Xiao Lin's Fourth Soul Ring, Azure Luan?

Suddenly, his gaze locked onto a figure hidden behind the swarm of snakes.

It was a dark green snake, about thirty feet long and as thick as an adult's arm.

Its head was triangular, its pupils vertical, gleaming with a cold, sinister light. Fine scales covered its body, reflecting a dark green sheen under the sunlight. One look was enough to tell that it carried potent venom.

Mandala Snake.

Judging by the aura it emitted, it had cultivated for at least eight thousand years, perhaps even close to nine thousand.

Found it. Xiao Lin silently thought as the melody of his flute abruptly changed.

The once fiery, unrestrained tune instantly turned sharp and murderous. The frenzied swarm of snakes seemed to have been doused with a bucket of cold water. They all froze, fear filling their eyes, before retreating like a tide and scattering in every direction.

Only the Mandala Snake did not flee. Instead, it raised its head and hissed threateningly at Xiao Lin. Its body arched into an attacking posture, clearly enraged by the flute's music.

"That's the one." Xiao Lin lowered the Nine Phoenix Ceremonial Flute and said to Dugu Yan, "An eight-thousand-year Mandala Snake has ferocious venom and incredible speed. It's perfect for your Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor martial soul."

Dugu Yan looked at the enormous Mandala Snake and swallowed. "Are you sure I can beat it?"

"It's not you fighting it. It's us." Xiao Lin corrected her, then raised the Nine Phoenix Ceremonial Flute again. "I'll cripple it first. You deal the final blow."

Before he finished speaking, he had already begun to play.

"Second Soul Skill—The General's Command!"

A stirring, heroic melody rang out, and a warm force flooded through Xiao Lin's limbs and bones. His eyes grew brighter, his senses sharper, and his entire aura surged to an entirely new height.

Then, the flute melody changed once more.

"Third Soul Skill—Ambush from Ten Sides!"

A rapid, tense melody poured forth like a raging storm. Centered on Xiao Lin, visible ripples began to appear in the air within a hundred-meter radius.

The ripples intertwined, forming an invisible net that enveloped the Mandala Snake.

Sensing danger, the Mandala Snake suddenly sprang forward like a dark green arrow, shooting straight at Xiao Lin!

It was unbelievably fast, leaving an afterimage in the air as it opened its jaws, bared two sharp venomous fangs, and lunged for Xiao Lin's throat!

Yet it had barely rushed thirty feet before the invisible net blocked it.

Several invisible arrows condensed in the air and shot toward it from different directions! Unable to gain leverage in midair, the Mandala Snake could only twist its body forcefully to evade them. But the arrows seemed to have eyes, relentlessly pursuing it.

Puff! Puff! Puff!

Several arrows pierced through its scales, leaving bloody holes behind. Dark green blood flowed from the wounds and dripped onto the ground, making sizzling sounds as it corroded the earth.

The Mandala Snake let out a pained hiss and crashed to the ground, its body writhing violently. But rather than giving up, it became even more frenzied. Opening its mouth wide, it spat out a cloud of dark green poisonous mist, trying to corrode the invisible net.

But how could Xiao Lin give it that chance?

His flute melody became rapid again, and the invisible net began to shrink at high speed.

The ripples in the air became denser and more violent. Countless invisible arrows and spears rained down like a tempest, drowning the Mandala Snake beneath them.

The Mandala Snake struggled desperately, continuously spewing poisonous mist and lashing its tail as it tried to break free from the net. But Xiao Lin's Ambush from Ten Sides was simply too powerful. Every time it struggled, it was met with even fiercer attacks.

In less than the time it took to drink a cup of tea, it was covered in wounds and sprawled on the ground, barely clinging to life.

"Now!" Xiao Lin shouted.

Dugu Yan had long been ready. Her figure flashed, and she shot before the Mandala Snake like a streak of green lightning. With a flick of her right hand, a poisoned dagger plunged precisely into the snake's vital point!

The Mandala Snake's body convulsed a few times before falling completely still.

A purple orb of light slowly rose from its corpse, floating in midair and giving off a gentle glow.

The Soul Ring of an eight-thousand-year Mandala Snake.

Dugu Yan looked at the purple Soul Ring, took a deep breath, sat down cross-legged, and began absorbing it.

Xiao Lin stood beside her, standing guard.

About an hour later, Dugu Yan slowly opened her eyes.

Her aura was clearly far stronger than before. Her Soul Power climbed all the way from level forty before steadily stopping at level forty-five.

"Level forty-five?!" Even Dugu Yan was startled. She looked at her hands in disbelief. "How did I jump five levels at once?"

"It should be because the medicinal power of the Aromatic Silk Beauty had settled within your body and was never fully absorbed." Xiao Lin analyzed. "Absorbing the Soul Ring this time stimulated that accumulated medicinal power, which is why your strength rose so much at once."

Dugu Yan rose to her feet, feeling the surging Soul Power within her as a radiant smile spread across her face.

She turned to Xiao Lin, a gentleness in her gaze that even she had not noticed. "Thank you, Xiao Lin."

Xiao Lin waved a hand. "No need to be so polite. It was nothing."

He turned around and looked deeper into Sunset Forest.

"Next, it's my turn."

However, before Xiao Lin could praise himself for his cleverness, he realized that something seemed wrong.

The disturbance deep in the forest had not subsided. Instead, it grew increasingly violent. The ground began to tremble faintly, while the cracking sounds of breaking trees came from afar, as though some enormous creature was approaching.

Then Xiao Lin saw a sight that made his scalp tingle.

From every direction in the forest, enormous snake-type Soul Beasts began pouring in.

There were pitch-black ten-thousand-year venomous pythons, massive colorful boas as thick as water barrels, ancient vipers with fleshy crests on their heads... Most had cultivated for over a thousand years, and quite a few had cultivation levels exceeding ten thousand years.

Angry red light glinted in their eyes. Clearly, they had been enraged by the earlier "Dance of the Golden Snake" and were now charging madly toward Xiao Lin and Dugu Yan.

"Y-you... just how many snakes did you lure here?!" Dugu Yan's face went pale, and even her voice trembled.

Xiao Lin's mouth twitched. "If I said I only wanted to help you find a suitable Soul Ring, would you believe me?"

"Believe my ass!" Dugu Yan grabbed Xiao Lin's wrist. "Run!"

Without another word, the two turned and fled.

Xiao Lin's Phoenix Cry Nine Heavens Step was pushed to its limit. Blue-gold soundwave trails continuously exploded beneath his feet, and every step sent him shooting forward more than thirty feet.

Though Dugu Yan was not as fast as him, after her Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor Martial Soul Possession, her body became extraordinarily supple and agile. She moved through the forest as if walking on level ground.

But the snakes behind them pursued relentlessly, and their numbers kept growing. Those ten-thousand-year snakes were incredibly fast. No matter how Xiao Lin and Dugu Yan turned or changed direction, they could not shake them off.

"This can't go on!" Xiao Lin rapidly thought as he ran. "We need to find somewhere to lose them, or—"

Before he could finish, a sharp bird cry suddenly rang out from the forest ahead.

The cry was high and resonant, carrying the majesty of a king, as though declaring that its territory could not be violated.

Then the frenzied swarm of snakes chasing Xiao Lin and Dugu Yan abruptly stopped in unison.

Fear appeared in their eyes, and their bodies twisted uneasily, as if they had encountered a natural enemy that terrified them beyond measure. Several weaker snakes even turned around and fled at once, no longer caring about chasing Xiao Lin.