Xu Zhou Could Not Let Go, and Tang San Could Not Turn Back

There was only one breath left.

The poison mist had already crossed the iron fence, spreading close to the ground.

Xu Zhou pressed his palm against the flesh crest of the Four-Century Mandrake Snake, and the Soul Power Resonance did not stop.

The moment he let go, the Mandrake Snake would immediately counterattack.

If he continued the resonance, the millennium poison mist would engulf everyone.

Yu Xiaogang stood in the distance holding Luo Sanpao, while Tang San stood in front of Xu Zhou with all the Blue Silver Grass in his hand fully spread out.

"Let go!"

Tang San looked at Xu Zhou.

"It'll drag you down!"

Xu Zhou did not answer.

The red words on the Black Ancient Book were still increasing.

[Resonance about to lose control.]

[Time remaining: one breath.]

The Four-Century Mandrake Snake's body began to tighten.

It did not attack Xu Zhou.

Instead, it poured all its strength into the resonance.

Starting from his fingertips, Xu Zhou's arm went numb, and his chest felt tight as well. That Soul Power did not belong to him, yet he had forcibly dragged it into his body.

No.

He could not keep this up.

But if he let go, the Four-Century Mandrake Snake would definitely bite him.

At that time, Tang San would stand in front of him.

Yu Xiaogang would save Luo Sanpao.

Everyone else would die too.

"Tang San."

Xu Zhou finally spoke.

"When I let go, tie up its mouth immediately."

"Okay."

"Don't ask why."

"I won't."

Tang San nodded.

Xu Zhou looked beyond the poison mist.

The Millennium Mandrake Snake had already crossed the riverbank. The guards' screams had stopped. Dragging the wounded guard along, it slowly slithered toward the abandoned Captive-Breeding Ground.

The riverbank was covered in blood.

The poison mist on the ground had also been drawn over by the blood.

If they waited any longer, both snakes would enter the same area.

"Now."

Xu Zhou released his hand.

The instant the resonance broke, the Four-Century Mandrake Snake opened its mouth and bit down.

Tang San had long been ready.

Blue Silver Grass wrapped around the snake's jaws, and he pulled backward.

But he had underestimated the Mandrake Snake's strength.

The Blue Silver Grass snapped one strand after another.

Tang San was dragged forward, the soles of his feet scraped raw through two layers of skin.

"Xu Zhou, go!"

Xu Zhou turned and ran.

After only two steps, the numbness in his arm spread to his shoulder.

The antidote grass had not worked.

This poison was stronger than any he had encountered before.

Xu Zhou's legs gave out, and he nearly fell.

"Tch."

This was seriously unreasonable.

A six-year-old kid running around the Soul Hunting Forest really was not a proper job.

"He's been poisoned!"

Someone shouted from outside the iron fence.

"Save him, quickly!"

"Forget Xu Zhou for now, Tang San's Soul Ring is more important!"

"Do you people have any conscience?"

"I do, but the odds matter too!"

Wang Sheng clutched his ledger nearby, stomping his feet anxiously.

"I bet he'd come out alive. He can't really die!"

"How much did you bet?"

"Five Copper Soul Coins."

When Xu Zhou heard that, he nearly choked on the poisonous air.

He was only worth five Copper Soul Coins?

"Pull him back!"

Tang San gritted his teeth and exerted force with both arms.

Blue Silver Grass burst from the ground and wrapped around Xu Zhou's waist.

Xu Zhou was dragged backward, and the Four-Century Mandrake Snake was pulled off course as well.

The snake's jaws bit down again.

Tang San could only raise his arm to block it.

Its venomous fangs pierced his sleeve.

Two drops of black venom fell onto the back of his hand.

"Tang San!"

Xu Zhou shouted.

"I'm fine."

Tang San kicked the snake's head away.

"I can still handle this little bit of poison."

He made it sound easy, but his fingers had already begun to go numb.

This Mandrake Snake's venom was far stronger than an ordinary Four-Hundred-Year Soul Beast should have had.

Someone had fed it medicine.

And quite a lot of it.

Xu Zhou lowered his head and looked at his arm.

The Black Ancient Book was still turning pages.

[Current toxin: Mandrake Snake mixed venom.]

[Main effects: paralysis, corrosion, Soul Power blockage.]

[Current antidote grass: can only relieve paralysis.]

[Suggestion: reduce Soul Power circulation to prevent the toxin from spreading.]

Reduce Soul Power circulation.

Xu Zhou immediately stopped trying to mobilize his Soul Power.

The warm current inside him gradually settled, and the numbness in his arm no longer spread toward his chest.

At least his life was safe for now.

"Yu Xiaogang!"

Xu Zhou shouted.

"Can you still use that last breath of air?"

"Luo Sanpao has already passed out."

"Wake it up."

Yu Xiaogang lowered his head and patted Luo Sanpao on the back.

"Luo Luo, get up."

Luo Sanpao did not respond.

"Get up, and I'll give you meat."

Luo Sanpao's ears twitched.

Yu Xiaogang's face lit up.

"I'll add another piece."

Luo Sanpao opened its eyes.

"Luo Luo!"

This Martial Soul might have been mediocre in strength, but its greed had never disappointed anyone.

With difficulty, it opened its mouth.

The final stream of mist, carrying sparks, sprayed out.

It did not blast toward the Four-Century Mandrake Snake.

It shot toward the ground instead.

The sparks landed on the poison mist, and flames spread along the remnants of the potion.

The flames forced the poison mist back.

Provoked, the Four-Century Mandrake Snake swept its tail at Tang San.

Tang San was sent flying and slammed into the edge of the iron fence.

Xu Zhou saw blood at the corner of his mouth.

But the snake had also released the Blue Silver Grass.

"Tang San, the feeding hatch!"

Xu Zhou pointed to the side.

"Lure it in!"

Tang San did not hesitate.

Blue Silver Grass shot from his palm, wrapped around a piece of beast meat soaked in Snake-Luring Potion, and hurled it toward the feeding hatch.

Smelling the scent, the Mandrake Snake turned and chased after it.

But just as it was about to crawl through the feeding hatch, the Millennium Mandrake Snake pounced from the riverbank.

The two snakes collided.

The Four-Century Mandrake Snake was pinned down, while the Millennium Mandrake Snake's tail smashed through an iron post beside them.

The iron fence tilted outward.

"Now!"

Xu Zhou grabbed a fallen iron post and dragged his numb arm as he climbed out.

Tang San followed close behind with Yu Xiaogang.

Wang Sheng immediately rushed over and caught Luo Sanpao.

"It's still alive?"

"It's alive."

"That's good."

Wang Sheng looked at the unconscious Luo Sanpao and gritted his teeth.

"Next time I place a bet, I'll bet on it."

Xu Zhou crawled out from beneath the iron fence and nearly failed to stay on his feet.

He had little strength left in his body, and he could barely lift his arm.

The Black Ancient Book floated beside him.

[Public Script: Burden of the Soul Hunting Forest.]

[Current progress: the entire team has escaped the Captive-Breeding Ground.]

[Completion condition: the entire team safely leaves the Soul Hunting Forest.]

[Time remaining: three days.]

It was not over yet.

Because they had not left the Soul Hunting Forest.

"Xu Zhou, deal with the poison first."

Yu Xiaogang walked over.

"I can use Soul Power to force the poison out of you."

"No."

The Black Ancient Book had just warned him that circulating Soul Power would accelerate the spread of the toxin.

"Then what should we do?"

"Find medicine first."

"There are plenty of herbs in the forest."

Yu Xiaogang looked around.

"I recognize some of them."

"What you recognize might have been written by fanfiction readers too."

Xu Zhou pointed at a small blue flower not far away.

"What is that?"

"A Blue Silver Grass variant."

"Can it detoxify poison?"

"I don't know."

"What about the one beside it?"

"Snake-Hating Flower."

"Can it detoxify poison?"

"I don't know either."

Yu Xiaogang paused.

"You're asking so quickly that I can't confirm everything."

"It's fine."

Xu Zhou sat beneath a tree.

"If we can't confirm it, don't eat it yet."

Yu Xiaogang fell silent.

This child was becoming more and more like an overly cautious little old man.

But in the Soul Hunting Forest, caution was always better than recklessness.

After examining the poisoned wound on his arm, Tang San could no longer use his left hand.

He looked at the two Mandrake Snakes.

The Four-Century Mandrake Snake had been pinned beside the iron net by the Millennium Mandrake Snake, blood continuously flowing from its wounds. Its yellow Soul Ring had already faded by more than half, leaving only a faint halo.

The Millennium Mandrake Snake remained nearby and did not continue attacking.

It still had that stalk of Blue Silver Grass clamped in its mouth.

The note on the blade of grass had already been soaked through with venom.

Tang San stepped closer.

"Why hasn't it left?"

"Maybe it's still watching Xu Zhou,"

Yu Xiaogang said.

"Or maybe it's waiting for us to get closer."

Xu Zhou said nothing.

He stared at the Millennium Mandrake Snake's fleshy crest.

There was an old wound there.

The shape of the wound looked familiar.

It was like it had been torn open by some large Soul Beast.

The Millennium Mandrake Snake had no tracking needle.

Nor did it have any lure potion.

It had chased them all this way seemingly just for that Blue Silver Grass.

"Give me the note."

Tang San wrapped the stalk with Blue Silver Grass and handed it to Xu Zhou.

Once the Black Ancient Book drew close, new words appeared on its pages.

[Residual information: The Four-Century Mandrake Snake is unsuitable as a Soul Ring.]

[Reason: The Soul Ring's structure has been artificially damaged.]

[Source of damage: Unknown.]

Xu Zhou looked at the Four-Century Mandrake Snake.

Its Soul Ring was gradually dissipating.

"Someone tampered with its Soul Ring."

"What does that mean?"

"Someone extracted part of its Soul Power in advance, then used medicine to forcibly maintain its age."

Yu Xiaogang crouched down to inspect it.

Very quickly, his expression changed.

"There are artificial cutting marks on the Soul Ring."

Tang San slowly clenched his fist.

Those people had actually modified the Soul Beast beforehand just to let him absorb a so-called four-hundred-and-twenty-three-year Soul Ring.

"This is no longer about choosing a Soul Ring,"

Xu Zhou said.

"Someone is manufacturing Soul Rings."

A burst of hoofbeats sounded in the distance.

Several people in Spirit Hall uniforms came racing down the forest path. The one in front held a spear, and a prison cart followed behind them.

A Purple Mandrake Snake was locked inside the cart.

"Target found!"

The newcomer pointed at Tang San.

"According to the original records, Tang San's first Soul Ring must be provided by a Mandrake Snake!"

"Begin the capture and kill!"

They opened the prison cart.

The Purple Mandrake Snake slithered out of the cage, but it did not pounce on Tang San.

It turned to look at Xu Zhou.

The next moment, every Soul Beast hissed at once.

The Black Ancient Book opened by itself.

[Public Script: Burden of the Soul Hunting Forest.]

[Conditions for Script Projection have been met.]

[Use Script Projection?]

Xu Zhou looked at the approaching Spirit Hall team and pressed down on the black words on the page.

"Use it."

The Black Ancient Book suddenly lit up.

The Millennium Mandrake Snake, the Four-Century Mandrake Snake, and the Purple Mandrake Snake that had just been released all turned at the same time.

They no longer looked at Tang San.

All of them charged toward Xu Zhou.