Companion soul beasts were exceedingly rare. Only a tiny number of special Martial Souls came with companion soul beasts.

Every Soul Master who possessed a companion soul beast was a peerless genius.