Millennium Mandala Snake

Huo Yuhao rose to his feet, rubbed his reddened eyes, and lowered his head somewhat awkwardly.

Ever since childhood, aside from his mother, no one had ever treated him so well. Yan Jingzhe's casual remark, "No need to be so formal," felt like a needle gently piercing the softest part of his heart.

Yan Jingzhe said nothing more and turned to look into the depths of the forest.

"Someone's coming."

No sooner had he spoken than rustling came from behind the bushes. Then, two figures emerged one after the other, pushing aside the branches.

They were Bei Bei and Tang Ya.

Bei Bei spotted Yan Jingzhe standing in the clearing at once.

He halted, his pupils contracting slightly, then quickened his pace. He hurried over to Yan Jingzhe, clasped his hands, bent at a ninety-degree angle, and gave a deeply respectful bow.

"Bei Bei greets Dean Yan."

Tang Ya was half a beat slower, but her reaction was swift as well. She hurriedly bowed too. "Tang Ya greets Dean Yan."

Yan Jingzhe stood with his hands behind his back and gave a slight nod in return.

"Bei Bei, your recent rate of soul power growth has been a little slow. Come find me when you return to the academy." He asked casually, his tone as calm as if they were simply making conversation.

After all, he was his teacher's great-grandson. He ought to offer him a little guidance.

"Yes, Dean Yan." Bei Bei straightened, keeping a very humble posture and speaking with particular respect.

Bei Bei's peripheral vision swept over Huo Yuhao standing beside Yan Jingzhe. The boy wore ragged clothes and still bore injuries, yet stood upright, his eyes slightly red as though he had just cried.

"Dean Yan," Bei Bei began carefully, "this is...?"

Yan Jingzhe glanced at Huo Yuhao, the corner of his lips lifting slightly. "My newly accepted disciple. His name is Huo Yuhao."

Bei Bei froze for a moment before quickly recovering. He immediately smiled and clasped his hands toward Huo Yuhao. "So you are Dean Yan's disciple. My apologies, my apologies. My name is Bei Bei, and this is Tang Ya. We are both students of Shrek Outer Court. If you need any help in the academy in the future, just ask."

Huo Yuhao was somewhat at a loss in the face of such sudden enthusiasm and hurriedly returned the gesture. "Hello, hello. My name is Huo Yuhao. Please take care of me in the future."

Tang Ya stood behind Bei Bei, her lively eyes circling Huo Yuhao twice before suddenly lighting up.

For Dean Yan to take this boy as a disciple, his talent had to be extraordinary.

What the Tang Sect lacked most right now was talent.

So she stepped forward, a somewhat overly enthusiastic smile blossoming across her face. Her voice was soft and naturally approachable. "Little Brother Yuhao, how old are you this year?"

Huo Yuhao was a little dazed by her enthusiasm. "Eleven."

"Coming alone to the Great Star Dou Forest at eleven? That's amazing." Tang Ya smiled with crescent eyes, her tone as warm as a neighborly older sister's. "Then what Martial Soul do you have now? What level are you?"

"Spirit Eyes. One ring... Level eleven."

Tang Ya's eyes brightened further.

A one-ring Soul Master naturally amounted to nothing in her eyes, but a Martial Soul like Spirit Eyes, both a body Martial Soul and a spiritual-type Martial Soul, was different. This was rare talent.

More importantly, the boy did not seem to have much of a background, so he would be easy to fool... No, easier to recruit.

"Little Brother Yuhao," Tang Ya leaned closer and lowered her voice, giving it a mysterious air. "Have you heard of the Tang Sect?"

Huo Yuhao shook his head blankly.

Tang Ya was delighted and was just about to speak when Bei Bei lightly coughed beside her.

He knew Tang Ya too well. Whenever she spoke in that tone, nothing good was bound to come of it.

But Tang Ya had already lost control.

"The Tang Sect is one of the continent's oldest and most mysterious sects, with a heritage spanning thousands of years. We specialize in hidden weapons, poison, movement techniques, and top-tier meditation methods such as the Mysterious Heaven Technique." Tang Ya spoke endlessly, her eyes shining. "If you join the Tang Sect, I can teach you personally and guarantee that your strength will soar by leaps and bounds."

"Tang Ya."

Yan Jingzhe spoke.

His voice was not loud, nor was his tone harsh, yet Tang Ya's words abruptly stopped as if someone had grabbed her by the throat.

She turned and met Yan Jingzhe's calm, unruffled eyes, suddenly feeling a chill down her back.

"Dean Yan, I..." She smiled sheepishly and instinctively shrank behind Bei Bei.

Yan Jingzhe looked at her and said blandly, "He is my disciple now, and he will be a member of Shrek in the future."

Tang Ya opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but Yan Jingzhe's next sentence followed immediately.

"If you want him to join the Tang Sect, could you not do it in front of me?"

Tang Ya's face instantly flushed red.

Trying to poach someone in front of their master really was not very proper.

Tang Ya lowered her head, her voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz. "Dean Yan is right. I was presumptuous."

A trace of disappointment flashed through her eyes, but she quickly concealed it.

Bei Bei watched from the side and gently took Tang Ya's hand, silently comforting her. He turned to Yan Jingzhe and respectfully said, "Dean Yan, we came to the Great Star Dou Forest this time to help Xiaoya hunt for her third Soul Ring. Our target is a Mandala Snake. We were wondering if you..."

He did not finish, but the meaning was obvious.

For a Soul Elder-level team to hunt a millennium Soul Beast in the Great Star Dou Forest, the risks and uncertainties were considerable. If Yan Jingzhe was willing to act, it would be utter overkill, and their safety would be guaranteed.

Yan Jingzhe considered it. He would take it as doing his teacher a favor.

"Fine," he said. "Lead the way. Let's finish this quickly."

Bei Bei was overjoyed. "Thank you, Dean Yan!"

Tang Ya also lifted her head in surprise. That bit of disappointment was instantly swept away. She tugged on Bei Bei's arm and whispered something, and both of them wore smiles.

Yan Jingzhe turned to Huo Yuhao. "Stay close to me. Don't run around."

"Yes, Master."

Huo Yuhao obediently followed behind Yan Jingzhe, a strange sense of security welling up within him.

The group of four passed through the dense forest toward the southwest of the Great Star Dou Forest. Yan Jingzhe walked at the rear, guarding their backs.

He did not need to make a move. Simply standing there gave the three of them an immense sense of security.

After walking for about a quarter of an hour, Bei Bei suddenly stopped and raised a hand to signal everyone to be quiet.

He pointed toward the edge of a mixed forest ahead. There stood an old dead tree with a hollow trunk, and faint rustling sounds came from within its hollow.

Yan Jingzhe's spiritual power had long covered a radius of ten li. A Mandala Snake with roughly thirteen hundred years of cultivation was hiding inside that tree hollow. Yet he said nothing and merely nodded slightly.

This was training, not power-leveling. He could provide a safety net, but he could not make every decision for them.

"It's a Mandala Snake." Bei Bei lowered his voice as the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul possessed him. "Around a thousand years old. Suitable for Xiaoya."

Tang Ya took a deep breath as the Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul possessed her, vines gathering strength in her palms.

She glanced at Yan Jingzhe.

Yan Jingzhe said, "Go. I'll watch from behind."

With those words, the last of Bei Bei and Tang Ya's concerns vanished.

Tang Ya moved first, charging out as Blue Silver Grass shot from her palms. Dozens of vines flew like green arrows straight toward the hollow tree.

The millennium Mandala Snake had been alarmed.

A dark green shadow shot out from the hollow. It was over three meters long, with a body as thick as a bucket covered in fine scales. Its vertical pupils glowed coldly. It opened its mouth, revealing two rows of sharp venomous fangs, and a foul stench rushed toward them.

Tang Ya's first Soul Ring lit up—Thorn Entanglement. Dense barbs grew from the Blue Silver Grass, greatly increasing its toughness as it tightly wrapped around the Mandala Snake's body.

But the strength of a millennium Soul Beast was not something a Great Soul Master could easily suppress. The Mandala Snake violently struggled, and the thorny Blue Silver Grass creaked painfully as several vines snapped outright.

Then Bei Bei made his move.

His first Soul Ring lit up—Lightning Dragon Claw. A blue lightning dragon claw blasted from his palm and struck the Mandala Snake precisely at its vital spot. Lightning spread across the snake's body, making it stiffen all over as the force of its struggles immediately weakened by more than half.

"Xiaoya, now!"

Tang Ya did not hesitate. Her second Soul Ring lit up—Blue Silver Strangulation. Dozens of vines emerged from the clearing and surged toward the Mandala Snake.

But the Mandala Snake was, after all, a millennium Soul Beast. It quickly reacted and darted to the other side with a whoosh.

Yan Jingzhe stood not far away, quietly watching the scene.

He had no intention of intervening. It was only a millennium Soul Beast; Bei Bei, a three-ring Soul Elder, and Tang Ya, a two-ring Great Soul Master, were more than enough to handle it.

Bei Bei rushed forward in a single step. His second Soul Ring lit up—Thunderous Might. An even more violent mass of lightning exploded from his palm, directly inflicting heavy wounds on the Mandala Snake.

"Xiaoya, finish it."

Tang Ya came back to her senses and hurriedly nodded. After stepping forward to deliver the final blow, a purple Soul Ring appeared. She sat cross-legged and guided the Mandala Snake's purple Soul Ring toward herself.

Bei Bei also sat nearby and began recovering his soul power. There was no need for anyone to stand guard with such a powerhouse beside them.

Half an hour later, Tang Ya opened her eyes, her face full of joy.

"I did it! Third Soul Ring, millennium Mandala Snake!"

She stood up. A faint dark green sheen now covered the Blue Silver Grass vines, the color of venom. With a thought, the venom on the vines immediately condensed into tiny droplets that gave off a pungent smell.

Bei Bei smiled and patted her head. "Congratulations, Teacher Xiaoya."

For once, Tang Ya did not bicker with him. Instead, she turned to Yan Jingzhe and gave him a serious bow. "Thank you, Dean Yan, for watching over us."

"Mm." Yan Jingzhe nodded. "Since the Soul Ring has been successfully absorbed, I'll take you straight back to the academy."

After saying that, the Radiant Phoenix Martial Soul possessed him. He used his soul power to control the three of them, rose into the sky, and sped toward Shrek City.