Zhu Shen's words, "In truth..." caught in his throat. The love letter against his chest suddenly felt like he had a live rabbit tucked inside it—it gave a mighty leap! A burst of warmth flared up, nearly making him jump.
[Ding! Warning! "Bibi Dong's Love Letter" is behaving abnormally! Host, please remain calm!]
Calm my ass! Zhu Shen cursed inwardly, his facial muscles stiffening as he struggled to maintain Master Yu's dignified bearing. Yet from the corner of his eye, he caught sight of the peerless figure seated in the place of honor. Those cold purple eyes seemed to narrow ever so slightly, her gaze landing on the hand pressed to his chest as if it could see straight through his clothes.
The air froze. Tang San stood just behind Zhu Shen, his scalp tingling. His teacher was clutching his chest, and the Pope was narrowing her eyes... That "love letter" really wasn't an ordinary item! It had moved? Was it alive?!
Zhu Shen sucked in a sharp breath and forced his proposal of cooperation back down. He plastered on the most solemn expression of his life and abruptly changed course. "In truth... I've long admired His Holiness the Pope's bearing, and have brought my disciple here to pay his respects! This child, Xiao San, has always talked about the splendor of Spirit City and wanted to see the holy land for himself, so I brazenly brought him along." As he spoke, he discreetly kicked Tang San in the shin.
Tang San jolted and immediately bowed. "Your disciple, Tang San, pays his respects to His Holiness the Pope." He ranted inwardly, Teacher, you sure know how to pass the buck!
Bibi Dong's gaze lingered on Zhu Shen's face for a moment, and the icy chill in her expression softened by the tiniest degree. She lightly tapped the armrest with a fingertip. "Master Yu, you flatter me. I've heard that you turned the tide in Nuoding City, saving dozens of children and wiping out the Evil Soul Masters. I have heard of your meritorious deeds." Her voice remained cool, but it had lost some of its edge.
It worked! The love letter worked! Zhu Shen was overjoyed inside, but kept a solemn expression. "It was only my duty. Evil Soul Masters run rampant, bringing disaster upon the continent. Spirit Hall is the holy land of Soul Masters and bears the responsibility of wiping them out. Though my young disciple Tang San is still a child, he too wishes to do his small part to bring peace to the continent. We came here hoping His Holiness the Pope might offer him some guidance and perhaps let him do a few menial errands for Spirit Hall as a bit of training."
[Ding! The host has successfully met Bibi Dong and triggered the item's effect. Initial favorability has increased slightly! Reward: Evolution Points +20! Current Evolution Points: 110/100! Dragon God Bloodline purity can be raised to 21%! Raise it now?]
Raise it! Absolutely! Zhu Shen roared inwardly. A warm current surged through his body, and his strength grew a little more solid. He felt that Bibi Dong's gaze seemed... a tiny bit more approving?
Bibi Dong gave a slight nod. "It is good for a young person to have such aspirations. Evil Soul Master remnants have yet to be eliminated, and reports of unusual energy fluctuations have recently come from Soul Hunting Forest near Nuoding City. Since Master Yu has experience, why not take your disciple to investigate? It will serve as training. Should you make any discoveries, Spirit Hall will reward you." Her gaze swept over Tang San. "I am also interested in seeing what this child is capable of."
"I will obey His Holiness the Pope's command!" Zhu Shen agreed at once, his little schemes clacking away in his head: Investigate? A reward? Here's my chance to trap Tang San!
Only after leaving Pope Palace did Tang San finally let out a breath. His back was soaked with cold sweat. "Teacher, that nearly scared me to death! That love letter..."
"Shh!" Zhu Shen clapped a hand over Tang San's mouth, glanced around, and lowered his voice. "It's an item! It's all thanks to the item's effect! Look, the Pope thinks more highly of us now, and she even gave us a mission!" He released Tang San and proudly patted his chest. "See? That's the charm of your teacher's masterful planning! Even Bibi Dong has been won over by my charisma!"
Tang San looked at his teacher's "I'm the most handsome man alive" expression, and the corner of his mouth twitched violently. "Teacher, that mission... There are unusual energy fluctuations in Soul Hunting Forest. It sounds dangerous."
"Dangerous?" Zhu Shen's eyes widened, then he revealed a mysterious smile. "Xiao San, danger is opportunity! Think about it: if we run into a powerful Soul Beast, it could be the perfect third Soul Ring for you! I'll help you hunt it! The system... ahem, my theories combined with your talent mean absorbing one beyond your limit is no dream! Then your strength will soar, and you'll make a good impression in front of the Pope, won't you?" He clapped Tang San's shoulder hard, thinking only: Trap him! Absorbing a Soul Ring beyond his limit is bound to hurt. The system's rewards will be incredible!
Tang San saw that familiar glint in his teacher's eyes—the one that meant "trapping my student"—and his inner alarm bells rang. "Teacher, I think..."
"What do you mean, you think? Just listen to your teacher!" Zhu Shen waved his hand, leaving no room for argument. "Come on, let's get something to eat! You need a full stomach before you've got the strength to get... ahem, go hunting!"
Three days later, at the outskirts of Soul Hunting Forest.
"Teacher, are you sure it's this way?" Tang San warily surveyed the unnaturally quiet woods as he quietly released his Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul.
"The system... ahem, your teacher's instincts are never wrong! The energy fluctuation is in that valley up ahead!" Zhu Shen declared with absolute certainty, inwardly delighted: I'm at 110 Evolution Points. One more trap and I can upgrade my bloodline! He deliberately led Tang San toward the area the system had marked as a "high-energy reaction."
Suddenly, a foul wind swept over them! A giant snake, as thick as a barrel, jet-black from head to tail and crowned with a fleshy crest, shot out of a crack in the rocks. Its scarlet tongue flicked, and its fangs gleamed with a ghostly blue light! Its violent aura far surpassed that of a thousand-year Soul Beast!
"A five-thousand-year Mandala Snake King!" Tang San's face paled. This was far beyond what he could handle! Instinctively, he was about to use Blue Silver Pole Vault to retreat.
"Don't be afraid, Xiao San! Watch your teacher!" Zhu Shen roared, as if heroically protecting his disciple. He suddenly released his Dragon God Martial Soul. Golden light blazed, and two purple and two black Soul Rings shone brilliantly as he acted like he was about to charge.
Just as Tang San was moved by his teacher's "heroism" and let his guard down for an instant, Zhu Shen "slipped." His body lurched in an absurdly exaggerated stumble, and his elbow "accidentally" slammed hard into Tang San's back!
"Oof!"
Caught off guard, Tang San was shoved forward several steps by a powerful force, straight into a cloud of foul, poisonous mist spat out by the Mandala Snake King! Worse still, as he tried to regain his balance, his pole-vault went off course. The bamboo pole shot forward with a whoosh and sent him straight above the slanting edge of the Snake King's gaping maw!
"Teacher—!" Tang San was scared out of his wits. Only one anguished cry remained in his heart: You've trapped me again!!!
[Ding! Congratulations, host, on thoroughly trapping Tang San! You successfully sent your disciple into the attack range of a five-thousand-year Mandala Snake King! Reward: Evolution Points +50! One Dragon God Right Leg Bone (10,000 years)!]
It worked! Zhu Shen was over the moon, but his face showed alarm. "Xiao San, watch out!" He "frantically" spat a mouthful of Dragon Breath at the Snake King, the golden flames slowing its attack.
That was all the opening he needed! With death at his heels, Tang San's Tang Sect instincts kicked in. With nowhere to brace himself in midair, he flashed a purple-gold light in his eyes and flung several poison needles coated in paralyzing powder. They shot straight toward the Snake King's scarlet eyes and vulnerable nostrils!
"Hiss—!" The Snake King cried out in pain, its huge head whipping around as the poisonous mist sprayed off course. Tang San seized the chance to tap a toe against the Snake King's hard scales. Blue Silver Grass surged out and coiled around a nearby tree, swinging him clear by the skin of his teeth. He landed in a heap, his back drenched with cold sweat and his heart pounding.
"Now's your chance!" Zhu Shen "seized the opening," unleashing his full Dragon might to suppress the Snake King as he shouted, "Xiao San! Smash its seven-inch weak point with the Clear Sky Hammer! Quickly!"
Still shaken, Tang San knew better than to disobey his teacher's command. He switched Martial Souls in an instant, and the pitch-black Clear Sky Hammer appeared in his hand. While the Snake King was suppressed by the Dragon might and distracted by the poison needles, he poured all his Soul Power into the hammer and smashed it down on the patch of slightly lighter scales below the Snake King's neck!
Boom!
The Clear Sky Hammer's domineering power, combined with a strike to its weak point, made the Snake King let out a piercing hiss. Its enormous body thrashed and convulsed violently before crashing to the ground. A deep purple Soul Ring slowly emerged.
Tang San braced his hands on his knees and panted heavily. He looked at the Soul Ring, which was at least five thousand years old, then at his teacher hurrying over with an expression of "concern." His feelings were all tangled up: I survived... and got a Soul Ring... But the way it happened... Teacher, you absolutely did that on purpose!
Zhu Shen patted Tang San's back with an expression of "relief." "That was close! Xiao San, are you all right? You nearly scared your teacher to death! Good thing you reacted quickly! Look, what a fine Soul Ring! Five thousand years old! Quick, absorb it! I'll protect you!" His eyes were utterly "sincere," but inside he was ecstatic: Hurry up and absorb it! Absorbing a Soul Ring beyond your limit will definitely hurt! The great student-trapping scheme begins now!
Tang San saw the unmistakable gleam in his teacher's eyes, as if he were looking at a "gold mine." He looked at the alluring yet dangerous purple Soul Ring on the ground and resignedly sighed. He sat cross-legged and began guiding the Soul Ring's energy. Only one thought remained in his mind: One day, this teacher is going to get himself killed by one of my traps... Still, this Soul Ring is worth it.
Zhu Shen stood guard beside him, beaming as he felt the Evolution Points and Soul Bone he had just acquired, calculating: 110 + 50 = 160/100! I can upgrade my bloodline again! The Dragon God Right Leg Bone! What a treat! Xiao San, you really are your teacher's cash machine—no password required!
Just as Tang San began absorbing the Soul Ring and Zhu Shen prepared to upgrade his bloodline, a faint, almost imperceptible ripple carrying a cold, sinister aura quietly spread from deep within the forest.