Instantly Killing a Two-Thousand-Year Soul Beast!

Wherever the giant snake passed, grass and trees withered, and a charred trail was left upon the ground. It was clearly highly venomous.

"A thousand-year soul beast?" Lin Ming narrowed his eyes and assessed the snake's cultivation. "A Bamboo Pit Viper of around two thousand years. Its venom is extremely potent, and it's incredibly fast. It's a very troublesome soul beast."

The purple-haired girl had clearly been fighting for quite some time. Her soul power was severely depleted, and several parts of her clothes were torn, exposing her fair skin and faint traces of blood.

Her breathing was rapid and uneven, sweat covered her forehead, and her steps grew increasingly unsteady. She was about to be caught by the Bamboo Pit Viper.

"Lin Ming, should we help her?" Ning Rongrong tugged at Lin Ming's sleeve, a trace of compassion in her eyes. "She looks like she can barely hold on."

Lin Ming stared at the purple-haired girl's face for several seconds before his pupils suddenly contracted.

Purple hair, a beautiful face, a slender waist, and being chased by a snake-type soul beast...

Wasn't this Dugu Yan?!

Dugu Yan, granddaughter of Poison Douluo Dugu Bo, a future member of the Heaven Dou Empire's team, and the possessor of the Jade Phosphor Serpent Martial Soul!

He remembered that in the original story, Dugu Yan had encountered danger while hunting soul beasts in the Sunset Forest. He had never expected to run into her here.

Talk about perfect timing. He had just been worrying about how to find Dugu Bo, and now his granddaughter had delivered herself right to his doorstep.

Lin Ming barely hesitated before rushing forward.

"Rongrong, stay here and don't move! Master, protect her!"

As he sprinted, he activated his second soul skill.

"Second Soul Skill—Heaven-Piercing Battle Intent!"

His purple second soul ring lit up, and a vast fighting spirit erupted from his body.

A faint golden light gleamed in his eyes, his muscles swelled slightly, and his speed and strength instantly more than doubled! A savage aura spread outward from him, scattering the fallen leaves around him.

The leaves beneath his feet flew in all directions as he shot forward like a black bolt of lightning, reaching the center of the battlefield within a few breaths.

He was so fast that he left only an afterimage in the air.

Dugu Yan gritted her teeth and prepared to unleash one final soul skill in a desperate last stand. There was barely any soul power left within her, and she could even feel the shadow of death closing in.

Suddenly, she saw a black-clad youth descend from the sky and stand between her and the Bamboo Pit Viper.

His back was straight and resolute, like an insurmountable mountain.

"Move!" she shouted instinctively, urgency filling her voice. "It's not something you can handle! This snake has two thousand years of cultivation. Leave now—don't worry about me!"

Lin Ming did not turn around. He merely curled his lips into a confident smile and raised his right hand. Silver light flashed as the Sky-Piercing Spear appeared in his grasp.

The silver-white spear shaft gleamed with a cold light beneath the sun, while its blade was sharp as frost and radiated an incomparably fierce aura.

Then, his first soul ring lit up, and a dazzling white spear radiance condensed around the weapon, as though a tiny sun had blossomed in his hand.

"First Soul Skill—Shatter the Sky!"

The spear shot forth like a dragon!

A blazing spear radiance streaked across the sky, carrying an unstoppable sharpness as it viciously pierced toward the Bamboo Pit Viper's vital spot! Wherever it passed, the air let out a piercing boom, as though space itself were about to be torn apart.

Sensing the deadly threat, the Bamboo Pit Viper released a shrill hiss and opened its mouth, spewing out a dense cloud of green poison mist in an attempt to block the strike.

The poisonous mist gave off a pungent stench, and wherever it passed, the grass and leaves on the ground instantly withered and blackened.

However, before the Sky-Piercing Spear's ultimate penetrating power, the poisonous mist was easily torn apart like thin paper. The spear radiance did not slow in the slightest, piercing straight into the Bamboo Pit Viper's vital spot with an unstoppable momentum!

"Pfft!"

The sound of the spearhead entering flesh was crystal clear, and blood sprayed through the air.

The Bamboo Pit Viper let out a miserable shriek. Its enormous body twisted violently, its tail crazily lashing against the ground and smashing the surrounding trees until branches snapped, leaves scattered, and shattered stones flew everywhere.

Pain and unwillingness filled its cold vertical pupils as it desperately struggled to retaliate.

But it was only a dying struggle. Lin Ming's strike had pierced directly through its vital point, and its fatal wound had already sealed its fate. The Bamboo Pit Viper's struggles grew weaker and weaker, while its movements became increasingly sluggish.

Dugu Yan reacted swiftly. Seeing that the Bamboo Pit Viper had been severely wounded, she immediately seized the opportunity. Forming a hand seal, she fired a beam of purple soul power from her hands, striking the snake's head with precision and blasting a hole through it.

The Bamboo Pit Viper's body suddenly stiffened before crashing to the ground with a thunderous boom, kicking up a cloud of dust. Its massive body twitched a few times before finally becoming completely still.

A purple soul ring slowly rose from its corpse, floating in midair and giving off a gentle glow.

Dugu Yan panted heavily, her chest heaving as she looked at the snake's corpse on the ground and then at the unfamiliar black-clad youth before her. Her eyes were filled with the relief and gratitude of someone who had narrowly escaped death. She wiped the sweat from her forehead and revealed a sincere smile.

"Thanks!" She patted her chest and spoke with lingering fear.

"If you hadn't acted in time, I probably would've died here today. That Bamboo Pit Viper was far more cunning than I expected. I chased it for most of the day, only for it to lure me into an ambush. I almost got myself killed."

Lin Ming put away the Sky-Piercing Spear, turned around, and smiled faintly. "It was nothing. No need to thank me, miss. Helping someone in need is simply the right thing to do."

Up close, Dugu Yan was even more beautiful than he had imagined.

Her purple hair was tied into a ponytail, revealing her smooth forehead. Her features were exquisite, especially those purple eyes, which carried the seductive charm of a serpent yet remained clear and bright, revealing a stubborn pride.

She also had an excellent figure. Though she wore a fitted combat outfit, her graceful curves were still apparent. A jade-green belt was tied around her waist, with several small pouches hanging from it and giving off a faint herbal scent.

Dugu Yan grew somewhat uncomfortable under his gaze. She gave a light cough, her cheeks faintly reddening. "My name is Dugu Yan. I came to the Sunset Forest to hunt for my third soul ring. That Bamboo Pit Viper was perfect for me—its age and attributes were both a good match. I just didn't expect it to be much stronger than I'd imagined. I nearly got myself killed."

She paused, studying Lin Ming curiously. "You don't look very old, but you're quite strong. That strike just now had at least the power of a Soul Elder, didn't it? What's your name? Which sect are you from? I'll definitely visit and thank you properly another day."

Just as Lin Ming was about to answer, Ning Rongrong ran over at once and wrapped herself around his arm. She looked at Dugu Yan with several hints of wariness, like a little cat guarding its food.

"Lin Ming, who is she? Why did you just casually save her?"

Her tone and gaze were clearly filled with strong jealousy.

Lin Ming did not know whether to laugh or cry, so he could only introduce them. "This is Miss Dugu Yan. She was being chased by a soul beast just now, so I gave her a hand. Miss Dugu, this is Ning Rongrong, the young lady of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. And that gentleman over there is my master, Sword Douluo Chen Xin."