"Dance of the Golden Snake" Draws Out a Serpent Nest

Dugu Bo raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Have you decided what kind of Soul Ring you want?"

"I have." Xiao Lin nodded. "Preferably a power-attack or control-type Soul Beast over ten thousand years old. The attribute does not matter. With my current physique, absorbing a Soul Ring under twenty-five thousand years should not be a problem."

Dugu Bo sucked in a breath. "Twenty-five thousand years? You've got quite an appetite, kid! You want a ten-thousand-year Soul Ring for your fourth ring? Do you know that even many Soul Kings only have thousand-year Soul Rings as their fourth?"

"I know." Xiao Lin smiled. "But I'm not ordinary."

Dugu Bo stared at him for a long while before finally shaking his head helplessly. "Fine. You little monster cannot be judged by common sense. Since you're confident, I won't stop you. I know the Soul Beasts in Sunset Forest well. I'll take you around and see whether there's anything suitable."

"I'm going too!"

A crisp voice came from nearby.

The two turned to look and saw Dugu Yan walking over from the other side of the valley. She had changed into a neat set of combat clothes, her long purple hair tied into a high ponytail. She looked dashing and valiant.

"I'm hunting for my fourth Soul Ring too." Dugu Yan walked up to Xiao Lin, planted her hands on her hips, and lifted her chin. "I'm level forty now as well, and I happen to need a Soul Ring. Besides, after my Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor Martial Soul evolved, I still haven't tested it in actual combat."

Dugu Bo looked at his granddaughter, then at Xiao Lin, a meaningful smile appearing on his face. "Fine, fine, fine. Go together. The two of you can look after each other."

Xiao Lin did not object. With Dugu Yan along, he would at least have company on the road. Moreover, her Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor Martial Soul was indeed powerful. If they joined forces, their chances of successfully hunting a ten-thousand-year Soul Beast would be higher.

Dugu Bo stood at the entrance to the valley, watching the backs of the two young people gradually disappear into the distance. A smile slowly curled at the corner of his lips.

"Youth really is wonderful..." he murmured, then turned toward the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, preparing to tend to those precious herbs.

After taking two steps, he suddenly stopped and glanced back in the direction Xiao Lin had vanished, a thoughtful look flashing through his eyes.

"The thing Tang Hao is looking for... could it have something to do with that kid?"

He shook his head, tossing the thought from his mind.

"Forget it, I won't worry about it. That kid belongs to me now. Whoever dares touch him will have to answer to me first."

Sunset Forest stretched vast and boundless.

Towering ancient trees blotted out the sky, their dense canopies slicing the sunlight into countless fragmented specks that scattered across the leaf-covered ground.

The air was thick with the damp scent of earth and decaying vegetation. From time to time, beastly roars sounded in the distance, echoing through the dim forest.

Xiao Lin and Dugu Yan walked side by side through the forest, one dressed in azure and the other in green. They moved lightly and steadily among the trees.

"What type of Soul Beast do you want? Be more specific," Xiao Lin asked casually as they walked.

Dugu Yan fell silent for a moment before giving a vague reply. "Anything is fine."

Xiao Lin paused and turned to look at her. "Anything is fine? What does that mean?"

His gaze made Dugu Yan feel a little uncomfortable. She turned her head away to avoid his eyes, and her voice became even softer. "It means... whatever you think is suitable is fine."

Xiao Lin blinked, somewhat baffled.

In his impression, Dugu Yan had always been a girl with a strong personality and clear opinions.

She knew what she wanted and never hid her preferences. Why had she become so hesitant and awkward when talking about Soul Rings today?

How could he know just how tumultuous Dugu Yan's thoughts were at that moment?

Over the past half year, she had watched him from afar every day as he played the flute, cultivated, gritted his teeth and persevered while refining immortal herbs, and wore that faint smile at the corner of his lips whenever he succeeded. Before she realized it, the boy's figure had already been deeply imprinted in her heart.

He had saved her life.

He had helped her find the immortal herb that evolved her Martial Soul.

He was so handsome, his flute sounded so beautiful, and his smile made her heart race.

But she was Dugu Yan, the genius girl of Heaven Dou Royal Academy and the granddaughter of the Poison Douluo. Others had always pursued and fawned over her. When had she ever taken the initiative to show favor toward someone else? Let alone express her feelings.

So when Xiao Lin asked what kind of Soul Ring she wanted, her mind had gone completely blank, and in the end she had only managed to squeeze out two words—anything is fine.

Although Xiao Lin found it a little strange, he did not dwell on it. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Since you do not have any particular requirements, I'll choose for you. I'll find you the most suitable poison-attribute Soul Beast around eight thousand years old."

Dugu Yan lowered her head and softly hummed in acknowledgment, the tips of her ears faintly reddening.

Xiao Lin did not notice those details. He stopped, surveyed the surrounding environment, then drew the Nine Phoenix Ceremonial Flute from his waist.

"What are you doing?" Dugu Yan asked curiously.

"Finding Soul Beasts." Xiao Lin smiled slightly. "Searching one at a time is too slow. I'll use a more efficient method."

He raised the Nine Phoenix Ceremonial Flute to his lips, took a deep breath, and blew a high, resounding note.

The note shot into the sky like a sharp arrow, then exploded in midair, transforming into countless fine sound waves that spread in every direction.

Immediately afterward, Xiao Lin's fingers flew over the flute holes, pouring forth a passionate, unrestrained melody with an intense rhythm.

"Dance of the Golden Snake."

This piece had a special attraction for serpent-type Soul Beasts. The last time he had used it, he had stirred the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor Martial Soul within Dugu Bo, causing the dormant toxins in his body to become active.

But this time, he intended to use the piece directly to lure out every serpent-type Soul Beast within several thousand meters.

The flute music echoed through the forest, piercing layer upon layer of trees and branches as it carried into the distance. Xiao Lin also infused a trace of spiritual power into the melody, making its penetrating force even stronger and expanding its range further.

The effect was immediate.

Not long after the music began, disturbances arose deep within the forest. Leaves rustled, shrubs trembled, and countless slithering sounds converged from every direction, as though the entire forest were awakening.

Dugu Yan's eyes widened as she warily scanned her surroundings.

Then she witnessed a scene she would never forget for the rest of her life.

From every direction in the forest, countless serpent-type Soul Beasts were converging on their location.

There were azure venomous snakes as thick as arms, multicolored giant pythons as thick as water barrels, pitch-black Poison Vipers, Crested Snakes with fleshy crests atop their heads... large and small, of every kind, densely packed and overwhelming!

As though their minds had been controlled by the flute music, those serpent-type Soul Beasts surged madly toward Xiao Lin. Their eyes gleamed with frenzied light, as if they were pursuing something they could not resist.

"Y-you... what did you do?!" Dugu Yan's face went pale as she instinctively took a step back.

"Don't panic." While continuing to play the flute, Xiao Lin motioned for her to remain calm. "I'm helping you select a suitable Soul Beast."

His gaze swept rapidly over the incoming swarm of snakes, evaluating their cultivation and quality one by one. Ten years, a hundred years, a thousand years... most of the Soul Beasts' cultivation was far too low and did not meet the requirements.