Taotie Revealed, an Outrageous Mission!

"Awoo—!"

Three swift black shadows pounced from thorny bushes in three different directions!

Their targets were Yu Xiaogang and Xiao Wu at the center of the group!

Their ghostly green wolf eyes glinted with cruel cold light, saliva dripping from their fangs as they charged in on a reeking gust of wind!

Yu Xiaogang's face went pale in an instant!

"Careful! First Soul Skill—Entangle!"

Tang San reacted first. With an angry shout, he instantly unleashed Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, his body turning into an afterimage as he blocked Xiao Wu. The Sleeve Arrows in his hand shot out twice with sharp hisses, accurately flying toward the eyes of the two Nether Wolves charging in front!

At the same time, his Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul appeared, several vines snaking toward the third wolf like agile serpents!

Xiao Wu also gave a sharp cry. Her Soft Bone Rabbit Martial Soul Possession activated, and she immediately used Waist Bow. With a nimble sideways flip, she evaded the wolf's claws, then her long leg whipped through the air and kicked fiercely at one wolf's waist and abdomen!

Xiao Yin remained where he was, seemingly doing nothing, but his gaze was as cold as a blade.

The moment the Nether Wolves lunged out, the dormant Taotie Martial Soul within him seemed to have been stirred by their vicious aura!

An invisible and terrifying pressure quietly spread from him like ripples across water!

This pressure was not aimed at people. It was a pure bloodline suppression directed at the very origin of soul beasts!

The three aggressive Nether Wolves felt that invisible pressure, and in that instant, a trace of fear from the depths of their souls flashed through their wolf eyes!

Even their pouncing movements stalled for a moment!

As if they had encountered a natural predator!

That single instant of hesitation!

Tang San's Sleeve Arrows struck their targets with perfect accuracy!

With two muffled pops, the two Nether Wolves howled miserably and rolled away, bloody flowers bursting from their eyes!

The Blue Silver Grass also successfully tangled around the third wolf's legs!

Xiao Wu's Waist Bow kick landed squarely on the wolf's waist, and the crisp crack of shattering bones was clearly audible!

The battle erupted in an instant, then was resolved in the blink of an eye!

Yu Xiaogang stared at the Nether Wolves rolling and howling on the ground, then suddenly looked toward Xiao Yin, who appeared to have done nothing. His eyes were filled with shock!

Just now... was that a coincidence?

Why had the Nether Wolves paused for a moment just as they pounced?

Could his Mutated Beast Martial Soul interfere even with soul beasts?!

He had never heard of such a thing!

Tang San also gave Xiao Yin a deep look, strange light flickering in his Purple Demon Eye.

He had seen that instant of hesitation from the Nether Wolves with absolute clarity!

It definitely had not been accidental! This Xiao Yin... was indeed not simple!

Xiao Wu patted her chest, which was completely flat, and said with lingering fear, "Wow! Xiao Yin, you're amazing! If you hadn't noticed them in advance, we would've been in danger!"

Xiao Yin withdrew the trace of Taotie pressure he had released. Calm returned to his face, as though he had merely done something insignificant.

"Just luck. I only sensed a bit of killing intent," he said blandly, but his eyes swept over the howling Nether Wolves on the ground, and a trace of Taotie's instinctive hunger passed through their depths.

He wanted to... "eat" them!

However, Tang San and the others were still here, and he did not want to expose Taotie's abilities.

Night had fully fallen, and the depths of the Soul Hunting Forest had become fraught with danger.

The four found an exceptionally thick ancient tree that towered into the sky.

Its branches were twisted and gnarled. Several meters above the ground was a huge naturally formed tree hollow. Its interior was spacious and dry, making it an excellent temporary campsite.

"We'll rest here tonight."

Yu Xiaogang made the decision, fatigue on his face. "Tang San, you'll keep watch for the first half of the night. Xiao Wu, the second half.

"As for you, Xiao Yin... your Martial Soul should have some sensory abilities. Get a good rest tonight. We'll be relying on you more during the day."

"...All right." Xiao Yin hesitated briefly, then agreed. At the same time, he thought to himself:

Although Yu Xiaogang is a useless fraud, and I've heard that his theoretical knowledge was plagiarized, his observational skills are pretty sharp!

Tang San's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly, but he said nothing and silently nodded.

His figure flashed, and he instantly climbed onto a thick branch nearby, vigilantly scanning the area below.

Meanwhile, Xiao Wu spread dry grass and a simple blanket inside the tree hollow. "Xiao Yin, sleep inside! It's the safest and most comfortable spot here!"

Xiao Yin did not refuse. He walked to the deepest part of the hollow, sat down against the wall, and closed his eyes.

At the same time, he began regulating his breathing. Soul Power circulated slowly within him, while his sharp senses silently spread around the tree hollow like invisible feelers.

Yu Xiaogang sat leaning near the entrance of the hollow, taking out some rations and water to eat in silence. His gaze occasionally drifted toward the meditating Xiao Yin, then toward Tang San keeping watch outside. His thoughts were heavy.

Xiao Wu sat not far from Xiao Yin, hugging her knees. Her large eyes blinked in the darkness as she looked at his peaceful profile, seemingly lost in thought.

For a while, the only sounds in the hollow were distant beast roars and the rustling of leaves in the wind.

An hour passed.

Amid that tranquil atmosphere—

[ Ding! A powerful wish fluctuation has been detected! Mission matching successful! ]

[ Mission source: Otherworldly Plane No. [5184], from Xiao Mei, a camping enthusiast plagued by mosquitoes. ]

[ Wish core, frantic version: "Aahhh! Damn mosquitoes! Can someone give me a bottle of super mosquito repellent so I can get a peaceful night's sleep! Better yet... better yet, have someone apply it to the spots on my back that I can't reach!" ]

[ Mission equivalent, Douluo Continent immediate version: Help Xiao Wu effectively repel Bloodthirsty Soul Mosquitoes and maintain physical contact for at least 30 seconds. Apply mosquito-repelling ointment to her arm or neck. Requirement: The contact must be natural, and the effect must be significant. ]

[ Time limit: One hour. ]

[ Mission reward: Wish Value +20; Shadow Stealth Powder ×1 (can erase the user's traces); a slight increase in Xiao Wu's favorability, hidden. ]

[ Failure penalty: The host will attract all Bloodthirsty Soul Mosquitoes within a hundred-meter radius for one night. ]

Xiao Yin: "..."

He abruptly opened his eyes. In the darkness, a trace of speechless frustration and... pain flashed through them.

This damned system! Its missions were getting more and more outrageous!

Help Xiao Wu repel mosquitoes? And physical contact was required? In an environment like this?

Tang San was watching right outside!

Xiao Yin had heard of Bloodthirsty Soul Mosquitoes. They were low-level, mindless soul beasts that could not even produce soul rings. They liked moving about at night and secretly sucked the blood of soul masters.

Because they were so tiny, many low-level soul masters found them impossible to guard against.

He subconsciously looked toward Xiao Wu beside him.

Sure enough, the girl was frowning delicately, her small hand irritably scratching at her exposed slender arm. A faint intake of breath escaped her lips.

By the dim moonlight filtering in through the entrance of the tree hollow, he could vaguely see several small red welts on her fair arm.

"What's wrong, Xiao Wu?" Xiao Yin tried his best to make his voice sound calm and natural.

"Huh? Nothing..."

Xiao Wu jumped slightly, quickly lowering her hand. She looked a little embarrassed. "It's just... I think some mosquitoes bit me. It's so itchy."

She complained softly, then could not help wanting to scratch again.

The chance had come! Though it was a rather troublesome chance.

"Mosquitoes?" Xiao Yin pretended to realize something, and a trace of recollection appeared on his face.

"Oh, right! When I was wandering around before, I traded for a special mosquito-repelling ointment from an old apothecary. It works very well. Let me look for it."

As he spoke, he inspected the storage Soul Tool ring on his left hand, though he was actually rapidly searching the System Shop.

Mm... this was the one!