"Hey! My grandma's talking to you."
Seeing Lan Yu frown without answering, Meng Yiran stepped forward and snapped, her tone carrying a hint of haughtiness.
"So you're Snake Granny, one half of Peerless Dragon and Snake. I've long admired your reputation." Lan Yu's lips curled slightly as he clasped his hands in greeting.
"Since you need it, then this Datura Snake is yours."
Chao Tianxiang gave a slight nod, then turned her head to gesture to Meng Yiran.
Meng Yiran acknowledged her and drew a dagger from her waist. She walked over to the Datura Snake and, with a twist of her wrist, plunged the blade precisely into its belly.
A moment later, a Yellow Soul Ring slowly appeared above the snake's body.
She immediately sat cross-legged and began absorbing the Soul Ring.
"Senior, we'll take our leave."
As Lan Yu spoke, he reached out and grabbed Tang Shan and Xiao Wu by the wrists, then turned to leave.
"You can't go!"
Lan Yu's gaze abruptly sharpened. This is bad, he thought. Keeping his expression calm, he turned around, his right hand hidden behind his back as the Godly Zhuge Crossbow silently appeared in his palm.
If he couldn't kill Chao Tianxiang, what about Meng Yiran?
"Senior, what can I do for you?"
"Little friend, there's no need to be nervous."
A smile appeared on Chao Tianxiang's youthful face, despite her white hair. Her gaze roamed over Lan Yu.
"I'm simply curious. You're so young, little friend. Which force do you come from? And why are you hunting Soul Beasts alone?"
When she'd burst out of the woods moments ago, she'd spotted the purple Soul Ring floating around Lan Yu. At the time, she hadn't thought much of it. But now, after taking a closer look at him, she finally noticed the oddity—the boy was even younger than her granddaughter.
That meant the boy had reached the Soul Elder rank at just eleven or twelve!
At the thought, Chao Tianxiang's heart burned with excitement. If she could recruit him to the Meng family, how could the family fail to prosper?
"My master is nearby. He went to find a suitable Soul Beast for my junior sister. Judging by the time, he should be back soon." Lan Yu's voice was calm, without the slightest ripple.
Though Chao Tianxiang had already guessed as much, she couldn't hide her disappointment at hearing it.
Of course. How could such a peerless genius belong to a sectless, unaffiliated background?
Still, she refused to give up and pressed on. "May I ask how strong your teacher is? What rank has he reached?"
As long as he wasn't a Titled Douluo, she had a chance.
Even if he was a Titled Douluo, the Martial Soul Fusion Skill of her and her husband, Peerless Dragon and Snake, was enough to let them retreat safely.
"My master is a ninety-third-rank Titled Douluo." Lan Yu spoke with deep respect, his expression calm. For a moment, Chao Tianxiang couldn't see through him.
Chao Tianxiang's heart sank. She had only one thought now: keep them here until Dragon Duke Meng Shu arrived. Even if the man really was a Titled Douluo, they could still retreat safely—but if he wasn't, then...
"Since your teacher hasn't returned, this old woman will stay here with you young friends for a while."
"After all, the Star Dou Great Forest is full of danger. You children might run into... haha."
Damn, what a pain.
Lan Yu smiled politely in thanks, but inwardly he was already preparing for the worst.
Where have you run off to, Ah Yin? Couldn't you learn from Haozi how to babysit?
Meanwhile, in the mixed zone of the Star Dou Great Forest.
A tall, thin old man with grizzled hair stood frozen, staring up at the towering black shadow before him, as massive as a mountain. In his hand, he clutched a gleaming silver Dragon Staff.
"Ti... Titan Giant Ape! Why is one here in the mixed zone?" Meng Shu's voice trembled noticeably, but he forced himself to stay calm. Bowing, he said solemnly, "I mean no offense. I'm just passing through. If..."
Before he could finish, the Titan Giant Ape swung a fist at him, carrying a boundless fury!
"Damn Soul Master! What did you do to Sister Xiao Wu?"
"What? What Sister Xiao Wu? Great Forest King, you must be mistaken!" Meng Shu dodged aside and shouted in alarm.
Hearing Meng Shu's explanation, Er Ming took it for an excuse, and his fury only grew!
He'd sensed Xiao Wu's aura that morning and rushed over without delay. But just after leaving the core zone, he'd received Xiao Wu's distress signal.
He'd followed her aura all the way here, only to run straight into Meng Shu. He hadn't seen a single Soul Master on the way, yet here, in the mixed zone near the outer reaches, he'd encountered a Soul Douluo capable of sensing a Hundred-Thousand-Year Transformed Soul Beast?
How could there be such a coincidence in the world?
"You think you can make a monkey out of me?!"
Er Ming couldn't be bothered to waste any more words. He roared, raised his mountain-sized fist, and smashed it toward Meng Shu with the force to destroy heaven and earth.
"Damn it!"
Meng Shu's expression changed abruptly. His Soul Power surged, and he barely managed to dodge.
"Seventh Soul Skill, Martial Soul Avatar!"
"Fourth Soul Skill, Dragon Shadow Assault!"
In an instant, the Dragon Staff in his hand erupted with blinding silver light and seemed to merge with his body. The next moment, Meng Shu's frame swelled as he transformed into a giant dragon and soared into the sky. Two dragon shadows raced toward Er Ming while Meng Shu himself fled toward the outer zone without looking back.
"Roar—!"
Er Ming roared in fury. With a backhanded swipe, he scattered the two dragon shadows, then struck the ground with both hands and launched himself forward.
Meng Shu was fleeing with all his might, and for a moment, Er Ming couldn't catch up.
Furious, Er Ming grabbed a boulder from the nearby forest and hurled it at Meng Shu.
"Third Soul Skill, Dragon Flame Breath!"
"Sixth Soul Skill, Poison Dragon Flame!"
Meng Shu dodged the boulder, then turned and fired two attacks at Er Ming, one made of fire and the other of poison.
The scorching dragon flames and corrosive poison flames struck Er Ming, making him wince in pain. He roared, and rather than slowing down, he sped up even more.
"Damn!"
Seeing Er Ming draw closer and closer, Meng Shu's heart sank. He no longer cared how much Soul Power he used and fled at full speed.
On the other side, Meng Yiran slowly got to her feet. She'd finished absorbing the Soul Ring, and joy filled her eyes. Just as she was about to turn and share the news with her grandmother, she saw that Lan Yu and the others were still standing where they'd been, their bodies tense.
"Why haven't you left yet?" Meng Yiran asked in confusion.
When no one answered and the atmosphere grew unbearably tense, Meng Yiran's heart skipped a beat. She turned to Chao Tianxiang. "Grandma, what's going on...?"
"Yiran, stay out of it."
Chao Tianxiang stared fixedly at Lan Yu. She'd clearly realized that he was bluffing.
"But, Grandma, they gave us the Datura Snake..."
Just then, the ground beneath their feet began to tremble. From far away came a deafening beast's roar and a fierce surge of Soul Power.
"Ugh!" Meng Shu was sent flying by a punch from Er Ming, and his Martial Soul Avatar was forcibly dispelled.
"Old man?!"
Chao Tianxiang recognized the man hurtling through the air at once. It was Meng Shu.
She couldn't understand how her husband, a mighty Soul Douluo, could have ended up in such a sorry state on the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest.
But when she saw the black giant shadow chasing after him, her pupils contracted!
Without a moment's hesitation, she flashed toward Meng Shu.
"Martial Soul Fusion Skill, Dragon Snake Combined Strike!"
The couple summoned all their Soul Power. Their Dragon Staff and Serpent Cane fused into one, transforming into a green dragon that rammed toward Er Ming with a piercing whistle.
Seeing the little insects still dare to fight back, a ferocious glint flashed in Er Ming's eyes.
"Boom!"
A deafening crash erupted with a shock wave of Soul Power, sending clouds of dust billowing into the air. Countless towering trees fell together beneath the blast.
One punch shattered the illusion that Peerless Dragon and Snake could stand against him!
Meng Shu and Chao Tianxiang were both sent flying. They crashed heavily to the ground, blood trickling from the corners of their mouths, looking utterly battered.
"Old woman!"
Meng Shu growled, panic-stricken as he looked at his unconscious wife.
Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Lan Yu and the others not far away.
Why were there a bunch of children here?!
Never mind. His gaze instantly turned cold, and a vicious thought sprang into his mind.