"Datura Snake!"
Atop a large tree behind them, an enormous purple-black serpent flicked its tongue, its pair of dark violet vertical pupils fixed firmly on the three people ahead.
Hiss—hiss—
It hissed at them, the piercing sound accompanied by thick strands of drool constantly dripping from the corners of its mouth. It had clearly taken Ao Yin and the other two for a delicious meal.
"Datura Snake!"
"It's 422 years old—the very Datura Snake I mentioned earlier!"
Yu Xiaogang recognized it at once. Delighted, he said to Ao Yin, "Little Ao, even if you like this ten-year Lone Bamboo, shouldn't you deal with the trouble in front of us first?"
Ao Yin snorted. Who would care about some ten-year Lone Bamboo? He had only used it as part of his act to fool Tang San.
But before he could finish the act, this Datura Snake had appeared on its own and forcibly interrupted his grand plan of deception!
"Still, this 422-year-old Datura Snake is indeed suitable as Tang San's first Soul Ring. But it's also... suitable for me!"
Since it had delivered itself to him, Ao Yin had no reason to turn it down.
Ao Yin glanced at Yu Xiaogang and Tang San, murmuring, "To be safe, I should shake those two off first!"
Even if he took down this Datura Snake, with Tang San and Yu Xiaogang around, there would be no one to stand guard for him while he absorbed the Soul Ring. It would be hard to avoid an accident!
"I'm not in the habit of leaving my back to others!"
With that thought, Ao Yin immediately put on the appearance of a reckless brute. He picked up a small stone from the ground and threw it at the Datura Snake's head!
Clang!
It hit perfectly, but the Datura Snake's scales were as hard as metal and stone. Not only did it suffer no real damage, but it was thoroughly enraged.
Hiss—
The Datura Snake shot down from the tree, opening its bloody maw as it sped low across the ground!
Yu Xiaogang's eyes lit up. He had not expected Ao Yin to be so cooperative, actually taking the initiative to provoke the Datura Snake. Excitedly, he called out, "Little Ao, go! Don't be afraid, Teacher will help you..."
Yet Ao Yin had clearly been right beside him just a moment ago. In the blink of an eye, the space beside him was empty, without even the slightest trace of him!
Yu Xiaogang turned around and saw that Ao Yin had already used [Mist Step], vanishing in a flash as he fled several miles away!
Swish, swish, swish—
Debts had their creditors, and the Datura Snake was an extremely vindictive soul beast. It shot past them at high speed and crazily pursued Ao Yin.
Yu Xiaogang believed that Ao Yin was no match for that 422-year-old Datura Snake. Without his help, Ao Yin would find it difficult to seriously injure it, so he wanted to rush after them immediately.
Before leaving, he did not forget to tell Tang San, "Little San, this is a heaven-sent opportunity. Don't let it slip away! You know what to do, right?"
The successive developments left Tang San slightly stunned, but he quickly came to his senses and nodded firmly at the master. "Little San understands!"
But just as Yu Xiaogang was about to give chase, he caught sight of Tang San somehow pulling out a huge cleaver, his eyes gleaming as he stared at that... ten-year Lone Bamboo!
He muttered excitedly, "Teacher must have known long ago that this [ten-year Lone Bamboo] was guarded by a soul beast. Teacher deliberately led Ao Yin here so he could draw the Datura Snake's attention, giving Little San the chance to obtain this incomparably precious ten-year Lone Bamboo!"
"How could Little San fail to understand Teacher's painstaking intentions—"
Smack—
Before Tang San could finish, Yu Xiaogang swung a slap across his little face.
"Hey, wake up!"
"Little San, when Teacher said this ten-year Lone Bamboo was incredibly precious, I was fooling Ao Yin. Why did you take it seriously?"
The master had always had a good temper, but even he could not hold it in this time. He stared at Tang San in utter disbelief.
"Fooling him? It was fake!?"
Tang San only felt his face burning hot.
Yu Xiaogang did not know whether to laugh or cry. He hurriedly explained, "You can't be blamed for believing it. This ten-year Lone Bamboo truly is very suitable for your Blue Silver Grass martial soul, but its age is too low, and it has neither paralysis nor poison. It is far inferior to that Datura Snake from earlier!"
"Set this ten-year Lone Bamboo aside for now. If that Datura Snake really escapes, you'll have no choice but to pick it!"
"Teacher means that I should follow behind, wait until Teacher and Ao Yin seriously injure the Datura Snake, then take it by surprise and deliver the final blow!"
"What else?"
Yu Xiaogang looked helpless. He truly had not known Tang San could be this foolish!
Buzz—
Tang San felt his head buzzing. He had nearly been completely fooled by that bastard Ao Yin!
Fortunately, the master had explained things in time. Otherwise, he really would have missed out on his best possible first Soul Ring.
"Ao Yin!!!" Tang San raged.
"Hurry up and follow!"
Yu Xiaogang snorted coldly, then hurried after Ao Yin and the Datura Snake.
Bang!
Bang! Bang!
Wherever Ao Yin and the Datura Snake passed, trees toppled one after another. The tremendous commotion startled countless soul beasts lurking within the Soul Hunting Forest!
"Mist Step!"
Ao Yin used his martial technique, moving so fast that he left afterimages behind. Yet the Datura Snake was no slow creature either, relentlessly chasing after him!
"That's far enough!"
After putting some distance between himself and Yu Xiaogang and Tang San, Ao Yin came to an abrupt stop!
The Datura Snake was briefly stunned as well. Why had this human stopped running? Why was he looking directly at it with such calm composure?
Ao Yin rubbed his chin and muttered to himself, "The age of the Coiling Dragon Staff's first Soul Ring doesn't matter much. As for the quality... I suppose this is barely acceptable!"
As he spoke, he prepared to strike, kill the Datura Snake, and absorb its Soul Ring.
However, at that moment, a cold system notification sounded by his ear.
[Clue for "Sub-Dragon Species—Fire Glass Vine Serpent" has been activated!] [The Douluo map is navigating for you! Please follow the ground markers to investigate!] [Chance of successful hunt: 100%]
"Hm? What's this?"
Ao Yin narrowed his eyes and realized that this was the clue reward he had received from signing in before. It had actually activated automatically at this moment.
Moreover, a fluorescent green arrow that only he could see appeared out of thin air before him, pointing directly toward the deepest part of the Soul Hunting Forest.
"Wait! What the hell is this successful hunt probability?"
"Does 100% mean that as long as I find this Sub-Dragon Species—Fire Glass Vine Serpent, I can hunt it with absolute certainty?"
Ao Yin could not help swallowing. The Fire Glass Vine Serpent was a creature whose tribe had only been severely wounded after the ancient Da Yi used a divine bow. But he was not some ancient powerhouse. Wasn't a 100% hunt probability a little too absurd?
Yet the system gave no response whatsoever. Only the green arrow before him flashed wildly.
"This is a Sub-Dragon Species!"
Ao Yin was immensely tempted. Aside from the Datura Snake, it was undoubtedly the most suitable existence to serve as the Coiling Dragon Staff's first martial soul!
"I'm doing it!"
Ao Yin gritted his teeth and immediately decided to give it a try.
"I want to see what this 100% hunt probability is all about!"
[Mist Step]
The Datura Snake lunged fiercely at him, but it only bit apart an afterimage.
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