Hunting Soul Forest and the Mandala Snake

Looking at the three newly acquired Skill Machine lottery tickets, Xu Linjiu used them without hesitation.

A phantom circular roulette wheel appeared on the screen and began to spin.

[Ding! Congratulations, you have drawn the Grass-type skill: Mega Drain!]

[Ding! Congratulations, you have drawn the Steel-type skill: Iron Defense!]

Xu Linjiu's eyes lit up. Though he had not drawn any legendary-exclusive skills capable of destroying heaven and earth, these two skills could conveniently make up for some of Tang San's weaknesses.

"Little San, these two skills are perfect for you."

Xu Linjiu lightly tapped the Pokédex screen, and two streams of light flew out from the Pokédex, landing one after the other on the back of Tang San's hand.

The hidden red-and-white ball mark reappeared, growing faintly warm. The two rays of light drilled into it and vanished in the blink of an eye.

Tang San subconsciously clenched his fist, feeling two different streams of information flow into his mind.

"One soul skill is [Mega Drain], and the other is [Iron Defense]. They happen to correspond to your two Martial Souls."

Seeing Tang San's puzzled expression, Xu Linjiu explained,

"[Mega Drain] is used together with your Blue Silver Grass. Attacking an opponent can restore your own injuries. [Iron Defense], meanwhile, needs to be used with the Clear Sky Hammer and can strengthen your physical defense."

Tang San stood where he was and carefully sensed the changes within his body again.

The methods for using both soul skills had already been firmly imprinted deep in his mind. This method of imparting techniques was truly astonishing.

He drew a deep breath and bowed deeply to Xu Linjiu. "Thank you, Teacher, for bestowing these techniques. This disciple will certainly practice diligently and not disappoint Teacher's goodwill."

Xu Linjiu waved a hand, his gaze returning to the Pokédex screen. He still had one random skill left to draw.

The familiar roulette wheel appeared again.

[Ding! Congratulations, you have drawn the Water-type skill: Rain Dance!]

It was actually [Rain Dance]!

This was a domain-type soul skill just like [Misty Terrain]!

[Rain Dance] could summon an area of continuous rainfall. Within that area, all Water-type skills gained power while Fire-type skills were weakened, conveniently making up for the weakness of Tang San's Martial Soul against fire.

If he could draw some abilities suited for rain in the future, such as Swift Swim or Hydration...

In short, rain was great. No further explanation needed!

Xu Linjiu hesitated no longer and decisively equipped it on himself.

[Xu Linjiu (Named)]

[Attribute: Psychic]

[Level: Lv.46]

[Ability: Inner Focus]

[Skills: Psychic, Light Screen, Reflect, Calm Mind, Hypnosis, Substitute, Gravity, Shadow Ball, Ice Beam, Misty Terrain, Rain Dance]

[Evaluation: A moveset that is extremely afraid of dying.]

Ignoring the system's evaluation, Xu Linjiu turned to look at Tang San, who was still carefully comprehending his new skills.

"Alright, it's getting late. We should set off."

Outside the gates of Notting Academy, a carriage had already been waiting for quite some time.

Pulling the carriage was a tall horse covered from head to toe in azure scales.

When it saw Xu Linjiu and Tang San approach, the horse broke free of its reins and happily trotted up to them, lowering its head to nuzzle Xu Linjiu's chest again and again.

Sensing the horse's soul power aura, Tang San asked hesitantly, "Teacher, this is...?"

Xu Linjiu patted the horse's head and put the reins back on it.

"You mean him? Just call him Little Qing. He's an Azure-Scaled Horse with eight hundred years of cultivation. Like Wang Sheng, he has signed a temporary contract with me."

"A temporary contract?"

He caught the key phrase, his face showing confusion. "Different from the permanent contract between us?"

"Different."

Xu Linjiu opened the carriage door and gestured for Tang San to get in.

"Although a temporary contract can be canceled at any time, the only benefit it provides is the imparting of skills, and that is limited to three times."

In truth, this flexible temporary contract was not an innate ability of the Pokédex Martial Soul.

It was a derivative application Xu Linjiu had developed through years of day-and-night deduction and research into his Martial Soul during the more than ten years since he had transmigrated to Douluo Continent.

The Azure-Scaled Horse snorted and obediently stepped up to the front of the carriage.

Xu Linjiu climbed into the carriage after Tang San and lightly tapped the carriage wall with his fingertips. The carriage slowly began to move.

He lifted the curtain and glanced at the Azure-Scaled Horse outside as it gradually picked up speed, then smiled. "For soul beasts like Little Qing, which are used for travel and transportation, or soul masters like Wang Sheng, whose aptitude is still lacking and who cannot accompany us to the end, a temporary contract is enough."

Hearing how Xu Linjiu had developed his Martial Soul's abilities, Tang San nodded thoughtfully.

He had thought all of his teacher's Martial Soul abilities were innate. He had not expected there to be aspects that had been deeply developed afterward.

Perhaps only someone like his teacher truly deserved the saying, "There are no useless Martial Souls, only useless soul masters."

The eight-hundred-year Azure-Scaled Horse was extremely fast. In just half a day, they arrived at the camp outside Hunting Soul Forest.

With the Martial Soul Hall token Tang Hao had left behind, the two of them entered the forest without difficulty.

Although the soul beasts in this ordinary Hunting Soul Forest generally did not possess particularly high cultivation or quality, making it far inferior to Star Dou Great Forest, it was already sufficient for Tang San's first soul ring.

As he walked through the forest, the natural aura among the trees made Tang San feel incomparably relaxed.

The Blue Silver Grass growing everywhere swayed gently with his steps, faintly resonating with the Martial Soul inside Tang San's body.

Suddenly, a dark green figure shot out from the grass, carrying a foul stench as it pounced straight at Tang San.

"What!"

Tang San was startled. The attack had come too suddenly, leaving him no time to dodge, so he could only raise his Mysterious Jade Hand to block it.

Clang!

The dark green figure struck Tang San's jade-colored palm with a crisp sound, then bounced away.

Tang San was also knocked several steps back by the impact.

Only then did Tang San see the dark green figure clearly. It was a long snake nearly four meters in length.

Facing a powerful enemy, Tang San did not dare lower his guard. His jade-like right hand remained before him, while his left hand was hidden in his sleeve, ready to fire his sleeve arrow at any moment.

"Alright, no need to be nervous."

Xu Linjiu placed a hand on Tang San's shoulder, easing his tense heart somewhat.

"Hunting Soul Forest is extremely dangerous. You must be more careful in the future. You absolutely cannot be as careless as you were this time."

As he spoke, Xu Linjiu's eyes lit up. A streak of pink light flashed forth, enveloping the long snake and lifting it into the air.

"Understood, Teacher."

A wave of lingering fear rose in Tang San's heart, and he silently felt ashamed.

He had actually relaxed his proper vigilance because of the peaceful surroundings. If his teacher had not intervened this time, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

He silently engraved this lesson in his heart and secretly resolved that whenever he entered a forest to hunt soul beasts in the future, he would remain vigilant at all times and never let himself slacken in the slightest.

Seeing that Tang San had learned his lesson, Xu Linjiu turned his gaze back to the restrained snake.

"So it really is a Mandala Snake. What an ill-fated connection!"

The snake before them was precisely the century-old Mandala Snake that Tang San had absorbed as his first soul ring in the original story, following Yu Xiaogang's theory.

However, it was not a particularly good choice. While absorbing it would grant poison effects, it would also harm the soul master himself.

Even Dugu Bo, a titled Douluo, had suffered deeply from his own poison, let alone a child like Tang San.

If Tang San had not later forged a golden body at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, rendering his physique immune to all poisons, he would likely have been harmed by the poison in his soul ring long ago.

Xiaogang, you truly harmed people deeply!

Xu Linjiu shook his head and waved a hand. The Mandala Snake, controlled by Psychic, flew into the sky and turned into a streak of light that vanished into the distance.

"This snake isn't suitable for you to absorb. Let's keep going, Little San."