Tang San's Unexplained Hostility Toward Lin Yan

"No problem, good brother! Once we get back, we'll find a place and have a good feast."

Lin Yan readily agreed, looking harmless and simple-minded.

But when he saw the suppressed resentment and venom in Dai Mubai's eyes, he had already begun muttering to himself inwardly.

Heh...

That look like he wants to kill me is impossible to hide, yet he says he wants to apologize?

Young Master Dai sure has it rough, having to swallow his pride like this...

Now that he sees me happily accepting his invitation, he must feel pretty accomplished, huh?

Just as Lin Yan had thought, when Dai Mubai saw Lin Yan fall for it and agree to his invitation, the gloom on his face instantly vanished, replaced by a genuinely hearty smile.

"Good brother! Hahaha!"

"Once we get back, I'll make sure to treat you properly."

Seeing the two bury the hatchet...

Zhao Wuji, at the front of the group, gradually relaxed his furrowed brow.

Zhu Zhuqing's opinion of Dai Mubai improved slightly, but she already belonged to Lin Yan. Even if Dai Mubai truly turned over a new leaf, she would have no chance to regret anything.

Only Ning Rongrong, influenced by Ning Fengzhi's teachings, felt that Dai Mubai's unusual behavior was somewhat off and remained vigilant.

Within the Star Dou Great Forest, everyone harbored different thoughts, each more calculating than the last.

That continued until the steadily advancing group almost simultaneously noticed something unusual in the forest ahead.

"There's movement!"

"Zhu Zhuqing, go scout it out."

Zhao Wuji ordered Zhu Zhuqing. Knowing that this was her duty as an Agility Attack Spirit Master, she nodded and, after several leaps, climbed the nearest tree.

Before long, Zhu Zhuqing returned to the ground.

"It's a large red snake, around six meters long. It has wings on its back, a fleshy crest on its head, and it's very fast. It's flying toward us."

Listening to her description, everyone's expressions became varied.

Zhao Wuji had naturally sensed from far away that the creature was weak. This was only the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest, where Soul Beasts over ten thousand years old were rarely encountered, so he left the chance to perform to the others.

Everyone looked at one another, waiting for someone to step forward and make a plan or say something.

At that moment, Tang San smiled.

A red snake? Wings on its back? A fleshy crest on its head? Wasn't that a Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent?

He had just read about this Soul Beast in a book a few days ago. At last, it was his turn to show off.

"It's a Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent!"

Lin Yan was the one who spoke!

Tang San had just opened his mouth when Lin Yan beat him to it, perfectly timing his explanation of the Soul Beast.

Heaven knew, Lin Yan had only stepped forward because Tang San had taken so long to react.

After all, judging from Zhu Zhuqing's description, the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent was extremely fast. On one hand, Lin Yan wanted everyone to prepare for battle quickly; on the other, he wanted to avoid the trouble named Meng Yiran from the original story. That was why he explained what the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent was before Tang San could.

Lin Yan looked at Oscar and revealed his signature gentle smile.

"Oscar, the Soul Beast Zhuqing described is a Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent. Its size corresponds to a thousand-year cultivation base. If you're lucky, your third Spirit Ring has found its match."

Oscar's eyes lit up at his words.

"Damn, Lin Yan, are you a walking encyclopedia or something?"

"You could identify the Soul Beast from just that little information? That's amazing."

Lin Yan accepted the praise with a faint smile at the corners of his mouth. It was impossible to tell whether he was being modest or simply in a good mood.

"Nothing special. Practice makes perfect. Get ready for battle."

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone took up their combat stances and even summoned their Martial Souls in advance.

Tang San alone...

Lin Yan! Lin Yan!

Lin Yan again! Why is this guy always going against me? I should have been the one to receive this glory, so why did he have to jump out first?!

Tang San looked at Lin Yan, his eyes filled with jealousy and resentment. He looked as though Lin Yan had stolen his wife.

Lin Yan happened to look over at him as well.

"Tang San, you're the only Control Spirit Master among us. We'll be relying on you later."

"The Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent is extremely fast. Mubai and the others will probably have a hard time hitting it, but if you can restrict its movements a little, everyone else can quickly follow up with attacks."

Lin Yan wore a smile as gentle as a spring breeze, his face full of the kindness expected from a Healing Soul Master. Anyone who saw him would think he was a gentle young man.

Yet that very appearance made Tang San burn with anger.

For some reason, Lin Yan seemed like a fated enemy in Tang San's eyes. Even though Lin Yan had never shown him any hostility, Tang San still felt that every word and every action from him was aimed at him.

He had felt that way ever since their first meeting on the day they enrolled.

Tang San did not find it strange. He only found Lin Yan utterly hateful!

While everyone had summoned their Martial Souls and waited in readiness, Tang San stood where he was and looked at Lin Yan with contempt.

"You're only a supp—"

Halfway through, he caught sight of Ning Rongrong. He then rearranged his words and said,

"My teacher said that a Control Spirit Master is the soul of the entire team. How I do things is none of your business."

Tang San's hostility came out of nowhere, leaving everyone baffled. Their gazes drifted repeatedly between Tang San and Lin Yan, filled with both confusion and a desire to watch the show.

Lin Yan raised his brows, displaying a hint of surprise.

"I only said something casually. Why are you so hostile toward me?"

Tang San gave the same response.

"I said it already. How I do things is none of your business. What gives you the right to meddle?"

"Fine, fine, fine! I must have been out of my mind to insist on talking to you."

Lin Yan's face was full of helplessness.

"If I ever take the initiative to speak to you again, I'm a dog!"

Honestly, Lin Yan had not intended to needle Tang San just now. He had simply blurted something out on a whim. He had no hostility and no ulterior motive.

Heh...

Unbelievable!

Lin Yan let out one final sigh, then directly pulled Ning Rongrong behind the others and said nothing more.

Only then did Tang San sullenly put away his angry expression.

At that moment, Xiao Wu suddenly spoke.

"Brother, do you have a grudge against Lin Yan?"

Even Xiao Wu could tell that Tang San was targeting Lin Yan. It was easy to imagine how obvious his hostility had been.

Tang San had just wanted to answer Xiao Wu when the grass rustled before he could speak.

Rustle—

A large red snake suddenly darted out, flying close to the ground at incredible speed.

The snake did not attack anyone present. It looked as though it was fleeing pursuit from behind and merely passing by the group.

Everyone assumed their battle stances, waiting only for Tang San to hinder the snake slightly so they would have a chance to target it.

However...

Tang San, standing at the very front, seemed to have gone mad! Instead of immediately summoning his Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul, he braced his legs and a jade-colored glow emerged around his palms.

Mysterious Jade Hand!

Tang San shouted, then used Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track and appeared directly in front of the snake.

Boom!

The snake's head collided with Tang San in an instant!

Speed was power! Like a basketball shot being blocked, the high-speed Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent drove Tang San straight into the tree across from them.